FAVORITE TEAMS

Here is my College Football Playoff prediction. It was a bit late because life got in the way. We’re closing in on Week 1 of the college football season. Lee Corso’s last ever Mascot choice takes place in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday. It’ll be a sad day when he retires after, but I will always cherish the moments when he was on set talking ball and making mascot and animal picks whether he’s right or wrong. I will hope he ends his career by picking against Texas just so I can smile.

Anyway, let’s see if Year 2 of the transfer portal/NIL world created some sort of balance for some of the Power 4 and mid-to-high tier Group of Six teams. Whether you agree or disagree with my Top 12, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion on who the Top 12 teams will get in. Comments are always welcome. Have a great day and can’t wait for the season to really get cooking.

1) CLEMSON

It surprises me that Clemson wasn’t mentioned more during the offseason. They had some ugly moments last season, but they also had some great moments showing what a Dabo Swinney championship team is. Whatever questions or skepticisms might be, Clemson will be a challenge to any team they face. Defense must play better complimentary football, and the offense must find a running back to take the pressure off of quarterback Cade Klubnik. The early schedule presents some growing pains, but if Clemson figures it out by November, no one’s stopping them.

2) PENN STATE

The Nittany Lions have a quarterback, an elite running back duo, seasoned transfer receivers, and the defense that should still play high level ball under elite defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Their schedule presents a challenge, including three Big Ten teams that were in the playoffs last season. If Drew Allar can be unleashed in a way that presented a Josh Allen-ish type football player during last season’s playoffs, they are National Championship contenders for sure.

3) TEXAS

Texas is no doubt an elite team and should carry the torch for the SEC again. However, the majority of their lines on both sides are new and Arch Manning is the full-time starter for the first time. A lot will be put on him with unfair pressure, but that’s the expectation of Texas and media alike. They should run through the majority of their schedule to another SEC title game but expect some shaky moments somewhere on their schedule. Don’t expect an undefeated season until we know the entire team is fully settled.

4) NOTRE DAME

This is kind of tricky to expect Notre Dame back in the playoffs. While they’ve lost plenty in their starting lineup, backups had plenty of reps last season and should be the face of this revamped team. Defense should still be as good as last year’s team but expect the offense to go through a lot of Jeremiyah Love and a deep running back unit. Quarterback CJ Carr takes over and may need some time to adjust before his confidence grows. Questions do come from the offensive line that suffered a couple of offseason injuries. Not a good sign going into 2025, so we’ll find out if the Irish can handle a challenging, yet manageable schedule.

5) ALABAMA

Alabama’s expected to bounce back this season, and they have to because it’s Alabama. Can they go another season with nine wins hoping to get in? Not sure but they can’t afford something like that again. They still have a roster filled with talented players, but they need someone besides Ryan Williams to stand out. Key defensive players are saying they must play better but there’s no guarantee without follow through in the second year without Nick Saban. If they don’t get slapped around by Florida State, the real challenge is their SEC schedule starting with Georgia and ending with Auburn (who supposedly added 4 more championships this past week). Their brand will carry them, but “eye test” will tell if they are still THE Alabama Crimson Tide of the past. We’ll see in November.

6) UTAH

Might be one of those crazy theories to go with, but I’ll give Utah a nod. Last season, they lost five of seven games by a one-score possession. Defense was the undeniable strength of the team, but offense and special teams weren’t great. Special teams were alongside the defense as the strength of the unit so they must fix that part. If the offense had decent quarterback play (or overall production), they could’ve been in a better position than either Iowa State or Arizona State. The great news is that New Mexico transfer quarterback Devon Dampier arrived to improve the offense. Devon accounted for New Mexico’s five wins and offensive production which was by far the best since 2016. He’s expected to play a bigger role with an experienced offensive line. If Dampier does well for the offense and improves his accuracy and completion percentage, Utah could have a bounce back season with playoffs on their mind.

