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It's hard to believe we're entering the tenth season of the nation's most exciting conference, and yet here we are. Last season featured plot twist after plot twist until TCU and Oklahoma State emerged as the cream of the crop. This year, several more teams are expected to rise to that level and truly contend. With three teams ranked in the top 6 in the preseason coaches' poll, the Big XII is solidified as the conference to watch this season--and anyone who has watched this conference up close knows just how good of a show it can put on. This preview comes in our traditional XII-part form with some appetizers to whet your hunger before some deep dives later on, so take your time reading and enjoy the ride. I. Projected Standings and Conference Title Odds The projected records are licensed from the Chicago Tribune once again. The betting odds are experts' opinions intended for entertainment purposes only. 1. TCU (9.9-2.1 overall, 7.8-1.2 Big XII) (+150) 2. Oklahoma State (9.3-2.7 overall, 6.9-2.1 Big XII) (+180) 3. Oklahoma (8.8-3.2 overall, 6.5-2.5 Big XII) (+250) 4. Kansas (8.3-3.7 overall, 6.1-2.9 Big XII) (+500) 5. Texas (6.4-5.6 overall, 4.8-4.2 Big XII) (+500) 6. Baylor (6.2-5.8 overall, 4.3-4.7 Big XII) (+900) 7. Texas Tech (5.1-6.9 overall, 3.3-5.7 Big XII) (+1000) 8. Iowa State (3.8-8.2 overall, 2.7-6.3 Big XII) (+2000) 9. Kansas State (3-9 overall, 1.4-7.6 Big XII) (+5000) 10. West Virginia (1.7-10.3 overall, 1.2-7.8 Big XII) (+2500) As always, +150 means "bet $100 to win $150" and -150 means "bet $150 to win $100" Big XII Championship Game prediction: TCU (-3.5) over Oklahoma State II. Preseason Media Awards OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Solomon McLaughlin, RB, Texas Tech DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Roman Blackmon, CB, TCU OFFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Demetrius Clay, TE, Iowa State DEFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Shawn Hodge, SS, Baylor III. Preseason All-Big XII Team QB: Ian Baldwin, Oklahoma State RB: Solomon McLaughlin, Texas Tech FB: Jeremy Churchill, Baylor WR: Lamont Wilder, Baylor WR: Jeremy Bridges, Oklahoma State TE: Jaime Bautista, Kansas OT: Tyson Chadwick, TCU OT: Bobby Drake, Texas OG: Walter Shannon, Texas Tech OG: Edward Meyer, Oklahoma State C: Charlie Becker, Texas Tech DE: Curtis Jones, Texas Tech DE: Jamari Callahan, Kansas DT: David Kaiser, Oklahoma DT: Amir Pryor, Oklahoma State ILB: Garrett Powers, Baylor ILB: Austin Callahan, Texas Tech OLB: Brian Suarez, Oklahoma State OLB: Zachary McHale, Baylor CB: Roman Blackmon, TCU CB: Sebastian Byrd, Oklahoma State FS: Richard Clemons, Kansas SS: Anthony Easter, TCU K: Louis Dwyer, Oklahoma P: Aden Evans, Kansas KR: Jamel Herron, West Virginia PR: Ladarius McKinnon, Oklahoma IV. Bowl Projections College Football Playoff: TCU (vs. BYU) College Football Playoff: Oklahoma State (vs. Nevada) Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma (vs. Georgia) Alamo Bowl: Kansas (vs. Arizona) Orlando Bowl: Texas (vs. Clemson) Texas Bowl: Baylor (vs. LSU) V. Heisman Contenders Tier 1 Solomon McLaughlin, RB, Texas Tech Felix Luck, QB, TCU Ian Baldwin, QB, Oklahoma State Christian Graham, QB, Kansas Tier 2 Kofi McCullough, RB, Iowa State Maurice White, RB, Oklahoma Simeon Wells, RB, Texas Tier 3 Martin Lake, QB, West Virginia Lucas Beckwith OR Kyler Tackett, QB, Texas Sebastian Byrd, CB, Oklahoma State Roman Blackmon, CB, TCU VI. Swipe Right on Me, NFLHC The nation's most exciting conference has some of the nation's hottest draft prospects. In this section, we take a look at some of the seniors with Sunday potential and ask what type of NFL team would be a match for them. Baylor: Lamont Wilder, WR. Steady hands, precise route-running, and a talent for red-zone playmaking should draw any pass-first team's attention to Wilder. He's never caught fewer than 66 passes in a season, never earned fewer than 900 receiving yards, and caught 32 touchdown passes in three seasons so far. Iowa State: Omar Vernon, OLB. Vernon may not be the highest-profile prospect, but he's the only NFL-level senior on the entire Cyclone team. An NFL team looking for a developmental, versatile linebacker should be tempted to snatch him up: he excels in coverage but has also recorded 5.5 sacks, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, and a safety in his career. Kansas: Samuel Hardy, TE. Of Kansas's draft prospects, Hardy might carry the lowest profile as a tight end who's used more for blocking than for pass-catching as Jaime Bautista is, even if he did catch a couple of touchdown passes. Given his size and his quickness, he'd fit most on a team oriented around more versatile option plays, outside speed runs, and/or run-first quarterbacks--he's going to be much more of a threat protecting the backfield than stretching the offense downfield. Kansas State: Julius Minnow, QB. Like Vernon, Minnow makes this list in large part because he's the only NFL-level senior on his team. Unlike Vernon, there are a lot more question marks about Minnow due to the fact that it's been three seasons since he's seen playing time (and we'll talk more about that later). Any team looking for a player who's willing to develop and brings a better attitude to the locker room than a certain other Wildcat quarterback should take a chance on Minnow. Oklahoma: Maurice White, RB. Oklahoma's stud of a runningback made himself a household name with a 238-yard, 4-touchdown performance against Texas Tech during his freshman season. All he's done then is put together a career of steady rock-toting and breakaway speed that prepare him to be a feature back in the NFL. He'd fit on a team looking to build a run-oriented offense; he didn't perform nearly as well per-carry on limited touches as he did when he was the primary focus of the Sooner offense. Oklahoma State: Edward Meyer, OG. Remember how Barack Holmes ran for 16 touchdowns on nearly 5.3 yards per carry last year? A huge part of that was the fact that his offensive line opened up room to run, and the combination of Edward Meyer and center Jay Sotelo made that happen. Sotelo's gone now, but Meyer is a mauler who will bulldoze a four-lane road for any power back who needs a path up the middle at the NFL level. TCU: Roman Blackmon, CB. After 6 interceptions, 2 passes defended, and a serious candidacy for Big XII Defensive Player of the Year, Blackmon is the must-see prospect on a team full of must-see prospects. A team that needs a cornerback who has ball skills, who has the height and athleticism to contest jump balls, and who has the foresight to get in position against back-shoulder fades and tough out routes would enjoy having Blackmon around. Texas: Simeon Wells, RB. Could've easily gone with Tristan Priest here, but Wells is more intriguing. His freshman and sophomore season seemed to leave something on the table, but his junior season was a huge step forward at 122.6 yards per game on nearly 5.5 yards per carry. He might end up being the type of runningback who's at his best complementing a team with a good passing game as he did with Kyler Tackett--though he'll also have more experience in a scrambler-oriented offense after this year. Texas Tech: Samir Sample, DE. The only one on this list who hasn't played a down, Sample is on this list because he's an intriguing prospect from day 1. His skillset points more toward a player whose primary responsibility is as simple as "see the quarterback, hit the quarterback." He'll likely be asked to do more in a defense that seems more prepared to run a 3-4. If successful he'll impress GMs due to his versatility; if he underwhelms, a better scheme fit would still give him upside as a prospect. West Virginia: Aaron Pagan, DE. His story's much more simple than Sample's. Like our friend from Lubbock, Pagan's main skillset is "see the quarterback, hit the quarterback." In this case, Pagan's role matches up with that--and he was really good at it last year, as we'll discuss later. Like Vernon and Minnow, Pagan will be more of a developmental prospect. But give him time on a practice squad, give him a chance to develop, and the same type of player who put up 11.0 sacks and 8 tackles for loss as a junior will reward you. VII. Big XII Career Record Watch Rushing yards Record: Sterling Brown, Texas (5239) Challengers: Maurice White, Oklahoma (4831); Simeon Wells, Texas (4440); Solomon McLaughlin, Texas Tech (3676) Rushing touchdowns Record: Sterling Brown, Texas (75) Challengers: Solomon McLaughlin, Texas Tech (50); Simeon Wells, Texas (49); Maurice White, Oklahoma (48) Carries Mohamed Mustafa, West Virginia (972) Challengers: Maurice White, Oklahoma (941); Simeon Wells, Texas (890); Solomon McLaughlin, Texas Tech (712) 100-yard rushing games Record: Sean Egloff, Oklahoma (28); Arturo Pacheco, Iowa State (28); Maurice White, Oklahoma (28, active) Challengers: Maurice White, Oklahoma (28); Simeon Wells, Texas (27); Solomon McLaughlin, Texas Tech (26) Receiving touchdowns Record: Raheem Robinson, Oklahoma State (42) Challengers: Lamont Wilder, Baylor (32) Sacks Record: Anthony Ortiz, Oklahoma State (23); Hudson Adam, West Virginia (23) Challengers: Jamari Callahan, Kansas (16.5) Interceptions Record: Kyle Cunningham, Baylor (21) Challengers: Sebastian Byrd, Oklahoma State (12); Lamont Carson, West Virginia (11) Kicking Points Record: Alejandro Aguirre, Oklahoma (404) Challengers: Louis Dwyer, Oklahoma (361); Joel Hawley, Kansas (334); William Finn, TCU (319) VIII. The 22nd Player These ten players may have only just shown up at the last minute, but last is not least. These newcomers and ex-redshirts are going to make an impact. Who are they? Baylor: Shawn Hodge, SS. The redshirt freshman from just outside of Austin city limits slots in as the starting strong safety in a fully revamped Baylor secondary. The defense last year gave up 18 touchdowns to 7 interceptions in the regular season--that's too many big plays allowed and not enough forced. The emergence of Hodge to shift the big-play ratio in their favor would bolster what should be an elite front seven and offset the losses of Kyle Cunningham and Omar Bush. Iowa State: Demetrius Clay, TE/DE. As long as it hasn't hit the kiln yet, Iowa State wants to mold the clay. The redshirt freshman whose physicality in particular comes highly touted is currently pegged as the starter at tight end on offense and right end on defense. Whether he'll be the next Marquise Reed, the next Darius Waters, or somewhere in between is an open question. But the Cyclones see him as a key player, someone who can open up rushing lanes for Kofi McCullough, and someone who can make plays as long as he's in the game--so they want him in the game as long as possible. Kansas: Walter Munoz, OT. Last year, Kansas's offensive line struggled as much as it ever had after the departure of four starters to graduation. Armani Bello missing time with an injury didn't help matters, either. But the addition of true freshman Walter Munoz should provide additional insurance for the line as a whole as well as a much better option specifically for protecting the blindside of rising junior quarterback Christian Graham. He'll draw immediate comparisons to Ben Goode; whether he lives up to that is soon to be determined. Kansas State: Julius Minnow, QB*. I'm cheating a little bit here, because Minnow is not a newcomer. He started five games in 2018 in place of an ineffective Aiden Higgins and threw 7 touchdowns to 1 interception in that span. He then proceeded to hit the sophomore slump in a bad way, throwing 8 touchdowns to 12 picks in 2019 and getting benched for Higgins for two games. The Wildcats recruited Rahim Murrell and redshirted Minnow, but he earned his job back as a redshirt senior this year. Nobody's expecting him to light the world on fire, but a full season of good, consistent, un-Murrell-like performances would be more than enough. Oklahoma: Jeremiah Melvin, DE. One of the few new starters in Oklahoma's lineup, Melvin is the final piece of what should be a nasty defensive front. This is a unit that held opponents under 4.0 yards per carry last season, and Melvin's specialty is setting edges and keeping runningbacks and scramblers alike from finding any room to run. The Sooners will need him to perform in that role, though they'll also need him and sophomore Max Abel to find their form as true edge rushers--otherwise, that's going to show up as a weakness for the playoff hopefuls. Oklahoma State: Amral Brown, RB. The run game for Oklahoma State was more than fine last year, as Barack Holmes rushed for 1,393 yards and 16 touchdowns on 5.3 yards per carry. But the Cowboys still secured an upgrade, landing human bowling ball Amral Brown from the junior college circuit. At 5-6 and 231 pounds, Brown combines the low center of gravity needed to be elusive with the raw strength needed to take on linemen and linebackers head-on. The Cowboys lack for little else just about anywhere on the field, but a game-changing tailback could take them from good to great--or from great to awesome. TCU: Antonio Logan, OG and Hayden Breaux, OT*. Second purple team, second time I'm cheating. TCU gets two players on this list because both are important for the same reason. The Horned Frogs are starting two freshmen on the offensive line, and that might make it the most vulnerable unit on the team. Of course, they're surrounded by plenty of talent: senior Tyson Chadwick is a rock-steady left tackle, and interior linemen Josh Carlisle and James Kaplan are great options as well. If either Logan or Breaux struggles, TCU could potentially face issues against some of the better defensive fronts in the conference. If they both make an instant impact, though, it's going to be hard to stop the TCU offense at any point this year. Texas: Lucas Beckwith, QB. Two-year starter Kyler Tackett appears headed to the bench despite posting a 64.4% completion percentage and a 147.5 passer rating last season. But a new coach means a clean slate, and Beckwith appears to have won the starting job coming out of fall camp. As one of just two Big XII teams to bench their starting quarterback (and the only one who's making any kind of gamble doing so), Texas is hoping that Beckwith can go above and beyond Tackett's baseline. He's more naturally mobile, but whether he can display the same accuracy, zip, and touch on his throws that Tackett could will be perhaps the defining set of questions for this Longhorn season. Texas Tech: Samir Sample, DE. It's quite possible that the two highest-impact newcomers are the last two listed. Samir Sample is nothing short of a stud, and he continues the tradition of elite defensive line play at Texas Tech. Not much is known about him yet other than the fact that he likes to hit quarterbacks and he's really good at it; his impact projects well enough that I'm not selecting a quarterback for this slot even though it's by far the biggest question mark for the Red Raiders. Sample's also going to get to play next to Kahau Tupa'i at defensive tackle and Curtis Jones (more on him in a minute) on the other side at defensive end. Playing in a 3-4 will be a learning experience for him, but let's be honest--talent is going to find a way to shine, and Sample has it in bunches. West Virginia: Martin Lake, QB. Since the start of the 2016 season, there have been four Big XII quarterbacks who maintained a passer rating below 100 in a season while attempting at least 100 passes. Two of them played for West Virginia last season, so Martin Lake instantly became a priority. (He's also backed up by George Story, who also ought to be a more competent option than either Darren Lemons or Bobby Davies.) Lake isn't quite a Mohammed Foster-type runner and gunner, nor is he quite a Gary Baldacci-type stand-and-deliver pocket passer. He's capable of moving around and making plays when he has to, but he prefers to keep his eyes downfield and it's more his arm than his feet that's going to win ballgames. With a very young offense surrounding him, Lake will be a centerpiece and then some as West Virginia looks to bounce back from last season. IX. Titanium Rods Titanium is element number 22 on the periodic table. Its strength and light weight make it indispensable in industry; likewise, these players are indispensable for their team. Who are they? For added challenge, no quarterbacks or runningbacks allowed. Baylor: Lamont Wilder, WR. It would be easy to go with one of the many quality linebackers here--but redundancy reduces the importance of each individual even if the linebacker unit as a whole is the most crucial. Wilder, entering what feels like his 20th year as a Baylor Bear, is by far the biggest play-to-play threat on the offense. His route-running and ability to stretch a defense vertically and horizontally will open things up for everyone else, and as an added bonus he'll lead by example for the talented young receivers flanking him. Iowa State: Paul Bryant, OLB. Baby Bear has yet to make a massive splash for the Cyclones, but he is still easily one of the most talented players on the defense (the other being strong safety Laurent Daniel). Iowa State's defense forced the fewest turnovers (6) of any Big XII school last season, so unlocking any kind of big-play ability from Bryant would go a long way toward bringing Iowa State out of its two-season slide. Kansas: Jamari Callahan, DE. Through