Playoffs
This doesn't really have much to do with this season, but I don't think I've written about my thoughts on the new playoff for 2014, so I will do that here. I am excited about the playoff for two main reasons. One, it will give reporters the opportunity to ask UCLA coach Jim Mora Jr. if his team has a chance of making the playoffs. Two, it will be awesome.
As college football is my favorite sport, the existence of the BCS is clearly not a major hindrance to my enjoyment of the game. In reality, I've actually enjoyed it a great deal. More often than not, the BCS has done a good job of matching up two deserving teams in a game that wouldn't have happened twenty years ago. I believe the four team tournament will improve upon this because there is often a pretty good argument from a third and sometimes a fourth team that they are truly a top two team.* Thus, I think this is a good compromise between prioritizing the regular season and yet including all teams with legitimate claims to the top spot. Any more of a tournament would start to render the regular season a little less meaningful. For example, last years' Alabama-Georgia tilt probably wouldn't have had any national title implications outside of shuffling the order of the teams if 8 or 16 teams qualified for the playoff. Yes, something like this might only have a minor effect on the season, but I think it could have long term effects on the popularity of college football. The college basketball tournament is great , but the focus in the last few weeks of the season turns towards weaker bubble teams, while the games involving the best teams take a backseat. I think this is at least part of the reason that regular season football games destroy basketball games in the ratings, and indeed why football is more popular in general.
*The one exception would be 2007 when you could have made an argument for LSU, Ohio State, Georgia, USC, Oklahoma, and maybe a few others. Other than that it's hard to find a year where five teams had a legitimate case for the top two.
In the end, I am very excited to see the playoffs in action next season, but I hope that those in charge spent a lot of time thinking long-term before making anymore big changes. Basketball wisely abandoned the 96-team tournament idea a few years ago; let's just hope college football does the same.
Weak Schedules
One of the best things about the coming playoff system is that the whims of the selection committee will likely inspire major conference powers to start scheduling a little tougher out of conference (for example, check out Ohio State's future non-conference battles). Some teams have nice slates this year (I particularly like Clemson playing the two powers within 100 miles of campus), but the majority of BCS contenders have relative cakewalks to start the season. This however, is not the main point I want to make, partly because it's been beaten to death elsewhere. No, my concern about the quality of this college football season rests within the conference portion of the schedule.
The great reorganization of conferences has been a mixed bag of sorts. We get some fantastic moves that will greatly benefit the teams and conferences involved (A&M to the SEC, Nebraska to the Big 10). We also get to see some of the best non-traditional powers rewarded with a bigger stage (Utah and TCU). However, there have been some downsides. In addition to the general watering down of some of the big conferences (I'm looking at you Maryland and Rutgers), we're starting to see some pretty sporadic pairings of conference powers. Most of the major conferences have protected rivalries across their divisions to allow the preservation of the biggest rivalries, which leaves only 1 or 2 matchups against the rest of the cross-divisional foes. This year, it appears that we will see the most missed opportunities for great games yet. To wit:
Big Ten: The Leaders Division (or whatever it's called now) has two clear favorites in Ohio State and Wisconsin. The Legends Division has four teams that could win it, but the top two are probably Michigan State and Nebraska. None of the four possible cross-divisional pairing between these teams will happen this year. We do get to see Northwestern go up against both Leaders in back to back weeks, and Michigan will continue its annual rivalry with Ohio State, but this is basically the worst possible scenario for the Big 10: A bunch of good but not great teams that will get the chance to puff up their records only to get overmatched come bowl season.
Pac 12: Since they play 9 conference games on the West Coast, you would think we would get to see most of the best matchups. You would be wrong. Oregon misses out on USC and Arizona State, while Stanford avoids potential offensive juggernauts in Arizona and UCLA.
ACC: There aren't as many great teams in the ACC, but the carnage is still felt strongly. Florida State will not play UNC or Virginia Tech. Clemson also misses those opponents as well as potential division favorite Miami.
SEC: Games like Florida-LSU and LSU-Georgia will help to distract from Alabama playing Kentucky and Tennessee and A&M drawing Vandy and Mizzou. Overall, the SEC has the best set of cross-conference matchups of any of the major superconferences, but that's mainly because there are so many good teams.
