Author: Lee Wakefield - @Wakefield90

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Takeaways from Week 1; Tar Heels Overcome Mountaineers As Teams Share 124 Points In A Thriller

College football is back in full force, it is just week 1 and we already have an early contender for game of the year. Entering today, Appalachian State was the favorite against the Tar Heels who came into Boone with an already battered roster. Wide Receiver Josh Downs was seen on the sideline before the game in street clothes, making it clear that he would not be suiting up today. Fans would soon learn that would not be enough to slow down this North Carolina offense as they then went on to score 63 points, but this is just the tip of the iceberg for what happened today in Boone. 

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Early on it was clear as day that this North Carolina defense was left behind in Chapel Hill. Falling to a quick 21-7 deficit, it seemed as if Appalachian State came prepared. That lead would be short lived as the Tar Heels would then go on to put up 34 points unanswered and it seemed like that would be all she wrote for today. Not quite, the Mountaineers would begin to bring themselves back into and would end up scoring a whopping 40 points in the fourth quarter alone. It seemed as if they had UNC right where they wanted them as they decided to go for two against a pitiful defense. It would go as a failed attempt which would put the game at 56-55 in favor of the Tar Heels. Then what happens next is potentially the most boneheaded moment of the whole game in which Bryson Nesbit returns the onside kick for six, leaving time on the clock and leaving the door open for the ‘Neers to tie it back up. Chase Brice would then lead another quick drive in under thirty seconds and put them in a position to tie up the game once more and potentially send it to overtime. Another failed two point attempt to call game in Boone, but not after what would be a wild sequence of events. 

So what is there to learn from what felt like a game that may last an eternity?

After endless scoring and many moments that would leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about the sport. For starters, this North Carolina team has a lot of questions on the defensive side of the ball. Gene Chizik, who had coached under Brown in Texas, might be having some growing pains to get reacclimated to the coaching position. Chizik who hasn’t coached since 2016 has been given the task to turn around an abysmal North Carolina defense, and so far it is proving to not be an easy one. Allowing 61 points to a non Power-5 team is just not a great feat and should be a concern for North Carolina fans everywhere. Another take away that should be concerning for this defensive unit is the fact that they did not have a stop on third down until after the halfway point in the second quarter. That secondary has some major questions as well, which is a huge let down since that is a position the North Carolina has really hit the hardest with many talented names at the position. Though their lead cornerback Tony Grimes did not take the field today after dealing with an injury that he had suffered early in their first game against Florida A&M. Let’s hit on some bright spots though, for both sides.

Drake Maye showed out in his second start for North Carolina, showing off his ability to stand in the pocket and make some tough throws. Throughout the game he stood in a collapsing pocket and made some excellent throws, while also showing off his mobility and scoring his first rushing touchdown of his career. To celebrate he found former UNC quarterback Sam Howell, who dealt with a similar situation as Drake Maye all last season having no defense and no offensive line to help.

Maye finished the day with 352 passing yards with a 70% completion percentage and 5 total TDs.

Now onto Appalachian State, who might have lost the game but are the real winners for today. A name who deserves some love is running back Nate Noel who punched in not one, but two touchdowns on the ground today and showed out for 116 yards on 14 carries. He easily was the best running back out there today and made a big-time play early on when he took a run up the middle and broke free for a 52 yard touchdown giving Appalachian State an early 7-0 lead. 

Finally, all eyes were on Drake Maye, the redshirt freshman who transferred from Alabama not too long ago and has seemed to take the ACC by storm. Let’s not forget to tip the cap to Chase Brice, who had a game full of ups and downs, but at the end of the day tore up this Tar Heel secondary. The Mountaineers quarterback threw for 363 yards, 6 TDs, and finished the day with a 69% completion percentage. The quarterback also had 35 yards on the ground, but came up short on the scramble to tie the game in the final seconds. At the end of the day it was an excellent quarterback battle that took place in Boone and will be one that fans can’t help but look back and smile about later on into the year. College football is back and boy does it feel good. 

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College Football Player to Watch; Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame

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Welcome to the week 1 edition of a weekly feature here at the Full 10 Yards CFB where I will be putting one draft eligible player under the microscope each week. I’ll be giving you a player to watch for in the upcoming round of college football and a host of reasons why you need to get some eyeballs on them.

This week I’ve got Isaiah Foskey in my sights, the defensive end from the Notre Dame Fightin’ Irish. Very apt for a number of reasons. Firstly, I’ll never shy away from giving love to the edge rushers! Next, Georgia vs. Oregon aside, the Irish against the Ohio State Buckeyes is the game of the week and lastly, well… and this is tenuous, Ireland has just done itself proud with their hosting of Nebraska and Northwestern this past weekend, so anything Ireland is kind of in vogue.

First up, who is Isaiah Foskey?

Foskey arrived on campus in South Bend as a 4-star prospect who was a tight end/defensive end hybrid out of Concord, California. He stood at 6’4 and tipped the scales at 235lbs, right now, Notre Dame lists Foskey as 6’5 and 265lbs and he is well and truly a high-level defensive end.

Production wise, Foskey’s numbers have grown year-in, year-out at Notre Dame in almost every sense. He’s become more important to the team, he’s started more games, and his tackles for loss, sacks and forced fumbles have grown exponentially. Last year in his Junior season, Foskey registered 9.5 TFLs, 10 sacks and 6 forced fumbles, so we are looking at a player who is a star for this unit and can provide the Irish with splash plays.

As we covered on our Summer Scouting Podcast on Defensive Line and Edge Defenders – which you can listen to here via our LinkTree – I have Foskey slated as my number 3 ranked edge rusher moving into the season.

So, we can see that he puts up numbers – So how does he do it?

I’ve got a couple of plays cued up below but before showing you what he does, I’ll say that Foskey is a nuanced pass rusher, who has a nice balance between speed and power rushes and he’s a dynamic player who jumps off the screen. So there should be no problem keeping your eyes on #7 when he’s lining up on Saturday. 

Foskey lines up in a position known as the VYPER position in Notre Dame’s defense, which is the stand-up edge defender/linebacker hybrid. So as much as his preferred position is stood up at the line of scrimmage on the end of the three down linemen, it’s not uncommon to see Foskey on the second level of the defense dropping into coverage alongside the other linebackers.

Let’s start here with a demonstration of Foskey’s power and independent hand usage which comes from the USC game from last year…

Isaiah Foskey, Long Arm Sack vs. USC 2021

Foskey is the nearside of the screen (yellow arrow) aligned at wide-9 for the Irish, he starts with a little stutter-step and then jabs in the long arm, with his inside-arm. The independent hand usage can be seen from the second, endzone angle – As the tackle tries to engage, Foskey swipes his hand away with his off-hand, whilst driving him back with the long arm. Foskey then shows a nice amount of power and dips his shoulder momentarily to establish more leverage and walk the tackle back. The cherry on top is that he continues to keep his off-hand free and uses it to get the strip sack. 

Isaiah Foskey Finishes the Game with a Sack vs. USC 2021

Next up I’ve got a demonstration of pure effort and motor. The QB gets himself in trouble here, and that helps, but Foskey has his initial rush stopped, but he comes back, again showing good understanding of leverage and shows his power to unbalance the tackle (#70) before wrapping up the QB and the game.

