Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022 SEC College Football i Athlon Sports Football Bundle

Around the Athlon Sports offices, the week or so leading up to the May 1 deadline for college football players to enter the transfer portal and the days of dust-settling that followed took on the name “portal-palooza.” The frenzy of movement as players chased opportunities (both financial and otherwise) made our heads spin. It was like monitoring the MLB transactions wire in the days following the end of the lockout, an almost futile exercise in cat-herding. Such is life in 2022, as college football staggers into its new normal, bringing with it a breathtaking assortment of challenges for coaches and opportunities for players. Consequence-free transfers, with name, image and likeness inducements the cherry on the recruiting sundae, have ushered in college football’s free-agent era. Our contributing writers put in hours…

Dillan Gibbons didn’t enter Notre Dame with any dreams of changing the football landscape. Then he met Irish fan Timothy Donovan. It was after a home game at Notre Dame Stadium when Gibbons first saw Donovan in his wheelchair. The two made eye contact and Gibbons came over and gave the Irish fan his game gloves. Donovan has Charcot-Marie-Tooth — a disease that causes nerve damage in his arms and legs — and the brief meeting stuck with Gibbons. “Having an interaction with Timothy — it constantly reminded me to do more,” Gibbons says. “It flipped a switch in me to do more.” Fast-forward to the end of his Notre Dame career, when Gibbons, an offensive lineman, decided to transfer to Florida State to be closer to home. The state…

National Forecast: 15 • AAC Prediction: 1 • Projected Record: 11-2, 7-1 AAC OFFENSE Out is two-time AAC Offensive Player of the Year Desmond Ridder, and in is a full-on quarterback competition between Eastern Michigan transfer and onetime Bearcat Ben Bryant and highly touted recruit Evan Prater. In 2021, Bryant started 11 of 13 games for EMU, throwing for 3,121 yards and 14 TDs. Prater saw limited action for the Bearcats but displayed a playmaking ability that will be tough to contain should he win the job. The battle should go all the way to the opener at Arkansas. The new quarterback will benefit greatly from an offensive line that returns all five starters, three of whom — center Jake Renfro, guard Lorenz Metz and tackle Dylan O’Quinn — were…

National Forecast: 74 • AAC Prediction: 6 • Projected Record: 7-5, 4-4 AAC OFFENSE Quarterback Seth Henigan had an impressive freshman season after moving into the starting role following a preseason injury to Arizona transfer Grant Gunnell. Henigan became the first true freshman starter for the program and finished the season as the leader among the nation’s freshmen QBs in completions, attempts, yards and touchdowns. In his 11 starts, he threw for 3,322 yards and 25 TDs and displayed poise beyond his age. He added 15 pounds in the offseason. Gunnell entered the transfer portal after the spring game. The Tigers are relying on an experienced backfield — and the addition of Northern Illinois transfer Jevyon Ducker — to invigorate a once-productive run game. Leading rushers Brandon Thomas (669 yards,…

National Forecast: 122 • AAC Prediction: 11 • Projected Record: 3-9, 1-7 AAC OFFENSE In 2020, current Temple quarterback D’Wan Mathis was the opening-game starter for Georgia. Th ink about that. Last season he was never 100 percent physically. Yet he still had some moments, especially in an early win over Memphis. He had entered the transfer portal before head coach Rod Carey was let go and replaced by longtime FBS assistant Stan Drayton. A dual-threat talent, Mathis has potential. The running back position is Drayton’s specialty. The Owls were young at that spot and still are. Edward Saydee led the way last season with just over 300 yards. Darvon Hubbard, who originally went to Texas A&M, and South Jersey product and Florida transfer Iverson Clement could turn out to…

National Forecast: 45 • AAC Prediction: 3 • Projected Record: 8-4, 5-3 AAC OFFENSE After an injury to incumbent Dillon Gabriel last season, UCF head coach Gus Malzahn turned to true freshman Mikey Keene. He performed admirably, completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,730 yards, 17 TDs and six interceptions in guiding the Knights to a 7–3 record in their final 10 games, including a Gasparilla Bowl win against Florida. While Keene has the edge to retain the starting role, he will be pushed by John Rhys Plumlee, an Ole Miss transfer who is more of a running threat. UCF boasts depth at running back, led by returning senior Isaiah Bowser, who carried the ball 159 times for 703 yards last season. Durability is a concern, although the big…

National Forecast: 43 • ACC Atlantic Prediction: 5 • Projected Record: 7-5, 4-4 ACC Last season, everything was lining up perfectly for Boston College. Coming off an impressive first year under head coach Jeff Hafley, the Eagles were returning a combined 18 starters on offense and defense. They had a cakewalk of a non-conference schedule, and the Atlantic Division was actually winnable. Then Phil Jurkovec, BC’s best quarterback prospect since Matt Ryan, suffered a season-threatening fracture to his throwing hand in Week 2 at UMass. Although longtime backup Dennis Grosel led the Eagles to their first 4–0 start in 14 years, their four-game win streak was followed by four straight defeats in which BC averaged a meager 10 points per contest against ACC opponents. Jurkovec made an unexpected return for…

National Forecast: 44 • ACC Atlantic Prediction: 6 • Projected Record: 6-6, 3-5 ACC Don’t be surprised if Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield starts the 2022 season on some of those ubiquitous Hot Seat lists. After earning the ACC Coach of the Year award in 2019, Satterfield has suffered consecutive losing seasons. The Cards have lost three straight rivalry games to Kentucky by a combined 109 points. Recruiting sagged with a class that ranked outside the top 50. Staff turnover has been persistent. The Cards failed to sell out any games last season. Speculation raged after last season that Satterfield would not return for Year 4. Less than a week after athletic director Vince Tyra announced that Satterfield would be back in 2022, Tyra resigned. So the head coach is…

National Forecast: 16 • ACC Atlantic Prediction: 3 • Projected Record: 9-3, 5-3 ACC After taking Wake Forest to five straight bowl games but never winning more than eight games in a season, Dave Clawson broke through in 2021: an AP top-10 ranking, an ACC Atlantic Division title and 11 wins, including the Gator Bowl. The Deacons again return players with starting experience at almost every position and add transfer Kobie Turner, an FCS second-team All-American at defensive tackle. Clawson has changed the perception of a program with a lengthy losing tradition. “People now when they play Wake Forest have a little more respect for who we are and what we’ve done,” Clawson says. “There’s been times we’ve been able to beat people who maybe didn’t take us seriously. Those…

National Forecast: 20 • ACC Coastal Prediction: 1 • Projected Record: 9-4, 6-2 ACC It’s a new era for the Miami Hurricanes — again. For the third time since 2016, Miami will have a new head coach. This time, the Hurricanes swear things will be different, and there are reasons to believe they actually might be. New coach Mario Cristobal brings a résumé with multiple conference championships on it and a nearly unparalleled track record as a recruiter. The on-field staff he has put together is loaded with former head coaches like Charlie Strong, and the off-field staff includes Pro Football Hall of Famers Jason Taylor and Ed Reed. Miami also is promising to spend big on facilities upgrades and everything else the school needs to re-enter the arena of…

National Forecast: 68 • ACC Coastal Prediction: 5 • Projected Record: 5-7, 2-6 ACC Virginia wasn’t anticipating a change in leadership following a 6–6 season, but in between the team losing its regular-season finale to Virginia Tech and having its appearance in the Fenway Bowl canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak, head coach Bronco Mendenhall decided to retire — for the moment, at least — from college football. Enter Tony Elliott, the former Clemson offensive coordinator and the man now tasked with keeping the proverbial ball rolling for the Cavaliers, whom Mendenhall led to an ACC Coastal title in 2019 at the height of his tenure. Elliott inherits a roster rich with offensive talent in the passing game but bereft of experience on the offensive line. It’s a unit that…

National Forecast: 11 • Big 12 Prediction: 1 • Projected Record: 10-3, 6-3 Big 12 Midnight never came for Baylor’s Cinderella story last year, a real-life fairytale that ended with a Big 12 championship, a school-record 12 wins (12–2) and a Sugar Bowl victory over Ole Miss. Now, there’s a target on its back going into an encore season without most of its proven playmakers on both sides of the ball. “I think we’re working with still something to prove,” says sixth-year senior receiver Gavin Holmes. “We’re not being complacent, going back to the roots of what we did last year to get us to that point.” Defensive coordinator Ron Roberts orchestrated a complete makeover of a beleaguered unit. But he’s got a ton of production to replace in All-America…