All in all, this state of weakened schedules across the board should lead to some very interesting conference championship games and an absolute glut of 10-2 and 9-3 teams. This means that voters will have to play close attention to the subtle differences between teams since the margins may be as razor thin as ever. Thankfully, this will be the last year we have to foolishly hope for that to happen.
Rankings
In the past, I have done separate sections for rankings and the games I'm looking forward to. This year, I am going to combine them into a hybrid of enjoyment. As always, these rankings reflect how good I think the teams are, and not how I think they will finish. I'm not going to rank Louisville super high just because they have an easy schedule, and I won't rank them higher later in the season should they just squeak by a lot of the weaker opponents, as they did last year.
Just missed - Kansas State, Baylor, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Northern Illinois, North Carolina, Miami, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Northwestern, UCLA, USC, BYU, Cincinnati
I'm not going to write capsules on 40-odd teams, so I'll just write some quick thoughts on those that missed the top 25. I feel like this is the sort of season where the division between good teams and average teams will go pretty deep, so a lot of these teams will be extremely tough outs. I've included over half of the ACC Coastal division here (and yes, I still have to look up the names of the divisions). As already noted, those teams mostly avoid Atlantic heavies FSU and Clemson, but they all play a top notch SEC team outside the conference. This means there's a definite chance that one of these teams gets the combination of spotlight games and otherwise easy schedules to make a run at the top 10 (my money would be on UNC).
Baylor and Ole Miss are two of the "hot" teams that everyone is talking about, but I think there's definite reasons to hold back on both. Baylor played improved defense against the run heavy teams at the end of their schedule (UCLA and Kansas State) but it remains to be seen if they can shut down the aerial attacks they'll see in the Big 12. Ole Miss had a top 5 recruiting class on the heels of a season where they kept improving every week, but it'll probably take an extra year for that to be truly felt on the field (FWIW, Ole Miss is probably my #26 team). On the other end of the hotness spectrum is Kansas State, which seems to get no press in spite of recent success. After the magical year of 2011, and a legitimately great team in 2012, I am a full believer in the reincarnation of Snyder-ball. Whether he chooses Daniel Sams or JUCO-transfer Jake Waters to helm the offense, I think the team will overcome the loss of most of its starters well enough to be a threat.
Most lists I've seen have USC and Northwestern ranked. I like both teams, but I see a large downside for USC and a lack of upside at Northwestern. The end of last season showed just how thin the margin is at USC with the current sanctions in place. And yet, USC was one of the best teams in the nation just a year earlier. There is clearly a wide range of possible outcomes for USC (probably the widest in the nation), but since so many other teams seem to have high floors, USC goes unranked for now. Northwestern, on the other hand should be well coached, play smart football, and feature multiple playmakers on offense with Venric Mark and Kain Colter. I'm just not sure that the defense will be good enough to stop the slew of good offenses they will face.
#25 - Missouri
The 2012 Tigers squad was a lesson in what happens when everything goes wrong at the worst possible moment. A lot of people questioned whether their move to the SEC was wise, but considering Missouri's solid program F/+ of 26th (program F/+ is based on the last 5 years of Football Outsiders metrics. For a full explanation of one component of that metric, related program FEI, see this), I saw a pretty good fit. Unfortunately, Missouri lost a bunch of crucial players to injury and also managed to lose a few heartbreakers, the most notable being the Florida game. Since guys like senior QB James Franklin are back, I like Missouri to bounce back in a big way. I don't think anything higher than third in the East is likely, but that would still be a great accomplishment given the strength of the SEC.
Game to watch: Missouri at Ole Miss, November 23rd - The two teams with the best chance to ascend to the top tier of the SEC this year face off with the season winding down. If everything breaks right, I could see Gameday making their first trip to The Grove in the typically boring week before Thanksgiving (although I will highlight a few other interesting games that week as well).
