By RJ YoungFOX Sports College Football Writer
Is this freshly cut grass, the harsh stench of sweat and matted earth mixed with the August dampness I feel?
You’re absolutely right, folks! It’s college football season, come now!
With two weeks to go until Week Zero, we have to straighten our rankings as four verts against Cover 3 in third and last place.
Start with this: Nick Saban took to local Alabama sports radio and called his 2021 season “a year of rebuilding.”
For those living under that particular rock, Saban’s Tide won the SEC title, saw quarterback Bryce Young beat Heisman as a rookie, and had Georgia on the ropes with 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter of the CFP championship.
Nick Saban: 2021 season was a ‘rebuilding year’
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Alabama finished as the National runners-up in the College Football Playoff and as the unanimous No. 2 team in the country. If this is a year of rebuilding in Tuscaloosa, the blessed terror Saban has in 2022 could mean he is the man who writes and not John the Revelator.
Show us a seven-seal wonder, Nick.
The Buckeyes’ attack is as fast, tall and elegant as a sub-Mach 10 Skunk Works Darkstar hammer.
But the task for the state of Ohio is to play football – offense and defense at the same time. After spending seven figures to bring Jim Knowles into the Shoe, the goal in Columbus, Ohio, is to be the best offense and the best defense.
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RJ Young details the top five stories surrounding the Big Ten conference this season, including whether this is the year Ryan Day can lead the Buckeyes to a national title. On the same subject : 49ers training camp: Brandon Aiyuk appears ready for the season.
As I’ve been asking the Longhorns to do, the Aggies made the decision to act on their shoe size. They put together the best recruiting class in history a year after Alabama did the same – and this is the fourth recruiting class in A&M’s top 10.
If… Jimbo Fisher hits quarterback derby — LSU transfer Max Johnson or starter Haynes King…
If… offensive weapons Devon Achane, Ainias Smith and Evan Stewart shine…
If… the defense looks like the kind that harassed and tormented the Heisman winner in the Tide’s first loss to an unranked opponent in 15 years…
… the price of oil is going to take a backseat to an Aggies program that I hope gets the accelerator.
Coming out of the SEC West with a division title is the standard for success, and I dare say, in College Station, the 12th man won’t settle for less.
Stetson Bennett became a folk hero for leading the Dawgs to their first national title in four decades, but it was defense that led the way.
Most of the men who created the best defense in the country last season need to be replaced. Fortunately for the UGA, Kirby Smart can recruit.
With 15 five stars out of 85 scholarship players, the UGA has a talent for repeating. Now let’s see if the Dawgs have the resolution.
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Kyle Whittingham’s Utes return 14 of their 22 starters from last season’s Pac-12 starting lineup and have added at least one genuine star transfer in Mohamoud Diabate, a linebacker expected to fill the void left by Devin Lloyd.
The Utes could make their mark with a Florida win on the road, which could put them on track for the program’s first invite to the CFP.
Marcus Freeman is 36 years old going into his first full season as head coach on one of the most storied shows in history. Along with offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, he has 14 starters returning from last year’s 11-win lineup — plus the addition of former Northwestern All-American guard Brandon Joseph.
In Week 1, we’ll see what the Fighting Irish are made of, as they take on Freeman’s alma mater, the —trademark, you don’t know— Ohio State Buckeyes.
All that glitters is gold, ND?
What to expect from Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman
RJ Young details the year ahead for new Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman and new LSU Tigers coach Brian Kelly.
The Spartans almost got a Baylor – going from two wins to 11 in a year and falling short of playing for the conference title – by looting the transfer portal.
In 2022, Mel Tucker and the gang returned to the portal to remove perhaps the best offensive player the Colorado Buffaloes ever had, running back Jarek Broussard and former Wisconsin tailback Jalen Berger.
Between those two, quarterback Payton Thorne should have enough help to put MSU in a position to be a force in the Big Ten East.
No one has achieved a more remarkable turnaround in the last two years than Dave Aranda and his Bears.
The team’s strength this season, however, will be in the quarterback with Blake Shapen – who completed 23 of 28 attempts with three touchdowns in a Big 12 title win – and the defensive tackles, featuring Siaki Ika and Tulsa transferring Jaxon Player.
If BU makes a run at the CFP, Chip and Joanna Gaines won’t be the only Bears proud to call Waco home.
Baylor’s Dave Aranda on his unique coaching style
RJ Young is joined by Baylor Bears coach Dave Aranda, who believes that mastering a position in football is an art form.
The show features outstanding quarterback KJ Jefferson, the Oklahoma transfer and former five-star Jadon Haselwood and both coordinators. But it also loses seven starters in defense last season.
The addition of former five-star and Alabama linebacker Drew Sanders to a team led by Jalen Catalon could be enough for the Razorbacks to turn on that damn jukebox 10 times for the first time in the Sam Pittman era.
As a rule, I tend to fit teams for losing both coordinators and their defensive line coach – one of the two most important position coaches on any team – but if there’s any coach who can withstand this seismic shift, it’s Dabo Swinney.
If offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter can turn quarterback DJ Uiagaleei into the kind of quarterback his talent foreshadows, Clemson could return to the CFP this season.
Put on your big, little, and old Clemson boy pants.
Brent Venables’ honeymoon period came to an end when he had to accept the resignation of Cale Gundy, a man who has been an OU assistant for 23 years and has been a part of OU football for nearly 30 years.
Since that decision, the Sooners have had to elevate an offensive analyst to an interim post — L’Damian Washington to wide receiver coach — and have had to find a way forward with the kind of culture the Venables staked their reputation on.
In Week 3, Venables better have the team ranked for their trip to Lincoln, where the Sooners will face off against a hungry Nebraska squad to claim their first major victory of the Scott Frost era.
Show yourself, Sooners. It’s football time in Oklahoma.
Why the Oklahoma Sooners will exceed expectations
RJ Young predicts which Big 12 teams will exceed their preseason win totals, including Oklahoma, West Virginia and Kansas.
We know Lincoln Riley can mount an offense, and he’s sure to have the firepower to stand out with quarterback Caleb Williams, running back Travis Dye and wide receiver Jordan Addison.
What remains to be seen is whether coordinator Alex Grinch and his defensive team can create a defense that can beat Pac-12 and push the Trojans into their first CFP bid in history.
Turn the F-18 upside down, paint the target, climb that mountain, get 9Gs in the face and get ready to duel home. Fight(s) in.
Clayton Tune began quietly for four years as quarterback to Dana Holgorsen, leading the Cougars to a 12-win season and a win against an opponent from SEC West (Auburn) in the Birmingham Bowl.
Along with running back Alton McCaskill and receiver Tank Dell, the Coogs should prove formidable once again at the American.
Spencer Sanders is the only Big 12 quarterback not to face a QB derby in the spring. In 2022, he needs to reward Mike Gundy for that belief with a season where he doesn’t put the ball down or play for the other team.
In three years, he threw 31 interceptions for just 50 TDs and never scored more than 20 passes in a season.
If Sanders can limit his turnovers to those found in a bakery, OSU will have more than a fighting chance to get back into the Big 12 title game.
Interview with Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy
RJ Young is joined by OSU head coach Mike Gundy, who explains why he is confident in his team this year, specifically because they have an experienced quarterback in Spencer Sanders.
The Cougars have won at least 10 games in each of the last two seasons, and Kalani Sitake is poised to hit 30 in three years with the return of Jaren Hall (23 TDs for just five INTs), provided he can find another tailback like talented as Tyler Allgeier for 2022.
But that’s a big problem with Notre Dame, Arkansas, Oregon and Baylor in the lineup. This is also the kind of schedule that could make the Cougars legitimate candidates for the CFP.
Kirk Ferentz’s Hawkeyes return seven starters from one of the highest scoring defenses in the country, which limited opponents to less than 20 points per game.
But he will need Spencer Petras or Alex Padilla to do more than lead a slow offense for Iowa to compete for the Big Ten West title again, let alone win the league.
Alongside the Trojans, Lane Kiffin has landed the sport’s most flashy transfers, including former USC quarterback Jaxson Dart and former Texas man Christian and five-star tailback Zach Evans.
The non-conference schedule looks smooth, so there’s no room for an anticipated loss. The Rebels will need to go out shooting the Grove and keep their powder dry in the second half of a season that features games at LSU, Texas A&M and Arkansas, plus a home game against Alabama in four of their last five games. .
Matt Corral on the future of Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin
Former Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral looks back on his career as the Rebels’ starting quarterback and shares why he thinks the future is bright for the show.
O Wolfpack beat eight of their 10 finalists and returned 16 starters from last season’s team. If quarterback Devin Leary returns to form — 35 TDs for five INTs in 2021 — we could be talking about NC State as a playoff contender in November.
The time is now, NC State. You can become whatever you want. Then become a problem.
There’s a lot to be said for coach Mario Cristobal picking the right man, current Broyles Award winner Josh Gattis, to get the best out of Tyler Van Dyke in 2022.
If he does, and if Kevin Steele can control the defense, the Hurricanes could become The U again.
You murdered the turnover chain. Let’s see if you can do the same with ACC.
His ox has been the engineer who throws coal into the furnace on the “Texas is back” propaganda train for nearly six months. Now, all Coach Steve Sarkisian has to do is hit me up with a roster that includes Xavier Worthy, Bijan Robinson and former Ohio State quarterback Quinn Ewers.
As with most teams vying for the four spots in the CFP, it’s up to the defensive coordinator – Pete Kwiatkowski in this case – to do the work.
Here’s a 55-gallon drum of whoops, and let’s see if you can pour it all over the Big 12.
Interview with Texas star Bijan Robinson
Texas Longhorns star Bijan Robinson describes why every Texas quarterback is vital to the team and what they can accomplish as players.
Mark Stoops said he thinks Kentucky is a high school football because it has won a few bowling games and plays in the SEC.
If you wore the Golden Gophers in white and cardinal, you’d believe they were the Wisconsin Badgers based on the kind of football they’ve played and the victories they’ve accumulated since PJ Fleck walked into Minneapolis.
