Category: FOOTBALL

Check out the CSD preview for the SEC’s 2020 season in this loaded preview, featuring in-depth coverage of everything you need to know about all 14 teams, projected records based on thousands of computer simulations, the projected all-conference team, awards, and more.

The league has announced that it plans to play ten conference games this year and that its teams are not allowed to play non-conference games.

EAST

Georgia has made the College Football Playoff just once since its inception, when they lost in the National title game to Tua Tagovailoa and Alabama. The Bulldogs have consistently been the bridesmaid in the SEC, mostly to ‘Bama, but also to LSU last year. We’ll see if this is the year Kirby Smart and the Dawgs can turn the corner.

Jake Fromm is gone at QB, as is the guy who was thought to replace him: Wake Forest transfer Jamie Newman, who opted out of the season. USC transfer JT Daniels and former star recruit D’Wan Mathis look to be the contenders to take over. I prefer Mathis for the job because, well, let’s just say there was a reason Daniels transferred from USC. A lot departs on the offense, including OT Andrew Thomas and RB D’Andre Swift, but those two groups should reload thanks to Georgia’s amazing recruiting. Former-five star Zamir White will be the #1 running back, and Dalvin’s brother James Cook will add a jolt to the group. The Dawgs also add a five-star true freshman, Kendall Milton.

Whoever the QB is will have an excellent group of receivers to throw to, led by excellent sophomore George Pickens. The QB will also have the best defense in the country to rely on. Nine starters are back from an awesome group. Leading tackler Monty Rice is back at MLB, and five-star Nolan Smith and dangerous Azeez Ojulari (5.5 sacks) provide speed off the edge. S Richard LeCounte (five INTs) and athletic corner Eric Stokes are lockdown in coverage. This defense will be awesome, and if the offense can find a QB, this team is a favorite to win the National Tite.

If anyone can challenge Georgia in the SEC East, it’s going to be Florida. Stability at the QB spot feels like it could be key in a year without spring practices, and Florida keeps QB Kyle Trask. Trask, a former two-star recruit, stepped up last year, throwing for 25 touchdowns (and only seven picks) after Feleipe Franks went down with an injury. Back for Trask is TE Kyle Pitts, one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the country. The Gators are extraordinarily deep at the receiver spot and should be solid there. Former Miami RB Lorenzo Lingard comes in to replace the departing Lamical Perine, and last year’s #2, Dameon Pierce, was solid. The line struggled at times in 2019 but gets four of five starters back. This offense should really improve with Trask in for the whole year.

The defense struggled with injuries, but injuries mean a lot more people played last year, and so the experience and depth on this team is tremendous. Georgia transfer Brenton Cox will lead the pass rush, with strong interior guys Kyree Campbell and Marlon Dunlap looking to take steps forward. Junior LB Ventrell Miller is quick and can do it all, and the secondary should be excellent. Donovan Stiner and Shawn Davis are two of the best safeties in the conference, and CB Kaii Elam was amazing as a true freshman and could become a true star in year two. The X-factor to this group may be corner Marco Wilson, who was great in 2017, tore his ACL in 2018, and never got back up to the same standard last year. If he can return to his 2017 form, the secondary has a shot to be the best in the country. This team will be better on both sides of the ball and could threaten for a trip to Atlanta.

An 18-8 record over the past two years is good for the best two-run stretch for Kentucky football in over 40 years. Now, Mark Stoops looks to do it again. QB Terry Wilson returns after missing most of last year with an injury, however, the ‘Cats had lots of success with putting now-Raider WR Lynn Bowden in at the QB spot and using him as a rushing QB, so you can’t count out UK from trying something similar again. The offensive line should be excellent, almost everyone returns, but in the skill corps, the loss of Bowden hurts. The wildcat QB was the team’s top rusher, receiver, and their #2 passer. However, Kavosiey Smoke is promising in the run game, and Asim Rose returns after 826 yards last year. The receivers are unproven because the ‘Cats rarely threw once Bowden took over, but Josh Ali looked solid on limited touches.

The defense should be one of the best in the country again, as almost everyone is back from last year’s group, including awesome edge rusher Boogie Watson (6.5 sacks). The corner duo of Brandin Echols and Cedrick Dort is very good, and IDL Quinton Bohanna is a 367-pound monster. There are some questions in the linebacking corps, where there are some transfers and stouts, but this defense will be even better than they were in 2019 and should offset any step back by the offense. The SEC-only schedule means that the record will probably take a step back, but on the field, this will be an improved team.

After opening the year with a loss to Georgia State, Tennessee rebounded, and really improved down the stretch, finishing 8-5 and playing like a legit top-25 team by the team the year concluded. Now, QB Jarrett Guarantano returns for Jeremy Pruitt after a decent year, but Guarantano will lose three of his top four pass-catchers. USC transfer Velus Jones needs to step up fast. G Trey Smith leads what is one of the best offensive lines in the country, and Ty Chandler and Eric Gray return in the run game. This offense should take a step forward despite the hole at WR, and if Guarantano can clean up his inconsistent play, this team could surprise someone.

On defense, the secondary is key, with a previously young group looking to mature into a force, led by star corner Bryce Thompson. Leading pass rusher Darrell Taylor is gone, but Michigan transfer Aubrey Solomon has potential, and Henrey To’o To’o will lead a linebacking corps with lots of depth. I think I’m lower on Tennessee than most, but this will be a solid team that should finish around the .500 mark in SEC play.

Will Muschamp’s Gamecocks have been sliding, and while I don’t think we’ll see a huge “coaching carousel” this year because of the global pandemic, Muschamp is on the shortlist for names on the chopping block. Over the past three years, the Gamecock’s win total has declined from nine (2017) to seven (2018) to four (2019).

The offense has been the issue for much of the Muschamp era, and new coordinator Mike Bobo will take over a roster that averaged eight points a contest over the final three games of the 2019 campaign. There are a whole lot of question marks, but sophomore QB Ryan Hiliniski looks to be the man at QB. He was thrust into the role midyear and was alright; he should improve with time to settle in. The top receiver will be senior Shi Smith, and five-star MarShawn Lloyd will come in as a true freshman to try and turn the disastrous run game around. He’ll have a decent line to work with, and the offense should improve.

On defense, the corner duo of Israel Mukuamu (three interceptions in the win vs Georgia) and Jaycee Horn (16 PBUs 2018+2019) return after an awesome 2019, but losing Javon Kinlaw from the defensive line hurts a lot. The pass rush is a big worry, and star recruit Jordan Burch will need to step up big early alongside more experienced guys Zacch Pickens and Aaron Sterling. There are just too many holes on this team -between the pass game, the defensive line, and a freshman RB- to have much confidence in this team, but they are young, so it may be a “looking forward to 2021” year for Gamecock fans, whether Muschamp can look forward to then is still up in the air.

New coach Elijah Drinkwitz arrives in Columbia after leading Appalachian State to a top-25 finish and a Sun Belt title last year. The line, which wasn’t awesome to begin with, is a big problem, with three NFL-drafted players gone. However, Drinkwitz will have a great pair of backs to work with between Larry Rountree III (829 yards, nine touchdowns) and Tyler Badie. The QB situation is a question mark – TCU transfer Shawn Robinson and 2019 backup Taylor Powell will compete for the job – neither inspire much confidence. NFL TE Albert Okwuegbunam and leading receiver Jonathan Nance both depart as well. Virginia Tech transfer WR Damon Hazelton and Rutgers transfer C Michael Maietti are the only bright spots on what will be one of the worst offenses in the power five.

The defense, however, shows some cause for optimism. LB Nick Bolton had an amazing 2019, Bolton was one of the best coverage backs in the country last year. Also returning for Mizzou are S Tyree Gillespie (#2 tackler) and IDL Kobie Whiteside (6.5 sacks), one of the best interior pass-rushers in the conference. Some names do depart, including top corner DeMarkus Acy, LB Cale Garrett, and DT Jordan Elliot. Despite the losses, this defense will be very good, but the offense will drag them down, and this team will fight to stay out of the SEC basement in Drinkwitz’s year one.

Vanderbilt might be the toughest P5 job in the nation, and Derek Mason has done alright for a while, but his tenure with the Commodores may be coming to an end soon. Vandy comes into 2020 as the team most likely to go winless, winning an average of just .5 games over the 9,000 simulations run by the CSD computer model. The top three passers from last year’s team are gone, meaning VU will have to roll with true freshman Mike Wright to lead the attack, and he’ll have to do it without leading receiver Kalija Lipscomb or NFL TE Jared Pinkney. RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn is gone as well, and the offensive line looks bad. This will be the worst offense in the power five and may be the worst in the country.

The defense should be a little better, at least in the pass-rushing department. Dayo Odeyingbo and Andre Mintze are both really good edge rushers, and CB Jaylen Mahoney should improve after a good year as a true freshman. The guy starting across from him, Allan George, is up-and-down but quick and has a lot of potentials. In the toughest conference in the country, it’s going to be tough for this team to win any game, and the most winnable one: Missouri is on the road. This may be an ugly year

WEST

Last year’s Alabama team was a legit national contedner before Tua Tagovailoa started battling injuries midway through the year. If you want proof – four Bama players were taken in their first 15 picks of last year’s draft on offense alone. Somehow, despite that stat, a bevy of NFL talent returns for the Tide. T Alex Leatherwood is a surefire All-American, and RB Najee Harris and WRs DeVonta Smith (1,256 yards, 14 touchdowns) and Jaylen Waddle (17 YPC) are a trio of monsters in the skill corps that will take the pressure off of whoever the QB is – whether 2019 backup Mac Jones (14 touchdowns, three interceptions) or five-star superstar Bryce Young.

On defense, there is talent abound. IDL Christian Barmore was incredible last year and should take a step forward with more playing time this year. The awesome corner duo of Patrick Surtain II and Josh Jobe return, and linebacker Dylan Moses is back after missing last year with an injury. The Bama defense was very young last year and struggled relative to other Bama Ds, but they’ll take a step forward as guys like Shane Lee, Bryon Young, and Christian Harris become more experienced. This could be the best team in the country.

It’s put up or shut up time for Jimbo Fisher in College Station. The Aggies return the most starters of anyone in the division, including star QB Kellen Mond, five starters back on the line, and a bevy of talent in the skill corps. Mond wasn’t entirely consistent last year, but he was saddled with an inexperienced line and should improve this year. Top WR Jhamon Ausborn returns, as does pass-catching threat TE Jalen Wydermyer. Add in star recruit Demond Demas and dual-threat RB Ainias Smith, and this receiving corps is stacked. Alongside Smith in the RB room will be Isaiah Spiller (946 yards, five touchdowns). I’m still a little worried about the line, but this should be an excellent offense.

