I was tempted to put one of these out last week following the College Football Playoff Committee’s Top 25 announcement. However, I wanted to wait for the conclusion of the big SEC game at the weekend between Tennessee and Georgia.
To review the last few weeks I’ve got myself Kev, NFL Draft Punk Co-Host Pete, Kieran (check out his YouTube channel here) and Jack.
Without further waffling let’s get into it. If you’re a reasonable newcomer to College Football and a committee of people putting a Top 25 together sounds odd, take a look at my pre-season A-to-Z of college football!
The CFP release last week had the Tennessee Volunteers into the No.1 slot with Georgia at No.3. The release this week has Georgia back at No.1 with TCU now up into the top four. What did you make of the initial release and this week’s order? Do you think the committee has inconsistent values for grading each team as they do?
Kev: If you take a decision on who is the best college team in the country in a vacuum based on signature wins and not five-star recruits it is hard to look past Tennessee’s resume. We know from previous years the committee has tended to trend towards two key things – those who are unbeaten or have wins versus ranked opponents always rank highly with them. The issue I have is the contradictory nature around this approach to the “All Star” programs. A recent example is the 2021 two loss Oklahoma team, being ranked above an undefeated Cincinnati. This year, USC above UCLA made no sense to me. Both teams have one loss yet Trojans have beaten no one (although my co-hosts on the pod disagreed).
Georgia are rightfully in top spot but even the Tennessee appointment in first place seemed to set them up to fail. Their path now relies on Georgia winning out in the SEC. My parting hypothetical thought is what would the committee have done with TCU if Alabama had beaten LSU?
Pete: As usual, the Committee likes to create talking points and they have done it successfully. In the initial rankings, TCU being behind a one-loss SEC team in Alabama caused discussions. For them to jump over Tennessee after their road loss to Georgia seemed inconsistent with their rankings the week before. TCU’s fourth quarter comeback win at home to Texas Tech wasn’t impressive enough to leapfrog the previous No.1 overall team. After that, the Pac-12 teams preparing themselves to ruin each other’s chances of a playoff spot is a fantastic storyline. There are some mouthwatering games coming up between the top teams in the conference, with Oregon hosting Utah on the same day that USC travels to UCLA. The conference might need other results to go their way, but the opportunity is there for one of the teams to force their way in.
Kieran: It’s hard to deny the Vols as the top team in the country this year but the CFP ranking committee has an agenda they need to push for maximum drama. They ranked LSU at 10 before the Alabama game to bill it as a top 10 showdown. Frankly LSU didn’t deserve to crack the top 10 until after they had put Bama away. Teams like TCU finally making an appearance in the top four is good for college ball. Seeing Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Clemson year-on-year is boring. We’ve seen these games before! Of course you expect SEC teams to have the edge based on schedule alone but it’s still great to see some more names.
Jack: It has been great to see the resurgence of Tennessee this season. That said, I thought the rankings last week speak to some of the issues I have with the ranking committee. The Vols were apparently the best team in the country heading into the weekend. That makes you wonder then how they were nine-point underdogs against Georgia. It might just be me but it feels a little tricky to square those two facts. With that being said, it is good to see TCU crack the top four this weekend and as Kieran has said, it’s important for the future of college football that we aren’t simply watching the same playoff games every single year.
College football never disappoints with drama, explosive plays and scoring. We had the highest ever scoring game this weekend between SMU & Houston. Which game caught your eye the past few weeks or so?
Kev: There’s been some beauties this season, but I think the Tennessee-Alabama game tops it for me. The red-hot start from the Vols going out to a 28-10 lead halfway through the second quarter had the 90,000+ strong crowd in full voice. The seasoned class of Alabama and current Heisman Trophy holder Bryce Young chipped away at that lead, taking a narrow 35-34 lead late on. History would tell us opponents tend to wither at this point.
The fourth quarter then mirrored the later stages of a boxing match with each team trading blows until Tennessee kicked the ugliest 40-yard field goal you’ll ever see to send Neyland Stadium into hysterics. The game had everything. Controversy, drama, fans running off with the goalposts, and two excellent college quarterbacks at the top of their game. Bryce Young in particular was incredible for Alabama. His ability to consistently create magic and keep them in contention confirms why the draft community consider him the best natural quarterback prospect in the 2023 class.
