How bold can 2017 be? 5 predictions that will make you think twice
Anything can happen in the game of football, and anything often does happen at anytime over the course of a regular college football season.
Players can step up to the pressure of the bright lights or crumble underneath it, and teams can turn on the jets or stall and watch their counterparts pass them in the standings. Each season can boast its memorable moments and shocking events, and 2017 will surely be no different.
Here are five bold predictions about how the upcoming season could play out right before our eyes.
Alabama misses the CFP
Don't pencil Alabama into the College Football Playoff just yet, because you might be forced to break out a big, fat eraser.
The Crimson Tide are preparing to open the season in what some may call a dream matchup for the national championship against Florida State, and the Seminoles are not a team to simply be written off. If Alabama begins the year 0-1, it may need a perfect season from then on to keep its hopes alive, and that's no easy feat for any program.
Lamar Jackson wins second Heisman Trophy
So much of the preseason Heisman Trophy discussion has revolved around the likes of Sam Darnold and Saquon Barkley that the defending winner has somehow become an afterthought, and that just doesn't seem right.
The argument that teams will be more adequately prepared for Lamar Jackson in 2017 holds some weight, but a player with his skill set is not one that is contained easily. Clemson is the only team that will likely be a major test for Louisville in the first half of the season, so it may be a matter of weeks before Jackson is back in the spotlight yet again.
Ole Miss avoids SEC basement
Ole Miss is going to have a very tough road ahead, there's no disputing that, but it may not be as bad as many may think.
Aside from the high drama caused by the NCAA's ongoing investigation and the messy departure of former head coach Hugh Freeze, the Rebels do have a chance to maintain some on-field respect. Quarterback Shea Patterson will be eager to build off an impressive end to last season, and the Rebels still have eight four-star recruits joining the program this year.
All they need to do is outperform one team.
Group of 5 finishes season with 5 ranked teams
South Florida was the only Group of 5 program with a strong showing in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, but the regular season can breed all sorts of surprises.
Last season Western Michigan, Temple, and Navy all managed to crack the final CFP rankings, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that more programs step up and start beating superior opponents. Five is a lofty goal, but hey, who doesn't love underdog stories?
Lane Kiffin leads Florida Atlantic to C-USA title game
It's been a few years since Lane Kiffin roamed the sidelines as a head coach, but the time spent in between at Alabama could prove invaluable as he takes over at Florida Atlantic.
The Owls are coming off a lackluster season, so Kiffin is essentially beginning at ground zero. The introduction of a new face and a new philosophy can act as a real adrenaline shot into a program at times however, and just imagine what a conference championship appearance would do to the head coaching rumor mill in the Power 5 next season.
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