On defense, almost everyone is back, including 19 of the top 22 tacklers, in a group that could be the most improved in the conference. For context, that’s insane. LB Buddy Johnson will lead the group, he had 77 tackles a year ago, and a deep group of defensive backs all return. This will be a team that contends for the College Football Playoff. Watch out.

A lot of people called 2019 LSU the best team in college football history. I wouldn’t go nearly that far, but the Tigers were awesome. Now, only eight starters return from that group – and in a year with no nonconference play or spring practice, the Tigers will throw an inexperienced group right into the deep end. On offense, four starters are gone on the line, as are five of the top eight receivers, their #1 rusher, and, of course, Joe Burrow.

QB Myles Brennan has some massive shoes to fill. Burrow had one of the best single-season performances I’ve ever seen. 5,671 yards, 65 total touchdowns, just five interceptions. Wow. Brennan will be a drop off, and only one guy that had significant playing time: Terrace Marshall (671 yards, 13 touchdowns) returns in the receiving corps. Now, the Tigers have recruited well, but every position on offense is essentially an unknown.

On defense, CB Derek Stingley Jr. might be the most important non-QB in the country, and NDSU transfer Jabril Cox is extremely talented, but a lot of talent is gone, most notably S Grant Delpit and CB Kristian Fulton. CB Kary Vincent Jr. was valuable last year against slot receivers and should step into the #2 CB role nicely, and IDL Tyler Shelvin is an excellent name on the inside. I don’t expect as big of a drop-off on thee defense, but the dropoff is still there. This team will be good -maybe top-ten good- but a step back is inevitable with so much talent departing.

I was never really on the Bo Nix bandwagon, but even I will admit, he was inconsistent (52%), but there were certainly flashes. Nix returns awesome #1 Seth Williams and speedy #2 Anthony Schwartz. The offensive line loses Prince Tega Wanogho but returns the other four starters, and sophomore back DJ Williams is back after a very good year on limited touches. Five-star Cartavious Bigsby could make a day-one impact at halfback as well. The offense should improve, but it still won’t be one of the SEC’s best unless Nix can take a big step forward.

On defense, this team shines. CB Roger McCreary is back after a breakout year, and the awesome LB duo of KJ Britt and Zakoby McClain is the best in the SEC. There is a ton of young talent and depth on this D, and I trust 2019 backups like Caleb Johnson and Christian Tutt to step into big roles, however, the loss of Derrick Brown really hurts a pass rush that already struggled. This team has a high ceiling, but it is still very young, landing the Tigers fourth in their division right now.

No non-conference, no spring practice, a new coach, the toughest division in college football but… I like this team a lot. UCF OC Jeff Lebby was a great hire as was head coach Lane Kiffin, and the two will have a lot of talent to work with. Matt Corrall returns after leading the team passing, as does leading rusher and potential starting QB John Rhys Plumlee (1,023 yards, 12 touchdowns, 910 passing yards, four touchdowns). Elijah Moore leads what is a very talented group of receivers, and awesome back Jerrion Ealy returns after averaging over six yards per touch last year. This offense will take a big step forward under Kiffin’s tutlage.

The defense isn’t nearly as exciting, but the freaksihly athletic Sam Williams returns on the edge to lead a group that racked up 33 sacks last year. MLB Lakia Henry (88 stops) returns on the inside, and some JUCO transfers add some depth to this squad. The Rebels should be much improved on both sides of the ball, and in a year with only three power conferences, they are probably a top 25 team.

The always intriguing Mike Leach, who helped turn Washington State from the Kansas of the West to a legit power, takes over in Stark Vegas, however, without spring practices, its unknown how much of a scheme change the Bulldogs will really undergo. Stanford transfer KJ Costello is someone that can air it out and should rack up a ton of yards as the #1 option at QB. RB Kylin Hill decided not to move on to the NFL and should contend for All-SEC status after 1,350 yards and ten touchdowns last year. This offense will probably be the best Bulldog attack since the Dak Prescott era.

On defense, however, this team will really struggle after having the best D in the country just two short years ago. CB Tyler Williams and S Marcus Murphy lead a secondary that significantly lacks depth. LB Erroll Thompson should captain the group, but defenses were never Leach’s speciality at Wazzu. This group should improve as well, but is still fairly young. An SEC-only schedule will mean the wins will see a significant dropoff, but this team should be on level with 2019 despite the turnover.

Arkansas faces the self-proclaimed “toughest scheule in college football history” this year, and honestly… I can’t argue. It is ROUGH. And a win will be hard to find, but I do see this team improving a little. Kendal Briles comes in to improve an offense that really struggled last year, and in comes Florida transfer QB Feleipe Franks, a dual-threat that was a little underrated in his time with the Gators. RB Rakeem Boyd is back after rushing for over 1,100 yards last year, and the top seven wide receivers return along with stud TE Hudson Henry. The offensive line, new coach Sam Pittman’s speciality, should also be good, and I expect massive improvement from the offense.

As bad as the offense was, the defense was worse, but again, Pittman made an excellent coordinator hire – this time former Missouri HC Barry Odom. Leading tackle De’Jon departs, but almost everyone else is back, including #2 tackler Bumper Pool who should have no trouble leading the group. Senior Hayden Henry has been solid over his career, and a pair of transfers from Oklahoma and Clemson add in some raw talent for Odom to work with on the ends. Jonathan Marshall is a good pass-rusher on the interior. The secondary will be very young, and is my biggest concern on the team; there are no real proven commodities in the back four. I think Arkansas should improve a lot on the field, but against what may truly be the toughest schedule in college football history, even getting one win may be tough, but I think they’ll get there.

SEC Title Game Pick: Alabama over Georgia

All-SEC Team

QB – Kyle Trask, Florida
RB – Najee Harris, Alabama
RB – Kylin Hill, Mississippi State
WR – DeVonta Smith, Alabama
WR – Jaylen Wadle, Alabama
TE – Kyle Pitts, Florida
C – Drake Jackson, Kentucky
OL – Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
OL – Trey Smith, Tennessee
OL – Ben Cleveland, Georgia
OL – Landon Dickerson, Alabama

DL – Big Kat Bryant, Auburn
DL – Jordan Davis, Georgia
DL – Christian Barmore, Alabama
DL – Tyer Shelvin, LSU
LB – KJ Britt, Auburn
LB – Dylan Moses, Alabama
LB – Nick Bolton, Missouri
DB – Derek Stingley Jr., LSU
DB – Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
DB – Richard Lecounte, Georgia
DB – Kaiir Elam, Florida

Most Appearances By Team:

Alabama – 8
Georgia – 3
Florida – 3
LSU – 2
Auburn – 2
Kentucky – 1
Tennessee – 1
Mississippi State – 1
Missouri – 1

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Najee Harris, Alabama
Defensive Player of the Year: CB Derek Stingley, LSU
Coach of the Year: Dan Mullen, Florida
Freshman of the Year: RB MarShawn Lloyd, South Carolina
Game of the Year: Florida vs Georgia (November 7)

Check out the CSD preview for the Big 12’s 2020 season in this loaded preview, featuring in-depth coverage of everything you need to know about all ten teams, projected records based on thousands of computer simulations, the projected all-conference team, awards, and more.

The league has announced that it plans to play the normal nine conference games this year and that its teams are allowed to play up to one non-conference game.

Projected Standings

For the third year in a row, a brand new, highly-touted QB will take the field for Lincoln Riley’s Oklahoma Sooners. This time, it will be social media superstar Spencer Rattler, who is so good that the dropoff from Hurts may be unnoticeable. Where the Sooners may struggle, though, is the running back spot, where Trey Sermon transfers away to Ohio State and Kennedy Brooks will be an opt-out for the NFL draft. Senior Rhamondre Stevenson is the default #1. Stevenson scampered for 515 yards and six touchdowns last year as the Sooners’ #3. The receiving corps is still stacked even without CeeDee Lamb. Charleston Rambo (17 YPC in 2019) looks to be the next big thing in Norman, and awesome recruiting will provide plenty of depth.

On defense, Oklahoma improved under Alex Grinch last year, but the secondary was still a massive hole, and with its best player, Parnell Motley, gone, I don’t expect it to get much better. The big reason that the Sooners were better last year was the pass rush, and the line looks to be solid again, with LaRon Stoke and Marcus Stripling coming off the ends, and Ronnie Perkins threatening to tear up Big 12 O-lines. LB Nik Bonitto and CB Tre Brown taking steps up will be the key to whether or not OU can take another step forward on defense this year. As for the Sooners as a whole, I do see a slight step back because of the uncertainty at the RB spot and Rattler’s unproven nature, but they are the favorites for a Big 12 title and thus a College Football Playoff spot.

A 5-4 Big 12 record in 2019 was clearly disappointing for Texas, but the Longhorns were probably better than that record indicated, and almost everyone is back, including star QB Sam Ehlinger (32 touchdowns) who decided to pass on the NFL draft to return to Austin. Five-star RB Bijan Robinson will push returning top back Keontay Ingram (853 yards, seven touchdowns, 242 receiving yards, three receiving touchdowns) in the run game, and T Samuel Cosmi is a legit NFL prospect working around a solid line. A pair of guys that caught six touchdowns each return in the receiving corps as well, although the losses of Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay hurt. This should be one of the better offenses in the country.

The defense was alright in Big 12 adjusted terms, and it returns a lot. Gone is Malcolm Roach from the pass rush, but almost everyone else is back, including LB Joseph Ossai (five sacks) and MLB Juwan Mitchell. CB D’Shawn Jamison had a very impressive season for a year one starter in 2019, and I expect him to be an All-Big 12 caliber player by the time he leaves Austin. Former Rutgers head coach Chris Ash is the new defensive coordinator, and the group should improve after they were killed with injuries last year. Texas will compete for a Big 12 title again, but the holes on defense are obvious.

