In today’s Fact or Fiction national columnist Mike Farrell looks at three big recent topics in college football and decides whether each statement is indeed FACT or if it’s FICTION.
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1. Alabama is the true favorite to win it all.
Farrell’s take: FACT. The betting odds speak to it — never bet against Alabama. The Crimson Tide have become the favorite in Vegas (and elsewhere) to win the national title this season despite losing their quarterback, running back and most of their wide receivers. Oh, and they lost a first-round cornerback as well.
But it doesn’t matter.
At this point it’s simply never smart to bet against Nick Saban. And teams like Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia and Oklahoma will just have to prove the experts wrong.
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2. Additions can save the Big 12's Power Five status.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. I like UCF, Cincinnati, BYU and Houston, and each of those programs has a nice following. But even if the Big 12 adds these teams tell me what program would be the leader and bell cow for the conference. There isn’t one. And that’s a huge issue overall.
Without Texas and Oklahoma this conference has zero chance to compete with the super conferences that will be formed to compete with the SEC as it adds the Longhorns and Sooners. The only hope for the Big 12 would be to be absorbed by a megaconference of over 20 programs if we eventually head to two or three massive conferences – and even then not every team will be taken. The Big 12 should have taken care of its big programs over the last decade-plus.
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3. Ohio State’s defense will be an issue for the Buckeyes.
Farrell’s take: FACT. I said the same thing last season and the Buckeyes went all the way to the national title game. So, maybe it’s not a massive issue, but there is a lack of elite talent up front and I worry about how they handle teams that can balance the run and the pass. It will eventually catch up with them.