National Forecast: 41 • Big 12 Prediction: 5 • Projected Record: 8-4, 5-4 Big 12 College football experts like to say there is nothing more dangerous than a winning team that returns both its head coach and its starting quarterback. This season, Kansas State is out to prove that it can win big with a different type of experienced duo. Skylar Thompson is gone at quarterback, but head coach Chris Klieman is back, and so is star running back Deuce Vaughn. That alone should be enough for K-State fans to feel cautiously optimistic about the Wildcats’ ability to build on their 8–5 season from a year ago, which ended with a dominant victory over LSU in the Texas Bowl. Vaughn is one of the most versatile weapons in the Big…

National Forecast: 55 • Big 12 Prediction: 8 • Projected Record: 6-6, 3-6 Big 12 TCU has a new head coach and two new quarterbacks. Here you go, Sonny Dykes, as you begin your first year in Fort Worth — a quarterback competition to sort through. Go with Max Duggan, a veteran of 29 starts who’s beaten Texas twice, can rocket the ball downfield, inspires with intense competitiveness and even led the team in rushing two years ago … or, try Chandler Morris, a high-pedigree recruit who transferred from OU after starring at Texas high school powerhouse Highland Park and stepped in to slay Baylor in 2021 in an initial TCU start marked by dazzling all-field accuracy, 531 total yards and three touchdowns. Enjoy! Dykes flashes a knowing smile, well-versed…

National Forecast: 51 • Big 12 Prediction: 7 • Projected Record: 7-5, 5-4 Big 12 WVU head coach Neal Brown is entering his fourth season at the helm for the Mountaineers, but the results have been about as average as they can get since he took over in 2019. With a mark of 17–18 the last three seasons, pressure is beginning to mount for Brown, but this season’s edition could be the fresh start the Mountaineers need. With three full recruiting classes under Brown’s belt, this is his team now, and new faces will be evident in all three phases, whether it’s because of eligibility expiration or losses in the transfer portal. With the fan base already sitting on pins and needles, and traditional rivals Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech awaiting…

National Forecast: 58 • Big Ten East Prediction: 5 • Projected Record: 6-6, 3-6 Big Ten What’s that strange sound you hear around Maryland football as the 2022 season nears? It’s hope. The Terrapins just appeared in their first bowl game in six years and posted their first winning record since 2014. Fourth-year head coach Mike Locksley has been stacking up solid recruiting classes, and there’s a legitimate quarterback at the helm. Maryland hasn’t won more than three conference games since that first Big Ten season in 2014, but the Terps are closer to stopping B1G bullies from kicking sand in their face. They’re not there yet — some offseason setbacks on defense have slowed the process — but there is QB Taulia Tagovailoa, an amazing array of receivers and…

National Forecast: 2 • Big Ten East Prediction: 1 • Projected Record: 12-1, 8-1 Big Ten A numbing loss to archrival Michigan coupled with an absence from both the Big Ten Championship Game and the College Football Playoff rendered 2021 a disappointment for the Buckeyes and their followers. Such is life in Columbus, where 11 wins including a thrilling comeback in the Rose Bowl simply aren’t enough. Head coach Ryan Day, in turn, did some off season soul searching and reeled in accomplished assistant Jim Knowles to run the defense. Last year, the Buckeyes played on their heels, had tackling issues and gave up way too many lengthy plays. Knowles, who guided a top-five defense at Oklahoma State, of all places, is the hired savior. Assistants Tim Walton and Perry…

National Forecast: 67 • Big Ten West Prediction: 6 • Projected Record: 6-6, 3-6 Big Ten Just before the start of spring practice, second-year Illinois head coach Bret Bielema decided to take his young daughters Briella and Brexli to Disney World for the first time. “I know I can handle 120 young men on a field for two hours. I don’t know if I can handle a 4- and 2-year-old in a theme park for a day,” Bielema said. He was happy with the experience. “It was 12 hours of nonstop fun,” Bielema said. “Those are moments you can take with you.” The trip was a piece of cake compared to what Bielema is attempting to pull off in Champaign-Urbana. His 5–7 debut was the school’s 10th consecutive losing season.…

National Forecast: 54 • Big Ten West Prediction: 5 • Projected Record: 6-6, 4-5 Big Ten Jimmy Buffett’s song “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” might be appropriate background music for Nebraska in 2022 — at least the song’s title is apropos. Head coach Scott Frost’s contract has been restructured, and all but one of his offensive coaches are new, along with a coach strictly focused on special teams. Plus, Frost is no longer his own offensive coordinator, spending more time with other responsibilities. Mark Whipple, who also coaches the quarterbacks, is the offensive coordinator, coming from Pittsburgh. Such things happen when you have yet to post a winning record in four seasons, with last year’s 3–9 marking the Huskers’ worst by percentage since 1957. Even so, believe it or…

National Forecast: 19 • Big Ten West Prediction: 1 • Projected Record: 9-4, 6-3 Big Ten Wisconsin is looking to get back on track after two subpar seasons under eighth-year coach Paul Chryst. The Badgers haven’t played in the Big Ten Championship Game since 2019, but they have the three best recruiting classes in program history moving into starting roles on both sides of the ball. The talent on the offensive side will be operating in an updated scheme under the direction of four new assistant coaches. After the defense carried the team to a 9–4 record and the sixth bowl win under Chryst, the Badgers are trusting a new set of playmakers on offense to create more points after dipping below 26 per game for the second straight season.…

National Forecast: 105 • C-USA Prediction: 5 • Projected Record: 6-6, 4-4 C-USA OFFENSE As in his stint as the Miami Hurricanes’ quarterback, N’Kosi Perry showed signs of brilliance tempered by bouts of mediocrity in 2021, his first season at Florida Atlantic. Perry is once again learning a new offense. This time, however, he’ll enter a season as the unquestioned starter and with 15 spring practices under his belt. Head coach Willie Taggart likes new offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon’s up-tempo offense. The simplified terminology allows players to grasp the scheme quickly. The Owls are still searching for both a big-play threat and a consistent possession receiver. If Jahmal Edrine — a big body with excellent speed — can stay healthy, he could provide the big-play threat. Perry often looks to…

National Forecast: 111 • C-USA Prediction: 8 • Projected Record: 4-8, 3-5 C-USA OFFENSE Middle Tennessee will transition from a spread to an Air Raid offense under new coordinator Mitch Stewart, the former Murray State head coach and Samford offensive coordinator. The Blue Raiders have two good options at quarterback and potential depth at wide receiver, but only one starter is back on the line. Last season, Nicholas Vattiato (1,047 passing yards, seven TDs, six INTs) took over at quarterback as a freshman after starter Chase Cunningham (1,318 passing yards, 16 TDs, three INTs) tore his ACL. Cunningham is expected to fully recover before the season, which opens the door for him to start and Vattiato to take the redshirt that was planned a year ago. Jaylin Lane (42 rec.,…

National Forecast: 64 • C-USA Prediction: 1 • Projected Record: 9-4, 6-2 C-USA OFFENSE Last season, Dylan Hopkins put up perhaps the best season of any UAB quarterback since the school’s return to action in 2017. However, he missed spring due to injury recovery, and Baylor transfer Jacob Zeno had a chance to shine. Bryson Lucero also has starting experience, and the Blazers are high on freshman Dylan Mehrotra. UAB quarterbacks are asked to run in this offense, so having depth at the position is crucial. Th e run game will be strong with leading returning rushers DeWayne “Debo” McBride and Jermaine Brown Jr. back, along with Lee Witherspoon (missed 2021 due to injury) and junior college transfer Zeus Perryman. Trea Shropshire was UAB’s big-play receiver last year and will…

National Forecast: 87 • C-USA Prediction: 3 • Projected Record: 7-6, 3-5 C-USA OFFENSE WKU’s offense erupted last season under offensive coordinator Zach Kittley and quarterback Bailey Zappe, who threw for an FBS-record 62 touchdowns and 5,967 yards. Both are now gone, as are several other key players, and the Tops will look to reload under a new offensive staff. WKU will have three co-offensive coordinators with Ben Arbuckle, Josh Crawford and Zach Lankford, who coach quarterbacks, receivers and offensive linemen, respectively. Arbuckle — Kittley’s right-hand man in 2021 and before that at FCS Houston Baptist — will handle play-calling duties. Replacing Zappe will likely be West Virginia transfer Jarret Doege, but WKU also brought in Austin Reed, who won a Division II national title with West Florida, and signed…

National Forecast: 7 • Projected Record: 9-3 The viral video that made the rounds when Marcus Freeman was introduced to his team as their new head coach characterized how his players felt about the decision by the university brass. The rowdy reception for their new head coach and collective team embrace spoke volumes. It was a decision universally embraced by Notre Dame fans, particularly those who had grown impatient with Brian Kelly’s 54 victories in five seasons yet hollow results against most upper-echelon opponents over his 12-year tenure. Eleven victories per season for half a decade is a hard act to follow for the 36-year-old first-time head coach, as evidenced by Notre Dame’s blown 21-point lead in Freeman’s debut as the head man in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State.…