Nine starters are back from what was already one of the most dangerous offenses in the country. Watch out Big 12. RB Chuba Hubbard returns after running for over 2,100 yards and 21 touchdowns last year, and WR Tylan Wallace has the potential to be an All-American caliber player (and was on his way there last year before an ACL tear). The line looks to be solid, with both tackles back and a West Virginia transfer at guard. The talent in the skill positions are incredible, the Cowboys just need a reliable QB. Spencer Sanders runs well but threw way too many interceptions as a freshman. If he can clean that up, this offense will be one of the nation’s very best.

On defense, everyone is back from a much-improved group outside of star corner AJ Green, but any team will take 12 of its top 13 tacklers returning. LB Amen Ogbongbemiga was the captain of the defense last year, and the Cowboys also boast the best safety duo in the conference in Tre Sterling and Kolby Harvell-Peel. The defense will take another step forward, and this team will compete for a Big 12 title.

For three years running, Iowa State has finished with a winning record in the Big 12, but this may finally be the year that the ‘Clones truly take that next step forward into title contention. QB Brock Purdy (3,928 yards, 27 touchdowns) is one of the best pass-throwers in the country and TE Charlie Kolar is the best tight end in the Big 12. Throw in excellent back Breece Hall, who struggled out of the gate as a true freshman but cranked up the volume in the second half of the season for 897 yards and nine touchdowns, and you have a bona fide awesome offense. The line worries me, but outside of that, this attack should rock. On defense, I have a lot more worries. The group slid last year and loses leading tackler Marcel Spears, but a ton of talent still returns. Edge rusher JaQuan Bailey is awesome, and there is decent depth around him. Mike Rose and O’Rein Vance combined for ten sacks a season ago, and in the secondary, four of the top five return, including the dynamite safety duo of Greg Eisworth and Lawrence White (combined 15 PBUs/INTs between the two last year). I have ISU at 6-3 in Big 12 play this year, meaning they’d probably only need to overperform expectations by one game to make the Big 12 title game. Go get ’em Matt Campbell.

Matt Rhule is off to the NFL, but Baylor made an excellent hire to replace him in 2019 National Championship winning Defensive Coordinator Dave Aranda. Aranda will have to rebuild the defense, one that only returns two starters, but on offense QB Charlie Brewer (3,161 yards, 21 touchdowns) is back after leading the Bears to 11 wins last year. Much of Brewer’s receiving corps, including Denzel Mims, departs, but four starters return from an offensive line that struggled last year but should improve with experience. Leading rusher John Lovett will be the key to the run game.

On defense, the worries really start to set in, as almost everyone is gone. Arkansas State transfer William Bradley-King will provide some pressure in the pass rush after a few very productive years in the Sun Belt, and former WR-turned-CB Raleigh Texada is solid, but that’s about where the positives end for the Bears. Baylor was lucky to win 11 games last year. Add in some massive losses on defense and regression to the mean is inevitable.

TCU was better than their 5-7 record indicated last year, but the play of freshman QB Max Duggan cost them a trip to a bowl game for just the third time in Gary Patterson’s tenure as TCU head man. 2019 starting QB Max Duggan will sit out this year due to a health issue, and former walk-on Matthew Downing looks to be the guy at the QB spot. Jalen Reagor is off to the NFL, but the next five receivers return, including five-TD TE Pro Wells. The offensive line is a big question mark, and the top two running backs depart as well. This offense will really struggle unless five-star RB Zachary Evans steps up insanely fast for a true freshman.

On defense, this TCU team will be solid. Gary Patterson teams always are. The linebacking corps, led by La’Kendrick Van Zandt and Garret Wallow, should be good, and the Horned Frogs add in an LSU transfer, Marcel Brooks. The safety duo of Ar’Darius Washington and Trevon Moehrig (16 PBUs/INTs) is the best in the country.

This may be the best defense in the conference saddled with what may be the worst offense. I find it hard to get a read on this team because of that, but with Gary Patterson at the helm, the floor is relatively high.

Year one under Chris Klieman for Kansas State was awesome, the Wildcats went 8-5, but with just nine starters returning, Klieman’s team will almost assuredly take a step back this year. QB Skylar Thompson returns, but he loses his top target and his entire offensive line. If Malik Knowles or Phillip Brooks can break out as pass-catchers, I think this offense could surprise some people, but it is admittedly a big question mark.

On defense, the Wildcats will get at the quarterback. Edge Wyatt Hubert is an All-Big 12 candidate, and he should take the pressure off the rest of the rotation. The secondary loses some transfers but also brings some in, and should be a solid group all in all. There’s not a whole lot of experience on this team, but the talent is there, and Klieman is a great coach. This team could surprise some folks.

Granted, last year was supposed to be a rebuilding year for West Virginia with a ton of roster turnover and a new coach, but the offense took a massive step back. QB Jarret Doege, one of the few bright spots of last year, returns, as does almost the entire receiving corps, which was absurdly young last year and thus should take a big step forward in 2020. Leading pass-catcher Sam James (69 catches) returns, and former Alabama slot man TJ Simmons stepped up last year. The big issue last season for the Mountaineers was the run game, where leading rusher Leddie Brown only totaled one touchdown and 367 yards, and three starters are gone from a line that already struggled in the run game. Doege, who only started the back half of 2019, will lead this offense to a much improved year, but the run game will struggle still.

The defense will compete with the best in the conference. Seven of the top ten tacklers return from last year’s team, including the extraordinary pass rush brother duo of Dante and Darius Sills (combined 14 sacks). Also back is the team’s #2 leading tacklers, LB Josh Chandler, an awesome play-maker against the run despite his small frame. The secondary features one of the best pairs of safeties in the conference in Sean Mahone and Kerry Martin Jr.

CB Tykee Smith will step up off of a two-interception year as a true freshman and will easily step into the #1 role, not to mention the addition of Arizona transfer Scottie Young. The offensive line and the massive hole at running back are two glaring issues, but outside of that this is a very dangerous team and one that could really surprise some people in Big 12 play.

Year one for Matt Wells at Texas Tech gets a pass because of a bevy of injuries, but the Red Raiders were alright even without star QB Alan Bowman. The receiving corps is loaded, with TJ Vasher and Erik Ezukanma back as potential All-Big 12 level players. RB SaRodorick Thompson returns after 765 yards and 12 touchdowns last year; Thompson can also bring in passes – he landed 39 grabs last year. The line is an issue, but just by way of staying healthy, this offense should improve.

The defense really struggled last year, something that has been true for Texas Tech for as long as I can remember. The secondary is especially shaky outside of #1 corner Zech McPhearson, and this is a defense that might struggle at all three levels – many of their best players from last year’s group are gone. The defense will take a step back after an already bad year, and I don’t think the offense is good enough to drag the Red Raiders to a competitive year. Tech will struggle.

3-9 was a great start for Les Miles at Kansas, but I feel skeptical that the Jayhawks will be able to repeat that. Pooka Williams is back at running back after a 1,000+ yard year, and the receiving corps returns three of the top four, along with Pooka, who can catch himself. QB is still a question, but senior Thomas MacVittie seems to be the favorite. I think this offense takes a small step forward thanks to the talent in the skill corps, but it really all comes down to how good the QB play is.

The defense, on the other hand, looks to be a real mess, as only three starters return from what was already one of the worst defenses in the Big 12. LB Kyron Thompson is strong in coverage, and the recruiting has been pretty good for Miles early on (he also adds in some JUCO transfers). This defense will really struggle, and Kansas will finish last in the Big 12 yet again.

Big 12 Title Game Pick: Oklahoma over Texas

All-Big 12 Team

QB – Sam Ehlinger, Texas
RB – Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State
RB – Pooka Williams, Kansas
WR – Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State
WR – Charleston Rambo, Oklahoma
TE – Charlie Kolar, Iowa State
C – Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma
OL – Samuel Cosmi, Texas
OL – Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State
OL – Marquis Hayes, Oklahoma
OL – Adrian Ealy, Oklahoma

DL – Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma
DL – Darius Stills, West Virginia
DL – Ronnie Perkins, Oklahoma
DL – William Bradley-King, Baylor
LB – Garrett Wallow, TCU
LB – Amen Ogbongbemiga, Oklahoma State
LB – Joseph Ossai, Texas
DL – Trevon Moehrig, TCU
DL – Ar’Darius Washington, TCU
DL – Tre Brown, Oklahoma
DL – Raleigh Texada, Baylor

Most Appearances By Team:

Oklahoma – 7
Oklahoma State – 4
Texas – 3
TCU – 3
Baylor – 2
Iowa State – 1
West Virginia – 1
Kansas – 1

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Chub Hubbard, Oklahoma State
Defensive Player of the Year: LB Joseph Ossai, Texas
Coach of the Year: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
Freshman of the Year: QB Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma
Game of the Year: Texas @ Oklahoma State (October 31)

Check out the CSD preview for the ACC’s 2020 season in this loaded preview, featuring in-depth coverage of everything you need to know about all 15 teams, projected records based on thousands of computer simulations, the projected all-conference team, awards, and more.

The league has announced that it plans to play ten conference games this year and that its teams are allowed to play up to one non-conference game. Additionally, the conference has scrapped divisions for the 2020 season and added Notre Dame.

Projected Standings

It feels weird, but it wasn’t that long ago -just 2014- when Clemson was still a clear #2 in thieir own division to Florida State. Since that year, however, the Tigers have been incredible, with 69 wins and just five losses over the five years since. Dabo Swinney has turned the Tigers into a ture college football dynasty. After a national title game trip last year, Dabo and company return one of the best QB/RB combos in college football history in Trevor Lawrence (3,665 yards, 36 touchdowns, 563 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns) and Travis Etienne (2,046 total yards, 23 total touchdowns). There is no overstating how good that duo has been over the past two years, and getting both back is massive for the Tigers.

WRs Tee Higgins (NFL) and Justyn Ross (injury) won’t be back, but the cupboard is more than stacked in SC. Joseph Ngata returns after an eye-catching year one, and four-star EJ Williams comes in to add some pop to the group. The offensive line will also go under a transition with four starters gone, but this Clemson offense has earned the benefit of the doubt, and the Lawrence/Etienne combo alone makes this a contender for the best offense in the nation.

On defense, all-world LB Isaiah Simmons is gone, as are three of four starters from the dynamite secondary, but the most important piece is back: defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who is somehow still a DC at Clemson. Over his tenure with the Tigers, Venables has proved himself as the most valuable coordinator in the country by a wide margin, and it’s a wonder he isn’t a head coach somewhere already.

