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100 Articles

Editor’s Letter

The word “portal” once conjured visions of being transported to a magical place like Narnia, or to another part of the universe via a wormhole. Now, to fans of college football, the word itself is the scourge of the sport. Or the panacea, depending on your perspective. In trying to sort through what felt like thousands of off season personnel moves, I have often felt as though I was working on our NFL issue. Free agency has trickled down to college football, and it has made following the sport virtually impossible without a resource like the one you’re holding right now. The transfer portal has truly transformed college football, for better or for worse (I’m still trying to decide myself). And now, with the NCAA’s decision to give every player…

Editor’s Letter

Contributing Writers: Eric Adelson, Parrish Alford, Nicholas Ian Allen, Mark Anderson, Greg Archuleta, Jason Arkley, Mike Ashley, Bob Asmussen, Mike Babcock, Stephen Bailey, Mike Barber, Joe Bendel, Brent Biggeman, Andy Bitter, Al Blondin, Bret Bloomquist, Rick Bozich, Michael Bradley, Kevin Brockway. Jonah Bronstein, Chip Brown, Olin Buchanan, Hondo Carpenter, Keff Ciardello, David Cloninger, Joel Coleman, Matt Connolly, Jake Curtis, Nick Daschel, Jay Drew, Joseph Duarte, Jeff Faraudo, Bryan Fischer, Robert Gagliardi, Joe Giglio, Steven Godfrey, Derek Gonzales, Andy Greder, Steve Guiremand, Jon Hale, Zack Hall, Greg Hansen, Shawn Harrison, Pat Harty, Matt Hayes, Nolan Hayes, John Helsley, Brandon Helwig, Josh Henschke, Matt Herb, Jerry Hill, Kelly Hines, Matt Hinton, Brian Howell, Brett Hudson, Joey Johnston, Chris Karpman, Kirk Kenney, Mike Kern, Chuck King, Theo Lawson, Tom Layberger, Chris Level, Greg…

2021 COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP 25

1. ALABAMA Bryce Young steps in for Mac Jones at quarterback, and Bill O’Brien steps in for departed offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. Otherwise, same old Bama — five-star talent, peerless coaching and championship expectations. 2. CLEMSON Like the Crimson Tide, the Tigers can overcome the loss of a generational talent or two. D.J. Uiagalelei might even outdo predecessor Trevor Lawrence and win a Heisman while also winning a title. 3. OKLAHOMA The Spencer Rattler-led offense speaks for itself. It’s the emerging defense that has Sooners fans talking about a national title, which would be OU’s first since 2000. 4. OHIO STATE A 52–24 championship beatdown at the hands of Alabama was a wake-up call that there’s still work to be done in Columbus. Head coach Ryan Day’s roster full of…

2021 COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP 25

RANKING THE REST

26. Utah 27. Ole Miss 28. Oklahoma State 29. Auburn 30. UCF 31. Boise State 32. Michigan 33. West Virginia 34. Missouri 35. Kentucky 36. Minnesota 37. UCLA 38. NC State 39. Liberty 40. Virginia Tech 41. Pittsburgh 42. Boston College 43. Florida State 44. Arkansas 45. Louisville 46. Wake Forest 47. Northwestern 48. Nebraska 49. Mississippi State 50. Nevada 51. BYU 52. San Jose State 53. Kansas State 54. California 55. Appalachian State 56. Tennessee 57. Maryland 58. Baylor 59. Virginia 60. Purdue 61. Houston 62. Colorado 63. Tulsa 64. SMU 65. Tulane 66. Stanford 67. UAB 68. Washington State 69. UTSA 70. Fresno State 71. Texas Tech 72. Memphis 73. Oregon State 74. South Carolina 75. Georgia Tech 76. Rutgers 77. Michigan State 78. Buffalo 79. Army 80.…

RANKING THE REST

CONFERENCE PREDICTIONS

ACC ATLANTIC DIVISION 1. Clemson 13-0, 8-0 2. NC State 8-4, 4-4 3. Boston College 7-5, 4-4 4. Florida State 6-6, 4-4 5. Louisville 7-5, 4-4 6. Wake Forest 6-6, 3-5 7. Syracuse 4-8, 1-7 COASTAL DIVISION 1. North Carolina 10-3, 6-2 2. Miami 9-3, 6-2 3. Virginia Tech 8-4, 5-3 4. Pittsburgh 7-5, 4-4 5. Virginia 6-6, 3-5 6. Georgia Tech 5-7, 3-5 7. Duke 4-8, 1-7 ACC CHAMPIONSHIP: Clemson over North Carolina AMERICAN ATHLETIC 1. Cincinnati 11-2, 7-1 2. UCF 9-4, 6-2 3. Houston 8-4, 5-3 4. Tulsa 7-5, 5-3 5. SMU 7-5, 4-4 6. Tulane 6-6, 4-4 7. Memphis 6-6, 3-5 8. East Carolina 5-7, 3-5 9. Navy 5-7, 3-5 10. USF 4-8, 3-5 11. Temple 3-9, 1-7 AAC CHAMPIONSHIP: Cincinnati over UCF BIG 12 1. Oklahoma…

