If there is one team that has been on the cusp of breaking into the elite college football party it’s the Oregon Ducks.
Last year this team lost two pivotal games against Auburn and Arizona State, that cost them a birth in the College Football Playoff.
This year, the Ducks will again be faced with key moments that will decide their playoff fate.
2019 was an unreal year for Minnesota, but 2020 could be “the banner year” for the program. P.J. Fleck brings back a ton of talent and has a schedule that is very favorable for this Big 10 team.
Key games at Wisconsin and against Iowa, Michigan and on the road at Nebraska will define this year for Fleck. Will he be above average or a chance for greatness?
Lots of talent return for Virginia Tech in 2020, and key games on the road will determine if Justin Fuente can get this team back to the ACC Championship for the first time in a number of years.
Week two offers a serious litmus test with Penn State coming to Blacksburg.
Alabama looks to return to the College Football Playoff in 2020, but to do so, the Tide must find high level play at quarterback, lean on a very talented backfield and fix some defensive issues that has plagued this team in big games the last two years.
Alabama has a great schedule featuring the likes of USC, Georgia, Texas A&M, LSU and Auburn and if Alabama can stay healthy, this team will again be in the conversation of National Champion in December.
Year two is a pivotal year for Manny Diaz and the Miami Hurricanes. Miami lost four games a year ago, that they were double digit favorites and one thing we have learned is college head coaches are on shorter leashes than ever before.
Miami has a good roster and another transfer quarterback and a schedule that should lead to a nice year.
Expectations are high on the campus of Arizona State in 2020 and they should be. Herm Edwards has built the foundation fast for the Sun Devils and this year they have a schedule that could offer a spring board of sorts in year three of the Edwards campaign.
Don’t be surprised to see this bunch of devils in the PAC 12 championship in 2020.
Nebraska shouldn’t be as bad as Nebraska has been the last few years. The Huskers have lost nine games by a touchdown or less over the last two seasons and 2020 is a pivotal year for Scott Frost and Big Red.
There will be another handful of games for Frost and team this year that come down to the wire. This year, the Huskers need to capitalize in most of these games and punch a bowl ticket.
When you mention the Group of Five, Central Florida football immediately comes to mind. Year three of the Josh Heupel campaign starts in 2020 and if the Knights can knock off North Carolina to start the season, down in Orlando, the playoff chatter may again start for Central Florida.
Dan Mullen has done a great job in bringing Florida back, and now the Gators are looking to make the next step.
The Gators have arguably the best quarterback, back in the SEC in Kyle Trask, and a defense that has been salty.
The question for the Gators is now can they make the plays in the biggest games and if they can do that, they could be headed to the College Football Playoff.
Year three of the Chip Kelly experiment is a big one at UCLA. So far this has not been what many thought it would be, with Kelly coming back to the PAC 12.
The Bruins have talent on the roster; if they can turn their defense around, with a seasoned quarterback at the helm, 2020 could be a season in the right direction for UCLA.
Jim Harbaugh says his club is really close to winning the National Title, but 2020 could be a rebuild of sorts for the Wolverines.
Several key match ups in late September, and early October will decide if this year is good or great in year six of Jim Harbaugh.
The last time we saw Oklahoma, they were trying to catch their breath against LSU in the College Football Playoff. Oklahoma is looking again to get back to the playoff, but for Oklahoma to really challenge for the National Championship, their defense has to show marked improvement.
This year, Oklahoma also will have to likely battle Texas twice if they want to punch their ticket back to the National tournament.
Luke Fickell has won 22 games the last two years and with a bulk of that cast back for 2020, this could be the best season maybe ever in Cincinnati Bearcat football. If the Cats can learn to win the close games on the road, look out - they might punch a ticket to a New Years Six game in 2020.
Photos courtesy of 247sports.com
Year two of the Mac Brown Era is underway and it has the opportunity to be a big one. Sam Howell returns for what should be a dynamic sophomore year, and if the Heels can figure out how to win the close games, they could be playing for an ACC Championship.
Wisconsin has established their program as one of the most stable, and consistent programs under head football coach Paul Chryst. The Badgers look to again be in contention come November for the BIG 10 West and the conference championship.
Early match ups against Michigan, Notre Dame and Minnesota will be the difference in good or great in 2020 for Wisconsin.
It’s year three of the Jimbo Fisher experiment in College Station and it’s time for this program to live up to the decades of expectations.
The Aggies have the schedule, the experience and more that should make this a now or never year for the Aggies to compete for the SEC West and be College Football Playoff relevant in late November.
Culture in football is something you must have and in the SEC East, who has it best? Georgia is living large, but look out as Florida is on the move. Also could Tennessee be making a come back?
What about Kentucky, South Carolina and the rest?
Photos courtesy of 247sports.com
Football culture; it’s something you hear about when a team has fallen off the cliff and you might hear about it when a team hits a few years of high year winning. But, football culture is real and it never ends and can sometimes turn on a season.
Today we look at football culture in the SEC West and define each team mathematically to better show how each teams culture is affecting their on the field performance.
Is 2020 the year the PAC 12 returns to the College Football Playoff? Can Oregon or a revamped USC, or another program put the conference on its back and head to the national tournament? Will Chip Kelly finally get UCLA over the hump; and what is life like after Mike Leach at Washington State?
Tons of intrigue and questions for the PAC 12 as we approach the 2020 season.
Clemson is the big fish in the ACC, but there is quality and intrigue after that in the conference.
From new coaches, new quarterbacks and players and more, the question after Clemson is who’s next? Is it Mac Brown and North Carolina or can Bronco Mendenhall keep Virginia on an upward trend in the conference?
From Manny Diaz and the Miami Hurricanes to David Cutcliffe and Duke; there are layers of story lines in this conference in 2020.
