Here we are in a brand new year, and a new year brings new champions. These are my predictions for what we will see in the world of sports in 2016:

NFL:

Even though the season has already been played, the playoffs are yet to begin and anything can happen in the playoffs. That being said I think the best team in the league is the Carolina Panthers, and I foresee them facing the always dangerous defending champions New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are both football geniuses, but the Panthers have been outstanding all year and I do not see that ending for the playoffs.

Final Score: 38-31 Panthers.

NCAA Football:

Although I have written an article on why I thought Alabama was going to win the National Title, now that we know the true matchup I can predict the score.

Final Score: 45-28 Alabama

NHL:

Now I do not keep up with hockey, but because of where I am from I am up to date on my hometown team, the Dallas Stars. They're the real deal. Because of this I am somewhat aware of the rest of the NHL and who is good and who is not. They are up there with the likes of Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers, and Los Angeles Kings. My bet is the Dallas Stars will make the Stanley Cup Finals and they will face Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

Final Score: Stars in seven games (How can I bet against my hometown team when they are that good anyway?).

NBA:

This is such a hard league to try and pick a champion seeing how talented the Western Conference is and the several talented teams in the East, but I will do my best. The top Western Conference teams are the Warriors, the ageless Spurs, and the Thunder. Each has playoff experience, two are proven champions, and they all have superstars. The difference maker in the West is experience, and as the Spurs Coach, Greg Popovich, has pointed out, the 3-pointer.

As for the East, the Cavaliers, Bulls, and Raptors are at the top as of now. As long as LeBron is in this league it is hard to bet against him, but there are very talented and young teams in the East that could face the Cavaliers and stage an upset.

However, I foresee a rematch of this past year and the defending champion, 3-point shooting, Splash Bros. & Co. facing off against King LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Final Score: Warrior’s in seven games (It all comes down to home court advantage in this one).

MLB:

There are still a lot of offseason moves that can occur and the always potent midseason acquisition that can change teams dramatically, but here is my way too early prediction for the 2016 baseball world champs. There are so many teams that could win, and with such a long season it is almost impossible to predict. For example, the Texas Rangers looked like they were about to miss a second straight playoff appearance and then acquired some great pitching and won the American League West. Here are some notable teams since I can talk about every single one right now.

AL East:

The Red Sox are arguably the offseason's biggest winners and will be fighting for the top spot in the AL East against a very good… well, everybody. The Blue Jays were great last year and have the AL MVP, the Yankees have outstanding pitching, the Orioles also have some pitching as well as a solid team and the Tampa Bay Rays never seem to give up no matter how bad they may look on paper. No, the Rays and Orioles probably will not win the division, but they can still stir the division up and alter who ultimately wins it.

AL West:

This division ultimately comes down to the Rangers and Astros, but like the AL East, they can be dramatically altered by the way the Angels, A’s, and Mariners play. The Rangers have been fairly quiet over the offseason and feel confident in their roster. Their biggest moves for this coming season actually occurred during this past season with the acquisition of Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman. Their 2016 season is going to heavily rely on their health, seeing as Yu Darvish is coming back from Tommy John surgery and the bulk of their lineup is getting closer to the ends of their careers than they are to their first game in the pros.

The Astros are very young and talented and will look for Dallas Keuchel, Jose Altuve, and Carlos Correa to guide the team to the playoffs. They have a great manager and have shown us that they can win, but are they going to be talented enough to win the division and even the World Series, or are they still a year or two away from winning it all?

Kansas City Royals:

The defending champions are going to return to the 2016 season with a very talented roster again and will look to repeat. They have a strong chance, but will they be able to make it to the final two teams in October for the third year in a row?

St. Louis Cardinals:

St. Louis had the most wins in baseball last season, but did not make a great splash in the offseason. They also lost Jason Heyward, so it will be interesting to see if he can be replaced. The Cardinals also always have great pitching, which always keeps them in the mix.

Chicago Cubs:

The Cubs were a team that most people did not think would make their huge splash until this season, but it came early. Now people predict that they might even be the World Series favorites, especially after stealing Jason Heyward from the in division rivals.

NL East:

The NL East I imagine will be decided between Mets and Nationals. It is hard to pick, but I like the Mets this year because they have the better pitching in my eyes, but out of all the divisions this may be the one that is the hardest to predict. I am certain that the Mets starting pitching rotation will be phenomenal again and Bryce Harper will continue to dazzle.

NL West:

The Dodgers are the team to be again in 2016. Their ridiculous payroll is still ridiculous and the talent they will put out on the field is still great, but they just can't seem to get it done in October and the coaching change they have made may be the difference maker. The Diamondbacks, however, could put an end to the Dodgers reign and ex-Dodger Zack Greinke and Paul Goldschmidt will be the players that lead them to the playoffs.

Final Score: Cubs over Rangers in six games.

MLS:

I do not have a lot to say about this, as soccer is the sport I watch least, but here is my prediction. This past season the Portland Timbers beat the Columbus Crew for the MLS Cup, however next year I am betting on my hometown team, FC Dallas to make it to the championship.

Final Score: FC Dallas over New York Red Bulls

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE:

Arsenal will win the league.

SPANISH PRIMERA DIVISION:

FC Barcelona followed by Atletico Madrid and then Real Madrid.

Well there you have it; those are my way too early and some not early enough predictions for the champions of 2016. Like 2015 and the years and years before it, anything can happen. One thing is certain, however: This year is going to be a great one for sports.