It's week four of the 2016 college football season, and that means it is time for me to unveil my new column: Five Guarantees.
But you said it was week four, Jarrod. That's right, I did indeed.
So why not go with Four Guarantees? I 'don't know, I think that five is a nice round number. If you don't like it, well...I encourage you to write your own blog.
Enough about that, however. On to the meat of the article, which is my Five Guarantees of the college football season.
1 Ohio State is the best team in college football this year. Period.
That is not to say they will win the national championship. Or even the Big Ten. But if the Buckeyes are playing the type of football they did this past Saturday in Norman, Oklahoma, no one in the nation will beat them. Not Alabama. Not Louisville. No One.
You may say I am biased being that I am a Buckeyes fan. And I do have a bit of an OSU bias. However, if you are a regular reader of my blog, you would have noticed I refrained from predicting whether the Buckeyes would even win the Big Ten in my season preview edition. And I'll admit they did not play a perfect game last Saturday. Far from it, to be exact.
The Buckeyes still went on the road and soundly defeated a quality opponent on a nationally televised stage. For all the hoopla surrounding Louisville's domination of FSU, that game was in fact played in Louisville. And Alabama played USC in a neutral site, one they are familiar with--the stadium Jerry Jones paid for in Arlington, TX.
Not only did the Buckeyes win in convincing fashion, but they did so returning only six starters from last year's team. That's right, only six. Disagree with me if you like. But wait until January and then tell me who is wrong.
2 Lamar Jackson is the best player in college football.
Why don't we save everyone the suspense and just give him the trophy already? You know, he might have a letdown versus Clemson or Houston, or (should the Cardinals make it that far) the ACC Championship game. Yet I believe when it is all said and done he will have set some blistering FBS single season offensive records. Which one poor game cannot erase.
So instead of waiting until the middle of December at the Touchdown Club in NYC, why not just ship this year's Heisman to Louisville, Ky.
3 Alabama will once again get in to the college football playoff.
As much as I dislike the Crimson and Tide, there is no debating how good this team really is. And while I still feel that OSU has the more talented team, as long as 'Bama wins the SEC they are in. Right now I don't see anyone dethroning them. as the Rebels missed their one shot last week.
4 Christian McCaffrey might actually be the best player in the nation, but he won't win the Heisman.
Since 1988 (I think) only three players who were neither quarterbacks nor running backs have won the Heisman: Tim Brown, Desmond Howard, and Charles Woodson. While McCaffrey does play some running back, he is more of a hybrid back than a true tailback. And in any case, he might need Stanford to win out in order to take home the hardware. If both Louisville and Stanford finish with one loss, I'm still picking Jackson to win the Heisman.
5 The Big 12 will not have a participant in this year's college football playoff.
Oklahoma looked like the odds on favorite to make it to a New Year's Six Bowl. With two losses on their schedule they are all but eliminated from playoff contention. And after the Sooners the rest of the Big 12 isn't much to brag about. Baylor has looked good thus far but I'd like to see them play a legitimate defense for a change.
But you said it was week four, Jarrod. That's right, I did indeed.
So why not go with Four Guarantees? I 'don't know, I think that five is a nice round number. If you don't like it, well...I encourage you to write your own blog.
Enough about that, however. On to the meat of the article, which is my Five Guarantees of the college football season.
1 Ohio State is the best team in college football this year. Period.
That is not to say they will win the national championship. Or even the Big Ten. But if the Buckeyes are playing the type of football they did this past Saturday in Norman, Oklahoma, no one in the nation will beat them. Not Alabama. Not Louisville. No One.
You may say I am biased being that I am a Buckeyes fan. And I do have a bit of an OSU bias. However, if you are a regular reader of my blog, you would have noticed I refrained from predicting whether the Buckeyes would even win the Big Ten in my season preview edition. And I'll admit they did not play a perfect game last Saturday. Far from it, to be exact.
The Buckeyes still went on the road and soundly defeated a quality opponent on a nationally televised stage. For all the hoopla surrounding Louisville's domination of FSU, that game was in fact played in Louisville. And Alabama played USC in a neutral site, one they are familiar with--the stadium Jerry Jones paid for in Arlington, TX.
Not only did the Buckeyes win in convincing fashion, but they did so returning only six starters from last year's team. That's right, only six. Disagree with me if you like. But wait until January and then tell me who is wrong.
2 Lamar Jackson is the best player in college football.
Why don't we save everyone the suspense and just give him the trophy already? You know, he might have a letdown versus Clemson or Houston, or (should the Cardinals make it that far) the ACC Championship game. Yet I believe when it is all said and done he will have set some blistering FBS single season offensive records. Which one poor game cannot erase.
So instead of waiting until the middle of December at the Touchdown Club in NYC, why not just ship this year's Heisman to Louisville, Ky.
3 Alabama will once again get in to the college football playoff.
As much as I dislike the Crimson and Tide, there is no debating how good this team really is. And while I still feel that OSU has the more talented team, as long as 'Bama wins the SEC they are in. Right now I don't see anyone dethroning them. as the Rebels missed their one shot last week.
4 Christian McCaffrey might actually be the best player in the nation, but he won't win the Heisman.
Since 1988 (I think) only three players who were neither quarterbacks nor running backs have won the Heisman: Tim Brown, Desmond Howard, and Charles Woodson. While McCaffrey does play some running back, he is more of a hybrid back than a true tailback. And in any case, he might need Stanford to win out in order to take home the hardware. If both Louisville and Stanford finish with one loss, I'm still picking Jackson to win the Heisman.
5 The Big 12 will not have a participant in this year's college football playoff.
Oklahoma looked like the odds on favorite to make it to a New Year's Six Bowl. With two losses on their schedule they are all but eliminated from playoff contention. And after the Sooners the rest of the Big 12 isn't much to brag about. Baylor has looked good thus far but I'd like to see them play a legitimate defense for a change.
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