by The wait is almost over. We are now officially two days from college football kickoff. Here are six of my favorite storylines that every fan needs to pay attention to this upcoming season.
Primetime in Boulder
Perhaps the most interesting and talked about preseason college football headline in decades, Deion Sanders is looking to make University of Colorado football relevant. Fortunately, the only place for the Buffs to go is up. Colorado was by far the worst team in the nation last season, finishing the year 1-11 and losing by an average of 29 PPG. Simply atrocious. We all know that Deion practically cleaned house and brought a ton of talented transfers with him. But how far can just talent alone take them? If Deion can lead this team to 4, 5, or even 6 wins then that is HUGE. Week 1 against reigning national runner-up TCU will show us exactly where this program currently stands.
Wisconsin’s New Identity
Ever since the Barry Alvarez days, Badger football has been branded as a hard-nosed, ground-and-pound program — a DNA that has been notorious for consistently producing high-end offensive line and running back talent. However, with a new coaching hire there’s a new philosophy in Madison – one that will stray from what Wisconsin football has been traditionally known for.
As head coach Luke Fickell comes in, he will install a more modern, high-tempo spread offense. He told us this by hiring former UNC offensive coordinator Phil Longo, who is known for his air-raid style (just watch a Drake Maye highlight reel), and adding gunslinger Tanner Mordecai, who threw for over 7,000 yards and 72 TDs the past two seasons at SMU. So yeah, the system is going to be brand new, which may or may not be a bad thing. Perhaps it could be a way for Wisconsin to catch up with the style of play that its dominant conference rivals Ohio State and Michigan are excelling at. Perhaps it will set them back for a little while. We shall see.
There is no doubt that Fickell is an established coach who can win at the national level, but is stripping a program of its traditional identity an effective solution for success? It will be very intriguing to see how that answer unravels this season. Wisconsin brings back a ton of production along with a much-improved coaching staff and quarterback. I think that the Badgers have a good shot of being a 10- or 11-win team in 2023.
New Faces Under Center
Over the past three seasons, we’ve witnessed historic quarterbacks lead the offenses at Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama. Now a new generation is set to take the field. Not only do each of those three programs need to replace QBs, but offensive coordinators too.
Georgia: Kirby Smart officially announced earlier in the week that Carson Beck is the guy and will be the starting QB for the Bulldogs in Week 1. The good news for UGA is that, historically speaking, they have not had to rely on elite QB play. Matthew Stafford and Aaron Murray were standout passers in their college days, but aside from them, Georgia has heavily relied on physicality and athleticism from skill positions and linemen to win football games. The only question I have is, how will Beck and the offense transition from Todd Monken’s schemes to new OC Mike Bobo’s?
Ohio State: Whether it’s Kyle McCord or Devin Brown, they are in good hands. Ryan Day is a quarterback whisperer and has bred elite QB talent since he first stepped foot in Columbus. They also have all the surrounding pieces a QB can ask for with the best receiving corps in the country and a terrific backfield.
Alabama: The most concerning team of the bunch in terms of QB play is the Crimson Tide. Bryce Young was the heart and soul of this team and pulled off a lot of magic to bail his team out in so many big-time situations. Now he’s a Carolina Panther. Replacing the best quarterback in school history is going to place an insane amount of pressure on either Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson, or Tyler Buchner. It also doesn’t help having a receiving group that is somewhat questionable and not as great as we’re used to seeing in Tuscaloosa.
Can USC play defense?
Lincoln Riley has one thing to fix at USC: defense. It’s an issue that kept the Trojans out of the playoff last year and Riley from winning a national title at OU. If you can’t play quality defense in the Pac-12, good luck having to rely on beating teams like Washington, Utah, or Oregon in a shootout every week. You won’t go to the playoff that way. Not in this league. I said it before and I’ll say it again, if this team can improve at least a SMIDGE defensively and show some sort of progress, I guarantee they will take a step further this year and be a serious playoff contender.
Sam Hartman to Notre Dame
What has haunted Notre Dame for quite some time? Elite quarterback play. Sam Hartman just may be the glue that pieces everything together for this program. Hartman is a highly experienced college vet (45 career starts) who shattered several ACC records and once carried a Wake team to a conference title game appearance. Notre Dame has not had a prolific, strong-armed quarterback like Hartman for quite some time. While the Irish need to replace OC Tommy Rees and tight end Michael Mayer, the offensive line is great, and the defense can hold its own. It will be a very interesting season in South Bend.
TEXAS IS …
The dreaded question that is asked every season and has the same answer: no, they aren’t back. Yet. After a dramatic loss to Alabama in Week 2 last season, there was an uproar in Austin that convinced the Longhorn faithful that they were right there with the big guns… then they proceeded to finish 8-5. What’s fascinating is that all five of their losses came by seven points or less (three against Top-15 teams), so a few plays and drives could have easily turned 8-5 into 11-2. But even with the coulda, shoulda, and wouldas, Texas is 4-10 in one-score games under Steve Sarkisian. Losing close games has been an ongoing trend for this team.
On the bright side, the Longhorns are stacked talent-wise with Ewers, a great receiving room, and five-stars on both sides of the ball. The Big-12 is down this season in terms of depth, so this will be a wide-open race for UT. Now it’s a matter of walking the walk and proving that they aren’t only halfway “back.” If they produce another subpar 8-4 season, I think it’s time to give Sarkisian the boot.
S/O Matthew McConaughey too btw.