College football's crystal ball: Our picks for CFP, national champ, biggest surprises and more

While making predictions for the College Football Playoff may seem easy given the regularity with which a handful of teams have dominated the semifinals, there's always at least or maybe two surprises. Last season saw the latter with Michigan and Cincinnati in the field for the first time, while Oklahoma and Clemson saw their lengthy conference championship streaks end.

Likewise, the Heisman Trophy favorites were centered on Spencer Rattler of Oklahoma and ACC quarterbacks Sam Howell and D.J. Uiagalelei. None finished in the top 10. Afterthoughts Kenny Pickett of Pittsburgh and Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan were in New York as finalists.

This season the playoff and Heisman races will again have twists and turns. There will be surprise teams that are both positive and negative. Coaches will be fired, while others will thrive. There will be great games, too. How will it all shake out?

Our experts provide their answers.

Which teams make College Football Playoff?

Scooby Axson: Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Houston: Houston is only on this list because back in December, a certain prediction story stated that another Group of Five school will again bust up the College Football Playoff. Can’t go back on that stance now.

Jace Evans: Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson: The amount of major change this past offseason was frankly shocking, but in terms of the race for the 2022 national title it’s the same as it ever was – Alabama and Ohio State seem to be on a collision course for the national championship game.

Paul Myerberg: Alabama, Michigan, Georgia, Utah: Alabama’s an easy pick. Georgia’s pretty easy, too. The other pair are a little outside the box, even if Michigan made the top four last season. I’m picking the Wolverines to repeat atop the Big Ten and Utah to win the Pac-12.

Erick Smith: Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Oklahoma. There's no doubt the top three are heads and shoulders above the rest of the field. The Sooners have the best shot of the others to make the field with their difficult Big 12 games at home and a reinvigorated program under Brent Venables.

Eddie Timanus: Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Utah: The SEC gets a pair once again, the Buckeyes reclaim the Big Ten throne, and the Utes finally give the Pac-12 a breakthrough.

Dan Wolken: Alabama, USC, Baylor, Ohio State: Maybe I'm crazy but I'll buy into the USC energy and pick them to win the Pac 12. With a break or two, it wouldn't surprise me if they end up doing enough in the games where they have more talent to sneak into the playoff. I really like Baylor as the Big 12 winner.

FORECAST: Top 25 picks and bold predictions) for Week 1 of season

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Who wins the national championship?

Scooby Axson: Ohio State: There are only about five teams that will have legitimate shot of hoisting the trophy at SoFi Stadium. If the Buckeyes defense can get anywhere near a group that can defend the pass, most of their games will be over by halftime..

Jace Evans: Alabama: The Crimson Tide seemingly has more question marks than usual on the offensive line and in the receiver ranks, but new stars are sure to emerge. Helping paper over potential problem areas is the fact that Alabama has the best offensive player (Bryce Young) and best defensive player (Will Anderson Jr.) in college football.

Paul Myerberg: Alabama: The Crimson Tide get back on top behind Bryce Young and Will Anderson. The biggest threat comes from within the SEC. How many times would the Tide have to beat Georgia to claim another national title? This Alabama offense could be even better in 2022 despite losing several wide receivers and a star left tackle.

Erick Smith: Georgia: No team has repeated in the College Football Playoff era. But this year's Bulldogs have enough talent on defense - despite losses to the NFL - to keep games close and quarterback Stetson Bennett should play a big role on offense that gets them through a manageable schedule.

Eddie Timanus: Ohio State: There’s a bit of a 2020 Alabama vibe to this Buckeyes’ offense with national award candidates at nearly every position. The defense might not be elite, but it doesn’t need to be – it just has to be a bit better than last year.

Dan Wolken: Alabama: I don't see who's going to beat an Alabama team with this much experience.

Who is the Heisman winner?

Scooby Axson: Will Anderson, Alabama: Go ahead and read the Heisman description: the award is given to the most outstanding player in college football. Last year, that was Anderson, but his teammate, quarterback Bryce Young, won it. This year, it will be Anderson.

Jace Evans: Will Anderson, Alabama: If Anderson makes a run at Terrell Suggs’ official NCAA record of 24 sacks, and the Crimson Tide go wire to wire at No. 1, he could be the rare defender who takes home the award.

Paul Myerberg: Will Anderson, Alabama: You may have heard that just one defender, former Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson, has won the Heisman. (And Woodson did so by adding 231 receiving yards and averaging 8.6 yards per punt return.) Anderson’s just the most dominant defender since Ndamukong Suh and a very deserving preseason favorite.

Erick Smith: Bryce Young, Alabama: After picking a repeat winner for the national championship, it seems fitting to go with a repeat Heisman winner. Young's too consistent to knock off and equals Archie Griffin as the only two-time winner.

Eddie Timanus: C.J. Stroud, Ohio State: The voters will certainly consider a player from a non-traditional position like Alabama’s Will Anderson, but in the end Stroud’s numbers will be too good to ignore.

Dan Wolken: Will Anderson, Alabama: It seems like voters are coming around more and more to the idea of a defensive player winning the Heisman. With what Anderson did last season, people will have him on the radar to start the year in a way that we haven't seen from many defensive players.

What is the game of the year?

Scooby Axson: Texas A&M at Alabama, Oct. 8: SEC West supremacy, at least for this year, comes down to this game. A&M hasn’t beaten Alabama in Tuscaloosa since Johnny Manziel and his crew pulled off the feat a decade ago. An Aggies' victory on the road against a national title contender could go a long way in terms of confidence.

Jace Evans: Texas A&M at Alabama, Oct. 8: How can it not be this after the fireworks between Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher this offseason? Though neither will probably say it in the lead-up to this game, both coaches will want to send a message, and that should make things interesting.

