Everyone take a breath. We did it. The offseason is finally over. Yes, it’s Week Zero and there aren’t a ton of top-tier programs playing this week. But who cares? It’s college football time!
So, as we pivot away from media deals, conference realignment, and the portal, who should you watch this season? I’m sure everyone reading this has their team (or teams, I don’t judge) they root for. In case you don’t, or just want some great, fun(?), interesting teams to watch, here’s five I know I’ll be tuning into each week.
To keep things fair, I chose one team from each conference here. Later this week, you’ll get the Group of Five teams to watch for those of you like me that want to see smaller schools compete. But, without further ado, here are the five Power Five teams I think you need to tune into.
Colorado
Let’s start with the obvious one, shall we?
We’ve already discussed Coach Prime and the transfer portal here, but Colorado is the most talked about program in the nation for a reason. We’ve never seen a team portal like this. At the time of writing this newsletter, a whopping 51 transfers are heading to Boulder. Let’s not forget that 56 players from last year’s roster are either in the portal or at new schools, too. This is unprecedented.
Colorado is adding some major, yet unproven talent. Sanders kicked off his Buffs tenure by naming his son, Shedur Sanders as the starting quarterback. For those at home, Shedur was still officially enrolled and on the roster at Jackson State. Definitely not tampering if it happens at your own dinner table, right? (Also, would it be impermissible benefits if a coach gave a player dinner every night? Things to consider, NCAA). I already talked about Sanders earlier this offseason, so we won’t belabor that point. Instead, let’s focus on two-way FCS star Travis Hunter.
Hunter is a generational prospect with legitimate two-way pro potential. He played sparingly at Jackson State on offense, posting 18 catches for 188 yards and four touchdowns, two of which came against North Carolina Central in the Celebration Bowl, the premier HBCU postseason game. Defensively, Hunter posted 20 tackles, a fumble recovery, two interceptions, and 10 pass breakups.
Are the Buffaloes going to compete for the PAC-12 crown in 2023? Probably not. Instead, their intrigue lies as a very public case study. With heightened portal activity the past few seasons, is portalling a path to success at the Power Five level? And can a former player be a successful coach? Chances are we won’t get the full answers to those questions for a few seasons, but it’ll be an entertaining ride full of Coach Prime’s antics.
Iowa
Do I like pain? No, no I do not.
Am I a sicko at heart? Yes, yes I am. (While we’re on the topic, subscribe to the Sickos Committee for more Iowa content)
2022 Iowa was a tale of two sides. The defense was one of the nation’s most elite. I might even put them up against Georgia as the nation’s best. The Hawkeyes only allowed 14.4 points per game. They were fourth in the nation in yards allowed per game.
The offense, however, was the legitimate worst unit I’ve ever seen. Spencer Petras, over a full season, threw for 1,725 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions. A whole season! Think the rushing was better? Think again! Iowa’s top two backs, Kaleb Johnson and Leshawn Williams, combined for 1,192 yards and eight touchdowns. For reference, Samson Evans who transferred from Iowa to Eastern Michigan, has 1,166 yards and 15 touchdowns while dealing with injuries.
Just for fun, let’s compare the yardage gained by some key offensive playmakers. Petras had 1,725 yards. Johnson ran for 779, Williams ran for 413 and leading receiver Sam LaPorta went for 657. Tory Taylor had 3,725 yards punting. That’s tops in the nation by a 200 yard margin over New Mexico’s punter. Let’s remember here that Iowa went 8-5 in the Big Ten, while New Mexico limped to 2-10 in the Mountain West.
So, why is Iowa interesting? Let’s look past the Brian Ferentz contract memes and get into the nitty gritty. For one, the Ferentz family is holding this proud institution hostage. Longtime head coach Kirk Ferentz has a lifetime deal at this point. With that comes the nepotistic lifetime deal of Brian Ferentz, the worst offensive coordinator in the nation. Something has to give. And that something might have given in March when longtime athletic director and Ferentz supporter Gary Barta announced his retirement.
In context, that means a new AD is coming to Iowa City. Will that hire hitch their wagon to the Ferentz family? Maybe the 2023 season is what that rests on.
On a smaller scale, Iowa has their first actual quarterback to work with in former Michigan signal caller Cade McNamara. Are either Brian Ferentz or Cade McNamara up to the task of providing a living, breathing offense? Honestly, I have no clue. I’m just excited for the chaos to come.