#24 - Oregon State
Oregon State is in an odd position. The program is clearly back on track after a terrible 2011 and a brutal 2010 schedule. Yet, I don't see them seriously competing for their division crown, in part because they're still a notch below Stanford and Oregon, and in part because they draw both USC and Arizona State from the South. Still, for a historically inept program, getting to the level of stability that Mike Riley has overseen is a great reward. And there is just enough exciting athleticism in Brandin Cooks and Storm Woods to see the potential of a big upset or two. We shall see.
#23 - Nebraska
As Taylor Martinez enters his senior season, he still has a chance to improve the rather odd legacy he'll leave behind. The offense is as weaponized as it's been in a while, and he still runs the most lethal read option I've ever seen. But in spite of the school passing records he'll soon break, he's just not a very good thrower, and I don't see that ever changing. Add to that a big question mark on the other side of the ball, and you get a team that's firmly planted near the bottom of the rankings. My feelings about Bo Pelini are almost perfect mixed between happiness that he's been able to build both great offenses and defenses, and anger that he can't do it at the same time. Even though I don't see a massive upside to this team, this will be a big year for Pelini as he tries to avoid a sixth consecutive four-loss season.
#22 - Michigan
Nebraska has a higher floor than Michigan this season, but Michigan has a higher upside, hence the difference in rankings. That promise of upside resides largely with QB-turned WR-turned QB Devin Gardner. Maybe this is just because he's beaten me one too many times in NCAA, but I expect big things from him. The defense is still probably a recruiting cycle or two away from getting back to the Michigan standard, but there's enough here to potentially make a run into the top ten (especially if five-star Freshman Derrick Green replaces the current meh options at RB).
#21 - Louisville
You really only need to know three things about Louisville this season: One, they are clearly on the upswing as a program and feature one of the most exciting players in the game in Teddy Bridgewater. Two, their schedule is so ridiculously easy that their opening game against Ohio is considered on of the biggest obstacles to a 12-0 season (not that Ohio is bad, but still). Three, well...just see the Southern Miss boxscore I linked to earlier. They just weren't particularly great last year, especially on defense. Yes, they will be good in 2013, and the Florida win was amazing, but I just don't see them fulfilling the massive preseasons expectations laid out before them. It's unfair to the job that Charlie Strong has done cleaning up the Kragthorpian mess there, that a 10-2 season with a conference championship would be viewed as a disappointment. Yet, that's probably what will happen.
Game to watch: Louisville at Cincinnati, December 5th - All that said, the Cathy conference might be weak enough that this game turns into a 2007 Kansas-Missouri of sorts. I doubt that either of these teams are top ten outfits, but they may both be ranked there at that point anyway.
#20 - Arizona State
As weasel-y as Todd Graham is, I have to admit that this looks like a potential breakout team this year. Taylor Kelly could easily become a top ten QB, and Will Sutton anchors a defense that should be one of the most formidable units in the West. Their strong schedule (they get Wisconsin, Stanford, USC, and Notre Dame in a four-week stretch) could give them a chance to notch a number of impressive wins early, but it could also spell doom for a team that didn't really play well against the best and the brightest last year. I like the Sun Devils to split the difference, win the South, and then get a chance to do better against Oregon than they did last year.
#19 - Michigan State
Sparty was a Kirk Cousins-Ed Cunningham pairing away from going 10-2 in 2012. Unfortunately, both those players had graduated, and the team checked in at 6-6. This year's defense, led by Max Bullough and Denicos Allen, should be as good as ever. Thus, the offense really just needs to avoid being terrible again (85th in passing S&P+) in order for the team to have a great season. Given that four offensive lineman return, they shouldn't have too much trouble producing another Leveon Bell-like workhorse. Once Mark Dantonio completes his odd version of The Bachelor, we should have a better idea of what to expect from the passing attack. Until then, this seems like a reasonable ranking.
Game to watch: Michigan State at Notre Dame, September 21st - This will be a matchup of two of the very best defenses in the nation, in a series where weird stuff happens all the time. If you come to this game, I will gladly have a beer with you.
