ACC: Clemson Tigers

The Tigers reign over the ACC has an extremely high likelihood to continue this year. D.J. Uiagalelei showed the college football world last year that he could replace Trevor Lawrence and the team still thrives. The Tigers as a whole do not have the talent level that their teams of previous years had, however, the ACC as a conference is a year or two away from seeing a new champ. North Carolina, led by Sam Howell, lost too many weapons from last year to be serious contenders. Miami has yet to perform at the level that has been expected of them in big games over the past couple of seasons. The rest of the ACC would need to see a lot of chaos to occur to have a chance at the title.

Big Ten: Ohio State Buckeyes

The Big Ten for the first time in a couple years, finally sees Ohio State being in a vulnerable position to lose their crown of the conference. Teams like Penn State, Indiana, and Wisconsin, if all their key pieces play up to their potential, have very viable cases to win the conference this year. Iowa and Northwestern have strong cases as well if they can carry over their performance from last year, however a drop off from these schools could be a real possibility. For Ohio State, if C.J. Stroud can step up and play even remotely to the level of Justin Fields, Ohio State will be securing their place in the College Football Playoff once again.

Big 12: Oklahoma Sooners

The Big 12 is truly a two horse race between Oklahoma and Iowa State, however history has a good chance of repeating itself. Although Iowa State does have the workhorse back Breece Hall and a potential NFL draft pick quarterback in Brock Purdy. The talent level of Oklahoma truly sets them ahead, led by Heisman favorite quarterback Spencer Rattler, the Sooners could very easily be one of the top three most talented teams in the entire nation. Last year, even with Oklahoma not playing to their talent level, they still managed to outlast the Cyclones. However, it could truly come down to the matchup between Purdy and Rattler for which team comes out on top.

PAC 12: Oregon Ducks

Although the prediction of a sleeper team in the conference like Washington, UCLA or even Utah is very intriguing as the PAC 12 is consistently unpredictable. It comes down to USC and Oregon, who would only face each other in the event they both made the conference championship game. Between the two schools, quarterback play will be extremely important. For the Trojans, if Kedon Slovis can play at the same level as his freshman season, they can easily win the conference and have a shot at the College Football Playoff. Oregon, who will have an early test in Ohio State to prove if they are an elite team in the nation, will be relying on Anthony Brown to run the offense. However, the overall talent of Oregon, featuring players like CJ Verdell and Kayvon Thibodeaux, can carry lackluster performances by Brown and that is why they have a top tier chance to win the conference and a good argument for the College Football Playoff.

SEC: Georgia Bulldogs

The Bulldogs are the most talented team in college football, even with the loss of George Pickens at wide receiver. A team that should be elite on the defensive end, an excellent quarterback in JT Daniels, and a coach with something to prove in Kirby Smart could finally dethrone the Crimson Tide for the SEC and potentially win the National Title. The Crimson Tide still field a lot of talent and Bryce Young is a dynamic playmaker at the quarterback position, however, for the first time in a long time, they are not as talented as the Bulldogs. Texas A&M once again is on the outside looking in for the title, it truly comes down to quarterback play for the Aggies to even make the title game.

American: Cincinnati Bearcats

The American is easily the best Group of Five conference, and Cincinnati is far and away the best team. A team coming off a close New Year’s Six bowl to Georgia, returning most of their key pieces, led by Desmond Ridder, has a serious case to make the College Football Playoff if they can run the table. Teams like UCF, SMU, and Memphis in most years would be very viable options, however Cincinnati is quite possibly the largest lock in the nation.

C-USA: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Marshall was the surprise team of last year in the conference, reaching as high as top-20 in the nation. However, a massive drop-off is likely to happen, so it truly comes down to the usual suspects in the conference. Florida Atlantic, UAB, and Louisiana Tech all are fairly even teams, however if Luke Anthony can have a full recovery and the transfers the Bulldogs received can play well, they will pull ahead of the Owls and Blazers.

MAC: Ohio Bobcats

MACtion will be in full force this year, being a tough conference to predict, however, the team that is the least susceptible to suffering too many upsets would have to be the Bobcats. A solid offensive team, the defense can potentially be the catalyst for a MAC championship. If the defense can limit the scoring in a traditionally high scoring conference, they could be a real force to easily take the crown.

MWC: Boise State Broncos

The Mountain West has not been the top Group of Five conference in a couple of years and that trend will continue this year. San Jose State was the surprise team last year with Nick Starkell, but last year very well could have been a one hit wonder kind of season. A conference that is tough to call with teams like Fresno State, San Diego State, and Nevada having very good chances to win the conference. There’s something about the blue turf in Boise that has the Broncos ready to make a run every single season. Although the Broncos have a new coach, a new coach’s best friend is an experienced quarterback and Hank Bachmeier provides that to lead the Broncos to reclaiming the Mountain West Title.

Sun Belt: Appalachian State Mountaineers

One of the most interesting conferences in football this year, headlined by Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, and Louisiana Lafayette. Coastal Carolina with a long shot Heisman hopeful Grayson McCall leading the squad, was a true surprise in 2020, however this is yet another team that is a potential one hit wonder and could struggle in a tough conference. Louisiana Lafayette is a strong team that needs to see if their passing offense can match the rest of their game. They face a tough test in the Texas Longhorns Week 1, but are the Mountaineers toughest competition in the Sun Belt. Appalachian State has built a culture of having very strong fundamentals and are a better all-around team than Louisiana Lafayette, which is why they will continue to be one of the best Group of Five teams in the nation.