– Prime Beginnings: Deion Sanders put Jackson State on the map. Last December, he announced that he would be taking the job with the Colorado Buffaloes to become their next Head Coach. He’s doing all he can to turn a team around that won only one game in 2022. The TCU Horned Frogs were such a nice story last season. They truly came out of left field and won a portion of the Big-12 conference title, made the College Football Playoff and got to the National Title game all in Sonny Dykes first season as the Head Coach. Coach Prime will make his Colorado debut in Forth Worth against the runner-ups from a season ago.
– Deja Vu: The first season of the Brian Kelly experience in Baton Rouge got off to a strong start as they shocked the nation and won the SEC West. Say what you want about him, but wherever he goes, he’s bought a winning culture with him. One team I’m really looking forward to watching this year is Florida State. After some down years, they showed signs of life and play good football. This has been the most talent Mike Norvell has had to work with. For the second consecutive season, LSU and Florida State will open up the year against one another. Last season’s game was in New Orleans and this year’s contest will be in Orlando which will be considered a home game for the Seminoles. I can’t wait to watch Seminoles Defensive End, Jared Verse play!
– Run That Again: Last season, the Alabama Crimson Tide played the Texas Longhorns in Austin. Texas was having its way with the Tide until Quarterback Quinn Ewers left the game with a shoulder injury. Many expected the Crimson Tide to walk away with this game in a blowout, but they were given a test by Texas and escaped with a one-point victory. This year, in week two once again, we’ll see Texas and Alabama face off against one another, this time in Tuscaloosa. The game last year showed me that Alabama didn’t scare anyone as they have in past seasons. We could be in for a battle if it’s anything like last seasons’ contest.
– Bloodsport: There’s nothing like a battle of College Football Bluebloods. We were fortunate to get that in week one last season in Columbus between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Ohio State Buckeyes. Give Notre Dame credit because they were able to hold that prolific Buckeyes offense in check and to 21 points. I can’t wait to see what Marvin Harrison Jr does in his second season. He’s just like his father stuck in the body of Julio Jones. With Notre Dame, everything has been there for them. The strong defense, the running game and all. They’ve lacked consistency at the Quarterback position. Now, they have Sam Hartman, the former Wake Forest Quarterback. These two storied programs will meet in South Bend for the first time since 1996.
– Prime Heisman: Let’s give Lincoln Riley some credit. He knows how to develop Quarterbacks. Four of the Quarterbacks he’s coached have been Heisman finalists and three of them have won the award. Caleb Williams won the Heisman last season after putting USC football back on the map. If Colorado wants to be considered amongst the best in the Pac-12, you must beat the best and they’ll have a shot with Caleb and the Trojans making a trip to Boulder for a conference showdown. The ball could fly up and down the field in this game.
– Red: I got the chance to break down a Red River Rivalry game for the first time in 2019. If you like offense, high-flying plays and the ball flying up and down the field, this is the game for you. When these two met a season ago, it wasn’t even a contest as the Longhorns scored 28 first half points en route to a 49-0 shutdown of the Oklahoma Sooners. These two will meet and do battle once again at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Hopefully, it’s a competitive game this year and not like last year’s battle.
– III: Alabama and Tennessee was one of the five best games I had the privilege to watch and break down. It’s something about that “Third Saturday in October”! Last season’s game was Jaylin Hyatt’s breakout game when he torched the Crimson Tide secondary and scored five touchdowns. This was a shootout and I remember saying to myself as I was watching the game that 50 points would ultimately decide this game. Tennessee stunned a very shaky Alabama team, 52-49. More than a year later, we will see these two square off once again, this time in Tuscaloosa.
– Saban Bowl: Some of these matchups have been more hyped than the others. I still remember the defensive struggle in 2011 where it was all Field Goals and no touchdowns. How about the 2019 showdown between LSU and Alabama? Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa squared off against one another and Burrow got the victory. The showdown last season was fun as LSU stunned the Crimson Tide. I know Alabama will have revenge on the mind in this edition of the Saban Bowl.
–The Finale: It’s safe to say Ohio State and Michigan has taken a turn in this rivalry. For a decade, the Buckeyes have dominated this matchup up until the last two seasons. The win in 2021 was Jim Harbaugh’s first victory over Ohio State and last season, the Wolverines went into the shoe and punched Ohio State in the mouth. It doesn’t matter where these two teams are ranked or if they are even ranked, this is the greatest rivalry in our sport right now and it will always have my attention. The Big Ten East could be on the line here along with a possible trip to Indianapolis for the conference title game.