#18 - Boise State
This feels like a bit of an underranking, but I also don't see Kellen Moore-era levels of offense coming from this team. Joe Southwick isn't a bad option at QB, but he's pretty clearly the fourth or fifth-best signal caller in his conference. Still, this team won 11 games in a "rebuilding" year, so I really shouldn't underestimate Chris Petersen.
Game to watch: Boise State at Utah State, October 12th - Boise plays all of their big games on the road, traveling to Fresno, BYU, and Washington. This one interests me the most, though. I'm very interested to see how last year's top non-BCS team handles losing it's coach as well as a bevy of skill-position players. There is still a lot to like in Logan, so I think the Mountain division* will come down to this game.
*"Mountain" and "West" are the best conference names ever. They are both snappy and geographically logical. Good work.
#17 - TCU
I thought I would be ahead of the curve in ranking TCU to start the year, but pretty much every mainstream publication has set aside last year as an outlier, and expects great things from the Horned Frogs this year. Casey Pachall wasn't exactly great before the suspension last year, but he was exciting in 2011, so there's a lot of promise on offense with him and RB Waymon James back in the fold. And of course, the Gary Patterson defense will be as salty as ever, returning 9 starters from the 12th ranked defense in F/+. Watch CB Jason Verrett, as he may insert himself in the Thorpe Award race before long.
Game to watch: TCU at Oklahoma, October 5th - TCU got invited back to the big kids table because of their ability to win games like the 2005 contest between these teams in Norman, which was only Stoops' second home loss at OU. Now, they get the chance to win this game as equals.
#16 - Wisconsin
Wisconsin had a down year in 2012 but still almost won the Rose Bowl, which tells you about the strength of the program (it also tells you about Jim Tressel's misdeeds, but ignore that for now). With Coach Bert off to the SEC, Wisconsin may have actually made an upgrade by hiring a coach that nearly beat them in 2012, Gary Andersen from Utah State. Instability at QB was part of what hobbled Wisconsin last season, but much like their Rose Bowl opponent Stanford with Kevin Hogan, the Badgers should be able to improve with a full season of Joel Stave. They do get Ohio State at home, which gives them a chance to replicate the events of 2010.
#15 - South Carolina
Yes, the Gamecocks keep improving under Steve Spurrier, and yes, Jadeveon Clowney is an absolute beast, but I don't see the original USC as being quite as good as the cocktail party-having members of its division. Connor Shaw and Dylan Thompson are both not Stephen Garcia, which is good, but neither had shown the upside that I think it will take to get this team to Atlanta. On the other side of the ball, Clowney is back, but six other starters are not, which should make them just vulnerable enough to lose a couple of games. Regardless, the fanbase has to be happy that a once dormant program could be disappointed by being the 15th best team in the nation.*
*Yes, I realize that this is college football, and everyone thinks their school should be the best, especially in the SEC. But still, South Carolina fans should be generally happy.
#14 - Oklahoma
My dream of a full season of the Bell-dozer appears unlikely to come to fruition after Bob Stoops named Freshman Trevor Knight his starter. Honestly, this is probably a good thing for the Sooners as I didn't see the upside of putting a bruiser like him into a prototypical spread offense. Assuming Knight doesn't bomb, the offense should be solid, as Damien Williams returns behind a line with a lot of experience (yes, that experience includes a couple of years of being a bad offensive line, but still, they should improve). They also might have that "Hello" kid now if I understood those ads correctly. The defense hasn't been great since Mike Stoops left, but he's back now, and his side of the team will at least be good enough to avoid a overall bad season. This all seems like a bit of a lukewarm review of one of the strongest programs in recent memory, but unfortunately* the Sooners haven't shown us anything big in a few years.
*Or fortunately, if you're a Nebraska fan like me.
#13 - Clemson
I'm a little tired of the "Clemsoning" meme. Yes, Clemson has lost some bad games in the past, but so has every other school. Last year, Clemson's only losses came to Florida State and South Carolina, so I hardly see anything terrible there. I'm not as bullish on the Tigers as some people, but all the pieces (including a manageable schedule) are in place for a great run. Ultimately, the defense will hold them back from winning all of their big games (they're not going to stop Georgia, FSU, and let's say Miami in the title game with that unit), but there's still reason for optimism when it comes to what may be the most exciting team in 2013.