his true sophomore season, Callahan is already Kansas's career leader in sacks, forced fumbles, and fumble recoveries. He has a chance to make a run at the Big XII career sack record, and the only player who's in his neighborhood among Jayhawk defensive linemen is current teammate Noah Urlacher. Callahan will anchor the best defensive line that the Jayhawks have ever had, and their ability to get pressure on quarterbacks to force them into bad throws will be decisive in how far this team will go. Kansas State: Brendan Scherer, ILB. The Wildcats' unquestioned star took on the leadership of the defense as a freshman. He was the fourth Kansas State player to record 40 tackles and a sack in one season, the fourth to record 40 tackles and an interception in one season, and the first to pair 40 tackles with both sack and a pick all in one year. He's expected to make a great leap forward from year one to year two, which will be much needed on a defense that projects to be deep but lacks star power outside of Scherer and maybe defensive tackle Jonah Caruso. Oklahoma: Lucas Dykes, WR. Tai Miller is far and away the best wide receiver in Sooner history, having hauled in 3,989 receiving yards and 34 touchdown catches. The next-closest receiver in both categories? That's Otis Turner, whose 2,232 yards and 24 scores pale in comparison. Oklahoma hasn't had a true #1 guy in an offense capable of using him since Miller, but assuming Eric Pope can make strides under center (or in the case that redshirt freshman Nick Brohm is handed the reins), Dykes has the steady hands, fast twitch, and lightning-quick change of direction ability to be a threat on every down. Oklahoma State: Sebastian Byrd, CB. The reigning Big XII Defensive Player of the Year, Byrd is the key member of a secondary that last year led the Big XII in passes intercepted (17), yards allowed per attempt (6.3), and passer rating allowed (109.6) excluding bowl games. Oklahoma State's defense has key cogs on all levels, from Amir Pryor to Brian Suarez to free safety Prince Pruitt--but Byrd's 7 interceptions and 3 pass breakups showed that he's a true difference-maker on the outside. We can't wait to see him matched up against either player directly above or below him on this list. TCU: Griffin McHanna, WR/KR/PR. There are a lot of people who could fill this role, because TCU is a ridiculously talented team. Finn Nielsen and Miguel Aguilera will be steady no matter what. F.T. Grady adds intrigue from the slot. The defense will be a stone wall, and the run game's a wild card that will still play second fiddle to the air attack. McHanna, though, has long been the one with game-changing athleticism and potential, and getting him into spots where he can shine will give TCU that all-important explosive element that they need. His playmaking as a receiver and a returner is irreplaceable. Texas: Tristan Priest, DE. After Damani Jeffries's surprise early declaration, Jabari Fletcher's graduation, and Devon Braxton's 1-interception season, Priest is the main breath of fresh air from an otherwise trying season. He led the team with 8.5 sacks and 4 tackles for loss, and with Zion Gaines and Jamal Robinson next to him he's not going to be facing a lot of double teams next year either. Texas will need to continue to put pressure on opponents in the backfield, or they'll finish 9th in the conference in yards allowed per completion again. Priest is going to have to be the catalyst there. Texas Tech: Curtis Jones, DE. While Austin Callahan earned the headlines for setting the Big XII record for interceptions by a linebacker, Curtis Jones is the guy to watch for the Red Raiders. After being a utility backup as a freshman, he settled into his starting role with aplomb: 12.0 sacks, 7 additional tackles for loss, and 54 tackles over the course of the season--all were team-highs, and the sack count was tied for the 2nd-most in Big XII history (Jeremy Miller, 14). The scariest part? He is the Charybdis to Samir Sample's Scylla, and trying to navigate between the two is just asking to get the ball knocked loose for a turnover. West Virginia: Aaron Pagan, DE. This could have easily been Lamont Carson, the best option in a seriously young secondary--but that would be a disservice to the monster season that Pagan put together last year. His 11.0 sacks were second in the Big XII to Curtis Jones, his 8 tackles for loss were second in the Big XII to David Kaiser, his 43 tackles were a team-high, and he forced the only fumble the defense recorded. all season. The defensive front is more talented than the secondary, which ought to mean opposing offenses can't afford to avoid him lest they find Riley Reardon or Elvis Cornejo. The Mountaineers will certainly need that line to act quickly to prevent the secondary from getting burned. X. Catch-22 Every team enters the season with its challenges and its question marks. What stands in the way? Baylor: Baylor has a ton of defensive talent. They also had a ton of defensive talent last year, and it didn't translate on the scoreboard then as they finished 89th in the country in points allowed per game at 26.7. Thomas Morton, Garrett Powers, and Zachary McHale make an unbelievably powerful one-two-three linebacker punch at their respective peaks. Will an extra year of development be the difference-maker? Iowa State: Kofi McCullough showed productivity (129.0 yards per game) and explosiveness (5.2 yards per carry, long of 70) in a monster freshman season. But they struggled to throw the ball, and the predictability of the offense caused it to suffer. Can Vaughn Sheppard, like Clifford Wilcox before him, shrug off those struggles and take a big step forward? Kansas: The Jayhawks had a ton of holes last year, notably at receiver, offensive line, and linebacker and won 9 games anyway. They lost wideout Chris Burgos to early declaration, lost their top two runningbacks, and lost top cornerback Bradley Spurlock. Can a team held up by scotch tape succeed in an increasingly difficult conference? Kansas State: Since going to a bowl game in 2016, the Wildcats are 16-44 overall and 4-35 in Big XII play. They're slowly but steadily infusing more talent into the program (see: Scherer, Brendan) but talented players like Rahim Murrell, Devon Tillman, Ricky Seau, Matthew Mayfield, and Javier Tovar have come and gone without ending the drought. What will it take? Oklahoma: The Sooners have a bell cow of a runningback in Maurice White. They have an elite set of receivers, a solid offensive line, and a formidable defense. They also return a quarterback who threw for 9 touchdowns and 6 interceptions last year and suffered growing pains when allowed to have a larger role in the offense to balance things out. Can Eric Pope become an offensive focal point? Oklahoma State: It's hard to pick anything to be worried about with Oklahoma State. They have the foundation for a team that will be really good even if things go wrong. But what will take them from good to great is a more consistent Ian Baldwin, who had six games under 60% passing last season and threw 8 picks in a 7-game span from week 9 through the Big XII Championship Game. Can he go from starter to star? TCU: Like Oklahoma State, the TCU Horned Frogs are also in a really, really good position. They do have two areas of concern, though. The offensive line is younger than usual, and the run game is unproven. They haven't had a player rush for 1000 yards on 4.5 yards per carry since Bradley Cooley in 2017, but having that added dimension would make the offense unstoppable. Can they put it all together on that side of the ball? Texas: The Longhorns are coming off of their first-ever losing season, and over the last three years have maintained a record of 20-19 (10-15 in Big XII play). They have a lot of solid players, and while few have displayed star potential they're now under the tutelage of 2016 national champion constapatedape. Will the transition be smooth sailing or will it find rocky waters? Texas Tech: Chase Shapiro was a career 59% passer who finished with 18 touchdowns to 15 interceptions before somehow being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals. While Shapiro's stats were uninspiring, his baseline was acceptable at the very least. Now, the Red Raiders start redshirt sophomore Donald Garrett, who would be a third-string on most Big XII teams. What can they get out of him to provide any relief for Solomon McLaughlin? West Virginia: The Mountaineers have hit the recruiting trail hard over the past couple of years, and the fruits of their labor are beginning to show up on the playing field now. That's in part a testament to their precociousness and in part a testament to their need for any talent on the field. The result is a seriously young team, with freshmen occupying key spots at runningback, receiver, offensive and defensive line, and defensive secondary. Can those young'uns hit the ground running? XI. I Don't Know About You, But I'm Feeling 22 Every team enters the season with optimism and exclamation marks. What guides them Swift-ly on their journey? Baylor: Lamont Wilder's back. Caleb Olmsted and Miles Street both return after gaining a year's experience. But the biggest thing the Bears have going for them is an awesome front seven. Last year that talent was concentrated among the linebackers; this year, the defensive line takes a step forward with Ezekiel Sewell's development. Meanwhile, mentioning the linebacker trio starts to come off as a broken record--but come on. How many teams can boast an edge rusher like Zachary McHale to complement two fearsome interior linebackers like Thomas Morton and true sophomore Garrett Powers? If the defense clicks, it's going to be scary. Iowa State: Kofi McCullough is nothing short of a stud, becoming the second Big XII runningback ever to put up 1500 yards and 15 touchdowns in a freshman season. That's despite still being quite raw even for a redshirt frosh, and it's despite being the sole focus of every defense once they realized that Vaughn Sheppard couldn't hurt them. He wasn't just a volume back either; he averaged 5.1 yards per carry despite one of the toughest lifts you can ask of any football player at any position. Just imagine what he can do with an improved quarterback, a stronger defense led by Paul Bryant and Laurent Daniel, a stud blocking tight end, and a year of experience. Kansas: Most of last year's 9-win team returns, and none of the points where the team was at its strongest suffered losses outside of cornerback. Christian Graham comes back, as do tight ends Jaime Bautista and Samuel Hardy. The offensive line improves. The linebackers improve. The secondary should stay solid. But the biggest reason for optimism in Lawrence is the fact that they have the best defensive line in school history with Jamari Callahan, Albert Duke, Abdoul Mayo, and Noah Urlacher from one end to the other. This defensive line is a hammer, and every opposing backfield is suddenly looking like a nail. Kansas State: It's been hard to find a star defensive player for Kansas State since David Doherty, and a star is exactly what Brendan Scherer has the potential to become. But there will be enough words written on him--shouldn't Sammy Schuler and Jonah Caruso get their due as well? Schuler may have only had one pick last year as a true freshman, but he's poised to have a breakout as a sophomore. Caruso, meanwhile, showed flashes of the mauler he can become with a team high-tying 3 tackles for loss. These guys are foundation pieces that a bowl defense can be built upon. Oklahoma: One of just four teams whose fortunes were said to be "skyrocketing" by the Chicago Tribune, Oklahoma is solid in just about every way that matters. A strong secondary, led by Elijah Williams. A good set of linebackers, even post-Jeremy Green. A young but highly talented defensive line, with David Kaiser as its centerpiece. They'll block well up front with Freddie Vanstone assisting a solid offensive line. They have an elite group of receivers, a quarterback they expect to see improvement from, and--most importantly--an elite redshirt senior runningback whose explosiveness can change the complexion of a game. There are so many different ways this team is capable of soaring. Oklahoma State: Unlike their in-state counterparts, the Cowboys don't need to improve much to be optimistic. The Big XII runners-up and Sugar Bowl winners already didn't lose a ton. Trevor Orlando's gone, sure, but Brian Suarez's role can expand to make up the difference. Receiver and returner Jay Dunn is gone, sure, but Samuel Barfield's role can also expand to make up the difference. Meanwhile, Amir Pryor is a year older and ready for a breakout, Prince Pruitt is one of the most talented young safeties in the conference, Big XII Defensive Player of the Year Sebastian Byrd returns, Amral Brown bolsters the run game, and even a small step forward for Ian Baldwin would make this team a national title contender. This is going to be a fun team to watch. TCU: They finally broke through to win the Big XII Conference, make the playoffs, and defeat Michigan in the quarterfinals before falling to Purdue--and they enter 2022 as one of the top two national title favorites. So many of their key contributors came back. They've got a veteran front seven, and it's hard to tell who's even going to be the best between Elliot McElmore, Chance Herring, Adriel Sierra, and Kwon Shaw. They have an elite secondary that loses only Matthew Dyson; Roman Blackmon returns after a 6-pick season, and true freshman Patrick Ross is likely going to be the best nickelback in the country. They have an embarrassment of riches at receiver and tight end between Finn Nielsen, Griffin McHanna, Miguel Aguilera, and freshman slot receiver F.T. Grady. They have Felix Luck, who set a TCU record for single-season touchdown passes. And if they can get anything from the run game to keep things balanced, how do you stop that offense or score on that defense? Texas: Big changes mean more chances for improvement--but the Longhorns still have a strong base to work from. Simeon Wells is a fantastic runningback, and he'll likely surpass multiple current school and conference rushing records. Bobby Drake is one of the best linemen in the conference, so Wells and Lucas Beckwith won't be constantly working under pressure. Meanwhile, the trio of Tristan Priest, Zion Gaines, and Jamal Robinson will be the ones bringing the pressure. With a more coherent defensive set, they're going to be one of the best defensive lines in a conference full of really good defensive lines. Devon Braxton and Jaylin Dickens also make for a strong secondary, which should benefit nicely from all the QB hurries the defense will force. Texas Tech: So. Lo. Mon. The true junior has a legitimate shot at breaking the Big XII records for rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, 100-yard games, and carries with a year to spare, and he once again projects to be the centerpiece of the Texas Tech offense. Their receivers get better, too, which should pad the loss of Chase Shapiro at quarterback. But more importantly, the defense should be vicious. What offensive line is able to keep Samir Sample and Curtis Jones out of the backfield without bringing extra help and becoming more vulnerable to the outside linebackers coming off the edge? Who wants to throw at cornerback Nigel Wooten or strong safety Robert Brantley? A strong run game and stout defense is a formula that can work, and that's a formula the Red Raiders can execute. West Virginia: A ton of West Virginia's talent is young. But there are two upsides to that: youth means that these guys are gonna stick around for a while, and it means they have a ton of talent in the first place. Apply that to West Virginia, where exciting players seem to find that extra gear of game-changing awesomeness (see: Foster, Mohammed and Weldon, J.C.), and what do you get? An offense featuring junior college transfer Martin Lake, redshirt freshman Bryce Madison, and a dynamic young corps of wide receivers led by redshirt freshman burner Corey Easley. The defense brings more experience that comes with proven production. Aaron Pagan, Nathan Wilks, and Lamont Carson are all playmakers. There are holes here, but the Mountaineers' bright future could become a bright present before you know it. XII. All-Name Team Last but not least, this is always a fun way to close out the season preview. All players selected must be in the two-deep or otherwise a possibility to appear on the statsheet unless their name is too good to exclude. Otherwise, the selection criteria are completely arbitrary. QB: Felix Luck, TCU RB: Amral Brown, Oklahoma State FB: Kualii Tuaolo, Texas WR: Etena Catingub, West Virginia WR: Maleek Abioye-Afua, Baylor TE: Mohe Plummer, Texas OT: Hayden Breaux, TCU OT: Aoloa Iusitino Texas OG: Kahikina Kasimani, West Virginia OG: Alpha Rawls, Oklahoma State C: Isamaeli Salanoa, Oklahoma State DE: Savion Pryor, Iowa State DE: Kahoni Vaaelua, Oklahoma State DT: Jack Yazzie, West Virginia DT: David Kaiser, Oklahoma ILB: Nehemiah Staples, Texas ILB: Garrett Powers, Baylor OLB: Chance Herring, TCU OLB: Paul Bryant, Iowa State CB: Kofi Peoples, Kansas State CB: Roman Blackmon, TCU FS: Aheahe Vainu'upo, Baylor SS: Anthony Easter, TCU K: Finn Winter, Baylor P: Timmy Riddle, Kansas LS: Juju Gunn, TCU KR: John Rushing, Oklahoma State PR: Griffin McHanna, TCU

