By Mardeio Cannon | OBSERVER Columnist

Hello, 2025 and goodbye to 2024. If you are reading this column then you are blessed to have either survived or thrived, or a combination of both, in 2024.

Now that we have crossed over into a new year, I will share my thoughts and predictions for 2025, so here goes:

  • Marcus Freeman will lead his Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the college football championship with a chance to become the first African American head coach to win the coveted national title. However, I predict they will fall short against the Ohio State Buckeyes. I hope I am wrong.
  • Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson may win his third MVP award. However if he doesn’t slay his playoff demons and lead the Ravens to the Super Bowl, which he has yet to do, his legacy may be forever tainted. So, I am going to predict that the Ravens will face the Detroit Lions in this year’s Super Bowl. Lions 34, Ravens 18.
  • Last year, women’s college basketball was more popular than the men’s game, thanks in large part to young superstars such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. This year will be no exception with superstar talents like JuJu Watkins of USC and Paige Bueckers of the University of Connecticut making a huge impact. I predict that Watkins will lead the Trojans to the women’s NCAA championship.
  • Now that the A’s are calling Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento home for the next three years while their permanent home is built in Las Vegas, I predict that supported by sellout crowds, the A’s will be inspired to make the American league playoffs.
  • The Sacramento Kings, with the acquisition of DeMar DeRozan in the offseason, were predicted to earn a playoff spot. However, after a slow start, the Kings fell to 12th in the Western Conference. However, with new Coach Doug Christie, the addition of rookie Devin Carter, and De’Aaron Fox’s push to be named all-NBA, I predict that the Kings will win their play-in game and make the playoffs.
  • Because he will not sign an extension, I predict that the Kings will make a blockbuster in the offseason with Fox as the centerpiece.
  • I predict that with Brennan Marion, the new football coach who has brought in some excellent players through the transfer portal, Sacramento State will win 10 games and make the playoffs.