Game to watch: Florida State at Clemson, October 19th - This is probably the most obvious of my "games to watch," but I don't care. A beautifully uniformed game should pit a pair of athletic offenses in a contest that will almost certainly decide the division. Last year's battle in Tallahassee was fantastic, and I expect no less from this game.
#12 - Georgia
Ignoring their reputations, 2013 Georgia is basically 2013 Clemson (which is why Saturday's game will be off the hook). Georgia gets a few bonus points for having better RBs and one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country, but loses a few points for Tajh Boyd being better than Aaron Murray. There is also the matter of Georgia's defense, which got gashed a few times last season, and then lost the majority of their best players. Georgia has arrived at the point where they should be able to simply reload, but there are limits to that, and thus #12 seems like a good place to start. Georgia has a lot of upside, so a big win against the Tigers could go a long way to moving them up.
#11 - Notre Dame
The Irish's 2011 and 2012 teams weren't all that different, except when it came to luck. The 2011 team fell victim to game-changing fumble recovery touchdowns against South Florida and USC (that was a rough year to have season tickets), while the 2012 team saw interceptions like this happen. The 2013 Irish should have the same basic talent level, but like any other college team, will be subject to the whims of the luck dragons. Many fans associate 2011 with Tommy Rees and 2012 with not-Tommy Rees, but it's really not that simple. Tommy was yanked around a bit in 2011, which couldn't have helped, and then he played some great late-game series in 2012. I'm not under the impression that losing Golson doesn't hurt, because he certainly has the upside of being great. But I also think that it shouldn't hurt too much. The defensive talent, combined with an offensive strategy that probably won't ask too much of Rees, should give the Irish another shot at contending for a BCS birth at the very least.
Game to watch: BYU at Notre Dame, November 23rd - This was a very close game last year, when BYU didn't have Taysom Hill at QB. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy is basically this year's Manti Te'o, hopefully without the whole fake girlfriend thing. This is definitely the trappiest game on ND's schedule.
#10 - Texas A&M
I have no idea where to rank this team. They were legitimately the third or fourth best team at the end of last season, and they return enough to get back to that level again. However, the status of Johnny Manziel, coupled with the fact that A&M still doesn't have the depth of talent that others do (but they're getting close), causes me to temper my expectations a bit. The loss of offensive guru Kliff Kingsbury doesn't help, and only adds to a growing feeling that a 7-5 season may very well happen. Last year, the mid-September Alabama trip to Arkansas looked like a doozy, but quickly petered out. I worry that the same may happen to the Texas A&M trip this year. We will see.
#9 - Florida
This is about as high as I can put a team with that offense. I watched the Missouri game and a good portion of the UL-Lafayette game, and I can't believe that such a talented team put something like that out there.* That said, they won nearly all of their games, mostly because of a ridiculous defense. That defense loses a lot, but Florida is one of maybe three of four programs that can immediately plug in future first round picks to replace the departed. Ronald Powell and Jonathan Bullard are among such players that will become household names (at least in the south), as they join stud corner Loucheiz Purifoy on a defense that should be outstanding.
*They still ranked 32nd in offensive F/+, so I'm overstating the terribleness a bit. Part of the reason for that high of a ranking was a hyper-conservative offense that limited turnovers (except against Georgia). If they want to contend for a title, they'll probably have to open it up a more and risk the bad to get the potential good.
#8 - Texas
Oh Texas. Some years you have a great defense and Case McCoy. Other years, you have a stable of impressive runners that your defense wouldn't be able to tackle if they tried. One year, they'll be able to put it all back together and go on a run like they did in the mid-aughts. There are certainly reasons to doubt that this will be that year, but I tend to be optimistic towards the Longhorns' chances with this squad. Jackson Jeffcoat should be able to sack people at will, and sophomore Daje Johnson should start to emerge as a big play guy alongside the power rushing game. A national championship is an unlikely goal due to both the possibility of underperformance and the difficult Big 12 schedule, but the program should at least be able to say with some confidence that it is "back."
