Back again with some brand new (likely terrible) takes!

Big Questions

Will the SEC (and Big Ten) actually try to pull a Super League?

As of the time of writing, the congressional college sports legislation remains in limbo, so this question may be rendered moot by the time this season is out, one way or another. The fact that this is even a legitimate question raises so many red flags about the current state of the sport. All I know is that the nearly the entirety of Europe banded together to shut down the Super League, and if there’s anyone crazier and more motivated than association football fans, it’s college football fans.

Is there another Indiana waiting in the wings?

To be fair, it’s not like Curt Cignetti’s squad came completely out of nowhere last year; they did make the playoffs in 2024. The truly shocking thing was that a team with such limited success in the century prior to now ran the table en route to one of the best seasons in college football history. So the question remains; who’s next? Does a consistent bridesmaid like Oregon finally take that last step? Does Texas A&M’s endless supply of booster money finally mean something? Does a team like BYU or Boise State prove that teams outside of the Power 2 still belong? I for one am excited to find out.

Is the Sorsby fallout limited to Texas Tech, or is it the sign of things to come?

The single most impactful (and also the dumbest) saga of the offseason culminated in a mediocre quarterback being quietly shut out by the school who paid millions of dollars for him, the NFL, and even the CFL. The fact that this was even controversial (to Texas Tech booster and admins) was completely ridiculous, and the fact that the Red Raiders are now public enemy No. 1 to the entire Big 12 and the laughingstock of college football at large is all too fitting.

What about the new-look PAC-12?

Congratulations Boise State, you finally joined a major conference! The only problem is that it’s about 4 years too late for it to be considered relevant by both the football overlords and the general public. There are some legitimately talented and interesting squads rising from the ashes West Coast (and Texas) realignment, but it may not be quite enough to make a major impact this season.

Preseason Top 25

Team	2024 Record
1. Ohio State Buckeyes	12-2
2. Oregon Ducks	13-2
3. Georgia Bulldogs	12-2
4. Indiana Hoosiers	16-0
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish	10-2
6. Alabama Crimson Tide	11-4
7. Miami Hurricanes	13-3
8. Texas A&M Aggies	11-2
9. USC Trojans	9-4
10. Oklahoma Sooners	10-3
11. LSU Tigers	7-6
12. Texas Tech Red Raiders	12-2
13. Ole Miss Rebels	13-2
14. Michigan Wolverines	9-4
15. Tennessee Volunteers	8-5
16. BYU Cougars	12-2
17. SMU Mustangs	9-4
18. Missouri Tigers	8-5
19. Clemson Tigers	7-6
20. Penn State Nittany Lions	7-6
21. James Madison Dukes	12-2
22. Virginia Cavaliers	11-3
23. Louisville Cardinals	9-4
24. Iowa Hawkeyes	9-4
25. North Texas Mean Green	12-2
On the Bubble: Tulane, Vanderbilt, Pitt, Houston, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, Utah, Florida State

Conference Predictions

SEC

Playoff Contenders: Georgia, Texas, Alabama

Dark Horse Conference Threats: Tennessee, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Oklahoma

Bowl Teams: Missouri, Vanderbilt, Florida, Arkansas, South Carolina, LSU

Better Luck Next Year: Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Arkansas

Championship Prediction: Texas over Georgia

Big Ten

Playoff Contenders: Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon

Dark Horse Conference Threats: Michigan, USC

Bowl Teams: : Illinois, Iowa, Penn State, Washington, Rutgers, Minnesota, Nebraska

Better Luck Next Year: Purdue, Northwestern, Maryland, UCLA, Michigan State, Wisconsin

Championship Prediction: Ohio State over Oregon

ACC

Playoff Contenders: Miami, SMU

Dark Horse Conference Threats: Louisville, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Virginia, Virginia Tech

Bowl Teams: Pitt, Cal, NC State, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Syracuse, Duke

Better Luck Next Year: Stanford, Wake Forest, Boston College, UNC

Championship Prediction: Miami over SMU

Big 12

Playoff Contenders: Texas Tech, BYU

Dark Horse Conference Threats: Utah, Houston, Arizona

Bowl Teams: Baylor, TCU, Kansas State, Arizona State, Colorado, Cincinnati, West Virginia

Better Luck Next Year: Oklahoma State, Kansas, UCF, Iowa State

Championship Prediction: BYU over Texas Tech

Group of Six

Pac-12: Boise State over Fresno State

American: Tulane over East Carolina

Conference USA: Western Kentucky over Jacksonville State

Sun Belt: JMU over Southern Miss

Mountain West: UNLV over Hawaii

MAC: Toledo over Western Michigan

College Football Playoff Predictions

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

*Conference Champion

Final: Ohio State over Georgia

Heisman Trophy Top Five

1. Dante Moore (QB, Oregon)
2. Julian Sayin (QB, Ohio State)
3. Jeremiah Smith (WR, Otho State)
4. Arch Manning (QB, Texas)
5. CJ Carr (QB, Notre Dame)

Honorable Mentions: Darian Mensch (QB, Miami), Josh Hoover (QB, Indiana), Trinidad Chambliss (QB, Ole Miss)