By Tim Clark / / College Sports, Column, Tim's Two Cents
Two foot

With summer fading into fall, that can only mean one thing. Pat McAfee and Nick Saban making me not want to watch College Game Day. Oh, and college football starts anew.

I am not one who thinks games should start before Labor Day weekend, but it will bring back some hard hitting debates. Will it be Big Ten again, or will the SEC rise from the ashes of Greg Sankey’s reputation? Will a Hurricane from Miami finish off the rest of the teams in its path? Will Notre Dame break a sweat with their brutal schedule before November? Will the DEA investigate the yard lines at Beaver Stadium before each game? Will we have to wait for the final NFL cuts before knowing Lane Kiffin’s final roster at LSU?

Okay, so maybe hard hitting was too much. Still, college football means entertainment. It means Saturdays of couch stagnation. It means getting those thumbs limbered up for switching channels as quickly as possible. And it means my good friend, Two Cent Cracked Crystal Ball(#TCCCB) has woken from his stupor to come help me make my picks.

via GIPHY

Before you scoff, we had LSU in 2019, Alabama in 2020, Georgia in 2021, and Ohio State in 2024. Four out of the last seven puts us in pretty elite company, and maybe the only crystal ball/human tandem to reach such heights.

And here we go.

via GIPHY

  • Winner: Texas Tech
  • Biggest challenger: BYU
  • Could surprise: Utah, Houston
  • Probably not, but could spring an upset: Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma State

Texas Tech has the best roster overall, and the Red Raiders have a silky soft schedule that should give them the edge here. This should be a second straight year where the “Guns Up” boosters can say, “Money well spent.” When you look at the schedule, any loss would be a significant upset. It should be clear sailing for Tech into the Big 12 Championship Game.

Kilani Sitake might be the nicest dude in college football, and he not only decided to stay at BYU but got them to invest more in the players, staff, and facilities. He wants to win. This could be a big season in Provo. A win in October over Notre Dame could be the catalyst for a playoff run. A win versus the Irish could set up a potential battle of undefeated teams in the Big 12 Championship Game.

If any teams can squeeze into that top two and a spot in the championship game, it would be Utah and Houston. I wouldn’t count on that happening.

The two Arizona teams should be good enough to potentially spring an upset, especially if they get the big boys in the desert for a big game. Unfortunately for the Cats and Devils they play BYU and Texas Tech on the road. Okie State has an almost entirely new roster via the portal and does get Texas Tech at their place.

The other storyline I am interested in is whether Rich Rodriguez, a proven winner at West Virginia years ago, can pick the Mountaineers up by their coal miner boot straps and drag them back to relevance.

via GIPHY

  • Winner: Miami
  • Biggest challengers: Louisville, SMU
  • Could surprise: Cal, Clemson
  • Probably not, but could spring an upset: Pitt, Virginia Tech

Miami is the best team in the ACC by a wide margin. Unless Darian Mensah bombs on the big stage, the Hurricanes should run wild through this conference. A date with Notre Dame in South Bend should provide a better barometer for this team.

Someone has to play Miami in the ACC Championship Game. Louisville and SMU should vie for that beating. Louisville opens with Ole Miss, then gets SMU in week three at home. After that game it should be clear sailing. After traveling to Louisville, SMU should have it easy before going to South Bend to face Notre Dame in late November. I will go with the home team in that ACC matchup and choose Louisville to face Miami.

Clemson is Clemson, so approach with caution. They will have some talent, but Dabo has allowed the current status of college football to leave him in the dust. As for Cal, keep an eye on them. The Golden Bears have Tosh Lupoi coaching and Jaron-Kewae Sagapolutele at quarterback. That is a dangerous combination, especially when ACC teams have to travel west to face Cal.

Every year, Pitt seems like they have enough talent to be good. Every year Pat Narduzzi is allowed to coach the Panthers again. Thus, Pitt may surprise somebody while losing two to three games they should not. James Franklin will get Virginia Tech to eight wins, but upsetting someone good would certainly break a Franklin trend.

The other story line here is North Carolina. How long will the school, Bill Belichick, or even his young mistress stand pat while being the buttof a million jokes? My guess is Belichick slithers off into the sunset one way or the other.

via GIPHY

  • Winner: Texas
  • Biggest challenger: Georgia
  • Could challenge also: Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas A&M
  • Probably not, but could spring an upset: Ole Miss

I made this pick on my podcast, and I am sticking with it. I have never felt worse about a pick in my life. An elite defender got thrown off the team, parents are coming after Sark, and Sark is sober. It is a combination that leads me to question my own sanity. The Longhorns are talented, and I am going to believe this is the year they ride Arch Manning to the title.

If I were sane, I probably would change my pick to Georgia, who should still make the championship game. If they keep their key players from getting behind the wheel of a vehicle, the Bulldogs should be good again. Gunnar Stockton should take a big step forward at quarterback. The Dawgs don’t have a super grueling schedule, so finishing top two in the league should be a given.