National Forecast: 130 • Projected Record: 2-10 OFFENSE Head coach Jerry Kill is bringing a form of TCU’s multiple offensive formation to New Mexico State in hopes of improving the running attack and creating a tougher mentality, especially on the line. Albuquerque product Diego Pavia, who led New Mexico Military Institute to a juco national championship last year, emerged from a four-quarterback competition to head into the fall as the likely starter. Kill says, however, that NMSU will still look for another arm to join the team. Sophomore Weston Eget, who gained a little bit of game experience last year, also could be in the mix. NMSU is counting on a couple of newcomers to bolster the rushing attack. Juco transfer Jamoni Jones and Ahmonte Watkins, a speedy transfer from TCU,…

National Forecast: 125 • MAC East Prediction: 6 • Projected Record: 3-9, 2-6 MAC OFFENSE Akron has averaged below 20 points per game in each of the past four seasons, which is a recipe for miserable failure in the offense-driven MAC. But an intriguing prospect did emerge at quarterback last fall in DJ Irons. The athletic 6'6", 215-pound junior threw eight touchdown passes and scored twice on the ground before being sidelined by an injury in the fifth game last season. The Zips return their top three running backs from 2021 in sophomores Jonzell Norrils (118 carries, 573 yards, three TDs), Blake Hester and Anthony Williams Jr. But Akron averaged only 123.2 yards rushing per game and 3.4 yards per carry. Transfer Cam Wiley, the second-leading rusher at Minnesota in 2020,…

National Forecast: 89 • MAC East Prediction: 2 • Projected Record: 6-6, 5-3 MAC OFFENSE Those expecting the Flashes’ offensive output to plummet due to the loss of 2021 MAC Player of the Year quarterback Dustin Crum to graduation may be in for a surprise. Collin Schlee has impressed teammates and coaches with his practice performances while backing up Crum the past two years, and he sported similar dual-threat skills to Crum in limited game action last season. He possesses prototypical dual-threat size (6'3", 218 pounds), a strong arm and tremendous athleticism. Junior Marquez Cooper (1,205 yards rushing, 11 TDs) and grad student Xavier Williams (812 yards rushing, three TDs) combined to rush for over 2,000 yards last season, while junior Dante Cephas earned first-team All-MAC honors after becoming Kent…

National Forecast: 119 • MAC West Prediction: 6 • Projected Record: 4-8, 2-6 MAC OFFENSE The 2022 retrofit for this unit starts with the quarterback position, where three-year starter Drew Plitt has graduated, leaving a void that redshirt senior John Paddock hopes to fill. Paddock has been the backup the past three seasons, but his live experience is limited to just five games, so he will need to make the successful move to starter and leader in rapid fashion. The running game will lean heavily on sophomore Carson Steele, who had 1,049 all-purpose yards last season as a freshman. Steele is a power runner who does most of his damage on the inside. He shares the load with Will Jones, a grad student who also excels as a blocking back. The…

National Forecast: 76 • MAC West Prediction: 1 • Projected Record: 8-5, 6-2 MAC OFFENSE After transferring from Michigan State, Rocky Lombardi galvanized the NIU offense with his leadership, experience and steady play. The senior quarter-back has had a dramatic impact on the program, passing for 2,597 yards and 15 touchdowns with just eight interceptions to lead the Huskies to the MAC title. The Huskies have a wealth of talented quarterbacks, including redshirt freshman Ethan Hampton and Temple transfer Justin Lynch, the younger brother of former NIU star quarterback Jordan Lynch, who led the Huskies to the 2013 Orange Bowl. Lombardi won’t have the luxury of handing the ball off to Jay Ducker. The 2021 MAC Freshman of the Year transferred to Memphis in January. The ground game could get a…

MOUNTAIN DIVISION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH WEST DIVISION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH Games to Watch San Diego State at Utah, Sept. 17 Fresno State at USC, Sept. 17 Utah State at BYU, Sept. 29 San Diego State at Boise State, Oct. 1 Fresno State at Boise State, Oct. 8 Air Force at Utah State, Oct. 8 Colorado State at Nevada, Oct. 8 Boise State at Air Force, Oct. 22 San Diego State at Fresno State, Oct. 29 BYU at Boise State, Nov. 5 Utah State at Boise State, Nov. 26 Air Force at San Diego State, Nov. 26 Mountain West Championship: Boise State over Fresno State Recruiting by School 1. Boise State 2. San Diego State 3. Fresno State 4. Utah State 5. San Jose State 6. Colorado State 7.…

1 ALABAMA After last year’s “disaster,” when the Tide failed to win the national title and also fell to an SEC rival in the national title game, there can be only one path for Bama, and that’s to the top again. QB Bryce Young, the 2021 Heisman winner, is the perfect person to lead the Redemption Tour, and it’s no secret that head coach Nick Saban and his staff have been pretty darn successful on the recruiting trail for the past decade, so there will be plenty of talent available to re-stock key areas. And the Tide aren’t afraid to use the portal, either. Georgia Tech dynamo Jahmyr Gibbs should be a standout. Former Georgia wideout Jermaine Burton has plenty of talent, and LSU expatriate Eli Ricks was an all-America…

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE FIRST-TEAM SPECIALISTS SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE SECOND-TEAM SPECIALISTS THIRD-TEAM OFFENSE THIRD-TEAM DEFENSE THIRD-TEAM SPECIALISTS…

FCS ALL-AMERICA TEAM 1 North Dakota State (14–1, 7–1 Missouri Valley) Surprise, surprise — yeah, hardly — the FCS champion Bison are favored to build on their nine national titles in an 11-season span. The depth in the offensive backfield is extraordinary; fullback Hunter Luepke was the outstanding player of the national championship game after scoring three touchdowns, and TaMerik Williams, Dominic Gonnella and Kobe Johnson would be 1,000-yard rushers in any other program. 2 South Dakota State (11–4, 5–3 Missouri Valley) Quarterback Mark Gronowski, the MVFC Offensive Player of the Year during the 2020-21 spring season, missed the fall with a knee injury but returns to an explosive offense that boasts running back Isaiah Davis (1,519 yards, 8.0-yard average in 17 career games), tight end Tucker Kraft and wide…

National Forecast: 71 • AAC Prediction: 5 • Projected Record: 7-5, 5-3 AAC OFFENSE Pirates head coach Mike Houston returns all the rushing attack that amassed one of the program’s highest totals since 2000. Not coincidentally, ECU posted a winning season for the first time since 2014. Houston reshaped the line, introduced two-tight-end sets and has Holton Ahlers, who is just 221 yards from ECU’s career QB rushing mark, running the show. Don’t worry: The once-pass-happy Pirates won’t permanently swear off the aerial game, but the perennial plethora of Pirate pass-catchers has questions. Talented C.J. Johnson averaged 14.9 yards per grab but was suspended this off season. The smart money says he’ll be back, but incoming Toledo grad transfer Isaiah Winstead could help if not. Slot receiver Maceo Donald must…

National Forecast: 102 • AAC Prediction: 10 • Projected Record: 4-8, 2-6 AAC OFFENSE It was a second straight disappointing season in terms of production for the Midshipmen, who averaged 20.1 points and 282.2 yards per game in 2021. On a positive note, Navy’s patented triple-option attack did improve its rushing game, ranking ninth nationally (225.5 yards per game) after finishing 52nd in 2020. Quarterback Tai Lavatai seized the starting quarterback job and finished strong. Lavatai made plenty of big plays and few mistakes to help Navy upset Army. Wide receivers Jayden Umbarger and Mark Walker are returning regulars. There is plenty of talent at slotback with Kai Puailoa-Rojas emerging as a playmaker in 2021. However, the fullback position is unproven; Anton Hall Jr. sits atop an inexperienced depth chart.…

National Forecast: 84 • AAC Prediction: 7 • Projected Record: 6-6, 3-5 AAC OFFENSE Every offensive assistant but tight ends coach Slade Nagel is gone after Tulane’s surprising freefall to 2–10 in 2021, so the offense should look quite different. Whether or not it improves hinges on how well the players adapt to new offensive coordinator Jim Svoboda, a Division II success story who marries the West Coast offense with modern spread and run-pass option concepts. Quarterback Michael Pratt is due for a breakthrough season if his head stops spinning from working with his third coordinator in three years. He took several hellacious hits and played through a shoulder injury he sustained in the opener against Oklahoma, missing some throws he had made as a freshman. He still tossed 21…

