5 BOLD Predictions for the 2016 College Football Season

College Football is finally here! The long summer drought of sports is officially over, and fall rushes in a new, exciting season of college football. Every season there are upsets, heartbreaks, unexpected teams that rise and fall, so at the start of the season I've decided to offer 5 bold predictions for the year.

Prediction #1: Alabama will NOT make the playoffs. 

I know, this may seem a little absurd, Bama is after all a dynasty. Nick Saban may quite possibly go down as the greatest college football coach of all time. 4 national titles in the past 6 years speaks for itself. I am not knocking on how dominant this football program is. I just believe there are a lot of great contenders for the title this year, and odds are something will go wrong with them. Even as soon as week 1 against USC, I sense an upset. I predict a 5th or 6th place finish for the Crimson Tide.

Prediction #2: Texas will finish in the top 25.

There were signs of promise last year. Handing Oklahoma their only loss before the postseason was definitely a highlight. However their 1-4 start before that game emphasized their inconsistencies over the past few years. I believe this year will be different. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they're all of a sudden going to be the 2009 Longhorns, but Texas will finally bounce back from their steep slide over this past half decade. And it's all going to start with an upset win over Notre Dame on Sunday.




Prediction #3: Nick Chubb will finish above Leonard Fournette in Heisman voting.
Fournette seems like a a top 2 or 3 candidate for the Heisman going into the season. He nearly rushed for 2000 yards as a Sophomore last year, and he seemed unstoppable in the first half of the season. I think Chubb is going to have the better year though. In the year and a half that Chubb played, he averaged more yards per carry than Fournette. Fournette also failed to show up in pivotal games against Bama and Arkansas last year. Chubb fortunately may not have to face a defense like Bama this year, and he'll be the more consistent force.


Prediction #4: TCU will play in the National title game.
This is it. This will be the Horned Frogs year. 2016 will be their redemption from the 2014 season, when many believe they were snubbed from the inaugural playoffs. Their only blemish came from a 3 point loss to Baylor, which ultimately cost them a nod to play for the championship. The Horned Frogs will win the Big 12 and with dominant performances, it will be nearly impossible to grant them a top 4 finish. They will win their first game in the semis and play for the title.




Prediction #5: BYU QB Taysom Hill will be the 2nd player ever to notch 4000yds passing and 1000yds rushing.

We saw history last year, as Deshaun Watson put together a very strong argument as a Heisman candidate. We are going to see those sort of numbers again this year, and Hill is going to do it. Not many people in the national media are putting much into Taysom this year. He played all of one game last year, and as a 5 (or 6) year Senior, he's only had one full season without any injuries. His track record is alarming, but if healthy, Taysom is going to be DOMINANT. In his full season in 2013, Hill actually rushed for more yards than Watson's impressive run last year. The Cougar also threw for nearly 3000 yards that season. Under a new coaching staff, and with former Heisman Ty Detmer as offensive coordinator, Taysom is going to play with a more pro-style offense. All offseason BYU coaches have been praising him for his passing ability. He'll throw for more than 4000 yards, and he's bound to have some highlight-reel scrambles because of the freak athlete that he is.

Happy MLK Day!

What a great time to be alive. It's been nearly 53 years since Martin Luther King Jr's infamous "I Have a Dream Speech." Since then we as a nation have experienced enormous leaps toward equality and justice. 

You may have seen NBA players such as Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan, and others comment on the significance and impact that King has made in our lives. A prominent part in many major sports today is the African American community. There are a bounty of opportunities for all because of King’s courageous legacy.

 I hope you enjoy your time off work today and are able to reflect on the blessing it is to have men like MLK. Also, while you relax today, there are some great opportunities to watch sports! The NBA has done a great job of honoring MLK and there is a fantastic slate of games today (highlighted by the finals rematch): http://espn.go.com/nba/schedule

 In honor of MLK, here’s a look at top NBA moments on MLK day from the past decade:

Jan 19, 2015 http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400578907

The Warriors rout the Nuggets 122-79 in what ends up being the season’s most lopsided win. This was right around the time the Warriors started hitting their stride in route to the national title (however, nearly a year later Denver would get their revenge as they recently handed Golden State their third loss of the season).

Jan 17, 2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci6iXiXFJIQ

Blake Griffin notches his career high in points at 47 (this record still stands today).

Jan 22, 2008 http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280121014

Dwayne Wade puts on a show with 42 points, but Lebron ends up getting his first ever victory in Miami. While Miami was in a huge funk at the time, Wade’s performance must’ve been enough to convince Bron to join his side 2 years later.

Jan 16, 2007 http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=270115029

Stoudemire’s season high 42 lead the Suns past the Grizzlies in a shoot-out (When was the last time we heard grizzlies and shoot-out in the same sentence).

BONUS: Today, Jan 18, 2016 Kemba Walker goes OFF with a franchise record, 52 to seal a win in a double overtime thriller against Utah.