After all of the hype, hyperbole, predictions and question marks laid out for the 2016 college football season, we are now just days away from kickoff. It is only a matter of time before we start getting answers and on the eve of the new year, we have some bold predictions we are looking forward to seeing come true. As they say, go big or go home. Here is a look at our five bold predictions for the 2016 college football season.
Alabama Repeats As National Champions
The defending national champion Crimson Tide has similar concerns to last year’s team with question marks at quarterback and a tough schedule playing in the loaded SEC West. However, Alabama is absolutely stacked on defense and at the kill positions on offense with a rushing attack that will take a lot of the pressure off of whoever starts under center. The Crimson Tide has won four national championships in nine years under head coach Nick Saban and with so much talent and experience on his side once again, it won’t be a surprise when Saban leads Alabama to another national title this coming season.
Clemson, Michigan & Oklahoma Will Miss The Playoff
Clemson, Michigan and Oklahoma have been talked about a lot as the most likely programs to join Alabama in this year’s college football playoff. However, we are banking on all three teams missing out with some sleeper contenders stepping up to steal those spots. The Tigers are the most talented team of that group of three but they will play in the same division as Florida State, with the Seminoles launching their own bid for a national title this season. Meanwhile, the Wolverines will have to deal with traditional rivals in Michigan State and Ohio State, and we aren’t sleeping on Iowa as a potential sleeper pick to win the Big Ten. The Sooners will have a difficult time making it out of the Big 12 with TCU, Oklahoma State and Baylor looking to knock them off at the top and even if they manage to repeat as conference champions it wouldn’t be a surprise if another sleeper team emerges ahead of them in the playoff picture.
Houston Will Make The Playoff
The Cougars could be the perfect fit to steal the playoff spot that most experts have reserved for Oklahoma, especially since Houston can open its season with a win over the Sooners in the opening week. Dual-threat quarterback Greg Ward Jr. has the talent to put up big numbers this year and if the offense stays healthy there is a very good chance the Cougars run the table in 2016. A perfect record that includes wins over Oklahoma, Cincinnati and Louisville could be enough to elevate Houston in to a playoff spot this season.
The Pac-12 Will Not Be Represented In The Playoff
One of the most interesting aspects of the college football playoff is the fact that some very good teams will miss out on the opportunity simply because they failed to hold up against very difficult schedules. USC, Stanford and Oregon could all be legitimate picks to win the Pac-12 and compete in the playoff. However, each of those three teams will face a tough schedule and nine conference games will put these Pac-12 teams at a disadvantage that the teams from the ACC and SEC don’t have to deal with. The Pac-12 will beat itself up one again in 2016 and that will be among the biggest reasons why the conference isn’t represented in the playoff.
Christian McCaffrey Will Win The Heisman
Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield have been talked about a lot as a pair of potential Heisman favorites along with LSU running back Leonard Fournett and Florida State’s Dalvin Cook. However, we are banking on Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey to emerge as the eventual Heisman winner with similar numbers to the ridiculous statistics he recorded in 2015. McCaffrey broke Barry Sanders’ all-time single-season record with 2,019 rushing yards and eight touchdowns along with 45 catches for 645 yards and five scores. McCaffrey will be leaned on as much as ever this season as the Cardinal attempt to break in a new starting quarterback and we won’t be surprised when he puts up ridiculous numbers for a second consecutive season and wins the Heisman trophy.