We’ll finish with a mention of one of the most impressive performances by a receiver in a college game. Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt pulled in 6 catches from 8 targets for 207 yards and 5 touchdowns. Long live College Football!
Pete: Nothing highlights the craziness of Big 12 Football better than the Kansas State rout of Oklahoma State a few weeks ago. At the time, the Cowboys were ranked No.9 in the AP Poll but were demolished 48-0. What made the result more bizarre is the WIldcats were forced to play their second-string quarterback Will Howard. Howard played a clean game with four touchdowns and no interceptions while running back Deuce Vaughn had himself a game. It certainly wasn’t the type of performance you would expect from a Mike Gundy team. That conference is so competitive and the gap between top and bottom is arguably the smallest of the Power 5. Therein lies the problem that TCU will face in making the College Football Playoff. They will have to remain undefeated to have a chance, but as that crazy game showed, nothing can be taken for granted.
Kieran: I’m going to of course pick LSU Vs Bama. A top SEC matchup with Nick Saban’s Tide matching up against Kelly’s Tigers. The Tide came in as heavy favourites as the media narrative about LSU is that this was a “rebuild year”. Since getting the job we heard Kelly can’t recruit, that he can’t win big games, that Jayden Daniels isn’t the guy, that they don’t have the talent. The list goes on. LSU proved once again that the past is the past and it’s any given Saturday. While the game was close and provided a ton of drama it was still a landmark win for the Bayou Bengals as they look to build towards the SEC championship game and a shot at the playoffs.
Jack: I’ve got a soft spot for the Fighting Irish, so my pick is their win over Clemson last weekend. It has been something of an up-and-down start to Marcus Freeman’s tenure in South Bend. The offense has struggled to find its feet and with early losses to Marshall and Stanford you could feel the panic starting to brew. Things have looked better through recent weeks though, culminating in that result against Clemson. It finished 35-14, but it didn’t even feel that close. Notre Dame’s running game was like a buzzsaw and the Tigers were powerless to stop it as they racked up 263 yards on the ground. It feels like this could be the turning point for the Fighting Irish under Freeman.
Which team, good or bad, have you been most surprised by so far? And is there a changing of the guard in some of the powerhouse programs?
Kev: I think for me it has to be the demise of Clemson. It feels like they’ve been unconvincing for two or three seasons now. The recruitment drive is still high as they finished inside the Top 10 recruitment rankings on 247. They currently sit behind ACC rivals Miami for the 2023 class, although a lot can change between now and signing day. It’s a real possibility that they could fall out of the Top 10 for the first time since 2017. Head Coach Dabod Swinney’s reluctance to delve into the transfer portal could also have a bearing on the obvious holes in their roster. The defensive front has always held a fearsome reputation for the Tigers, but this alone cannot overcome the obvious struggles on offense.
The recent loss to Notre Dame shone an x-ray on their offensive struggles, which seem to have plagued the team since Trevor Lawrence’s departure. In this game regular starter DJ Uiagalelei was benched for five-star recruit Cade Klubnik. When under pressure, Klubnik threw a pass off his back foot which was intercepted in Clemson territory. Klubnik was then benched for Uiagalelei, who promptly then threw his own interception which was returned for a touchdown. In my opinion the lack of star power at the primary position with a leaky (and always) underwhelming offensive line will see them lose out in the ACC Championship to Drake Maye’s North Carolina Tar Heels. Something needs to change as they simply don’t have the quality at primary positions to compete with the superstar teams of the SEC & Big Ten.
Pete: Oklahoma’s performances have surprised me most so far as I tipped them for the Playoffs before the season. With Brent Venables in charge of the defense and a Jeff Lebby/Dillon Gabriel reunion, I thought it was an ideal combination. They can’t control injuries to Dillon Gabriel but the defensive struggles are a real concern. The Sooners have been dreadful against the run, and not much better against the pass. In conference play they have conceded 38 points or more in five of the six games as they consistently show poor discipline in run fits.
