Conference and CFP predictions!

hello and welcome back to the Everything Green podcast where we cover everything Michigan State and everything CFB my name is Jaylen starter and I'm going to be hosting you guys today uh today we are going to talk about my preseason college football playoff projections along with my conference Champion projections with a couple dark horses in each conference because I do believe that conferences and even these smaller conferences are as important as ever because one group of five conference group of six whatever you want to call it now is going to get the an atlarge bid to the college football playoff if they're the highest ranked so these conferences are important and we are going to Jump Right In All roster sourcing today comes from ourlads.com team stats and player stats from the previous season come from ESPN um we're going to start with a fun conference and what is the Mac the mid- American Conference some of my favorite teams are in here the Michigan schools um I'm excited to talk about the Mac because the Mac is is always just a just a cluster a lot of middle of the- pack teams uh a lot of conference losses even for Conference champions often it there's really this conference is always a toss up um the team that's favored to win in a lot of these polls are Miami of Ohio and Toledo are the top two um for the most part and a lot of people's projections but I'm actually going to go with Northern Illinois and I believe that Northern Illinois wins the Mac this year because they have quite a few transfers coming in that are going to start and make an immediate impact for them they have Kenji Lewis who should start at receiver for them this year they have Grayson Barnes who should start at tight end for them this year then on the defensive side of the ball they bring in transfer middle linebacker Christian Ferman and forgive forgive me if I mispronounced this name but at free safety they brought in Nate V carel or V uh yeah V carsel that looks about right they bring him in um and it looks like they have a lot of guys that are going to make an immediate impact along with some depth transfer pieces that are a little bit younger like a sophomore receiver transfer and a couple other guys that are going to get like real minutes that are transferred in backup defensive tackles backup ends backup linebackers that are all transfer guys that are going to come in get some reps and I think that makes the difference for Northern Illinois um they have some questions at quarterback with Ethan Hampton as do a lot of these Mac schools though they have questions at really a lot of skill positions um the Mac has produced some good Corners in recent years and I do believe that uh Northern Illinois can really really hold up in a lot of these uh defensive back positions and that's why I have Northern Illinois um winning this conference and my Darkhorse pick for this conference kind of a team that's projected middle of the pack that I think could make some noises Eastern Michigan this year um they are one of the most improved teams in college football and they just they've continued to get better over these last couple years so I truly do believe that Eastern Michigan is a good Dark Horse in this conference let's move on now and talk about the AAC um give me Memphis uh they're the favorite in most of these preseason rankings and this is one that I'm going to have to agree with I believe that Memphis wins this conference this year um they have a great offense going into this year uh fourthe starter at quarterback I mean very very productive guy for the teams I'll take behind them give me give me to Lane uh and UTSA we'll take USF as my dark horse in this conference um pretty simple stuff there same with Conference USA it's it's liberty it's liberty I mean Liberty is the team that will win the conference USA I'm confident in that I'd put I'd put my mortgage on it I don't have a mortgage but I'd put my mortgage on it okay Jacksonville State and Western Kentucky are fun in this conference but I think Kaden Salter proves to be too much and I think Liberty has another great season they've had two great dual threat quarterbacks uh for the last couple years in Malik Willis and Kaden Salter and he's back this year Give me liberty to win Conference USA this year not much discussion don't really have a Darkhorse in this conference because again I think it's Liberty's conference to lose let's now move on to the Mountain West Conference I believe that the Mountain West will go to Boise State um there's some teams to look out for here uh San Jose State UNLV and I I hear and I think the Air Force could be entertaining this year and they're going to be my Dark Horse I know they're kind of up there in that like 43 spot but I I think the Air Force is entertaining enough to maybe make a run at it especially with the news coming out that Malachi Nelson will not be starting at quarterback for um Boise State which I guess you could say just means he's not better but I think he obviously has more topend Talent than madx Madison um what a name by the way he could be a he could be a stud I mean I get I'm not going to say that he's not they don't bring in a lot of transfers that are going to start but they bring back a lot a lot of production from last year I think that it's Boise State's conference again um they bring in one grad transfer at wide receiver who's projected to start and Cameron camper and one Edge transfer that's projected to start and that's Tavon wood uh Woodard um I think that this Boise State team could be very good and I think that they could be the playoff team that comes out of the group of five group of six in the Sun Belt give me App State I know uh I see a lot of Texas State you can't count Troy out Troy's won it in backto back years but give me App State the reason I like app state is they thrive in situations against ranked teams teams that they're really not supposed to beat Circa Michigan Circa North Carolina who they've hunt around with I think they beat West Virginia maybe an NC State within the last couple years and I think that this 12 team playoff is really motivation for an app State team that looks like we can compete with top end Talent so now what we have to do is Shore up our own conference make sure we win our own conference and I think App State much like Boise state has that chance at if they run the table in their conference they could be that group of five team to make the playoffs um for my Darkhorse team give me give me Coastal Carolina um and I also have to look at Texas state they're not