Going to try a little different approach this year. Rather than a Top 10 I will look at who I think will make the playoffs.
MY TOP 3 PLAYOFF TEAMS
MY PLAYOFF TEAMS
EVENTUAL 2022 2023 NATIONAL CHAPION MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Pretty much everything went about as well as it could for my boys, record wise last year. I mean, yeah, Purdue, but we were dancing on the rim of defeat a couple of other times so a second loss was pretty much in the cards. Can we catch as many breaks this year? Well, you have to make your own breaks and last year III put us in position to win those games (and almost single handedly carried us past Meatchicken. Jesus he had almost everything except the cape and x ray vision in that game). It looks lie we may committee the position with Broussard and Berger to replace him, and I am already claiming copyright on the term B & B for them, but the reality is even with III we had more of a dynamic running game than a consistent one. We need to improve the ball control, so some strengthening of the O Line in probably even more necessary than replacing III. It will be up to Thorne and his BFF Reed to pick up a bit of the slack. I keep hearing great things about Mosely and the entirety of the WR room, but really, it is Reed.
What we really have to do is fix the defense, specifically the Yes Fly Zone. MSU actually lead the Increasingly Inaccurately named Big Ten in sacks last year, I assume because other teams passed so much and with so much success the opposing line got gassed, and the D Line will be the strength. Line backers are good, and can be better. It is specifically the backfield we have to fix. We did add some speed from the portal, but what we are really hoping for is an improvement from the returning players, and an influx of talent from recruiting. I think we will be passable which I just realized is a pun but remain concerned. Fortunately, outside of The and Maryland, we do not really face any pass happy loaded offenses this year.
ClemSIN
The worst Scrabble tile draw in the world was about the worst quarterback in the South Atlantic League last year. It was not all on him, of course, but he was just bad. I wonder how short a leash U etc will be on this year. Word is they positively adore incoming freshman Fran Kubelick, if I got that name right, and SWINEy has played freshmen at QB before. But their offensive issues went beyond the QB last year. They never adequately replaced the incredibly useful and underrated Etienne, their receiving corps dropped the ball, and even the O Line had issues. Penciling them in here is a bit of a stretch, but I think their recruiting should carry them through and, hell, they won 11 games even without an offense. I am a little concerned about the loss of the coordinators, but I expect the defense to continue to be at an elite level. I expect a return to the playoffs, based on the lack of a real challenge in conference and my belief the offense has to get better.
The
The is sort of the opposite of ClemSIN this year. They need to fix a poor defense from last year. They brought in a new coordinator, swiped from an OSU that is not so particular about an article leading their name. The is playing the Saban game, they recruit so well that it is impossible to think they cannot fix any issue. I think they can get the defense to at least respectability, which given the offense is enough. The D line needs to find and develop the elite pass rusher they lacked last year, but is otherwise strong. I like their defensive backs. What puts them here is the offense, where Stroud returns with a year of excellence under his belt. Smith-Njigba may have been their best receiver last year and yes I know the other two were Round One draftees. Henderson would be a Heisman candidate if he played back when running backs could win the award. Not an easy schedule by any means, starting out with Our Lady of the Perpetual Tie in Columbus and the Increasingly Inaccurately Named Big Ten East has some pretty good teams, but I think they are the class if the league. If not the entire FBS.
Alabama
There is a part of me that wants to pick someone other than Alabama to win God apostrophe s Conference and make the playoffs, but I just cannot do it. I mean, I can nitpick about the offensive line, and the empty receiver room, but does it really matter? I do not need to know who is replacing Neal, or Metchie. It does not matter. It never does. Curse them. I hates them.
Poll