After the 35-38 home defeat to Baylor last week, Venables came out and spoke to the press. After saying he didn’t want to make excuses, Venables claimed it was inexperience across the defense that was the cause of the troubles. That sounds very much like an excuse to me! He then proceeded to list the number of starts for each of his players as further justification. Given time I trust Venables to get it right, but the team has looked a shadow of their former selves.
Kieran: The emergence of Drake Maye was a shocker for me. After losing Sam Howell it looked like the Tar Heels would struggle early but redshirt freshman Drake Maye has just torn everyone up. UNC are looking at winning the ACC and Maye is looking like the best young player in football right now. The playoffs and Heisman may not be in his immediate future, but if he gets any better, you’d be a smart person to put some money on Maye taking home at least one of the two awards.
The change in transfer portal rules has given head coaches another arm to leverage in recruitment. Who is worthy of a mention here?
Kev: This response could get groans but I’m going to give a shout out to Bo Nix of Oregon. Let’s be honest, the opening signs were reminiscent of the player we know all too well from his time with Auburn. The opening weekend loss at Georgia was an ugly reminder of the stat driven narrative around Nix in away games. Throughout his career at Auburn his home form compared to his away form are that of seemingly different players. His quarterback rating and completion percentage would drastically drop. The touchdown to interception ratio was at times worryingly close to parity.
We mocked his quarterback play, and the Auburn faithful breathed a sigh of relief upon the news that he’d be heading to the West coast. Well things haven’t been too rosy in Jordan-Hare stadium since his departure. Nix on the other hand can’t put a foot wrong. After the Georgia beatdown, he’s dusted himself off and put himself in the outside rankings of the Heisman Trophy.
Statistically this is his best season. He is just shy of 2,500 yards (previous best 2,542), with a completion percentage of 72% and 22 touchdowns to five picks. Oh, and he’s only been sacked once…yep once! He always had the ability to create with his legs but Oregon OC Kenny Dilligham has firmly incorporated his quarterback carries into their offensive strategy. With 13 rushing touchdowns this season averaging 6.6 yards per carry his continued success could lead Oregon to a PAC12 title and a qualifying spot in the College Football Playoff.
Pete: Considering Venables claimed a lack of experience on his defense, the pickup of defensive lineman Jeffery Johnson from Tulane has been a real bonus for the Sooners. He was a four year starter for the Green Wave and he has been excellent. I shudder to think how that defense would have performed without him on the line.
With the risk of being called Captain Obvious by Kev, I won’t dwell on O’Cyrus Torrence’s excellent form at right guard for Florida since moving from the Ragin’ Cajuns. Instead, I will look at Olu Oluwatimi and his move from the Virginia Cavaliers to the Michigan Wolverines. Last year, Oluwatimi reached the final three in voting for the Rimington Trophy, before losing to Tyler Linderbaum. The 2021 Cavaliers were an explosive high powered, pass-heavy offense with an electric Brennan Armstrong behind center. This year he has shown scheme versatility being a pivotal part of a run-heavy offensive line. There were lofty expectations surrounding this unit after winning the Joe Moore Award in 2021. With Oluwatimi stepping in seamlessly and Blake Corum running amok, they are amongst the favourites again.
Kieran: I’ll have to say Jayden Daniels here. After glimpses of his potential at ASU his emergence in Death Valley has been huge. He’s got a solid arm and a great mental game, but his dual threat ability puts him up there with some of the better quarterbacks we’ve seen this season. In my opinion he should be mentioned alongside Hendon Hooker and Bryce Young as one of the most dynamic signal callers in the SEC. Whilst Bo Nix has played out of his mind for Oregon, I think Daniels takes the cake just based on how much he has improved and elevated the team around him.
Jack: There are a few players who I think deserve honourable mentions here. Jared Verse has been electric for Florida State following his transfer from Albany. Jahmyr Gibbs and Zach Evans have both lit up the SEC since their transfers to Alabama and Ole Miss respectively. Like Kev and Kieran though, I’m picking a quarterback – Washington’s Michael Penix. I was always a big fan of his game at Indiana, but his inability to stay healthy was a problem.
