It's Lit! CFB explodes onto the scene in Week 1
College Football always seems to start with a bang by providing multiple high profile matchups for the casual fan. For those hardcore college football fans, there are many underrated games to pay attention to as well. Teams are headed in a promising direction by scheduling tougher opponents in the first couple weeks (though there are still plenty of snoozers). Week 1 started with a game in the land down under (Cal-Hawaii played in Australia Friday, August 26th) and finishes with two potential playoff teams (Florida State-Ole Miss face off in the Citrus Bowl Monday night). With so many storylines heading into 2016, college football is back in full force. Enough talk about recruiting, satellite camps, and Jim Harbaugh. It's time to show up or shut up in Week 1.
AROUND THE NATION
Jumpman, Jumpman, Jumpman: Them boys up to somethin, that's for sure. As if Jim Harbaugh hasn't made enough noise in the off-season, the athletic department inked a deal with Jordan Brand. Essentially, everything is Nike's design, but with the Jumpman logo on it instead of the swoosh. Michigan used to be with Nike until they signed with Adidas in 2007. While Michigan is a traditional school when it comes to uniforms, it will be interesting to see what Jordan Brand comes up with now that they are in the football world.
Justified Hype?: You hear it every year, some team that has a young roster last year will be good this year. Or even a team that underperformed last year will produce large dividends this year. There are some common teams who are being picked as dark horses, including Washington, Tennessee, Louisville, Georgia, Miami, and Houston. Most of these teams should surpass their success from 2015, but the question becomes how good can they be? Tennessee hasn't beaten Florida since 2004, Washington hasn't beaten Oregon since '03, Louisville has to play Florida State and Clemson, Georgia plays in the SEC (though they miss Alabama and LSU), Miami is not the U it used to be (sorry Steve), and Houston has to go undefeated to improve from last year. While all of these teams can achieve their goals, those specific things will add pressure and cause problems. Just because you're supposed to improve, doesn't mean you always will. Sometimes, expectations turn into reality, sometimes they turn into disaster. No teams have a goal to win the summer, they want to win national championships.
Cheer with caution:
Washington: The Huskies have a sophomore quarterback and running back who will carry the team. Lots of potential, but little substance.
Houston: They have to start the season against Oklahoma, and they have to handle a ton of hype now that everyone is on their bandwagon.
Louisville: Everyone is assuming Lamar Jackson (a natural running quarterback) will improve as a passer and could be a dark horse for the Heisman. Remember when they did that to Auburn's Jeremy Johnson last year?
Georgia: Bulldogs can go 10-3 again and everyone will treat coach Kirby Smart like a hero. Funny how that works. Georgia's defense should improve, but will RB Nick Chubb return to form? If he can't, they're already without backup Sony Michel and a true freshman may start at quarterback.
Reason for optimism:
Tennessee: Coach Butch Jones has been recruiting like crazy for years, and it's about to pay dividends. QB Joshua Dobbs and RB Jalen Hurd are both dangerous.
Miami: Mark Richt is back in Miami, and Brad Kaaya is the most forgotten quarterback in college football. If the U is good this year, Kaaya will go off.
Minnesota: I've already given my reasons in detail, but it can't hurt to repeat it. Mitch Leidner has experience, Rodney Smith will carry the load until Shannon Brooks returns. the defense will be solid again with Tracy Claeys and new DC Jay Sawvel.
Oregon: The Ducks are almost an afterthought when it comes to the Pac 12. Defensively, things can only go up after last year (especially the second half debacle in the bowl game). Offensively, weapons are abundant for QB Dakota Prukop.
GROUP OF 5 PLAYOFF
Mark Twain said it best, "it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." Any underdog can relate to that quote, because they are always counted out in a battle. The Group of 5 is an underdog as a whole, as the media usually counts them out for the most part. Year 2 of the Group of 5 playoff (on this blog) will be just as exciting as 2015, and the NCAA should really consider this as an option.
#1 Houston Cougars---- Houston needs to go undefeated, and they can start by making a statement week 1 against Oklahoma. Coach Tom Herman signed an extension with the Cougars, so expect the offense to keep putting up points. Greg Ward Jr. is back and leads Houston into a battle against Oklahoma. More to come on that.
#2 San Diego State Aztecs---- Head coach Rocky Long returns for his sixth season with 14 returning starters. Led by RB Donnell Pumphrey, the offense will continue to thrive. QB Christian Chapman returns after taking over early last season and should take some pressure off Pumphrey. Good luck throwing on the Aztecs, as senior CB Damontae Kazee returns after turning down an opportunity to go to the NFL. SDSU's weak schedule should allow for another double digit wins season.
#3 South Florida Bulls---- Underrated team of the year for 2015. QB Quinton Flowers and RB Marlon Mack exploded onto the AAC scene as sophomores, and their development should allow them to compete in the conference this year. A disappointing bowl loss to Western Kentucky to end the year has the Bulls hungry for success.
