BoiseStateFan's 2017 College Football Predictions/Preview Thread

Preview: It was crazy to think about how close Colorado came to a national title appearance in 2001 (I'm only saying appearance, no one would have beaten that Miami team) only for the program to begin to regress and after 2005 this program just became completely lost. Colorado struggled so much they became a bottom feeder in the Big 12 (as Kansas actually became solid for a while under Fatman Mangino's watch) and then a bottom feeder in the Pac-12 once they moved there. Mike MacIntyre took on this very difficult rebuilding job, and 3 years in it was mostly very rough seasons but in year 3 there were signs of progress derailed by injuries. Still, no one could have predicted what last year had in store, finally everything clicked. Now what does MacIntyre have for an encore?

Last year Colorado was noticeably better immediately, they absolutely destroyed their rivals Colorado State in the opener, and Colorado State ended up having a solid team, then Colorado blew out Idaho State. Colorado then served noticed as they stormed off to a 21-7 lead against Michigan on the road, but they were derailed by a QB injury and special teams miscues. Colorado did recover to take down Oregon on the road in a shootout and then they blew out Oregon State. Colorado lost a close 21-17 battle on the road against USC that seemed troublesome at the time, but more impressive now that we know USC was surging at the time. Colorado blew out Arizona State, had a fantastic defensive performance in a 10-5 road win over Stanford, and again the defense played well in a win over UCLA. Colorado blew out Arizona and dominated Washington State in a big game before outlasting Utah to cap a 6 game win streak. That win streak ended in the Pac-12 championship as Washington destroyed Colorado, Colorado suffered another destruction in their bowl against Oklahoma State.

Colorado was mostly strong offensively, only having some issues on occasion. QB Sefo Liufau is gone but backup Steven Montez got a lot of experience as a freshman last year due to Liufau suffering multiple injuries throughout the year. What we see out of him will be interesting, he was not at all ready to take on a Michigan defense on quick notice and was terrible, he played well once he had a chance to prepare against Oregon, Oregon State and USC but also struggled coming in and out of blowout losses against Washington and Oklahoma State. RB Phillip Lindsay is very good and returns this year, he played very well and gained good yardage when the line protected him well but Colorado could really use a solid backup this year. Colorado has one of the best receiving corps in the country, WR Bryce Bobo and slot receivers Devin Ross and Jay McIntyre are all very reliable and they return, so does the big play receiver in Shay Fields, some backups have proven they can play well when they sub in too. Colorado's offensive line struggled due to shuffling and injuries but bringing 4 starters back is definitely a plus.

Colorado's defense played a huge part in last year's surge. It was an excellent defense, and now it will look a little different this year. For one Jim Leavitt is now at Oregon, two there is a lot of experience gone. It all starts on the defensive line where all 3 starters who all played well are gone, it was a small rotation so there's not much experience up front. Colorado had 4 really good linebackers but now 3 of the 4 are gone, Ricky Galboa is the one returnee and he was a steady starter last year, Derek McCartney had 11.5 TFL in 2015 before missing last year, there's not much experience outside of those two though. Colorado's secondary was one of the best in the nation last year and it was led by a very strong and talented trio of Chidobe Awuzie, Ahkello Witherspoon and Tedric Thompson, all 3 were so good they went in the top half of the NFL draft this year, which of course means that Colorado has some big voids to fill. Safety Afolabi Laguda is the one returning starter, Ryan Moeller and Isaiah Oliver have some playing time, sophomore corner Anthony Julmisse and Community college transfer safety Dante Wigley were both impressive in the spring.

Colorado doesn't have the worst schedule compared to others in this league. The only non-conference challenge is their annual rivalry game with Colorado State as Texas State and Northern Colorado should be easier games. Colorado does have the misfortune of playing both Washington schools, but they also get Oregon State and Cal from the North. Certainly I don't see a repeat of last year happening, but don't expect Colorado to drop right back to the bottom of the Pac-12 either.

Predictions:

Sep. 1 Colorado State (Denver): Certainly this game will be closer than last year's game, but Colorado will still win. W
Sep. 9 Texas State: Colorado wins this in a blowout. W
Sep. 16 Northern Colorado: W
Sep. 23 Washington: Colorado will struggle to stop Washington's amazing offense in this game. L
Sep. 30 @ UCLA: This game ends up being a back and forth battle, with UCLA barely taking it. L
Oct. 7 Arizona: Colorado does roll past Arizona rather easily. W
Oct. 14 @ Oregon State: This ends up being a close game that goes back and forth, Oregon State just barely outscores Colorado. L
Oct. 21 @ Washington State: Colorado likely loses this one, Washington State has a very tough team this year. L
Oct. 28 California: Colorado blows out California. W
Nov. 4 @ Arizona State: Colorado's passing game absolutely torches Arizona State. W
Nov. 11 USC: Colorado likely won't be good enough to be a team like USC. L
Nov. 25 @ Utah: This ends up being a close back and forth game with Utah grinding out the win. L

Predictions: 6-6(3-6)

Preview: The mighty sure can fall fast can't they? Just a little over 2 years ago Oregon made the inaugural college football playoff and in the first game in college football playoff history Oregon absolutely destroyed Jameis Winston and Florida State. They would end up being dominated by Ohio State in the national championship, but two years later and the coach that led that championship run Mark Helfrich was fired...life comes at you fast. Of course dig into it deeper and it was apparent that Oregon was falling apart as soon as his recruits came into play. Now Willie Taggert a coach who was struggling mightily at one point until a major change in principle turned him into a coach that fits well here. Now we'll see what Oregon has in store for Taggert's first season.

Last year started with Oregon blowing out UC Davis and Virginia, while the blowouts were nice, the points given up in both games where a sign of things to come. Oregon lost to Nebraska on the road 35-32 in a game where Helfrich went for 2 after every touchdown and only converted one, you can do the math to see what cost Oregon this game. Then Oregon was outscored by Colorado and things got worse as they were blown out by Washington State. Still Oregon had hopes of dashing rival Washington's dreams once again, well that certainly didn't happen...Oregon at home was absolutely humiliated by Washington by a score of 70-21. Oregon then lost a double overtime shootout to Cal. Finally Oregon got another win as they blew out Arizona State, but returned to their struggles in blowout losses to USC and Stanford. Oregon seemingly out of nowhere managed to upset Utah on the road before suffering a disappointing loss to their rivals Oregon State to end the year.

Oregon still had a good offense like always last year, but it wasn't quite up to the level of Oregon offenses in the past. QB Justin Herbert was a freshman last year but took over as the starter 5 games in and definitely had some growing pains (as most freshmen do) but threw an unfreshmanlike 4 picks compared to 19 touchdowns, he looks to be a promising part of this offense. RB Royce Freeman returns after getting hurt for the year early last year, he is incredibly talented so Oregon is lucky to have him back. Tony Brooks-James looked good when he stepped in for Freeman, there's also Taj Griffin who has occasionally flashed potential but hasn't developed into anything yet. Oregon loses one of their top receivers as Darren Carrington II was dismissed a few weeks ago, there is one top receiver back though in Charles Nelson, there's not a lot of experience behind him though. The good news is the offensive line had an incredible amount of freshmen playing last year, and the line was solid in spite of that, now that means there's a lot of depth and experience back.

Oregon's defense was a completely different story though, their defense was awful and practically hopeless as they had one of the worst defenses in college football. Jim Leavitt was brought over from Colorado, which should be good for the future for now he needs to get the pieces into place. Oregon simply didn't have the pieces up front, after years of having ridiculous athletes like DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead up front there was no one even close to that last year. Highly sought after grad transfer defensive tackle Scott Pagano from Clemson should provide a boost to this unit and there's a chance 335 pound freshman Jordon Scott could make an impact to add some heft to this unit. Troy Dye was by far the best player on this defense last year, he led the team in tackles and also had 13 TFL and 6.5 sacks and also he was only a freshman last year, outside linebacker Justin Hollins was a sophomore last year and had 9.5 TFL. A lot of the secondary was led by freshmen and sophomores, this unit did struggle but at least it was young and could improve. Sophomore Brenden Schooler looks especially promising as he had 4 picks last year, also was the leading tackler in the secondary.

