Here’s my take after the first few weeks of Power 4 football and NFL play.
Power 4 Football
Right now, I’ll go on record and say I expect five teams in the playoffs: Ohio State, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, and Boise State. I predict the other seven slots will be filled by five to six SEC teams and possibly two teams from either the ACC or Big Twelve. I will also go on record and say Indiana will not repeat as national champions.
We have seen some exciting games so far. The Texas miracle comeback against Ohio State is one example. But Ohio State fans have no worries; your team is really good. And how about Iowa going into the Big House and beating Michigan on a last-second, toe-tapping touchdown? Or what about Wisconsin going into Happy Valley and pulling off a major upset vs. the Nittany Lions? But will those wins catapult either the Hawkeyes or Badgers into the Big Ten Championship game? I say no. My picks are Ohio State and UCLA.
The SEC has brought us some surprises that few saw coming. Mississippi State is the SEC darling. I don’t think many saw this coming unless you follow Kamaro Taylor, the Bulldogs’ QB (already 1200 yards through the air, 14 TDs, and only two picks). Florida is right there behind Mississippi State, looking like the second-best team in the conference. Then, I put the Longhorns third, and Georgia is just destroying teams and showing they may be the best team in college football right now. That puts LSU and Mississippi as the SEC’s fourth- and fifth-best teams.
The mighty have fallen (photo, OU football on X)
Alabama is looking okay, but the Tide hasn’t put together a complete game on both sides of the ball yet. Hopefully the slow offense picks up, and the defense plays as expected this season. They should be a top-10 defense in the country but haven’t looked the part. Alabama faces Mississippi State this weekend, then hosts Georgia next weekend. Alabama has Georgia’s number, and it wouldn’t be a shock if they beat Georgia by the narrowest of margins.
Meanwhile, Tennessee, MU, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Auburn are decent 3-5 teams this year. But Texas A&M is nothing like what people thought and is spiraling downward. As for the rest of the conference, I say, “Thank you for playing; see you next year.” What can you say about Oklahoma, other than they suck? At least they aren’t Arkansas or South Carolina, the dumpster fires of the SEC.
The Big 12 is a crapshoot. Any team could pretty much end up in the championship game, likely BYU and/or Utah. But who knows?
The ACC is all Miami, and everyone else is in the rearview mirror. I think the only way the ACC gets two teams into the playoffs is if someone pulls off a major upset and beats Miami in their championship game. Otherwise, it’s only Miami.
NFL
NFL’s best team? (photo Vikings on Facebook)
As for the NFL, the 2026 season started with a shocker: Super Bowl favorite Rams dropped two of their first three games. The Chiefs might be looking like the Super Bowl contenders of the past. Buffalo is Buffalo, chugging along and winning in the regular season, hoping they don’t have to play the Chiefs in the postseason because we all know how that goes.
Houston is a big disappointment so far this year, starting 0-3. So much for being a pre-season Super Bowl favorite. Philadelphia should win the NFC East, largely by default because the injury bug bit the Giants, Dallas are Cowgirls, and Washington isn’t a threat.
My pick for surprise team of the season? It’s Minnesota. The 3-0 Vikings should be 4-0 after they beat the Dolphins this Sunday, then maybe 6-0 after the Saints and Colts. The Jaguars should cruise to an AFC South title, and I give the 49ers the nod in the NFC West. The NFC South? “Pick one” is my answer. The AFC North could come down to the last game of the year to decide the division winner. Steelers are at the Ravens, and the Browns visit Cincinnati.
It’s too early to say another Chiefs vs. 49ers Super Bowl, but we never know.
I’ll be back with an update in a few weeks. Until then, enjoy your football!
