Ah, it’s good to be back – Tony Stark, Iron Man 2
It’s good to be back, indeed. Hello, amazing people! I hope you all enjoyed Week 0 because I didn’t watch a lick of it this past Saturday (Week 0 is also quite overrated). Jokes aside, Week 1 is OFFICIALLY HERE! College football is back and it could be crazier than ever.
In the return of Football Thoughts, I am here to preview the 2022 season. As we all know, college football is unpredictable and anything can happen on any given Saturday.
David (Texas) could take down Goliath (Alabama). Someone could have a Joe Burrow-like rise to fame and glory while leading their team to an unexpected playoff run or national championship. A defensive player could win the Heisman (a certain Crimson Tide EDGE should have last year). You never know what could happen!!!
Of course, I can’t have a college football preview without some sort of NFL Draft talk. I will have plenty of superlatives with a mix of both draft prospects and the college football landscape in this article today. Without further ado, let’s get into this mess!
“Jared, who do you think will win the Heisman Trophy this year?” C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
The first half of the 2021 season for C.J. Stroud was quite inconsistent. Stroud still lit up the box score. Even so, it took him a bit of time before he lit up the scoreboard. During the 2nd half of the Buckeyes’ 2021-22 season, Stroud was arguably the best quarterback in the nation. His play on the field was outstanding and closed out the season by going ballistic on Utah in the Ohio State’s Rose Bowl victory with 573 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Oh, he did all of that without future Top 15 draft picks Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave.
Going into this year, Stroud is considered one of the favorites and has an opportunity to be one of the better quarterbacks prospects with more growth this season. Losing Olave and Wilson won’t hurt the redshirt sophomore one bit as he will be throwing to elite playmakers such as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Julian Fleming. Not to mention having Treyveon Henderson, a Top 2 running back in the country.
All the ingredients are there for Stroud to bring the Heisman back to Columbus, Ohio…and I expect him to capitalize on it.
“Jared, who will be this year’s Michigan?” The Penn State Nittany Lions
I’m probably going to get heat for this take. However, this Penn State offense has the chance to be very explosive with star receiver Parker Washington, talented backs Keyvone Lee and Nick Singleton, receivers Mitchell Tinsley and KeAndre Lambert-Smith, and athletic tight end Theo Johnson. I’m not sure how much longer veteran quarterback Sean Clifford can be in the starting lineup as he limits the offense to its fullest potential. There’s a chance true freshman Drew Allar, a big-framed QB with impressive arm talent could see playing time this season if the offense doesn’t get going fast enough. The Nittany Lions’ defense, by CB Joey Porter Jr., should be as fast as ever on all three levels. Penn State is inconsistent in terms of getting its program to the finish line. However, this could be the year Penn State FINALLY breaks through and gets into the playoff.
“Jared, outside of the main powerhouses of college football could you see getting to the playoffs?” The Utah Utes
When Cam Rising took over as the starting QB for the Utes last season, they had a remarkable late-season run that put them in the Rose Bowl as Pac-12 champions. This season, the Utes are one of my favorites to not only win the Pac-12 once again but to be the first team from the conference to make the CFP. I’m a fan of Cam Rising. With a consistent season, he could be an intriguing mid-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. Running back Tavion Thomas will be running behind a stout offensive line that is usually quite physical and hard to get by. TEs Dalton Kincaid and Brant Kuithe are expected to get plenty of touches in the passing game and they’re arguably the best TE duo outside of Georgia. The Utes defense will still be very good led by Florida transfer LB Mohamoud Diabate, who assumes the MIKE role once held by Devin Lloyd, now with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Don’t forget about Clark Phillips III, who is one of the better defenders in the Pac-12. This Utah team will be fun to watch this season, and they’ll be tough to handle if they get to the playoffs.
“Jared, which Week 1 matchup are you looking forward to the most?” No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 3 Georgia in Atlanta, GA
Notre Dame-Ohio State gets plenty of the love and they certainly would be a good choice here. Even so, this matchup between Oregon and Georgia is going to be so much fun to watch. Is there a good possibility that Georgia may just blow Oregon out of the water on what’s essentially their home turf? Yeah, probably.
