by Now that the season has past the halfway point, it’s time to assess a few of my preseason takes and see where I went right or wrong (so far). Let’s get into it.
Iowa’s offense will improve (DEAD wrong)
I was on the optimistic side of things and thought the addition of Cade McNamara at quarterback would give this unit the spark that it so desperately needed, but lord have mercy was I wrong. Granted, McNamara tore his ACL in Week 5 and this team was averaging 22 PPG with him under center, but that still did not stop the Hawkeyes from being currently ranked dead last in the FBS in total offense.
DJ Uiagalelei is going to improve at Oregon State (Right)
A new system and a change of scenery out to the Pacific Northwest is all it took for DJ U to turn his college career around. He looks more comfortable and poised as a passer, and is on his way to a career year stats wise. In the past two games against Cal and UCLA, DJ has thrown for 541 yards, seven touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. A key stat, however, is that through the first seven weeks, DJ is only getting sacked an average of 0.85 times/game, opposed to 1.83 times/game in 2022 at Clemson. Give him more time and patience, and he can deliver.
Phil Jurkovec will upgrade the Pitt offense (Wrong)
Lofty expectations were reasonable considering the fact that Jurkovec was once a projected borderline first-round pick following a huge 2020 season and had pieced together a solid three-year campaign at BC (5,184 total passing yards and 44 total TD). However, it’s fair to say that the transfer quarterback has proven to be a downgrade to the Pitt offense after replacing now BYU QB Kedon Slovis in the Steel City. Jurkovec has been banged up, benched, and flat-out disappointing through the first eight weeks. Certainly one of the worst Power Five quarterbacks in 2023.
Tennessee will regress (Right)
Now, this wasn’t necessarily an unpopular take considering how the Vols lost all that talent on offense, but some people still believed that Josh Heupel would bring these guys back to being SEC title contenders. Also, many were drinking the Joe Milton kool-aid and believed that he would finally turn the corner and be a first-round type of prospect with that “huge arm” and insane raw talent that was almost Anthony Richardson-esque. Not me. While Tennessee is not a bad team and is currently sitting at 5-2, they certainly haven’t reached the standards of that terrific 2022 season, nor seen its quarterback live up to the preseason hype. This team may finish 7-5 or 8-4 at best in my opinion.
LSU’s defense is legit (Wrong)
Led by preseason All-American linebacker Harold Perkins, I thought that this would be the most stout defense in the SEC alongside Georgia. Nope. While the offense has shined and Jayden Daniels has been playing out of his skull, this unit has plummeted by allowing an average of 6.1 yards per play (just 5.3 in 2022), having the third-worst defensive efficiency rating in the SEC, and the 126th overall red zone defense in the country. What happened Brian Kelly?
Penn State will win 10+ games (Most likely right)
Barring a huge post-Ohio State slump, the Nittany Lions are destined for a minimum of 10 wins this regular season. At this point, 10 wins is more likely than 11 considering the Michigan game will most likely go in the Wolverines’ favor, but anything can happen on a Saturday in Happy Valley. I still stand by the fact that this is Franklin’s most talented team since 2016, especially on defense, and it’s far too early to write off Drew Allar. Penn State will finish the season as a Top 10 team in the country.
Brennan Armstrong is going to light up the ACC again (Wrong)
This was one of my most confident preseason takes and I will take my L right on the chin. In 2021, Armstrong threw for nearly 4,500 yards and led a Virginia squad to finish the season ranked second in the nation in total offense. Along with reuniting with his former OC Robert Anae at NC State, it seemed like a perfect situation for Armstrong to return to his old self and give the Wolfpack offense some more juice. Ha, wrong. Armstrong has not even thrown for over 1,000 yards yet, he has five touchdowns to six interceptions, and is only completing 58% of his passes. It’s crazy what two years does to a guy.
In the same vein, my NC State win total bet (Over 6.5) is in jeopardy as the Wolfpack are currently 4-3 with five games left, including three home games vs Clemson, Miami, and UNC. Oof.