Ok last one, this one is from the Cincinnati game from last year and I want to show you how Foskey can also be trusted in the run game…

Foskey Shows his Run Defense vs. Cincinnati 2021

Foskey lines up at his favoured wide-9 alignment, but the left guard and tackle double-team inside leaving Foskey isolated, with the right guard (#51) pulling in his direction. Foskey shows his stoutness and takes him on before dispatching him to the side, as the running back (Jerome Ford, now of the Cleveland Browns) gets into his vicinity and he, alongside a team mate, is able to stuff the run for no gain. I also love that Foskey almost drives the runner out of the frame.

Alongside these kinds of plays, I have seen a lot of evidence of Foskey’s athleticism, including his range to cover all the way to the sideline, both when he lines up as a linebacker and in backside pursuit. I also feel like Foskey shows great play recognition in the run game and can deconstruct blocks and flow to the ball with ease. However, to me, his best work comes when he lines up as a traditional pass rusher and he’s allowed to be a QB hunter.

Alongside all of this, it’s the potential match up which could make Foskey an even more mouth watering watch…

In particular, I will be looking at Foskey when he’s lining up against Ohio State’s new left tackle, Paris Johnson Jr. Johnson spent last year playing at right guard and is now flipping over to left tackle as Thayer Munford’s replacement.

This should be an adjustment for Johnson, albeit, he is rated highly by draftniks and fans alike. Johnson, like Foskey is a good athlete and he does have long arms which he could use to nullify Foskey, since one weakness of Foskey is his lack of natural and anatomical length. However, given the playmaking ability, the nuance in his game and ability to mix up his plan of attack, Foskey could catch Johnson cold before he gets into his stride at his new position.

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So to conclude…

Foskey has all the tools at his disposal to cause Paris Johnson Jr., or indeed any of the other Ohio State lineman some issues this weekend. This is the #2 team in the country hosting the #5 team so there are going to be a tonne of matchups all over the field but I do believe that this not only involves a pair of talented, draft eligible players, but it could be a match up that the game could hinge on. If Foskey and his colleagues in the front seven can disrupt CJ Stroud, then Ohio State could be on the end of another early season humbling, just as they suffered vs. Oregon last year in week 2. 

Check back each and every Friday as I will be dropping these Player to Watch articles each week to set you up for your weekend of watching college football, and don’t forget to stick around for all of the other great work that will be rolling throughout the season from all of our guys. Isn’t it just great to have football back?!

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Week 0 Scouting Notes – Nebraska vs. Northwestern

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Here we are, back for another year of scouting notes from the world of college football.

Week 0 didn’t throw up too much in excitable match ups, but there was clearly one game that had some decent prospects to look at, and that was the Cornhuskers and Wildcats going at it over in Dublin, Ireland.

The game itself had a little bit of everything, and certainly was a better watch than I was expecting. It did throw out a few impressive performances from some guys who were on my radar already, and a few who weren’t, so let’s get to them…

Nebraska

Not a great deal to get excited about Offensively for the Cornhuskers. QB Casey Thompson is an exciting college player, but I don’t see high NFL traits with him. The off script plays with him are exciting, but unfortunately we have accuracy issues and some questionable decision making too. WR Trey Palmer, who is a transfer over from LSU, had some nice flashes but had a bad drop too. He looks like he could be productive in this offense as I think they’ll try and use him more as a gadget guy than a pure receiver, and if he can clean the drops up he may open some scouts eyes. 

TE Travis Vokolek was a factor in the passing game (5 Catches) but he struggled run blocking, often getting rag dolled by the Northwestern front seven. There’s no denying his nice athletic profile, but we’ll need to see him do better in the run game before we get too excited about him.

JUCO transfer RB Anthony Grant had an impressive debut. He ran hard and with authority, grinding out the tough yards but also broke a couple of nice gains too. Scored 2 TD’s on the ground and looks like he’ll become the feature back for Nebraska going forward.

The Offensive Line was terrible, but OC Trent Hixson held his own more often than not. He was the solid piece whilst everything else was crumbling around him and he looks like a nice replacement for round two draft pick Cam Jurgens. I had some good grades on him back in 2019 when he started at guard but he has barely played the last couple of years. Now he has a chance to put himself on the NFL radar, although he’ll hope for more help from his fellow lineman than he got in this game to get noticed.

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Defensively for the Cornhuskers there were a couple of guys who flashed and both are transfers from other power five schools. CB Tommi Hill really impressed me. He has great size, length and fluid movements and was a former 4-Star recruit who was at Arizona State last year. Only a true Sophomore, so this is a name for the 2024 draft cycle at the earliest, but if you liked Cam Taylor-Britt last year for the Cornhuskers, then this guy has the potential to be better than that.

EDGE Ochaun Mathis spent the last four years at TCU with mixed results, but always flashed some top end traits. He was good here, consistently setting a good edge against the run and flashed some nice pass rush moves. Hopefully he’ll get a full season of top tape, as he has the size and athleticism of a top-100 player, he just needs to find consistency.

Lastly for the Cornhuskers was a guy who only played 20 snaps in the game and has just 183 total snaps in 4 seasons, but he looks like someone who definitely has next level ability. DT Stephon Wynn Jr. was a 4-star recruit who spent his previous seasons stuck behind many future NFL draft picks at Alabama. He’s not listed as a starter for Nebraska, but if he can replicate the disruption he caused in 20 snaps in this game, then a bigger role in this defense should be his, as he looked every part of a well coached former top recruit. He’s certainly one for the late round notebook.

Northwestern

The most surprising thing about the Wildcats’ shock win was just how efficient their Offense looked. They aren’t noted as a team to usually tune into when they have the ball, but perhaps 2022 will see scouts take a good look at some of these guys, especially as they have a pre-season first round calibre offensive tackle on their roster.

Let’s start though with the QB Ryan Hilinski. He flashed as a Freshman at South Carolina in 2019 but ended up transferring to Northwestern before the 2021 season. He was a part time starter last year with very average grades but in this game we saw a lot of improvement and control. I don’t think he’s going to wow anyone with arm strength or athleticism, but what he did do was lead his team efficiently and take good care of the football. He’s a former 4-star recruit, with a tragic family backstory, so he’s someone who is easy to root for.

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There were 2-star offensive performances for the Wildcats, and we’ll start with that highly rated Lineman. OT Peter Skoronski was my OT3 going into the year, and although this appears to be a lesser offensive line class in general, he would still grade as a round 1-2 player for me right now. He is one of the most technically sound tackles in the nation, with good balance, strength and athleticism and all of those traits were on display here. Now he wasn’t up against great Nebraska EDGE’s but he took care of what was in front of him and that’s all you can ask. He was excellent in the run game, getting great push off the snap and creating lanes which their running backs exploited. The only issues he had was with exposing his chest in pass protection and getting shunted back quickly. This only happened a few times but it was also noticeable on his 2021 tape too, and because he has shorter arms he has trouble recovering. There are many experts who think he should move inside to guard at the next level, and you can see why they think that, but I’d at least give him a chance to prove himself at tackle first, as he’s too good not to get that opportunity for me.

RBs Evan Hull and Cam Porter had impressive games, with both sharing the workload almost evenly. Hull was the better player, with his powerful running style and nice hands out of the backfield. Porter is more explosive and has bigger play ability but also loses yardage too and had a bad fumble in this game as well. They will be a great one-two punch though going through the season and both have some NFL appeal to them. 