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Hey guys! In case you've forgotten, and I wouldn't blame you in the slightest since I haven't given any update on it since the initial announcement, committee feedback is now available! If you don't know what that means read here - Just to give a small update on how that's been going, we've had some discussion with Soluna and alien based on the feedback those of you who've posted in the forum have given on ideas that you want implemented. Some of them may come to fruition, some may not - we'll try to update those who specifically gave feedback on the direction their feedback might go in going forward, as we've not been great at that so far. I don't want to give too much detail here in case something changes, but if you have any further ideas please feel free to drop them in the feedback forum. But the main reason I've made this post is because, well, a lot of you have probably forgotten about the feedback forum's existence, or didn't feel your issue could be addressed by posting there, or you might have a multitude of different reasons. And I think part of the reason for that is that I haven't been to transparent with what's been going on and haven't been communicating with the community as a whole. So, I want to try to give more updates relating to the community and what's been going on to the extent I can. Similarly to Soluna's monthly admin newsletter, I'll try to give some monthly updates on what's been going on moving forward, as far as how I can reveal information, and what I and the committee have been doing to improve the user experience here. If you have any ideas as to how I can give more feedback, be more transparent, continue to improve communication between the community and the admins, or just generally be more helpful to the community as a whole, please drop me a PM here or on discord and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Just try to make sure your idea has a chance of being feasibly implemented if you do send something. -Jumbo

