The Silver Bulletin’s Blake Biscardi releases his eighth annual season outlook full of Heisman, Conference Championship, and CFP predictions.
According to my analyses, the Big Ten and SEC will each likely get at least three teams into the CFP. After that, it gets tricky because the Big 12 and ACC also get auto-bids, but the teams behind the champions are less likely to be real contenders than the Big Ten and SEC. The following list of 24 teams makes up my pool of potential CFP teams. I believe the entire field will come from this group.
Find my Preseason Top 25 Rankings and Six Teams to Watch here.
Since we are in the expansion era, I am going to group the teams into four categories toward CFP contention since the field is larger.
Elite Teams: Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas
High Ceiling + High Floor: Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Alabama, Utah, Penn State
High Ceiling + Low Floor: Michigan, Florida State, Miami (FL), Missouri, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Clemson, LSU, Tennessee, Kansas State
Group of 5 Contenders: Boise State, Liberty, Memphis, Tulane, UTSA
I will begin my Conference Championship Game explanations in the order on the graphic, which means the ACC bats lead-off. This conference is wide open to me. Florida State lost a lot of production, however, Mike Norvell continues to utilize the transfer portal well. DJ U comes in at QB to lead a revamped offense that will be more physical than dynamic, but good enough to win the conference.
Finding a second team to trust is about as easy as spinning a wheel full of options. I decided on Miami (FL) to finally return to relevancy because Mario Cristobal has recruited well and built his team from the inside out, which typically warrants a slower process than starting with the skill positions. QB Cam Ward is the x-factor for the Hurricanes this year as they eye an ACC Title and CFP berth.
Ohio State and Oregon or Oregon and Ohio State. Either way, you shake out the Big Ten race and these are your top two teams. Penn State, Michigan, and Iowa will contend, but will they have enough to prevent the rematch from October 12th in Indianapolis? The Buckeyes and Ducks are littered with elite talent across the board. Both are locks for the College Football Playoff. The only question is which one earns the bye week.
The Big 12 takes on a new form this year as Texas and Oklahoma exit for the SEC, so new blood can rise to the top. For this race, I see member Utah rising quickly with Kyle Whittingham and Cam Rising. The Utes have been a staple of the PAC-12 race over the last few seasons, and that will not change this year.
Ollie Gordon and Oklahoma State will edge out Kansas State to reach the championship game before losing to Utah. Mike Gundy puts together another double-digit win season in Stillwater.
Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss, Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee are the contenders in the SEC. Like the Big Ten, there is a cluster of teams vying for a trip to Atlanta. However, of the schedules in front of these teams, Ole Miss has the weakest, which by default breeds them as a real threat to steal a spot from Georgia, Texas, or Alabama. This will be the most intriguing and heated of the Power 4 title chases.
Heisman Trophy Race
Over the last decade, the Heisman Trophy has become a quarterback award. WR Devonta Smith (2020) is the last exception. All of my top candidates for this year’s trophy are signal callers. Carson Beck and Quinn Ewers lead two of the top teams in the country while conference counterparts Jalen Milroe and Jaxon Dart look to upend the SEC and Heisman race.
Four of my five Heisman front-runners are from the SEC because of the caliber of players and teams. Much like the PAC-12 last year, the SEC is deep and will have high-level quarterback play this fall.
As for my dark horse contenders, Ohio State has a supremely talented roster, but sharing the wealth may keep a single player from being invited to New York. However, I will not be surprised if a Buckeye ends up in NYC. Ollie Gordon is the best running back in the country. If Oklahoma State has the season I expect, Gordon could also end up pushing for the Heisman Trophy.
- Carson Beck, QB Georgia
- Dillon Gabriel, QB Oregon
- Quinn Ewers, QB Texas
- Jalen Milroe, QB Alabama
- Jaxon Dart, QB Ole Miss
Dark Horse Candidates: Ollie Gordon, Will Howard, Riley Leonard, Cam Ward
College Football Playoff Predictions
First Round (12/20-21): Liberty @ Oregon
First Round (12/20-21): Penn State @ Texas
First Round (12/20-21): Notre Dame @ Ole Miss
First Round (12/20-21): Alabama @ Miami (FL)
Quarterfinal (Fiesta Bowl, Tuesday 12/31): Florida State vs. Texas
Quarterfinal (Peach Bowl, Wednesday 1/1): Georgia vs. Ole Miss
Quarterfinal (Rose Bowl, Wednesday 1/1): Utah vs. Oregon
Quarterfinal (Sugar Bowl, Wednesday 1/1): Ohio State vs. Alabama
Semifinal (Orange Bowl, Thursday 1/9): Ohio State vs. Oregon
Semifinal (Cotton Bowl, Friday 1/10): Georgia vs. Texas
National Championship (Monday, 1/20): Ohio State vs. Georgia
Blake Biscardi, a native of Pickerington, Ohio, is The Silver Bulletin’s Senior Editor and the Creator & Host of the Saturday Cadence podcast, a national college football show. As a trusted voice on Ohio State, the Big Ten, and College Football Playoff since 2016, Blake has worked multiple ventures, namely FanSided (2018-2021) before TSB. Blake is a proud member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and a two-time Graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia.