2022 College Football Season Bold Predictions
The 2022 College Football Season kicks off on Aug. 27. From Aug. 27 through Dec. 10, the best teams in college football will not only be playing to win their conference, but they will also be playing to make the College Football Playoff and to win the National Championship. Which teams look best and which teams will struggle?
Eight Bold Predictions for the 2022 College Football Season
Our @KaySportswriter breaks down the college football teams that did the best in terms of adding talent via the portal this off-season.
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USC goes undefeated and grabs their first College Football Playoff berth
Lincoln Riley ditched Oklahoma to take the head coach job at USC. Immediately after taking the job, Riley recruited Heisman Trophy candidate Caleb Miller to join Trojan Nation. The good news for Riley and USC didn’t end there. Biletnikoff Award Jordan Addison has also transferred to SoCal, which means Caleb Miller gets to throw to the best wide receiver in the nation. USC is loaded.
But that’s not the only reason to like the Trojans to go undefeated. Southern California has a mediocre schedule at best. The toughest team on the schedule is Notre Dame.
Alabama runs the table in the SEC
Alabama is on the road at LSU, at Arkansas, at Tennessee, and at Ole Miss. Bama should win all of those games. If the Crimson Tide beats Auburn, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt at home, a great possibility, they will have gone undefeated in the SEC. So expect the Crimson Tide to once again represent the SEC West in the conference championship game.
LSU wins no more than 7 games
While Alabama should have a fantastic season, Louisiana State’s season could disappoint. LSU starts their season in New Orleans versus Florida State. The Seminoles can beat the Tigers. Not only that, but LSU has tough road games versus Auburn, Florida, Arkansas, and Texas A&M.
Winning home games versus Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and even Mississippi State won’t be easy. In addition, new head coach Brian Kelly comes from Notre Dame. Coaches from outside conferences often have no idea how competitive the SEC is. The ceiling for LSU should be 7 wins.
Oklahoma doesn’t win the Big 12
Oklahoma head coach Brett Venables is a master defensive coordinator. He will have the Sooners playing defense better than they have in the past decade. But just because the Sooners will play strong defense, it doesn’t mean they will challenge Baylor for the Big 12 Championship. The Bears will again be good.
So will Texas. So will Oklahoma State. So will Iowa State, and so will Texas Tech. Oklahoma lost too many good players from last season’s squad to former coach Lincoln Riley and USC to win the Big 12.
Clemson loses 2 regular season games
The Clemson Tigers are a favorite to make the College Football Playoff and win the National Championship. But Clemson’s offensive line remains a huge question mark. Also, the schedule is tough enough to write that Clemson will lose at least 2 regular season games.
A couple of losses will knock the Tigers from CFP consideration. The 2 losses will happen from 5 contests. Clemson faces Wake Forest on the road, NC State at home, Florida State on the road, Notre Dame on the road, and Miami at home. The 2 losses will happen from those 5 contests.
For the second straight season, Michigan upsets Ohio State
The Michigan Wolverines upset Ohio State last season. This season, the Buckeyes will be looking for payback. Ohio State won’t exact their revenge. On paper, Michigan isn’t as good of a team as Ohio State. But the Wolverines’ defense has the chance to be as good and the offense could end up better than they were last season.
The Michigan quarterback room might be the best in the nation. Cade McNamara is the listed starter, but J.J. McCarthy will get plenty of time on the field. Alex Bowman transfers from Texas Tech. He’s got skills.
By the time Harbaugh and the Wolverines face Ohio State, one of the three will be entrenched as the full time starter. The guess here is that it will be J.J. McCarthy.
The Buckeyes’ defense isn’t great. So don’t be surprised if McCarthy, or McNamara, or Bowman, light up Ohio State’s defense like a Christmas tree.
Auburn fires Bryan Harsin during the season
Auburn is the most impatient program in the country. Plenty of terrific coaches have won at Auburn only to get their walking papers. So if the Tigers are so eager to pull the trigger on a winning coach like Gus Malzahn, why wouldn’t they ditch Bryan Harsin once Auburn starts the season by losing 4 of their first 8 games.
On Sep. 17, Penn State is going to beat Auburn. Then, the Tigers are going to lose to Georgia, Ole Miss, and Arkansas. LSU could beat Auburn on Oct. 1. If the Baton Rouge Tigers beat War Eagle, Harsin is gone for sure. But even if Auburn beats LSU, Harsin will be out after losing to Texas A&M on Nov. 12.
USC QB Caleb Miller wins the Heisman Trophy
2021 Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young is a favorite to win this year’s trophy. The Alabama quarterback, no doubt, can win a second straight award, but the pick here is that Caleb Miller grabs the hardware.
Southern California’s quarterback gets to throw to Jordan Addison and plays behind a strong offensive line. Also, SoCal faces a lot of bad teams. Outside of USC, the Pac-12 isn’t a great conference this season. So don’t be surprised when Miller averages over 250 passing yards and at least 3 touchdown passes in each game.
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Check out our latest sports betting guides for the 2022 College Football season. Stay tuned for more football previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest NCAAF betting odds at our online Bitcoin sportsbook.
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