Some pieces are back for Venables, including one of the best interior duos in the country in Tyler Davis and Nyles Pinkney. Senior LB James Skalski (90 tackles) returns on the second level, and CB Derion Kendrick will lead the secondary, where he’ll be joined by S Nolan Turner. There are losses, but there is a bevy of young talent on this defense, like potential Simmons replacement Mike Jones Jr.. This team will be among the favorites to win the national title yet again.

Almost everyone is back from a team that went 7-6 last year, to an almost scary degree that gives me 2016 Washington vibes. That Huskies team made the College Football Playoff, and I honestly believe that the ceiling is that high for this UNC team as well. QB Sam Howell (3,641 yards, 38 touchdowns) is back after one of the best true freshman seasons in recent memory. He returns both leading rushers: Michael Carter and Javonte Williams, the two of whom combined for nearly 2,000 yards in 2019. Also back are four of five starters on the line. Oh yeah, also the entire receiving corps, led by a pair of thousand-yard pass-catchers: Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome. That’s just not fair.

On defense, potential All-American CB Storm Duck is back, as is stud pass rusher Raymond Vohasek and converted QB to LB Chazz Surratt, who earned All-ACC honors last year. Cap it off with the best edge rusher if the 2020 class, Desmond Evans, and you can see why myself and many others are so high on this team. The Tar Heels will likely be the most improved team in the nation 2019 to 2020, and they have a real shot of contending with Clemson at the top of the ACC.

Notre Dame has been a consistent top-ten to top-15 program under Brian Kelly, going undefeated in the regular season twice (2012 and 2018) but were blown out in the postseason both years. The Fighting Irish will look to truly break into that next echelon this year, not just have the gaudy record. QB Ian Book, who is a lot better than given credit for, is back after a 3,000-yard year where he threw nearly six times as many touchdowns as interceptions. On the line, NFL talent Liam Eichenberg captains what will be the best O-Line in the country. The skill corps feels a little bare, but some unproven young guys are intriguing.

On defense, four key pieces are off to the NFL from what was one of the better Ds in the country, but a ton of talent returns. Daelin Hayes, who missed much of 2019 with an injury, looks to be back, as will be leading tackler Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and a pair of potential All-Americans in S Kyle Hamilton and CB Tariq Bracy. It feels very hard to get a read on this team, one with a ton of talent, but an obvious hole in the skills corp. The Fighting Irish will be good, but I think “national title contender” might be a stretch.

Instability at the quarterback spot has been the story of Justin Fuente’s up-and-down tenure at Virginia Tech, but the Hokies have finally found their guy: 6-4, 228 pounder Hendon Hooker, who was 6-2 as a starter last year, throwing for 13 touchdowns and just two picks, both coming in the loss at rival Virginia. Hooker, a dual-threat weapon (five rushing touchdowns) will have to deal with some turnover in the receiving corps (leader Damon Hazelton transferred to Missouri) but Tre Turner (553 yards, four touchdowns) returns, and deep threat TE James Mitchell will be one of the most productive pass-catching tight ends in the conference. Kansas grad transfer Khalil Herbert comes in a halfback, and he’ll run behind one of the best lines in the ACC.

On defense, potential top-ten pick Caleb Farley is sitting out the season, but almost everyone else returns from last year’s group: ten starters and 16 of the top 18 tacklers. 120-tackle MLB Rayshad Ashby (17 TFL) is the captain of the defense, and the Hokies also boast a solid group of pass-rushers to get at ACC QBs. Farley leaving hurts, but the guy that started across from him last year, CB Jermaine Waller, would easily be a #1 guy at most P5 schools, so he should have no trouble sliding into that role for Tech. Safety Divine Deablo also returns, and VT brings in one of the best FCS pass-rushers in America, former Youngstown State end Justus Reed (12.5 sacks). 30-year DC Bud Foster, perhaps the most influential coordinator in college football history, is gone, but he left a lot for replacement Justin Hamilton to work with. This team should improve on both sides of the ball, with the defense contending for top-ten in the country status. The Hokies have a decent shot at ACC title game contention.

Louisville probably wasn’t as good as their 8-5 record indicated last year, but after a disastrous 2018, I think Cards fans will take it. Scott Satterfield’s first year at UL saw the Cards’ offense take off with dual-threat QB Micale Cunningham taking over for Jawon “Puma” Pass, but the improvement of offense largely hid what was one of the worst defenses in the conference, and I don’t expect that gap to close too much in 2020.

Cunningham is back, as is RB Javian Hawkins, who rushed for over 1,500 yards as a freshman. Receiver Tutu Atwell (1,276 yards) has a case to be the best wideout in the nation, he returns along with Dez Fitzpatrick and Marshon Ford. Not to mention five guys with starting experience on the line. This offense could contend with Clemson for best in the conference on their best day. The defense? A different story.

The UL defense ranked in the 100s in 2019, giving up over 50 points in six of the last seven games, including 77 to eventual ACC champs Clemson, an absolute drubbing. Luckily for the Cards, the young group will be a lot more experienced for 2020, as nine of the top 11 tacklers return, including reliable blitzer Rodjay Burns, high volume tackler Dorian Etheridge, and a pair of serviceable corners in Chandler Jones and Anthony Johnson. However, there is a gap on the defensive line, with their two best linemen gone. This defense will struggle again but should clear the low bar of last year, and the awesome offense will carry the Cards to a winning season again.

The Willie Taggart era at Florida State didn’t go to plan, but in comes former Memphis head man Mike Norvell, who helped make Memphis into one of the most consistent programs in the G5 over his tenure with the Tigers. Norvell will bring a jolt of electricity to the offense, which struggled mightily under the previous coach.

Back to lead the O is QB James Blackman, who has struggled at times, but, to be fair, has been saddled with one of the worst offensive lines in the P5 over his tenure with the Noles. Five-star RB Cam Akers is gone, however, Akers was never able to truly break out behind the awful line, but he will be missed. Speedy Texas A&M transfer Jashaun Corbin looks to be the day one replacement, but recruiting will need to build that position back up over the long term. WR Tamorrion Terry is a future NFL player that should be Blackman’s #1 target through the air. As mentioned, the line has been bad but should improve at least a little with experience.

On defense, the ‘Noles have regressed over the past couple years, mainly due to a bevy of injuries in 2019, but a lot of experience returns from that squad, as 19 players who played at least 100 snaps return (of 25). Of course, this team has recruited well, so the talent will be there to back up a group that returns ten starters, including All-American DT Marvin Wilson and his compadre on the interior, Cory Durden. Emmett Rice is a solid veteran to lead the linebacking corps, and leading tackler Hamsah Nasirildeen and All-ACC corner Asante Samuel will patrol the secondary as two potential All-American candidates. I’m still unsure about the offense, but the talent is there that I think this defense could be one of the best in the country. The ‘Noles should improve in year one under Norvell, but ACC title contention may be a year away.

There’s no way around it, the Miami offense was bad last year. Really, really bad. The three potential QBs we spent all offseason talking about all flopped, there was no run game to speak of, and the offensive line sucked. Well, the reset button has been hit. Manny Diaz is the new head coach, and former SMU OC Rhett Lashlee will take over the offense after a couple of great years with the Mustangs. Also incoming, a transfer at QB, Houston’s D’Eriq King (4,925 yards, 50 touchdowns, 1,421 rushing yards, 28 rushing touchdowns in career). King nearly had 4,000 total yards in 2018, but in his limited appearances before redshirting last year, he really struggled. I’ll try to ignore recency bias because of how awesome King was in 2018, but the rough 2019 does scare me a little.

TE Brevin Jordan is back, and while the top wideouts are gone, a couple of interesting young names should fill in. All five starters are back on the line, and while leading rusher DeeJay Dallas is off to the NFL, the ‘Canes already struggled in the run game last year so he won’t be too missed. The offense will probably struggle again, but King is such an X-factor that I do have some optimism for improvement.

On defense, Miami was awesome last year, the offense just was so bad it never really shone through. A lot of talent is gone to be fair, including the entire linebacking corps, highlighted by Shaq Quarterman and Michael Pinckney.

Corner Tajan Bandy and S Robert Knowles are also gone, and top-ten NFL draft prospect Gregory Rousseau opted out of the season. So yeah, a lot departs, but there is some new talent. Temple edge rusher Quincy Roche (137 tackles, 26 sacks in career) is in for the ‘Canes after being one of the best defenders at the G5 level last year. Add in a solid recruiting class, a few Pac-12 transfers, and DJ Ivery (three INTs) back, and Miami should have a decent, if not 2019 good, D. I still don’t have a ton of confidence in the offense, but if King can step up, the ‘Canes could improve on last year’s six-win mark.

Pitt had almost no offense to speak of last year, but they won eight games, almost entirely due to the defense, but what offense they had was mostly thanks to QB Kenny Pickett, an unremarkable but accurate QB that will rack up yards but can struggle in the playmaking department, and was a liability to make bad decisions (nine touchdowns to eight interceptions in ACC play). Pickett’s star receiver, Maurice Ffrench, is gone, but an FSU transfer at TE and senior Taysir Mack will keep the receiving corps stable. The running game returns the top three from 2019, highlighted by senior AJ Davis (530 yards, four touchdowns). The line also brings back five starters. There will be experience, so the offense should improve a little, but the raw talent just isn’t there, so the group will probably struggle again.

The defense is a different story. The Panthers boast one of the best lines in the country and get almost everyone back outside of DT Jaylen Twyman (opt-out). Ends Patrick Jones and Deslin Alexandre are back after combining for 14 sacks, and Amir Watts returns on the inside, not to mention 2018 star Rashad Weaver (6.5 sacks in 2018), who missed 2019 with an injury. The linebacking corps will be all seniors, led by Cam Bright, and the #1 and #2 tacklers on the team, Paris Ford and Damar Hamlin, make a dangerous safety duo. Damarri Mathis (two interceptions, eight PBUs) struggled with penalties last year, but is a monster in press and should make a dangerous #1 corner. The opt-out of Twyman hurts, but this will still be one of the best defenses in the conference, and they should drag the poor offense to a decent season again.

Last year’s Virginia team was the best in nearly 30 years. An ACC Coastal Championship, a trip to a New Year’s Six bowl, where they held their own with SEC East runner-up Florida, and most importantly, the first win against Virginia Tech since 2003. Bronco Mendenhall completed the rebuild. The problem? Now he might have to do it again. QB Bryce Perkins, who led the team in passing and rushing, is gone, as are the top two receivers, and the best defender: now-New York Jet Bryce Hall.