a Dark Horse by any means they're projected to win the conference in a lot of these polls they get a great quarterback from James Madison and Jordan McLoud and that's going to hurt James Madison a lot too who is in this race for this conference so give me App State to win this conference with Coastal Carolina and Texas State finishing near that top spot as well here's my first big pick that might be a hot take as we move into these power four conferences now as we shall call them give me Kansas in the Big 12 Kansas has a ton of production with uh Jaylen Daniel and Kobe Bryant being their top two players and big leaders on the offensive and defensive side of the ball I think Kansas is going to be really good I know that Utah is projected to win and Utah very well could win this conference this isn't me saying Utah doesn't win the Big 12 but I give me Kansas I like Kansas Devin Neils back who's amazing Lawrence Arnold who had a good year Quinton Skinner and Luke Grim they should all be very this offense has the potential to be explosive my only concern with this Kansas team is their offensive line I worry a bit about their offensive line but they have a great running back who makes Great Cuts and finds makes really good reads out of the back field so I like this Kansas team to win the conference actually um give me Utah in second Oklahoma State and Kansas State are somewhere in there um so I think and Arizona is a team that the Big 12 race will be entertaining I don't think they have a championship contender in this conference but they have potentially and no one's talking about this the Big 12 could have two teams make the playoffs I could see Kansas State in there Oklahoma State in there Utah Arizona and Kansas so any combination uh I could see two teams coming out of this conference uh but give me Kansas to win the Big 12 this year as we move on to the ACC give me Miami over Clemson I I like Miami um this year Miami has one of my favorite quarterbacks in college football in cam Ward I think Miami is going to be a problem for Clemson this year I think this Clemson team is very good um I'm not going to count out Florida state yet even with the really really tough loss they just took to Georgia Tech in Dublin but uh I really I really like this team they got Damen Martinez as well a transferred running back I I think and they get uh Samuel Brown um to play receiver for them I think this offense added a ton of production from other teams um and this that's why this Miami team is really exciting on the offensive side of the ball and their defense is loaded with transfers and they might have some questions early in the year um they yeah very well could have some um I'm sorry I'm stumbling a bit here they could have some questions defensively early in the year um with six of their projected 11 starters being transfers and CJ Clark siman Barrow who comes from Michigan State who is was a topend talent in the transfer portal at defensive tackle and people talked about a big loss for Michigan State um as a Michigan State fan and a Michigan State podcaster I thought Michigan State's pass rush was really bad and I thought Simeon Barrow was very overrated in the transfer portal but Simeon barel will make a difference on any defense he's in I think I'm just salty about Simeon Barrow's departure so give me Miami to win this conference Clemson is going to be very good also um don't get me wrong with Clemson here um they return a ton of produ production on offense they don't have anyone new to the program that's projected to start for them and I think Kade Club Nick will be very good and their defense returns a ton of production as well with no one new projected to start no incoming freshman or transfers so this team has a lot less questions than Miami I think they're more I think that Clemson's going to be better and look a lot better at the start but once you get to that halfway to end of season Point once Miami's transfers can really gel and uh all the new audition to that Miami team I think that Miami is going to be very good in the ACC and I think Miami wins the ACC I don't really have a dark horse because this this conference is fairly topheavy with Clemson Florida State and Miami um but give me Miami here I really really like this Miami team if they can put it together at about the halfway point of the Season we'll now move on to the SEC in which I think really is uh a one- team Race with everyone else be behind them and I believe that Georgia wins this conference this is probably my first non shocker power four pick um Texas Alabama can compete for that spot but I don't think that any of them are going to top Georgia this year as my Darkhorse team give me Old Miss I think that Old Miss is legitimately going to be very very good this year um and I think that Old Miss gets a playoff spot actually and I'm going to get into that in a minute once I talk playoffs but uh give me Georgia coming out of the SEC too much talent um way too much talent and that's my pick for the SEC pretty quick simple I think that this conference is simple this year we'll now move on to the final conference which is a little bit complicated um a lot of people say it's a two- team Race but I don't want to necessarily count out Michigan and Penn State to win this conference but give me Ohio State um they're going to have to go through Oregon twice um in the regular season and I have them going against Oregon in the Big 10 Championship but give me Ohio state they're out of conference schedule is an absolute joke um that consist of Western Michigan Marshall and who else is on the akan on this out of conference schedule just a joke it gets a little bit tougher for him in Big 10 play with Iowa Oregon Penn State and Michigan but I believe that they split with Oregon I think they lose the regular season game at oddson but I believe that they beat them in the big 10 Championship I don't want to overlook this game that's at Penn State I think that Penn State's going to be very good I think that Drew Aller is going to really really break out this year um Penn State's a scary team in the Big 10 for my big 10 Darkhorse give me Nebraska um a lot lays on the five star freshman's uh shoulders in Dylan riola I don't think that they have a ton of pressure to win this conference this year which is why I think that this Nebraska team could be very good um I think Nebraska will be a solid Big 10 team and if it was still east and west I would pick them to probably win the West over Iowa and Wisconsin um so I like Nebraska as a dark horse in this conference I don't think they're