College football is back! Week zero has wrapped up, including a thrilling game where Georgia Tech upset No. 10 Florida State in Dublin on Saturday. This was quite a start to a new era of college football. For those who do not follow college sports, conference realignment has impacted every part of the country. The Pac-12 Conference, my favorite football conference, dissolved after everyone but Oregon State and Washington State left for either the ACC, Big Ten or Big 12. Many of the divisions in conferences were dropped, which allows for the two most deserving teams to play for their conference championship. Here are my personal picks for the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC.
ACC: Miami (FL) over Clemson
Miami is projected to finish third according to the preseason poll behind Florida State and Clemson. I am a larger fan of Miami because of their balanced attack on offense and defense. Cameron Ward, the preseason ACC Player of the Year, is expected to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football. His main target also made the preseason all-ACC team: wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, who finished the season with a stat line of 85 receptions, 1092 yards and six touchdowns. On defense, the Hurricanes are led by linebacker Francisco Mauigoa and defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. Head coach Mario Cristobal has what is arguably his best team since he began in Coral Gables in 2022. In my eyes, Clemson is the best defensive team in the league, with Barrett Carter being one of the best linebackers in the nation. However, they lack a reliable offense, which has been a trend for head coach Dabo Swinney in previous years after losing quarterback Trevor Lawrence to the NFL.
Big Ten: Ohio State over Oregon
The only reason I hesitated to pick Ohio State was their quarterback situation. Kansas State transfer Will Howard looks to be the QB1, but I’m not sold on him helping the Buckeyes to become a national title contender. I am, however, sold on the rest of the team. I love the running back depth that includes TreVeyon Henderson and Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins. While wide receiver Emeka Egbuka stands out as one of their best players, you shouldn’t ignore Ohio State’s WR2, Jeremiah Smith, a freshman who was the No. 1 player in his high school class according to 247Sports. The team also has one of the country’s best offensive lines, led by first-teamer Donovan Jackson. The Buckeyes have arguably the best defensive line in the country with J.T. Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams and Jack Sawyer. They have an excellent secondary unit that includes Denzel Burke, Davison Igbinosun and Alabama transfer, Caleb Downs. Howard makes me scratch my head because he faces a lot of pressure after passing for roughly 2600 yards last season at Kansas State, but I love the rest of the team. There is no reason for them to lose as many as two games this season despite their difficult strength of schedule. Dillon Gabriel looks to be the best quarterback in the country this season, with a premier target in Tez Johnson at WR1 and a secondary receiver in Evan Stewart. While linebacker Jeffrey Bassa leads the defense, there is no one else on the All-Big Ten preseason team, according to USA Today.
Big 12: Oklahoma State over Utah
I was inclined to pick Utah, but I think Oklahoma State has a strong chance to win the Big 12 with the group they have. While quarterback Alan Bowman is not on the same level as Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Utah’s Cameron Rising or Kansas’s Jalon Daniels, there’s still a good reason to believe Bowman can be the best quarterback in the conference, being named to the preseason watch list for the Manning Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, awards given to the nation’s best quarterback. The Cowboys have the best running back in college football with Ollie Gordon II. However, the wide receiver duo, Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens, can be lethal, both having received the Fred Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s best receiver. The Pokes have the best linebacker unit in the Big 12, with Nick Martin and Collin Oliver named to the preseason all-Big 12 team. Despite no honors for the rest of the team’s defense, Oklahoma State stood out as the best team in the Big 12. Rising is a Big 12 Player of the Year caliber player, assuming he stays healthy, but I do not trust the lack of weapons stacked against other teams in the conference. In my opinion, the Big 12 is the widest open.
SEC: Georgia over Texas
It may be the safe pick, but I believe that Georgia is the best team in the SEC and has the best chance at the national championship. The first name that jumps out is quarterback Carson Beck, who is considered one of the favorites for the Heisman Trophy. While he does not have an Emeka Egbuka or Xavier Restrepo to throw to, he can rely on running back Trevor Etienne, wide receiver Dominic Lovett and tight end Oscar Delp. Delp is an interesting player to keep an eye on because of the Bulldogs’ rich history at tight end. The program has seen a tight end drafted in the last six NFL Drafts, including Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington in the previous two years. On defense, I am a big fan of linebacker Mykel Williams and safety Malaki Starks. I consider those two arguably the best in their respective positions. Defensive lineman Nazir Stackhouse looks to be one of the best defensive linemen in the SEC. While I believe Texas has a better offense, I cannot get behind the Longhorns’ defense. This SEC Championship would be great to see Beck and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers go head-to-head.
what do you have against oregon:( ?