Sophomore Brennan Armstrong is the replacement for Perkins, he might actually be a better passer than Perkins was but lacks the playmaking ability and foot talent. Armstrong will have a pair of excellent receivers to throw to in slot man Billy Kemp IV and the excellent Terrell Jana, who dropped just one pass in 2019 and should contend for all-conference honors. The line should be solid, and leading RB Wayne Taulapapa (473 yards, 12 touchdowns) returns, the ‘Hoos also bring in Indiana transfer Ronnie Walker. Perkins gone is obviously a huge loss, and it’s very “wait and see” to determine just how vital he was to this offense’s success (my guess: a lot).

On defense, 12 of the top 14 tacklers are back, including the dangerous linebacking duo of Charles Snowden and Noah Taylor, both of whom are solid in coverage and excellent pass-rushers. Aaron Faumui (40 pressures, 14 missed tackles) is a NT with considerable raw talent that just can’t tackle, he should take a step forward this year. Bryce Hall replacement Darrius Bratton was solid in 2018 before an injury sidelined him last year. In a year when I expect a lot of ACC teams (North Carolina, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Miami and Pittsburgh to some extent) to take a step forward, its hard to be high on Virginia when they’ll clearly be taking a step back without Perkins, but a lot of talent is on this team, and if Armstrong can impress, the Cavaliers have enough talent to be a top-tier ACC team again despite a brutal schedule, where the Cavaliers draw Clemson, Virginia Tech, and Miami on the road and don’t get to play conference bottom-feeders Georgia Tech and Syracuse.

NC State has been such a shockingly consistent team under Dave Doeren that watching last year’s team struggle so much felt almost weird. After back-to-back 9-4 seasons, the departure of QB Ryan Finley destroyed the Wolfpack offense. NC State couldn’t find a reliable guy to throw the ball, and the majority of rushing snaps went to freshman. Devin Leary is the man at QB, looking to improve after a bad 2019, but there will be talent around him. All four running backs, three of whom were freshman in 2019, return in a group led by Zonovan Knight (745 yards, five touchdowns), and an offensive line that was the best part of last year’s bad offense returns four of five starters. Top pass-catcher Tabari Hines is gone, but almost everyone else is back in a group that should be solid as long as there is someone to catch passes from. This offense should take a step forward as it gets more experienced, but won’t come close to the Finley era teams.

On defense, there are serious questions on the line and in the secondary, but the duo of Payton Wilson and Drake Thomas should be solid on the second level. IDL Alim McNeil is one of the most productive nose tackles in the conference, but depth is a serious issue across the defense, a component even more important in 2020 than a normal year. Dave Doeren has been such a consistent coach that a rebound feels like it *should* happen, but there just isn’t a lot of talent on the roster. Even a .500 year feels unlikely.

Granted its eight wins, but they put statues up for that sort of thing in Winston Salem. Former Bowling Green HC Dave Clawson has brought Wake Forest out of the ACC cellars in his six years. After going 6-18 in his first two years, it seemed as if Clawson would be another victim of Wake’s struggles, but in the four years since, the Demon Deacons have averaged 7.5 wins, highlighted by last year’s 8-5 squad. A fifth straight winning season might be tough, but you’ve got to give credit to Clawson for getting Wake this far. Star QB Jamie Newman is gone after an excellent 2019, as is stud receiver Sage Surratt. 2018 starting QB Sam Hartman does return, though. Hartman was alright in 2018, he’s reliable, but struggles to make big plays and is a big step down from Newman. Sophomore RB Kenneth Walker III averaged close to five yards per carry last year, and three starters are back on the line, along with a Maryland transfer that could start.

On defense, 14 guys with significant playing experience return in a group highlighted by awesome edge rusher Carlos Besham Jr. (11 sacks). Blitzing linebacker Ryan Smenda Jr. and coverage back Ja’Cquez Williams both return as well, and while the corners are gone, the excellent pass rush should keep Wake in the game even if pass coverage struggles. This team will obviously take a step back without Newman, Surratt, and the awesome cornerback duo of Essang Bassey and Amari Henderson. Nevertheless, this team will get some wins, and the youth of this squad means I expect a return to bowl season for Wake in 2021.

It has been up-and-down at times, but in the aggregate, David Cutcliffe has brought a level of respect to the Duke program that the basketball school has rarely received in their history. 2019 was a clear step back for the Blue Devils, as QB Daniel Jones (and his top four receivers) left, but even a down-year still gave Duke a 5-7 record. Now, in comes Clemson transfer Chase Brice at QB. Brice is a blue-chip recruit that was excellent in garbage time for the Tigers, and he should provide a jolt to this offense. The skill corps, which wasn’t much to speak of last year, will be a lot more experienced as almost everyone is back, including leading rusher Deon Jackson (641 yards, six touchdowns). The offense should improve with the added experience and Brice at the helm.

On defense, seven of the top nine tacklers are back, including the monster edge rush duo of Victor Dimukeje and Chris Rumph (combined 15 sacks). The secondary will also compete to be the best in the nation, with three legit awesome starters in Michael Carter II, Josh Blackwell, and Marquis Water, although the depth did get killed by transfers. The linebacking corps also does take a hit with leading tackler Koby Quansah gone, but all in all this should be a very good defense. The massive holes in the skill corps and the unproven nature of Brice make me wary of this group, but this is clearly a high-ceiling team that has the potential to upset some folks.

Former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley comes in to try to turn around a Boston College that has long struggled to get past the .500 mark. Notre Dame transfer Phil Jurkovec is in to start at QB for the Eagles, and he could be the best BC QB in recent memory, with an ability to make plays with his feet and an awesome arm.

TE Hunter Long is one of the best in the ACC, and also back is top WR Kobay White (460 yards, five touchdowns). The offensive line should be fantastic, with a trio of potential all-conference guys back, a group highlighted by potential All-American center Alex Lindstrom. Star RB AJ Dillon is gone, but junior David Bailey can stop a significant drop-off. Bailey took off for 844 yards and seven scores as Dillon’s #2 last year.

On defense, a Boston College program that has consistently been one of the better in the country in that department took a massive step back. However, 16 of the 19 top tacklers are back, and former Bengals LB Tem Lukabu is an awesome hire to stop the bleeding. Leading tackler Max Richardson returns after an awesome 2019, as do ends Brandon Barlow and Marcus Valdez (combined five sacks).

Three of four starters return from a secondary that struggled, although corner Brandon Sebastian is a legit all-conference contender. Whether 2020 can be a step forward largely hinges on how good Jurkovec is, but in a conference with lots of teams taking steps forwards this year, that may be especially difficult.

The transition from option offense to a more “normal” spread style attack for Georgia Tech was always going to be tough, and boy was it. Freshman QB James Graham could make plays with his feet but struggled mightily in the passing game (45%). Single receivers on other teams had more yards than Tech’s entire receiving corps combined, and the offensive line, all of whom were recruited to run an entirely different scheme, were clearly out of their depth. Now, everyone returns and has had an extra year to learn the scheme. RB Jordan Mason will be the star after dashing for over five yards a carry last year, and he will be key to an offense that should improve this year.

The offense had a built-in excuse with the massive scheme change. The defense? They just weren’t very good. Granted, the Yellow Jackets were extraordinarily young on that side of the ball, with over a dozen underclassmen receiving significant playing time. However, the saying goes, the best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores. 13 of the top 14 tacklers return, and the Yellow Jackets add in a few P5 transfers along with an excellent recruiting class. The secondary should be dynamite, with safeties Juanyeh Thomas and Tariq Carpenter one of the best duos in the country, and LB Quez Watkins is a monster run stopper. This team will be a lot better, but in a conference with a bunch of teams taking a step forward, it may be hard to notice.

After a 2019 season that saw Syracuse’s wins slashed in half from the year before, 2020 may be another tough year for the Orange. Highly touted QB Tommy DeVito was solid, but the offensive line was so bad that he was running for his life almost constantly. DeVito is back, and the line should be more experienced, but now much of the skill corps departs, with three of four top pass-catchers gone along with leading rusher Moe Neal.

On defense, much of an already weak front seven departs, but the secondary should be the best unit on the team. CB Ifeatu Melifonwu and S Andre Cisco are a pair of All-ACC caliber playmakers that willbe a nightmare for ACC QBs to deal with. However, the turnover in the front seven may prove to be too much, and I think this is an ateam that struggles again, and one that could find themselves in last place in what should be a much improved ACC.

ACC Title Game Pick: Clemson over North Carolina

All-ACC Team

QB – Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
RB – Travis Etienne, Clemson
RB – Javian Hawkins, Louisville
WR – Tutu Atwell, Louisville
WR – Dazz Newsome, North Carolina
TE – Brevin Jordan, Miami
C – Jimmy Morrissey, Pittsburgh
OL – Ben Petrula, Boston College
OL – Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame
OL – Bryce Hargrove, Pittsburgh
OL – Zion Johnson, Boston College

DL – Marvin Wilson, Florida State
DL – Chris Rumph II, Duke
DL – Quincy Roche, Miami
DL – Carlos Basham, Wake Forest
LB – Max Richardson, Boston College
LB – Rayshard Ashby, Virginia Tech
LB – James Skalski, Clemson
DB – Andre Cisco, Syracuse
DB – Nolan Turner, Clemson
DB – Asante Samuel, Florida State
DB – Hamsah Nasirildeen, Florida State

Most Appearances by Team:

Clemson – 4
Florida State – 3
Boston College – 3
Louisville – 2
Miami – 2
Pittsburgh – 2
North Carolina – 1
Notre Dame – 1
Virginia Tech – 1
Duke – 1
Syracuse – 1

Offensive Player of the Year: QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
Defensive Player of the Year: DL Marvin Wilson, Florida State
Coach of the Year: Mack Brown, North Carolina
Newcomer of the Year: QB D’Eriq King, Miami
Game of the Year: Clemson @ Notre Dame (November 7)

Check out the CSD preview for the American Athletic Conference’s 2020 season in this loaded preview, featuring in-depth coverage of everything you need to know about all 11 teams, projected records based on thousands of computer simulations, the projected all-conference team, awards, and more!

The league has announced that it plans to play the normal eight conference games and that its teams are allowed to play up to four non-conference opponents. Additionally, the conference has scrapped divisions for the 2020 season.

