We are ALL tied up 3-3 after yesterday.  Will the PAC 12 continue their Cinderella story like run?  Or will the Tide Roll so the SEC can live up to their number one seed?  Winner has the ACC in the championship starting tomorrow.

Alabama vs USC

Alabama – Cody Goggin

Alabama is the best team in the country this season, plain and simple. They are #1 in the Coach’s Poll, the AP Poll, and my very own AGI Rankings. Jalen Hurts returns for his sophomore season to lead this offense, coming off a campaign in which he brought them all the way to the National Championship game and won the SEC Offensive Player of the Year award. Hurts should once again be in the Heisman conversation. Big Bo Scarborough and Damien Harris should anchor the run game once again, especially since many are expecting a breakout season for Bo. The defense loses a lot of talent up front to the NFL, but that is pretty normal for Bama at this point. More five-star recruits will be stepping up and Minkah Fitzpatrick may be the best defensive back in the country. USC is a good team, but as we saw last season, they still can’t stack all the way up to Bama. Roll Tide, 31-13.

USC – Brendan Smith

The Trojans are red hot, winning their final 9 games last season, including an impressive come-from-behind victory over Penn State in the Rose Bowl. Sam Darnold enters the season surrounded by hype, and for good reason, considering he threw for 3,086 yards and 31 touchdowns last season. In addition, leading rusher Ronald Jones II returns after posting an impressive 1,082 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. The Trojan offense will be explosive yet again, with playmakers and big-time recruits at every position. On the defensive side of the ball, leading tackler Cam Smith, recently named a captain, returns, along with sack leader Rasheem Green. An improved defense should be able to keep the Trojans in a close game with the Crimson Tide.

Auburn vs Washington

Auburn – Frank Fanelli

The Tigers rebooted the OC team and Chip Lindsay comes in from Arizona State as the new Auburn offensive coordinator, but this is still Gus Malzahn’s team. However, for a team that ranked sixth in the nation in rushing and was 112th in passing, expect more downfield throws and more balance under their new guy. It also helps to have the Baylor starting quarterback, Jarrett Stidham, and he certainly knows how to wing it around the yard a little bit from his days with the Bears. But are the receivers in place to make the O go through the air? Yup, four of the top five targets are back. Leading receiver Tony Stevens might be gone, but the freshmen who got their feet wet last season are about to get the ball a whole lot more. As improved as the passing game should be, it’ll be hard not to keep handing the ball off to the 1-2 punch of Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson.

Losing top pass rusher Carl Lawson on the outside and star DT Montravius Adams from the interior hurts, but six of the top seven tacklers are back including Tray Matthews at one safety spot and Tre Williams in the middle of the linebacking corps. The defensive backs can tackle, but they won’t need to do too much in run support with all three starting LB’s returning. However, the Tigers need work up front. Everything is in place for another big year for the Tiger team that finished seventh in the nation in scoring D, as long as it can hold up on both side of the ball.

If they played Washington, it would be an extremely tough matchup but I think they get it done on the last drive of the game with a 28-27 win.

Washington – PJ Guippone

I shouldn’t have to do too much convincing on this one. Washington is a Playoff contender. Washington has Chris Petersen, who is a damn good football coach. He showed us at Boise State. He continues to show us at the helm of the Huskies. Washington has Jake Browning, who is not going to be too tripped up by the loss of John Ross at receiver.  They also have two guys that rushed for more than 800 yards last season. They also return the majority of their offensive line. And they have a front seven on the other side of the ball that is scarier to stare down than a pickup truck that doesn’t seem to notice you while you’re crossing the street and they have a stop sign. Washington isn’t going to lose a regular season game. Just give us the USC v. Washington PAC 12 Final, please. That will be fun.

LSU vs Stanford

LSU- Cody Goggin

Good Ole’ Coach O will have his kids in Baton Rouge ready to play this year. I think the Tigers will have a big year behind all of their five star recruits and returning studs. It all starts with Derrius Guice running the rock. He ran for 1,387 yards and 15 TDs last season, even with Leonard Fournette (occasionally) there. Guice is a preseason first-team All American and should play like it this year. On the defensive side, Arden Key is a stud and should be a first round pick. This LSU team returns a lot of talent all-around. Although I think Stanford is an above average team, I just don’t think an offense run by Keller Chryst and Bryce Love stands much of a chance against the Tigers’ defense.

Stanford – Ben Shumate

If any team outside of the league is equipped to compete against the SEC, it’s probably Stanford. Outside of a few big names, including Christian McCaffrey, most everybody returns from a team that finished the season with six straight wins. Keller Chryst will have his top receivers coming back and will be protected by an offensive line returning four starters.

Like McCaffrey on offense, Solomon Thomas is the only big loss for the Cardinal on defense. The secondary relied on young players last season who have another year of experience to build on. With good health, it isn’t out of the question that Stanford will return to being the best defensive team in the league.

They also routinely face elite playmaking quarterbacks, something which the imposing defenses of the SEC can rarely say. That seems especially true for LSU, who would have all kinds of problems moving the ball on this Stanford defense. You can’t beat a David Shaw defense if you’re overly one-dimensional, and that’s exactly what LSU is this year and every year. There’s no question this one would be low scoring, but Stanford would make one or two more explosive plays downfield and get key stops when they needed them.