However, I’m willing to bet Ducks head coach Dan Lanning will have his defense ready to play against his former team. There is a lot of talent on that side of the ball featuring guys like transfer CB Christian Gonzalez, top LB prospect Noah Sewell, and athletic freaks iDL Brandon Dorlus and EDGE D.J. Johnson. Bo Nix, the Auburn transfer, will get the starting nod at QB over redshirt freshman Ty Thompson. The offense is the main concern here for the Ducks. Yet, this tells me that the Ducks and Bulldogs could be in a defensive slugfest this Saturday in Atlanta. If Oregon can take down the defending champs, they will have at least two dates with the Utah Utes to determine the winner of the Pac-12 and who could go on to represent the conference in the playoffs.
“Jared, which teams should be on upset alert within the first 3 weeks of the season?”
Week 1: No. 7 Utah @ Florida | Week 2: Appalachian State @ No. 7 Texas A&M | Week 3: No. 3 Georgia @ South Carolina
Yes, I picked Utah to make the CFP. That doesn’t mean it will happen. Florida has an excellent opportunity at home to start the Billy Napier era off with a bang. It’s a great first test for the Gators and they have a real shot at taking down the Utes at home this Saturday, especially if Anthony Richardson turns into the player we expect him to be this season.
As for Texas A&M, or any team highly-ranked team in the FBS, should fear an early season matchup with Appalachian State. Remember 2007? I know you do, Michigan fans! I don’t think A&M or even UNC this weekend want to be on the losing side at the hands of the Mountaineers. App State is certainly the favorite to win the Sun Belt this year and could potentially challenge for a New Years Six bowl, especially if they’re able to take down both the Tar Heels AND the Aggies in consecutive weeks.
UGA @ USCjr is the game I’ve had circled on my calendar since the SEC schedule was released. Georgia may still be Georgia and will be blowing through their opponents to start the season. Then, they’re going to make the trip to Columbus, South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks, who are experienced up front with plenty of talent. Shane Beamer has a nice program going. He was able to land Spencer Rattler and Austin Stogner from the transfer portal. The Gamecocks’ defense offers quality defensive talent such as CB Cam Smith and DT Zacch Pickens. South Carolina is more than capable to beat the mighty Bulldogs, and they very well could if Spencer Rattler returns to the level of play we saw late in 2020.
“Jared, who do you think will make the College Football Playoff AND win the National Championship?”
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Clemson
No. 2. Georgia vs. No. 3 Utah
National Champion: Ohio State over Georgia
I do believe Clemson will rebound this season in a weaker ACC than a year ago. They still have to hope D.J. Uiagalelei returns to the form he flashed against Notre Dame as a true freshman in 2020. Even so, their defense is arguably the best in college football heading into the year with loads of talent that could see a few players go in the first round of the NFL Draft. An improved offense and elite defense should allow the Tigers to return to the CFP this season.
Once more, if the Utes can replicate their magic from the 2nd half of 2021, they’re playoff bound. Though, a matchup with Georgia may not bold well for them. Georgia should be quite productive on the ground and in the passing game with arguably the best tight end room in America featuring Airk Gilbert, Brock Bowers, and Darnell Washington. Their defense, who lost a bunch of talent to the NFL, should still have the ammunition to withstand a loss of talent.
I believe Ohio State will win it all for the first time since 2014. They have all of the tools to be the best offense in the country this season with a potential Heisman Trophy winner at QB. Their defense should improve with the addition of former Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. If the Buckeyes can combine their high-powered offense with a slightly above-average defensive unit, Ryan Day will be hoisting the national championship trophy in Los Angeles in January.
“Jared, who will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft when all is said and done?” Alabama EDGE Will Anderson
This is a no-brainer for me. Will Anderson is the best football player in the country, by far. There is no one more impactful on the field than Anderson, who racked up over 30 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks along with just over 100 tackles. That production and his on-field play should mean he would automatically win the Heisman. Unfortunately, the voters have a bias towards QBs or skill position players. So, unless Anderson matches his 2021 production or has a better season both in the box score and on the field, he won’t win college football’s most lucrative award.
Anywho, the unanimous All-American could end up etching his name alongside the likes of superstar pass rusher prospects such as Myles Garrett, Nick Bosa, and Chase Young with another great season in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Anderson’s pass rush and run-defending skills are already well-refined and superb, even though Anderson has yet to develop a diverse pass rush plan. Even so, whoever is picking No. 1 overall next April would be more than happy drafting a talent such as Anderson over the likes of quarterbacks Stroud and teammate Bryce Young.