It's football season once again in the Best Damn Conference in the Land, but the ACC has a much different vibe after a relatively lackluster 2020 season. The tenth season of ACC football doesn't feature the division rivalries of old that would dictate who would see their way down to Charlotte for a title game appearance. Rather, it's a year of catch-up for teams not named Duke and Clemson, the overwhelming favorites to meet each other in the ACC Championship Game. Some teams, namely those in the Sunshine State, will be looking to take their youth and challenge for the spotlight after a down year or two. Others will look to try to maintain their success from last season in spite of top players taking the next step in their careers. The aforementioned frontrunners head the conference in the initial coaches poll, with the U making their return to the Top 25 for the first time since Brett Fisher's departure. Hang on, because we'll give you a few things that will hopefully get you ready for tonight's kickoff. Preseason Projections *Projections provided by the Chicago Tribune ACC Atlantic Division 1. Clemson (8.7-3.3 overall, 6.1-1.9 ACC) 2. Boston College (8.3-3.7 overall, 5.3-2.7 ACC) 3. Louisville (7.5-4.5 overall, 4.1-3.9 ACC) 4. Florida State (6.8-5.2 overall, 3.8-4.2 ACC) 5. NC State (5.8-6.2 overall, 3.5-4.5 ACC) 6. Wake Forest (5.1-6.9 overall, 2.2-5.8 ACC) 7. Syracuse (2.1-9.9 overall, 1.5-6.5 ACC) ACC Coastal Division 1. Duke (9.7-2.3 overall, 6.3-1.7 ACC) 2. Virginia (8.6-3.4 overall, 5.2-2.8 ACC) 3. Miami (FL) (8-4 overall, 5-3 ACC) 4. Virginia Tech (7.6-4.4 overall, 4.4-3.6 ACC) 5. Pittsburgh (6.3-5.7 overall, 4.2-3.8 ACC) 6. Georgia Tech (6.2-5.8 overall, 3.9-4.1 ACC) 7. North Carolina (1.1-10.9 overall, 0.3-7.7 ACC) ACC Championship Game Projection: Duke (-4.5) over Clemson How do we stack up nationally? Here we take a look at our bowl projections (Irish not included). Bowl Projections Orange Bowl: Duke (vs. Texas A&M) Orlando Bowl: Clemson (vs. Texas) Charlotte Bowl: Virginia (vs. Tennessee) Sun Bowl: Virginia Tech (vs. Washington) Pinstripe Bowl: Boston College (vs. Nebraska) Gator Bowl: (vs. Mississippi State) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preseason All-ACC Team QB: Bryce Thompson, Duke RB: Ronnie Peterson, Miami (FL) RB: Christian Collins, Duke WR: Anthony Swanson, Georgia Tech WR: Ricky Cameron, Boston College TE: Dwayne Lawton, North Carolina State OT: Jay Campos, Pittsburgh OT: Izzy Garvey, Pittsburgh OG: Cole Fay, Virginia Tech OG: Josh Pennington, Miami (FL) C: Bryon Alexander, Clemson K: Jeremy Bouchard, North Carolina DE: Michael Britt, Boston College DE: Glenn Thorpe, Clemson DT: Emmanuel McDermott, North Carolina State OLB: Ahmed Nicholas, Duke OLB: Cameron Faulk, Virginia ILB: Soldier Brooks, Virginia ILB: Patrick Everett, Miami (FL) CB: Trevor McKinney, Virginia Tech CB: Logan Swain, Louisville FS: Marquise Holliday, Clemson SS: Jon Mallory, Boston College P: Matteo Doran, Clemson RET: Art Vogt, Louisville ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preseason Heisman Contenders We'll be separating these by favorites, dark horses, and long shots, with reasons as to why each has a shot at taking home the most prestigious individual award in college football. Favorites: These names have been brought up often in the hype of the Heisman discussion, and you'd be called crazy to say these names won't be in the thick of the race later down the line. Bryce Thompson, QB, Duke - Widely regarded as a frontrunner alongside Marcus Black and Solomon McLaughlin, Thompson gets the pleasure on having a solid running back behind him, a sturdy offensive line in front of him, and some clearly talented receivers around him. Add in the fact that the ACC in general seems weaker, and you can expect Thompson to improve on his 4,000-yard performance last season. Akiem Williams III, QB, Clemson - Division 1 college football has never seen the skillset of the infamous AW3, a JuCo name highly sought after this past season. Ultimately won by Clemson, Williams III is expected to be a massive hit for a Clemson offense with a rapidly improving running back and some serious talent out wide. It's a very similar position to Thompson, only the weapons are better, though the potential remains untapped at eye level. Dark Horses: These names have seldom come up in the conversation and have a few issues that can keep them out of the race towards the end, but they still have the potential, and possibly luck, to be in New York at the end of the season. Josh Beckett, QB, Georgia Tech- No story has been as romanticized in college football as Beckett's story. Beckett has lit the conference aflame over the past two seasons, leading last season with a remarkable 4,478 yards passing. He returns his close friend, roommate, and stud wideout in Anthony Swanson, and though his top producer is gone in tight end Jahmir Rolle, the introduction of Gabriel Sewell could give Beckett that second reliable target that he had with Rolle. Josiah Brock, RB, Clemson - Brock found his stride late last season, eventually racking up 1,182 yards and finding the endzone 13 times without losing the football once. That was as a freshman. Brock's only getting better as he grows older, and he looks to be among the best backs in the conference by a long shot. The only thing that should hold him back isn't really in his control, as an explosive season from Williams III would easily overshadow Brock's consistent yet powerful performances. Soldier Brooks, ILB, Virginia - It's really odd putting a defensive player in a tier of players that have a reasonable shot at taking home the Heisman, but make no mistake: Brooks is far and away the best defensive player in the country. There is no player with the impact or the presence that Brooks gives this Cavalier defense, and if he can be as explosive as he was both in the backfield and in the center of this defense, there's a very real chance that Brooks could be among the finalists at the end of the season. Long Shots: These names need a few things to happen for them to even be considered for a spot in New York City, but they shouldn't dare be ruled out before the season has begun. Ronnie Peterson, RB, Miami (FL) - The leading returning rusher for last season, the talent is starting to come to Coral Gables for Peterson's final hurrah. With two experienced and exceptional guards paving the way, Peterson could find himself with more than enough room to build on last season's success. If newcomers B.J. Cornell and Darren Keys live up to their potential at right tackle and center respectively, then Peterson could easily make a name for himself as one of the nation's more dangerous running backs. Ricky Cameron, WR, Boston College - With Manny Ferguson out of the picture, Cameron is the de facto receiver in this Eagles' offense. If the passing game takes off behind new quarterback J.M. Gill, there will be no questions asked over who the man behind the resurgence will be. There's two many unknowns about Boston College's offense right now in both facets of the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mini Team Previews For a small appetizer, we'll discuss briefly each teams biggest strength and weakness as well as why they will win the ACC title. As you'd expect, that's a lot harder to do for some teams than others, but hey, is anything impossible? (Short answer yes) Boston College Eagles - HC deandean1998 Player Spotlight: WR Ricky Cameron. We touched on this earlier, but Cameron is the clear best player on this offense. With newcomers at quarterback and running back and leading receiver Manny Ferguson gone from tight end, it's up to Cameron to carry the passing game. We don't know how his service is going to be, but Cameron will provide J.M. Gill with a reliable and explosive target. Cameron is seen as the best receiver in the conference right now; expect him to live up to it. Biggest Strength: Defensive Experience. Many people within the conference will be familiar with the likes of Michael Britt, Finn Little, Darius Butler, William Gary, and Jon Mallory. All of these players make up the core of this Boston College defense. With very little turnover from last season and a few highly-regarded newcomers in Deondray Platt, Joan Espinoza, and Colin Judd, this defense could be fearsome and, to a further extent, elite in this conference. Boston College will likely be in most games they play this season thanks to their defensive playmakers. Biggest Weakness: Questions in the Backfield. J.M. Gill takes over the reigns at quarterback, and Jordan Godson enters the fray as a JuCo running back, stealing a job from the underachieving Jorge Tovar. We're aware of how good they are at receiver, but will the young Gill be able to feed them effectively? Will Godson live up to the hype surrounding him, or will he fall flat like Tovar? The defense might keep them in games, but it's up to Gill and Godson to get them over the hump. Why They Will Be Champions: Scoring Defense. The fourth-best defense and third-best scoring defense in the conference last year returns many pieces and adds newer and flashier ones. With Louisville and Syracuse receding and Florida State not expected to be up to snuff yet, the big challenge for this defense will be putting a stop to Clemson's projected high-power offense. It's very doable, and a low-scoring affair could very easily swing in the Eagles' favor, especially with big play receiver Cameron on the field. Clemson Tigers - HC Emperor_of_Orange Player Spotlight: QB Akiem Williams III. The biggest unknown in the conference, but make no mistake that AW3 is far and away the player with the most attention nationally. After a gruesome recruiting cycle which saw Clemson nab him over SMU in the dying weeks, coaches from across the country will be looking to see if AW3 was worth the fight. If Williams III truly does light up the conference, an already high-powered offense will take off in style, and there will be no team that will be able to put a stop to it. Biggest Strength: No Fly Zone. Once again, the pride of the Emperor's defense will be the secondary. Headlined by Marquise Holliday and featuring five players that will all likely see the pros later on in their careers, it's tough imagining most quarterbacks in this conference making too much of a dent in this defense. They'll get a shot at Josh Beckett late in the season though, if you wanna see the proof for yourself. Biggest Weakness: A Youthful Shield. A lot of talk surrounding this Clemson offense has been around the backfield and studded receiving corp, but what of their offensive line? Clearly it has talent, headed by center Bryon Alexander, but is it too young to perform at the level that this offense needs? Matt Maynard looks like a stud at right tackle, but this is his first year in action. This offense in one year's time might be one of the best in the nation easily, but can it get anywhere close to those levels this year? They might need to if they're to vie for anything more than a conference title. Why They Will Be Champions: Simply Talented. I highlighted this a bit earlier, but this team will, without a doubt, be unstoppable if Williams III is as good as the hype will tell you. There's pro-level talent at every position bar special teams and fullback. We've seen how good some returning pieces on this offense can be, and we know how unbreakable an Emperor defense can be with the right players, which is believed to be the case here. If everything comes together, this team will run over the Atlantic Division and over a Bryce Thompson-led Duke team and right into the College Football Playoff. Duke Blue Devils - HC Darman Player Spotlight: QB Bryce Thompson. Best returning quarterback in the conference? Check. Solid supporting cast? Check. Stable offensive line? Check. Heisman favorite? Check indeed. Indeed, if there are any questions about this Duke team, none will circle around Thompson outside of if he's able to take his play to new levels. Having come off a season in which Duke made the long-awaited trip to Charlotte, captured their first-ever conference crown, and slipped into the playoffs, there's a ton of hype behind the dual-threat quarterback behind the believed best team in the conference. It's no longer a question of if they can do it; rather, how much farther can he take them? Biggest Strength: Backfield Synergy. All the talk circles around Thompson, but I'd be hard-pressed to believe that part of his success doesn't come from a tight-knit relationship with running back Christian Collins. The two combined for 1600+ yards rushing last season, making this Duke team unpredictable yet efficient offensively. The Blue Devils took a hit in losing their two leading receivers in Sean Spaczek and Amari Nicholson, but the returning Dean Stinson and the new addition of Jeremy Foley should keep this offense from being one-dimensional. Biggest Weakness: Defensive Turnover. A lot of players on both sides of the ball have taken their leave, but this is more notable on the defensive side of the ball. Brandon Brinkley, Jeremy Easter, Sonny Rice, and Vincent Tharp are all no longer in this Duke defense, and the ball falls to the likes of Jordan Reeves, Samuel Gant, Julian Edwards, and Da'Quan Glover to fill these holes. The latter two are a far cry from their predecessors at defensive tackle and free safety respectively, and Reeves hasn't seen the field of play since 2020. This defense can still be good if not better, but a fair bit relies on these four players. Why They Will Be Champions: They've Been There. There's turnover, yes, but there's also a ton of studs that played in this game one season ago. While Miami and Virginia lurk as challengers to the throne, none of them can claim that they have the best player in the conference, nor can they claim that they're used to the week-to-week pressure that comes with challenging for a spot in Charlotte. A duel with Clemson in the Hornet's Nest seems incredibly likely, and while we don't know what Clemson will bring to the table offensively, you know what you're going to get out of Duke, and that's a safe as bet as any. Florida State Seminoles - HC DStack11 Player Spotlight: DE Anthony Walton. This Florida State squad suffered on both sides of the ball last season, but one player in particular who had himself a year was now-sophomore end Anthony Walton. With 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and a forced fumble to his name, Walton appears to be the spark on this improving defense. This incredibly young but talented defense is going to need proven playmakers, and Walton will be expected to step up time and again when needed. He was big last year; expect him to be so much bigger now. Biggest Strength: Offense is Coming Home. Last season saw the 'Noles look abysmal offensively behind Red Mosher. Enter Brett England who, while not particularly great in his own right, was more than good enough to stop the ship from sinking completely. Injuries also put the offense into a misshapen mess, but with Mateo Gates and Wyatt Cornett both healthy, and with Noah Wooten a more reliable piece in the backfield, the offense should fall back into place and being looking more like the glory days with Schuler and Cobb. Okay, not that far, but it won't be last year's dumpster fire. Biggest Weakness: Can We See Your ID? This Florida State team as a whole is young. There is youth and inexperience scattered everywhere across this team, from the secondary to the linebackers to the offensive line to the receiving corp. Yes, there are a few playmakers that return from last year, but for the most part, this team is almost entirely unproven. Expect lots of growing pains, but the potential of this team should know no bounds. Why They Will Be Champions: Age Isn't Everything. It's hard to gauge just how good, or bad, the 'Noles can be. One imagines that they comfortably make a bowl game this season, but there are questions over if this team is one, or even two, years away from being a true contender. Florida State is going to have to grow up fast, but if they do, they undeniably have the talent to not only challenge this well-built Clemson machine, but to take it to Duke in Charlotte and overachieve their way to a conference title. Is the conference crown finally coming home? Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - HC statsheetstuffer Player Spotlight: QB Josh Beckett. The Yellow Jackets have been living by a "fly or die" offensive play style for ages. Last season showed lots of promise, and this season expects to bring more or less the same with leading passer Josh Beckett ready to give his swansong. The nation's most notable volume passer has generated a lot of buzz for quite a few reasons, but all of the focus will be on his arm as the Jackets vie to send him out as more than just a few passing titles to his name. Biggest Strength: Basketball on the Grass. Everyone and their mother has heard about the infamous Beckett-to-Swanson connection, whether it be related to their actual play on the field or their stories off the field. While Jahmir Rolle no longer serves as the nation's most reliable safety blanket, his replacement in Alexander Bundy is no slouch, and the emergence of Gabriel Sewell out wide gives Beckett more than just Swanson to throw to out wide. The Jackets already had a devastating passing game, but with new weapons comes so many new possibilities. Biggest Weakness: As Strong as a Wet Paper Towel. Mayer Ludwig aside, this offensive line is everything short of special. Leonard Tharp seems to have a fair bit of potential, but he joins an offensive line that seems incredibly weak on the left side, and that's a critical weakness in a conference that includes strong right defensive ends, notably Glenn Thorpe, Samuelu Lealofi, and Jabari Jean. The Yellow Jackets gave up 38 sacks last year, and this appears to be more than just a one-season thing. Beckett needs to get the ball out fast. Why They Will Be Champions: Outscore Literally Everyone. Yes, the defense has taken strides. The secondary remains less than stellar but has a tad more promise, the linebackers had a proven leader in Tanner Madison, and Julian Mondragon looks like a promising player that can add to a pretty shallow pass rush. But if Georgia Tech is gonna challenge, they're gonna have to do what they do best: score points. Georgia Tech averaged a conference-best 31.62 points per game last year, and with the offense only getting better, expect Atlanta to be a hive of excitement with potentially shootouts following each other week after week. You can never score too many points after all. Louisville Cardinals - HC Broletariat Player Spotlight: CB Logan Swain. With the offense taking huge steps back for obvious reasons (more on that later), look for the defense to be the main focus of this Louisville team. Logan Swain comes off a season in which he lead the country in interceptions as a sophomore, and the clear captain of this defense will look to replicate this performance and turn Louisville's defense into an unbreakable force. He'll have his fair share of help of course in Zack Temple and Beckett Ring. Biggest Strength: How Are You Gonna Score? The conference's top scoring defense loses Prince Matos, but he ends up being replaced by the highly-touted Zack Temple. A linebacker group of Miles Rinehart, Beckett Ring, and Temple is easily the scariest group of linebackers in the conference. Swain and Donte Whitfield head a relatively strong secondary, and sack machine Damien Holley lurks ever-so scarily on the defensive line. Louisville's defense is loaded with studs in key positions, making moving the ball much tougher despite a few soft spots in the defense. Biggest Weakness: How are YOU Gonna