Plenty of upsets this past week in college football, with the Sun Belt Conference (wow!) claiming three in Marshall, Georgia Southern, and App State. But when things will get back to normal, which they always do, I predict Penn State and Tennessee will rise to the top.
At least one team has come in underrated on the various pre-season top 25 rankings for the NCAA football season. As I look over the upcoming season, the apparent incumbents are all over the top of the polls. That’s not unusual, and the various underdogs have their work cut out for them if they are to upset or uproot the mighty ‘trees’ that these programs have been working to make themselves into.
If they don’t sit back on cruise control and seriously find a way to dig inside and push the extra mile, these teams can top these mighty oaks in the game or two they need to. That is the best test of their skills. Indeed every game matters and no opponent should be taken lightly, but the time to prove to yourself and college football fans is now. They can’t take the field on simple cruise control like trotting in a parade at a pony show.
They can’t hand the game or season away before they step on the field because no one thinks they can win in these matches, so there is no need to bother with all that much effort. They can’t go out to toss the football around like it’s just a formal Saturday stroll like there’s no harm in losing those games that they weren’t even expected to win. Certain games are their most significant test if they want to push past those robust programs to put their team’s season into the lore of college football history. And they can’t think no one will notice if they don’t win or they concede to defeat without a contest before they step on the field or after, even during the game.
Penn State has a bevy of senior leadership to lean on. That will bode well for their program as freshmen learn to move that team forward. Tennessee has a senior leadership group on its squad at some very important places.
I’d love to see Penn State and Tennessee in the National Championship game. They both have experienced squads, they are largely overlooked and unexpected, so it’s up to the players to put that effort together. I think Penn State is a top ten team along with Tennessee, and they have the road ahead paved out in front of them. It’s time for them to dig their heels in and face the challenges in front of them. No one expects it from them. Sports Illustrated had Tennessee ranked #25 and Penn State at #16 in the preseason poll. At NCAA.com, the poll put Tennessee at #24 but finds no room for Penn State. At 247sports.com, Tennessee is #27, and Penn State is #22. USAToday put Tennessee at #25 and Penn State at #20, and one poll I saw had Tennessee at #9 and Penn State at #13.
There is a lot of football ahead, but Tennessee and Penn State control their destiny here and can push forward and past the top seeds of Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, and Michigan.
I think they can surprise college football fans everywhere, and I pretty much expect it from them.
