WAY too early bowl predictions from ESPN
Via On3: https://www.on3.com/news/espn-releases-2023-college-football-bowl-projections-week-2/
For those who lack the initiative to click, WAY too early predictions have Michigan going to the NC playoffs. That's not surprising.
Let's hope we have a blessed year and see this team give Harbaugh a NC.
September 11th, 2023 at 12:51 PM ^
Preseason I had Michigan, penn State, Georgia, and USC. But Big 12 and ACC say they are not dead yet! I love that each of the P5 conferences are represented in the top 5.
September 11th, 2023 at 1:13 PM ^
Outside of #1 Georgia, I have a feeling this is going to be a 2007 season again, where the top 10 is a rotating door each week. Remember that season? That was the year:
- Kansas, USF, and Boston College got to #2, and Missouri got to #1
- Illinois played in the Rose Bowl
- Hawaii played in the Sugar Bowl
- #3 Missouri defeated #2 Kansas to win the BXII North
- Pitt beat #2 West Virginia, spoiling their 100% guaranteed championship game appearance, and allowing RichRod the time to look into greener pastures once more after turning down Alabama the year before.
While this season likely won't feature complete newcomers to high rankings like there were that season, I think we will see a lot of churn in spots 2-10 with blue bloods cycling in and out pretty fast.
- I think Texas gets tripped up in Oklahoma and/or TCU
- I think the Pac-12 has the craziest year and most exciting year ever sadly, but also cannibalizes its national championship chances by week 6-7
- I think Oregon State/Wazzu also announce their departure to the MWC - which is rebranded as the Pacific West Conference or something similar.
- I think Clemson plays spoiler the rest of the season and sinks FSU and others.
- Notre Dame goes 11-1, with a loss to USC.
For the B1G conference this season, I think Penn State is going to be very good. This might be the season they have been waiting for a long time, and I could see them tripping up both Michigan and OSU if things go right for them.
Michigan looks good for the most part - though the backups have been pretty bad the past 2 weeks. I don't know if thats because they are checking out mentally because of the competition/huge leads, but its a bit concerning.
Ohio State is def working out some kinks right now, and this might be their first down year potentially in a long time - though at the end of the day they are still OSU. Their game against ND will be very telling - though I think they win.
Overall, I could see this being a weird B1G season like 2016, where Michigan beat Penn State, who beat Ohio State, who beat Michigan. But with each team being 11-1 after the final week. 2 of the 3 will get invites to the CFP, and the odd man out goes to a bowl elsewhere and loses due to key players sitting out - especially if that team is Michigan/OSU.
CFP:
- Georgia
- Michigan/OSU/PSU
- Michigan/OSU/PSU
- Notre Dame
September 11th, 2023 at 2:44 PM ^
With FSU's schedule - I would expect them to win the ACC and get in - instead of a second B1G team. The only currently ranked teams FSU has on the schedule are Duke and Miami (FL) - both of those games are at home.
The Big 12 will be interesting - I don't know if Texas is "real" - though, they definitely looked the part on Saturday night against Bama. Texas, like FSU, has two currently ranked teams on the schedule - Oklahoma and Kansas State - both at home - though, the game against Oklahoma might be "neutral" in Dallas, that Red River Shootout.
September 11th, 2023 at 1:13 PM ^
I appreciate the players and staff - they do incredible things to provide for a very enjoyable college football season.
However, I really would like to see them forced to "do a little extra" - and, what is that?
It's to prepare and play in three extra games this season - on December 2nd in Indy - followed by two games in January - on the 1st (perhaps in the Rose Bowl) and on the 8th in Houston.