College Football Is Back
The college football season kicks off with a top 25 ranked matchup in the Big 12. Oh yeah, let’s get cranked up for the season opener in Dublin, Ireland.
Wait, WHAT?!?
Well, if you haven’t been paying attention, the college football season will start with a contest between two top 25 ranked Big 12 teams in Ireland in week zero. The Kansas State Wildcats and the Houston Texans feeder program, aka, the Iowa State Cyclones will lock horns in the only place where the 2025 season should debut.
Dublin, Ireland.
It’s going to be a heck of a matchup to start the season and perhaps the unique opening locale will give rise to one of the most unique seasons in quite some time. As such, here’s a quick look at some of my bold predictions for 2025
Texas will win the SEC, but if you’re looking for a sleeper team, watch for surprising Auburn
Texas QB Arch Manning will live up to most of the hype in 2025, although he will struggle a bit on the road in his first road start at Ohio State…which will have social media overflowing with “overrated” narratives. He’ll bounce back and have an All-SEC type season but people won’t let him or Manning stans live down a rough outing in Columbus.
Texas Tech’s overall talent will eventually dominate the Big 12…
…but Arizona State will beat the Red Raiders in Tempe midseason in the Big 12 Game of the Year.
Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson will be the nation’s best receiver in all facets.
Four out of the box contenders for the college football playoff are Auburn, USC, Baylor and Georgia Tech.
My three Heisman favorites to start the season are Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith, Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt and Oklahoma QB John Mateer…with Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love moving up fast, especially with a great game against Texas A&M early in the season.
Florida QB D.J. Lagway will have Florida in contention for EVERYTHING…if he’s healthy enough to play all season.
Illinois won’t surprise anyone in the B1G; most in the conference already know how good this team is. But, the nation will be shocked at the squad head coach Bret Bielema has put together in Champaign.
The hottest name in college football by season’s end will be Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons.
Clemson looks SO good on paper and should be favored in every game this season, but they’ll get tripped up against a team it shouldn’t on the road in the ACC.
As much as Florida State QB Tommy Castellanos will put the game on his shoulders to make HIS bold proclamation come true, Alabama will take the Seminoles to the woodshed, beating the Noles by two touchdowns in the opener.
Matt Rhule’s year three at Temple? 10-4, won the American East. Matt Rhule’s year three at Baylor? 11-3, 8-1 in the Big 12. Matt Rhule’s year three at Nebraska? It has those possibilities for certain. The Huskers play their first five games at home, have a tepid road schedule…until traveling to Penn State to play the Nittany Lions in late November.
Okay, that’s just a few to whet the appetite. Let’s look at the games of the weekend.
Key games in the Big 12 (no SEC this week)
#22 Iowa State v. #17 Kansas State (Dublin, Ireland)
I typically have no dog in the fight in college football games and usually cheer for a good game between great combatants. However, if history is a guide, a future Houston Texan is wearing the cardinal and gold for Iowa State. So…well…you know, right? Okay, all kidding aside, the two QBs - Iowa State’s Rocco Becht and Kansas State’s Avery Johnson - will set the tone all season long for their respective squads. Tough, smart and decisive, each signal caller presents such issues for the opponent as passers and runners. Iowa State must replace both star WRs from last year, while Kansas State must find a replacement for All-Big 12 RB D.J. Giddens.
Fresno State at Kansas
Can Jalon Daniels be healthy enough to bring the excitement to a renovated Memorial Stadium in Lawrence? He’s a rock star when he’s on the field, but has missed too much time due to injuries over his career. He did play 12 games last year and helped make Kansas a top ⅓ of the nation offense. Fresno State has been a Power 5 disruptor in week zero/one before, just ask Purdue. Consequently, the Bulldogs won’t roll out the Welcome Home mat for the Jayhawks, that’s for sure.
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