Here we are College Football fans.

At the beginning of a new season. At the beginning of GREATNESS.

I’m back this week to bring you Big Jim’s BOLD PREDICTIONS. I will tell you this week who will be the Power 5 Conference Champions and who will be standing at the end of it all in the National Championship game. I can see a few of the regulars still being there at the end and a few surprises to everyone else – except Big Jim, of course. I can also see what looks to be the GREATEST National Championship game of all time from two programs with such storied histories that when it all unfolds at the end of the season Hollywood will wish they had written the script.

Enough with how great Big Jim is at picking the BIG WINNERS let’s get with the Champions.

ACC Champion: Florida State

Yes, that’s right Big Jim see’s Florida State as the winner of the ACC. Then again it is just the ACC. With teams like NC State, Duke, Boston College and Syracuse on the season’s menu it shouldn’t be too tough for FSU to go undefeated this year. You do have the pesky defending National Champions, Clemson to deal with but then again, their entire offense, consisting of Deshaun Watson was drafted by the Houston Texans, so they are really an also-ran team this year. This is however, where the excitement ends. There is no FEAR of the SPEAR. Being that they really play no other ranked teams it will be hard for the Seminoles to maintain a Top 10 Ranking. They will make it to a nice Punch Bowl at the end of the season and be able to claim another Conference Title but isn’t that what we really all expect from the ACC.

Big Ten Champion: Michigan

Now this is a tight pick window. Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Maryland are all Power House Programs that are consistently on the cusp of GREATNESS. Michigan will have to play hard nose defense while putting up some insane yardage on offense to be able to pull it all off but I do believe this is Jim Harbaughs year to win the Big Ten Crown. Ohio State will be strong this year but will see a major drop off in quarterback play and with no real true running back threat their offensive numbers will take a hit. The Wolverines will indeed own the north this year and with other top teams in the Conference, like Maryland I do see them making it into the College Football Playoffs. That’s where it will end. There are teams from the South that Big Jim sees as being so dominant that even this talented squad won’t be able to get past ‘em.

PAC 12 Champion: University Of Southern California

Was there any real doubt about this one. USC has returned to its glory days. It also helps that the rest of the PAC 12 looks like it should be playing in the WAC or maybe Conference USA. They have no threat from the north as the Oregon Ducks have fallen on hard times and will be rebuilding for future generations. Then you have Stanford who has returned to their roots of producing some of the great minds of our time but the football field doesn’t seem to be their focus lately. USC only has one real test this season and that will be in week 3 against the Texas Longhorns. Texas will edge out the Trojans in this contest but they will still have enough of the season ahead of them to get back into contention for a playoff appearance. Unfortunately, that’s where the GLORY of FOOTBALL GREATNESS ends for the season.

SEC Champions: Louisiana State University

Did Big Jim really just call LSU over Bama for the SEC Championship?!

Yes I did.

Coach Ogeron has this team ready to play and play hard. The Tigers have had a few years of getting all the pieces into place but they are ready to go this year. With other teams like Ole Miss (that we won’t speak on much since we have young readers here at RedZonePlay), in turmoil, I don’t see much competition. It will be a tough night in Tuscaloosa when they have to beat Nick Satan’s squad but beyond that they really just have some other tune up games like when they play the a&m aggies. LSU will walk into the College Football Playoffs and win to advance to the National Championship Game.

Big 12 Champions: University of Texas

Texas has had a rough patch for the last few years and is coming out of it this year. UT has everything in place for a National Championship run. Oklahoma lost its coach, Baylor is losing its program and the Texas Tech Red Radars are just lost. Oklahoma State always makes a little noise but they will return to also-ran status this year and do we even need to mention TCU? Yeah… let’s just move on.

Texas will face its BIGGEST test on week 3 against USC Trojans. It will be a tough night of football out in California with all the fruits and nuts but Texas will come out on top and that game will set the tone for an undefeated season. They will breeze through the first round of the playoffs for the eventual match up against their toughest competition of the year *THE* LSU Tigers in the National Championship Game.

National Championship

This game has it all. The Texas Longhorns, The LSU Tigers. Two of the greatest football programs in the history of the game. And it’s the return of Championship football for both of the programs after a brief few years rebuilding their teams. Two coaches that were just named officially this year even if we all could see it coming last year. This is a match up that the world wants to see. Forget about all the hype and parades this is going to be smash mouth hard nose football at its best. There will be plenty of yards gained through the air but this game will be decided in the trenches. Now the moment you have all be waiting for. The winner of the National Championship Game: AMERICA. With two teams this great meeting in the BIGGEST contest of the year we all win.

There you have it friends. All 5 Power Conference Champions all the way to the National Championship. I could have called the National Championship winner but then again, I didn’t want to be accused of being biased. There could be some surprises along the way this year but if there were not, then why do we even play the game?

Now that you have the inside information you know what to do. Take it to the Bank. Pass it along to your father-in-law and look like a football genius. Maybe share with your boss and get that BIG raise that you deserve. Tell your wife and watch as she looks on in amazement at your vast football knowledge. I will be back in few short days for Kick Off Weekend and all of BIG JIM’S LOCKDOWN PICK’S OF THE WEEK.

Thanks,
BIG JIM