The thing about the SEC is their are always teams lurking that aren’t much worse than the teams ahead. Kalen DeBoer at be coaching for his job. Since Nick Saban’s arrival in Tuscaloosa, anything less than 10-2 is unacceptable. The Tide have been basically treading water the last couple of seasons. One and done in the playoffs(or worse) will make the natives restless. LSU has even gone to the NFL to find players. Kiffin may be a dirtbag, but he wins. He should have this Tiger team looking dangerous with quarterback Sam Leavitt at the helm. Texas A&M will only be as good as quarterback Marcel Reed. That may not be good enough. Oklahoma went all in on head coach Brent Venables. Why not? He’s a Sooners through and through. If quarterback John amateur exceeds my expectations, OU could sneak into the playoffs.

I am simply not buying Ole Miss as a contender sans Lane Kiffin.

Keep an eye on South Carolina. I think they could bounce back from last year’s disappointing season. Shane Beamer and QB LeNorris Sellers have much to prove.

via GIPHY

  • Winner: Oregon
  • Biggest challenger: Ohio State
  • Could be right there: Indiana, USC
  • Probably not, but the schedule loves them: Penn State

Much like the SEC, the Big Ten is tough to call. The top tier of teams is really talented. I think Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana, and USC could beat each other up. Ultimately I think Ohio State beats Oregon in the regular season, but Oregon gets revenge in the conference championship.

We often think of Oregon as this high flying offensive juggernaut, but it is the trenches where I am most impressed with this team. The defensive line will cause a lot of problems. Oregon is a remarkable 37-0 in the last three seasons versus teams that didn’t make the national championship game. The Ducks are 1-5 versus those teams. With that roster and that record it is hard to pick anyone else.

Ohio State is very talented, but did have to replace some important defenders. The biggest question mark for me with the 2026 Buckeyes is new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Smith was rather, well, offensive in that role with the Steelers last year. He has the talent, but will he maximize that talent? It would be hard to argue with another Big Ten Championship Game appearance.

Indiana is the defending champs, and they will be in the thick of it again. I still think, even with their fluff schedule, that a couple of losses should be expected this year. Eventually things have to even out. Time will tell if Josh Hoover can replicate the Mendoza magic from last season.

USC is in year five of the Lincoln Riley era. It has been underwhelming so far. Still, the talent level across the board is impressive, and there is finally some depth. Nobody worries about the Trojans offense, but the defense has left Trojans fans in a cold sweat. This year, Hall of Famer Gary Patterson has been brought in to run the defense. If the schedule was easier, I wouldn’t have any trepidation about calling USC a playoff team. Keep an eye on this freshman class.

Penn State will remain a mystery probably until October. A ton of new players came from Iowa State to join head coach Matt Campbell. Will they —and Campbell’s style— translate to the Big Ten? If it does, this Charmin soft schedule could allow for big things.

The rest of the league could throw some shade at the big boys. Iowa will be Iowa. Illinois also has an easy schedule. UCLA will be much better under new coach Bob Chesney. Wisconsin better be improved for Luke Fickel’s case. Finally, the wildcard in this league could be Washington. Quarterback Desmond Williams is dynamic. The Huskies could win anywhere from 7 to 10 games.

Others

Others consists of Notre Dame, who should absolutely, without question, be forced to join a conference. Regardless, the Irish are loaded once again. A schedule that only has two tough matchups —@BYU and Miami— puts Notre Dame in the conversation for the top playoff seed.

Playoff Seeding

  1. Miami
  2. Oregon
  3. Texas
  4. Notre Dame
  5. Texas Tech
  6. Georgia
  7. Ohio State
  8. Indiana
  9. USC
  10. LSU
  11. Alabama
  12. Boise State

When it all shakes out, I think we get Miami vs Notre Dame part II and Oregon vs Georgia in the semifinals.

Two Cent Cracked Crystal Ball has been thinking that Oregon vs Notre Dame would be the championship game for a while. Regrettably, I agree.

For the first time in history, Oregon wins a national title. There will be quacks heard all over the Vegas strip on January 25. For those of us dreading an Oregon/Notre Dame final, remember what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

National Champion:

via GIPHY


Tweet of the Week

We know college sports in their current iteration is a farce. Exhibit A.

 


The Weekly Shiny Penny

Okay, so maybe this is only shiny to me. It’s my column so tough noogies.

 


A Penny For My Final Thoughts…

My final thoughts this week can be found on my two podcasts, Musings of a Sports Fanatic and Wall2WallFootball, where I will discuss billion dollar owner vs $140 hooker, Penn State vs Frats, DeShaun Watson vs all of Cleveland, LSU athletics vs moral compass, and other sordid tales from the modern sports world.

Just my two cents…