National Forecast: 100 • AAC Prediction: 9 • Projected Record: 4-8, 3-5 AAC OFFENSE Jeff Scott’s South Florida Bulls made some promising offensive strides in 2021. Now he’s counting on the fast-paced attack mentality of first-year offensive coordinator Travis Trickett and transfer quarterback Gerry Bohanon, who arrives from Baylor after losing a hard-fought battle for the Bears’ QB job. Bohanon passed for 2,200 yards and 18 TDs in helping Baylor to a 10–2 record last season. Jimmy Horn Jr. and Xavier Weaver are game-breaking receivers who comprise one of the AAC’s most potent combinations. Now they are complemented by Clemson transfer Ajou Ajou, whose 6'3", 220-pound presence has turned heads. It’s the last go-round for center Brad Cecil, left guard Demetris Harris and left tackle Donovan Jennings, who have played…

National Forecast: 4 • ACC Atlantic Prediction: 1 • Projected Record: 12-1, 7-1 ACC For the first time in more than a decade, Clemson is coming off a season that was truly a disappointment. The Tigers went 10–3 and had their streak of six consecutive ACC titles and six consecutive College Football Playoff berths come to an abrupt end. Clemson spent this offseason working to get its offense back on track and trying to get healthy, as those were the main two factors that led to struggles last year. Dabo Swinney feels good about where his team is heading into 2022. “The guys that we think are going to be dominant players, they’ve been what we need all spring. And then the guys that we needed to really mature and…

National Forecast: 12 • ACC Atlantic Prediction: 2 • Projected Record: 10-2, 6-2 ACC Expectations are sky-high for NC State due in part to numerous seniors taking advantage of the extra COVID year and a more than favorable schedule on the horizon. The non-conference slate features a date at East Carolina and home games vs. Charleston Southern, Texas Tech and UConn, all favorable matchups. The ACC slate includes trips to Clemson and North Carolina, but the Wolfpack get nemesis Wake Forest at home. NC State went 9–3 overall and 6–2 in the ACC last year and was thirsty for a 10-win season, but those hopes got dashed by UCLA’s COVID outbreak hours before the Holiday Bowl. The goal remains the same, and NC State head coach Dave Doeren knows that…

National Forecast: 110 • ACC Coastal Prediction: 7 • Projected Record: 2-10, 0-8 ACC Despite all that David Cutcliffe accomplished during his 14 seasons as Duke’s head coach, the Blue Devils’ utter inability to be competitive in ACC games over the last two seasons finally led the school to replace him. Mike Elko brought with him a stellar reputation as a defensive coordinator, with recent stops at Wake Forest, Notre Dame and Texas A&M, to the job when he took over in December. He’s now in charge of a program that has not played in a bowl game since 2018 and has lost 17 of its last 18 ACC games. Elko, though, walked in remembering the Duke teams that he competed against several years ago during his Wake Forest tenure.…

National Forecast: 47 • ACC Coastal Prediction: 3 • Projected Record: 7-5, 4-4 ACC The talk of North Carolina as a sleeping giant on the national scene has been prevalent for more than two decades. As Mack Brown enters Year 4 of his second stint at UNC, it’s nearing time to put up or shut up. After a disappointing 2021 season, Brown hopes that the latter helps lead to the former. “Instead of sitting here talking about what we’re going to do and what we’re going to win,” he says, “we’re going back to setting the standard that we need to do everything right to get there.” The Tar Heels have plenty of corrections to make in 2022. They began last season ranked No. 10 nationally and spoke about the…

National Forecast: 66 • ACC Coastal Prediction: 4 • Projected Record: 6-6, 3-5 ACC In looking to the future, Virginia Tech turned to its past, hiring Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry, a one-time graduate assistant during the Hokies’ heyday in the mid-’90s under Frank Beamer and Bud Foster, to right the ship after six up-and-down years under Justin Fuente. “I wasn’t sure if I’d ever step out and do my own thing,” says the 52-year-old Pry, who’s spent 30 years as an assistant. “And it took this place to do it.” Pry is in many ways the anti-Fuente, a defensive-minded coach with some Virginia Tech DNA who’s been eager to reach out to Hokie Nation, mend fractured relationships and sell his vision, bringing a jolt of enthusiasm to a…

National Forecast: 50 • Big 12 Prediction: 6 • Projected Record: 7-5, 5-4 Big 12 After a rather disappointing 2021 campaign, Matt Campbell enters his seventh season at Iowa State in rebuild mode. However, the feeling in Ames is that for a program that prides itself on being developmental, Iowa State has young players who are ready to plug in and compete in the Big 12. Campbell, a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year, has led Iowa State to bowl games in five of his six seasons in Ames. From the outside looking in, a cooling-off period wouldn’t be much of a surprise. That isn’t the expectation from within, though. OFFENSE Iowa State loses star quarterback Brock Purdy, but the Cyclones did not look to the transfer market at…

National Forecast: 13 • Big 12 Prediction: 2 • Projected Record: 9-4, 6-3 Big 12 Oklahoma’s winter spun into turmoil. Then torment. And finally … transition. Could triumph be next? Maybe. Maybe not. Honestly, what’s next is anybody’s guess, amid a complete makeover of staff and roster. Sure, there are still plenty of brave faces around Norman after Lincoln Riley bolted the Sooners for USC, leaving fans feeling jilted and in denial over a coach leaving them, voluntarily, for the first time since Chuck Fairbanks jumped to the NFL in 1973. Players hit the exits, too, including star quarterback Caleb Williams, joining Riley with the Trojans no less, one of eight transfers becoming ex-Sooners among 14 total starters lost. Oklahoma leaned into its past, bringing back former coordinator Brent Venables…

National Forecast: 29 • Big 12 Prediction: 4 • Projected Record: 7-5, 5-4 Big 12 Steve Sarkisian needed the offseason of all offseasons to help move on from Year 1. The 2021 season saw a 4–1 start derailed by three straight losses to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Baylor — after Texas held third-quarter, double-digit leads in each game — and then dissolved into a 5–7 finish that included a home loss to two-win Kansas and the program’s longest losing streak (six games) since 1956. Sarkisian got the offseason he needed. Texas landed a top-five recruiting class loaded with offensive and defensive linemen, and he nabbed Ohio State transfer quarterback Quinn Ewers, the nation’s highest-rated recruit in 2021, according to the 247Sports Composite ranking. Sarkisian also beefed up his staff by…

EAST DIVISION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH WEST DIVISION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH Games to Watch Nebraska vs. Northwestern (Dublin), Aug. 27 Notre Dame at Ohio State, Sept. 3 Penn State at Auburn, Sept. 17 Wisconsin at Ohio State, Sept. 24 Michigan at Iowa, Oct. 1 Penn State at Michigan, Oct. 15 Purdue at Wisconsin, Oct. 22 Michigan State at Michigan , Oct. 29 Ohio State at Penn State, Oct. 29 Nebraska at Iowa, Nov. 25 Michigan at Ohio State, Nov. 26 Minnesota at Wisconsin, Nov. 26 Big Ten Championship: Ohio State over Wisconsin Recruiting by School 1. Ohio State 2. Penn State 3. Michigan 4. Michigan State 5. Indiana 6. Iowa 7. Maryland 8. Rutgers 9. Purdue 10. Nebraska 11. Wisconsin 12. Illinois 13. Northwestern 14. Minnesota 2022 BOWL PROJECTIONS…

National Forecast: 6 • Big Ten East Prediction: 2 • Projected Record: 10-2, 7-2 Big Ten Michigan enters the 2022 season with plenty of question marks. Chief among them, of course, has to do with whether Jim Harbaugh’s team can reprise last season’s improbable magic act, which included a long-awaited victory over Ohio State, a Big Ten championship and a College Football Playoff berth. There were a lot of hurdles cleared last fall. But with a pair of super-talented edge rushers gone and some holes to fill on the defensive side of the ball, what can the Wolverines muster for a sequel? OFFENSE This unit is posed to be highly productive again this fall, whether Cade Mc-Namara wins the starting quarterback job again or J.J. McCarthy gets the nod. Either…

National Forecast: 25 • Big Ten East Prediction: 4 • Projected Record: 8-4, 6-3 Big Ten Penn State is looking to rebound. The Nittany Lions have gone 11–11 over the past two seasons, and they did not head into the 2022 offseason with the wind at their backs, having dropped six of their last eight games last year, including a 24–10 loss to Arkansas in the Outback Bowl. “We’ve got some things to work on,” head coach James Franklin conceded following the loss to the Razorbacks. “We’ll get it fixed.” Franklin’s to-do list starts with the rushing attack, a surprising liability last season and one that will almost certainly require major contributions from freshmen and sophomores if PSU is to bounce back from its worst two-year performance since going 7–16…

