Voice On Sports: College Football Preview

by Robert Vincent
It’s almost Fall. The leaves change.  The temperature drops. But that is not what really matters. You hear the fight songs. There are chants like “Go Big Blue!” or “War Eagle” or “Roll Tide!” Sandwiched in between the wonders of high school football and the grandeur of the NFL is College Football.

First, we will take a peek at the AP Top 25, in a nutshell. Ohio State is still #1 after not losing much while holding the championship following the first ever college football playoff.  After them, almost a third of the top 25 is owned by SEC schools, including Alabama at 3, Auburn at 6 and Georgia at 9. TCU is ranked 2 (Horned. Frogs.), Baylor and Michigan State round out the rest of the top 5.

So…onward:

THE GOOD

• The SEC still has power. With those aforementioned eight teams in the top 25, it’s a lock that at least one of them will make the four team playoff system. Auburn could easily leap frog to the number two spot IF they can hold their own against Alabama and LSU. So could Alabama and LSU, for that matter. One has to believe that if an SEC team goes undefeated, they should hold the #1 spot come December.
• The Big 10 ( or BIG 14, if you will) has some good storylines. Can Ohio State become the first consensus #1 to repeat since So Cal did it over a decade ago? Can Michigan State with the arm of Senior Connor Cook upset OSU’s wagon? How many people can Harbaugh alienate as new coach at Michigan
• In the ACC, can Florida State win without Winston, who is throwing the ball in Tampa now, or is this another squads chance to make the playoff round. A team like Clemson or Louisville?
  

THE BAD

• The PAC 12 has had better years. Gone is Mariotta in Oregon. USC’s coach seems to enjoy drinking before important dinners and embarrassing his school. Arizona seems just a tad behind in getting what they need to leap into the discussion.
• The fact that people aren’t overlooking schools like TCU means a lack of drama. Fans EXPECT an underdog to break things up. There are no Boise State surprise stories like there were five or six years ago. A playing field that is this level takes away some of the excitement, even though I am happy for the kids that play at TCU for that #2 ranking.
• The quick rise and fall of Notre Dame. Remember a few years back when everyone was talking about how Kelly was turning around the Fighting Irish…then within the first half of a quarter in the 2012 championship game, Alabama was already getting sized for their rings? Then, the next season the best they could do was play Rutgers in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. And last year? Unranked at seasons end and barely beating LSU in the Music City Bowl. 
  

THE UGLY TRUTH
It really just comes down to the New Years’ Six Bowls (two of which is semi-final playoff games) and the road to the Championship.

I see Auburn, Ohio State, Baylor and TCU being in the playoff mix…and we will get to that in a bit.

The other four New Years’ Six I think will be:
Peach Bowl: Georgia vs Florida State
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs Oklahoma
Rose Bowl: Oregon vs Michigan State
And Fiesta: Clemson vs. USC

And the playoffs…
#1 Auburn over #4 TCU
#2 Ohio State over #3 Baylor

And the championship…

Auburn takes the championship from Ohio State. War Eagle soars over the Buckeyes.

Later this week, I will bring you your regularly scheduled Voice on Sports, but look for another two-fer next week because as everyone knows…once the college season starts the NFL is not far behind. I feel another The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Truth coming along.

Hope you enjoy and remember…ping pong is still not a sport….