Duke
Let’s answer the age old question: can a basketball school be successful in football?
Well, Mike Elko’s Blue Devils were successful last year. At least they were by Duke standards. The Devils rolled to a 9-4 season under their first year head coach and showed a ton of promise. Then-sophomore quarterback Riley Leonard played very well, completing 64 percent of his 391 attempts for 2,967 yards, 20 touchdowns and only six interceptions. That led to a 73.7 QBR by ESPN’s metrics, which placed him 26th in the nation.
Leonard also showed off with his legs, leading the team with his 124 carries, 699 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’s a dynamic quarterback that should be able to keep Duke alive in the ACC.
Leonard returns for his second season under offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kevin Johns and is ready to take the next step.
The team overall was a revelation last year, with good marks in scoring offense (32.8 PPG, 34th nationally) and scoring defense (22.8 PPG, tied for 37th nationally).
Heading into 2023, the Blue Devils project as a fun team to watch that should be in the ACC’s upper level. They might even break into title contention if they can sneak a Week 1 win over Clemson.
One thing to watch is that Duke doesn’t have a ton of talent coming in. They were quiet in the portal, which is to be expected from a rigorous academic school like Duke. They also didn’t bring in a huge recruiting class. Instead of adding impact players, the Blue Devils will be hoping their returning talent is able to take the next step in this scheme.
Texas A&M
While Auburn was tempting (and already covered here), you can’t pass up whatever madness is brewing in College Station.
In case you were sleeping under a rock last offseason and season, TAMU has gone through some difficult events. First there was the offseason beef between Texas A&M Head Coach Jimbo Fisher and college football tzar and Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban about whether or not the Aggies simply bought the best recruiting class in the nation.
Then, the season started. And boy did that not go well. Sure, they opened with a resounding 31-0 victory over now FBS Sam Houston State (read about their transition here). The Aggies followed that up with a 17-14 loss at home to Appalachian State. Then, SEC play opened up with a win over then-10th ranked Arkansas. Surely the Aggies turned a corner, right? Wrong, they lost the next five games, all in conference.
After an embarrassing 5-7 season without a bowl bid and the threat of arch-rival Texas entering the SEC in 2024 potentially with a better program, Fisher turned to find an offensive coordinator. And boy, did he find one.
Enter Bobby Petrino. The man who left his NFL job as quick and as disgraced as Urban Meyer. The man who got into a motorcycle accident with his a staffer and mistress, not his wife, on the back and then gave a press conference.
I don’t know if this Fisher-Petrino marriage is going to work. In fact, I’d wager it blows up in both of their faces. But this is going to be must-watch TV.
Getting back to the on-field product, Texas A&M has a massively talented roster. Remember that Number 1 class Saban accused Aggie boosters of buying? They’re still here. Sophomore Conner Weigman was a member of that class, and expects to have tons of playing time this season. Hopefully, he proves to be worth the payment. I mean, worthy of his five-star status.
Oklahoma State
I really went back and forth on the Big 12 entry. TCU, Iowa State, any of the newcomers, and even Texas were contenders (well, Texas isn’t a contender, per se, until they’re back). But, I settled on a very interesting situation brewing in Stillwater.
The Pokes were already covered by fellow College Football Dawgs contributor Erika Brown, so I won’t get too deep into their roster construction. Instead, read Erika’s preview. It’s really good.
The biggest thing I’m excited to see is how this model of stability handles some instability. Their longtime quarterback, Spencer Sanders, departed through the portal for a chance to compete with Jaxon Dart at Ole Miss in this cycle’s most confusing move.
While Head Coach Mike Gundy has yet to name a replacement, all signs point towards Michigan transfer Alan Bowman. The sixth-year senior hasn’t seen the field much since 2020 when he was a member of Texas Tech, but carries a respectable 67.1 career completion percentage, 5,329 yards, 34 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. If he shakes the rust off, the Cowboys could have a quality starter on their hands.
Most of the Pokes’ changes come on the defensive side, where they have their third defensive coordinator in as many years. This time, it’s Bryan Nardo, who Gundy hired from Division-II Gannon University. Nardo also signals a scheme change, moving from the 4-2-5 to the 3-3-5.
My interest in Oklahoma State lies in these major changes. Since Gundy took over, this isn’t a program with a lot of turnover. How do they handle it? And, can they set themselves up as the top dog in the new Big 12? This is a crucial season for that, and they have what looks to be a strong Kansas State team to contend with.