Someone actually added the Game of Thrones theme to the new Big Ten commercial. That’s cool…I think. I’ve never watched a minute of that show. I will add it to the list of about 648 shows that I have yet to watch that everyone says I should.
So let’s discuss the title of this post. What is next for the Big Ten and the SEC? It sounds like, for now, there are no plans to expand. So no Florida State. No Clemson. No Miami. No Kansas. Not even Notre Dame. For now. Guaranteed at some point there will be talks of expansion but the question will be if that’s when the Big Ten and SEC push to break off from the current college football structure to create their own division. I did a post years ago about this “Division 4” (which is what some called it at the time). I believe that for some, that is the ultimate goal. It’s really a matter of how many teams are allowed in this new division. What happens to bowl games? What happens to the teams left out? What happens to schools at lower levels that need the games against teams at the top to help out their entire athletic department? A lot of questions and not many answers……..for now.
College football: ever changing and many people hate the changes until new changes happen and then they forget the changes that were previously done. So now we finally get to the final two conferences in FBS (or Division 1-A for the olds). Let’s start with the conference that used to represent the American Midwest and now represents like five other regions as well, the Big Ten. This will be followed by Coast-to-Coast Coles Notes:
Coast-to-Coast Coles Notes
- Hey, who remembers Coles? I loved that fucking store, man. I just think about the fact that those stores are like 1/8th the size of a current day Indigo/Chapters store yet there were so many options. Maybe because I was a kid and that was what I was used to. Maybe it’s nostalgia. I don’t know. But I miss it.
- Maybe a bit of a surprise to some but I have Oregon running the table during the regular season. I think their schedule is…well, more favourable than the other frontrunners in the conference and I see them ekeing out a few victories to end the season unblemished.
- The team that many people (and Vegas) think might run away with the conference (as much as you can run away with the Big Ten) is Ohio State and I think they will be a solid second place. And who would they lose to you ask? Yep, those Ducks I just discussed. The B1G teams are going to learn that playing a game in Autzen Stadium is no laughing matter and is one of the toughest places to win at in college football.
- How will the other three former Pac-12 teams fare? The Huskies won’t be nearly as good as last year’s national runner-up team. The Trojans could be a bit of a darkhorse if things fall their way but losing Caleb Williams is going to be rough. Finally, the Bruins lost Chip Kelly to tOSU…as an offensive coordinator. Ugh that’s brutal. Expect them to miss bowl season.
- The worst teams, however, will still be classic Big Ten teams. I believe the Old Oaken Bucket is going to be one of the sadder rivalry games during the final weekend of the regular season.
- Finally…Michigan. They won’t be as good. Everyone knows that. Could they make the College Football Playoff? Perhaps. They might need an upset to pull that off. Honestly, though, most aren’t thinking of that right now. Did you know the Connor Stalions story is TRUE? Who would have thunk it (other than damn near everyone)? Now they have a Netflix documentary coming out about it. I can summarize it in a few words. Conor Stalions was on the sidelines scouting other teams for Michigan. The End.
- As for the Big Ten Championship, I expect a rematch. Ducks-Buckeyes. And? The same result as the regular season. Prediction: Oregon 35 Ohio State 24.
- Eleven teams out of eighteen. 61%. That’s…OK I guess. Nothing special. But hey, I look forward to watching Rutgers in a bowl game while most Canadians are watching Kazakhstan play Austria in the World Juniors.
Alright now we get to see Oklahoma and Texas put their money where there mouths are. No more “easy” Big XII. No more almost-surefire conference championship appearances. That ends. They are now in, arguably, the toughest conference in the nation. No hiding. Well, there can be some hiding. I mean eight teams in the SEC face Vanderbilt every year. For the most part, though, this will be some tougher sledding than they are used to.
Now don’t expect both teams to not go bowling. Quite the contrary. The Sooners have one of the toughest schedules in college football and should still win at least seven games. The Longhorns have top 5 odds to win the whole damn national championship. These two teams will still be good, even in this new conference. And they should get better. More money (WAY more money) will only help these programs. So for all you fans out there that might dislike or, possibly even hate, one or both of these teams, sorry for your luck because the success will continue…but not on CBS (I just shed a tear).
OK let’s now focus on football. Mainly the results of football games. Results that will lead to wins and losses which will be organized in a nice, mostly neat chart below. This chart will be followed by some Horns Down/Poomer Sooners Thoughts:
Horns Down/Poomer Sooner Thoughts
- Doesn’t that look odd? Alabama in FOURTH. Blasphemy! Look, they do not have the easiest schedule and the loss of Nick Saban will be huge. Not saying Kalen Deboer can’t keep things going in Tuscaloosa nor that he will never win a championship. I am sure he will. But this year will not be that year. Too much in front of them and the actual need for an upset or two will be too much to overcome.
- And yes, I don’t even have Georgia in the top spot. Alabama’s schedule is rough. Georgia’s is BRUTAL. I might actually be given them more of the benefit of the doubt here because of how the Dawgs have been over the past couple years. Road trips to Bama, Texas and Ole Miss. Yikes. They will lose one for sure in my opinion.
- So who is the “surprise” team on top? Well, not much of a surprise. I have the Longhorns taking those Horns Down gestures and shoving them right back in the SEC’s face. Their first year in their new conference will be fruitful and I do have them running the table. I also think Quinn Ewers will be massive this season. Heisman massive? Well you’ll have to wait for the next post for that prediction.
- Many of you will look at my Florida prediction and laugh. Don’t. Florida is immensely talented. They just have the toughest group of games in college football this season. With an average SEC schedule they are an outside shot at the College Football Playoff (seriously). They will win enough games early on to make bowl eligibility before the final month of the year. But that final month…good God.
- Not many teams aren’t going bowling in the SEC in my predictions. Three to be exact. Vanderbilt and Arkansas are obvious choices. South Carolina, not so much. This is what happens when you have new teams in a conference. New teams, like the Horns and Sooners, that are really good. And other teams stepping up from last season. And other teams being just as good as last season. Put that all together and Shane Beamer will start feeling a bit of a hotter seat as the season comes to a close.
- Speaking of those Sooners, they didn’t get the same incoming treatment as their former Big XII brethren Texas did. Tougher schedule for sure and it will make things rough at times in Norman this year. But they are still an outside contender. An upset or two and they seriously upset the apple cart. I do think their losses will hurt though, especially Dillon Gabriel.
- Yes, another rematch in a conference championship. I think we will hear that refrain a lot come late November/early December. I hear ya. Not ideal to be honest. But this is the college football world we live in right now. So yeah, UT and UGA. In Atlanta. Remember that loss I have Georgia receiving during the regular season. I predict that will actually be to Texas and that they will get revenge in what turns out to be a quasi-home game for the SEC Championship and the first-round bye. Prediction: Georgia 37 Texas 31.
We did it! Every team’s predicted FBS record. Many of them wrong! But that’s what predictions are all about. It’s why I don’t gamble. Because I would lose a ton of money on stuff like this.
Next up is the wrap-up post. All the rest of the stuff you need to know about the season and what I predict will happen. The Coaching Hot Seat list which, not to toot my own horn, has been pretty accurate in the past. The Heisman ballot….well, let’s not discuss that. And finally, the bowl game predictions. The CFP. The new bracket. All summarized. That’s next. For now, have a great final portion of your weekend!