National Forecast: 32 • Big Ten West Prediction: 3 • Projected Record: 8-4, 5-4 Big Ten Kirk Ferentz will be 67 when the season starts, and while some members of his staff have recently retired or stepped away from coaching, things are business as usual for Ferentz. He just recently agreed to a new contract extension that runs through the 2029 season, and he already is the longest-tenured head coach in college football as he enters his 24th season in Iowa City. It also could be argued that Ferentz is getting better with age, with Iowa coming off a season in which it won the Big Ten West Division for the second time and finished 10–4 overall. Iowa has won 10 games in two of the last three seasons and…

National Forecast: 83 • Big Ten West Prediction: 7 • Projected Record: 4-8, 1-8 Big Ten From 2008 to 2017, Northwestern was one of college football’s most consistently solid programs. The Wildcats averaged 7.7 wins during that stretch, peaking with three 10-win seasons and never falling below five victories. The Wildcats weren’t an annual Big Ten title contender, but they were always a team to contend with in the West Division. The past four seasons have alternated between the most notable achievements (two division titles, one top-10 finish) and poorest records (3–9) of head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s tenure. Northwestern truly bottomed out last fall, finishing last in the Big Ten in points scored and 12th in points allowed. Northwestern is seeking stability again and needs significant upgrades in several areas,…

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH Games to Watch Houston at UTSA, Sept. 3 UAB at Liberty, Sept. 10 UTSA at Texas, Sept. 17 WKU at Indiana, Sept. 17 UCF at Florida Atlantic, Sept. 17 WKU at UTSA, Oct. 8 UAB at WKU, Oct. 21 Florida Atlantic at UTEP, Oct. 22 UAB at Florida Atlantic, Oct. 29 UTSA at UAB, Nov. 5 UTEP at UTSA, Nov. 26 WKU at Florida Atlantic, Nov. 26 Conference USA Championship: UAB over UTSA Recruiting by School 1. UTSA 2. UAB 3. Louisiana Tech 4. WKU 5. FIU 6. Charlotte 7. North Texas 8. Rice 9. Middle Tennessee 10. Florida Atlantic 11. UTEP 2022 BOWL PROJECTIONS Bahamas Bowl Florida Atlantic vs. Western Michigan Cure Bowl WKU vs. Liberty Frisco Bowl North Texas vs. Colorado State Frisco Football…

National Forecast: 128 • C-USA Prediction: 11 • Projected Record: 4-8, 1-7 C-USA OFFENSE There is plenty that is new around the FIU program with new head coach Mike MacIntyre taking over, but the noise surrounding the offense centers around three key pieces who return for the 2022 season: wide receiver Tyrese Chambers, offensive tackle Lyndell Hudson and running back Lexington “Flex” Joseph. Chambers is a talented receiver who led the Panthers in catches (45), yards (1,074) and touchdowns (nine) last season. Hudson is a mammoth offensive lineman and veteran leader for FIU. Meanwhile, Joseph gives the Panthers a running back and return man with experience. There have been plenty of transfers — both exiting and incoming — for the Panthers, but one key addition is quarterback Gunnar Holmberg, who…

National Forecast: 107 • C-USA Prediction: 6 • Projected Record: 6-6, 4-4 C-USA OFFENSE North Texas returns four starters on an O-line that produced the No. 5 rushing offense in the nation and allowed only 15 sacks, the eighth fewest last season. Th e problem is that the offense was lopsided because of an ineffective passing attack. Senior guard/center Manase Mose, who will start for a fifth straight season, anchors the line. Running backs Ikaika Ragsdale, Ayo Adeyi and Isaiah Johnson combined for 1,389 rushing yards and 16 TDs last season. Th ey will share carries with Oscar Adaway III, who returns from an ACL tear. Quarterback is a big question. Austin Aune, who spent six years as an outfielder in the Yankees organization, will turn 29 in September. He…

National Forecast: 104 • C-USA Prediction: 4 • Projected Record: 6-6, 5-3 C-USA OFFENSE Quarterback Gavin Hardison took a big step toward fulfilling his immense potential last season, and UTEP’s first winning year since 2014 proceeded from there. Hardison enters his third season as the starter looking for a new set of targets after 70 percent of UTEP’s catches and yards at the wideout position left. How the UTEP offense — which is mostly otherwise intact — checks this box will be a key to the season. Tyrin Smith is the top returner at receiver and looks well suited to make the jump from No. 3 to main target. Kelly Akharaiyi is looking to be the latest instant-impact junior college transfer and quickly worked his way to the top line…

National Forecast: 70 • Projected Record: 8-4 OFFENSE Though quarterback and leading rusher Christian Anderson graduated, the Black Knights return their next five leading rushers from a ground attack that averaged 281 yards per game to rank second nationally. Slotback Tyrell Robinson (609 yards) and fullback Jakobi Buchanan (504 yards, 12 TDs) should keep the chains moving once again. Senior Tyhier Tyler is ready to take over at quarterback for Anderson after starting four games each of the past two seasons. The primary backup is senior Jemel Jones, who has seen action each of the past three seasons. Junior Cade Ballard, who has battled injuries during his career and who head coach Jeff Monken says is a “great leader,” will vie for snaps. Receiver Isaiah Alston withdrew his name from the…

National Forecast: 129 • Projected Record: 2-10 OFFENSE Quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson transferred in from Penn State and immediately separated himself during the spring. Cale Millen, a former Oregon transfer, and Tyler Phommachanh, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last season, also will compete this summer for the starting role. Those three should allow for highly touted incoming freshman Zion Turner to redshirt. At running back, junior college transfer Will Knight will share carries with Nate Carter, who rushed for 578 yards last season. Brian Brewton will see a lot of time in both the run and pass game. The deepest position on the roster is certainly at wide receiver. The addition of Nigel Fitzgerald, an Old Dominion transfer, brings the Huskies a tall, physical downfield threat. He will work on…

National Forecast: 131 • Projected Record: 1-11 OFFENSE UMass had just 25 touchdowns in 12 games last year, so there’s a lot of work to be done on offense. In new coordinator Steve Casula’s spread system, the Minutemen will likely lean heavily on running the ball early, as UMass has as much depth and talent at running back as any other position on offense. Ellis Merriweather was a bright spot last year on offense with 1,138 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Louisville transfer Greg Desrosiers Jr., a Massachusetts kid who didn’t play as a freshman for the Cardinals, is expected to be an impact player in the Minutemen backfield. At quarterback, Zamar Wise’s running ability gives him a hair’s width edge over Brady Olson and junior college transfer Gino Campiotti.…

National Forecast: 115 • MAC East Prediction: 3 • Projected Record: 4-8, 3-5 MAC OFFENSE The Falcons have one of the most seasoned quarterbacks in the conference, as Matt McDonald participates in his sixth year of FBS-level football. After two seasons at Boston College, McDonald transferred to Bowling Green when Scot Loeffler, his former BC offensive coordinator, took the head-coaching job with the Falcons. McDonald has made 17 starts for Bowling Green and hit for 12 passing TDs and 2,555 yards through the air last season. McDonald has not thrown an interception over his last 115 pass attempts. His top receiver on the outside is former Mission Viejo (Calif.) High School teammate and fellow senior Austin Osborne, who transferred to BG from Washington. Osborne led the Falcons last season with…

National Forecast: 85 • MAC East Prediction: 1 • Projected Record: 7-6, 6-2 MAC OFFENSE With 26 starts, 41 touchdown passes and more than 5,400 passing yards on his résumé, junior Brett Gabbert gives the RedHawks a solid, proven leader and a bona fide MAC Player of the Year candidate. Gabbert is a former MAC Freshman of the Year and brings a strong pedigree to the field — his older brother is current NFL quarterback Blaine Gabbert. When the RedHawks run the football, senior Jaylon Bester and junior Tyre Shelton should split the bulk of the carries. Both have extensive experience but have also missed a lot of time with injuries during their careers. Expect former Penn State wide receiver Mac Hippen-hammer to be Gabbert’s primary target. He had 48 catches…

National Forecast: 91 • MAC West Prediction: 3 • Projected Record: 7-5, 5-3 MAC OFFENSE Lew Nichols III has a tough act to follow after leading the nation in rushing last year with 1,848 yards and 16 touchdowns on 341 carries. He likely will not need to carry nearly as much of the load, as Kobe Lewis is back after missing the entirety of 2021 with a knee injury. Lewis was a 1,000-yard rusher in 2019 before splitting time with Nichols in 2020. The twosome gives CMU the top running back duo in the MAC. Daniel Richardson (191-of-316, 2,633, 24 TDs, six INTs) began last year as the backup but eventually entrenched himself as the starter following a 2020 season in which he started four out of six games. Richardson…