Oregon's schedule features a big non-conference home game against Nebraska and a tricky road game against Wyoming, they also play Southern Utah. Oregon gets a very nice draw from the South division as they get both Arizona schools, UCLA and Utah. Oregon's offense will help keep them in a lot of games, but that defense is not a one year fix and it will prevent Oregon from competing with the top teams in the Pac-12.

Predictions:

Sep. 2 Southern Utah: Oregon should be able to beat Southern Utah with relative ease. W
Sep. 9 Nebraska: This game is a toss up for me, I'm going with Oregon because they have a lot more players returning this year. W
Sep. 16 @ Wyoming: Potential upset chance here, Wyoming tests Oregon but the Ducks escape with a win. W
Sep. 23 @ Arizona State: Oregon has absolutely owned Arizona State, can't see that changing. W
Sep. 30 California: Oregon will likely win this one, Cal will struggle to stop their run game. W
Oct. 7 Washington State: The fun start ends here though, Oregon once again struggles defensively against the Cougars while Washington State's defense will be capable of getting enough stops against Oregon. L
Oct. 14 @ Stanford: Stanford is another team who's defense will be able to make stops on the Ducks offense, while Stanford runs the ball successfully to win. L
Oct. 21 @ UCLA: Oregon hasn't lost to UCLA since a late season collapse in 2007, granted Oregon dodged UCLA while they struggled last year. Still I'm going with Oregon. W
Oct. 28 Utah: The road team has won the past 3 meetings between these two, Utah's strong defense should get enough stops to keep that going. L
Nov. 4 @ Washington: Without a doubt Washington is still keeping an eye on the Oregon game, expect them to be well prepared and beat Oregon again. L
Nov. 18 Arizona: W
Nov. 24 Oregon State: Oregon gets revenge on their rival for last year. W

Predicted Record: 8-4(5-4)

WizardHawk said:

Wow. 2-10? Damn.

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How does ASU continue to suck at football? They should be able to steal plenty of players from California and Texas, Scottsdale is pretty rad, and there is no shortage of stupid, hot white chicks.

BoiseStateFan27 said:

Predicted Record: 8-4(5-4)

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#DO8-4

ckhokie said:

#DO8-4

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LOL! I know this has to be from ODs latest thread

Preview: Oregon State is perhaps the toughest job in the Pac-12, they aren't in a state that has a lot of talent and they happen to be a Nike school that is a rival of Nike's school. Despite this Oregon State has been capable of bringing in good coaches and those coaches have found ways to occasionally have success here. Mike Riley had success in spurts but also went through some big collapses, it's hard to believe the last spurt of success was back in 2012. It fell apart fast and to make it worse Riley left for Nebraska, still Oregon State pulled off a coup bringing Gary Andersen in. Andersen had a reset year and now seems to be making progress, will that continue this year?

Last year started off with immediate improvement, Oregon State managed to hang with Minnesota throughout in a close loss and then they easily beat Idaho State. Then against Boise State they got destroyed in the first half and trailed 31-7 before Oregon State completely dominated the 2nd half and nearly came all the way back but a late pick 6 doomed them in a 38-24 loss. Oregon State got completely destroyed by Colorado before rebounding to beat Cal in a shootout. Oregon State had 2 QBs get hurt, missed 2 field goals, fumbled deep in their own territory and gave up a safety in a 19-14 loss to Utah. Oregon State was blown out by Washington, and led Washington State 24-6 at halftime before a 3rd quarter collapse doomed them. Oregon State took a respectable 26-15 loss to Stanford and then lost to UCLA. Oregon State ended the year strong with a blowout win over Arizona and for the first time since 2007 they finally beat Oregon.

Oregon State's offense definitely progressed as the year went on, and it looks promising for this year. Losing 2 QBs to injury wasn't good but Marcus McMaryion played well for a sophomore, he struggled at times but was excellent in others. Jake Luton transferred in from a community college, and he seems to have the size and the arm. Luton actually originally was on Idaho in 2015 and threw 4 picks in 78 passes for them. Luton did seize the starting job and McMaryion transferred as a result. The running game is the highlight of this team though. RB Ryan Nall emerged as a star last year, he did deal with some leg injuries that hurt his productivity at times, but it did allow for sophomore Artavis Pierce to show his worth. Oregon State adds even more to the stable with Oregon transfer Thomas Tyner who has a lot of talent and impressed when he played but actually retired because of injury issues, being part of this committee should help reduce the wear and tear. If that's not enough there's also TCU grad transfer Trevorris Johnson who showed promise in limited action too. Oregon State should be improved at receiver. Jordan Villamin disappointed last year but he returns and could rebound. Seth Collins a converted QB was ill and didn't play late last year but did return to the team last month so he is back, tight end Noah Togali returns after missing most of last year with an injury and freshman Isaiah Hodgins looked promising in spring practice. The offensive line last year dealt with a lot of injuries and overall just was shuffled around a lot, as a result 3 starters are gone but 7 experienced linemen return.

Oregon State's defense was overall improved last year although they struggled mightily against the run. The defensive line struggled last year but at least it will have experience as almost everyone that played returns and JUCO transfer Craig Evans is 330 pounds so he could perhaps add some heft up front. The linebackers as you often see with a Gary Andersen team were very good, this was a deep and talented unit, a good linebacker in Caleb Saulo is gone but almost everyone else who played returns. Bright Ugwoebu proved to be a good playmaker as he had 11 TFL and 5.5 sacks in only 9 games. The secondary was quite strong last year but now they must replace two solid players in Treston Decoud and Devin Chappell, most likely a freshman or sophomore will end up having to step up.

Oregon State's schedule is pretty rough as they aren't a lot of breaks. They open with Colorado State in "week 0" on the road, they do get an easier game against Portland State and round out the non-conference against Minnesota. There is a brutal 5 game stretch to start Pac-12 play as Oregon State faces both Washington teams, USC, Colorado and Stanford. That stretch is where the week 0 game benefits them as Oregon State does get two bye weeks during that stretch to soften the blow. Playing both Arizona schools from the South also helps. It won't be easy but Andersen is building something here, Oregon State seems to have enough pieces to be able to make a bowl this year.

Predictions:

Aug. 26 @ Colorado State: Colorado State looks like a team that will also be improved this year, this game is a bit of a toss-up but I will go with Colorado State taking it. L
Sep. 2 Portland State: Oregon State should win this game easily. W
Sep. 9 Minnesota: This game is another toss-up, but I think Oregon State can do well enough with their ground game to beat Minnesota in a battle of water-logged rodents, seriously can these two play each other more often? They seem made for each other. W
Sep. 16 @ Washington State: Oregon State could force Washington State to run more than they'd like, but Washington State would likely still win anyway. L
Sep. 30 Washington: Having a bye week prior is nice, but Washington will likely win this game easily. L
Oct. 7 @ USC: This is another rough one, likely a blowout loss. L
Oct. 14 Colorado: Oregon State does get to show their improvement as they run well against Colorado to beat them in a shootout. W
Oct. 26 Stanford: Stanford is likely to be able to control the game with their rushing attack, Oregon State also will struggle against Stanford's defense. L
Nov. 4 @ California: Oregon State easily wins this game. W
Nov. 11 @ Arizona: This game turns out to be a bit of a challenge but Oregon State still wins. W
Nov. 18 Arizona State: Oregon State will have more than enough runs get past the linebackers and into the weak secondary to win. W
Nov. 24 @ Oregon: This game will be a shootout but Oregon gets revenge on Oregon State for last year. L

Predicted Record: 6-6(4-5)

Preview: It's hard to not be impressed with the job David Shaw has done at Stanford. Exactly one decade ago Stanford was an absolutely pathetic football program, they were pretty much the doormat of the Pac-12. They had just hired some guy named Jim Harbaugh to be their head coach and in his first year Stanford pulled the biggest point spread upset in NCAA history when they upset USC. From there Harbaugh made Stanford solid before bolting for the NFL. Taking over was David Shaw, it seemed like a sensible hire he seemed like the right guy to maintain some success with Harbaugh's players and then Stanford would fade to mediocrity but still be better than before. That didn't happen Shaw started winning conference titles, New Year's 6 bowls and entering his 7th year Stanford is still a consistent power. They haven't won a championship or made the playoff under his watch yet, but Stanford is automatically a contender for the Pac-12 title every year now.

