1. Alabama Crimson Tide– No shocker here. They are coming off their fifth national championship in nine seasons. The defending champions lost 12 players to the NFL Draft this Spring, but that doesn’t mean a thing. As long as Nick Saban is in charge, they will continue to dominate the SEC, get opposing coaches fired, playing in the SEC Title game on the first Saturday in December and they’ll definitely be the major conversation starter when Selection Sunday rolls around and coast towards a fifth consecutive playoff appearance.
2. Clemson Tigers– This is the team that I will be paying very close attention too and I think they are out to make a statement after being embarrassed by Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in January. This defense will be one of the top two or three units in the country this year with a majority of last years players returning. Their defensive line is expected to do some major things this year and they will set the tone for a dominant run throughout the ACC and into the playoffs. Kelly Bryant can just focus on playing football this year and not worry about the quarterback he replaced. This offense will definitely have to hold its own and not depend on the defense to bail them out each week.
3. Georgia Bulldogs– I think they are out to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke and with the way Kirby Smart is running things in Athens, this is a football team who will be mentioned in the conversation for the national title yearly. I can see Jake Fromm becoming the best quarterback in the SEC this season and ensure that there will be no championship hangover. The prolific running back tandem of Sony Michel and Nick Chubb are both in the NFL, but I see D’Andre Swift handling his own replacing them. Unless their offense regresses, the offensive line struggles and the defense doesn’t punish their opponents like they did a year ago, they will be playing for the SEC title in December.
4. Wisconsin Badgers– I think this is the best team in college football that many won’t discuss. I love the blueprint for their football team. They have an established, yet experienced offensive line that controls the line of scrimmage and wins just about every battle up front and they run the ball. Jonathan Taylor introduced himself to us last year and this season, I see him elevating his game and becoming even better which is scarier to imagine. However, the ground attack can only take you so far. What happens when their opponents begin to load up the box and force Alex Hornibrook to beat them with his arm? He threw 15 interceptions last season and now, it’s time to silence the doubters.
5. Ohio State Buckeyes– They come into every season with a nice group of talent on both sides of the ball and they are the favorites once again to win the Big Ten East and get back to Indianapolis for the title game in December. I’m expecting a vast improvement within their passing game now that Dwayne Haskins is the team’s starting quarterback. Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins will control the running game and the defense will be led by Joey Bosa. This talent across the board has them poised for yet another title run whether the coach is there or not. Their schedule isn’t easy. Games against TCU, Michigan State, and Penn State are the three that stand out to me and they are all on the road.