ALL-AMERICA TEAM

First-Team Offense QUARTERBACK Spencer Rattler 6-1 • 205 • So. • Oklahoma RUNNING BACK Breece Hall 6-1 • 215 • Jr. • Iowa State RUNNING BACK Bijan Robinson 6-0 • 215 • So. • Texas ALL-PURPOSE Jerrion Ealy 5-8 • 190 • So. • Ole Miss WIDE RECEIVER Chris Olave 6-1 • 189 • Sr. • Ohio State WIDE RECEIVER Justyn Ross 6-4 • 205 • Jr. • Clemson TIGHT END Charlie Kolar 6-6 • 257 • Sr. • Iowa State CENTER Tyler Linderbaum 6-3 • 289 • Jr. • Iowa OFFENSIVE LINE Darian Kinnard 6-5 • 338 • Sr. • Kentucky OFFENSIVE LINE Kenyon Green 6-4 • 325 • Jr. • Texas A&M OFFENSIVE LINE Evan Neal 6-7 • 360 • Jr. • Alabama OFFENSIVE LINE Thayer Munford 6-6…

ALL-AMERICA TEAM

THE 21st ANNUAL ATHLON SPORTS UNIT RANKINGS

ACC AMERICAN BIG 12 BIG TEN CONFERENCE USA MID-AMERICAN MOUNTAIN WEST PAC-12 SEC SUN BELT NATIONAL UNIT RANKINGS Quarterbacks 1. Oklahoma 2. North Carolina 3. Clemson 4. Miami 5. Ole Miss 6. Alabama 7. Georgia 8. Iowa State 9. Ohio State 10. USC Running Backs 1. Alabama 2. Georgia 3. Texas A&M 4. Notre Dame 5. Iowa State 6. Oklahoma 7. Ohio State 8. Texas 9. Clemson 10. Arizona State Receivers 1. Ohio State 2. Alabama 3. Oklahoma 4. USC 5. Georgia 6. Iowa State 7. Florida 8. Texas A&M 9. Ole Miss 10. Nevada Offensive Line 1. Ohio State 2. Alabama 3. Georgia 4. Clemson 5. Washington 6. Oklahoma 7. Iowa State 8. Oregon 9. Boston Coll. 10. Louisiana Defensive Line 1. Clemson 2. Ohio State 3. Georgia 4.…

THE 21st ANNUAL ATHLON SPORTS UNIT RANKINGS

15 THINGS TO WATCH IN 2021

1. The Usual Suspects The College Football Playoff was a long-anticipated, hard-won development, and entering its eighth year of existence, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in the sport who doesn’t consider the bracket a great leap forward over what came before it. At the same time, as expansion fever reached critical mass last winter, it was harder than ever to deny that the four-team format was already beginning to feel a bit stale. And it’s no wonder why: Year in, year out, it continues to be monopolized by the same four teams. Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma have thoroughly dominated the Playoff era, accounting for a combined 22 conference championships since 2014, 20 of the 28 available CFP slots and 17 of 21 CFP victories. Since 2015, some…

15 THINGS TO WATCH IN 2021

SAM HOWELL IS TALKING TITLE

Hall of Fame head coach Mack Brown receives much of the credit for North Carolina’s current surge. Perhaps his single biggest move was convincing Sam Howell to be his quarterback. Howell has guided the Tar Heels to back-toback bowl games, including last season’s Orange Bowl. He led the ACC, a league that included Trevor Lawrence, in passing yards (3,586 yards), touchdown passes (30) and pass efficiency rating (179.1) in 2020. Entering his junior season, Howell already shares the North Carolina record for career TD passes (68). During the off season, Howell discussed his championship goals, what motivates him and how he can get even better. How do you feel about the progress your team has made as you get ready for Year Three? I feel really good coming into Year…

SAM HOWELL IS TALKING TITLE

TRANSFER of POWER

College football coaches have called it free agency. An open door to cheating. The end of the sport as we know it. And that was before the suddenly player-friendly NCAA announced in April that it would grant all football players one free transfer without having to sit out a season. “It will be the wild, wild West,” one Power 5 coach says. And away we go. There are clearly two sides to this mandate, a dynamic so impactful that it will change the way every coach runs his program and add a new category of potential NCAA rulebreakers to the equation. Players love it; coaches hate it. Players love the flexibility it allows after signing their initial letter of intent and the ability to move immediately one time in four…

TRANSFER of POWER

All-Transfer Team

You could field a very competitive team in 2021 consisting entirely of players who transferred during the offseason. To give you an idea of the transformative power of the transfer portal, circa 2021, here is our All-Transfer Team. (And this doesn’t include players like TE Arik Gilbert and LB Henry To’oto’o, who had yet to land at press time.): QB – McKenzie Milton (UCF to Florida State) QB – Charlie Brewer (Baylor to Utah) RB - Demarkcus Bowman (Clemson to Florida) RB - Eric Gray (Tennessee to Oklahoma) WR - Wan’Dale Robinson (Nebraska to Kentucky) WR - Charleston Rambo (Oklahoma to Miami) WR – Mookie Cooper (Ohio State to Missouri) OL - Doug Nester (Virginia Tech to West Virginia) OL - Wanya Morris (Tennessee to Oklahoma) OL – Obinna Eze…