#4 Boise State Broncos---- After dominating the Group of 5 conversation, Boise State finds themselves in unfamiliar territory: ranked lower than a team in their conference. While the season has yet to begin, SDSU has (for now) taken over the top of the Mountain West. While these two teams won't meet in the regular season, expect them to meet in the conference championship. QB Bryce Rypien, RB Jeremy McNichols and WR's Thomas Sperbeck and Chaz Anderson should put up points to cover for a defense that has to replace multiple studs.
Other 4: Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, Temple Owls, Marshall Thundering Herd, Appalachian State Mountaineers
TPO TOP 4
#1 Clemson Tigers---- Clemson has Deshaun Watson, the best player in the country. He's gifted an embarrassment of riches offensively and the Tigers could surpass their output from last year (38.5 points per game, 514.5 yards per game). The defense returns just three starters, and will need players to step up to fill voids. LB Ben Boulware is the leader and DL Dexter Lawrence is the newcomer who could come up huge for the Tigers. Week 1 against Auburn is no joke.
#2 LSU Tigers---- Les Miles found a gem to coach the defense in Dave Aranda from Wisconsin. Aranda coached some of the top defenses in the nation with talent that doesn't make LSU's recruiting boards. Now that he has more talent to work with, the Tigers could launch themselves back into the national conversation defensively. QB Brandon Harris has another year under his belt, and still has WR's Malachi Dupree and Travin Dural as well as 6'7" TE Colin Jeter to utilize. Oh and they have someone named Leonard Fournette in the backfield too.
#3 Oklahoma Sooners---- If everyone on Oklahoma's roster played with the tenacity and intensity that Baker Mayfield did, this would be a scary team. Mayfield plays with fire and a chip (well, a ton of chips) on his shoulder and always is out to prove people wrong. Even though Oklahoma gets to keep him for two more years, they may lose him the the 2017 NFL draft. For now, he leads a team that made it to the 2015 College Football Playoff and is hungry for more after losing to Clemson.
#4 Alabama Crimson Tide---- It is most likely foolish of me to think the Tide will struggle, because they have proved that a first year quarterback can win a championship. For the third straight year, Bama will line up a first year starting QB under center. Nick Saban is the best coach in the game today, but this year is a little different. Gone is his stud back, gone are multiple draft picks, and most importantly, gone is defensive coordinator Kirby Smart. Smart is replaced by Jeremy Pruitt, which leads many to believe there won't be a drop off. Another tough schedule could spell trouble for the Tide, but Saban has shown he can weather the storm.
Other 4: , Stanford Cardinal, Tennessee Volunteers, Michigan Wolverines, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
MINNESOTA GOPHERS UPDATE
Record: 0-0 Last Week Result: N/A
Opponent: Oregon State Beavers
Opponent Record: 0-0 (2-10 in 2015)
Site: TCF Bank Stadium
Win Probability: Golden
Player to shut down: QB Darrell Garretson
Outlook: Great. Leidner should get the offense right on track. Oregon State shouldn't be overlooked, and the Gophers are coming in with a great mindset for this game. The Beavers can compete with anyone (they lost to Oregon by 7 last year), and Garretson is a threat. Gophers RB Rodney Smith will get plenty of carries in Shannon Brooks' absence, and that should open up the passing game. 1-0 is on the horizon.
GAMES OF THE WEEK
Overall: 36-24 Season: 0-0 Week: 0-0
Week 1 is upon us, and there could not be a better slate of games to begin the season! While there are so many games to watch, only six made the cut for Games of the Week. These other games would be highlights in any other week, but Week 1 requires a special type of intrigue. Those "other" games are listed below.
Other games: Kansas State at Stanford (Friday), Missouri at West Virginia, #16 UCLA at Texas A&M, Arizona vs BYU (Glendale, AZ), #10 Notre Dame at Texas (Sunday)
#3 Oklahoma (0-0) vs. #15 Houston (0-0)----NRG Stadium, Houston
If you're up early enough (11 a.m. alarms are hard to set sometimes), you may see a Broback storming the field......ok not really, but the Broback brothers are taking over Houston this weekend. In a packed slate of games, the Sooners and Cougars begin the day in the Advocare Texas Kickoff. When this game was scheduled, Oklahoma was a powerhouse, Houston was just a team that put up a lot of points. Now, the Sooners will get more than they asked for as the Cougars are the hottest ticket outside of the Power 5 and Notre Dame. Enticing storylines highlight this contest: OU QB Baker Mayfield and his intensity vs Houston QB Greg Ward's quiet demeanor, the quick-to-be-on-the-hot seat Bob Stoops vs the most popular coach in the nation Tom Herman, and finally a Power 5 team seeking a return to the playoff vs a Group of 5 team looking to make a lot of noise. Houston will find it's hard to repeat a year in which you were almost perfect, especially when you start with a team as talented as Oklahoma. Last time OU lost (to Clemson in the 2015 playoff), Mayfield said they beat themselves (lol come on dude), so the Sooners are looking to avoid a loss to begin the year. With a Week 3 visit from Ohio State looming, the Sooners are focused.
