College football action is officially underway again and I
couldn’t be more excited for this season. I think 2012 will be memorable in
many ways and I’m sure we’ll see plenty of upsets, blowouts, and controversies
leading all the way up to the National Championship game on January 7th. Here are a few games that I’ve got
circled on my calendar:
1)
Michigan vs. Alabama (September 1st):
It’ll be a treat to see two powerhouses go head to head in this opening weekend
matchup. Michigan is lead by its dynamic, dual-threat quarterback Denard
Robinson. The Tide only return 5 players on defense but that doesn’t make
Alabama any less of a threat. Senior Nico Johnson leads a solid linebacking
core and while I believe Denard Robinson will be tough to stop I think Bama’s
defense will pose a serious challenge for this Heisman contender.
2)
Penn State vs. Ohio (September 1st):
I’m very interested to see how this group of Nittany Lions reacts after 9
months of distractions. The scandal that took place on this campus no doubt
rocked this community and shocked the world. This team will try and move
forward and start a new chapter for Penn State football. Bill O’Brien has
assumed leadership for this team during Penn State’s darkest hour. No matter if
you’re a fan of either team or not, all eyes will be glued to game.
3)
Alabama vs. LSU (November 3rd): National
Championship implications could very well be on the line during this match-up
of two SEC West powerhouses. For the past three seasons, the victor of this
series has only won by an average of 5 points. And two out of the last three
seasons the winner of this game has gone on to represent the West in the
conference championships. Like I said, a lot usually rides on this game when
these two squads meet and this year should be no different. I enjoy watching
two discipline, well-coached teams duel it out, and in a rematch of the
National Championship game I think Nick Saban’s boys will leave Baton Rouge
with the victory.
4)
Oregon vs. USC (November 3rd): Oregon
is one of the hottest teams in the country and has been for the past few
seasons. USC looks to return to the limelight this fall after serving a
two-year probation for its part in an improper benefits scandal. Heisman
frontrunner Matt Barkley will lead a very deep team with hopes of taking the
Trojans to the Promised Land. And believe it or not, I think these two teams
will be undefeated when they meet in November and it’s very likely that they’ll
see each other again at the conference championships.
5)
Florida State vs. Virginia Tech (November 8th):
Virginia Tech has dominated the ACC ever since they joined the conference back
in 2004. It seems as if Frank Beamer has concocted a formula guaranteed for
success and has no intent on sharing the recipe. That’s okay tough, because
Florida State is on the verge of returning to national prominence and this very
well could be one of Jimbo Fisher’s best teams since he’s been the head coach
in Tallahassee. I’m looking forward to watching quarterbacks EJ Manual and Logan
Thomas try to out-duel one another; it should be a fun game.