Last year started off pretty well, Stanford used some big plays to beat Kansas State and USC, but then struggled against UCLA before pulling off the win late, still Stanford seemed like a very good team entering a showdown against Washington. Washington ended up using Stanford to make a statement as Stanford got destroyed 44-6, and perhaps more surprisingly Stanford was blown out at home by Washington State the following week. Stanford had to make a comeback from down 10-0 to beat a struggling Notre Dame and then lost a 10-5 defensive game against Colorado. Stanford did beat Arizona and Oregon State, but finally hit their stride in wins over Oregon, Cal and Rice late in the year. Stanford survived a QB injury to beat North Carolina in their bowl game.

Stanford's offense definitely had its ups and downs, they started out solid, fell apart and struggled to go anywhere and then surged late in the year against easier competition. QB Ryan Burns was the starter early in the year and started out ok but as soon as defenses had film on him he proved to be ineffective, Keller Chryst who entered Stanford as a highly touted recruit took over the starting job and Stanford improved. Chryst tore some ligaments in his knee in the bowl game, and it's questionable at this point if he will be ready for the start of the season. Burns or freshman K.J. Costello may end up having to start in his place. Stanford loses all-everything RB Christian McCaffrey and they used him a lot last year even when he was playing while injured. Good news is in limited action RB Bryce Love has shown that he is a good running back, his first start was in the bowl game and he had a great performance that basically allowed Stanford to win that game. At receiver junior JJ Arcega-Whiteside hit a stride late in the year when Chryst became the starter, and Trenton Irwin is a solid option himself, TE Dalton Schultz looks to be the latest in line of good Stanford tight ends. Stanford's offensive line took a little bit of time to jell last year, injuries and shuffling didn't help but now 4 of 5 starters return and you can expect another strong Stanford offensive line.

Stanford uncharacteristically struggled on defense in 2015, but last year they quickly rebounded and now they have their sights set on being one of the nation's best. The defensive line only loses one starter but it's a big one. Solomon Thomas was one of the best defensive ends in the country and was the 3rd overall pick in the draft as a result, most everyone else is back but now they have to perform without Thomas to distract the opposing offense. Stanford has one of the most talented and loaded linebacker units in the country, seniors Joey Alfieri and Bobby Okereke both look like they're in for a really big year. Stanford loses a few starters from the secondary but this should still be a very good group, there's a strong corner duo in Alameen Murphy and Quenton Meeks and safety Justin Reid is good, backup safeties Ben Edwards and Brandon Simmons looked solid in backup roles last year so they're ready to step up.

Stanford definitely won't have it easy schedule wise. They open by playing Rice in "week 0" in Australia, and they also have a non-conference road game against San Diego State (what's with Pac-12 teams playing openers in Australia and later having road games against San Diego State?) and of course their annual matchup against Notre Dame. Conference play won't be easy as Stanford draws both USC and Utah from the South and plays both on the road, they also get Arizona State and UCLA. Another benefit is they get Washington at home which is big for the conference title race. Stanford's not the favorite to win the Pac-12 this year, but if someone other than USC or Washington wins it, that team will most certainly be Stanford.

Predictions:

Aug 26 Rice (Australia): One of the weirdest neutral site games ever, oh well at least it helped lead to football 5 days earlier. W
Sep. 9 @ USC: The health of Chryst definitely concerns me, at this point I'm pretty sure if he is able to comeback this would be his first game back and USC is not the team you want to face, I think USC takes this. L
Sep. 16 @ San Diego State: San Diego State runs a very similar style to Stanford, except Stanford has more talent. W
Sep. 23 UCLA: Stanford has not lost to UCLA since 2008. W
Sep. 30 Arizona State: Stanford should easily win this game. W
Oct. 7 @ Utah: Stanford likely struggles in this game but barely survives to win it. W
Oct. 14 Oregon: Stanford will likely beat Oregon rather easily. W
Oct. 26 @ Oregon State: Stanford also rolls in this game. W
Nov. 4 @ Washington State: Upset! Washington State ends up upsetting Stanford who's looking ahead to a huge divisional matchup. L
Nov. 10 Washington: Upset! Other way around this time, unlike last year this ends up being a very tight game and Stanford just barely manages to pull off the upset, which also keeps their conference title hopes alive. W
Nov. 18 California: Stanford has beaten Cal every year since 2009, that continues. W
Nov. 25 Notre Dame: Stanford's defense comes up big as they beat Notre Dame. W

Predicted Record: 10-2(7-2)

I think most beavs would be happy or at least content with 6-6, but swap out one of your W's for that duck game to make sure they are on board.

Preview: UCLA seemed like they found themselves a good situation when they hired Jim Mora Jr. Mora found instant success and immediately started recruiting well. UCLA was taking advantage of USC's struggles with sanctions and being stuck with Lane Kiffin as the head coach. Mora won a few division titles, but also lost a few games that took UCLA out of some they should have won. It seemed like he could never get over the hump. 2015 looked promising but UCLA faded late in the year and then last year UCLA plummeted....things can really collapse quickly. Now the question is does Mora have a rebound in him? He needs it this year, and the bad news is in the opener since the Texas A&M opener curse seems to be a real thing.

Last year UCLA was the victim of being the team to open with Texas A&M, like Rice in 2013 is the last team to open with Texas A&M and surpass 6 wins. UCLA then struggled a little bit with UNLV only leading 28-21 in the 4th quarter before pulling away. UCLA beat BYU in a 3 point game, then led a lot of the game against Stanford before Stanford made a late comeback. UCLA did blow out Arizona but things turned south as they lost Josh Rosen in a messy loss to Arizona State. They did keep it close in a loss to Washington State, and then lost a shootout to Utah before being dominated by Colorado's defense the following week. UCLA did beat Oregon State before getting blown out by USC and Cal to end the year.

UCLA's offense struggled last year and was mainly weighed down by 2 things. Star QB Josh Rosen was lost for the year in the Arizona State game, and UCLA's running game was absurdly bad. UCLA simply couldn't go anywhere running the ball it was pathetic, at times they had no option but to go with the Mike Leach throw every play offense with a backup QB because the run game simply wasn't there. UCLA made a smart move hiring well-regarded offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch from Michigan, he was a co-coordinator there but help craft a very good passing game despite being handed mediocre QBs. If Josh Rosen stays healthy it could be fun to see what Fisch can do with him. UCLA has running backs that were considered talented, junior Soso Jamabo was the other extremely hyped up playing entering UCLA, he was the best of the UCLA backs but none of them could do much of anything. UCLA gets back some experienced receivers in Darren Andrews and Jordan Lasley, and Eldridge Massington is the big play receiver of this trio, UCLA also has a solid tight end duo. UCLA returns almost every lineman that started last year, the only good one of the bunch was center Scott Quessenberry, but this experience plus Miami transfer Sunny Odogwu should mean that this line surely must be better...I mean seriously I don't think it could be much worse.

UCLA's defense occasionally struggled but for the most part is was good last year but now there's a lot to replace. On the defensive line UCLA loses 3 of it's top 5 linemen including Eddie Vanderdoes and Takkarist McKinley. Still defensive end Jacob Tuioti-Mariner is solid and he is back and there's definitely a lot of young untapped talent that could emerge. UCLA loses linebacker Jayon Brown but they return a potential star in Kenny Young and Josh Woods is solid also. UCLA had a solid secondary last year and some good players like corner Nate Meadors and safety Jaleel Wadood that return but cornerFabian Moreau and safety Randall Goforth are gone, still there's some experienced reserves and young talent that could be ready to step up.

UCLA has a brutal schedule. Their entire non-conference consists of bowl teams as they face Texas A&M, Hawai'i and play Memphis on the road. In conference play UCLA has the misfortune of drawing both Stanford and Washington on the road from the North, they also face Oregon and Cal. On top of that they face USC on the road, so that's the top 3 teams in the Pac-12 all on the road. I don't know, I mean the talent is there but we're talking a major leap for UCLA to be good enough to save Mora's job, even making a bowl will be a chore I hope I'm wrong because I'd hate to see the career of a good QB like Rosen to go to waste, as well as a fantastic offensive coordinator hire by Mora (of course I guess that's the hire he should have done in the first place since he bombed last year's hire).