Score? Between the loss of first-rounder DeSean Dockery, a new and inexperienced QB, a rather rough receiving corp, and a line that's decidedly average outside of Brady Holmes, the offense appears to be in a state of turmoil. Unlike the situation of the aforementioned J.M. Gill, new quarterback Nick Carr doesn't have the firepower around him to bail him out, nor does he have the reliable running back that Harrison Pratt was able to lean on last season. Perhaps wideouts Hikialani Feu'u and Artavius Dutton, a pair with a single reception between them last season, can step up, but that's a big ask at the moment. Why They Will Be Champions: Stalemates Aren't Losses. Dockery took the Cardinals to new heights, but his departure appears to bring Louisville back to the years where they relied on defense to keep them in games, only this looks like a defense that could straight up win them games. This team forced 15 turnovers last season, and that number will likely have to increase given the presence of a certain newcomer in the division. This team needs to be able to grind out results and make enough plays on offense, assuming they can find a playmaker that can consistently step up. It's not the biggest ask, but it's an important one for a team that could still challenge for a divisional title. Miami (FL) Hurricanes - HC ajyoungmark Player Spotlight: RB Ronnie Peterson. A big talking point in the conference was the loss of top runners Dockery and Reginald Saunders. Enter Peterson, third in the conference in rushing yards behind these two players. Whereas Jason Ledford hasn't been anything more than a game manager for the 'Canes, Peterson is the heart and soul of this offense, as has been the case since the days following Brett Fisher's drafting. With the team improving rapidly around him, it's up to Peterson to keep pounding the rock as effectively as he's been doing since he's been in Coral Gables. Biggest Strength: Raw Talent. When examining this roster, prepare to be taken aback. This team is chock full of highly-touted recruits. The biggest talking point about Miami is that they're a year away from being a true competitor, and it's easy to see when their team is absolutely loaded with 4.5-star and 5-star recruits. That alone should be enough to not count Miami out of any game this year. The potential of this team is through the roof, and you can bet that they're going to be able to tap into that this season on more than one occasion. Biggest Weakness: Raw Talent. When examining this roster, prepare to be taken aback. This tea is chock full of highly-touted recruits, but they're just that right now: highly-touted recruits. The biggest talking point about Miami is that they're a year away from being a true competitor, and it's easy to see when their team is absolutely loaded with 4.5-star and 5-star recruits that, for the most part, haven't seen the field of play yet. The potential of this team is through the roof, but the floor for this team is still rather low, and you can bet that they'r going to hit that floor this season on more than one occasion. Why They Will Be Champions: Refined Talent. Miami's recent records won't show this, but they're led by a coach that has won an ACC title. ajyoungmark has had talent on this squad before and has been able to refine it into a title-winning team, and the possibilities with this squad are so much more plentiful than they were back in 2018. If he can find out how to get the best out of his players, then the Hurricanes are going to be a serious challenger for not only the conference crown, but for a spot in the playoffs as well. Yes, they're a year away, but who's to say that they can't speed up the process? North Carolina Tar Heels - HC ObliviousLax Player Spotlight: ILB Noel Stinson. Most of the defense has fallen off, but UNC's leading tackler and playmaker from a year ago remains at the heart of this defense. From ball-hawking to jarring hits to know the ball free, and from sitting back to keep the run contained to getting in the backfield to harass the ball carrier, Stinson has proved that he can do it all. In a defense needing leaders now more than ever, expect Stinson to carry the torch for the Heels. Biggest Strength: A Pumping Heart. There really is not a lot to like about this North Carolina team, but one group that shows a fair bit of promise are the linebackers. Stinson aside, Charles Wilkins is growing into his own next to the senior linebacker, and the introduction of the young Terrence Keyes on the outside could provide a bit of a boost to the defense as a whole. Prince Gilmore has been a steady playmaker on the other side of the linebacker group for a few years now and gives the defense a fair bit of experience. The linebackers are clearly the strongest group on this defense, and it's up to them to step up and make the plays that will appear to be so badly needed this year. Biggest Weakness: An Offense in Need of a Heart. I'll put this bluntly because I don't know how else to put it: this offense is really bad. Luka Beckman is the best receiver on this team and he's shown to be nothing special by any means. There's a true freshman in Stephen Barbour starting at tight end. Kristian Noel was among the cycle of running backs last season, and his inability to pull off big runs or find the endzone or really produce at all should be a big red flag, especially considering he only lasted two games before being replaced. Mitchell Denton takes over at quarterback and could maybe provide a spark to an offense that gave the ball over a conference-worst 21 times and averaged a conference-worst 13.67 points per game. Why They Will Be Champions: One Can Dream? There are three teams that I truly cannot make a case for this year, and the Tar Heels are admittedly the worst of that bunch right now. They'll need a lot more than a few things to swing their way, but there's a chance this team could provide more of a challenge this year. If the offense finds a rhythm on the ground and Denton looks to be solid with what he has at receiver, then there's a small belief that the Tar Heels could at least contend for a bowl game. North Carolina State Wolfpack - HC ImposterCauster Player Spotlight: DT Emmanuel McDermott. A unanimous selection for the Preseason All-ACC team, it's now time for Manny McDermott to take the conference by storm. The defense fell apart towards the end last season, but McDermott quietly showed what he was capable of, picking up four sacks and three tackles for loss on the season. While the team behind him as improved for the most part, it's up to McDermott to live up to the hype and become a game-changer for this team. A big year for him could see the Pack dream of bowling, and maybe even more, once more. Biggest Strength: Offensive Security. A big part of the disastrous runs after the 2016 season stemmed to an imbalance in the offense. Quarterbacks would be swapped out regularly, and the offense never really found a rhythm to stick by, rather relying too much on the legs of one Marshawn Matthison. Gone are those days, as Jacob Eubanks is the firm starter at quarterback, and he takes a fair share of the load with senior running back Keith Harley, a consistent if not explosive runner. With weapons such as Felix Browning and Dwayne Lawton, the offense seems to be as stable as ever, even if it is lacking in general firepower. Biggest Weakness: Cutting Corners. Kamari Cheatham, while never spectacular, leaves a massive hole at cornerback. Whereas the safeties are stronger and reliable, the corner position both lacks depth and ball-hawking talent. Julian Revis takes over as CB1, and though he led the team in interceptions with five last season, he was mostly unreliable against faster or taller receivers. Damien Chatman is mostly unproven at CB2, but it's hard to imagine this group being anywhere close to consistent in helping out against the pass. Why They Will Be Champions: Defensive Playmakers. This defense really only loses Cheatham, Stuart Patterson, and Brian Tolliver, and their linebacker group is quickly becoming a reliable bunch of playmakers. Jamari Lloyd and Kameron Blackman have only gotten better at applying pressure, and a resurgence from McDermott could easily up State's sack production from last season. The offense should be consistent enough to average move than their middling average of 23.91 points per game from last season. If State can remain in games, which they should as a decidedly average team, then there's always a chance to pull off upsets and remain in the hunt. Pittsburgh Panthers - HC TheLiberator Player Spotlight: RB Brayden Pepper. I don't want to choose freshman, but Pepper brings an air around this Pittsburgh team that hasn't really been felt for a long time. Last season was a fair bit disappointing with Raymond Smiley taking snaps, but with Smiley transferring out and Pepper looking to be a stud signing early through practices, his production on the field could go a long way towards deciding the fate of this Panthers' team. Biggest Strength: This Cat Has Bite. Messiah Winston got off to a slow start in his Pittsburgh career, but the scrambler has evolved not just with his legs, but with his surprisingly accurate arm. Receiver Franklin Pineda and tight end Dovid Dobson were big targets for Winston and are back in the fray, and the emergence of Pepper and freshman receiver Kareem Jackson could be monumental to this offense. Behind a line with the two best tackles in the conference, the Panthers should emerge as one of the more explosive offenses in the conference. Biggest Weakness: This Cat Can't Leap. The most notable weakness in this defense last season was in the passing game, as teams generally passed at will on the Panthers. Only two teams in the ACC gave up more passing yards last season than Pittsburgh, and while Dominique Baptiste is slowly becoming a shutdown corner, the rest of the secondary, specifically the other corners, have a long ways to go before they can really feel safe against the likes of Beckett and Thompson. Why They Will Be Champions: Less Salt, Extra Pepper. If Pepper is the real deal, and if Kareem Jackson turns out to be as good as the tape shows, then this offense will be dangerous, scoring early and often. The Panthers won't quite be in the situation as their division rivals down in Atlanta thanks to a sturdier run defense and hope of playmakers in the secondary, but we'll likely see the Panthers aiming to win through offensive domination. Syracuse Orange - HC CoachAnson Player Spotlight: FS Logan Harley. It looks to be a down year for the Orange, but one of the game's dominant safeties looks to continue his reign for one more season. Harley was as reliable as reliable could get last season, picking the ball off six times while swatting away six more passes. With the middle of the defense particularly lacking, he and his backfield partner in Javari McGhee-Key will be forced into damage control situations at the worst, and turnover-inducing situations at the best. Expect Harley to cap off his career with a big season. Biggest Strength: A Pickett Fence. Whereas Harley is the lynchpin of a fading secondary, Boyd Pickett is the lone sturdy wall of a crumbling castle. The line outside of Pickett is rather poor, but Pickett for over half of the Orange's sack numbers last season. The pass rush has never really been called into question thanks to Pickett and outside linebacker Gavin Benner, who picked up another fourth of the sacks on his own. If there's one thing that you can expect the Orange to do, it's to make opposing quarterbacks as uncomfortable as possible, and they do that so very well. Biggest Weakness: The Floodgates Are Open. Save for Donovan Caballero, I don't see how this offensive line is gonna hold up. The Orange reside in the same division as Clemson's dominant defensive line, Anthony Walton, Jamari Lloyd, Damien Holley, and many many other pass rushers. Caballero on his own is not going to stop them all. New quarterback Connor McLean is going to have to hold on to his helmet, because he's gonna go for a very rough ride this season. Why They Will Be Champions: Maybe Next Year? This is another team I see with no real shot at contending for the division title. Other teams would have to melt down, but even then, there's too many questions around this offense in particular, with only two returning weapons, to really leave an impression. Perhaps CoachAnson finds out how to utilize his new toys. He's still got a defense that's as soft as a cloud in the middle of the field. It looks bleak in Syracuse to say the least. Virginia Cavaliers - HC beeznik Player Spotlight: ILB Soldier Brooks. Hands down the best defender in college football. An undeniable leader, an insane playmaker, and a player with a very bright future in football. There's not a lot than can be said about Brooks that hasn't already been said, but this defense is a hell of a lot better with Brooks on the field. No words need to be said about that. Biggest Strength: Award-Winning Linebackers. Soldier Brooks is all the talk nowadays, but let's not forget that Cameron Faulk was a massive hit in his freshman season and hasn't really lost the pace. Faulk sat back more in coverage last year, picking up five pass deflections while still maintaining some presence in the pass rush when called upon. They bring newcomers to the middle four, but Aden Willett and Amadou Trotter are not rookies by any stretch of the imagination. This is a special group already, but the emergence of these two would be huge for this defense. Biggest Weakness: Ol' Reliable No More? Reginald Saunders is in the pros now. In his place is Isaiah Clinton, an unproven yet talented running back. Clinton could very well turn out to be good, but it's hard to imagine that he will have the same impact this year as Saunders had in his final two years as a Cavalier. Saunders could shoulder the load for a young Mike Lucas. Lucas doesn't quite need that crutch now, but if things go south in the passing game, is Clinton going to be able to carry the offense? It seems unlikely right now, but that's just a baseless opinion. Why They Will Be Champions: A Smothering Defense. Samuel Lealofi had 14 sacks last season. He returns to the field. Steven Proctor had 12 sacks last season. He returns to the field. Soldier Brooks had 41 tackles and 8 tackles for loss last season. He returns to the field. Jaylin Fulton had 3 interceptions last season. He returns to the field. Ashton Evans had 6 interceptions last season. He returns to the field. For all the inconsistencies about their passing game that may or may not be solved, and with new questions arising in the running game, this defense can and will keep Virginia in the fight against the best of them. They'll be Duke's prime challenger in the Coastal division, and a strong defensive performance against them could take them down from Charlottesville to Charlotte. Virginia Tech Hokies - HC vtgorilla Player Spotlight: CB Lucas Freeman. A lot of eyes will be on Trevor McKinney as he looks to grow into the product that saw him fought over between the two Virginia schools a few years ago, but Lucas Freeman has consistently provided for this defense and will be expected to do just the same while McKinney finds his way. With seven interceptions and two pass deflections to his name last season, the standout corner looks to lead the Hokie defense against the massive offensive threats that lie in the Coastal division. Biggest Strength: Quarterback Harrassment. The Hokies return players that accounted for 23 of the team's 29 sacks from a season ago, with 21 of those sacks being from the production of defensive ends Mahamadou Chavis (11 sacks) and Jabari Jean (10 sacks). Only division rivals Pittsburgh and Virginia could top the Hokies' 29 sacks, but the introduction of defensive tackle Kevin Best and outside linebacker Mike Owens Jr., replacements of another 4 sacks from last season, should not only maintain the Hokies' pass rush, but improve it drastically, especially if Owens Jr. can play up to his potential. Biggest Weakness: Who's Open? The Hokies lost their trio of leading receivers in Darnell Pierre, Isiah Rainey, and Aaden Kemp, leaving Mario Watkins and his 313 yards as the leading returning receiver. He's joined be Leolani Pita and Brandon McGowan, but none of the three look to be that go-to receiver that Becket Morrison can rely on in times of need. Granted, he didn't necessarily have that last season where he threw for 3,000 yards, and Pita looks more like he can be that guy out wide, but the receiving corp in general just looks weaker overall, and that could be an issue for an offense that doesn't have that powerful downhill runner. Why They Will Be Champions: No Passing Allowed. Between a hefty pass rush and potentially two shutdown corners, it's hard to imagine teams throwing the ball often against the Hokies. If McKinney finally becomes the ball-hawking corner coaches have longed for him to be, this defense will make quarterbacks endure nightmares on the regular, which is huge in a division with Bryce Thompson, Josh Beckett, and Messiah Winston. Assuming the Hokies can find their rhythm in the passing game, this team will always be dangerous, as is to be expected from a team with divisional title aspirations. Wake Forest Demon Deacons - HC K3ndr!ck_L@mar Player Spotlight: WR Deshaun Pickens. The plan to hold on to as much talent as possible for a successful season worked out, but the backfire is that the current state of this team is the result. Deshaun Pickens and Abdoulaye Hawkins were both reliable for James Betts last season, but Pickens gets the nod here as he enters his final season as the second receiver and the man to watch on special teams. Pickens is a receiver that's bound to create mismatches in the passing game, so look for Betts to exploit any and all situations that Pickens works out. Biggest Strength: Wideouts Oversee All. There isn't much to see with this team in general, but the aforementioned Hawkins-Pickens group out wide accounted for 1500+ yards combined in the passing game. Betts has not one but two targets that he can find normally, and though the two don't necessarily have the surest hands, dropping the ball a combined 5 times, they're going to find ways to be open, and they're going to make plays. Throw in slot receiver Owen Condon, making his first career start next weekend, to the mix, and this has the potential to be one of the more dangerous receiving groups in the conference, surprisingly. Biggest Weakness: No Anti-Aircraft. De'Marius Mims and Devon Newton might be returning to their respective safety positions, but the entirety of the corner group is new and, with the exception of true freshman Vernon Fair, not looking too great. The defense will miss Alexander Glenn's six interceptions, namely because he was the only player on this defense that was able to pick the ball off. Not much is expected of these corners, and anything they do manage to do will surely exceed expectations, especially if Fair plays up to his potential. Why They Will Be Champions: Taking the Demon out of Demon Deacons. The Demon Deacons aren't expected to do much at all this year, especially after losing Kyle Palmer and Julio Cass to the draft, and you'd imagine the team itself is quite a bit stretched after the redshirting and subsequent transferring of struggling receiver Jacob Benson. That's the big news with this team, and that will likely remain the headline over the season as there doesn't appear to be much promise to this season. However, there might be enough firepower in the offense and maybe, just maybe, a few playmakers on this defense to grind out a few wins and maybe contend for a bowl game again? We've seen crazier happen.