National Forecast: 78 • MAC West Prediction: 2 • Projected Record: 8-4, 6-2 MAC OFFENSE After leading the conference in scoring (33.4 ppg), the Rockets again are loaded on this side of the ball, led by sophomore quarterback Dequan Finn, who threw for 18 TDs and ran for nine more in 2021, with just two interceptions. And his supporting cast is formidable. Finn’s protection is anchored by four returning starters along the line, led by senior tackle Mitchell Berg and junior guard/center Tyler Long. That duo helped Toledo average nearly 200 rushing yards per game last season. Sophomore guard Nick Rosi, an all-conference performer in 2019, returns after missing last season due to injury. Junior tackle Lavel Dumont made seven starts a year ago, while sophomore Vinny Sciury made six…

National Forecast: 37 • MW Mountain Prediction: 2 • Projected Record: 9-3, 6-2 MW OFFENSE Haaziq Daniels’ versatility is underscored by the school records he’s set. As a junior, he posted the program’s longest run (94 yards vs. Florida Atlantic) and longest pass (92 yards vs. Colorado State). No other team has those two records authored by the same player. Daniels capped the season with an MVP performance in the First Responder Bowl, completing 9-of-10 passes for 252 yards and two TDs while adding a pair of rushing scores. Daniels returns as a three-year starter and will have the majority of his playmakers back with him. Senior fullback Brad Roberts rumbled for 1,352 rushing yards in 2021, third most in program history. Three of the top four weapons are back at…

National Forecast: 86 • MW Mountain Prediction: 4 • Projected Record: 6-6, 4-4 MW OFFENSE Jay Norvell brought the Air Raid offense with him when he left Nevada to become Colorado State’s new head coach on Dec. 6. Freshman quarterback Clay Millen (who backed up Carson Strong while redshirting at Nevada last year), receivers Tory Horton and Melquan Stovall and five other offensive players followed their coaches, eager to continue playing in the same pass-happy system at a new school in the same conference. Although Millen is the likely starter, two QBs in Norvell’s first CSU signing class — true freshmen Jackson Stratton and Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi — graduated early from high school to join the Rams for spring practices. The Rams lost Mackey Award-winning tight end Trey McBride to the…

26 LSU 27 BYU 28 Ole Miss 29 Texas 30 Mississippi State 31 Purdue 32 Iowa 33 Florida 34 Boise State 35 Fresno State 36 Florida State 37 Air Force 38 Minnesota 39 UCLA 40 Auburn 41 Kansas State 42 South Carolina 43 Boston College 44 Louisville 45 UCF 46 Oregon State 47 North Carolina 48 Appalachian State 49 Coastal Carolina 50 Iowa State 51 West Virginia 52 Washington 53 Missouri 54 Nebraska 55 TCU 56 Utah State 57 Syracuse 58 Maryland 59 San Diego State 60 Washington State 61 Texas Tech 62 California 63 SMU 64 UAB 65 UTSA 66 Virginia Tech 67 Illinois 68 Virginia 69 Stanford 70 Army 71 East Carolina 72 Georgia State 73 Liberty 74 Memphis 75 Marshall 76 Northern Illinois 77 Arizona 78 Toledo…

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH Games to Watch Cincinnati at Arkansas, Sept. 3 Memphis at Mississippi State, Sept. 3 Louisville at UCF, Sept. 9 Houston at Texas Tech, Sept. 10 TCU at SMU, Sept. 24 Indiana at Cincinnati, Sept. 24 SMU at UCF, Oct. 1 Cincinnati at SMU, Oct. 22 UCF at East Carolina, Oct. 22 Cincinnati at UCF, Oct. 29 Houston at SMU, Nov. 5 UCF at USF, Nov. 26 AAC Championship: Cincinnati over Houston Recruiting by School 1. Cincinnati 2. Houston 3. UCF 4. Memphis 5. Tulane 6. SMU 7. East Carolina 8. USF 9. Temple 10. Tulsa 11. Navy 2022 BOWL PROJECTIONS Armed Forces Bowl Houston vs. Iowa State Boca Raton Bowl UCF vs. Coastal Carolina Fenway Bowl SMU vs. Syracuse Independence Bowl Tulane vs. Army Military Bowl…

National Forecast: 24 • AAC Prediction: 2 • Projected Record: 9-4, 6-2 AAC OFFENSE The loss of running back Alton McCaskill IV to an ACL injury late in spring practice is a significant blow. Houston, however, returns arguably the league’s top pass-catch combo in quarterback Clayton Tune and All-AAC wide receiver Nathaniel Dell Tune took a big step in Year 3 of head coach Dana Holgorsen’s system, passing for 3,546 yards and 30 TDs. Dell produced one of the best receiving seasons in school history with 90 catches, 1,329 yards and 12 TDs. Dell is a speedy, big-play threat who had six 100-yard games, including 152 yards against Cincinnati in the AAC title game. Houston hit the transfer portal for reinforcements, picking up Samuel Brown (West Virginia), Joseph Manjack IV…

National Forecast: 63 • AAC Prediction: 4 • Projected Record: 7-5, 5-3 AAC OFFENSE In his first season at SMU, Tanner Mordecai led the AAC with 3,628 yards passing, and his 39 touchdowns ranked fifth nationally. But those numbers did not guarantee him the starting job over redshirt freshman Preston Stone. New head coach Rhett Lashlee is banking on both quarterbacks improving through competition, although Mordecai will be hard to unseat. The receiver corps lost breakaway threats Danny Gray and Reggie Roberson Jr., who declared for the NFL Draft. Rashee Rice, the team leader in receptions with 64, figures to be the main target. Transfers Beau Corrales from North Carolina and Joshua Moore from Texas will provide depth and experience. The offensive line, which showed improvement last season, will get…

National Forecast: 90 • AAC Prediction: 8 • Projected Record: 6-6, 3-5 AAC OFFENSE Fifth-year senior Davis Brin is back at quarterback after an up-and-down first season as starter in which he threw for 3,244 yards and led the nation with 16 interceptions. His primary targets are expected to be JuanCarlos Santana, who caught 51 passes for 689 yards in 2021; Keylon Stokes, a top-10 receiver in program history; spring standout Malachai Jones; and Isaiah Epps, a Kentucky transfer from the Tulsa area. Tight end Ethan Hall remains a key piece of the offensive puzzle, both as a blocker and a pass-catcher. Running back continues to be a deep and talent-filled position for the Golden Hurricane, with Deneric Prince, Anthony Watkins and Steven Anderson combining for 1,377 yards and 11…

ATLANTIC DIVISION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH COASTAL DIVISION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH Games to Watch West Virginia at Pittsburgh, Sept. 1 Florida State vs. LSU (New Orleans), Sept. 4 Miami at Texas A&M, Sept. 17 Clemson at Wake Forest, Sept. 24 NC State at Clemson, Oct. 1 Clemson at Notre Dame, Nov. 5 Florida State at Miami, Nov. 5 Wake Forest at NC State, Nov. 5 Miami at Clemson, Nov. 19 Florida at Florida State, Nov. 25 NC State at North Carolina, Nov. 25 Pittsburgh at Miami, Nov. 26 ACC Championship: Clemson over Miami Recruiting by School 1. Clemson 2. North Carolina 3. Miami 4. Florida State 5. Virginia Tech 6. Boston College 7. Duke 8. Georgia Tech 9. Louisville 10. NC State 11. Virginia 12. Syracuse 13. Wake Forest…

National Forecast: 36 • ACC Atlantic Prediction: 4 • Projected Record: 7-5, 5-3 ACC Even though he has won only eight of his first 21 games, and even though his predecessor got fired after less than two seasons, Mike Norvell is not entering the 2022 season on the hot seat. Partly because of the mess he inherited and partly because of the goodwill he has fostered with a tireless work ethic and endless positivity, Norvell actually enters his third season at Florida State with access to greater resources than perhaps any coach in school history. The university’s administration opened the checkbook wide this off season, bringing in several new support staff members — analysts to help with game-planning and assistants to help with recruiting — in an eff ort to…

National Forecast: 57 • ACC Atlantic Prediction: 7 • Projected Record: 6-6, 3-5 ACC Syracuse has rejuvenated energy heading into what could be a bowl-or-bust Year 7 under Dino Babers. The head coach overhauled his staff, a shakeup highlighted by the additions of offensive coordinator Robert Anae and quarterbacks coach Jason Beck — two products of the Bronco Mendenhall tree who head to Central New York from Virginia. That offensive brain trust will look to develop a passing game to complement the rushing success established around All-America running back Sean Tucker and dual-threat quarterback Garrett Shrader — a duo that combined for 2,277 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground last year. On the other side of the ball, a back eight that returns each of its starters will…

