The 2017 College Football Season is seven months away, but it’s always fun to look ahead and make predictions. Here are my bold predictions for the 2017 season:
- Alabama and Florida State will be ranked as the preseason top two teams when they meet at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to kickoff the season. Jalen Hurts will look much improved at throwing the ball, after a spirited QB battle with freshman Tua Tagovailoa, throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-20 win over the Seminoles.
- Oklahoma will get revenge on Ohio State, beating the Buckeyes 38-35.
- Clemson will lose their second game of the year at home against Auburn, 31-21.
- Notre Dame will fire coach Brian Kelly after the Fighting Irish get beat by three touchdowns against USC.
- Ohio State will beat Penn State, handing the Nittany Lions their first loss of the season.
- The SEC West will be decided by the Iron Bowl.
- Michigan will beat Ohio State for the first time since 2011, but come up short in the conference after losing on the road to Penn State earlier in the year.
- Tennessee will fire Butch Jones after a disappointing 7-5 season.
- Alabama will beat Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.
- The Big Ten East will come down to a three way tie with Penn State winning the tiebreaker.
- The Big-12 will come down to West Virginia and Oklahoma in the first conference title game since 2010. The Mountaineers beat the Sooners, but the Big-12 will fail to have a representative in the playoffs yet again, since both teams have two losses.
- Alabama will return to the playoffs yet again with a 13-0 record and as the number one team in the country.
- Clemson will finish third in their division.
- USC will win the Pac-12 and go into the playoffs as the number two team in the country with a 12-1 record.
- Penn State will win the Big Ten for the second consecutive season, knocking off Wisconsin again, and the Nittany Lions will make their first appearance in the playoffs with a 12-1 record and as the number three team.
- Jalen Hurts will beat out Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson for the Heisman Trophy.
- Florida State fell short to Alabama in the opener, but recovered to go 12-1, winning the ACC and meeting the Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl.
- Penn State will get their revenge over USC in the Rose Bowl, beating the Trojans 45-42 in another shootout.
- Alabama beats Florida State by two touchdowns, 35-21, after their defense secures the victory with a late pick-six.
- Alabama will blowout the Nittany Lions, 38-13 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to win the National Championship.