Georgia vs Washington State

Georgia – Brendan Smith

Year two of the Jacob Eason era should be a lot better than the first. With Nick Chubb now two years removed from ACL surgery, he should be able to account for more than the 1,130 yards he gained on the ground in 2016. As a freshman, Eason managed 2,430 passing yards and 16 touchdowns in 12 starts. Assuming Eason has matured as a passer, those numbers should greatly improve. While he did lose his favorite target in Isaiah McKenzie, Georgia’s third-ranked recruiting class (according to 24/7 Sports) includes three 4-star wide receivers.

Head coach Kirby Smart, former defensive mastermind of the great Alabama defenses, will look to improve a defense that surrendered 24 points per game last season. On the bright side, Smart’s defense allowed opponents to convert on just 37% of their third-down attempts. One of the most integral parts of defense is the ability to get off the field. Smart also brought in 10 4-star or better defensive recruits to bolster the defense.

In a close game, Georgia’s ability to control the clock with the running game and get off the field on third down will allow them an advantage. These two factors combined with an improved Jacob Eason gives Georgia a narrow victory.

Washington State – Cody Goggin

I defended Wazzu’s honor in the first round and I will do so again here. Mike Leach and Luke Falk are an unstoppable combo that would be a huge challenge to any team in the country. The front seven of Washington State keep improving every year and if this team could get just an above average defense then they would be very good. The good news is that they are going up against Georgia, who loses a lot on the offensive line and whose defense would not be able to hold down Falk and Co. I think that Wazzu would sling the rock all over the Bulldogs and win this matchup.

Florida vs Oregon

Florida – Liam Smith

The Florida Gators have dominated the SEC East as of late, representing the division in the SEC Championship for the past two seasons. Head Coach Jim McElwain took over this team in 2015 and has since amassed 19 wins, along with a victory in the Outback Bowl and an SEC Coach of the Year award. He has certainly whipped this team into shape and looks to keep the momentum going in the upcoming season. While McElwain has proven himself as a capable coach, he has his work cut out for him in 2017 as he is faced with the challenge of replacing 8 defensive starters. Florida’s defense has always been notorious for keeping the Gators in games and this season will be no different if McElwain is able to plug in capable replacements for the 2016 starting defense. Much like Alabama, Florida crushes recruiting and always has young, talented replacements on deck ready to reload the depth chart. On top of that, Florida was able to restock it’s starting defense without having to call on the help of any incoming freshman. This is huge as all starters will already have at least one season under their belt, which should make the transition into the starting line up rather smooth. Florida is historically a team that can come out and compete with anyone and I don’t see anything changing this season. Oregon will certainly have their work cut out for them with this Gators squad.

Oregon – Frank Fanelli

Head coach Willie Taggart was able to crank up the ground game at South Florida, and while he’ll want more power, he’ll keep the Oregon up-tempo principles the same. The Ducks were 15th in the nation in total offense last year. With the talent returning, there’s no need to mess with much of anything. Royce Freeman and the top four running backs return after combining for well over 2,000 yards, 27 touchdowns and averaging well over five yards per carry. There’s explosion, power, and speed to burn. Combine them with the terrific class of recruits, and look out, especially behind the fantastic line. They’re outstanding on the line this year with four starters back along with Tyrell Crosby, who missed almost all of last year with a foot injury.

The emergence of Justin Herbert as the star quarterback IS the show. He threw 19 touchdown passes and four picks in just nine games. He was one of the big positives in what was a lost season. He might not be the runner that past Oregon star QBs were, but he can still move.

Taggart hired former South Florida head coach Jim Leavitt, who spent the last few years building up the Colorado D, but can he work miracles with a squad that was one of the worst in the nation? It starts in the front with a change to a 3-4 alignment. Experience isn’t a problem with everyone back, but getting into the backfield more is. Henry Mondeaux is a good all-around end to start, while Clemson transfer Scott Pagano should be an instant help. Tony Dye is a great-looking young hitter who led the team in tackles as a freshman, while fellow linebacker Jimmie Swain was second. I can definitely see the Ducks flying together behind Herbert, Freeman, and co. and taking down the Gators 31-24.  

Tennessee vs Colorado

Tennessee- PJ Guippone 

Everyone stop pressing the panic button on Tennessee. I am wholly aware they are coming off a 9-4 season that is seen as a disappointment. I understand the fact that they have six (!) new assistant coaches and a new quarterback. But, let me use that as a springboard to talk about that quarterback. Junior quarterback Quinten Dormady is 6’4” and 216 pounds with a cannon from one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies where most people have a right arm. In front of him is an offensive line that has put in the work this offseason to improve, with word around Rocky Top of success. Behind him is an unproven running back core. Still, that core is led by John Kelly, who averaged 6.4 yards per carry last season. That’s serviceable. Stop panicking. Please and thank you.

Colorado – Ben Shumate

Mike MacIntyre brought CU up from the basement with a surprise season last year. Another berth in the Pac-12 title game seems like a stretch, but there are enough pieces from 2016 returning for the Buffs to score some wins in the South division and secure bowl eligibility.

Steven Montez fills in for the departed Sefo Liufau under center. He showed some potential when filling in as a backup after Liufau was hurt towards the end of the season and plenty of weapons to work with through the air Tailback Phillip Lindsay returns after a 1,200-yard season in 2016 to balance the offense with a solid ground game.

Even with Liufau last year, CU was a team carried by defense. The offense ought to be more than enough to move the ball against Tennessee, but losing defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt in the offseason and graduating several key players in the secondary and defensive line raises some questions. There will have to be a mix of players with experience, like Linebackers Kenneth Olugbode and Jimmie Gilbert, and young pieces stepping up for CU to have a middle-of-the-pack defense in the Pac-12. Combined with a potentially explosive offense, the Buffs squeak by a perpetually overrated Tennessee team.