College Football: Bold Predictions 2 & Ranking Group 5 Conferences

how's it going everyone and welcome to this episode of the fourth and long podcast with your host Alec Pano and co-host Bradley Walker tonight's show we're going to go over more bu predictions ranking our group of five conferences freshman to watch for week one players to watch for week one and head coaches that could get fired and let's start with bold predictions you go first Bradley well I predicted on this show a couple days ago that FSU would take a step back and guess what happened today sure enough lost to Georgia Tech 24-21 so sorry all you FSU fans out there but the writing is on the wall and now that you lost to Georgia Tech and I'm not saying you guys can't make the college football playoff let's pump the breaks because I think a two or three lost team could still possibly make the postseason but I think it really honestly um is going to be a lot harder um I have a couple that I that I did as far as the Bold predictions I'm gonna start with one and again I'm an SEC guy so some of these are SEC related or actually all three of them are SEC related number one is Missouri makes the secur A spot in the college football playoff now people are gonna think I'm crazy Missouri has been a good football team since joining the SEC they have been a thorn in the back of the Florida Gator since they came in they have always been competitive they beat us the last few years last year when drink wit was on the hot seat correct and they they and they they stick around they're like and like Alec will will will tell you with the big 10 with Iowa they're just there they're a mosquito that just you smack them and they just will not go away so I predict as a bold predict that Missouri will be one of the 12 playoff teams uh I'll bring up one that Alec mentioned the other day that the Tigers will beat Alabama on the road in Tuscaloosa now that is the iron ball at the end of the year we all know that in the SEC country um and I think he's right I think Auburn will beat Alabama at the end of the season on the road which is not the easiest thing to do but I think um that'll happen um and then the only other one I have is um it says the only SEC and Big 10 will have a oh yeah one of the at large bids will be an SEC or Big 10 team which I think there probably be more than one and that may not be a bull prediction that might be just a foregone conclusion in it when it's all said and done but yeah those are my bold my three bold predictions um for the year I hopefully we'll see what happens I was right about the FSU seminal so I guess I started off [Laughter] good okay so let me get to my bold predictions my fourth bold prediction is that Mississippi State and I might get lefted after this I think Mississippi state's going to win more games this year than Oklahoma could be good even though Mississippi state's got a new head coach and Jeff Levy who I don't think has previously been a head coach I know he's been an offensive coordinator at a bunch of different schools so that's number three that's number four number three two group of five schools will make the college football playoff and it's going to be the combination of either American the AAC it's either going to be South Florida or Memphis I can't see anyone else the American besides Memphis or USF Mountain West either boury state or Air Force and Sunbelt either Texas State App State or Coastal comence USA Liberty in cerence USA's a an an entire mess or actually I'll throw Western Kentucky in there too okay but those are the only two Conference USA schools I could see um Mac Miami of Ohio Toledo and Ohio those are the only three and maybe in outside JS maybe buling green but that's that's like bold bold so that's number three number two and again this is another one I might get laughed at for Colorado will finish third place in the Big 12 in their first season yes and I've said this on the podcast before I'm drinking the the Kool-Aid of the Colorado hype I know and I did the same thing last year and it burdened me big time I'm willing to do it again very much willing to do it again um and then my last bold prediction is as you can see by my shirt I'm wearing it's Ohio State Jack Sawyer defensive lineman from Ohio State wins the Heisman because a defensive player has not won the Heisman since I believe it was Manti tailo could be um I the only one that I'm aware of is um from Michigan I can't remember the guy Des Desmond Howard yeah I was gonna say I think he's the only one that I can remember yeah you're right it was Desmond Howard next we get to ranking group of five conferences and I will let you go first again all right I'm gonna start with five and then I'll go to one so I'll go in reverse order I'm going to go with the American and as you guys I'm new to the show this is only my second and uh I I appreciate Alec giving me the opportunity to come on here and and talk on his show I I've cover USF football in fact next Saturday at this time it'll be close to kickoff uh they kick off at 7:30 against pathon cookman um I will be coming from the ray game to drive to Tampa to cover the USF game but I'll have the American and the only uh you you said something about you said USF and Memphis I