SEC coaches dealing with Sun Belt coaches

It's been brought to my attention that I forgot to post this. AAC: +4 points per week. ACC: +5 points per week. Big 12: +5 points per week. Big Ten: +4 points per week. C-USA: +2 point per week. Independents: +2 points per week. MAC: +4 points per week. MWC: +2 points per week. Pac-12: +4 points per week. SEC: +5 points per week. Sun Belt: +2 points per week. FCS: +2 points per week.

Matt Jones stands tall in the pocket against PAC-12 Runner-up Arizona State in the 2019 Holiday Bowl. WEST LAFAYETTE – Purdue University has announced that former quarterback Matt Jones will be the fifth player inducted into the Boilermakers Hall of Fame – joining previous inductees QB Corey Mendoza, CB Dan Weaver, OG P.B. Holmes, and WR Jesse Scott. During his four years starting at Purdue, the Boilermakers went 48-8 (0.857), all at least 10-win seasons, 6-0 in the post-season including a Rose Bowl win and national championship, two-time B1G West division champions, and a B1G conference championship win. Jones would blast through the Purdue record book, starting all 51 games in four years, and throwing 1034 of 1498 (69%) for 14266 yards, 128 TD, 29 INT. After his final season, Matt Jones surpassed Holmes as the most decorated Boilermaker, taking the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Award, and B1G Offensive Player of the Year, as well as a consensus All-American, an All-B1G selection, and honored (yet snubbed) as a Heisman finalist. Now, he enters the NFLHC as the first overall pick in the 2022 draft. Simply put, Jones is “The Greatest Boilermaker”. The golden-arm award winner becomes the first Boilermaker immediately inducted after graduation since Mendoza in 2018 at the opening of the Boilermakers Hall of Fame. Matt Jones will be added to the Ring of Honor during halftime at the 2022 Indiana game in Week 16: http://cfbhc.com/wiki/index.php?title=Purdue_Boilermakers_Ring_of_Honor Matt Jones after the Boilermakers escape an upset from Michigan State on their way to a national championship in 2021. Matt Jones is the face of Purdue’s storybook rise to reaching a national championship. Starters in the early years, players such as Mendoza, Weaver, Holmes, and Scott rose from a last place team in the B1G West to a nationally ranked team. At the start of the 2018 season, the Chicago Tribune editor asked, “The one big question is this: Can Matt Jones be an effective replacement for Corey Mendoza?” But by 2020, that answer was clear to the nation, and the Tribune editor admired the team’s success running an article stating, “Matt Jones is one heck of a QB, his defense is solid, and they don't make many mistakes.” It was in large part Matt Jones and the Boilermaker defense that took them from the role of season spoiler for B1G West teams to a national powerhouse, and eventual national champions. Yet, Matt Jones went unrecruited aside from Purdue. The Boilermakers head coach recalls, “In those days, recruiting was different. You didn’t have as much resources so maybe only a couple teams got a look at a kid. Matt was from Indiana, and Notre Dame was good in those days; they were interested in him. Matt and Tanner Bowman were spotlight players, so their high school performances hit the media. Everyone knew about him. But we were the only ones to offer him a scholarship so he came to Purdue.” And from Matt Jones’ first game, the 2018 season opener against Air Force, it was obvious this kid was something special. Jones threw 25 for 30, 427 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT. Air Force has since declined to play Purdue who leads the series 4-0. The head coach simply recalled, “That was one of my favorite games. Looking across the field and seeing their coach’s face during that game. Priceless.” And that’s part of the fairy tale story for Purdue. Prior to Jones, Purdue had never recruited a five-star recruit from high school. Since Jones, the Boilermakers have been able to bring in a five-star recruit typically each year. The national championship team in 2021 had five players that were five-star recruits from high school – the redshirt senior Jones, redshirt junior punter A.J. Hauser, true junior CB Jordan Westbrook, true sophomore ATH/CB Jeremiah Bulter, and true freshman DE Landon Crowder. The rest of the national championship team were diamonds-in-the-rough recruits and transfers from junior college trying to get a second chance. Looking forward, the Boilermakers head coach said, “Times, they are a’ changin’. Recruiting is different now, and the types of players were going to attract will be different. We never got all the top talent before though. But our offense will have to change. Matt Jones, maybe our upcoming starter Kyle Jefferson, are probably the last quarterbacks at Purdue to run our basketball-on-grass offense. And you need a guy like Matt for it. He should've won the Heisman for that. You swap out Matt for anyone else, and that offense doesn't function as smoothly. Can't say that for other team, and he was the best player in 2021; the success of that offense was due to him.” That offense in 2021 led by Matt Jones was one of the best quarterback performances in CFBHC history (see post below), yet he was the only five-star-rated-potential offensive player on the team. After the announcement, Matt Jones tweeted: Yes Matt, we like that!

Someone needs to come up with a good Waters - Moses - Green Wave thing for Tulane. It writes itself. Good win with them. Hopefully, the start of turnaround for the program.