Projected Standings

Over the past few years, the AAC has distinguished itself as head and shoulders above every other G5 conference in college football, and without UConn dragging it down (the Huskies left the conference this year), you could have made a convincing argument that the AAC was a better top to bottom conference than the ACC. The conference, now with an uneven 11 teams, will move to a no divisions format for 2020, but the same three main contenders remain: Memphis, Cincinnati, and UCF

11 years after Cincinnati was heartbreakingly close to an appearance in the BCS National Title Game, the Bearcats may actually have a shot to do it again in 2020. In 2009, a Brian Kelly-led Cincy team finished the regular season undefeated and #3 in the BCS rankings (back before the playoff), and for an hour or so, the Bearcats looked to be poised to take the #2 spot until then-#2 Texas rallied back to beat Nebraska in the Big 12 title game. Then, conference realignment hit. The Big East dissolved, and the Bearcats, a successful program, got left at the altar by the ACC, falling into G5 obscurity, where no team will ever compete for a top-four spot. UCF had back-to-back undefeated seasons and finished eighth in 2018. Unless… In a year with only three power conferences, could an undefeated G5 champ make the dance? The answer? Probably not. But maybe. I don’t think it’s impossible anymore, and if any team can do it, it will be Cincinnati. The Bearcats come into 2020 ranked 13th by the AP voters among teams playing football. In 2018, when UCF finished 8th, the Golden Knights were preseason #21, a 13 spot climb.

Now into why I think this team, not Memphis or UCF, is the banner flyer for the G5 in 2020. It starts, quite simply, with the defense. The UC defense is the best in the G5 by a significant margin, and in a conference known for teams with greats offenses and little defense, that can be a difference-maker. 15 of the top 17 tacklers are back from an already great group, including S Ja’Von Hicks (five interceptions) and awesome veteran edge rusher Myjai Sanders. On offense, the Bearcats probably aren’t as good as Memphis or UCF, but they’re solid. QB Desmond Ridder is a dual-threat QB that has struggled with accuracy but can make plays with his feet. The offensive line looks great, and the Bearcats add in highly touted Alabama transfer Jerome Ford at runningback. This will be an awesome team, the fact they’ll face Memphis, UCF, and one of the two again in the AAC title game (if they can get there) makes an undefeated year unlikely, but if the Bearcats can make it that far, it might be a tough sell for the CFP committee to leave them out.

Last year’s UCF team might’ve actually been better than either of the Golden Knights team that finished the regular season undefeated thanks to a much-improved defense, but some bad luck and injuries meant that Josh Heupel’s squad ended up finishing 10-3. After going 25-1 over a two-year span, that may be a little disappointing, but that is an incredible three-year stretch for any program, especially a G5. QB Dillon Gabriel is back from that squad, as is 2017/18 star QB McKenzie Milton (23-0 as a starter in those two years), one of my favorite players in college football history, although the brutal leg injury that cost UCF back-to-back undefeated years might keep Milton out for a while.

RB Adrian Killins is gone, the top returner there is slotback-style utility man Otis Anderson (726 yards, five touchdowns). The awesome WR duo of Bentavious Thompson and Greg McCrae returns, and the much improved 2019 defense returns 11 of their top 12 tacklers, including one of the best secondaries in all of college football. This will be an awesome team yet again, and another undefeated season (and potential CFP berth, as mentioned in the Cincinnati preview) isn’t out of the question.

2019 head coach Mike Norvell may be gone to Florida State, but for a team losing their head man, a lot of continuity remains from 2019’s excellent team. Kevin Johns is back at Offensive Coordinator, 4,000-yard passer Brady White is back at QB, and new head coach Ryan Silverfield (OL Coach in 2019) was a “promote from within” hire. The Tigers boasted a top-ten offense in America last year, and not only does White return, but his #1 pass-catcher: 1,200-yard receiver Damonte Coxie is back as well. There is some bad news though, as RB Kenneth Gainwell, perhaps the best player on the team, opted out of the season due to concerns over COVID-19 as four of his family members have passed away due to the virus, a completely understandable decision that was bigger than football.

Focusing on the football for now, though, Gainwell was amazing, but there is an interesting couple of replacements in highly touted Auburn transfer Asa Martin and JUCO All-American Kalyn Grandberry. On defense, the Tigers have been bad for a while but took a big step forward in 2019 despite some obvious weaknesses upfront. Silverfield has brought in former Colorado HC Mike McIntyre to run the defense, and McIntryre returns 14 of the 17 top tacklers from last year’s group, including almost all of the secondary, a group highlighted by All-AAC corner TJ Carter.

The loss of Gainwell hurts, for sure, but this is still a top 25 level team that will threaten for an AAC title.

Last year, Sonny Dykes brought in a boatload of new talent to try and turnaround the Mustangs after a tough 5-7 year one. And… it worked. Led by a Texas transfer at QB, Shane Buechele, the Mustangs doubled their win total from five to ten, and they shouldn’t take much of a step back in 2019. Buechele returns, as does his top target, Reggie Roberson, along with stud TE Kylen Granson and four of five starters on the line. This will be one of the best offenses in all of college football. My only concern is the backfield, where the top two depart, but a new OC, former Appalachian State RB coach Garrett Riley, should help carry the group, led by sophomore TJ McDaniel, to at least a solid year.

On defense, it’s a different story. The group really struggled last year, and the one bright spot, the pass rush, loses almost everyone with Turner Coxe and Delano Robinson the only returners in the front seven. In the defensive backfield, star corner Ar’mani Johnson is back leading a group that gets everyone back but struggled at times in 2019.

The offense will be dynamite, but the defense will have a tough go of things, and in a top-heavy conference like the AAC, one loaded with awesome offenses, that’s deadly. SMU would probably be favored over all but four G5 teams in college football. The problem? Three of those four are in the AAC. A title game trip feels unlikely.

In 2019, star QB Malcolm Perry was Navy’s top returning passer. And their top returning rusher. And their top returning receiver. He’s gone now. Yikes. To call Perry a utility player would be an understatement and after an awesome 11-win 2019, the Midshipmen are likely in for a pretty massive step back in Perry’s absence. Luckily for Navy, the entire receiving corps and a pair of inside backs, Jamele Carothers and Nelson Smith, who combined for 1,305 yards and 21 TDs in 2019, both return. On the outside, speedy CJ Williams (90 passing yards, 298 rushing yards, 210 receiving yards in 2019) looks to be the man, and at the QB spot, sophomore Perry Olsen will step into Perry’s big shoes. Monster tackle Billy Honaker is back to anchor down a line that loses a lot, but Navy is used to turnover upfront, so I don’t see that as a huge issue. A lot is gone from the defense, but star LB Diego Fagot returns. Fagot was excellent in the pass rush and in coverage last year, and he’ll be a difference-maker on this team. I worry about the secondary a little, but the pass rush should still be strong and take some of the pressure off of the DBs. While I do expect a significant step back with the loss of Perry, this should be a winning team again.

Year one under new head coach Dana Holgorsen for Houston did not go as planned. An offensive genius at HC, monster QB D’Eriq King leading the offense, it was supposed to be a great year, but it just never came to be. King ended up redshirting, and he’s now transferring to Miami. The new guy at QB is Clayton Tune. Tune threw for 11 touchdowns and nine picks in seven games of action in 2019; he can make some crazy throws, but he’s a liability in terms of giving the ball away. The Cougars do return four of five starters on the line and an excellent receiving corps, but I don’t see the passing game being much more than “alright” this season. The rest of this team? It’s tempting. Holgersen redshrited a lot of good players last year, and a boatload of transfers and JUCOs are eligible to play, making this one of the toughest teams to get a read on in 2020.

The defense is highlighted by the monster edge duo of Payton Turner and David Anenih, and a bevy of transfers join the secondary. This will be an agressive, attacking defense that could get burned but will put plenty of pressure on opposing QBs. The tons of new faces, especially on defense, make this a tough year to predict, but I’ll settle around .500, with a winning season slightly more likely than a losing one.

Tulane head coach Willie Fritz is a former Georgia Southern guy, so naturally, this is one of the most enjoyable teams to watch in the country. The spread option style and strong defensive play made for a dangerous combo last year, but QB Justin McMillan, and his two top receivers, are gone from last year’s 7-6 squad. In comes Southern Miss transfer Keon Howard at QB. Howard is an unproven commodity, and was pretty bad in his limited appearances at USM, but for Tulane to secure another winning season, he needs to be at least servicable. If he can, RB Amare Jones and the rest of the awesome rushing attack will take care of the rest.

The Green Wave also bring in a pair of highly touted recruits in former Oklahoma WR Mykel Jones and FSU DB Kyle Meyers. On defense, a lot returns from what was one of the better defense in the conference last year. Edge rusher Patrick Johnson is back after dealing with injuries in 2019, and some JUCO transfers as well as the aforementioned Meyers add some more talent to the group. This should be a solid team that will flirt with another winning season, but the massive hole at QB worries me enough to say that I think a step back is inevitable.

Temple has been a P5 coach machine over the past few years. Three former Temple head ball coaches: Matt Rhule, Geoff Collins, and Manny Diaz all took power five jobs within the past few years, and new coach Rod Carey looks to be on that same path. The Carey-coached Owls had an awesome defense, a physical offense, and beat two power five teams and a great Memphis squad, winning eight games when all was said and done for 2019. Due to an inconsistent offense, though, the high highs were matched with low lows, including a 16-point loss to Buffalo, and blowout losses to SMU, UCF, and North Carolina.

Back for the Owls is QB Anthony Russo, who took a step back last year (54%, 21 touchdowns, 12 interceptions) but was still servicable. The line and the receiving corps will take some hits, but a few P5 transfers will look to fill up those gap instantly. The main ball carrier in HC Rod Carey’s run-first system will by sophomore Re’Mahn Davis (936 yards, eight touchdowns), but the Owls will need a real #2. On defense, awesome edge rusher Quincy Rcohe (13 sacks) is off to Miami. The Owls do add in a P5 transfer, Manny Walker (Wake), but Roche will be near impossible to replace. Even outside of Roche, the defense is decimated, with just two starters back. Depth will be a massive issue, and with the defense undergoing a major retooling, I expect a step back.

We’re getting into crunch time for Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery (25-37). After an awesome 10-3 year in 2016, the Hurricane have won just 14 games over the past four seasons. Last year’s team was the best of that stretch, close to making a bowl and beating UCF, but it wasn’t good enough.