#7 - LSU
LSU seems be getting a bit overlooked this year. The main reason for this seems to be the mass exodus to the NFL. And yes, I agree that losing guys like Kevin Minter and Eric Reid is a bad thing. But LSU has always done a good job of rotating in its future stars, such that I don't think the defense will have too much trouble dominating once again. Thus, the biggest question about LSU is whether or not the improvements Zach Mettenberger made near the end of last year are real. The good thing for Tigers' fans is that regardless of whether or not his improvement continues, there are enough weapons around him (RBs Jeremy Hill and Alfred Blue, WRs Odell Beckham Jr and Jarvis Landry) such that the offense should be competent enough to contend. Replacing three starters on the offensive line is honestly my biggest worry about the team, and if LSU has an off year, it could very well be because of that.
#6 - Oklahoma State
For the second straight year, Sports Illustrated has not ranked the Cowboys in their preseason poll. Considering the trajectory of the program, and the talent on hand, I find that a little ridiculous. I do worry a little about the revolving door of offensive coordinators eventually turning up a dud, but with offensive-minded Mike Gundy around, I think the floor is pretty high. Neither JW Walsh or Clint Chelf appear to be massive upside guys, but this system hardly requires its QBs to be pro prospects to succeed (hi there, Brandon Weeden). The 2012 defense swooned a little compared to their 2011 high (3rd in the nation in F/+!), but 7 starters return to a unit that should at least be very good. I think the race at the top of the Big 12 is very tight, so Oklahoma State is far from "likely" to win the league, but I think they have as good of a chance as anybody.
Game to watch: Baylor at Oklahoma State, November 23rd - Baylor dismantled Kansas State's title chances on the road on the same weekend last year. Iowa State ended Oklahoma State's title chances at home on the same weekend two years ago. Aside from some powerful history at play, this should be a matchup of the two most dynamic offenses in the conference.
#5 - Florida State
Yeah, yeah, I've heard the tired sentiment that says that Florida State is overrated every year. But they finished 5th in F/+ last year and were a few Mike Glennon fourth down conversions away from a top 5 finish in the polls as well. They've been steadily on the rise, and are ready for their chance in the spotlight. The defense has to worry about replacing a few great lineman, but should otherwise be a great unit. The offense will really have a chance to shine if redshirt Freshman Jameis Winston lives up to the hype. Given that the offense has lagged behind the defense the last couple of years, a high upside guy like Winston could be the final piece in the Seminoles renaissance. It will help that he has a ton of weapons at his disposal, such as RBs James Wilder, Jr. and Devonta Freeman, WR Rashad Greene, and an offensive line with 96 starts of experience. You can feel free to doubt the Seminoles if you want, but I won't be joining you.
#4 - Ohio State
I don't know if Ohio State is really the fourth-best team in the nation, but there's a decent drop-off after the top three, and Urban Meyer has such a ridiculous track record of success that I have learned not to doubt him. Ohio State will almost certainly be 9 or 10-win good, but their ability to match last season's success will rely on improvements by Braxton Miller and a restocked front seven on defense. CB Brandon Roby will only be suspended for one game, so the defense will return at least a couple of their best players from a year ago. Ohio State was extremely lucky to go 12-0 last year, barely beating Purdue, Indiana, and Cal. They'll probably need some luck to go undefeated again, but the combination of an improving program and an easy schedule could continue the magical beginning of the Meyer regime in Columbus.
#3 - Stanford
The popular line about 2013 Stanford to highlight their potential is that they're basically a carbon copy of Alabama. This is both fair, as both teams zig where others zag by leaning on a strong rushing game, and unfair, as Alabama does so with far more raw athleticism. Still, it's not hard to see Stanford succeeding in the same manner as Alabama and reaching the national title game. In particular, make sure to watch safety Ed Reynolds attempt to do his best John Lynch impersonation. I still think they are a step behind the Ducks, but they do get them at home on a Thursday night.
Game to watch: Arizona State at Stanford, September 21st - This game has the best chance of stealing College Gameday away from ND-MSU if the Sun Devils can take down Wisconsin the week before. Arizona State may very well be the second most dynamic offense the Cardinal faces, so they'll need to be on alert for their first real test of the year.