he's comin for that ass

The wait is over, and the season is here today! The nation's most exciting conference wastes no time in bringing two of the best matchups of the marquee week 0. The Friday night undercard is the first conference game of the year nationwide as Texas looks to start their new era on the right foot against a Kansas team that is competing with them for sleeper status. But the opener might be the Game of the Year before the year's even had a chance to begin, as 2nd-ranked TCU meets top-ranked Auburn in New Orleans in the very first game of the entire season. Let's talk about the games. Thursday Night CFBHC Kickoff Game: #1 Auburn (0-0) vs. #2 TCU (0-0) (+5.5) (Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA) How many bigger games have there ever been to start a season? These two playoff semifinalists enter the season as the two primary national title favorites, meaning all eyes will be on New Orleans as they meet. If you're an NFL scout, you're watching this game. If you're on either team's schedule, you're watching this game. If you just enjoy college football, you're watching this game. But what are you looking for? The most obvious answer's going to be Heisman contender Marcus Black--but before I get to him, I want to talk about both of these teams' defenses. Auburn ranked 5th in the country in allowing under 16.1 points per game last season, and TCU was 8th with 17.2 allowed per game. Despite that, it's TCU fans who are more excited about their defense coming into the season while Auburn fans salivate over the offense. The Tiger defense doesn't have much of a talent dropoff compared to TCU, but they sure are younger. Five of Auburn's starters in the front seven alone are freshmen or sophomores, including the whole linebacker corps. Obviously you won't find a ton of freshman linebackers more talented than Brett Combs, who some close to the program say could get drafted into the NFL today if he were allowed. True freshman outside linebacker and pass rusher Francesco Tidwell also figures to be exciting, and gap-eating defensive tackle Jason Siegel partnered with true freshman defensive end Myles Wallace and an ever-dangerous Thomas Handy (who had 10.5 sacks last year) make for an intimidating defensive line. The youth up front removes one of TCU's biggest offensive concerns from the ledger: the Horned Frogs have a pair of freshmen starting on the offensive line and not much depth across the unit, so that makes for a youth-on-youth matchup. Auburn also has a young pair of safeties, with redshirt sophomore Daniel Joiner joining true freshman Jackson Smith back deep. Expect TCU to see what they can get downfield against a secondary that no longer features Kenyon Justice or early declaree Eddie Burks. Felix Luck threw for school records of 4,155 yards and 31 touchdowns last season, and the trio of Finn Nielsen, speedster Griffin McHanna, and tight end Miguel Aguilera now have an extra year of experience under their belt. Add in redshirt freshman slot receiver F.T. Grady and the Frogs' offense can spread the field and attack the Auburn defense horizontally or vertically so long as the blocking holds up. There are three main question marks, all of which are tied together. First, can Luck become a more efficient passer? He set volume records and won games, and there's nothing wrong with that--but a completion percentage better than 59.7% and a passer rating greater than 127.5 would go a long way toward taking this offense from #41 in scoring to championship-level. That said, his efficiency numbers were down in part because he threw 633 times, which calls for the question of whether TCU will attempt to balance things out more--and that immediately brings up a third question of whether Martin Gifford can be the reliable tailback that the Horned Frogs haven't had since Bradley Cooley. The redshirt junior from West Texas will get his shot; if after a few games he can't establish himself, look for redshirt freshman Matteo Cates to get his shot. I would expect the Horned Frogs to find purchase against the Tiger defense. But if they don't, then that vaunted defense can still keep them in the game as long as they can find some way to slow down an Auburn offense led by Heisman co-favorite Marcus Black. Easy enough, right? In the regular season last year, Black completed 71.2% of his passes for 3,425 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. What TCU may key in on, though, is the fact that he showed a clear focus on his top two guys. Jariel Martinez caught 64 passes for 1084 yards and 9 touchdowns; Kelvin Andrade added 58 receptions for 846 yards and 10 scores. The pair accounted for 47% of the team's receptions, 56% of its yards, and over 70% of its receiving touchdowns--in other words, they saw heavy usage and still exceeded expectations per catch. The Horned Frogs aren't worried about matching up one-on-one with them, because they have elite corners like Roman Blackmon and William Cooper. Their safeties aren't the strong point of the defense, but it's hard to imagine an easier situation for Ian Worley and Anthony Easter to walk into. One difference between the task TCU's defense faces and the task Auburn's defense faces is the sheer range of expected options. Auburn is more able to afford to bet that TCU will try to throw it, because if they lose due to TCU's run game then they picked the correct poison. TCU, however, can reasonably expect to have to defend the pass, the handoff, the quarterback keeper, the option--all of it's on the table. Marcus Black's elite, his receivers are elite, his offensive line is elite (and experienced, featuring four senior starters to go with a redshirt freshman left tackle), and his backfield partner Sean Meade is elite. Meade ran for 1490 yards and 18 touchdowns on 5.8 yards per carry, averaged 124.2 yards per game despite sharing a backfield with Marcus Black, and showed breakaway speed with touchdown runs as long as 75 yards. If you're TCU's defense, confronting the offensive line and making plays in the backfield is beyond crucial. There are a lot of Horned Frogs capable of doing that; they had 28 rushing tackles for loss last year. Returning defensive linemen Aidan Morrell, Aidan McAlister, and Kwon Shaw combined for 10, and you can expect defensive tackle Jasiah Pickens to pick up some of the slack. Senior linebackers Elliot McElmore and Chance Herring combined for 6 last year, and rising sophomore Richard Farrell co-led the team with 6. Will that be enough to stop Black and Meade? Probably not. Will it be enough to slow them down? Maybe. Will it be enough to win? My gut says yes. Give me the more experienced Frogs in a shootout. #2 TCU 38, #1 Auburn 31 Friday Night Texas (0-0) at Kansas (0-0)* (-7.5) The first conference game of the year goes to the nation's most exciting conference, as an under-new-management Texas heads up to Lawrence to try to break a two-game losing streak to the Jayhawks. The Longhorns begin the first full season of the constapatedape era with a quarterback change, as junior Lucas Beckwith took over the starting spot from senior Kyler Tackett--who will undoubtedly push his younger counterpart in practice to win the job back. The Longhorns are hoping that Beckwith's superiority on his feet will be an advantage as well as a distraction from the threat of Simeon Wells running up the middle. The three-year starting tailback had the best season of his career last year, cruising to 1594 yards and 15 touchdowns on nearly 5.5 yards per carry. The Longhorns return an experienced line with two junior starters (headlined by left tackle Bobby Drake) and two senior starters. And boy, are they going to need it against a talented Jayhawk defensive line. Defensive ends Noah Urlacher and Jamari Callahan and defensive tackle Albert Duke combined for 20.0 sacks, 9 rushing tackles for loss, and 3 fumbles forced last season. Two of those sacks, two of those tackles for loss, and Callahan's fumble forced and recovered came in the Texas game. If Texas can control the line of scrimmage, they shouldn't have trouble working through the soft middle of Kansas's defense and moving the ball downfield a few small pieces at a time. If not, though, then negative plays and turnovers are a risk. But the same's true for Kansas's offense against a strong Texas defensive front. Tristan Priest had 8.5 sacks and 4 rushing tackles for loss by himself last year; defensive tackle Jamal Robinson added another sack-and-a-half and 5 tackles for loss. Add a healthy Zion Gaines to the mix and a young Jayhawk line (four starters are sophomores or younger) is going to have its hands full. The offense is going to mostly be on Christian Graham's shoulders, because the receivers can't really expect to win one-on-one battles with the Texas corners (especially not Devon Braxton) and runningback Andre Black is almost completely unproven. He'll at least have a pair of safety valves in tight ends Jaime Bautista and Samuel Hardy, though--Bautista last year was one of just three Big XII tight ends to ever record over 900 receiving yards and at least 10 touchdown receptions in a single season, joining Steven Maloney in 2018 and Hastin Rider in 2020. Texas's linebackers are a question mark just like Kansas's; they moved inside linebacker Samir Sneed to the outside for coverage purposes. Both of these teams have a lot of question marks, some self-inflicted and others not--bu both have potential, and the winner's going to earn immediate dark horse status in the conference race. I think both will struggle to score in this one (and both will play top-notch defense), but I'll take Kansas to come out on top and eke out a home win. Kansas 17, Texas 13

WR Benjamin Franklin - Moderate Foot Fracture

AAC Positional Grades East Version! With the Kickoff of the 2022 season less than 24 hours away, It is time we take a look at each of the 12 schools and see what they are bringing to the table this season! In this article we will be looking at the 6 teams who are specifically in the Eastern division, Cincinnati, Uconn, ECU, UCF, USF and Temple. *Note about Grades given. Each position was given a grade between A and F. 5/5=A, 4.5/4.5=B+, 4/4=B, etc. If you started a 3.0/4.0 you will notice that doesn't fit the easy mold. In these cases, people were more often than not given the next grade up based on skill. 3=C, so C+. There were a few that fit the mold even less. For some of those odd balls ones(such as a 2.0/5.0) basically just graded them with the eye test. Everything was based off of skill/potential. No stats were looked up. Don't like that? Do it yourself then. The Chicago Tribune Projection: Cincinnati (4.2-7.8 overall, 2.9-5.1 AAC) Cincinnati will be the first team we start off with. The Bearcats have long been a bottom dweller in the AAC, and more honestly the NCAA. However, things began to change under Former Coach, and Current Auburn coach, Rome. He began to bring in talent and find ways to succeed with a team that just wasn't very good. They have a long way to go, and according to the projections, they aren't expected to do much this season either. However, if you look at the team over all, they aren't behind the curve like they use to be. With good coaching, and a little luck, they may actually be able to make a little bit of noise in the conference this season. Might be a little foolish to say they are going to be contenders, but they won't be the push over everyone is use to them being. They are the only team in the Conference to receive an A for their kicker, In fact the only team in the East to have a kicker rated higher than a C+. They have a good quarterback, behind a decent offensive line, with a few weapons to use. Their defense isn't the best, and it has plenty of holes, but as long as it doesn't collapse, their offense could very well give them the chance to put up a fight this season. The Chicago Tribune Projection: Connecticut (3.1-8.9 overall, 1.8-6.2 AAC) If Cincy is the bottom dwellers, than UCONN might be the scum the bottom dwellers sleep on. They are an enigma to be sure. They have had some talent in the past, they have manage to upset teams, but a lack of coaching, consistent coaching, has really kept them from making any real strides. The huskies are predicted to have the second worst record this season in the AAC behind only Tulane. Given the talent they have currently, they aren't likely to prove the predictor wrong this season. However, it is not all doom and gloom. They have the best Graded players at the WR 1 spot. Honestly that might be the truth for the last two seasons. They also have a QB who can air the ball out if he has the chance. But given the defense, given some of the supporting cast on offense..the huskies are going to be real one dimensional this season, and probably easy to predict. UCONN might have the only A graded receiver, but they are also the only team to have a player grade F at any position. Buckle up Huskies..expect every team to run the air raid on you... The Chicago Tribune Projection: East Carolina (3-9 overall, 2-6 AAC) ECU is one of those teams that have been hard to predict over the last few seasons. Last season they were expected to finish near the bottom of the conference, but managed to claw their way back to finishing second in the east. A few seasons earlier, they started 1-3, but went on a fantastic run and almost had their first double digit season in team history, had it not been for a bazaar upset by Uconn. The team has also been in a rebuild mode since 2020. Aside from a horrific recruiting campaign in 2019, ECU's coach has been able to recruit very well, finishing in the top 30 the last two seasons. His teams grades really are a result of young guys not growing up yet. Especially on the defense side of the ball. Coach Weeze has always manage to finish the season with at least 7 wins. Given his schedule and conference opponents, its going to take some good coaching, and a lot of luck to keep that streak alive. If the defense can play up to their potential in the big moments, they could have a special year with a Freshmen quarterback leading the way. The Chicago Tribune Projection: UCF (9.4-2.6 overall, 6.9-1.1 AAC) The Chicago Tribune has UCF ranked number 1 in the east. If i were a betting man, I might put my chips on another team who shows up later on on this list. That said, UCF is probably one of the most talented teams in the AAC. They could easily fight the top dogs in other conferences. However...they also have a new coach. He is young. But he does have spirit. It will be interesting to see what he can do with this squad. More importantly, how will he recruit in the great battle royal that is Florida. If he can overcome those challenges..he might be able to carry over the legacy and get UCF back on track to become the great dynasty that former head coach UBL was building. The D line at UCF is probably the best graded in the conference, with only South Florida a notch behind them. The future of this team really depends on the coaching. They could be great..or they could fall apart leaving us to wonder what happened. The Chicago Tribune Projection: USF (7.2-4.8 overall, 4.7-3.3 AAC) USF is a team looking to break away from the middle of the pack. They had a good run a couple seasons ago, but like a lot of the AAC took a big step back last season. They need to show they are still the team we expect them to be. They have a lot of young talent. Especially on defense. They were once thought to be the best offense team in the AAC. But a look at this defense..they might have turned into one of the best Defenses. The D-line is probably the second best behind UCF, and arguably have the best secondary in the conference. If USF can get the offense to show up, their defense should be able to overcome any mistakes they might make. The O-line is probably the worst in the AAC..but its young. It could be the very thing that helps make this team..or break it. The Chicago Tribune Projection: Temple (9.3-2.7 overall, 5.8-2.2 AAC) Temple is expected to finish second accord to the Chicago Tribune, but Temple has dominated the East for the most part for the last several years. With UCF having a new coach, and all the troubles that come with having a young new coach, it would not be much of a stretch to expect Temple actually take the top spot in the East again this year. A Young Quarterback, with lots of weapons around him behind a solid line should see the Owls have one of the better offenses in the east. Only UCF might have a better offense in the east. Defensively, the grade well across the board. Their nickel corner spot might be a problem, but I expect they will be working closely with the safeties to help. Their Linebacker unit is solid, and their tackles upfront will be a problem for most of the conference. The line will make or break USF. Quarterback will break or make Temple. Jordan North leaves behind a big hole. Their coach is a hard nose man, with a lot of respect attached to his name. I expect his team has faith in him, and expect him to find a way to win. Something the great coaches do. All in all, it should be a much better year for the AAC East. Many of the teams are still rebuilding, but they are better prepared than what they were last season. UCF has all the talent to be dominate. The big question mark is the Coach. Temple has a lot of talent, and a proven coach who can win. USF though isn't a team that should be ignored. Evans has a great defense and has put together an exciting offense in the past. East Winner: Temple Key Match: UCF @ Temple Dark Horse: USF Last: Uconn