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The Wildcat defense got off to a pretty sloppy start, but once the new season nerves had gone they took over this game, and it was behind a stellar second half performance that the game was won. There were numerous stand out’s but we’ll start with my MVP of the game, and that is EDGE Adetomiwa Adebawore. He has graded well for me over the last couple of years and that carried on in this game. He looks longer than his listed 6’2 which probably means he has long arms and he certainly knows how to use them. He was constantly clearing his chest of offensive linemen with his strength and length and he was a constant menace for the Nebraska offensive tackles. They shifted him inside on third downs and he got to embarrass the interior guys too, so he has nice versatility which is vital in today’s NFL. Now he’ll face better Lineman than this going forward, but this is the benchmark he has set and if he can maintain it for the season we should be looking at round 3-4 draft range.

Northwestern had corner, Greg Newsome go in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft and the buzz is they have another possible first rounder in CB Cameron Mitchell. There’s quite a few similarities between the pair of them, but I think Mitchell is behind Newsome and needs a really good year to get that first round talk going. Now when he was in press man coverage he was fantastic. He was strong at the snap, fluid in transitions and never allowed any separation for receivers. He had a late Interception whilst in great coverage illustrating this. The problems seem to arise when in off man or zone looks, as he seemed to struggle to process quickly the route concepts that were happening. He is also a bit disinterested in playing the run and that will annoy some teams. Obviously the NFL loves a great man corner, and this is where he excels, so he will be valuable come draft time, but I hope we can get a more all round polished corner by then to elevate his stock further. I do love an aggressive safety who isn’t a total liability in coverage and

Northwestern have the perfect example of one in S Coco Azema. This guy wants to take your head off at every opportunity but this does lead to the odd missed tackle here and there. He has nice coverage ability, particularly if it’s all in front of him, as he closes quickly to compete at the catch point or at worst wrap up tackles for minimal gains. He is one of those fiery leaders that every team needs and he’s a guy I’ll keep my eye on for the rest of the season. 

By Keith Lucken – Follow Keith on Twitter @lordlucken

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2022 COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON – PRESEASON TAKES Part 2

Welcome back to part two of our preseason takes article! Part 1 where we focused more on the team-based takes is here and today we are focusing on player and coach takes for the coming college football season, let’s get into it!

Ok guys, so with the team takes in the bank, let’s move on to talking about some of the individuals who will be lighting up the season in a few short weeks time. Let’s start with Quarterbacks – Quite simply, Bryce Young or CJ Stroud?

Andy – Both incredibly talented, but I like Stroud. He’s had a lot of pressure on him at Ohio State, given the depth of their QB room and the weapons at his disposal, but he dealt with that excellently last year. Young has obviously had similar pressures, but the arc that Stroud’s career has taken so far, from a three-star QB, to winning the Elite 11 MVP award, boosting his rating and going on to be the starting QB for the Buckeyes is just impressive. 

Raj – Too close to call, so much so you may as call the choices 1a and 1b. However my slight bias is towards Stroud, on the basis of the progression from the start of last season to how he ended the season was phenomenal. I expect a continuation of that progression, showing this season even greater poise and accuracy in the pocket. 

Kieran –  As a well known hater of both teams I think this will be the most objective answer you’ll ever get out of me. Personally? CJ Stroud. There’s not a lot separating the two in my mind but watching CJ pass is something different. He has that something special. His ball placement, poise and swagger are truly a sight to behold.

Keith –  Both of these guys have special skills, but I like Stroud a touch more right now. I think he has a higher ceiling than Young, but both should put up big numbers again this season. There’s every chance they meet each other in the National Championship game, and that would be the perfect way to settle the argument on who is best!

Will – There is something to love about both of these guys, they are very talented. I have flip flopped what feels like on the daily on who I believe is better, but as time has gone on I have grown to love Bryce Young more. He has the NFL ready arm, he can stretch the field and put the ball anywhere you want him to. His deep ball is one thing that gives him the edge over Stroud, plus his sneaky ability to make plays with his legs. I’d say the only thing really favouring Stroud his footwork, I believe his ability to roll out and still make the play down field is a thing of beauty, but it is not something that Young cannot replicate with time. 

Lee – I’ve always been a Bryce Young guy. I think he captured by imagination back at the beginning of last year. I love the poise that he plays with, the ball placement and accuracy is ungodly and he can make a play with his legs to get him out of trouble, although he does keep his eye downfield. Young plays with experience that belies his years and experience, and he’s a joy to watch. 

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So moving on from the guys throwing the passes to the guys who are catching those passes – Who is the wide receiver that you’re looking forward to watching the most this season? This doesn’t necessarily need to be the best guy, just the receiver you’re looking forward to the most.

Andy – I’ll stay at home in the ACC and say Dontayvion Wicks, the standout receiver in a loaded Virginia Cavalier pass catching room. Wicks emerged from nowhere last year, teaming up with Brennan Armstrong for 1203 yards and 9 TDs. There will definitely be more eyes on him this year, but the skill set he possesses will make him a handful for the ACC’s best CBs before he heads to the NFL.

Raj – The Longhorns are going to be a team everyone will be watching this year, and for me especially to see the development of Xavier Worthy. I firmly believe this kid is on the pathway to becoming one of the next bonafide superstar wide receivers and I’m excited to see his progression in his sophomore year. 

Kieran – I think we all know the answer. It’s the new number 7 on the block at WRU, Kayshon Boutte. He’s just second to none. A perfect blend of physical and finesse. He can moss people or he can blend guys on double moves or send them packing with silky smooth route running. Just a fantastic receiver who really deserves the number 7 jersey.

Keith –  I’ll go a bit left field and say Rakim Jarrett of Maryland. This Terps Offense has a chance to be really exciting this year, and Jarrett will be the focal point. Jarrett was a rare 5 star get for Maryland, as he chose to stay close to home, and he has flashed big time ability in his first two years there. With how this offense goes I expect both Jarrett and fellow receiver Dontay Demus Jr. to put up some big numbers this year, and both should be top 100 guys come draft time.

Will – Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a name that has left my mouth probably more than any other player in college football so far in the past year. Surprisingly isn’t the fastest, which makes him rely more on technique. It will be very interesting to see how he fairs against being pressed up more since he mostly worked in motion and out of the slot while he was paired up with two first round receivers. He is a talented route runner with very nice footwork which allows him to exceed on all levels of the field.

Lee – As a guy with his eyes out west, I am really looking forward to seeing Jordan Addison in the USC offense. I am looking forward to the USC offense and the USC project as a whole but will Addison be worth all of the fuss and furore that surrounded his transfer from Pittsburgh to USC? We will see. He’s a super dynamic receiver who led college football in yards last year and helped to make Kenny Pickett a first round QB… It should be dynamite with Riley calling the plays and a guy as talented as Caleb Williams throwing him the ball.

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Enough of offense for a moment, give us a defensive player who you’ll have eyes on all year?

Andy – With Derwin James just getting handed a monster contract by the Chargers, I’ll highlight the next man off the FSU production line. Jammie Robinson is quick, aggressive and has a nose for the ball that James and Jalen Ramsey would be proud of. Mike Norvell is slowly bringing some energy back to the Seminoles and Robinson is going to be at the heart of that in 2022.