#2 - Oregon
Fun fact: Oregon's defense, which was very banged up last year (especially on the line) still managed to rank 4th in defensive F/+. Almost every projected starter has significant experience, led by possibly the best corner in college, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. The hole left by graduated playmaker Kiko Alonso is about the only serious concern, and a few guys (most notably sophomore Tyson Coleman) are around to step up. At this point, I've probably convinced you that this could very well be a top 5 team, and I haven't even mentioned the offense yet. So yeah, #2 seems right.
#1 - Alabama
Outside of injuries or any other worries that every team has, Alabama really only has a pair of potential issues. One, the offensive line loses a trio of blue-chippers, so it probably won't be quite as good, which could lead to AJ McCarron having to face pressure for about the first time ever. Two, the secondary lost its best piece in Dee Milliner, and doesn't really have anything resembling a lockdown defender. Other than that, this team is as perfect as a college football team can be. Those potential weaknesses make me want to compare this team to the 2010 version that was still great but lost three games. However, Nick Saban's program is so insanely strong now that I fear they may be immune to disappointment.
Heisman
I am not going to write about Jadeveon Clowney or Johnny Football or any of those guys here. You know they are good, and could win the Heisman, and you can read about them elsewhere. Instead of listing those most likely to win the Heisman, my countdown will consist of those whose Heisman candidacy I would consider the most interesting.
1. DeAnthony Thomas - Oregon
So this one is probably already on most people's lists. I know that. But this is a list of interesting candidates. And I can't think of anyone more interesting in college football today, than the guy who regularly tweets things like this:
IT'S A FULL MOON TONIGHT IN EUGENEA couple of years ago, Jacory Harris promised to bring a pimp cup to the Heisman ceremony. Unfortunately, he wasn't very good, so the craziest we've gotten thus far was RG3's Superman socks (which were admittedly pretty cool). I think we can do better, and I think DeAnthony is the man to do it. Come on man, bring a pet cactus or something to New York.
— DE'ANTHONY THOMAS (@EATBLACKMOMBA6) August 20, 2013
2. Marqise Lee - USC
Marqise is a pretty popular name on Heisman lists as well, so I guess I lied about the original premise of this section. That said, there is something interesting about his opportunity this year. A true wide receiver hasn't won the award since Desmond Howard in 1991, and Lee enters the year which as much hype as anyone from the position since then (save for Peter Warrick....boy, did that not work out). Not only does he have this spotlight, but he also has the opportunity to show just how important and forceful a great receiver can be. The downgrade from Matt Barkley to Max Wittek appears to be pretty steep, so Lee will get a chance to show that he can produce without superior talent around him, much like Calvin Johnson did when he had Reggie Ball throwing to him. I doubt Marqise will be able to put up the numbers necessary to win the award, but it will be fun to see him try.
3. Vladimir Emilien - Toledo
I really can't tell you much in particular about the Rocket's LB, and I'm not even sure if he's particularly good. He was a 4-star recruit, which is rare for a place like Toledo, but it doesn't appear he's been able to live up to that billing quite yet. This sounds like the opposite of interesting, but I disagree, mainly because of what it would take to get a linebacker from the MAC to win the Heisman. First he'd have to sack Jeff Driskell about 10 times in the opener against Florida (which honestly probably isn't that hard). Then, he'd have to continue to go on an Archer-level rampage against the high-flying offenses of the MAC. The cherry on top (the Heisman play, if you will) would have to come in the penultimate game against MAC favorites Northern Illinois, where he'd have to do something like pick up Jordan Lynch, carry him to the end zone, and spike him. You know what, I've managed to convince myself of this. I am going to start Vlad's official Heisman campaign, which I will of course entitle "A million for Emilien." New York, here we come.
4. Andrew Wiggins - Kansas
Charlie Weis needs all the help he can get. Andrew Wiggins will have a couple of months before basketball starts. This seems like a match made in heaven.
5. Tommy Rees - Notre Dame
Oh God, I couldn't resist. Seriously though, he's OK and Notre Dame will be fine. I hope.
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