2021 College Football

[SeaBreeze341]

Oh yeah!  It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  Not really, but College Football is, in my humble opinion, of the best times of the year.  Sure there was some of that last year, but for obvious reasons, not the way people are used to seeing it.

Anyway, after a year of a watered-down product due to the pandemic, College Football returns (in about three & four weeks) to a resemblance of what we last saw in 2019.  The fans return, the conferences including the Pac 12 return, and the band is back!  Really the bands are back, and that is an underrated part of the games on Saturdays.  Tailgating and the total atmosphere return I believe.  However, I would proceed with caution as we still have a rather long way to go.  Still better than last year, but I’m guessing the pregame stuff and attendance will depend on the guidelines in one’s area/state.  That aside, there may be full capacity (in some places), but there will be games played.  Cancellations are still a possibility, but I think we’ll get more in this season than last year.

As is the custom each year (except last season of course), things get rolling during Labor Day Weekend.  Yeah, there are about a half dozen games the weekend before, but the glorified slate starts next month prior to and including Labor Day.

You have the old non-Power 5 team and the newer non-Power 5 team facing off on 09/02 (Boise State vs Central Florida).  After that Thursday game, we’re treated to a nice Saturday (09/04) full of great games from great teams: Alabama vs Miami in the afternoon, and Clemson vs Georgia in primetime.  Sunday night has Notre Dame against Florida State (09/05), and Louisville vs Mississippi on Monday (09/06).

The Crimson Tide begins its title defense as the Top Ranked team.  They’re followed by Oklahoma, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Iowa State, Oregon, Notre Dame, and North Carolina.  That list, which will become meaningless as the season progresses, comes courtesy of ESPN.  Finally, the season is slated to conclude on Monday, January 10th, 2022, with the National Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.  That College Football Playoff Final wraps up the year’s Bowl Season, which starts on Saturday, December 18th, 2021.  Included in those postseason games are the New Year’s Six games featuring the Peach, Cotton, Orange, Fiesta, Rose, and Sugar Bowl Games.  Whatever happens, it should be a great 2021 College Football Season!

[Ccook]

Georgia gets its baptism of fire right away September 4 against Clemson (played in Charlotte) followed by what sounds like a cupcake game against Alabama-Birmingham. The usual tilts against the SEC follow. Expectations for J.T. Daniels as QB are pretty lofty.

[Ccook]

Oops, double post. Please delete, mods.

[SeaBreeze341]

The good news for Georgia is that they're facing a Clemson team that lost its star QB to the NFL.  Though the last time the Tigers lost a star to the pros, it didn't take too long to find its next star.  I think the game could go either way, with the final result being a close one.  Fortunately this game shouldn't crush either team's playoff chances should they fall short (both of the Pac 12 & the Big 12 champs would have to run the table for it to cost Georgia or Clemson).

You know, around the end of last season, J.T. Daniels, to me, looked like the one guy I could cash in on for a perfect, Cinderella season (a la Burrow in 2019).  I figured he'd return, it's the SEC, and Georgia is in the East so they could get to the SEC Title Game without having to post a better record than LSU or Alabama.  Probably is that it's rather common for Georgia to fall short against the West.

Anyway, Vegas is making people work to get paid off of a perfect UGA season coupled with a Heisman win for J.T.  It's probably a longshot anyway, but Daniels will not be sneaking up on anyone in terms of a surprise season.  In January, he was around 8/1.  I think it went to +1200 later on in the year.  Currently he's in the Top 5 at 5/1.

To compare him and Joe Burrow, the LSU star was 200/1 two or three months before the start of the 2019 season (I think someone won $10,000 for sticking with their $50 futures bet).  I don't know how the Bulldogs will perform; I think Daniels can win regardless of an SEC crown (though a 10-win season would be a start)

[Ccook]

Alabama's schedule looks like the proverbial cakewalk. (Mercer on Sept. 11. Gee, I wonder who's going to win that game...).

[Ccook]

Crazy first full week. Virginia Tech upsets the #10 Tar Heels, #19 Penn State upsets #12 Wisconsin, and #2 Oklahoma barely beats Tulane. Should be a fun year.

[jhc2010]

Georgia doesn't score an offensive touchdown in Week 1 and they move from #5 to #2. Anything wrong with that?

[Ccook]

Upset of the weekend so far: #12 Oregon 35, #3 Ohio State 28.

[JayC]

Georgia doesn't score an offensive touchdown in Week 1 and they move from #5 to #2. Anything wrong with that?

Given they beat Clemson, Oklahoma struggled to win, and Ohio State wasn't dominating it's pretty understandable.

A #12 beating a #3 isn't a huge upset, though Oregon was without two star players.

[SeaBreeze341]

Georgia as #2 is accurate.  It helps that Clemson returned to the Clemson we know with their second game, plus the bulldogs allowing a total of 10 points after 2 games.  Ohio State losing helps too, though if they had blown out Oregon, maybe they would've leaped over Georgia

[SeaBreeze341]

USC fires Clay Helton


Of course throughout the week the speculation of Urban quitting at Jacksonville was there, but I think James Franklin being there in 2022 is more likely than Meyer

[Ccook]

All is right in the world as nos. 1 through 5 won their games, although Florida made Alabama earn their victory. Clemson (#6) beat Georgia Tech, but didn't blow them out of the water as Vegas thought they would (the line opened at 29, and was 27-1/2 at kickoff).

[Ccook]

The four teams in the top 25 in games completed (Georgia, Notre Dame, Penn State, Coastal Carolina) have won their games decisively. There's an upset in the making as no. 16 Arkansas leads no. 7 Texas A&M. Still plenty of game to go.

[Ccook]

Georgia notches two straight shutout wins with a 37-0 win over Arkansas. #3 Oregon's loss to Stanford will cause a drop in their place in the rankings, but likely won't drop out of the top 10.

[SeaBreeze341]

Georgia notches two straight shutout wins with a 37-0 win over Arkansas. #3 Oregon's loss to Stanford will cause a drop in their place in the rankings, but likely won't drop out of the top 10.

Yep, out of the Top 5, but five spot down to #8.  However, there are no more undefeated Pac-12 teams.  Looks like they'll be left out again.  Fortunately, the ACC is down, and Notre Dame lost to Cincinnati.  Speaking of the Bearcats (which would offset the Pac-12 chances if they won out), I think this might be the year that a non Power Five team makes it into the CFB Playoff.  That's only if they'll win.

It is possible that teams (like Michigan, MSU, and Oklahoma State) could jump Cincy.  The good news for the Bearcats is that they will move into the top four thanks to the result of the Penn State / Iowa game.  The only way I'd be wrong with that statement is if Michigan pounded Nebraska enough to surge to the Top 3 or Top 4.  On the other hand, I'd still be correct with that coupled with a Aggies win and/or an Auburn Tigers victory.


Last Week's Top 10, FYI: Alabama, Georgia, Penn State, Iowa, Cincinnati, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, BYU