The NCAA football regular season has come to a close. The conference championships are over and the bowl season is about to get under way.  This will be the final postseason before the new play-off system is implemented. A few teams surpassed expectations this season, including Northern Illinois, who went undefeated in the regular season before dropping their conference championship game.  Also a surprise was their Heisman candidate, quarterback Jordan Lynch. Auburn, fresh off their unforgettable win over Alabama, surely overachieved this year by turning a 1-7 SEC record from 2012 into a 7-1 SEC record and SEC Championship in 2013. A couple of disappointing teams this year were Michigan and Florida. Michigan had expected to compete for the Big 10 championship, but ended the season at 7-5. Florida started the season ranked and finished at a dismal 4-8, with an embarrassing loss to Georgia Southern. Coach Will Muschamp could be on his way out of Gainseville. The BCS Championship matchup is set. Florida State will play Auburn for the championship. Ohio State had a chance, but lost to Michigan State in the Big 10 championship. Florida State beats Auburn in my opinion because quarterback Jameis Winston, who will also win the Heisman in a landslide, is too good for any defense to stop. Auburn’s rushing attack is good, but Florida State will probably score a lot of points, forcing Auburn to throw the ball to keep up.

The NFL regular season has only three weeks left. Some teams have locked up a playoff spot already, while many are fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Houston Texans claim the title of most disappointing NFL team, with the hometown Washington Redskins coming in a close second. Both had playoff aspirations coming into the season but must now settle for top draft pick aspirations. Unfortunately for Washington, they do not have a first-round draft pick this year because of the RGIII trade, which just adds to the disappointment. The NFC playoff picture is wide open. Seattle, San Francisco, New Orleans, and Carolina are all headed to the playoffs. Those four are only coming from two divisions, meaning the NFC East and NFC North will only have one team each in the playoffs. The East seems to be a battle between the Cowboys and the Eagles, while the North is between the Lions and the Bears, with the Packers still clinging on to hope. The AFC playoffs will most likely see two teams from the West in the Broncos and the Chiefs. The Patriots are a lock, and the Colts are pretty close to a lock, leaving only the AFC North and the wild card to be decided. The Bengals have the edge over the Steelers and the Ravens right now, but it’s not over yet. The wild card race is very close. The Chargers, Ravens, and the Dolphins are all looking to secure the last spot. The Super Bowl will feature the two most complete teams from each league, the Seahawks and the Broncos. I have the Seahawks winning because of their dominant defense.