My pick: Oklahoma 35 Houston 28
#5 LSU (0-0) vs Wisconsin (0-0)----Lambeau Field, Wisconsin
Wisconsinites will get to see the best SEC back to play at Lambeau. No, not Eddie Lacy (although Packer fans jumped off that bandwagon quickly a while ago), it's Leonard Fournette. LSU is a title contender coming to Titletown to take on the Badgers. While there are maybe two or three players on Wisconsin (LB Vince Biegel, LB TJ Edwards, and C Dan Voltz) that could start on LSU, the Badgers are a tough team to beat. 2015 Wisconsin DC Dave Aranda will be 2016 LSU's DC, but former USC DC Justin Wilcox replaces him. Joel Stave is gone (collective sigh of relief for Badger fans), but the next QB is unproven. Wisconsin better hope for a low scoring game, and even then it may not be enough. Fournette is the best back in the SEC.....the best back the Badgers will see all year....the best back Wisconsinites will see this year.....you get the point. He's a beast, and Wisconsin better hope stacking the box is enough to keep him in check. Problem is, Travin Dural and Malachi Dupre play wideout for the Tigers, and QB Brandon Harris can run. This isn't a blowout, but it can get out of hand in a hurry (just ask Auburn how stopping Fournette went).
My pick: LSU 42 Wisconsin 24
#18 Georgia (0-0) vs #22 North Carolina (0-0)----Georgia Dome, Georgia
Georgia went 10-3 last year and fans were so upset, the coach got fired. North Carolina went 11-3 and fans were applauding their squad and coach. It's funny how similar results can mean different things. Bulldogs alum Kirby Smart is in his first year as a head coach and shouldn't have to "rebuild" much. With Georgia being a hot-bed for recruiting, Smart should have no troubles in the long run getting players to campus. Smart comes from Alabama, where he coached some of the best defenses in college football history. Like Oklahoma, Georgia probably didn't expect this game to be this big when it was scheduled. North Carolina is coming off a year in which they averaged 40.7 points per game and 487 yards per game. DC Gene Chizik helped the defense improve, and has SEC experience to pass along to his players (he was Auburn HC when they won the national championship in 2010). UNC may be on the rise, but Smart's schemes defensively will be tough to overcome. Throw in the fact that we haven't mentioned Georgia likes to run....with one of the best backs in the country in Nick Chubb.....against a defense that gave up 645 yards rushing to a team with no starting quarterback (Baylor).
My pick: Georgia 28 North Carolina 17
#20 USC (0-0) vs #1 Alabama (0-0)----AT&T Stadium, Dallas
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones may want to just sign the University of Alabama team and have them play all of their home games in AT&T Stadium. Alabama routinely makes appearances in Dallas and usually comes out with the win. Last time Alabama lost its opening game? 2001 against UCLA, meaning they haven't lost an opener under Nick Saban. Alabama's preparation is unmatched and, when paired with their talent, makes them an unstoppable force. USC survived a troublesome year with coach Steve Sarkisian leaving and interim-turned-head coach Clay Helton steadying the ship. Helton's reward to begin his first season as head coach: the defending national champions. Max Browne was named starting quarterback, but Sam Arnold could see time as well. Both will have plenty of talent at the skill positions and the whole line is returning to provide running lanes and time to pass. USC has the talent to compete and will be the best Week 1 team Bama has faced in a while, but Alabama is simply too talented.
My pick: Alabama 34 USC 31
#2 Clemson (0-0) at Auburn (0-0)
Clemson's offense could be better than it was last year, if that's even possible. Everyone knows the quarterback, but it's the supporting cast that makes the difference. For as skilled as Deshaun Watson is running the ball, RB Wayne Gallman is just as talented. Often overlooked by Watson's stardom, Gallman opens up space for Watson to run and throw. Throw in WR's Artavis Scott, Hunter Renfrow, returning from injury Mike Williams, and TE Jordan Leggett, and teams start to wonder how they will cover everyone. The O-line is experienced as well, giving the offense the weapons to put up points while the defense gains momentum. Success used to come the same for the other sideline as well. Coach Gus Malzahn's Tigers were in the national championship game three years ago (losing to Florida State), but Malzahn found himself fighting for his job last year. Auburn gets Clemson at home, but with uncertainty hovering around almost every position, it will be tough to keep up with Watson.
My pick: Clemson 44 Auburn 31
#11 Ole Miss (0-0) vs #4 Florida State (0-0)----Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando
Two potential playoff teams kick off Monday Night Football in Orlando, where both have lofty expectations. Rebels QB Chad Kelly is one of the best potential NFL prospects and should provide some stability in an offense that loses Laquon Treadwell and Laremy Tunsil. While Greg Little, a true freshman, may start at either tackle spot, the offense should still be lethal. Florida State is 7-0 since 1991 when opening the season at a neutral site. Every starter returns for the Seminoles on offense, but a new quarterback in Deondre Francois enters. Sean Maguire should compete when returning from injury, but if Francois is playing well, he may not get a chance. While Francois get acquainted with the offense, stud RB Dalvin Cook will carry the load as long as he is healthy. Cook has experienced numerous injuries including a hamstring injury that hampered him for most of last season. If Francois struggles and Ole Miss loads the box to stop Cook, the Seminoles could be in for a long night.
UPSET SPECIAL: Ole Miss 38 Florida State 28