Predictions:

Sep. 3 Texas A&M: Texas A&M always seems to do well in these big season opening games, tough to pick against them at this point. L
Sep. 9 Hawai'i: UCLA should be able to beat Hawai'i rather easily. W
Sep. 16 @ Memphis: This is a tough and tricky road game against an underrated team at 9am UCLA time, I think Memphis pulls the upset. L
Sep. 23 @ Stanford: UCLA has failed to beat Stanford since 2008. L
Sep. 30 Colorado: I do think UCLA has a good performance from the passing game to beat Colorado. W
Oct. 14 Arizona: Mora has absolutely had Rich Rod's number, have to go with UCLA. W
Oct. 21 Oregon: UCLA has not been able to beat Oregon since 2007, I don't think it happens here. L
Oct. 28 @ Washington: UCLA loses this game in a blowout. L
Nov. 3 @ Utah: The home team has not won a meeting between these two since 2012, which is very bizarre. I think that ends and Utah beats UCLA here. L
Nov. 11 Arizona State: UCLA should easily roll past Arizona State. W
Nov. 18 @ USC: Unfortunately for UCLA, USC is way ahead of them right now. L
Nov. 24 California: UCLA gets in a shootout but manages to beat Cal. W

Predicted Record: 5-7(4-5)

Preview: USC's hire of Clay Helton was one that came under some scrutiny a lot of folks felt it was a lazy hire. Those calls only got stronger when USC struggled at the start of the year. As it turned out USC had one of their worst starts in a long time but ended up with their best season since the sanctions. Now we get to see what Helton has for an encore.

When I say last year started out bad, it really was bad. USC got absolutely humiliated by Alabama in a 52-6 destruction, they recovered and easily beat Utah State before their offense was a mess yet again as USC was dominated by Stanford. USC improved against Utah but ended up letting the game slip away late for a 1-3 start. From there it instantly got better, USC blew out Arizona State, beat a very good Colorado team, and won in blowouts over Arizona, California, and Oregon. USC then took on an undefeated Washington in a huge matchup and dominated the game for an impressive road win. USC ended the regular season easily blowing out rivals UCLA and Notre Dame. Then in the Rose Bowl USC took on a Penn State team that was similar in that they struggled early in the year before surging and dominating on an end of year stretch that included a win over a playoff team, the two teams played in one of the most thrilling games of the season and USC won in a wild 52-49 shootout that was just wild in every way.

USC offensively was completely inept to start the year and was unstoppable by the end of the year, what changed? The QB Max Browne was originally the starter and struggled then Sam Darnold took over for the Utah game and never looked back. Darnold was only a redshirt freshman last year and he was amazing, he has a fantastic arm, is incredibly intelligent and savvy and has the mobility to move out of the pocket to extend plays or take off and run. The only complaint about Darnold is he throws a few more picks than one would like, but I'm just being picky here he was only a redshirt freshman last year. RB Ronald Jones II struggled early in the year and fell behind the now departed Justin Davis until Davis got hurt, Jones was amazing in his return and with him back USC has an amazing backfield. USC loses their top 2 receivers in JuJu Smith-Schuster and Darreus Rogers but Darnold got a wide variety of players involved, Deontay Burnett is a very good slot receiver and he was a star in the Rose bowl. Steven Mitchell Jr is another good slot receiver that USC will have if he recovers fully from last year's ACL tear, TE Daniel Imatorbhebhe (what a last name) was only a freshman last year but was good to catch a few passes here and there last year and he seems ready for more this year. There's not a whole lot of experience outside of that but I'm willing to bet someone young like sophomore Michael Pittman Jr, or a freshman steps up to play well. USC loses 3 starters on the offensive line, but basically 3 starters return as Toa Lobendahn who missed most of the year because of an injury is back along with 2 other starters.

USC's defense was pretty solid last year, they sometimes gave up more points than you'd like at times but there were also games like the Washington game where this defense was fantastic. There were a lot of sophomores starting for this defense, so that is why there were glitches. USC loses nose tackle Stevie Tu'ikolovatu but everyone else is back on the defensive line. Only concern on the line is USC didn't use a big rotation last year so maybe depth might be a worry but players like freshman Marlon Tuipulotu who was impressive in the spring could provide more players to rotate in and out of games. USC only loses one starter from a fantastic linebacker unit that will be led by Cameron Smith and Porter Gustin. USC's secondary loses one of the best corners in the nation in Adoree Jackson but they have another good corner in Iman Marshall, sophomore Jack Jones is talented and is the favorite to fill the other corner slot, the safeties Chris Hawkins and Marvin Tell III are a solid duo.

USC's schedule is actually pretty favorable. Their non-conference features games against Texas and Notre Dame, as well as Western Michigan but it's not the same Western Michigan that went to the Cotton bowl last year. In conference play USC draws Stanford, Oregon State, Washington State and Cal from the North. Getting Stanford at home and avoiding Washington is very favorable. The sky is the limit for USC, a playoff appearance and national title is possible, and not winning the Pac-12 would be a disappointment.

Predictions:

Sep. 2 Western Michigan: Like I said earlier this isn't last year's Western Michigan, USC wins easily. W
Sep. 9 Stanford: This game right away gives us an indication of where USC really is, Stanford has concerns that their QB might not be ready, regardless I think USC passes the test. W
Sep. 16 Texas: A different kind of test here as Tom Herman has proven to be an absolutely fantastic coach in big games, it definitely shows here as Texas surprises USC in the most stunning upset that I'm picking. L
Sep. 23 @ Cal: USC easily beats Cal in this game. W
Sep. 29 @ Washington State: This is a big game as Washington State will be at home and thinking upset, but USC comes in still pissed about the loss a few weeks prior and wins this game in a blowout. W
Oct. 7 Oregon State: W
Oct. 14 Utah: USC has lost to Utah once at home...all the way back in 1916, USC wins. W
Oct. 21 @ Notre Dame: USC's defense forces mistakes and Darnold torches the Notre Dame defense to win. W
Oct. 28 @ Arizona State: W
Nov. 4 Arizona: W
Nov. 11 @ Colorado: Facing Colorado on the road could be tricky, but Darnold should be able to have yet another good game to lead the Trojans to the win. W
Nov. 18 UCLA: USC easily disposes of their rivals for another win. W

Predicted Record: 11-1(9-0)

So @Vitamike you going along with his prediction or what?

Preview: Utah entered the Pac-12 with a lot of intrigue, they had been a strong program prior but had just hit a rough patch prior to entering. That rough patch resulted in Utah struggling for a few years but after those years of struggles Utah has become a very solid team in the past few years. Utah for better or for worse has been by far the most consistent team in the Pac-12 south. For better because Utah has been typically solid and hangs around the top 25, while all the other teams have had at least one awful year recently. For worse though because in the past 5 years every single team in the Pac-12 South has won the South division except for Utah.

Last year Utah didn't open the greatest, they had an uninspiring 24-0 win over Southern Utah, then they turned the ball over 6 times and stopped a late 2 point conversion to survive BYU 20-19. Utah easily beat San Jose State and then made a late comeback to beat USC. Utah was looking stronger but then they lost an upset to Cal, Utah did recover beating Arizona, taking advantage of mistakes to beat Oregon State and then winning a wild shootout over UCLA. Utah took on Washington in a big game and battled with them the entire game before giving up a late punt return touchdown to lose. Utah blew out Arizona State in a game in which Utah had 11 sacks. Utah struggled to end the year as they suffered an upset to Oregon, and lost to Colorado. Utah did end the year by beating Indiana in their bowl game.

Utah had some offensive issues at times last year as they really struggled to keep players healthy. QB Troy Williams was pretty much the only offensive player to make it through the entire season without being hurt, Williams is mobile but he's not an efficient passer which is interesting since Utah seems to want to move to a more up-tempo offense this year. There will be competition sophomore Tyler Huntley looked good in the spring, and Alabama transfer Cooper Bateman was brought in as well. Utah had a lot of turmoil at RB, Joe Williams retired after 2 games, and then the top 3 backs that were left Troy McCormick Jr, Armand Shyne and Zack Moss all got hurt, and then Utah convinced Joe Williams to unretire and Williams was fantastic the rest of the year. Williams is now gone and McCormick is now a slot receiver. Utah had injury issues at receiver and now 3 of the top 4 are gone. Raelon Singleton does return and he is a good big play guy but not the most reliable, Utah also has some help in Oregon transfer Darren Carrington who came over after being dismissed from Oregon, he will have to stay out of trouble but Whittingham runs a tight ship so that should work out. Good thing because beyond those two receivers Utah is incredibly inexperienced. Utah's offensive line is a concern as most everyone who started last year is gone, including first round left tackle Garett Bolles.

