In less than 24 hours, college football is officially back. Over the next 16 weeks, teams across the country will battle fiercely for a coveted spot in the elite “In Crowd” that is the College Football Playoff. But as always, the journey will be filled with unexpected twists and turns that will keep us all on the edge of our seats.
As we step into Year 2 of the 12-team CFP format, what can we anticipate? Last season, the 5 highest-ranked team conference champions, along with the next 7 highest-ranked at-large teams, made it to the Playoff. This year, however, there is a twist: The 4 highest-ranked teams will earn first-round byes regardless of whether or not they won a conference title. The remaining 8 teams will clash in first-round match-ups on college campuses.
Ahead of the new season, ESPN gathered all of its college football analysts and asked them to provide their predictions for who will crack the second 12-team field.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly — creator of the SP+ model — has 4 teams from the SEC making his field. Below, you can find his 12-team projection:
- Penn State
- Alabama
- Texas
- Ohio State
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Texas A&M
- Clemson
- Oregon
- Boise State
- Miami
- Kansas State
No. 17 Kansas State will be the first team on the list to start its chase. The Wildcats will face No. 22 Iowa State on Saturday, Aug. 22, from Dublin at AVIVA Stadium. The Wildcats are favored by 3 points, according to the latest betting odds from BetMGM.
Lee Ann joins the Saturday Down South team, bringing over fifteen years of experience covering the SEC as both a sports journalist and football scout. With her keen eye for talent, she has also flexes her skills as the Director of Recruiting for the Rebel Walk( Ole Miss) Herring, is a staff writer at USA Today Sports Wildcats Wire, where she dives into the thrilling world of Kentucky football and basketball. When fall rolls around, you can catch her on air as an analyst for the Wake up 502 College Football Show on Big X Sports Radio 96.1 FM—because who doesn't love a good game day chat? A proud Brown University alum, Lee Ann balances her time between the sidelines and press box with her passion for coaching her boys' youth lacrosse and savoring a fine glass of bourbon alongside a good cigar. So, whether she's dissecting plays or rallying the next generation of athletes, Lee Ann is your spirited insider ready to tackle all things SEC!