Raj – Will Anderson May be the best defensive player in college football however for my money Jalen Carter is very close behind. With all the talent on the Georgia defense last year, Carter still stood out as the top guy and I hope he has the chance to shine once more as the beacon and cornerstone of the defense. 

Kieran –  I think the go to here for me is Felix

Anudike-Uzomah. Maybe underrated when compared to the Will Anderson’s or BJ Ojulari’s of the world but still a great edge prospect with all the talent in the world despite being part of a seriously underwhelming KSU team. He excels at almost everything he does on the field and I can’t wait to see more of him.

Keith –  The 2021 Georgia defensive line had three first round draft picks on it, including the number one overall selection, yet the best player on that line will be back in 2022….

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter is just a special animal, combining almost perfectly the best parts from his fellow DTs from last year in Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt. He is so quick, strong, disruptive and has the best pass rush ability of any returning interior defensive lineman in the country. He will now become the main man in that Georgia front seven, and if he can carry on improving he will be a top 10 lock come next April.

Will – I love my corners, so how can I not talk about Eli Ricks. The only real concern is his speed, but everything else checks out. He has the height and length of a starting cornerback and the ability to make any quarterback pay who takes the chance to throw his way. While teammate Will Anderson is the talk of the town, Ricks will look to make a name for himself in new threads this season and will definitely make an impact on the Crimson Tide’s defense. He is the perfect zone corner.

Lee – We are going to talk about Will Anderson an awful lot throughout the season, and I will do a little bit later on, especially as someone who loves pass rushers, but I’ll try to anticipate that and not be repetitive and go in a different direction and mention Kelee Ringo, the corner for Georgia. I mentioned during our summer scouting podcast episode on corners that Ringo gave me Jalen Ramsey vibes, which is super-high praise so I’ll be looking for him to prove me right!

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Next, let’s check in on the coaches – There have been some big appointments over the offseason, LSU, Oklahoma, Florida and USC in particular have made some high-profile hires in Brian Kelly, Brent Venables, Billy Napier and of course, Lincoln Riley… Of these four, whose team has the best season?

Andy – After our earlier predictions I’ll stick to Brent Venables and Oklahoma here. Venables has got arguably the ‘easiest’ conference, an experienced QB and enough acumen to solidify the Sooners’ defense. Lincoln Riley and the Trojans may be there or thereabouts come the end of the season, but it’s about time Oklahoma had the success that their talent teases.

Raj – Riley gives USC back their X factor and with Caleb Williams under center, I believe he will be the best of the new head coaches. Of all the new head coaches, he is most proven from the lot and I fully expect him to take the Trojans to the PAC 12 title and be in the mix for a National Championship

Kieran –   After a rather tenuous start to his LSU career I think Brian Kelly has separated himself from the pack. Known for doing a little with a lot at Notre Dame he now has the resources of a proper athletic institution behind him and he’s not only got the number 5 recruiting class in the nation but he’s a built an insane quarterback room, continues to develop the weapons in the WR room and has got our defence looking the best it’s looked since 2019. His southern accent is a little silly but he has free reign on that if he wins games this year.

Keith –  I was shocked when Lincoln Riley bolted to USC, it seemed from the outside that it was all about money and that usually never ends well. However, from what we hear in Trojan land, Riley is making USC very relevant, very quickly. He abused the transfer portal to land himself players he was familiar with and could trust, and then added some cream on top with possibly the best WR in college football too. I think he’ll get the best out of what he inherited (which is still full of 4 and 5 stars) and make them PAC 12 contenders right away.

Will – Brent Venables has got a good season ahead of him. Hard to not bring up how brilliant he is defensively when you bring up his name. The staff he has supporting him will help lead Oklahoma to what I believe is a very successful year. While everybody in the Big XII Zigged the Sooners decided to Zag by trying to assemble a defense that is sure to give these offenses some fits.

Lee – I like Brent Venables in Oklahoma. I think he’s proven at Clemson that he’s one of the brightest defensive minds in the college football ranks and with that I think he has a chance to really push the Big XII in a way that those teams aren’t used to being pushed. The way down there is usually to fight fire with fire but Venables might have some ideas about that! I think he and the Sooners will push Baylor all the way and the outlook will look good moving forward. 

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Ok, let’s get back on to players to wrap up here… Who will be the Heisman Trophy winner?

Andy – I’ve just finished my ACC predictions for the season and I couldn’t stop putting Miami down as a W every week – even against Clemson. The reason for that is Tyler Van Dyke. Mario Cristobal landed a pretty nice job with the Canes, but Van Dyke’s presence makes it even tastier. He’s got all the tools to be a big time player in the NFL and sadly (from an FSU standpoint) I think he’s going to dominate the ACC this season.

Raj – Have to go with my guy, the best player in college football, and for whom I knew last season that once he got on the field, he was a genuine superstar. That guy is TreVeyon Henderson and I haven’t seen a running back that good since Christian McCaffery at Stanford. The guy has it all and a lot of talk will be about Bijan Robinson, however I think Henderson could put some monster numbers this season to be considered a Heisman candidate. 

Kieran – In my eyes it’s going to be a three way toss up between, Will Anderson, CJ Stroud and Bijan Robinson. All three guys are just exceptional players and I think we might see one of the tightest races for the trophy in a long time. As much as he’s a rival it would be nice to see Will Anderson claim the first defensive Heisman since Charles Woodson though. 

Keith – If the Heisman Trophy really was for the best player in college football, then Will Anderson would have won it last year. Unfortunately, it seems to go to the best skill player in college football instead, and most of the time it’s a Quarterback. Now if Will Anderson has a similar year this year he can’t be ignored again surely…. but I’ll say that Texas do pull up a few trees this season and Bijan Robinson goes off for 2000+ yards and looks like the second coming of Ricky Williams and wins it. 

Will – Bryce Young is my Heisman Trophy winner for this season, but the Heisman race will be really close I believe. Teammate Will Anderson is a name that would not surprise me at all to see brought up, and if Texas does what many believe they do, then give me Bijan Robinson as well. But Bryce Young is my winner.

Lee – If my prior prediction of Alabama taking the National Championship over Ohio State comes true, I can’t see too far past Bryce Young here. It’ll have the story, which I think is vital to the Heisman, and he’ll also have the hardware, especially if the Tide take the SEC Championship as well as the Natty. 

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And in the truest sense of the award, will your winner, be the best player in college football? If not, who will be?

Andy – I’ll continue the Oklahoma love and go for Dillon Gabriel. The Heisman Trophy is pretty boring when it comes to wildcards winning it and I’ve backed the Sooners to make the CFB playoffs, so it makes sense that their QB would be in the running. Gabriel has been excellent at UCF, and with the help of a new coaching staff he should finesse a few things.

Raj – I think Tre’Veyon Henderson will be the best player in college football but Will Anderson will run him close. The guy is a monster when it comes to getting after the QB, to the extent he may be unblockable. Utter domination is the mantra of his game and I expect that to continue this year. 

Kieran – Despite many projections for Will Anderson being the best in college football this year I think we will see Stetson Bennett make a huge difference at West Virginia and emerge as a top QB after a year with the Mountaineers. He’s got the maturity and IQ to be a really good signal caller even if he isn’t a flashy athlete like some of the other guys under centre this year.

Keith – I think Will Anderson will be the best player in 2022, as he was in 2021. However, I also think new USC quaterback Caleb Williams will go berserk and put up computer game numbers in the PAC 12, and solidify himself as QB1 for the 2024 draft class.