Utah's defense was once again solid as always, they always will get a lot of pressure on the opposing QB and take risks to do so but consistently they're one of the most effective programs in the country at doing it. Utah's strength is always on the defensive line, they lose 3 good linemen from the 2 deep in defensive end Hunter Dimick, and tackles Pita Taumoepenu and Pasoni Tasini. Still a lot returns, defensive end Kylie Fitts was fantastic in 2015 but got hurt early last year, there's also sophomore end Bradley Anae who played in very limited action but showed that he's ready to be the next in line, tackles Filipo Mokofisi and Lowell Lotulelei are both good as well. Utah had some struggles with injuries at linebacker but now it leads to a lot of experienced players as everyone is back. Then there's the secondary....wow. There is going to be so much inexperience here, the only experienced returnee was saftey Chase Hansen, he was good enough that it looked like he could hold this inexperienced unit together but he's out indefinitely with an injury, Utah did not disclose what it was, which is a good sign because usually if they do it means he's done for the year. He might still be ready for the opener, he needs to be because basically everyone else who played last year is gone. There's a few players that rotated in a few times during the year, and JUCO transfer safety Corrion Ballard could end up helping out.

Utah's schedule definitely has some challenges to it. Their non-conference is basically the same as last year, FCS team, BYU and San Jose State. Utah's conference schedule is pretty rough though, they draw both Washington teams, Stanford and Oregon from the North division, that is seriously the worst draw possible. Having to play the two best teams in the conference USC and Washington on the road is rough. Certainly there's a lot of questions with this team, Whittingham has shown in the past that they find answers, this looks like another solid year where Utah is good but still not good enough to win the South division.

Predictions:

Aug. 31 North Dakota: Utah will likely handle this like they usually do, run through the game using their talent and revealing as few of their schemes as possible and win by a score of 24-3 or so. W
Sep. 9 @ BYU: Utah hasn't lost to BYU since 2009, so I'll pick that to continue. W
Sep. 16 San Jose State: Utah should easily win this game. W
Sep. 22 @ Arizona: Utah takes care of Arizona for another win. W
Oct. 7 Stanford: Utah gives Stanford a tough test but isn't able to muster up enough offense to win. L
Oct. 14 @ USC: Like I said in USC's preview, Utah hasn't beaten beaten USC at USC since 1919. L
Oct. 21 Arizona State: Utah easily wins this game. W
Oct. 28 @ Oregon: The road team has won the past 3 between these two, so I'll pick that to continue. W
Nov. 3 UCLA: Now this is one series with a long streak of the road team winning, I'm going to pick Utah to win for that streak to end. W
Nov. 11 Washington State: Utah struggles in this game but manages to barely beat Washington State in a close game. W
Nov. 18 @ Washington: Utah loses this game rather easily. L
Nov. 25 Colorado: This games turns out to be a battle and Utah takes it in a close game. W

Predicted Record: 9-3(6-3)

Preview: Chris Petersen's time at Washington started off with challenges, he struggled for two years as he needed to get his players into the program but soon as his players came into play Washington soared. Petersen led Washington to their best season since 2001. Last year entered with promise, but promise was supposed to mean Washington would be solid and in the top 25 most of the year while setting up for this year. As it turned out Washington surged to the college football playoff, now what does Petersen have for an encore?

Washington opened last year with dominant wins over Rutgers, Idaho and Portland State. Washington hit their first struggles in taking on Arizona on the road, Washington struggled but survived in overtime. Washington then took on Stanford at home in a massive faceoff that was expected to be huge for the North division title. Not only did Washington beat Stanford but they did so in a complete and thorough domination 44-6. Then Washington took on Oregon on the road looking to finally end a long losing streak against them, once again Washington made a massive statement in a complete destruction beating them 70-21. Washington then dominated Oregon State and then faced Utah in a big matchup, Washington struggled but returned a punt for a touchdown late in the game to win, Washington then blew out Cal. Washington took on USC at home, and ended up struggling miserably, their offense had issues and they trailed the entire game in a 26-13 loss. Washington made up for it by blowing out Arizona State and rival Washington State for a Pac-12 title birth. In the Pac-12 championship Washington blew out Colorado for a spot in the College football playoff. They struggled there as they couldn't move the ball in a 24-7 loss.

Washington had their most prolific offense in program history last year but they did have some struggles late. Good news is there's a lot back. QB Jake Browning was one of the most efficient QBs in the nation, if we want to poke holes he would hold on to the ball too long at times and struggled in a few games late in the year. The amazing thing is Browning was only a true sophomore last year, so bad news for anyone in the way is that he could even be better, plus a lot of his late season struggles were explained by it being revealed later that he injured his shoulder late in the year and played hurt. Washington has a fantastic running back duo in Myles Gaskin and Lavon Coleman and both players return. Washington does have one big loss on offense as the fastest receiver in college football John Ross is now gone, Washington will surely miss him. There's still a lot back at receiver, Dante Pettis is a star in his own right, and Chico McClatcher is a good slot receiver, and another player will likely emerge. Washington's offensive line had some struggles at times but there's 7 players back with starting experience, left tackle Trey Adams might be the best left tackle in college football and Center Coleman Shelton is fantastic as well.

Washington paired their offense with a fantastic defense. They had a great defensive line, Washington loses a really good defensive tackle in Elijah Qualls but most everyone else is back. Vita Vea and Greg Gaines are an excellent pair of defensive tackles and Jaylen Johnson is a good defensive end. Washington loses two solid pass rushers at linebacker but that is all. Middle linebacker Azeem Victor was hurt late last year and now he's back, he is the star of this loaded unit. Washington had one of the best secondaries in the nation, but now it's a question mark as they lose a fantastic trio and some backups. Safety Budda Baker and corners Kevin King and Sidney Jones are all gone, all 3 were so talented that they all went in the first two rounds of the NFL draft (despite a devastating leg injury for Jones during pre-draft workouts) and some backups are gone. Still there's some good players such as safties JoJo McIntosh and Taylor Rapp that return, and Ezekiel Turner is a senior that had substituted in at times. There's not much experience at corner, a few youngsters got their feet wet at times but that's about it, there is a lot of talent though there could be some glitches but this unit should be solid.

Washington has a rather favorable schedule. Their non-conference includes games against Rutgers, Montana and Fresno State. In conference play Washington draws Colorado, Arizona State, UCLA and Utah from the South. Avoiding USC is definitely favorable, but they face their biggest opponent for the North division in Stanford on the road. Overall though Washington has a dangerously good team again, it's all on the line for them they made the playoff last year so now their sights are on returning to the playoff and advancing this time.

Predictions:

Sep. 1 @ Rutgers: Washington should easily roll past Rutgers in the opener. W
Sep. 9 Montana: Montana is capable of trying tricky things but Washington still will be able to run over them with their talent. W
Sep. 16 Fresno State: W
Sep. 23 @ Colorado: Colorado like Washington replaces a lot in the secondary, expect Washington's passing game to be more ready to take advantage. W
Sep. 30 @ Oregon State: Washington likely dominates Oregon State's run game to win. W
Oct. 7 California: Washington wins in a blowout. W
Oct. 14 @ Arizona State: Washington hasn't beaten Arizona State on the road in a while, that will change. W
Oct. 28 UCLA: W
Nov. 4 Oregon: Washington finally broke the losing streak against Oregon last year, and they will now start to build a winning streak as their offense will dominate again. W
Nov. 10 @ Stanford: Tricky road game here, Stanford's defense keeps this game close and Stanford barely pulls off the upset. L
Nov. 18 Utah: Washington rolls past Utah after the loss the previous week. W
Nov. 25 Washington State: Washington continues their dominance of Washington State in a blowout win. W

Predicted Record: 11-1(8-1)

As long as Victor and Vea stay healthy this defense has the potential to be better than last years.

So far in fall camp the defense is just dominating practice and their young corners are going crazy in coverage. They lack game experience, but they are solid in technique and talent. DB coach Jimmy Lake is one of the top coaches in the conference and it has showed in his time here. We were so thankful no other team snatched him up on the off season, although he had offers. They named him co defensive coordinator and gave him a raise to keep him here. The fruits of that effort are coming to a TV this fall. Stay tuned...

