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.
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