would throw toine into that conversation as far as the American um teams coming out and that they they they say UTSA but I UTSA is gonna take a step back too from they lost a lot of their guys but I wouldn't I wouldn't take toine out of that conversation either to be out of the American um can I can I enject for a second so yes I agree with you about Tain but the one thing that's really worries me about Tain is they have a new quarterback and they have a new head coach okay then I agree with you then I will say USF and Memphis because I think they have the same most of the same players returning from last year and Memphis I think won a bll game last year they did okay okay yeah so okay the American uh number four is the Big 12 and and I know there's a lot of new teams that entered the conference and and oh you went beyond just group of five oh okay I'm sorry yeah I did only group of five but continue uh three is the ACC and then the Big 10 and the SEC are my top two so that's who I have okay so I did all group of five and number five for me is conferen you I say like I mentioned the minute to go and both predictions Conference USA is a complete an utter dumpster fire other than Liberty and Western Kentucky which Western Kentucky is only GNA be there this year and then they're going to the Mac which again to me I mean that kind of makes sense because they're in that Kentucky they're on the border of they're in Kentucky but they're not that far away from some of the Ohio schools um and then you got Kennesaw State Jacksonville State Sam Houston and I went to school at a mid major school for basketball at North Florida and all four years I was there we played kenesa State Jacksonville State Liberty and Jacksonville State to me it didn't makes sense for them to jump from mid a mid- major conference like the Aon because I I understand they had football program but it didn't make sense for them to LEAP to another mid- major conference in Conference USA but so that's number five number four is the Mountain West and I I don't understand the teams in the Mountain West I understand like San Diego State um San Jose State okay that's California Hawaii why are they in the Mountain West that is not even they're not even West Coast they're 10 and a half hours away flying but they do play good football in the Mountain West don't get me wrong but it's the alignment of the cence just doesn't make sense number three is the sunbuilt and I I talked about it a second ago why I like the sunb Bel Texas State appstate Coastal and they call it the fun belt for a reason typically you get games that are very high scoring and there's not a lot of Def defense defense is not out of premium and then number two for me is the Mac because you got my it's always Mac games are very competitive and sometimes they're boring because all they do is it's a low-scoring defensive struggle and then number one for me is the American the American Athletic conference because of Memphis and South Florida and yes Tain even know they're going through I'm not going to say a rebuild I'm gonna say more of a Ral since they lost Willie Fritz to Houston and had to bring in John sumall um but that's my group of five conference rankings now we're going to get to freshman to watch and for week one and I'll let you go again well but since we both have the kid from Nebraska I'll I'll I'll let you take that one the other two that I have down were cornerback Ellis Robinson the fourth from Georgia again it's not easy to make starting roster for Kirby Smart because he can go out now and recruit anybody he wants any five star or four star guys he can go yeah I'm gonna go out here we've won national championships and despite all of the off the field shenanigans that we talked about on Thursday he still is and he now has become the new Nick Savin okay he has become the most hated coach in college football not just the SEC he has become the most hated coach in college football because George's taken over the mountain in the SEC Alabama had it for so many years that was the team to beat well now shifted and now it's Georgia and of course the SEC has broken up it used to be the SEC east and west and now that's gone that lot of the conferences are broken down but anyway um he is a defensive back and he's a freshman um you know it says the Bulldogs bring back Dylan Everett as a one-time starting quarterback Daniel Harris and Julian Humphrey contend for the second starting job but I the reason I picked him again is because it's so hard to be a starter as a freshman on a team that has so many guys that can fill in a role like they the conects man up type thing the other guy that I have is Edge rusher Dylan Stewart from South Carolina again there's another school in the SEC that not a lot of people talk about but they're there and they win big games they may not win a sec championships and they may not be considered a playoff team but they can beat a team and take them out of a playoff because they get underestimated so much um and you know I mean they're the Gamecocks that's kind of the weirdest thing to say for a college football team and a lot of people out there make fun of them because of the name that they have um but he he's another one just like it is you know