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F10Y CFB – WEEK 7 Scouting Notes, Tennessee vs. Alabama

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And just like that we are at the halfway point in the college football regular season! 

Week 7 had some great games on the slate, and I really wanted to get a deep look at the Michigan vs. Penn State game, but what unfolded in Knoxville needed to be written about, even if I’ve already done a deep dive on both teams already this season. This was probably the game of the season so far, with drama and talking points galore, and an upset win by the Vols 52-49 at the death.

So many players here helped their draft stock but there were also a couple who had uncharacteristic performances too, and I’ll try and cover as many as possible below, starting with the triumphant Tennessee Volunteers…

Tennessee

On my last deep dive with the Vols I suggested that Quarterback Hendon Hooker had put himself in the conversation to be QB3 next April. This performance, against a defense littered with future high NFL draft picks, will only push his case further, and there are now people suggesting that he is even in the Heisman Trophy conversation.

Top Quarterbacks need a signature win to stamp their CVs and this was Hooker’s. He threw for 385 yards, five TDs and one Interception, which are ridiculous numbers against this Bama defense, but more important than the stat sheet was how he led his team to the upset win.

Hooker was never fazed as the score went back and forth between the two teams, and he was never afraid to take the downfield shots when he could, or use his legs if he needed to, to keep his team moving down the field. Hooker took chances, and got away with an Interception that was called back for a questionable pass interference call, but you don’t beat teams like Alabama without taking chances, and he made his offense a threat to score every time they had the ball.

As I’m sure you can tell I’m a big fan, and right now I can’t see how he isn’t viewed as QB3, but there will be people using his age (he’ll be a 25 year old rookie) as a big negative.

I would say what he has is a mature head on his shoulders, and could lead an NFL offense with very little prep time needed, which is surely a plus point. 

With star wide receiver Cedric Tillman still out, the Vols have relied on others to step up to pick up his slack. Jalin Hyatt stepped up in the biggest possible way with a career best 207 yards on just six catches, with five of them going for touchdowns!

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Hyatt is a burner who turned on the jets for two of his scores, outrunning the Bama secondary each time showcasing his elite speed. He has had a couple of really nice games this year, especially with Tillman out, and he is doing himself no harm with putting tape out like this for scouts to drool over.

There’s a bit of Hollywood Brown about Hyatt, and the NFL does love a speedster, so he has value and will be moving up boards with games like this in his pocket.

For the offense to move down the field as easily as they did, the offensive line had to play well, and they did, particularly the two tackles.

Left tackle Gerald Mincey was having a great game but picked up an injury and didn’t play the second half. Right tackle Darnell Wright did play the whole game and he put in a dominant performance, especially considering he spent a lot of time up against a potential number one overall pick in Will Anderson.

Wright was exceptional in pass protection, showing great technique and strength in his hands controlling the pass rushers nicely. He displayed good footwork too, keeping a nice solid base but with good lateral movement as well to keep the pocket clean. He gave up zero pressures, and considering the talent he was up against, that’s some great tape to show scouts.

He is someone I wasn’t overly high on coming into the year, but his performances this season have been excellent, and he is certainly getting his name back out there and on some top ten tackle lists. 

Defensively for the Vols there wasn’t much to shout about, as Alabama could consistently move the ball down the field with ease, but linebacker Jeremy Banks did impress though, often around the ball and in on plays. He can line up as a traditional off ball linebacker, or out on the edge, and was effective in both roles in this game.

He doesn’t have enough size to line up as a pass rusher in the NFL, but he was effective in that role here, getting five pressures and causing plenty of disruption when blitzed. In a more traditional role he showed good read and react skills and good tackling technique but is limited somewhat when asked to cover. He has that classic late round pick, special teams ace vibe to him.

Alabama

The Crimson Tide offense has looked a shadow of itself the last couple of games with star Quarterback Bryce Young out injured. He was back for this game and showed how vital he is to this team. He was excellent from the start, testing his injured shoulder early, and then with confidence took his team up and down the field routinely. He finished with a massive 455 yards passing, two touchdowns and no picks, and looked as good as he did before the injury. He is a special talent who is in a fight to be QB1 with Ohio State’s C.J Stroud, and both should end up being top five picks in the draft.

We are used to having a bevvy of top Bama wide receivers prospects, but this is definitely a down year in that department.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs has been a valuable weapon in the passing game as well as the run game this year, and he has helped his quarterback out in that department regularly.

Tight end Cameron Latu came through in this game too, with a breakout performance and one which should get him some draft buzz back. Latu came into the year graded by most scouts as the top senior tight end prospect, but his performances up to now have been a bit underwhelming and he has been overtaken by a few others.

