The Long Wait Is Over—Time to See Who Has Bragging Rights This Year
It’s been seven months since the Georgia Bulldogs defended their national title, soundly defeating the Horned Frogs of Texas Christian University at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Can the Dawgs come back again, win it all, and start a dynasty? If they do, it’ll be the first time in almost 90 years. The last team to achieve that goal—the Golden Gophers of Minnesota, who were national champs in 1934, 1935 and 1936.
Who stands in their way? Let’s take a preseason look at who will be the cream of the college football crop this year.
- The University of Georgia—Heisman candidate Stetson Bennett (QB) is now a Los Angeles Ram, but that likely won’t have a significant impact on the Georgia offense. The Dawgs are loaded are running back and wide receiver, and are well-equipped to battle for another SEC crown and national championship.
- The Michigan Wolverines—While Jim Harbaugh has finally turned Michigan’s fortunes around, the last two seasons have not ended as the Wolverines and their hopeful had foreseen. This year’s team sees all the key players returning with Blake Corum and Donovan Edward making up perhaps the best 1-2 backfield in the country, and J.J. McCarthy demonstrating last year his ability to consistently lead Michigan down the field. The key for the Wolverines—their defense needs to keep opposing teams off the scoreboard. You don’t win too many games when you give up 51 points.
- Alabama—The Crimson Tide are never out of consideration for the national championship and this year’s team has some things to prove. Though the Tide won the 2020 national championship, they failed to make either the SEC championship or the college football playoffs last year, something that had only happened once before during the college playoff era (2019). A Nick Saban team can never, however, be ruled out of the mix.
- Ohio State—The Buckeyes have failed to make the Big Ten Championship game or beat arch-rival Michigan since 2020. That doesn’t mean, though, that they don’t have the talent and the drive to put a lot of points on the scoreboard. Ohio State faces an uphill battle—their clash with the Wolverines will be in front of an unruly Ann Arbor crowd, but they are always competitive.
- Penn State—The Big Ten has often been referred to as the Big Two (Ohio State and Michigan) and the Little Eight (or is it the Little Twelve?). Penn State looks to change that dynamic. The Nittany Lions have struggled a bit against highly ranked teams, but have consistently improved both their offense and defense over the past two seasons.
The SEC or the Big Ten—which of these two powerhouse divisions will take the crown this year? Though it’s possible that another conference may sneak into the college football championships, odds are that the Big Ten or the SEC will claim the title.
