Our task is to pick the football teams we want to watch in 2017. We have no guidelines except that which is in our hearts. In the first round one team from the Big 12, SEC, ACC, and Pac-12 picked up a selection. Sorry, Big Ten you’re fighting an uphill battle with 18 Stripes.

Opponent Draft Results

Round 1, Pick 1, Mike: Oklahoma State
Round 1, Pick 2, Eric: Louisiana State
Round 1, Pick 3, Brendan: Clemson
Round 1, Pick 4, Dan: Washington

Round 2, Pick 1, 5th Overall
Dan: Texas

No idea why I like them as much as I do, but Tom Herman on board with a talented team should/could be a lot of fun. They likely get slaughtered at USC in week 3 this year, but love the fact that they schedule tough every year (LSU comes on when USC goes off in 2 years). As a fan of a team, playing big, fun games is important, especially if you’re not truly a contender to win it all. Gotta think there could be some growing pains in the near term, but if you want a bandwagon to get on, now would be the time for the Longhorns.

Round 2, Pick 2, 6th Overall
Brendan: Utah

Probably not destined for greatness this year, or any year really, but Kyle Whittingham always seems to have them punching above their weight and playing entertaining games despite having a theoretically less-talented roster. Over the last three seasons they’ve gone 28-11, with eight of those losses coming by single digits, and they’ve never had even a top-30 recruiting class. They’re 3-1 against USC and Stanford and 3-0 in bowl games over the last three years too. Sigh.

Round 2, Pick 3, 7th Overall
Eric: Oregon

I think the Ducks are among the most interesting teams in the country. For one, they’re coming off their most losses since 1991 which is crazy because for as nouveau riche as they seem the program has at worst pretty good for a quarter century. Two, they aren’t expected to be great which is unusual and I’m curious to see if they surprise. Three, they have a new coach and their first non-internal hire of my lifetime.

It also feels like one of these years the Pac-12 is going to rise up and be the unquestioned best football conference and maybe this is the year with a Ducks team turning heads when they’re not expected to?

Round 2, Pick 4, 8th Overall
Mike: Auburn

I have a bit of a soft spot for Auburn in the Nick Saban era. Somehow being the in-state rival of a dynasty has painted the Tigers, with their annual top-10 recruiting classes, as an underdog. Regardless, I’m banking on transfer (and one time ND target) Jarrett Stidham helping Gus Malzahn get his groove back on offense to pair with a solid defense.

Even if things go poorly, Auburn could play spoiler for SEC division favorites when they host Georgia and Alabama over the last three weeks of the season. And while I’d rather see the Tigers take the SEC West, Gus Malzahn hot seat and Les Miles replacement rumors are also right up my alley too – it’s a win-win.