QB Zach Smith is back after a shaky year. Smith can chuck it deep, but he puts way too many balls into contested coverage, and his nine interception mark would have been much higher against better corners. Also back are the top receiver, Kylon Stokes (1,049 yards and six touchdowns) and both runningbacks that received significant playing time. The line was bad but also incredibly young in 2019, and should be much improved, as should the offense as a whole

The defense is a different question. Edge rusher Trevis Gipson and corner Reggie Robinson II, the two best players from Tulsa’s 2019 D, are both gone, along with five of the top six tacklers from last year’s 395 YPG defense. As much as the offense will take a step forward, the defense will take an even bigger step back. This may be a tough year.

In 2016, USF had one of the best offenses in the country and went 11-2. The year after, the Bulls won double-digit games again, finishing 10-2. In 2018, they started 7-0. Things were looking up for Charlie Strong and company. It didn’t last long. USF has gone 4-14 since, Strong was fired, and now in comes Jeff Scott to try and salvage a flailing program. The former Clemson offensive coordinator doesn’t have a lot to work with, USF, especially on offense, was awful last year, but I like the hire, it might just take some time.

Sophomore QB Jordan McCloud had some major problems in 2019, and Scott brought in UNC transfer Cade Fortin to challenge him, a decision I certainly approve of. The receiving corps and the offensive line are both bad, and 2019 RB Jordan Cronkite, one of the few bright spots on a bad offense, is gone. Three of the top five tacklerrs are gone on defense, including USF’s best player last year, edge Greg Reaves. The back of the defense looks good, though. The secondary was real good in 2019, and Devin Gil, a Michigan transfer, spruces up a linebacking corps that was solid already. As a whole, the defense should hold up their end of the bargain, but the offense is a huge drop-off from the highs of 2016. This will be a rebuilding year, but there is plenty of potential to look forward to for USF fans.

Elsewhere this team might struggle, but QB Holton Ahlers, WRs CJ Johnson and Tyler Snead, and a ton of receiving depth make up a monster passing attack for the Pirates heading into 2020. The offensive line struggled last year, but ECU brings in a pair of ACC transfers to add in some talent. Speedy sophomore Demetrius Mauney looks to be RB1, and Arkansas transfer Chase Hayden looks to be solid as well. On defense, tiny but dangerous CB Ja’Quan McMillian is the best player on what is a weak side of the ball. LB Xavier Smith is also back after leading the team with 81 tackles last year, and the Pirates will also add in some more power five transfer to improve a group that was one of the worst in the country in 2019. Going from two FCS games in 2019 to zero in 2020 means the win total will probably go down, but this will be an improved team, and one that is still young, meaning a bowl trip in 2021 may be in the cards.

AAC Title Game Pick: Cincinnati over UCF

All-AAC Team

QB – Shane Buechele, SMU
RB – Gerrid Doaks, Cincinnati
RB – Jamale Carothers, Navy
WR – Damonte Coxie, Memphis
WR – Reggie Roberson Jr., SMU
TE – Kylen Granson, SMU
C – Dylan Parham, Memphis
OL – Cole Schneider, UCF
OL – Jaylon Thomas, SMU
OL – James Hudson, Cincinnati
OL – Parker Boudreaux, UCF

DL – Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati
DL – Elijah Ponder, Cincinnati
DL – Kenny Turnier, UCF
DL – Ifeanyi Maijeh, Temple
LB – Zaven Collins, Tulsa
LB – Diego Fagot, Navy
LB – Patrick Johnson, Tulane
DB – Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati
DB – Richie Grant, UCF
DB – Ar’Mani Johnson, SMU
DB – Antwan Collier, UCF

Most Appearances By Team:

Cincinnati – 5
UCF – 5
SMU – 5
Memphis – 2
Navy – 2
Tulane – 1
Temple – 1
Tulsa – 1

Offensive Player of the Year: QB Shane Buechele, SMU
Defensive Player of the Year: CB Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati
Coach of the Year: Luke Fickell, Cincinnati
Freshman of the Year: RB Tyjae Spears, Tulane
Newcomer of the Year: OL James Hudson, Cincinnati
Game of the Year: Cincinnati @ UCF (Novermber 21)
Sleeper Team: Tulane

Check out the CSD preview for the Sun Belt Conference’s 2020 season in this loaded preview featuring in-depth coverage of everything you need to know about all ten teams, projected records based on thousands of computer simulations, the projected all-conference team, awards, and more!

The league has announced that it plans to play the normal eight conference games and that its teams are allowed to play up to four non-conference opponents.

EAST

After picking up Georgia Southern and Appalachian State from the FCS following the last round of G5 conference realignment, the Sun Belt East, won by Appalachian State the past two years, has been a sneaky good division at the G5 level. In fact, last year, over half of the division (Appalachian State, Georgia State, and Coastal Carolina) scored a major upset win against a power-five opponent. App State will be favored again, but a few teams could surprise.

Former offensive line coach Shawn Clark has a high bar to clear. From Mack Brown to Scott Satterfield and Elijah Drinkwitz, Appalachian State has been a G5 coaching star machine, and while the Mountaineers feel due for a dud in the coaching department, Clark filled in well during the bowl game win against UAB. As for his team, the Mountaineers have outright-won or shared four straight conference titles, and they return QB Zac Thomas (2,178 yards, 28 touchdowns, six interceptions, seven rushing touchdowns) from last year’s talented squad. Thomas has struggled with accuracy in the past, but he’s a good leader and can make plays with his feet.

App State does lose perhaps their best player from last year’s team, TB Darrynton Evans, who averaged well over 1,000 yards a year in his short career at the program. The receiving corps is loaded with the top four guys back, including a pair of All-Sun Belt pass-catchers in Thomas Hennigan and Corey Sutton.

The defense is a little more suspicious, as they lose a couple of truly special players in LB Akeem Davis-Gaither and S Desmond Franklin, but the ‘Eers will return one of the best CB duos at the G5 level in Shemar Jean-Charles and Shaun Jolly. With the new coach and some significant losses, a step back may be inevitable, but App State remains the favorites in the Sun Belt and could contend for a New Year’s Six bowl slot thanks to a pretty easy schedule.

2019 was quite the up-and-down year for Georgia Southern, nearly upsetting eventual national contender Minnesota early in the year, then almost losing to Maine, handing Appalachian State their only loss of the season, and losing their bowl game to Liberty. That is the way it goes sometimes with an option team. The Eagles were one of the most fun teams to watch last year, thanks to a three-headed rushing monster of QB Shai Werts (740 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns), RB Wesley Kennedy (824 yards, 11 touchdowns), and RB JD King (804 yards, eight touchdowns). The three were Georgia Southern’s offense. Werts isn’t much of a passer, not that he was really allowed to try, the top receiver on the year had just 20 catches.

The offensive line returns three starters, and the defensive line might be the most talented group in the Sun Belt. The Eagles return a pair of studs in the pass rush in edge rusher Raymond Johnson III and C.J. Wright, however, the secondary will struggle following the departure of their brilliant pair of corners, Kindle Vildor and Monquavion Brinson. All in all, the gap between Georgia Southern and Appalachian State for 1-2 in the East will probably widen this year, but if there is a bowl season, I’d bet on Georgia Southern making it, also, they’ll be fun to watch again, so at least there’s that.

Troy will look to rebound after missing a bowl for the first time in four years, and they will have to do so without long-time QB Kaleb Barker (3.628 yards, 30 touchdowns). It’s a big hole, but outside of a couple of question marks on the offensive line, if they can fill it, this could be the best offense in the Sun Belt. 2019 backup Gunnar Watson only threw 22 passes last year, and he’s getting a challenge from Vanderbilt transfer Jacob Free and a JUCO transfer, Parker McNeil. Whoever the quarterback is will be blessed with the best receiving corps in the conference. Everyone is back from last year’s group, including vertical threat/return man Reggie Todd and 2019 leader Kaylor Geiger Sr. (77 catches, 873 yards, five touchdowns).

The offense also brings back their top running back from last year’s team, DK Billingsley (899 yards, ten touchdowns), along with the top back from the 2018 team, BJ Smith (1,186 yards, 13 touchdowns in 2018) who missed last year due to injury. The offense should be excellent as long as they find a serviceable QB, but the defense is a different story. The secondary is extraordinarily young and is apt to get burnt frequently. The Trojans do boast a pair of excellent linebackers in Carlton Martial (126 tackles, 18.5 TFL) and KJ Robertson, but losing your one playmaker (Will Sunderland) from an already weak back four hurts. It’s hard to get a read on this team, one with some obvious strengths (WR, RB, LB) and big weaknesses (QB, CB, S). A bowl game berth feels like a tossup.

Georgia State made waves in 2019, upsetting Tennesse 38-30 in Knoxville in a win that put the program on the map. The two keys to that game, however, QB Dan Ellington and stud RB Tra Barnett, are both gone. A pair of backups at running back, Destin Coates and Seth Paige, showed flashes last year and could step up into the hole Barnett left. The QB situation is a different story, though. 2019 backup Cornelious Brown was not good in limited playing time, and incoming freshman Mikele Colasurdo was ruled out for the year due to long-term effects from a heart problem after contracting COVID-19 (There’s one for the “young people will be fine” crowd). If Brown or perhaps Vanderbilt transfer Jamil Muhammad can step up, there is talent around them. The receiving corps has some names, including Cornelius McCoy Jr. (70 catches, 757 yards, five touchdowns), and four starters return on the line. The defense struggled last year but should be a lot more experienced, bringing back nine starters and adding in transfers from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. As long as the Panthers can sort out the QB spot, this could be an above .500 team again, but that’s a big if.

Seconds away from bowl eligibility and a win over a power five team? Not a bad start to your first season as the (official) head coach, Mr. Jamey Chadwell. Now the Chants need to follow it up. Stud RB CJ Marable could be the best weapon in the conference. He racked up 14 touchdowns between the rushing and receiving game last year, and the speedy Marable also served as an excellent return man for the Chants. The slow-paced rushing attack of CCU might not be the most fun to watch, but that will likely be the route Chadwell goes again in 2020, as the quarterback situation still looks dreary. Rushing threat Bryce Carpenter and Fred Payton split snaps last year. I prefer Carpenter thanks to his talent in the run game and Payton’s “let it fly” turnover-producing attitude, but neither will light your world on fire. The defense is still extraordinarily young, and they lose their best playmaker in Chandler Kryst (five INTs). The Chants were probably lucky to win five games last year, and with an inexperienced defense, a tough QB situation, and one fewer game on the schedule, I think that’s a good goal for 2020 as well.