Preview: Washington State was awful for a long time as a program, they took a chance hiring Mike Leach and so far it has paid off. Some early struggles happened in the early years but now Leach has made this his program. Washington State is better than they have been in a long time, they may not be able to contend for a national title but still these are the best years for the first time in a while. Now what will this year have in store, can Washington State finally beat a FCS opponent?

Last year opened immediately with disappointment for Washington State as they lost in a season opening shootout to Eastern Washington, then against Boise State they fell behind 28-7 at the half before making a 2nd half comeback and losing by 3. Washington State quickly rebounded from the 0-2 start as they easily beat Idaho and blew out Oregon. Washington State had a tough game against Stanford and much to everyone's surprise they blew them out 42-16, Washington State beat UCLA and Arizona State in one score games. Then Washington State came back from a 24-6 deficit to beat Oregon State before destroying Arizona and Cal. Washington State took on Colorado in a big game and ended up being dominated in a loss, they also were blown out by Washington in the Apple cup to close out the regular season. The season ended in disappointment as Minnesota beat them in the bowl game despite players suspension and a threat to boycott the game by the Gophers players.

Washington State as always under Leach has a fantastic and efficient passing offense. Washington State will always be a team that passes more than anyone else, and they have more receiver routes than anyone else. QB Luke Falk returns for his senior year which is huge, he runs this offense very well. Washington State has a trio of backs that run really well when given the opportunity, and all 3 are good pass catchers out of the backfield as well. Washington State loses two good experienced receivers in Gabe Marks and River Cracraft. Cracraft was actually hurt late in the year last year and the bad news is his injury coincided with Washington State's late season struggles, they need a new big play threat. Everyone else is back so efficiency definitely won't be a problem. Washington State had their best offensive line in the Leach tenure last year, two starters are gone but some really good starters are back and this should still be a strong line.

Washington State's defense surprised everyone as they were actually decent. The defensive line is a strength and should continue to be as 5 of the top 6 linemen return with Hercules Mata'afa highlighting this unit. Washington State also returns their top 4 players from a very good linebacker unit. Washington State's secondary though is a question mark, some of the better passing teams they faced torched them last year and now about half the contributors are gone from it. Safety Jalen Thompson actually played pretty well as a freshman last year, the Cougars will need some young players to step up like that this year.

Predictions:

Sep. 2 Montana State: I'm not sure what it is, does Leach simply put more focus on his week 2 opponent or what? Washington State has lost two straight openers against FCS opponents. It's strange but Montana State is also a solid FCS foe so I'll pick this trend to continue. L
Sep. 9 Boise State: Washington State made a lot of mistakes against Boise State last year, Boise State's bowl game shows their defense will struggle against a wide open attack like this Cougars win. W
Sep. 16 Oregon State: Oregon State doesn't have the passing game to take advantage of Washington State's defense, Washington State wins easily. W
Sep. 23 Nevada: Nevada is rebuilding, Washington State wins easy. W
Sep. 29 USC: Big home game for Washington State but it turns out to be a letdown as USC's passing game torches their defense in their blowout loss. L
Oct. 7 @ Oregon: Washington State rebounds and beats Oregon. W
Oct. 13 @ California: Washington State wins in a blowout. W
Oct. 21 Colorado: Another win for the Cougars. W
Oct. 28 @ Arizona: W
Nov. 4 Stanford: Washington State manages to take down Stanford in an upset. W
Nov. 11 @ Utah: Washington State turns around and gets upset themselves in a loss. L
Nov. 25 @ Washington: Their struggles in the Apple Cup continue as they are blown out by Washington. L

Predicted Record: 8-4(6-3)

North:

1. Washington Huskies 11-1(8-1)
2. Stanford Cardinal 10-2(7-2)
3. Washington State Cougars 8-4(6-3)
4. Oregon Ducks 8-4(5-4)
5. Oregon State Beavers 6-6(4-5)
6. California Golden Bears 4-8(1-8)

South:

1. USC Trojans 11-1(9-0)
2. Utah Utes 9-3(6-3)
3. UCLA Bruins 5-7(4-5)
4. Colorado Buffaloes 6-6(3-6)
5. Arizona Wildcats 4-8(1-8)
6. Arizona State Sun Devils 2-10(0-9)

Pac-12 Championship: Washington vs USC - An intense battle here as a spot in a playoffs is all on the line, the winner is in and the loser is out. The Pac-12 champion has come from the North every year but USC is easily the best challenger to come from the South since the inception of the Pac-12 championship game. This game will certainly be circled on the Pac-12 championship calendar.

Preview: Solid and steady as they come is Troy Calhoun and Air Force. Besides a down year a few years ago Air Force is consistently near the top of the Mountain West, a threat to win the Commander in Chief and they tend to make bowl appearances. Last year was a year that was disappointing, not in the final record but how they got to that record. It really could have been so much more for Air Force.

Last year started with easy wins over Abilene Christian and Georgia State. Then Air Force struggled with Utah State but survived and completed a 4-0 start with a dominating home win over a very good Navy team. Then Air Force took on Wyoming and struggled offensively to lose, and then their defense bottomed out in a 45-40 loss to New Mexico. Air Force then completed a 3 game losing streak in a double overtime loss to Hawai'i. Air Force even found themselves trailing a terrible Fresno State when their QB got hurt and suddenly their year turned around, they made a comeback to beat Fresno State, and dominated Army for the Commander In Chief. Then Air Force won by 3 points in shootouts against Colorado State (49-46) and San Jose State (41-38) and then for the 3rd year in a row Air Force beat Boise State. Air Force then came from down 21-3 to beat South Alabama 45-21 in their bowl game.

Air Force started to struggle offensively last year but oddly enough it was when QB Nate Romine got hurt and Arion Worthman took over that Air Force started to light it up offensively. Worthman played well and any loss this year would be his first as the starter. Romine returns too, but it's hard to see anyone besides Worthman starting. Tim McVey proved to be an excellent back last year, he played very well and was a big part of Air Force's offensive surge. Some concerns at the fullback position as Air Force loses their top two fullbacks, though Parker Wilson got a few carries here and there last year and did well with them. Air Force is going to sorely miss receiver Jalen Robinette who was an incredible playmaker rarely seen for an academy so much so that NFL teams were interested until Air Force was unwilling to grant him an exemption to delay his 2 year service requirement. There's still some decent receivers returning but for a program like Air Force Robinette was one of a kind. Air Force loses two all-conference linemen but there's 4 senior linemen with experience that return.

Air Force struggled defensively as the year went on because injuries hit. In spite of more players playing because of those injuries this defense is still losing a lot of those players. Air Force like most academies is used to significant turnover but this is something. Defensive end Santo Coppola was a backup last year who subbed in rather frequently, and that's it, that's all the experience returning on the defensive line. Although freshman nose guard Mosese Fifita is an extremely rare 300 pound player for this program and he did impress in the spring. Air Force loses almost all their linebackers also, senior Grant Ross is the only returnee, the outside linebacker duo of Haji Dunn Jr and Jacob Onyechi were very good at making players behind the line of scrimmage so they are a tough duo to replace. Not a single starter returns in the secondary, there's a few players that subbed in as backups and that's all the experience back. Safety Weston Steelhammer was another special player that Air Force rarely has, so he is a big loss (and Boise State fans like me are relieved that he is finally gone.)

Air Force has a little tougher of a schedule this year, obviously there's the normal FCS opener and midseason non-conference games against Navy and Army but instead of an opponent like Georgia State, Air Force has to go on the road to face Michigan. Air Force does have the misfortune of playing San Diego State from the West, UNLV and Nevada are the other two opponents. Air Force is rather unpredictable, but it sure looks like they're in for a lot of shootouts this year, chances are they won't contend for a conference title but surely will still be good enough for a bowl bid.