Will – Will Anderson is just unblockable, he finished the 2021 campaign as college football’s most dominant player. The best player in the best system is a hard combination to beat, especially when in that system he gets to be on the attack at all times. He will constantly be terrorizing your favorite quarterback every Saturday, so just be ready for that.

Lee – Well, defenders never win the Heisman do they? But Will Anderson is the best player in college football right now. The level of play that we’ve seen at such a young age, at a programme and for a coach that demands 100%, 100% of the time is outrageous. I wrote him up here as part of our “Introducing…” series earlier this summer.

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And finally – Give me the number 1 overall pick for the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City?

Andy – CJ Stroud to the Giants. It’ll be a QB heavy draft, so I do question if a player like Will Anderson will be more valuable with the first pick. But if there’s a team in a position to take their pick of Stroud, Young and whoever emerges from the wider pack, that GM will be salivating at the talent he has to choose from.

Raj –  Will Anderson to the New York Jets. Zac Wilson is too busy with his outside of work commitments and rehabbing from his injury so the Jets may give him one more year in 2023, thus the Jets then taking advantage of getting Anderson with the 1st Overall pick. 

Kieran – The Giants either go ahead and select Will Anderson or CJ Stroud. You can’t build a franchise around Danny Dimes but nepotism is a hell of a drug in the NFL. Either way this draft cycle is going to be a ton of fun and absolutely nuts. 

Keith – I really hope a non QB needy team sits at the top of the draft so they can take Will Anderson, but unlike last year, we have a couple of QB’s who will have teams clambering to move up and get them. So, I fully expect either C.J Stroud or Bryce Young to be the top selection, but which one will depend on what that specific team values the most. I have a feeling Bryce Young’s size will become a thing (especially if he comes in under 200lbs), so I’ll say C.J Stroud will go first overall, to the Seattle Seahawks.

Will – It all depends on who has that first overall pick in 2022, which I just so happen to predict being the Chicago Bears. The Bears practically setup Quarterback Justin Fields for failure out the jump, that rookie campaign was hard to watch simply because you just had nothing around him. Blow it all up, I am sure somebody will want to give Fields a chance, maybe he will be the next QB sent to Carolina you never know. With all that being said, Bryce Young will be and should be your first overall pick. 

Lee – As much as I really want a pass rusher to go number 1 overall for the second year in a row, and as much as I feel like Will Anderson is the best player in college football, QB value takes over far too much at the top of the draft, so I have to pick a passer, coupling that with the fact that I think the Atlanta Falcons will be picking first and will need a QB.

Bryce Young will have the size debate that’ll follow him around in the pre-draft cycle and that could put some teams off. So I’m going to plump for CJ Stroud at number 1 to the Falcons, with Bryce Young not too far behind at some point in the top 5. 

Ok and that’s a wrap for our preseason takes! Thanks to all the guys for their input for this and we can think of this as the start of our in-season content for the coming college football season! So keep your eyes on the website and our Twitter pages over the coming weeks and months. 

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Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference Team

Welcome to the final instalment of our Power-5 All-Conference series! We have loved putting these articles together and making our picks, we hope that your appetite is sufficiently whetted for some football.

We will end things with the Pac-12 conference selections here with our man, Lee Wakefield making the picks. However, if you want to go back and have a look at the previous four articles in this series, check out the college section of the site here and have a browse. Don’t forget to let us know what you think and have your say in the Twitter comments!

Here come the picks:

Here is how Lee has justified the selections that he’s made;

We all know that the Pac-12 is firmly positioned as the fifth of the Power 5 conferences, however, I do feel like this team could mix it with the best in college football. Cam Rising will be a name on the lips of a lot of people come January and is about as talented of a passer that Utah have had, since Alex Smith almost 20 years ago.

The skill positions are packed with production and a good mixture of size profiles, with Rome Odunze and Benjamin Yurosek providing the size/speed profiles, with a pair of receivers who are both under 6′ (probably), who combined for over 3,000 yards last year in Jordan Addison and Jacob Cowling – Although both were outside of the conference last year with Addison in the ACC with Pittsburgh and Cowling in Conference-USA with UTEP.

Zach Charbonnet rounds out the weapons and he was an absolute revelation last year at UCLA, and he’ll be looking to build upon this over the next season.

The offensive line has a lot of talent too, with the headliner being USC’s Andrew Vorhees, who could be a first round pick when April rolls around. Outside of Vorhees, Washington Tackle, Jaxson Kirkland has a lot to prove over the next few months, but he has the talent to get it done, although he could probably benefit from an extra 10-15lbs of weight being put on. LaDarius Henderson will be a draft riser whereas Myles Hinton and Alex Forsyth are very solid and join a number of their team mates on my All-Conference team.

Defensively, I feel like there’s star power at every level with Korey Foreman, Noah Sewell and Clark Phillips.

Foreman is the former #2 recruit in the 2021 class – He has athletic abilities that are off the charts and is already in possession of an NFL edge rushers’ frame – He only registered 2.5 sacks as a Freshman but he is set up to have a more prominent role moving into 2022.

Noah Sewell is one of the better players in the conference as a whole and should be the heartbeat of the Ducks’ defense this coming year. A player who can do it all, he’s going to accumulate the tackles, shut down run plays in his sleep and if Oregon uses him to his full potential, he could be used as a weapon in the blitz games too. Sewell, much like his older Brother, should be a first round pick when he declares for the NFL Draft.

Finally in this rundown of the defensive stars, Clark Phillips is a top-5 corner prospect and will be a playmaker for a Utes team who I have down as the conference champion – I think he will be an elite nickel defender in the NFL but whilst I he playing in Salt Lake City he’ll be an outside corner and a problem for quarterbacks throughout the conference.

Elsewhere on defense, don’t forget my other edge defender, Zion Tupuola-Fetui, ZTF has recovered from an achilles tear but he returned before the end of last year and he’ll be another player looking to kick on and show his full potential in 2022.

Thanks for reading this, we hope you enjoyed this and the rest of the series! Check back later today, as we are dropping part 2 of our writer’s preseason takes! Part 1 can be found here.

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Big XII Preseason All-Conference Team

Welcome in to our penultimate preseason all-conference team selection! So far in this mini series we have dropped the SEC, the Big Ten and the ACC – All of which you can see here.

This time we welcome our guy Kieran Patterson to the scene, as he bestows his Big XII team upon you all. He has even left out LSU players entirely.

Here are Kieran’s picks:

And here are Kieran’s thoughts on his selections:

The offensive talent on display in the Big 12 is going to be fun to watch this year. Starting with Oklahoma State signal caller Spencer Sanders who will be looking to build on a solid season last year as he not only looks towards the draft but looks to take OK State to the promised land, the playoffs. Sanders is a solid QB with the right tools to take the cowboys far this season…but can they beat Texas to finally make a run?

The best runningback in college football currently is Longhorns, Bijan Robinson. With the ability to stop on a dime and cut in whatever direction he chooses, Texas will look to him and speedy wideout Xavier Worthy to help their freshman QB this season.

TCU aren’t the only school in Texas with a top wideout though as receiver Quintin Johnson is another pass catcher looking to make a statement for his school this season. Iowa State have a Xavier of their own catching passes too as wide out Xavier Hutchinson is looking to give the cyclones the edge as they make another push at the playoffs.