Since joining the Huskies he has taken his game to the next level, forming a great connection with receivers Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan. Through nine games, Penix has thrown for 3,232 yards for 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He has taken great care of the football, with a turnover-worthy play rate of just 0.9%. That ranks third amongst Power Five quarterbacks. He has also been excellent at neutralising pressure, with a pressure to sack rate of just 4.5%. Once again, that puts him third. The Huskies have topped 30 points seven times already this season and their offense ranks fourth in EPA per play. None of that would be possible without Penix under center.
It’s November and teams in the NFL will soon start to be eliminated from playoff contention. That can only mean one thing…Draft Season! Which players have stood out for you so far this season?
Kev: I’m going to go on the defensive side of the ball here. I’m a big fan of pass rushers and two names have caught my attention this season:
Firstly Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson, a long 6’6″ 275 lbs versatile lineman who rushes from the edge or sits inside a tackles shoulder. He uses his power and natural length to disrupt and dominate opposing lineman. He currently leads the Big 12 on pass rush win rate, QB hits and hurries.
Second is another Big 12 pass rusher in Felix Anudike-Uzomah from Kansas State. The 2021 Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of The Year is a different type of pass rusher. Standing at 6’3″ 252 lbs the Wildcat edge player relies more on his raw athletic gifts. He can bend and dip round opposing tackles and is a maximum effort player in ball pursuit. He sits second behind Wilson in the stats listed above proving a nuisance on a weekly basis.
The Big 12 is not known for producing star edge players, but both could go Top 50 on draft day.
Pete: Olu Fashanu has been a revelation for Penn State this year. Stepping in at left tackle after Rasheed Walker was drafted by the Packers, he has been nothing short of amazing. Despite being just 19 and playing in a tough conference, he has not allowed a sack all season. He has also allowed just one QB hit. Fashanu has the ideal length and frame for tackle and moves with such fluidity. He shows independent hand usage and can drop anchor if he does give up his chest from an opponent’s bullrush. After watching him play against elite competition in recent weeks in Michigan and Ohio State, I think he has elevated himself into a Top 10 pick in the 2023 Draft, should he declare.
Kieran: Josh Downs out of UNC has been absolutely unreal this year. The 5’10” Junior has combined with Drake Maye to create one of the most dynamic quarterback and receiver duos since Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. His route running is beautiful, he has the speed and agility to beat guys in the open field and most importantly he’s a safe pair of hands. I think he could be a game changer for NFL teams in need of a pass catcher.
Jack: For me it has to be Texas’ star running back Bijan Robinson. I’ve always been against the idea of taking a running back in the first round, but I think that Bijan is the exception to that rule. He literally has everything you could want in a back. At 6’0” and 222 lbs he has great size and pairs this with incredible short area quickness. His contact balance is amongst the best I have ever seen and he has forced 75 missed tackles on just 191 carries. Importantly he is also a quality receiver with soft hands and a diverse route tree. Bijan is the real deal.
Lastly give me your 1 to 4 who make up the College Football Playoff.
Kev:
- Georgia – A changing of the guard in the SEC?
- Ohio State – Between them and Michigan but the game is in ‘The Shoe’
- Oregon – Offensively rolling and defensively mean
- Michigan – I don’t trust TCU to go unbeaten in Big 12. Michigan will be a one loss team
Pete:
- Georgia – Beating Tennessee solidifies them at the top
- Ohio State – Home advantage against Michigan is massive and the deciding factor
- Oregon – One loss Pac-12 Champions with some quality wins
- Tennessee – Can’t see TCU going unbeaten so it boils down to Vols vs Wolverines – both one loss against unbeaten teams. Vols win on style points.
Kieran:
- Tennessee – Simply the best team in the country right now. Hooker for Heisman.
- Ohio State – As much as I hate them they are a consistently great team and will content for a title this season
- Oregon – Bo Nix has looked like a different player up in Eugene and I think the Ducks have what it takes
- Georgia – This is assuming the next few weeks go as poorly for Georgia as I assume they will. It might be a stretch having them at No.4 but the defending national champs can never be counted out
Jack:
- Georgia – After their win last weekend it is difficult to look elsewhere
- Ohio State – It’s just hard to look past the Buckeyes this season
- Michigan – At worst I think they finish 11-1, with a loss to Ohio State
- Oregon – Great offenses win games and that’s what the Ducks have got
