College football thoughts from around the nation: Predictions for 2021

Power Five picks

• And now onto the Power Five. We’ll start with the Pac-12 where I have a conference title game that I haven’t seen anyone else project, which is something that has me a combination of excited and terrified.

If you’ve read my TATN series, you know how high I was on Arizona State back in January. I’m still on that hype train despite all of the off-field issues the Sun Devils have faced this offseason.

Arizona State has a lot going for it: all 11 starters are back on a defense that admittedly, needs to show some improvement. You can’t sustain being the 91st total defense while ranking 32nd in points per game allowed. Something has to give.

The X-factor for the Sun Devils is Jayden Daniels, who I believe can be a Heisman candidate. Plus, the schedule sets up nicely: three winnable non-conference games, they host USC and miss Oregon in the cross-over. Unfortunately, both of Arizona State’s toughest games are on the road: Utah and Washington.

Speaking of the Huskies, Washington is my pick to win the Pac-12 North. They’re the uncrowned Pac-12 champions after being forced to pull out of the title game last season due to COVID-19. It won’t take long to find out how legitimate Washington is as they travel to Michigan in Week 2. Washington will be challenged in early November, hosting Oregon and Arizona State in back-to-back weeks.

I think Washington wins the regular-season meeting against Arizona State, but the Sun Devils win the rematch and earn their first Pac-12 title since sharing the title with USC in 2007.

• The Big 12 and Big Ten are two conferences I have to go chalk in: Oklahoma over Iowa State in the Big 12 and Ohio State over Wisconsin in the Big Ten.

They’re the boring picks, but they’re the smart picks. I’m not guaranteeing Oklahoma and/or Ohio State win their respective conferences, but I believe they’re far superior to the rest of the teams in their leagues. I feel like the story for Iowa State in 2021 is “if not now, when?” The Cyclones have what should be their best football team ever, and that is not hyperbole. This might be the Cyclones’ best chance to beat the Sooners. But Oklahoma has their most complete team in years and that finally includes defense.

Do you want a long shot in the Big 12? Look no further than Texas Tech. I’m not saying they’re a contender by any stretch. But Oregon transfer quarterback Tyler Shough has great potential. If he plays to his capability, they could win eight or nine games.

In the Big Ten, I hate to spoil a pick, but Ohio State is a playoff team. Wisconsin will be good, as will Indiana, Penn State, and Minnesota. But none of those teams are playoff contenders in 2021. Do you want to talk complete teams? It’s Ohio State.

And as I mention Minnesota, let me just say I think they’re going to be a great team. The Gophers were 11-2 and reached No. 7 in the AP Poll in 2019 before a 3-4 season last year. A lot of guys are back from that 2019 team, including Tanner Morgan, who didn’t forget how to be a solid quarterback. PJ Fleck didn’t forget how to be a good coach. The schedule is fantastic between three winnable non-conference games and playing in the weaker Big Ten division. In fact, my boldest prediction is I think they win ten games. I’ll own it if I’m wrong, but this Gopher team is going to be good.

• The ACC is also an easy pick: I’m taking Clemson to win it, even though I think they lose to Georgia in a Week 1 non-conference game. That loss would light a fire I’m Clemson something fierce. That would also mean that Clemson would have lost back-to-back games for the first time since 2011, an incredible 10-year run.

As for who the Tigers face for the ACC title, I have Miami. I know North Carolina is the hot team right now, and Miami traveling to North Carolina is going to complicate things for the Hurricanes. But not only do I think Miami wins in Chapel Hill, but I also think North Carolina loses one other game: not Notre Dame, but rather on the road to NC State.

The Wolfpack are another dangerous team this year, especially if the quarterback, whether it be Devin Leary or Ben Finley, gets figured out.

But back to Miami. Of course, this pick is contingent on the health of D’Eriq King. One injury to him and the season likely goes from ACC Championship contender to 8-4 underachievers. But Miami also needs its defense to take the next step and defensive-minded head coach Manny Diaz has shown he can make adjustments to improve defenses rather quickly. Just how quickly that improvement can be made will determine how Miami fares this year.

• Finally, to the kings of college football, the SEC. This might come as a shock, but I don’t have Alabama making the title game. Instead, it’s Texas A&M in the West taking on undefeated Georgia out of the East.

Texas A&M is loaded with talent, and I think a major benefit the Aggies will have is hosting the Crimson Tide on Oct. 9. In addition, Alabama hosts Ole Miss the week prior, and that offense could really have Alabama running around the field. Will that hangover bleed into the Texas A&M game?

As for Georgia, there’s nobody in the division that can compete with the Bulldogs. Even if they lose to Clemson, they can still get into the College Football Playoff by running the table. Georgia’s two crossover opponents are a sneaky Arkansas team and an Auburn team that I could see winning eight games just as easily as losing eight games.

Count me in as picking Georgia to win the SEC.