National Forecast: 88 • ACC Coastal Prediction: 6 • Projected Record: 3-9, 2-6 ACC A rush of players to the transfer portal following a disheartening end to the 2021 season and a significant shakeup of the coaching staff have left Geoff Collins in a difficult position. Despite the acknowledgment that there would be rough waters as Georgia Tech transitioned away from the Paul Johnson era and his triple-option system, Collins enters his fourth year with an unhappy fan base and real pressure to show progress on the field. It would be one thing if there were discernible momentum undergirding those results and clear evidence of a breakthrough in the near future. Instead, the Yellow Jackets have almost as many personnel questions now as they did when Collins got the job…

National Forecast: 22 • ACC Coastal Prediction: 2 • Projected Record: 9-3, 6-2 ACC As feel-good stories go, few rivaled that of the 2021 Pittsburgh Panthers. Their leap to ACC champions featured a Heisman Trophy chase, a Biletnikoff Award for wideout Jordan Addison and the most victories for the program in 40 years. Eighth-year coach Pat Narduzzi, awarded a contract extension through the 2030 season, is ready for the next step. “What happened last year? I don’t even remember,” says Narduzzi, whose program went 11–3, earned a No. 13 ranking and reached its first major bowl game in 17 years. Narduzzi’s Panthers look to overcome the departure of Heisman finalist quarterback Kenny Pickett and ride the momentum of a season ago. OFFENSE USC transfer Kedon Slovis is not expected to…

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH Games to Watch West Virginia at Pittsburgh, Sept. 1 Alabama at Texas, Sept. 10 Iowa State at Iowa, Sept. 10 Baylor at BYU, Sept. 10 Oklahoma at Nebraska, Sept. 17 Oklahoma State at Baylor, Oct. 1 Oklahoma vs. Texas (Dallas), Oct. 8 Texas at Oklahoma State, Oct. 22 Oklahoma at Iowa State, Oct. 27 Baylor at Oklahoma, Nov. 5 Oklahoma State at Oklahoma, Nov. 19 Baylor at Texas, Nov. 26 Big 12 Championship: Baylor over Oklahoma Recruiting by School 1. Texas 2. Oklahoma 3. Oklahoma State 4. West Virginia 5. Baylor 6. Iowa State 7. Texas Tech 8. TCU 9. Kansas State 10. Kansas 2022 BOWL PROJECTIONS Alamo Bowl Oklahoma State vs. Oregon Armed Forces Bowl Iowa State vs. Houston Cheez-It Bowl Oklahoma vs. Miami (Fla.)…

National Forecast: 99 • Big 12 Prediction: 10 • Projected Record: 4-8, 2-7 Big 12 The following statement is true with regard to Kansas football, even if it’d be crazy at nearly every other Power 5 program: The Jayhawks went 2-10 in 2021 — and created real positive momentum this offseason. First-year head coach Lance Leipold made the most out of the bad hand he was dealt. Because he officially took over in Lawrence in early May 2021, he didn’t get spring practices with the Jayhawks, nor did he know the personnel. That meant that progress took some time but was evident late in the season. KU pulled off one of the upsets of the year in a 57–56 overtime road victory over Texas. After that — even with a…

National Forecast: 17 • Big 12 Prediction: 3 • Projected Record: 8-4, 5-4 Big 12 Oklahoma State rebranded itself on the path to a 12-win season last fall, winning 12 games to match the school record and falling just short — inches short — of a Big 12 championship. The Cowboys conquered opponents regularly with — get this — defense. Dominant defense. Now Oklahoma State seeks to affirm that that style of defense is real and repeatable, mixing it with trademark offense to stake a claim as Big 12 favorite, and maybe more, for 2022. And why not? The Cowboys posted the most impressive wins in the league, toppling Oklahoma, Texas and Baylor (although the Bears scored revenge in the conference championship game) and beating the Irish in the Fiesta…

National Forecast: 61 • Big 12 Prediction: 9 • Projected Record: 5-7, 3-6 Big 12 Texas Tech is coming off of an impressive win over Mississippi State in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl to send off now-Louisiana Tech coach Sonny Cumbie with a win after he was named interim Red Raiders coach following the firing of Matt Wells. Since then, Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt hired Joey McGuire away from his assistant head coach position at Baylor, giving him his first college head-coaching job. McGuire, a former Cedar Hill HS head coach, was quick in filling his staff, which boasts experience across the high school and college ranks. McGuire brought in Tim DeRuyter from Oregon as defensive coordinator and Zach Kittley to guide the offense. Kittley learned from former Texas Tech…

National Forecast: 82 • Big Ten East Prediction: 7 • Projected Record: 4-8, 2-7 Big Ten New offensive coordinator. New defensive coordinator. New quarterback. New running backs. New wide receivers. New starting middle linebacker. New almost everything. But there is an old mission around the Indiana football program: discovering how to make Hoosiers relevant in the Big Ten East again. After a surprising Top 25 finish in the shortened 2020 season, the Hoosiers collapsed to 2–10 last season, floundering to 0–9 in the Big Ten. Head coach Tom Allen recruited five new assistant coaches as well 12 players from the transfer portal while trying to return IU to its winning ways of 2019 and 2020. OFFENSE Nothing worked last season. The Hoosiers ranked last in the Big Ten in total…

National Forecast: 14 • Big Ten East Prediction: 3 • Projected Record: 9-3, 6-3 Big Ten Michigan State heads into 2022 as one of the top curiosities in college football, with the Spartans attempting to follow up on last year’s surprising 11–2 season, No. 9 national ranking and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory, all of which allowed third-year coach Mel Tucker to gain traction as a rising force in the profession. “Last year, we as a staff felt we got everything we could out of the roster,” Tucker says. Tucker is methodically upgrading Michigan State’s depth, but offensive explosiveness will be down a notch with dynamic tailback Kenneth Walker III off to the NFL. The Spartans are poised to be a factor in the Big Ten East but aren’t likely to…

National Forecast: 81 • Big Ten East Prediction: 6 • Projected Record: 4-8, 2-7 Big Ten Greg Schiano remarked after Rutgers’ first spring practice that the Scarlet Knights were still quite young in their total program reload. While that may be true, the days of true expectations are fast approaching. It’s Year 3 of the coach’s second stint on campus. Sixteen projected starters — 10 on offense, six on defense — are recruits or transfers signed by Schiano and his staff. Rutgers improved from three wins in 2020 to five in 2021, backing into a surprise Gator Bowl bid on the strength of a high APR score after Texas A&M withdrew for COVID-19 reasons. Now they head into 2022 with excitement surrounding Gavin Wimsatt, the program’s quarterback of the future,…

National Forecast: 38 • Big Ten West Prediction: 4 • Projected Record: 7-5, 4-5 Big Ten The Golden Gophers won nine games last season, a win total seen in program history only four times since 1905. Minnesota beat archrival Wisconsin in the Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe and shut down West Virginia in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. Despite that success, last season left head coach P.J. Fleck saying he was unsuccessful. “I’m up here telling you I failed as a head coach,” Fleck said before spring practices began in March. “I did not do well enough, especially on the offensive side of the ball. We were too inconsistent. We had way too many three-and-outs. It just didn’t flow together. That starts with me.” It was clear to see where Minnesota…

National Forecast: 31 • Big Ten West Prediction: 2 • Projected Record: 8-4, 6-3 Big Ten A season that began with modest expectations wound up a breakthrough year for Purdue football in 2021. Purdue capped a nine-win season, its highest win total since 2003, by beating Tennessee 48–45 in a wild overtime shootout at the Music City Bowl. Other big wins included an upset at No. 2 Iowa and an upset of No. 5 Michigan State at home. Purdue was in the mix for the Big Ten West Division title until the last week of the season but fell a game short of Iowa in the final standings. The challenge for Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm in his sixth year is to build off that success even after losing his…

National Forecast: 108 • C-USA Prediction: 7 • Projected Record: 5-7, 4-4 C-USA OFFENSE The 49ers will return plenty from an offensive unit that averaged 29.3 points in league games last season. The attack will once again be in the hands of quarterback Chris Reynolds, a fifth-year senior starter, three-time team captain and the school’s all-time passing leader with 7,726 yards and 62 touchdowns. Reynolds’ experience and leadership ability make him a luxury, but with his run-heavy playing style, having backups such as James Foster and Xavier Williams ready to step in is crucial. Reynolds will have plenty of proven weapons. Redshirt senior Victor Tucker, second on the program’s all-time receptions list, will again be a prime target along with 6'3" Grant DuBose, last season’s leading receiver. Head coach Will…