he's gonna have um he I believe let's see gifted development something the game c need okay so they were tied for the least amount of sacks in the conference last year with Vanderbilt so to be tied with Vanderbilt in the secc is so that's those are my two because Alec Alec and me had the same quarterback from well and then you took one of my other ones I also had Dylan Stewart but I'm I'll talk about his teammate okay oh no I had no never mind you I had rayola okay so I'll get to my player freshman to watch for week one okay and the first one is Nico I I don't even know I still don't know how to pronounce his last name iava Lea that's that's the best shot I'm gonna give it and he started one game last year he started the bowl game and just torched Iowa but that's cuz Iowa was playing backups and I think he's going to have a Hu a really big freshman season at Tennesse number three for me and again it's another Buckeye but this kid's been getting talked about in in Fall Camp during during the Spring Game and he was even getting I watched the Ohio State spring game and he was getting double covered that's because the DBS at Ohio State know how good he's going to be it's Jeremiah Smith and I think and this is not a bull prediction I just think it it to me it's a spoiler I think he's gonna go for over a thousand yards this year and have at least seven or eight touchdowns my number two freshman to watch it it's it's a position group it is the CL freshman wide receivers Clemson is with developing wide receivers they're really good developing receivers DeAndre Hopkins uh Hunter Renfro Adam Humphries I think Adam humre went to Clemson no I'm not sure I know Hopkins didn't but the Freshman receivers for Clemson and number one is combo it's Lenor sers from South Carolina and Dylan rayola from Nebraska and stellers did not play last year I think he's GNA be a lethal dual threat quarterback for South Carolina this year and in Rola I think he's going to probably win freshman of the year in the Big 10 if it's not Jeremiah Smith it's gonna be one of those two and now we get to players to watch for week one and I'll let you go first again okay I have three that I picked Alec um I'll start with three and go back to one I I I I am not drinking the Kool-Aid in Colorado but I gotta put Travis Hunter up there because he has been a dual threat um type of player since he came into the came since he went to col Colorado playing receiver and cornerback uh for Coach Prime um so he's definitely got to be a guy to watching week one um and back to Clemson I'm curious to see how they do against Georgia because that's who they open up against so let's going to be interesting to see how that freshman class opens up against uh the Georgia Bulldogs uh number two would be Ashton gentley at a Boise State here's another school too who doesn't get a lot of hype but like Alec mentioned men earlier in the show they could be a playoff team this year because of the conference that they play in and they win that that that program beat Oklahoma we all remember the famous Statue of Liberty play we all remember that upset that no one predicted um and again they play on Blue Turf so how cool is that that's cool that's just cool on that but Aston gentley um they you know they have two power conference uh games that they're going to be playing Kansas and California I'm not going to say they're going to win both those games but I think they'll win at least one of those games this year because I think that that that would be huge for that program hands down and then I gotta be an SEC biased I gotta go with Carson Beck the quarterback at Georgia when you you have big shoes to fill he's done that and again we all know how much Georgia is hated and other than one person today on college game day did not pick them to win the national championship Alec told me I didn't get a chance to watch it because I had a late night I was at the movies last night had a late night but um the other person picked Oregon but yeah I mean he's got the wheels to the car I mean or I'm sorry the keys to the car excuse me um he's got one of the top you know quarterback jobs in the country and it's Georgia so look for Georgia again to be in the college football playoff and I don't know if they'll win a National Championship but they'll they got to be they'll probably be in the final four when it comes down to it okay my three players to watch number and I'm gonna go the same way I'm Gonna Go reverse three to one number three for me is the Ohio state offensive line because they did what Colorado did they re shuffled their offensive line they got a couple they got Scott mlin from Alabama and and Alabama fans were complaining to me oh Scot Scott mcgloin's going to be terrible he doesn't know how to be play center and snap the ball correctly um and then they got I mean Donovan Jackson's back but they're gonna have a couple new starters I would be interested to see I mean I know akan is horrible but I would imagine they're going to try try to pressure will Howard and see if Ohio State's new look offensive line can hold up so that's by number three number two and this guy's last name might sound familiar because his brother at one point played for the Buccaneers Miami Ohio