However, he was a different beast though in this game, showing really soft hands when used in the passing game, and good solid run blocking, especially out on the edge, on run plays. This is the kind of level of performance we were expecting all year, so let’s hope this is the start of more consistent play so he can get his name back out there again.

The Crimson Tide offensive line has always churned out high quality prospects, but this current version is a little light on top end talent. Right tackle JC Latham is the one exception and he’ll be a big name in the 2024 draft, but their best draft hope for this year’s draft is left tackle Tyler Steen. Having to replace Evan Neal (seventh overall selection last year) is no easy task, but Bama is littered with five star recruits who should’ve stepped up into that role.

They didn’t, and it’s been left to Vanderbilt transfer Steen to come in and hold that position down, which he has done to a high standard. He won’t wow with athleticism or power, but he is a good technician and is very experienced, having been a three year starter at left tackle for the Commodores before transferring over the summer. He will most likely be a day three pick as the upside is limited with him, but he would make a valuable swing tackle at the next level, and teams will still invest decent draft capital to that role.

Now we’re not used to a Bama defense giving up 567 yards, but that is what happened in this game.

All the big name 2023 Bama defensive prospects had rough nights. EDGE Will Anderson had the quietest game I’ve ever seen from him. As mentioned before, Tennessee’s Tackles really shackled him and he couldn’t affect the game in any way really. We won’t overreact to this performance and move him down boards, he is still the best player in the country, all it proved was that he is actually human.

Linebacker Henry To’o To’o, Safety/Slot Corner Brian Branch and Safety Jordan Battle, all had indifferent games too, but again this won’t affect their draft stock too much as we pretty much know what players they are already.

One player whose stock may take a hit because of this game is Safety DeMarcco Hellams. He had been getting some buzz due to his play so far this year, but this was a disaster for him, as he was twice burned for touchdowns by Jalin Hyatt. They moved him away from covering Hyatt one on one in the second half, but he still missed some tackles and took a bad angle on another Hyatt touchdown. This is tape he’ll want to lose, but the scouts will already have seen the weaknesses exposed here, and no doubt he’ll end up falling down some boards accordingly. 

The only Alabama defensive player who gets a pass is true sophomore Cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, who was only targeted twice and gave up no catches. He had Tennessee receiver Bru McCoy in his pocket all game and looked every bit the next special Crimson Tide corner.

Follow Keith on Twitter @lordlucken

Read other scouting notes and the rest of our CFB content HERE.

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WEEK 2 SCOUTING NOTES – Texas Vs. Alabama

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This was by far the best match up of the week 2 slate, especially from an NFL draft perspective, and although not many gave the Longhorns a chance they almost pulled off a big upset. Texas can take a lot of pride with how they responded after losing their quarterback to injury in the first half, but as usual Alabama found a way to win, even when nowhere near their best. 

Let’s start our scouting notes with the almost guys, those new look Longhorns…

Texas

Now it must be said that this was very much a defensive struggle, but before his injury, Quarterback Quinn Ewers looked every bit the phenom he’s been built up to be. He has an effortless throwing motion, a big accurate arm and led his offense with poise. This injury will knock him out for four to six weeks, which is a big shame, but let’s hope he’s back sooner rather than later. 

His replacement Hudson Card stepped in admirably, but he doesn’t have the skill set that Ewers does. He does have ability though and he was only one or two plays away from causing the upset. He will get a run of games now to show what he has, and more than likely we will see him in the transfer portal at the end of the year, as he tries to find a starting gig for the 2023 season.

The star of the Longhorn offense is undoubtedly running back Bijan Robinson. Now Alabama set up to stop him and make the quarterback(s) beat them, and they succeeded with that plan. Robinson was held to just 57 yards with a 2.7 average. That doesn’t tell the whole story though as Texas has a very inexperienced offensive line, and they had big issues against the ‘Bama front. Robinson had to feed off of scraps but what is still easy to see is how dynamic he can be. His biggest play of the game came on a wheel route, perfectly executed, for a big gain up the sideline.

Whilst the yards were tough to find on the ground in this game, and perhaps for some time to come with this young line in front of him, the talent is clear to see and he’ll remain atop most peoples running back lists, barring injury of course.

There is something special about Wide Receiver Xavier Worthy. He has the same size and skill set of DeVonta Smith, which will cause some to be wary of him, but like Smith, Worthy can take over games if targeted. He almost had an great TD laying out in the end zone, almost snagging a Ewers bomb, but he was a threat all game, going against a very talented secondary. He isn’t draft eligible yet, but his name will be a hot topic entering the 2024 draft cycle. 

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There’s a little bit of Deebo Samuel about wide receiver Jordan Whittington. He has a thick build with a strong lower half, and has some very nice YAC ability. He made a couple of impressive catches here and was a nice chain mover for the offense. He did have a bad drop too though, so there are things to work on, but he has a nice look about him and hopefully he won’t get lost with all the other weapons that this offense has.