Predictions:

Sep. 2 VMI: VMI was blown out by Akron last year, Air Force should win. W
Sep. 16 @ Michigan: Goods news at least is that Michigan isn't used to facing Air Force's offense, Air Force can probably control the ball and make the score look closer than the game actually is. L
Sep. 23 San Diego State: San Diego State is a team that is very good at stopping Air Force's offense, they likely win this game. L
Sep. 30 @ New Mexico: These two like to play at the same game, control the ball so opponents have less time to torch your bad defense, I think New Mexico plays it just a little better. L
Oct. 7 @ Navy: 2012 was the last time the home team lost in this series, I think this streak of home teams winning continues. L
Oct. 14 UNLV: Air Force dominates UNLV to win. W
Oct. 20 @ Nevada: Air Force easily beats a rebuilding Nevada. W
Oct. 28 @ Colorado State: Air Force loses this game in a shootout. L
Nov. 4 Army: Air Force dominates Army for a win. W
Nov. 11 Wyoming: Bohl once again has a good defense ready to stop Air Force as a result Josh Allen gets a lot of time to torch Air Force's defense. L
Nov. 18 @ Boise State: Don't have to say much here, Boise State is completely incapable of beating Air Force. W
Nov. 25 Utah State: Air Force gets past Utah State to win. W

Predicted Record: 6-6(4-4)

Preview: Bryan Harsin's tenure was one that started out with very good promise. After some early kinks in his first year Boise State found a stride and became the first group of 5 team to make a New Years 6 bowl under the next system and like Boise State has done they managed to win the Fiesta bowl for the 3rd time in program history. Since then it's been a little different, Boise State has still played quite well against programs from the power 5 but lately the Harsin era has been defined by special teams woes and losing the wrong games in the most agonizing fashion possible. Boise State is still at a level that makes most group of 5 programs jealous, but with that comes high expectations and with those expectations comes disappointment. Can this be the year where that changes?

Last year seemed to start out fine Boise State easily blew out Louisiana-Lafayette and took a 28-7 lead into halftime against Washington State, but then the first sign of trouble hit as Boise State's offense went nowhere in the 2nd half and darn near tried their best to lose the game in a 3 point win. Boise State then went on the road against Oregon State where they absolutely dominated Oregon State to an impressive 31-7 margin and dominated in total yardage but in the 2nd half Boise State's offense suddenly ceased to exist as Oregon State slowly made their way back in the game, bringing it down to a 7 point margin at one point before throwing a pick 6 that secured the Boise State win. Boise State wasn't impressive but easily beat Utah State and then absolutely destroyed New Mexico. Boise State struggled with Colorado State for a half as they spent the entire first half with a significant field position disadvantage, finally Boise State pulled away until a late game meltdown which involved Colorado State recovering TWO onside kicks allowed them to nearly take the win away. Boise State then played BYU in a game where they turned it over 5 times and failed to score any points after BYU ran a fake punt out of their own endzone on 4th and 19 and obviously failed to convert. Somehow Boise State won that game by a point, they tempted fate too many times and finally lost via a safety against Wyoming. Boise State beat San Jose State and finally looked dominant in blowout wins over Hawai'i and UNLV, but of course like always Boise State took their annual loss to Air Force and then they got completely run out of the stadium by Baylor in their bowl game.

Boise State offense last year was incredibly potent, capable of scoring a lot of points quickly and wow did they show it during roughly half of the game. The other half of the game Boise State's offense was incredibly inefficient and would either go 3 and out in the quickest way possible or drive down to the redzone and promptly turn the ball over. No matter what Boise State's drives were no more than 4 plays most of the time. Good news is there's no more multiple playcallers this year, these duties belong solely to offensive coordinator Zak Hill, maybe this could help with the consistency of the offense. QB Brett Rypien is an incredible talent, he can torch any defense at any given time, problem is there is also times where his mechanics are completely off and he can struggle against any defense at any given time as well, this offense could really go if he improves his consistency. RB Jeremy McNichols will be sorely missed for his great running ability and ability to catch passes out of the backfield, although he did fumble a lot. Alexander Mattison is a sophomore and seems like he will be the next in line of Boise State backs although during the spring freshman Robert Mahone made an argument that he should get some carries also. Boise State loses an excellent receiver in Thomas Sperbeck but they do return their most talented receiver in Cedrick Wilson but someone else needs to step up. Slot receivers Sean Modster and Akilian Butler occasionally hinted at potential, A.J Richardson made a good impact in the spring game and he looked good on all 2 catches he had last year. Boise State is absolutely loaded at tight end, getting them more involved would be recommended. Boise State had been known for strong offensive lines for a while but for the past 2 years their line has struggled, only two starters return this year and some JUCOs were even brought in to help.

Boise State's defense was mostly solid last year but it was on the field a lot. The combination of the offense going on strings of consecutive 3 and outs and the bend but don't break approach of defensive coordinator Andy Avalos caused this defense to wear down in the 2nd half of games. If the offense can solve their issue with constant 3 and outs and control the ball better then Avalos should see his approach work. Boise State's defensive line loses a good defensive end in Sam McCaskill but David Moa is one of the best defensive linemen in the conference and he and his 8.5 sacks returns this year, Jabril Frazier has also looked good when healthy and Gabe Perez returns after getting hurt early last year. Boise State loses a lot of good linebackers, led by Tanner Vallejo. Leighton Vander Esch showed some good potential during the 6 games that he subbed in before getting hurt, it also doesn't help that Joe Matarano left the team to pursue a baseball career. Boise State also loses a lot in the secondary but this unit did get hit with a lot of injuries. Corner Tyler Horton is solid and so is safety Cameron Hartsfield, safties Kekoa Nawahine and DeAndre Pierce looked capable when they played last year.

Boise State's schedule is tough, they open with a Troy team that nearly took Clemson to the brink last year, play Washington State and BYU on the road and host Virginia in non-conference play. Boise State also draws San Diego State from the West division and plays them on the road, they do get Nevada and Fresno State as their other West opponents. Overall I can expect about the same, no division title once again as we lose a few games in agonizing fashion to the worst teams possible including Air Force.

Predictions:

Sep. 2 Troy: This is one of many games Boise State could lose, Troy's efficient offense has the potential to control the ball and the game, Boise State struggles but wins. W
Sep. 9 @ Washington State: Tanner Vallejo was a big reason why Boise State won last year, he was so good that Leach even called out his receivers for being afraid of him, without Vallejo against a wide open passing offense Boise State was destroyed by Baylor in the bowl game, I have no confidence that we can handle the Cougars passing attack. L
Sep. 16 New Mexico: Avalos has actually had a good plan for option attacks, it should help against New Mexico. W
Sep. 22 Virginia: I'm not sure we can expect the outburst performance that Boise State had against Virginia in Rypien's first start two years ago, but I think Boise State can still win. W
Oct. 6 @ BYU: Ever since this became an annual game Boise State has not beaten BYU on the road. L
Oct. 14 @ San Diego State: In one of the random moments where we get hope we play well against San Diego State and manage to beat them. W
Oct. 21 Wyoming: Another solid performance as Boise State manages to get past Wyoming. W
Oct. 28 @ Utah State: This game could be a struggle but we manage to win barely. W
Nov. 4 Nevada: This game should be a blowout win, makes us fans feel like we're rounding into a good form. W
Nov. 11 @ Colorado State: And then pop, we haven't lost to Colorado State yet and I think this is the biggest game for the division race so that means we lose in agonizing fashion. L
Nov. 18 Air Force: then the annual Air Force loss. L
Nov. 25 @ Fresno State: Maybe we can take some frustrations out here. W

Predicted Record: 8-4(6-2)

BoiseStateFan27 said:

Connecticut Huskies

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Preview: When doing this preview last year Bob Diaco was a coach on the rise fresh after bringing UConn to a rather surprising bowl appearance. Now here we are a year later, Diaco was fired and suddenly we went back in time as Randy Edsall is now the head coach at Connecticut. So far Edsall has had more success than anyone at UConn so might as well give it another go around. But, there's a reason Diaco got fired, this team is a mess and fixing it will take a while.

