The 2017 college football season will arrive in due time. In July and August, you’ll read a lot of stories about the national championship chase. Yet, why not get a head start on the season now, and see which teams are going to be the objects of attention as we go along. Plenty of teams will be awash in publicity for all the obvious reasons. Alabama will always get the most attention. Clemson, as defending national champion, will be squarely in the public eye. Yet, for purposes of variety, the programs on the list below are ones which did not make the College Football Playoff, but will be heavily examined this year.
USC Trojans
The Trojans finished No. 3 in the polls after beating Penn State in the Rose Bowl. Since Ohio State and Washington lost by large margins in the playoff semifinals, the Trojans were able to jump them, even though they lost three games. Other than Bama and Clemson, no team was hotter in October and November than USC. Quarterback Sam Darnold will be a Heisman Trophy favorite in 2017. The defense is a veteran group, and coach Clay Helton seems to have found his footing after a rough first month on the job in September of 2016. This is a team that will be written about as a national title contender on par with Alabama.
Florida State Seminoles
The Seminoles haven’t made the College Football Playoff in either of the last two years because ACC rival and division foe Clemson has beaten them. The Tigers used the greatness of two-time Heisman Trophy finalist Deshaun Watson to go to the playoff twice, the national title game twice, and to the podium as the national champion this past season. Now, though, Watson is gone, which gives Florida State a great chance to reclaim a hold of this rivalry. FSU quarterback Deondre Francois could become the new star in this rivalry, and if the Seminoles can climb past Clemson, they should return to the playoff derby. We’ll have to keep an eye on the recruiting trail and National Signing Day in the coming up to see who the Seminoles end up with.
Auburn Tigers
When the season ended for Auburn in the Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma, the Tigers were reeling from injuries at the quarterback position. Sean White and John Franklin both got knocked out by Oklahoma, leaving Jeremy Johnson to finish up the game. Johnson was a huge failure in his stint as Auburn’s starting quarterback in 2015, so as 2017 arrives, the Tigers need a top quarterback. Jarrett Stidham transferred from Baylor to seize what he thinks is his chance to produce for head coach Gus Malzahn. Meanwhile, Chip Lindsey has arrived as the new offensive coordinator. Auburn will be viewed by many as the main obstacle for Alabama in the SEC. However, if Stidham doesn’t work out, the Tigers don’t have a solution at quarterback and the Tigers flop like they did down the stretch of the 2016 campaign, it could cost Malzahn his job.
Michigan Wolverines
This is the team which hopes to get over the hump. The Wolverines almost beat Ohio State a year ago on the road, but came up just short. In 2017, they’ll try to take that one extra step, getting a little more of a passing game than they had in 2016. Jim Harbaugh will push his team to try to take down Ohio State. Winning at Penn State will also be a challenge, and everyone will want to see if the Wolverines are up for it.
The key to the Wolverines 2017 season will be beating Ohio State. The Wolverines have been impressive in their first two seasons under Jim Harbaugh but they’ve also fallen short both years against their biggest rival. Two years ago, they got smoked by the Buckeyes and last season, they ended up missing the College Football Playoff because of a close overtime loss to the Buckeyes. This year, the Wolverines will host the Buckeyes at the Big House. A third straight loss would sour their season.
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