As I mentioned earlier, the offensive line is very young, but it does have one senior on it, and that is right tackle Christian Jones. Whilst there was chaos going on all around him, Jones held up incredibly well here, especially in pass protection. He spent last year at Left Tackle and that did not go well at all, so he’s back over on the right side and looks very natural there indeed. More tape like this, especially against top pass rushers like he faced here, and his name will be moving up boards.

The biggest surprise was how the Longhorns managed to almost shut down this powerful Alabama offense. Their success started up front where their big boys challenged a new look Crimson Tide offensive line, and for the most part won their battles.

The most impressive of the front seven was the versatile senior Moro Ojomo, who spent most of his time lined up as an interior player, but has more of an EDGE size and style. Listed at 6’3 281lbs, he clearly wouldn’t be able to hold up on the inside in the NFL, but he could play a five tech/big end role no problem. He didn’t trouble the stat man much, but he did have three pressures and he was a constant pest, creating disruption at the point of attack and slowing down that fast tempo Alabama offense. 

The entire Longhorn secondary played well and limited the big plays that Alabama’s offense thrives on, and the best player for me was nickel defender Jahdae Barron. Playing that role can be a thankless task, but Barron had the look of a really smooth athlete in coverage and was a force against the run too, the perfect combination for that position. He hasn’t had a great deal of playing time in his first two seasons in Austin, but he has the starting role now and looks like he could develop into a real playmaker.

Alabama

There will be people looking at quarterback Bryce Young’s stat line and assuming he had a rough game, but in all honesty he did all he could do here. When it came down to the crunch, he led his team down the field in 90 seconds for a game winning field goal.

Yes, the stats aren’t great, but he spent a lot of time with pressure in his face, as his inexperienced offensive line was continuously exposed, and a few drops from his young wide receivers didn’t help either. Like C.J Stroud the week before, Young faced adversity and carried the team to the win, and that’s why both Quarterbacks are so highly thought of. 

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Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs has been a name on most people’s lips during summer scouting, as the former Georgia Tech runner swapped the ACC gutter for an SEC powerhouse. He’d flashed ability the last couple of years but now he has the platform to show a national audience how good he can be. He is the Crimson Tide’s number one running back, and looks every bit as good as his predecessors, including two former first round draft picks. Gibbs has an explosive running style, hitting the hole at speed and is decisive in his cuts. He is a fantastic receiving threat, displaying natural hands and route awareness, and this game he highlighted his catching ability grabbing 9 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. Gibbs honestly reminds me of Alvin Kamara with a splash of Christian McCaffrey, and I think all 32 NFL teams would want a back like that. There’s every chance this game will have the top two running backs selected in the 2023 NFL draft, and the both could be first rounders too.

As I alluded to earlier, this isn’t the greatest looking Alabama offensive line, but a true Sophomore did stand out and looks the real deal. right tackle JC Latham was a five star prospect out of Florida, and the number three overall recruit in 2021, according to 247 sports. He looked every bit of that lofty rating, and at times reminded me of Evan Neal when he was on the right side in the 2020 season. He excelled in pass protection, using a great base to latch on and dominate defenders. He ended up bailing some of his teammates out at times and looked to have an old head on very young shoulders. You’d expect him to move over to the left side in 2023, and like Neal before him, has every chance of being a top 10 pick come the 2024 NFL draft.

The star of this defensive unit EDGE Will Anderson had a relatively quiet game by his standards, but a quiet day for this monster still resulted in five tackles, two for a loss and one sack. He is unblockable at times and can create havoc on every snap. Only right tackle Christian Jones could slow him down, but even then he still beat him a couple of times too. He is a beast and he will be a top three pick. 

I think Linebacker Henry To’o To’o is a bit overrated and he didn’t do anything in this game to change my mind. I see a lot of athletic ability but he takes so many false steps on run plays that he can’t recover and lanes open up on him. I can’t get on board with this first round talk, to me he is an early day three player.


The best player for me defensively in this game was defensive lineman Byron Young. He was a run stuffing machine and was the main reason that Bijan Robinson had so little room to work with. He has violent hands that keep his chest clean and his quick twitch gets him into space to blow up plays. He is a bit undersized to play inside full time, and Alabama uses him over the tackle in their odd front a fair bit as well, and this is probably where he’ll play at the next level. He hasn’t graded this highly for me before, so this level of play will need to remain if he wants to climb the list and into the mid rounds.

By Keith Lucken – Follow Keith on Twitter @lordlucken

Links for Keiths previous scouting notes; Week 0, Week 1.

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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.