2016 College Football Preview: Projecting the power conferences

With opening night upon us and a full slate of games coming next week, the best time of year is finally here. We'll be rolling out some season preview pieces over the next six days to celebrate, starting this afternoon with a look at each of the five power conferences.

Today's panel is as follows:

Connor Pelton - Co-Managing Editor (@ConnorPelton28)

Ryan Bafaloukos - Co-Managing Editor (@RyanBafo)

Kaelen Jones - ASU/Pac-12 Football Writer (@kaelenjones)

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SEC West

SEC East

The skinny: LSU and Alabama are the class of this conference, but don't be surprised if Georgia or Tennessee sneaks out of the East division and makes a run at the College Football Playoff. Both of their schedules set up nicely, and a spot in the playoff will almost assuredly await the winner of the SEC Championship game. The big question then becomes whether or not the Bulldogs or Volunteers have enough talent to upset the West division champion on that final weekend in Atlanta.

Big Ten East

Big Ten West

The skinny: The Big Ten appears to be the definition of top heavy this season. Four teams - Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan State, and Michigan - all figure to be players for the conference and national title race, but the rest of the Big Ten might not have a team inside the top-30 or top-35.

Pac-12 North

Pac-12 South

The skinny: Just as it is seemingly every season, the Pac-12 figures to be filled with drama and parity. Four different teams were voted as division champions, and only three teams - Oregon State, California, and Colorado - were unanimously agreed upon in their respective spots. Arizona State received a vote as high as third and as low as fifth in the South.

Big 12

The skinny: Our three-person panel has three different picks to win the Big 12, which should give you a sense of how unpredictable the league will be in 2016. TCU, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State should be the favorites to finish on top, but Baylor and Texas could make things interesting as well. Just as it was a year ago, the Big 12 will feature plenty of must-see games week in and week out.

ACC Atlantic

ACC Coastal

The skinny: It may be a down year in the Coastal division, but a pair of top-five teams in the AP's preseason rankings create plenty of intrigue up in the Atlantic. The race between Florida State and Clemson should be a fun one all season long, and the division title race could very well come down to their October 29 meeting in Tallahassee.