going to win it but Nebraska could be very good in this conference so that wraps up my conference predictions um as we now get into my playoff teams for the one seed give me the Georgia Bulldogs um I think that they go Fairly untouched in the SEC although I think there's good teams there give me Georgia in the one slot and then give me Ohio State and the two um I believe they have one regular season loss that comes out oddson maybe two with Penn State but then at that point they don't even get into the Big 10 Championship but I have Ohio State in this playoff I have them winning the Big 10 so give me Ohio State in the three slot give me Miami out of the ACC I think Miami is going to be very good I think their bumps are Clemson um maybe North Carolina could be solid um and Florida State still has potential but after that geia Tech lost not sold on them so give me give me those teams um as my top three and then we'll take the Big 12 Champion um in yeah we'll take the Big 12 Champion next in um give me Kansas to get that four spot I like Kansas here um I already talked about it I think that the Big 12 could be bumpy and that maybe the um a group of five team could get that final that final buy um actually over uh a big 12 team cuz I think the Big 12 is going to beat up on each other a little bit this upcoming year but give me give me Kansas to get that spot for my at large my group of five conference Champion pick to get into the college football playoff give me App State as that team I think again app state is going to thrive in this 12 team college football playoff along with some teams like Boise State could get in also and I could see two group of five teams getting in maybe Boise State as well but give me app state is that team that gets in there um I think the app state has a lot of production I think the app state is can compete and believes that they can compete with some of the best as they've seen in the past I think that that's really going to lean into their favor when you look at these group of five teams when it's a four team playoff they don't really have too much to look forward to other than a conference Championship but this gives a lot of pressure on some of these teams and I think that AB State thrives under that pressure and gets that final spot I'm not going to rank these last teams in any particular order of who I think gets in but give me Oregon out of the Big 10 and also give me Penn State out of the Big 10 I think that both of them get in out of the Big 10 I think that Penn State's going to be very good this year um and Oregon will be very good as well with their loss being Ohio State in the Big 10 championship and Oregon may very well go um Oregon very well may go undefeated in the regular season but just lose that conference Championship so they miss out on a buy Penn State's going to have some Road bumps this year I'm I'm not going to lie to you they do have to go to USC they play a Washington team who I think is very overlooked I know they lose a ton of production but they could be very good but Penn State's real problems in the Big 10 are USC and Ohio State and if those are the only two games they lose I don't see a world in which we leave Penn State out of the college football playoff so give me Penn State there um I believe that puts me at seven teams in right now so let's go back to this big 12 give me Utah I think that the Big 12 can get two teams in there give me Utah is that 18 eighth team I put in the playoffs here again cam ryzen very good player they have a lot of production they're projected to win the conference in a lot of these um preseason rankings just I just have them losing to Kansas in that conference Championship so this race is going to be fun in the Big 12 give me Utah to also sneak in although could only be one big 12 team because I could see this conference really really beating up on each other um which is a problem that the Pack 12 always had so I could see that happening in the Big 12 this year out of the ACC I had um Miami winning this conference but give me Clemson to get in also um I think that this Clemson team is gonna be very good could very well win their conference give me Clemson in there I'm not going to take Florida State now with the loss to Georgia Tech it's a really ugly early season loss um so I'm just going to get Clemson in there and um I could see an NC state land in or a Louisville land in but I don't really see it this year um so yeah that is team number nine that I have in the playoffs now we look to the SEC for a couple more teams um and for a couple more teams out of the SEC give me Old Miss and give me Tech I believe Alabama misses this year Texas is going to be very good again with Quin ERS we'll kind of see how they look in that early season test against Michigan um but give me Texas and ol Miss I think Jackson Dart and ol Miss are going to be very good and I think quins and Texas are going to be very good this year give me those two teams to get in and that leaves me out of group of f or power four Conference teams that I think will get in so I will throw that Boise State team into my um my last little pick here we do have to see them play a fairly tough out of conference schedule they have Oregon very tough game and then Washington State and Oregon State which are both winnable they have that the Pack 12 uh paired with the Mountain West this year for some scheduling um so I think that Boise State will be tested early and I think that's good for them heading into a pretty kind conference schedule um they avoid kind of the top tier teams in the conference other than UNLV um and they get to host Utah State give be Boise State to get that last spot maybe maybe maybe a two loss team maybe only a one loss team with that loss coming against Oregon give me Boise State to get in there and that is my college football playoffs so to review it quickly I have Georgia Texas all miss out of the SEC out of the Big 12 I have Kansas and Utah out of the Big 10 give me Oregon Ohio State Penn State out of the ACC give me Miami and Clemson and then we have Boise State and App State getting in also those are my college football playoff picks that is my preseason preview and predictions for conferences in the college football playoff if you enjoyed this episode of the Everything Green podcast where we cover Michigan State athletics along with everything college football please leave a like subscribe comment share do whatever you can it all helps me out I appreciate you guys just for being here thank you for your support and you guys have a great rest of your day