WEST

After one of the best seasons in program history, Louisiana will see if lightning can in fact strike twice. The Ragin’ Cajuns will face a tough test from perennial West contender Arkansas State, but not anyone else, lopsided divisions have placed the conference’s bottom three teams all in the West.

Billy Napier is a coaching star. The former Clemson OC has taken a once-great ULL program that was on their way down when he took over and taken them to back-to-back Sun Belt West titles, including perhaps the best season in school history last year. Many of the key pieces return from that team, including one of the best 1-2 punches in the country at halfback with Elijah Mitchell and Trey Ragas (combined 1,967 yards, 27 touchdowns). QB Levi Lewis (3,050 yards, 26 touchdowns) also returns. Lewis had a tendency to make bad throws and get bailed out by bad Sun Belt DB play in 2019, his four-interception number probably should’ve been higher, but he’s a talented QB nonetheless. If he can tighten up his risk-taking a little, he could be one of the better QBs in the conference,

Lewis will lose his top playmaker from last year’s team, WR Ja’Marcus Bradley, along with a couple of pieces from what was maybe the best offensive line in the G5, but this offense should contend for best in the conference despite the losses thanks mostly to the duo at halfback. On defense, they struggle in size on the line and lose leading tackler Jacques Bourdeaux from the linebacking corps, but get seven starters back in all, including what should be a very good secondary by Sun Belt standards. The holes in run defense along with the fact that ULL will have to travel to Boone to play Appalachian State in the regular season (and thus likely the title game as well) make me lean App State as the Sun Belt favorite in 2020, but ULL is a very close #2, and a clear favorite in the West.

This team won’t have any trouble putting points up on the board. The problem? The other team won’t either. QB Layne Hatcher (66%, 2,946 yards in ten games) is back after an excellent freshman season, although he will get a challenge from the man he replaced, Logan Bonner, who was injured last year with a thumb injury. The Red Wolves do lose their top playmaker, WR Omar Bayless (1,653 yards, 17 touchdowns), however, Jonathan Adams Jr. (851, five) will step up nicely into the #1 receiver role. The line wasn’t great last year but should be much improved as they age into the experience.

On defense, however, the Red Wolves take a hit to an already suspect group. The top three tacklers (and six of the top nine) are gone from one of the worst defenses in the nation, including a bevy of out-transfers highlighted by star pass rusher William Bradley-King. This will be a high-variance year thanks to the lopsided talent gap between the offense and the defense, but there is enough talent that the program should go bowling for a 10th (!) straight year, assuming we have anything resembling a normal bowl season.

Alright, this is still probably a bottom five or ten team in the country, but you can start to see some potential with this South Alabama team, can’t you? At least if you squint? The schedule isn’t bad, as they get some of their most winnable games at home, and they bring back QB Desmond Trotter, who took over late last year as a freshman and threw eight touchdowns to just two interceptions. Six of the top seven wideouts are back, along with four of five on the offensive line. They lose their RB, Tra Minter, but anchored by NFL prospect Jacob Shoemaker, the line will probably propel even a replacement-level RB to a good year.

The defense is exciting, as seven of the top eight tacklers are back from one of the more improved Ds in the country. The linebacking duo of Riley Cole (nine TFL) and excellent coverage back AJ DeShazor is excellent, not to mention the team’s leading tackler, LB Nick Mobley (91). I’ve really talked myself into South Alabama looking at this team, and I think they’ll improve on last year’s two-win total despite fewer games and no FCS opponent.

After a 2019 season that was heartbreakingly close to bowl-worthy, the WarHawks now stare down the barrel of a rebuild. QB Caleb Evans, one of the best players in program history, is gone, along with his offensive coordinator, the top two receivers, and four starting lineman. Yikes. ULM does return one of the best backs in the conference in Josh Johnson (1,298 yards), but with little around him, it will be a tough hill to climb to get close to 2019’s five wins. JUCO Jeremy Hunt should be the man at QB, but the WarHawks may favor sophomore Colby Suits thanks to his longer tenure with the team. Suits struggled in limited dropbacks last year, but with limited spring practices, teams may be tempted to stick with players that know the system.

The offense is going to be bad, but there are signs of life on defense. CB Corey Straughter is one of the best corners in the country, he had almost as many PBUs/Interceptions (11) as he had catches allowed (12), a nearly unheard of statistic. Edge rusher Ty Shelby is a utility man that can play anywhere on the field. ULM will lose top tackler Cortez Sisco from a front seven that already really struggled against the run, but the pieces are there to potentially improve there too. 2020 will be a step back for ULM, but Johnson and Straughter are two of the best players at the G5 level, so chances to surprise someone are there.

Texas State will lose much of their talent from a team that went 3-9 last year, leading the Bobcats to take on a waterfall of transfers to try and save this season from complete disaster. QB Tyler Vitt was bad last year (although actually improved a lot in the back half of the year), he’ll have to beat out Memphis transfer Brady McBride to keep his job. Whoever ends up at QB will be throwing to a receiving corps that loses its #1 pass-catcher, Hutch White, although brings back almost everyone else. Jah’Marae Shread is a speedy slot threat that can burn Sun Belt corners with ease, look for him to step up if the Bobcats want anything close to a decent year.

Three starters are gone up front, and the defense isn’t much better, with much of the back seven gone, including excellent LBs Bryan London and Frankie Griffin. Khambrail Winters, an undersized but firey corner, returns, but the other three starters from the secondary are gone. Unless a few of the bevy of P5 transfers really overdeliver, this will be another rebuilding year in what has been almost a decade of them for Texas State.

Sun Belt Title Game Pick: Appalachian State over Louisiana

All-Sun Belt Team

QB – Zac Thomas, Appalachian State
RB – Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana
RB – Josh Johnson, ULM
WR – Kaylon Geiger, Troy
WR – Jonathan Adams, Arkansas State
TE – Isaiah Likely, Coastal Carolina
C – Noah Hannon, Appalachian State
OL – Cooper Hodges, Appalachian State
OL – Baer Hunter, Appalachian State
OL – O’Cyrus Torrence, Louisiana
OL – Max Mitchell, Louisiana

DL – Raymond Johnson III, Georgia Southern
DL – Demetrius Taylor, Appalachian State
DL – Zi’Yon Hill, Louisiana
DL – Tarron Jackson, Coastal Carolina
LB – Carlton Martial, Troy
LB – AJ Deshazor, South Alabama
LB – Joe Dillon, Louisiana
DB – Corey Straughter, ULM
DB – Shaun Jolly, Appalachian State
DB – Shemar Jean-Charles, Appalachian State
DB – Percy Butler, Louisiana

Most Appearances by Team:

Appalachian State – 7
Louisiana – 6
Troy – 2
ULM – 2
Coastal Carolina – 2
Arkansas State – 1
Georgia Southern – 1
South Alabama – 1

Offensive Player of the Year: Zac Thomas, QB, Appalachian State
Defensive Player of the Year: Corey Straughter, CB, ULM
Coach of the Year: Shawn Clark, Appalachian State
Coach on the Hot Seat: Jake Spavital, Texas State
Top Freshman: Reginal Johnson, WR, Louisiana
Top Newcomer: Brady McBride, QB, Texas State
Comeback Player: Forrest Merrill, DL, Arkansas State
Sleeper Team: South Alabama
Game To Watch: Lousiana @ Appalachian State (October 7th)

A note, four conferences (The Big Ten, Pac-12, Mountain West, and MAC) along with Old Dominion, UMass, New Mexico State, and UConn, have canceled their fall football seasons. Thus, these rankings only include the 76 teams playing this fall.

Note: This post was updated September 1st as a tweak was made to better address players opting out of the college football season

Rank	Team	Conf
1	Alabama	SEC
2	Clemson	ACC
3	Georgia	SEC
4	Oklahoma	Big 12
5	Florida	SEC
6	Texas A&M	SEC
7	Louisiana State	SEC
8	Auburn	SEC
9	Texas	Big 12
10	Notre Dame	ACC
11	Oklahoma State	Big 12
12	North Carolina	ACC
13	Virginia Tech	ACC
14	Cincinnati	AAC
15	Iowa State	Big 12
16	Tennessee	SEC
17	Central Florida	AAC
18	Louisville	ACC
19	Memphis	AAC
20	Kentucky	SEC
21	Florida State	ACC
22	Miami (FL)	ACC
23	Baylor	Big 12
24	Mississippi	SEC
25	Pittsburgh	ACC
26	Texas Christian	Big 12
27	Appalachian State	Sun Belt
28	Virginia	ACC
29	Kansas State	Big 12
30	South Carolina	SEC
31	Southern Methodist	AAC
32	Mississippi State	SEC
33	Louisiana	Sun Belt
34	West Virginia	Big 12
35	Wake Forest	ACC
36	Missouri	SEC
37	Houston	AAC
38	North Carolina State	ACC
39	Texas Tech	Big 12
40	Brigham Young	Ind
41	Alabama-Birmingham	CUSA
42	Boston College	ACC
43	Navy	AAC
44	Duke	ACC
45	Georgia Tech	ACC
46	Western Kentucky	CUSA
47	Tulane	AAC
48	Syracuse	ACC
49	Temple	AAC
50	Marshall	CUSA
51	Arkansas	SEC
52	Florida Atlantic	CUSA
53	Southern Mississippi	CUSA
54	Louisiana Tech	CUSA
55	Arkansas State	Sun Belt
56	Charlotte	CUSA
57	Tulsa	AAC
58	Georgia Southern	Sun Belt
59	South Florida	AAC
60	East Carolina	AAC
61	Vanderbilt	SEC
62	Army	Ind
63	Middle Tennessee State	CUSA
64	Georgia State	Sun Belt
65	Troy	Sun Belt
66	Rice	CUSA
67	Kansas	Big 12
68	Florida International	CUSA
69	Coastal Carolina	Sun Belt
70	Liberty	Ind
71	Texas-San Antonio	CUSA
72	South Alabama	Sun Belt
73	North Texas	CUSA
74	Louisiana-Monroe	Sun Belt
75	Texas State	Sun Belt
76	Texas-El Paso	CUSA

Average Rank By Conference

Conference	AVG. RANK
SEC	21st
big 12	26th
ACC	27th
American	39th
independents	58th
conference usa	59th
sun belt	59th