The offensive line talent on display in the Big XI might be some of the best in college football this year with Baylor tackle Conor Galvin and Baylor guard Jacob Gall being particular standouts alongside OK State’s Hunter Woodard and West Virginia’s Doug Nester rounding out the interior. Cooper Beebe is the lone Kansas State wildcat on this list but they are still a team to watch.

Starting on defence we have KSU edge Felix Anudike-Uzomah and ISU edge Will MacDonald IV who will be harassing opposing quarterbacks all season with some of the best pass rushing in college football. WVU’s Dante Stills will be drawing double teams on the interior as will Baylor’s Siaki Ika whose violent playstyle is bound to draw extra attention every time protection is set.

Another Baylor Bear, Dillon Doyle will be patrolling the middle of the field and looking to seal gaps as a premier linebacker for his team this year. DeMarvion Overshown will likely fill a similar role for the longhorns as their defence will need to pick up slack as their freshman QB gets settled.

In the secondary TCU product Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson will be looking to use his long frame to knock out ball after ball. KSU’s Julius Brents will use his elite athletic ability and tackling to make sure he is an island for the wildcats. The lone Jayhawk on this list is Kenny Logan, an athletic safety who is looking to have a breakout season as Kansas try to prove they’re not limited to the basketball court when it comes to athletics. The 2nd safety is Jayson Taylor II who will be looked at by the cowboys as an enforcer and team leader who will likely be one of the team’s best and most productive players.

Thanks for reading! Tomorrow we have the fifth and final conference, the Pac-12 and of course, that means Lee is back to give you those picks. As well as rounding off this series, we will have part 2 of our writer’s preseason questions dropping. If you would like to refresh your memories for part 1, get that right here!

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ACC Preseason All-Conference Team

Welcome in to day two and part three of our all-conference mini series here at F10Y CFB.

Yesterday we brought you the SEC and Big Ten conference selections (which you can find here on the college section of the website).

Next up with the Atlantic Coast Conference, which has been selected by the main man when it comes to all things ACC, Andy Moore.

Check out Andy’s picks below:

The ACC has a lot of talent at the ‘sexy’ positions in 2022. There could be any of five or six QBs earning the pre-season starting spot in this all-conference team, but Devin Leary’s consistency, calming presence and talent ultimately gets him the nod.

Elsewhere, there’s some great depth at wide receiver with Dontayvion Wicks, AT Perry and Josh Downs making the cut ahead of the likes of Zay Flowers, Keytaon Thompson and others. Running back could be the one arguably week position, with Sean Tucker easily the best of a lot of guys with potential but minimal production so far in their career.

The offensive line could have gone a number of ways, but like the defense there are a couple of key guys that just have to be included. Zion Nelson and Caleb Chandler have been dominant in their college careers to date, and both figure to be big names in the 2023 draft.

On defense there’s a lot of Clemson and Pitt, both of which are unsurprising given the pedigree the schools, but Bryan Bresee and Habakkuk Baldonado should be particularly dominant.

Thanks for reading! Later today we will be dropping the Big XII team at 5pm

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Big Ten Preseason All-Conference Team

Welcome to the second of our preseason all-conference teams for each of the Power-5 conferences.

Check out the first instalment of the series here where our guy Will Lane gave you his picks for the SEC. Right now though, Lee Wakefield is giving you the best of the Big Ten conference, widely thought of as the next best conference in the country after the SEC.

Check out Lee’s picks below;

Here is Lee’s analysis of the picks:

No shocks here as the dominant team in the conference, Ohio State, dominates our preseason All-Conference team with the Buckeyes contributing seven players across both sides of the ball. Which includes the biggest superstars of the team in CJ Stroud, TreVeyon Henderson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba on offense.

It may be somewhat surprsing to see Iowa share the number two spot with Maryland in terms of contributors here.The Terepins should have a pretty legit offense in particular, and in truth, there would have been more Maryland selections in we had extended the exercise to include a second team! It really was a toss up between Rakim Jarrett and Dontay Demus at wide receiver and these two guys should be really fun to watch if Taulia Tagovailoa (another guy who might have pushed for second team) can bring it all together as a passer.

In true Big Ten fashion, I love the offensive line here with the whole unit being made up of guys who could eventually be top-50 draft selections when they do enter the league. Peter Skoronski and Paris Johnson headline the group but Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz could be the first center off the board come next April’s draft.

Flipping over to the defensive side of the football, this Big Ten defense has a whole bunch of playmakers, in the front seven in particular – Watch out for Mazi Smith of Michigan, he is the #1 player on Bruce Feldman’s Freak List for the 2022 season and if Durrell Nchami can put it all together he’s going to be a fast-rising edge defender as we move through the draft cycle. Keith and I mentioned Jack Campbell on our Summer Scouting Episode on linebackers as the quintessential Bin Ten linebacker and he would truly be the heartbeat of this unit from America’s heartlands.

Finally, on the back end, it’s super-solid. Joey Porter, Tiawan Mullen and Riley Moss give the team three great coverage guys, with Avery Moss providing a whole bunch of versatility! This All-Star team really could run with the best of them in college football, and there will be some unbelievable clashes in the conference within the conference as usual this coming season.

Thanks again for reading! Tomorrow we will hit you up with our selections for the ACC at Midday (UK) and also the Big XII at 5pm (UK)

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SEC Preseason All-Conference Team

With the college football season around the corner, it’s time for us to lay a marker down as a team and give you guys an idea of who the very best players in each conference are, and we are going to do that by dropping our all-conference selections for each of the Power-5 conferences.

Since these are quite short and easily digestible, they will be dropping rapid-fire with a couple each day and then we’ll hit you with the second half of our pre-season questions as well.

Here is our SEC All-Conference selection from our guy Will Lane;

Read Will’s Analysis:

A lot of these positions felt like it came down to a coin flip, there are a lot of players to love this season which can make it hard to choose at times.

That is true for most, but definitely not the quarterback position, clearly Bryce Young is the best quarterback in the SEC. Doesn’t feel like much of a debate as the Alabama quarterback is coming off of a Heisman campaign in 2021, there are plenty of talented QBs in the SEC but none of them are like Bryce.

Now at running back it was hard not to pick somebody who goes by the name of Tank Bigsby, that just screams SEC all over it. Just missing this list was Kentucky running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. Next up at wide receiver we have LSU’s Kayshon Boutte and Tennessee’s Cedrick Tillman. Boutte was no debate, and neither was Tillman in all honesty, these two really stand out in 2022. At the flex we have receiver Jermaine Burton, the transfer from Georgia is entering an Alabama system where he will be looking to be their number one guy, he also has the benefit of playing with one of the game’s best in Bryce Young.

Thanks for reading, let us know what you think of this one! Next up will be our Big Ten selection later today.

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2022 College Football Season – Preseason Takes

The college football season is almost upon us! It’s been far too long and it cannot come soon enough! As our traditional curtain raiser article for the season it’s time to get some preseason takes down on a page, perhaps only for us to look silly later on down the line, however, we do get a few excellent nuggets each year, and that’s what we can hold up all year to show that we (kind of) know what we’re talking about.

This year, we’re going to split this up into two parts; today we’ll talk teams and later this week, we’ll get to the player takes… Let’s get into it!

Ok, let’s start off with the Power 5 division winners… Let’s start at the top, which team is winning the SEC and why?