Only you could bitch about first place

FBS National Champion: Alabama, gross... FCS National Champion: North Dakota Fighting Hawks Heisman Winner: Jake Davis, QB, Washington (If this happens, I'll consider posting a ridiculous video of self-humiliation...) NFL Super Bowl Champion: Philadelphia Eagles or Jacksonville Jaguars, I'll lean Eagles. Most Surprising Team: Seattle Seahawks in NFLHC; Hawai'i Warriors in CFBHC.

reserved

SageBow Inc. 2022 5 Star Recruits After thorough scouting of the high school ranks for months, SageBow Inc. is proud to introduce their internal rankings of their 5* Recruits. (Disclaimer, these rankings are my own personal rankings and have nothing to do with how these players will actually do in the sims) 1. Brendon Irving, CB, 5-9, 164, DeLand, FL.Rating: 1.0000 2. Erick Daniels, FS, 5-10, 195, Saraland, AL Rating: 0.9999 3. Travanis Ponder, DE, 6-4, 246, Malvern, AL Rating: 0.9995 4. D'Onta Streeter, SS, 6-2, 192, Bothell, WA Rating: 0.9992 5. Mike Freeman, RB, 5-10, 229, Midlothian, VA Rating: 0.9988 6. Antonio Jackson, WR, 6-3, 214, Portage, MI Rating: 0.9986 7. Gabe Weber, OG 6-7, 322, LaPorte, IN Rating: 0.9985 8. Anthony Carlin, OT, 6-3, 277, Hot Springs, SD Rating: 0.9984 9. Brandon Willis, WR, 5-10, 175, Bakersfield, CA Rating: 0.9981 10. Joey Wolfe, QB, 5-11, 229, Kennett Square, PA Rating: 0.9981 11. Shane Hadley, OT, 6-7, 258, Veedersburg, IN Rating: 0.9975 12. Terrence Walker, CB, 5-10, 201, Mission Viejo, CA Rating: 0.9973 13. Kayvon Harris, CB, 5-11, 177, San Marcos, CA Rating: 0.9964 14. Sean Davenport, OG, 6-7, 291, Pensacola, FL Rating: 0.9962 15. Ryan Small, OT, 6-5, 263, Katy, TX Rating: 0.9962 16. Donte Delmas, ATH, 5-11, 150, Anniston, AL Rating: 0.9957 17. Dante Barfield, ILB, 6-3, 253, Laurel, MS Rating: 0.9947 18. Riley Stark, OG, 6-3, 316, Franklinton, LA Rating: 0.9945 19. Tran Nguyen, WR, 6-3, 190, Castle Dale, UT Rating: 0.9942 20. Jack Green, OT, 6-4, 309, Indianapolis, IN Rating: 0.9934 21. Tremaine Clemons, RB, 6-0, 197, Merced, CA Rating: 0.9932 22. Byron Hubbard, TE, 6-1, 192, Magazine, AR Rating: 0.9928 23. Dillon Dooley, OG, 6-6, 256, Des Moines, IA Rating: 0.9927 24. Booker Hawkins-Hawthorne, WR, 6-0, 220, Gibsonia, PA Rating: 0.9919 25. Finn Leonard, QB, 6-3, 196, West Valley City, UT Rating: 0.9912 26. Marcus Kimbrough, ATH, 6-0, 208, Port Neches, TX Rating: 0.9912 27. Demarion Moore, RB, 6-0, 210, Columbia, SC Rating: 0.9910 28. Larry Frey, OG, 6-6, 287, Bayard, NE Rating: 0.9905 29. Logan Miles, WR, 6-3, 205, Lawrenceville, GA Rating: 0.9891 30. DaJuan Banks, DE, 6-3, 258, New Deal, TX Rating: 0.9883 31. Rashard Pitts, FS, 6-0, 203, Moville, IA, Rating: 0.9880 32. Bryce Echols, TE, 6-3, 222, Bowman, SC, Rating: 0.9869 33. Oluwafemi Okoye, DE, 6-5, 250, McLean, VA, Rating: 0.9868 34. Grant Pace, C, 6-2, 246, Auburn, ME, Rating: 0.9853 35. Kavon Palmer, DT, 6-1, 282, Port Charlotte, FL, Rating: 0.9853 36. Luke Cleary, RB, 5-6, 231, Elmira, OR, Rating: 0.9851 37. Nicholas Farnsworth, OT 6-1, 299, Covington, TN, Rating: 0.9851

meh

Wyoming finally signs a Head Coach Laramie, Wyoming - After the departure of successful Wyoming HC, alexfall862, many thought Wyoming would go right back into the cellar. However Wyoming's fortunes are looking to change after the school hired a young and upcoming High School coach, ImmaManIm40. ImmaMan was coaching at the Alabama high school, Madison Academy, where he was the offensive coordinator. Under him Madison ranked in the top 10 in the state for total offense. When interviewed ImmaMan said this " I understand going from High School to College coaching is a big step and I am ready to accept the responsibility I now have as head coach of this team. I relish the challenge of competing with all these experienced head coaches in the conference. I plan to run the West Coast offence and as for defense I plan to run a 4-3 scheme. My ultimate goal as head coach is to make it to and win a bowl game, maybe even a conference championship". Only time will tell if Wyoming will benefit from this hiring, but Wyoming's chances of success do look better with this head coach signing and continue to improve with the progression of players like Ajani Terry and David Grier.

It's Trickett to throw a dime (to throw a dime) or run on time, Luke Trickett

.tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;} .tg th{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-uqo3{background-color:#efefef;text-align:center;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-baqh{text-align:center;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-yzt1{background-color:#efefef;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-xgyj{font-weight:bold;font-style:italic;font-size:18px;background-color:#9b9b9b;color:#ffffff;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-5frq{font-style:italic;text-align:center;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-jogk{font-style:italic;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-yw4l{vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-yvo5{background-color:#656565;vertical-align:top} Preseason Coaches Poll Top 25 Rk Team '21 Rec Conf Pts 1 Auburn Tigers (7) 12-3 286 2 TCU Horned Frogs (2) 13-2 283 3 Purdue Boilermakers (3) 15-1 269 4 Alabama Crimson Tide 8-5 267 5 Oklahoma Sooners 7-6 229 6 Oklahoma State Cowboys 11-3 222 7 Missouri Tigers 14-2 193 8 Michigan Wolverines 11-3 178 9 LSU Tigers 8-5 169 10 Duke Blue Devils 11-3 154 11 Clemson Tigers 8-5 148 12 SMU Mustangs* 10-3 125 13 Ohio State Buckeyes* 11-2 125 14 Texas A&M Aggies 9-4 123 15 San Diego State Aztecs 9-4 111 16 Penn State Nittany Lions 7-6 99 17 Georgia Bulldogs 9-4 95 18 Mississippi State Bulldogs 8-5 83 19 Washington State Cougars 5-7 79 20 USC Trojans 7-6 74 21 Rice Owls 12-2 64 22 Nevada Wolf Pack 11-2 63 23 Washington Huskies 8-5 54 24 Miami Hurricanes 7-6 53 25 Toledo Rockets 10-3 45 Dropped from Rankings: n/a Others receiving votes: Minnesota (41), Tennessee (35), UCF (27), Temple (26), Virginia (24), Oregon (21), Texas (21), Kansas (20), Boston College (19), Florida (11), Florida State (11), Hawaii (9), Utah (9), BYU (8), Texas Tech (8), Nebraska (6), Illinois (4), Virginia Tech (3), Arizona (2), Arizona State (2), Baylor (2), Colorado (1), Western Michigan (1) *SMU's highest ranking is 7th *Ohio State's highest ranking is 9th

[2018] Week #6 - Saturday Morning #12 Minnesota (2-1) at Kent State (0-3) FINAL SCORE: Minnesota 49-0 Kent State John Garland, KNT, 26 of 69 for 228 yards, 0 TD, 5 INT The very first game I ever coached. Did some research upon being accepted to Kent State, saw that 2 weeks before, Garland posted this statline John Garland, KNT, 20 of 35 for 292 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT against #9 Purdue. School record in passing yards, and not terrible overall, so I figured, hey, my team doesnt look very good, and Garland looks alright passing, let's run air raid. John Garland was a scrambling QB.

Preseason All-Conference Team, as voted by the coaches of the FBS Independent Football Programs Quarterback: QB Brendan Lange 6-2 207 (Jr) Simeon Career Academy (Chicago, IL) 4.0 of 4.0 [Hybrid] Running Back: RB Shane Walker 5-11 168 Jr Sandra Day O’Connor (Glendale, AZ) 3.0 of 4.0 [Power] Full Back: FB Malik Isaac 5-10 209 (Jr) Salt Lake Community College (Salt Lake, UT) 5.0 of 5.0 [Run Blocking] Wide Receiver: WR Nicholas Spence Jr. 6-3 181 (Sr) Nelson County (Lovingston, VA) 4.5 of 4.5 [Target] WR Ahmed Slade 6-2 190 (Fr) Indian Creek (Trafalgar IN) 2.0 of 4.5 [Speed] Tight End: TE Jonas Grover 6-5 202 (Jr) Mayer Lutheran (Mayer, MN) 4.5 of 4.5 [Receiving] Offensive Tackle: OT John Hardison 6-6 291 Jr Dexter (Dexter, NM) 3.5 of 5.0 [Run Blocking] OT Liam Hildebrand 6-5 299 (Jr) Glen Lake (City, MI) 4.0 of 4.0 [Pass Blocking] Offensive Guard: OG Donald Reilly 6-6 312 Sr Nampa Christian (Nampa, ID) 4.5 of 4.5 [Pass Blocking] OG Sebastian Dobbins 6-4 273 (So) Bountiful (Bountiful UT) 3.5 of 5.0 [Pass Blocking] Center: C Kenny Rosas 6-3 278 Jr Trinity Valley Community College (Athens TX) 4.0 of 4.5 [Run Blocking] Defensive End: DE Nathaniel Woodson 5-11 243 (Sr) McKinley Tech (Boston, MA) 4.5 of 4.5 [Blitz] DE Adalius Proctor 6-7 258 Jr Ancilla College (Donaldson IN) 4.0 of 4.5 [Contain] Defensive Tackle: DT Jeremy Minor 6-5 319 (Jr) Truckee (Truckee, NV) 4.5 of 4.5 [2-Gap] DT Connor Chance 6-4 308 (Sr) Mahar Regional (Orange, MA) 3.5 of 3.5 [2-Gap] Inside Linebacker: ILB DaeSean Woodard 6-3 206 So Shawnee Community College (Ullin IL) 3.0 of 4.5 [Will] ILB Cooper Siegel 6-1 241 (So) T.R. Proctor (Utica NY) 3.5 of 4.0 [Mike] Outside Linebacker: OLB Blake Levesque 6-0 219 (Jr) Coyle & Cassidy (Taunton, MA) 3.5 of 3.5 [Coverage] OLB Stephen Wells 6-2 235 Sr Bloomfield (Bloomfield, CT) 3.5 of 3.5 [Coverage] Cornerback: CB M.K. Sharpe 5-11 201 (Sr) Jackpot (Jackpot, NV) 5.0 of 5.0 [Man Coverage] CB DeSean Robertson 6-0 182 (Jr) Espanola Valley (Espanola, NM) 4.5 of 4.5 [Man Coverage] Free Safety: FS Mario Robinson 6-1 182 (Jr) Oakdale (Oakdale, CA) 4.0 of 4.0 [Zone Coverage] Strong Safety: SS Evan Slaughter 5-10 210 (Jr) Clearfield Area (Clearfield, PA) 4.0 of 4.0 [Man Coverage] Kicker: K Beckett Burke 5-8 163 (Jr) Southeast Warren (Center, IA) 4.5 of 4.5 [Accuracy] Punter: P Daniel Bailey 6-4 195 Jr Neptune (Neptune, NJ) 4.5 of 5.0 [Power] Returner: WR Ahmed Slade 6-2 190 (Fr) Indian Creek (Trafalgar IN) 2.0 of 4.5 [Speed]

your comments in these pre-season threads are like emotional day-trading, it's fantastic