quarterback Brett gabt he started last year but got injured halfway through the year and somehow Miami Ohio like I predicted in the preseason last year somehow still won the mac and I think of course I think they're going to win it again this year and I think he's gonna be a big reason they win the M he am my number one player to watch in week one and I know we just saw a little we got a little a little taste of it today is DJ iang at Florida State I want to see if he can prove all of his I'm not gonna say haters I'm just gonna say doubters I want to see if he can prove all of his doubters wrong and show that he can be a really good college quarterback and actually be productive and now we get to my co the coaches we think might get fired and again I'll let you go first I went I I found um the ones Bud that have these are the odds I went on and looked at the odds um but I'm not going to go down the whole list uh we talked about bil apier I think if the Gators get off to a slow start if they don't like I said the first five games if they don't win three of those because that schedule at the end of the year is a nightmare um if they don't get to six wins I think if if they get to five he keeps his job if they finish under five four or less he gets fired and again he wasn't put under the greatest circumstances at Florida um and the Gators are you know I'm not going to say years away from being competitive again but they're far far away from being the this this the wheel in the State of Florida goes around with the big three with FSU Florida and Miami right now it's at FSU because they you know they were supposed to be a college football playoff team last year and got outed there at the End by the committee um but right now the wheel is in the power is in FSU until otherwise proven and even if they lost today it doesn't mean that they're not going to win the ACC they can still bounce back and Mike norell is too good of a head coach being that he was at Memphis and then he left Memphis to go to FSU and you know us Po's fans were happy that he left Memphis because Memphis was the was the big one um the other two that I'm going to take um is Sam Pitman I think he's got the hottest seat of anyone in college football even more than Billy Napier because Arkansas is now you know they're going to renew their rivalry with Texas which I didn't even know there was a rivalry until I was told by a Longhorns fan that back in the day Arkansas was a rival for them I didn't know that but they're a rival team interesting I didn't know that either yeah I didn't I I I'm good friends with with two or three Longhorn fans and they said when Texas is coming into the SEC and I'm like well good I said you'll still have Oklahoma and you'll get to mix it up with Georgia Florida Tennessee he's like what about Arkansas and I'm like what about Arkansas they're like that's a rival I go you guys had a rivalry with Arkansas I I did not know that and I talked about him on Thursday and I'm going to mention him again and that's Mario crystal ball in Miami if he has another season like Miami had last year and I'm going to predict they're going to lose to USF in week four at Raymond James Stadium he's going to get fired too so those are my three as far as a coach is getting fired okay I got three and it's three completely different ones number three for me is Mike new at Ball State okay and we've seen their record the last two years and I think if they have another bad year I think he's going to be out the door and gone because they're in the mac and over recent years I remember Ball State being somewhat decent in the mac and being competitive it just seems like the last two years they have been ad dorat everybody goes in to play them and they just they whether it's Mi Ohio whether it's Toledo whether it's Ohio they go in there to play Ball State and say oh this this is an easy game we're going to put up 60 so Mike news number three number two and we talked about him on Thursday Scott safield Cincinnati I think if they like Napier if Cincinnati and Scott Centerfield if they get off to a slow start this year which I have them getting upset by Miami Ohio and I think it's week three it's either week two or week three I think they lose to Miami Ohio again and I think after that game if they lose to Miami if they lose to Miami Ohio for the second straight year I think saterfield gets told here here's your here's your ticket you're gone go find a new job somewhere and then number one and this is the Big 10 nothing nothing but love for Illinois but I'm sorry Brett BMA should not be coaching at Illinois anymore and I think if they get off to like I mentioned about the other two if they get up to a slow start I think Brett BMA gets canned and they have to find a new coach and then we're GNA wrap up the show by giving our thoughts on the Florida state Georgia Tech game you I I see your face I'll let you go first well I like I said I I I mentioned um on Thursday that and actually my show on Thursday night after I I got off here with Alec I had I have a show that was uh an hour after we got off the air at 7 pm Eastern Standard Time and I said that I said on my show I said I'm gonna go I'm gonna take Georgia Tech the points and the I think it was under