Andy – It’s hard to look anywhere but Alabama in the SEC. Bryce Young should be dominant with a year under his belt and the addition of Jermaine Burton provides the star power we’ve grown accustomed to with the Crimson Tide’s WR room. However, it feels like the SEC as a whole is stronger this year, the likes of Tennessee and South Carolina carry a real threat, as do the Aggies and Arkansas. Buckle up for a dog eat dog season.

Raj – ‘Bama will win the SEC, and I don’t think it will be close in all fairness. Georgia have been severely weakened defensively, Texas A&M look ordinary and a new dawn under Napier and Richardson awaits Florida. 

Keith –  I’ll be different and go against Alabama, although my head says they’ll win it. There are some holes on that Bama depth chart, noticeably the offensive line, so I’ll say that Texas A&M beats them again this year to take the West and then defeats one of Georgia or Tennessee in the title game. A&M have had back to back insane recruiting classes, so I’m banking on those guys stepping in early and living up to their billing. On a side note, Ole Miss has put together some great pieces via the transfer portal, and if they were in the East instead, I’d have given them a shot to get to the title game.

Will – The toughest question when it comes to picking the SEC winner is why isn’t it Alabama. You have an extremely well coached team that is entering the season with some of the best talent to begin with. Second year guys like Bryce Young, a Heisman winner, has a very impressive skill set and is looking to improve on what he did just a year ago. To follow that up you have a second Heisman candidate in Will Anderson. The talent in Alabama is still unmatched, and all the transfer portal has done is help them find just that with RB Jahmyr Gibbs and WR Jermaine Burton.

Lee – With Georgia losing so much talent, I feel like they’ll regress a little bit, quite like the LSU in 2020 after their monumental title winning team, and that leaves the pathway clear for Alabama to take the SEC title for the 9th time in the Nick Saban era. They’re just incredibly talented and also incredibly well-coached, and I cannot look past them for that reason.   

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Next up, let’s head up north, what about the Big Ten and your reasons? 

Andy – It’ll all come down to the last game of the regular season when Michigan travels to Columbus to take on Ohio State. Despite having a lesser QB, I’m going to go with the Wolverines. With Blake Corum and Ronnie Bell well established as one of the better RB-WR tandems in college football I expect Jim Harbaugh’s offense to take another step forward this year and I’ll back them to go toe-to-toe with the Buckeyes and come out on top.

Raj – Ohio State’s offense has the potential to put some serious numbers up this year, and I can’t put it past them to reclaim their crown. Michigan will be there or thereabouts but Stroud, JSN (Jaxon Smith-Njigba) and Henderson will overpower and be too strong for the competition. 

Keith – As usual the East have all the top talent (Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State) and I imagine all of those teams would beat the winner of the West (probably Wisconsin) in the title game.

It will probably all come down to that last regular season game between Ohio State and Michigan, and I’ll take the Buckeyes to get revenge on the Wolverines and then go on and beat Wisconsin to claim another Big Ten title. 

Another side note, Maryland will have a legit offense this year and will give a couple of the big boys a scare.

Will – When it is all said and done and the smoke settles in the Big Ten, we will see Ohio State on top. Michigan got to have their fun last year, but Ohio State has possibly the best quarterback in the nation, with the one of the best receivers in the nation, and most importantly some revenge on the horizon. After a disappointing end to last year, you go out and fix one of your biggest issues in signing Jim Knowles to fix your defense. On the bright side, it can only be better than last season, right? I expect it to be.

Lee – Ohio State are the best team in the Big Ten; they have the best quarterback, they have the most talent and unlike Michigan, whom they were finally usurped by last season, they’ve managed to retain a lot of their top-end talent aside from Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. But replacing wide receivers is no problem for the Buckeyes! So I expect Ohio State to dominate. 

Alright, so last year, we actually phrased this as who are Clemson playing in the ACC championship game… So we won’t make the same mistake twice – Who is your ACC champion and why?

Andy – Clemson finished last season very strongly, despite the disappointing play of their QB. The Tigers’ defense is utterly dominant in the ACC and it should continue to shut down most of their opposition in 2022. The only team that I can see running them close is Miami, who seem to have finally found a real star at signal caller in Tyler Van Dyke. But if DJ Uiagalelei can take a step forward, this Clemson team could return to the playoffs.

Raj – I’m all in on Tyler Van Dyke this year so I have to go Miami. As long as Zion Nelson can keep him upright, Cristobal will work his magic in Year 1 with TVD at the helm. Clemson were so bad last year that it will take a lot for them to rise back to the top especially is DJ Uiagalelei is at center. Boston College may be a sneaky contender if Flowers and Jurkovec can elevate the offense. 

Keith –  I think the ACC will be quite open this year. All the teams have some flaws, so it’s who can patch their holes up best will win. I think Clemson will probably have too much in the Atlantic (mainly thanks to their defense), but I think the Coastal will be a great battle between Miami and Pitt.

I’ll go against the grain and say Pittsburgh beats Miami on the road to win their Division, and then goes and upsets Clemson in the title game. I’m putting a lot of faith in Pitt QB Kedon Slovis here…..

Side note, I really like some of that Florida State roster, there’s enough talent there to push Clemson but they have a really tough schedule.

Will – When Will Smith talked about south beach bringing the heat, he must have been referring to the 2022 Miami Hurricanes. I have complete confidence in Van Dyke and his ability to make not only college, but NFL throws. He has the arm to put that ball right where you want it. If you look at their in conferences losses, they were all decided by three or less points as well. Winning in the Coastal division will be a breeze, leaving their only competition to be Clemson. Despite losing Brent Venables, the defense will not be an issue, the issue lies within their quarterback DJ Uiagalelei who struggled mightily the year before. A young offensive line certainly did not help last season either. NC State is fraudulent, it is Miami’s conference to lose. 

Lee – I feel like I am going to continue to be pretty boring and go for the obvious candidates, I’m sticking with Clemson. I don’t think this is a vintage Clemson team by any stretch of the imagination but the front 7 of the Tigers’ defense is just too good! It is absolutely chock-full of elite players – Myles Murphy, Bryan Bresee, Trenton Simpson being the headliners and future top 15 draft picks. Yes, there will be question marks hanging over DJ Uiagalelei but with a pair of 5-star QBs breathing down his neck in Cade Klubnik and Hunter Johnson, I am almost certain that Dabo won’t have the patience to stick with Uiagalelei if the offense is barely functional. 

Alright, so on to the Big XII… Will Texas make any noise? Will Brent Venables’ new era at Oklahoma start with a bang? Can Baylor defend their title, or will there be an outsider who makes a charge?

Andy – Texas should be firmly in the mix at the end of the season, they have genuine star power on offense with Quinn Ewers, Bijan Robinson and Xavier Worthy. However, their defense was far from impressive in 2021, ranking 100th in the country and giving up 57 points in a defeat to Kansas. I think that will cost them again in 2022, with both Baylor and Oklahoma having better records come December. Dillon Gabriel is the real deal, and the talent he has around him should be enough to bring a Big 12 title to Norman.

Raj – I’m a big Dillon Gabriel fan and barring injury, I fancy him to lead Oklahoma to the summit once again alongside star wide receiver Marvin Mims. It’s already a make or break season for Steve Sarkisian at Texas, where all eyes will be on Ewers and Robinson to take the crown, however Oklahoma will ultimately pip them to the post.  