Last year actually didn't start off so bad and it was pretty wild actually. UConn opened the year going back and forth with the Maine Black Bears, late in the 4th quarter it was tied and Maine drove into UConn territory, but UConn blocked their potential game winning field goal and with 11 seconds left UConn kicked a field goal of their own and made it to survive. The next week UConn fell behind 21-0 against Navy before rallying to take a 24-21 lead, Navy then scored late to take the lead and UConn drove down to Navy's one yard line with 17 seconds left, UConn called their last timeout despite being out of bounds and the clock already being stopped..to top it off UConn then ran the ball got stuffed and failed to get another play off to lose. Then the next week against Virginia UConn kicked a field goal to take a 13-10 lead with under 2 minutes left before Virginia drove down the field and had a chance to tie it with a 20 yard field goal and the kicker amazingly missed it and UConn survived. UConn once again was in a close game losing by 7 to Syracuse the following week... how exhausting. The run of close games ended with a blowout loss to Houston and 20-9 win over Cincinnati. UConn was easily beaten by South Florida and lost by 8 to UCF... then the bottom fell out. Uconn lost 41-3 to an awful East Carolina team, was shutout in back to back weeks against Temple and Boston College and then UConn ended the year with a 38-13 home loss to Tulane.

Connecticut has overall traditionally had a bad offense for the past several years, basically their offense has been bad since Edsall left. Edsall is hoping to change that with UConn moving to a more up-tempo pace and former Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee running the offense. There's not much to work with here though. QB Bryant Shirreffs has started the past few years and has struggled mostly, he got even worse last year when he played hurt. True freshman at the time Donavan Williams burned his redshirt later in the year and took over the last few games as the starter, he also was bad. RB Arkeel Newsome is one highlight for this offense as he is a long time starter and a decent back considering what he had around him. UConn almost had some additional help with a grad transfer in David Williams who was a talented recruit who was originally at South Carolina but he decommitted and went to Arkansas. There's some starting receivers back but they weren't all that great last year. The offensive line was bad last year but at least 5 linemen with starting experience are back.

Another reason UConn was bad last year was the defense was a disappointment. They were decent at times but nowhere near as good as they usually have been. They had an ok run defense but the pass defense was just awful. The defensive line at least could be good news, most everyone is back and the leader here is Luke Carrezola who had 11 TFL and 3 sacks last year. There's a lot of experience back at linebacker though E.J Levenberry had an ACL injury and won't be back until October at the earliest. Biggest issue for this defense is the secondary, it was bad last year and that was with a second round pick in Obi Melifonwu starting at safety, he is gone and so are two other key starters. Jamar Summers is the top returnee and he's a corner who struggled last year but has been better in the past.

UConn has a pretty tough schedule for the situation, at least for power 5 schools they play Boston College, Virginia and Missouri who all are beatable, UConn also gets Holy Cross. The draw from the West is always tough but UConn doesn't even get Tulane, instead they play SMU, Tulsa and Memphis. Overall this is looking like a reset year. For this year a faster offense will likely only mean faster 3 and outs and the defense will struggle from being on the field a lot.

Predictions:

Aug 31 Holy Cross: Holy Cross was a bad FCS team and went 4-7, I think UConn can at least beat them. W
Sep. 9 South Florida: Hard to see the secondary holding up against the Bulls. L
Sep. 16 @ Virginia: This is an opportunity to win, but I think Virginia will be improved this year. L
Sep. 30 @ SMU: Good luck finding someone to match up with Sutton. L
Oct. 6 Memphis: L
Oct. 14 @ Temple: At least UConn might not get shutout this time. L
Oct. 21 Tulsa: L
Oct. 28 Missouri: Last time these two played it was an ugly yet somehow entertaining 9-3 game, UConn is still just as bad on offense, but Missouri's offense is definitely a lot better now. L
Nov. 4 East Carolina: UConn won't handle the passing game in this game either. L
Nov. 11 @ UCF: L
Nov. 18 Boston College (Fenway Park): If only Diaco was still here, we could have had a baseball score in a baseball park. L
Nov. 25 @ Cincinnati: L

Predicted Record: 1-11 (0-8)

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Really hard to argue with this. And the bolded part is my biggest concern.

My only sign of hope is that the frosh QBs are supposedly the stars of camp so far. Maybe one of them can be any good.

Preview: Colorado State has become a consistent and steady program recently and it has allowed them a little more recognizable and even allowed them to open up a shiny new on-campus stadium this year. Mike Bobo took over after McElwain brought this program back to relevance, there was a brief drop-off in Bobo's first year and last year was a little uneven but now this looks to be the year that we get to see what Bobo has built.

Colorado State was all over last year, they opened the year getting blown out by Colorado, then struggled offensively in a 23-14 win over UTSA. Colorado State easily beat Northern Colorado and lost a close game on the road to Minnesota, then they got crushed by Wyoming. Colorado State beat Utah State by 7 after trailing 24-10 at the half and gave Boise State a tough time in a 5 point loss. Colorado State then blew out UNLV and Fresno State before losing a wild 49-46 shootout to Air Force. Colorado State then beat New Mexico in a 49-31 shootout. Then they ended the year in the most inconsistent way possible as they absolutely destroyed San Diego State on the road 63-31 and then went completely dormant until the 4th quarter of their bowl game against Idaho, but their defense didn't help any in a 61-50 loss.

Colorado State's offense was a mess to start the year as they shuffled around QBs in order to find a starter finally sophomore Collin Hill took control and played well but then he tore his ACL and Nick Stevens came back in, Stevens was bad in his early season starts but suddenly when he took over after the injury to Hill, Stevens was good and then fantastic to end the year. Colorado State has a solid trio of RBs in Dalyn Hawkins, Izzy Matthews and Marvin Kinsey Jr. Hawkins was especially good late. Receivers Michael Gallup and Olabisi Johnson are an amazing receiver duo and both return but there's not a lot of experience behind them. Colorado State had a great offensive line last year but now only two starters return from that line and two backups with experience return as well.

Colorado State's defense occasionally had good performances but they were awful against the run and that issue needs to be fixed in this conference. Colorado State will be looking to beef up the defensive line in hopes of improving against the run, so they will be hoping massive inexperienced tackles like the 335 pound redshirt freshman Christian Colon or 320 pound sophomore Jamori Fox can break their way into the lineup, end Toby McBride started as a freshman last year and showed good ability to rush the passer. Colorado State had a ton of depth at linebacker last year and they loved using a variety of them to attack the line of scrimmage, only one of those linebackers is gone, returnees Josh Watson, Evan Colorito and Tre Thomas all have shown great ability to make plays behind the line of scrimmage there's also Deonte Clyburn who was good in 2015 before missing last year with a blood clots issue. There's also former Oklahoma State commit in sophomore Conrad Harker who I guess is listed as a linebacker, I'm not sure if he will play or not but I could not believe this guy is a linebacker that is 6'8"!!! Colorado State's secondary didn't make a lot of plays but didn't give up much either. This year there's a lot of experienced safeties back but with two of their top 3 corners gone there won't be as much experience there.

Colorado State has a tough schedule. Their non-conference is loaded with games against Oregon State, Colorado and Alabama, there is a break with Abilene Christian from FCS. Colorado State does avoid San Diego State from the West division though playing Hawai'i on the island could be tough, another key is facing Boise State and Air Force at home. I think Colorado State could take the division, but it's entirely possible they could disappoint. Last year this team showed spurts that they could be very good, but there was also bad performances that reminded you this team wasn't there yet, can they be more consistent this year?

Predictions:

Aug. 26 Oregon State: The first game of the college football season features these two christening Colorado State's new stadium, Colorado State plays fully to their potential and takes down Oregon State. W
Sep. 1 Colorado (Denver): This game turns out to be an intense close game but Colorado outscores Colorado State. L
Sep. 9 Abilene Christian: W
Sep. 16 @ Alabama: Goals are just to survive this game with as little injuries as possible. L
Sep. 30 @ Hawai'i: Great bye week timing for sure as they took full advantage of the "week 0" allowance, Colorado State should be able to roll past Hawai'i. W
Oct. 7 @ Utah State: Colorado State struggles and takes a random loss to Utah State. L
Oct. 14 Nevada: Colorado State easily wins. W
Oct. 21 @ New Mexico: Colorado State gets in a shootout with New Mexico and barely wins. W
Oct. 28 Air Force: Colorado State wins a shootout over Air Force. W
Nov. 4 @ Wyoming: Colorado State has a tougher time offensively than expected and Wyoming ends up taking them down. L
Nov. 11 Boise State: This ends up being a key game for the division race and Colorado State is the only Mountain division team that has yet to beat Boise State, so they manage to do so here. W
Nov. 18 San Jose State: Colorado State wins in a blowout. W

Predicted Record: 8-4(6-2)