Paul Myerberg: Michigan at Ohio State, Nov. 26: I can’t pick Alabama and Georgia, since that game’s not technically on the schedule. This one in the Big Ten promises to be national news by virtue of the rivalry, but it could match or even exceed last year’s hoopla should the Buckeyes and Wolverines be battling for the Big Ten Easth.

Erick Smith: Ohio State at Penn State, Oct. 29: When the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions have clashed recently in Happy Valley, the games have always been tight. This year is no exception and it be the place Ohio State falls.

Eddie Timanus: Oklahoma vs. Texas, Oct. 8.: Regardless of the ranking or trajectory of either program, the Red River showdown almost never fails to deliver. The Longhorns’ 36-20 victory in 2013 was the last time the game was decided by more than eight points.

Dan Wolken: Michigan at Ohio State, Nov. 26: Revenge hasn't been part of the equation for Ohio State in this rivalry for a long time. It seems like this could very well be a situation where the winner goes to the playoff.

What is the biggest surprise?

Scooby Axson: Texas wins 6 or more games. While the seat is hot at Texas, Steve Sarkisian might be on to something,They have a chance and the talent to compete in the suddenly wide-open Big 12 now that Lincoln Riley has taken his act out west.  For the Longhorns, reaching the postseason should be attainable enough.

Jace Evans: Tennessee: The Volunteers return the vast majority of an offense that was a top-10 unit in 2021. If they can improve (even marginally) on the defensive side of the ball while still putting up points, the Vols could challenge for their first nine-win regular season since the days of Phillip Fulmer.

Paul Myerberg: I’d go with Houston, which has a chance to run the table out of the American with wins against Texas-San Antonio and Texas Tech to open the regular season. The Cougars then miss Cincinnati and Central Florida in league play, though they’re expected to meet one of those two rivals to decide the conference title.

Erick Smith: Brigham Young: The Cougars missed out on the preseason Top 25, but they'll be there soon and should be able to navigate a difficult schedule (Arkansas, Notre Dame, Baylor) well enough to reach the New Year's Six with all the talent it has back.

Eddie Timanus: Minnesota: A year ago at this time, the Golden Gophers were giving Ohio State all it could handle on opening night before star running back Mo Ibrahim tore his Achilles. The team still managed some nice wins – and yes, a few bad losses – in 2021, but if this group can stay healthy, it will be a significant player in the Big Ten West.

Dan Wolken: USC was one of the most poorly coached teams in the country the last few years. That will change, and I think we'll see it immediately in the results.

What is the biggest disappointment?

Scooby Axson: Notre Dame: Let’s start with the schedule: Ohio State, USC, Clemson, North Carolina and BYU. Any team that can navigate that slate and come out unscathed is a national title contender. The Irish are not that team this year. First-year coach Marcus Freeman has the defense to keep them in games, but is breaking in a new quarterback and needs the running game to get back to pounding teams into submission to even sniff a playoff berth.

Jace Evans: Texas A&M: The Aggies begin the year with a lot of hype, especially after securing the No. 1 recruiting class. But there seems nowhere for this team to go but down. The Aggies upset Alabama last season, but the 2022 meeting comes in Tuscaloosa and the Crimson Tide surely have revenge on the mind. Lose that game, and the Aggies basically have to go 11-0 in their other contests to make the College Football Playoff. That’s not happening for this group.

Paul Myerberg: Relative to expectations, I’m guessing the biggest disappointment will be Texas A&M, which basically needs to win a national championship to match the hype and pressure heading into Jimbo Fisher’s fifth season.

Erick Smith: Southern California: There's a lot of hype surrounding the Trojans but this team isn't good enough in the trenches to win big games. Thoughts of a playoff run based on Lincoln Riley's pedigree are just wishful thinking.

Eddie Timanus: Baylor. Disappointment in this context is relative. The Bears will not be bad – far from it. But a repeat bid for the Big 12 title will be extremely difficult. Baylor does get Oklahoma State at home but must travel to Oklahoma and Texas and must also make the long trek to West Virginia. The Bears must make a return visit to BYU as well, so maintaining this lofty No. 9 preseason ranking seems unlikely.

Dan Wolken: I'm more pessimistic than most on what Clemson is going to look like in the post-Brent Venables era. I'm not sold on the staff hires Dabo Swinney made. I think this was a good moment to get some fresh blood into that program. Instead, he did a lot of moving around and promoting from within. Coming off last season, I'm not sure that was the right move.

Who is the coach of year?

Scooby Axson: Ryan Day, Ohio State: The gist of this award is also simple. Either your team steamrolls everyone and the coach gets award or a team exceeds expectations and the coach gets recognized.  The first one applies for this year at the Buckeyes have loads of talent and no excuses not to end up in the Final Fou.

Jace Evans: Nick Saban, Alabama: The Alabama boss should be coach of the year every year.

Paul Myerberg: Nick Saban, Alabama: Just because he makes it look easy at Alabama doesn’t mean that it is. When it comes to coach of the year honors, Saban is always overlooked because the Tide are expected to dominate.

Erick Smith: James Franklin, Penn State: The Nittany Lions will push Ohio State in the Big Ten East and land a New Year's Six berth after going 11-11 the past two years. The defense is going to be excellent and the offense should be improved with a second season in Mike Yurcich's system.

Eddie Timanus: Josh Heupel, Tennessee: No, the Vols aren’t winning the SEC, but they’ll make life difficult for the league’s top contenders – and might mess things up for at least one of them.

Dan Wolken: Lincoln Riley, Southern California: There aren't many coaches who are immediate difference makers, but USC got one of them.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football predictions: Playoff, national champ, Heisman Trophy