Keith –  I think this a four horse race, and all have legit chances. Oklahoma is the obvious choice, but I think we may see a transition year with them and their first time head coach Brent Venables. I like the consistency of both Oklahoma State and Baylor, but I’ll say the (lone) star aligns and all that Offensive firepower that Texas have, gels immediately with big rewards. 

Will – Despite everything that is going on, Oklahoma has got my vote. This will be an emotional lead team that has the perfect fuel to run on all season. Everything is new, but one thing that will be the same is expect Marvin Mims to produce. Venables will look to bring his defensive prowess to Oklahoma, which lost a few key starters like edge rusher Nik Bonitto and lineman Perrion Winfrey, but nonetheless they should see some improvement from the year before. Gabriel will be a nice fit in this new look Oklahoma offense as he already has history with their new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby. Remember Texas, it is not your year. And sorry Baylor, I just do not see a repeat in your future. 

Lee – I am entrenched in my position as anti-Texas now, after publicising my views for around 4 years now, so despite getting Quinn Ewers through the door, I think that the roster needs another season under Steve Sarkisian, so no, they’re not back. Again.

My pick is that Baylor repeats. Dave Aranda has the Bears cooking and Baylor always has athletes on the field who will cause problems in a conference where defense is an afterthought. Andy wrote up their new guy under centre, Blake Shapen here and the front three has some great linemen, Siaki Ika and Gabe Hall in particular who need eyes on!

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And finally, the soon-to-be-not Power 5 conference, the Pac-12? Who’s taking the championship out west?

Andy – I know Lee will disagree here, but give me all of USC this season. Lincoln Riley has assembled a super team on offense, bringing in three new star receivers, a new tackle, numerous running backs and of course, Caleb Williams. Utah and Oregon are good, but I am excited to see USC blow everyone out of the water.

Raj – Top coach check, top QB check, loaded WR room check; that USC offense looks frightening and thus will lead Lincoln Riley to the title. They could rival Ohio State in being the scariest offense in college football and put up some insane stats this season. Utah will be there or thereabouts but USC look too powerful on paper. 

Keith – Head says steady Utah will do enough to win the title, but my heart wants this USC experiment to work and create a new college football powerhouse. With both USC and UCLA bolting the conference soon, they will be targeted by the others, but I’ll say Lincoln Riley’s magic wand makes this offense scary good, and they’ll have enough defense to get past whoever they meet in the title game.

Will – Utah has one of the most complete rosters in all of college football, and that is what will pave the way to another successful year for the Utes. This team gave Ohio State fits in their bowl game, and that is not something you should just shrug off. A team with an established system that is proving to work is one to be feared. This is easily one of the most efficient offenses in college football and it all begins in the trenches. This offensive line is one of the best of college football and it won’t be very different in 2022. USC is their biggest challenge, hard not to buy into the hype, but give Lincoln Riley a year to do his thing and then we’ll talk. 

Lee – As much as I usually like to pump up Oregon here, Utah are the best team in the conference and therefore I can’t see past them for the Pac-12 championship. It’ll likely be another Utah vs. Oregon final, as I don’t think the Ducks are miles away but aren’t as rounded of a team as the Utes. This is about as talented of a Utah team as we’ve seen and Kyle Whittingham always has them well coached and up for any opponent, so again I can’t see past Utah. Cam Rising will live up to his name and be rising up the draft boards this season.

Ok, Power 5 champions sorted, let’s have a little look at the group of 5 very briefly before we get to playoff contenders – Who does everyone think will be the highest ranked group of 5 team come the end of the season?

Andy – Here’s a bold choice for you, Colorado State. The Rams have hired former Nevada Head Coach, Jay Norvell, to give the programme a boost and he’s brought a lot of talent with him. Highly rated QB, Clay Millen, has a big arm and a raw skill set that looks pretty similar to Carson Strong – if he can hit the ground running then there’s no reason that CSU can’t be a threat in 2022.

Raj – Jake Haener is one of my favorite QB’s this year, so for that reason alone Fresno State get my vote. Haener has 1st round upside potential and has weapons in Jaelan Cropper and Josh Kelly of whom he both has familiarity with. Fresno State alumni Carr and Adams may inspire the 2022 team to recreate similar magic this year. 

Keith – I have so many teams I could put here, but I’ll go with Boise State as I think there is a chance they could end up unbeaten. They are favourites to win the Mountain West and their 2 toughest non conference opponents are Oregon State and BYU. This is a team without star names, but have 17 returning starters and that consistency gives them a shot to break the top 25.

Will – We all loved the Cincinnati story last year, it was awesome! It is now 2022, and my pick is UCF. This team had a ton of injuries in 2021 which really makes it tough to judge any progress that could have been made. If they really want to compete, then they need to figure out their QB situation, lucky for them they have a bit of a cushion thanks to their running backs Isaiah Bowser and Johnny Richardson. It will all come down to their matchup with the Bearcats to see who comes out on top.

Lee – Houston aren’t being talked about enough. In the preseason top 25 coaches poll, there were two group of 5 programmes ranked – Cincinnatiat 22 and Houston at 25. Everyone was in love with Cincy last year, and rightly so, but we forget that the Cougars were pretty much neck and neck with Cincinnati last year. Senior QB Clayton Tune is flying under the radar somewhat and could be another riser when it comes to postseason draft talk. 

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Let’s move forward to December and it’s the end of the season, we’re all arguing over playoff rankings and Twitter is awash with playoff expansion talk – Give me the 4 teams who are making the playoffs?

Andy – Alabama, USC, Oklahoma, Texas A&M

Raj – Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, USC

Keith – Ohio State, Alabama, USC, Texas A&M

Will – Alabama, Utah, Ohio State, Georgia

Lee – Alabama, Ohio State, Utah and Georgia

And of those 4, who are the two facing off on January 9th at SoFi Stadium in the National Championship game, and who is celebrating under the ticker tape?

Andy – Oklahoma and Alabama, but wouldn’t Oklahoma and USC be fun! The Crimson Tide should overpower the Sooners, and wrap up another successful season for Nick Saban.

Raj – Alabama versus Ohio State. The matchup will probably feature the top three picks in the 2022 draft in Anderson, Stroud and Young so what better way to shine then on the grandest stage of college football. 

Keith –  I really want an Ohio State/USC National Championship, as the Offensive firepower on show would be ridiculous, but I think USC may be a year away from getting to the big game. So I’ll be boring and say Ohio State versus Alabama, with C.J Stroud just doing enough to beat Bama in what would be a very entertaining game.

Will – Alabama & Ohio State, because why wouldn’t it? That Ohio State offense is just one you cannot get enough of, but we all know what wins a championship. Alabama will easily have the better defense, not a question. Which is why the tide will keep on rolling and Nick Saban ends another successful year with another National Championship under his belt.

Lee – I think I pick Ohio State or Alabama every year – This is my National Championship game and what an occasion it’ll be!? The two QBs at the top of everyone’s minds facing off, maybe it’ll be billed as a battle for the number one pick as well. The media is going to be going bananas over this. I’ll say that defense will prevail, so Alabama takes it.

That wraps up part 1 of our preseason takes, they’re out there and as we all know the internet never forgets! Good luck with those takes gentlemen, I’m sure none of us will regret any of them!

Before you go! Check out our NFL Season Guide and grab a copy here.