National Forecast: 116 • C-USA Prediction: 9 • Projected Record: 4-8, 3-5 C-USA OFFENSE Historically, Louisiana Tech’s most memorable teams have tended to embrace a wide-open, pass-happy lifestyle, and tapping Sonny Cumbie as its new head coach was firmly in keeping with that tradition. Cumbie, a former Mike Leach protégé whose offense once led the nation in pass attempts and yards at Texas Tech, is steeped in the Air Raid philosophy. First order of business: Identifying a new quarterback. The competition in the spring came down to a couple of fifth-year transfers from Cumbie’s previous stops — Matthew Downing (TCU) and Parker McNeil (Texas Tech), who arrived with a head start in the system. Whoever wins the job will be putting the ball in the air early and often with…

National Forecast: 123 • C-USA Prediction: 10 • Projected Record: 4-8, 3-5 C-USA OFFENSE In a Week 3 loss to Texas last season, Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren was forced to use three quarterbacks — and that was just the first quarter. The game was a microcosm of the Owls’ misfortunes at the position. The battle in 2022 is between TJ McMahon and Wiley Green, who split reps during spring practices. Offensive coordinator Marques Tuiasosopo has added wrinkles to the offense, but Rice’s identity remains the same: “Pound the rock, control the clock” with a prostyle offense that regularly features a fullback and two-tight-end sets. Ari Broussard has a chance to be among C-USA’s top backs and will be joined by speedster Cameron Montgomery, Juma Otoviano and newcomer Dean Connors,…

National Forecast: 65 • C-USA Prediction: 2 • Projected Record: 7-6, 6-2 C-USA OFFENSE Running back Sincere McCormick took his various All-America honors and moved on to the NFL. Fear not, however, as the Roadrunners were not nearly as run-dependent as one might think. UTSA’s passing offense went from a national ranking of No. 90 in 2020 to No. 43 in 2021 and will likely rise even higher in head coach Jeff Traylor’s third season. Senior quarterback Frank Harris and his three productive senior wideouts are all back, which means the offense may sincerely move forward without Sincere. Harris (3,177 passing yards, 27 TDs, six INTs, plus 566 rushing yards) improved his accuracy last season, and WRs Zakhari Franklin, Joshua Cephus and De’Corian Clark all had at least 750 yards,…

National Forecast: 27 • Projected Record: 8-4 Having lost No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson and four other stalwarts to the NFL Draft after the 2020 season, and facing seven teams from Power 5 conferences, the BYU Cougars were supposed to be in rebuilding mode in 2021. Guess again. The Cougars defeated six of those P5 programs; went 5–0 against the Pac-12, including a convincing 26–17 win over Rose Bowl participant and rival Utah; and put together another outstanding season marred only by a 31–28 upset loss to UAB in the Independence Bowl. The Cougars have gone 21–4 the past two seasons. So what will 2022 be like? For one thing, it will be BYU’s last as a college football independent. The Cougars will join the Big 12 in 2023.…

National Forecast: 73 • Projected Record: 7-5 OFFENSE Liberty relied on the electric play of quarter-back Malik Willis to reach new heights over the last two seasons. The dual-threat signal-caller was a once-in-a-generation talent, and head coach Hugh Freeze admits it will be challenging to replace him. Freeze found Willis in the transfer portal, and he hopes finding veteran QB Charlie Brewer in the portal will keep the offense humming along. Brewer played in big games at Baylor and Utah over the past five seasons and accumulated more than 11,000 yards of total offense. Brewer has a deep wide receiving corps to work with at Liberty. Campbell transfer Caleb Snead was an FCS All-American in 2021 and gives the Flames a dynamic outside playmaker to complement slot receiver Demario Douglas. CJ…

EAST DIVISION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH WEST DIVISION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH Games to Watch Miami (Ohio) vs. Cincinnati,* Sept. 17 Pittsburgh at Western Michigan, Sept. 17 Miami (Ohio) at Northwestern, Sept. 24 Toledo at Northern Illinois, Oct. 8 Kent State at Miami (Ohio), Oct. 8 Ohio at Miami (Ohio), Nov. 8 Kent State at Toledo, Oct. 15 Western Michigan at Miami (Ohio), Oct. 22 Central Michigan at Northern Illinois, Nov. 2 Northern Illinois at Western Michigan, Nov. 9 Western Michigan at Central Michigan, Nov. 16 Miami (Ohio) at Northern Illinois, Nov. 16 *Paul Brown Stadium MAC Championship: Northern Illinois over Miami (Ohio) Recruiting by School 1. Miami (Ohio) 2. Buffalo 3. Northern Illinois 4. Central Michigan 5. Kent State 6. Toledo 7. Ball State 8. Western Michigan 9. Bowling…

National Forecast: 121 • MAC East Prediction: 5 • Projected Record: 4-8, 2-6 MAC OFFENSE Cole Snyder transferred home to challenge returning quarterback Matt Myers. Myers has been an effective runner but has struggled with accuracy and reading defenses. Snyder completed 68 percent of his passes in limited action over three seasons at Rutgers. Versatile back Ron Cook Jr. is positioned to carry a larger load after 1,000-yard rusher Dylan McDuffie transferred to Georgia Tech. Cook averaged 5.0 yards per carry in a change-of-pace role last season. Mike Washington flashed potential in spot duty as a freshman. Al-Jay Henderson will get opportunities after redshirting. Transfer additions Justin Marshall (Louisville) and Boobie Curry (Arizona) bolster a receiver group that brings back top wideout Quian Williams, a third-team All-MAC selection. Slot receiver Jovany…

National Forecast: 120 • MAC East Prediction: 4 • Projected Record: 4-8, 3-5 MAC OFFENSE Junior quarterback Kurtis Rourke is in his fourth year in the system and is the clear-cut starter after sharing the role in 2021. The expectations are high for the Canadian, who played in 10 games last season, completing 169 passes for 1,801 yards and 11 touchdowns. The running back work should be shared by sophomore Sieh Bangura and senior O’Shaan Allison. Bangura won the starting job in the spring, but Allison has appeared in 27 games over his career and is healthy after being slowed by injuries. The wide receiver position is a bit thin on experience, but Vanderbilt transfer James Bostic is a 6'3", 217-pound former running back and a force to deal with…

National Forecast: 113 • MAC West Prediction: 5 • Projected Record: 5-7, 3-5 MAC OFFENSE Questions arise at the most important of positions, as EMU has a total of one pass attempted among its returning group of quarterbacks. That does not mean that the Eagles did not prepare for the situation, as they brought in senior Taylor Powell through the transfer portal. Powell has experience playing at Missouri (35-of-76, 431 yards, one TD, two INTs) in 2018 and ’19 and Troy in 2021 (125-of-189, 1,251 yards, seven TDs, six INTs). There will be a battle this fall for the No. 1 spot, and if Powell proves incapable, an underclassmen group including Austin Smith is eager to prove ready for the role. The good news is that Eastern Michigan returns its…

National Forecast: 106 • MAC West Prediction: 4 • Projected Record: 6-6, 5-3 MAC OFFENSE The dynamic running back duo of Sean Tyler (178 carries, 1,140 yards, nine TDs) and La’Darius Jefferson (185 carries, 836 yards, 10 TDs) will undoubtedly be major focal points once again. Additionally, Corey Crooms, last year’s No. 3 wide receiver, should get a larger share of the targets this season after a solid sophomore campaign that saw him put up 44 catches for 768 yards and six scores. There are questions, though, beginning with the quarter-back position, where the spring game starting nod was given to redshirt freshman Jack Salopek with the reasoning that he had the best grasp of the offense. That competition is sure to continue into fall camp, with Alabama transfer Stone…

National Forecast: 34 • MW Mountain Prediction: 1 • Projected Record: 10-3, 7-1 MW OFFENSE Senior quarterback Hank Bachmeier has weathered a lot of hits in his 25 starts, and he has yet to fully live up to his considerable recruiting hype. He’s focused on a quicker release, and, for the first time, he has the same offensive coordinator in consecutive seasons. Adding to the challenge is the loss of Khalil Shakir, the Broncos’ do-it-all receiver, but a likely breakout star awaits in senior Stefan Cobbs. In nine games, he had five TD catches and an 81-yard punt return TD. The rest of the returning receiving corps combined for 30 catches last season. Three returning tight ends combined for 23. The offensive line is experienced but remains a question mark after…