7) OHIO STATE

The National Champions are expected to run it back. Is it possible that they can after losing half of their starters last season? It’s possible because they still have starters and key contributors that played a part last season. They have Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs on opposite ends leading by example. However, can quarterback Julian Sayin handle the astronomical expectations? Can this survey through a tough schedule starting with a rematch against Texas in Week 1 and ending their 4-game losing streak against Michigan in the last week of the season? Can this defense also handle major changes without elite defensive coordinator Jim Knowles? It’s all up to coach Ryan Day to repeat.

8) OREGON

Oregon’s a good team. A young team too. Which one will take over during the season? With all the talent and experienced mixed into one, it shouldn’t be an issue for Oregon for a playoff return. Defense might be the strength this season because questions surround the offense. They should still run the table for a postseason appearance but expect plenty of growing pains throughout. Tulane transfer back Mahki Hughes, returning back Noah Whittington, and the offensive line will carry the offense until productivity from the receivers and quarterback Dante Moore improves. Only then, Oregon can compete for a playoff spot.

9) LSU

I thought LSU would be the obvious choice as a playoff team this season, but there are three problems: A currently injured Garrett Nussmeier (who should still play in Week 1), a wholly different offensive line, and Brian Kelly’s questioned as LSU’s head coach. If Nussmeier fails to stay healthy or the offensive line can’t jell in time, LSU could struggle making the playoffs. If either fails to follow through, Brian Kelly’s on the hot seat. The Tigers must win key games and stave off bad losses to keep him off the hot seat while pushing the LSU into the postseason.

10) OKLAHOMA

Yes, it does look biased because I’m a Sooner fan. But call me crazy because I’ll chance it this time. First off, Oklahoma has the second toughest schedule but still could end with eight wins because there’s no telling how they’ll do against Michigan, Texas, Alabama, or LSU. Secondly, the majority of ranked opponents on their schedule gives them multiple chances to make the Top 15 to vie for a playoff spot. Lastly, defense was the main reason Oklahoma even had a spec of a chance and even defeated the state of Alabama last season (ha ha to the Tide fans especially!). This year’s offense could be much better than last year’s porous, injury-riddled, sorry-ass of an offense (24 ppg; 97th in the nation). They nearly revamped their entire offensive line, added Wazzu transfer quarterback John Mateer and Wazzu offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, added Cal transfer running back Jaydn Ott, and added key receiver pieces through the portal while developing the younger receivers for potential reps. Oklahoma’s hoping to restore the offensive productivity that made them who they are. If they can solve that in time, Oklahoma could sneak their way into the playoffs.

11) BYU

Call me crazy again. Yes, they lost quarterback Jake Retzlaff to Tulane after off-the-field issues, but this roster is balanced to compete in the Big 12 again. The secondary might be challenged this time, but the front seven should be as good as last season’s group led by linebacker Isaiah Glasker. Quarterback was a major question in the summer and should carry through the season. They did announce true freshmen Bear Bachmeier as the starter after transferring from Stanford in May. His brother, Tiger, followed and is the potential starter amongst the three starting wideouts. If Bear can play as well (if not better percentage-wise) with the offense, BYU could still surprise the college football nation.

12) JAMES MADISON

It could’ve been Boise State. It could’ve been Navy. It could’ve been Tulane or Toledo, or maybe even App State bouncing back in a huge way. But I chose Curt Cignetti’s former team in James Madison. They have some challenges on their schedule, but their roster and foundation proved that they could compete for the Top Group of Six team ranking to make the postseason. Did anyone see them destroy North Carolina last season by scoring 70 points? What will they look like this season? Their defense could still be a problem to opposing offenses after allowing 20.5 points per game last season. They also added former UNLV quarterback Matt Sluka to the offense after having a great short-term run with UNLV. While Sluka was named the starter, Alonza Barnett III played really well for the team last season. He’s recovering from injury, but his availability will be crucial if anything happens to Sluka. James Madison has maintained their consistency of 8-plus wins since arriving at the FBS. They also have Louisville, Liberty, and Washington State as non-conference opponents. If they can come away with those victories (especially Louisville and Liberty), James Madison could be in the best position for a playoff spot as a Group of Six team.