Now is the time for Minnesota to change those colors to gold and brown in our mind.
Dan Lanning’s Year 1 in Eugene features a conference-free race. If UO goes from this start to the 3-0 season, we’ll know the Ducks are ready to receive more than Disney’s Youth Hockey Iceland in a made-for-TV movie.
Interview with Oregon coach Dan Lanning
Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning discusses what it will be like when his new team faces the Georgia Bulldogs in the season opener.
The Badgers have the best sophomore tailback in the country west of Columbus. If Braelon Allen runs for 2,000 yards, it’s not hard to see the Badgers playing in the Big Ten championship in December.
Coach Josh Heupel is in a good place: no one but me expects the Vols to shoot. Come October, I hope Smokey and his merry band of volunteer thugs give Alabama the kind of scare it hasn’t had since Tee Martin played quarterback.
But that was in a whole other century.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and host of “The No. 1 Ranking Show with RJ Young” podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young and subscribe to “The RJ Young Show” on YouTube. He’s not in a StepMill.
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How many d1 football teams are there?
There are 130 teams in NCAA Division I-A football, divided into 10 conferences, with six teams playing as independents.
Which state has the most D1 football teams? We calculated which states have the most college football teams and the numbers looked like this: Pennsylvania (52), Ohio (41), Texas (37), New York (31), North Carolina (31), Massachusetts (29), Illinois ( 28), Minnesota (25), Virginia (24) and California (22).
How big is a D1 football team?
See more: Funny Fantasy Football Names The NCAA requires that all rosters contain a minimum of 63 players. If a team is over 63, it should be able to reduce its roster to 36 players. The NCAA also states that all teams will have between 35 and 60 walk-ons, depending on the program and sport.
How many d2 football teams are there?
How many Division 2 football teams are there? There are 169 Division 2 football programs and 17 conferences, which include CIAA, G-MAC, GAC, GLIAC, GLVC, GNAC, Gulf South, Independent, LSC, MEC, MIAA, NE-10, NSIC, PSAC, RMAC, SAC and SIAC conferences.
What is the smallest Division 1 football school?
| Enrollment | School | % Correct |
|---|---|---|
| 13992 | Wyoming | 33.6% |
| 10020 | marshal | 26.7% |
| 11128 | UAB | 19.3% |
| 9137 | Louisiana technology | 18.1% |
Why do college football games take longer than NFL?
First Downs – In college football, when a first down is won, the game clock stops until the ball is set by the referee. In the NFL, first downs don’t stop the game clock. This is the main reason why college football games are, on average, longer than NFL games.
How long does the average college football game take? While reports on this vary depending on sample size, the average NFL game takes 3 hours and 12 minutes to complete. In contrast, the average time for a college football game is 3 hours and 24 minutes.
Why do football games last 3 hours?
The game always lasts longer than 60 minutes in real time due to breaks in the action for penalties, reviews and time allotted between quarters. The hour is divided into four quarters of 15 minutes, making up the first half and second half of the game.
How long does an NFL game actually take?
An average professional football game lasts 3 hours and 12 minutes, but if you count the time the ball was actually played, the action only lasted 11 minutes. Part of the difference concerns the basic rules of American football.
Who has the best football recruiting class in 2022?
2022 Consensus Football Team Recruitment Ranking
- Texas A&M. 5 stars. 4 stars. 3 stars. Total. …
- Alabama. 5 stars. 4 stars. 3 stars. …
- Georgia. 5 stars. 4 stars. 3 stars. …
- Ohio State. 5 stars. 4 stars. 3 stars. …
- Texas. 5 stars. 4 stars. 3 stars. …
- Notre-Dame. 5 stars. 4 stars. 3 stars. …
- Penn State. 5 stars. 4 stars. 3 stars. …
- Oklahoma. 5 stars. 4 stars. 3 stars.
Who has the most 5-star recruits in 2022 college football? Texas A&M, Georgia, Alabama and Penn State currently have at least three five-star recruits. In fact, one of these teams has already signed six of the Top247’s 32 five-star players.
Who is the number 1 recruit in college football 2022?
The New No. 1 Player: Malachi Nelson, the 5-star quarterback who committed to Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans this offseason.
Who has the number 1 college Football Recruiting class?
Notre Dame football is recruiting at a very high rate under Marcus Freeman and the Irish have the No. 2023. Notre Dame’s work on the trail has been steady and consistent.
What college produced the most NFL players?
Notre Dame has built a football pedigree over generations that still leads the pack in producing NFL talent, surpassing rival USC in the total number of players signed.
Which college has produced the most NFL players since 2000? NFL Draft Picks Since 2000: 144 Alabama is the top SEC school on this list, and the #1 school this century for producing first-round picks. In 2022, two of the seven Crimson Tide players drafted were first-rounders: Evan Neal (pictured); and, Jameson Williams.
What college puts the most players in the NFL?
1. Our Lady. Notre Dame has built a football pedigree over generations that still leads the pack in producing NFL talent, surpassing rival USC in the total number of players signed.