I don't I don't I think that was like 50 points I don't remember what the over over under was for the for the game today but I also said on the show on Thursday that I thought one of the teams that was going to take a step back was FSU because yes DJ is taking over it's like if you remember when payt Manning left the Colts and you had Andrew Luck coming in or someone taking over for Tom Brady you have big shoes to fill and in Tallahassee because of what they did a year ago and what I know from I have some friends that are seminal fans and again I'm part of seminal groups on Facebook why I have no idea because I'm a Gator fan but I like to get the Insight on everyone else's thoughts on on on a lot of things so um I had a friend of mine last year who ringed me out on the phone about them not making the college football playoff and today you saw what happened they they took a step back today Georgia Tech again as mentioned the other day they're like the mosquito that just will not go away and they I remember the first year I covered USF they were playing us here at Raymond James Stadium and they back in the day I think used to run the triple option offense the only team that I can aware of that so does that je with Jeff Sims yeah uh is I think Army is the only one I think that still runs that offense I could be wrong no Navy does too okay Navy okay so the okay and they're both in the American because Army the American last year so and the Army Navy game won't be a conference game by the way in case everyone is wondering the first year that's not a conference game it's still just the game that it always has been the I don't ever Miss watching that game but anyway to get talk to get back on topic with the FSU game I'm not surprised and then again they only put up 21 points but again guys it's it's early and I hate to say this but FSU is going to find their way to get to the ACC and when they play Clemson and they play Miami and if they do this against those two teams then you've got something to worry about but right now they had to go all the way to Ireland and play Georgia Tech I'm happy that FSU lost but again at the end of the day Georgia Tech was the better football team and they deserved to win the game okay now I'll chy in with my thoughts I everything you said was spot on I agree and Florida State just had a I think it's the end of the first half they had a play where it was like third and six third and seven and they threw and they did a QB draw well Z QB Zone Reed where the QB had the option of handing it off to the running back or running it and he decided to run and he got maybe two yards and I was standing next to the bartender that I work with and we both looked at each other like was a stupid play and the Georgia Tech I'm gonna say this Georgia Tech looks like they might be a serious sleeper slash threat in the ACC the I know it's early like you said but I I see some similarities to people were down Boston College last year saying Boston College is going to be horrible and and they almost lost the Holy Cross and what happened after the holy cross game they put Thomas castalanos in a quarterback and they ended up winning a lot of games not saying that's gonna happen with Hayden King and Georgia Tech that he's gonna get replaced but I think this is a building block for Georgia Tech for the rest of the season now they still got a play I think they played Clemson I know they play Virginia Tech and Virginia Tech i' watched film from their spring game Georgia Virginia Tech looks like the real deal and they're my pick to win the ACC which I I got some comments and the when I did my ACC and I picked Virginia Tech to win they're like what people are like what are you talking about it's going to be Florida State or Clemson Clemson to me's falling off but that's something we can talk about future episode but I think that and I usually do this at the end of the podcast i h i give out my social like my Twitter to people and tell them to go follow because I post stuff on there from time to time so if you haven't already go follow my Twitter it is CF Bap 2024 I will be posting stuff about the college football during college football season on there and if Bradley if you have a social media account you want people to go follow yeah I have a Twitter X handle you can follow me at Brad Walker 3083 um I post a lot of all my articles get posted to that that Twitter page so if you want to go read and again guys I'm not a professional writer I get nitpick that I sound like a freaking amateur I am an amateur I don't get paid to write guys I do it for a hobby and I enjoy it I get credentials to USF and the Rays so you can follow me on there uh it's Brad Walker 3083 and you can read my articles and yeah send me a message send me a DM and and we'll have a conversation same with me send me a DM and and message and we'll have a conversation it could be about college football it could be about why you think one of us is wrong with our buold predictions or ranking conferences or freshman to watch or coaches that are going to get fired maybe but for the fourth and long podcast for Bradley and Alec we are signing off we will see y'all next week on Monday have a good one Bradley you too Al thanks man you're welcome