All-Transfer Team

FAQ on the NCAA

Q When was the portal first introduced, and what was its goal? In October of 2018, the NCAA set up a portal where players could enter their name and pertinent information for other schools to see. Players no longer had to go through the respective universities to ask for the right to transfer. Q What will the new transfer legislation do? Previously, players who transferred to another school had to sit out a season of participation unless they received a waiver from the NCAA. With the new legislation, players are allowed a one-time transfer without the penalty of a missed year of participation. Q Will the new legislation limit transfers to one per player? Players will receive one free transfer, but they can still transfer as many times as their…

2021 BACK TO NORMAL?

On a gorgeous winter night in Tallahassee, Michael Alford imagines the fall. The president of Seminoles Boosters is sitting in a semi-full, socially distanced baseball stadium, with Florida State football head coach Mike Norvell merely shouting distance away. Two runners race across home plate for the Noles, and a wave of cheers goes up. Alford can’t help but watch this scene and think about what Doak Campbell Stadium, FSU’s football home, might feel like in a few months. “It’s gonna be electric,” he says. “We are planning a full stadium.” The word “planning” is doing a lot of work in that sentence, and Alford admits as much. He’s not completely sure how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the sport over the coming months — no one is — so he’s…

2021 BACK TO NORMAL?

As college football seeks to get back to normal this season, that’s especially the case on the FCS level, where most schools played their 2020 campaign in the spring semester due to the pandemic and some never got on the field beyond practice. Of course, normalcy in the FCS in the 2010s meant North Dakota State dominance, and later in the decade, James Madison rising up to provide a challenge to the Bison dynasty. Both programs had to replace a number of key players heading into the spring season, so that prospect opened thoughts to a whole new FCS world of … um … parity? OK, maybe, maybe not, but at least a few more of the 127 programs should feel confident with their place in the national picture, and…

FIVE VETERANS TO WATCH

Eastern Washington QB Eric Barriere ▸ The ultimate video game player in the FCS will chase Eastern Washington career records. Southeastern Louisiana CB Ferlando Jordan Whether he’s intercepting passes or blocking kicks, the Southland Conference All-American finds ways to be a disruptor. South Dakota State RB Pierre Strong Jr. ▸ If he were a baseball player, Strong would be in the middle of the lineup because he’s a home-run hitter. UAlbany QB Jeff Undercuffler ▸ The 2019 FCS record-setter for touchdown passes by a freshman (41) throws the deep ball quite well. North Dakota State OL Cordell Volson In a program that produces big-time offensive linemen, it’s hard to miss the 6'7", 310-pounder.…

FIVE VETERANS TO WATCH

FIVE MUST-SEE GAMES

James Madison at Weber State (Sept. 18) The non-conference portion of the FCS regular season needs more superpower matchups like this one. North Dakota State at North Dakota (Oct. 2) Their rivalry meeting in March felt like a steel-cage match. North Dakota State at South Dakota State (Nov. 6) The national rankings surrounding this rivalry weigh more than the 75-pound Dakota Marker trophy. Montana State at Montana (Nov. 20) Hostilities may have built up even more without a 2020 meeting in the “Brawl of the Wild.” SWAC Championship Game (Dec. 4) Up to 12 schools, the SWAC is back, bigger and better. The action’s always hot, but the pageantry is half the fun, too.…

FIVE MUST-SEE GAMES

2021 Unit Rankings Recruiting by School 1. Clemson 2. Miami 3. North Carolina 4. Florida State 5. Pittsburgh 6. Virginia 7. NC State 8. Boston College 9. Louisville 10. Virginia Tech 11. Georgia Tech 12. Syracuse 13. Duke 14. Wake Forest 2021 Bowl Projections Birmingham Bowl: Louisville vs. Mississippi State Duke’s Mayo Bowl: NC State vs. Auburn Fenway Bowl: Boston College vs. Memphis Gasparilla Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. UCF Gator Bowl: Miami vs. Ole Miss Holiday Bowl: Florida State vs. Washington Military Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Tulsa PInstripe Bowl: Virginia vs. Maryland Sun Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Utah Peach Bowl: North Carolina vs. Florida Orange Bowl (CFP): Clemson vs. Oklahoma ACC Coordinator Carousel Duke: Offense New: Re’quan Boyette, Jeff Faris Old: Zac Roper Louisville: Offense New: Scott Satterfield Old: Dwayne Ledford…

SEPT. 3 NORTH CAROLINA AT VIRGINIA TECH A season-opening divisional matchup between Coastal teams that have split entertaining, high-scoring contests the past two years. SEPT. 4 CLEMSON VS. GEORGIA (CHARLOTTE) Playoff contenders open the season by facing off in Bank of America Stadium in a game that everyone will be paying close attention to. SEPT. 4 MIAMI VS. ALABAMA (ATLANTA) Miami gets first crack at the defending national champions. It will be the teams’ first meeting since Alabama’s win in the 1993 Sugar Bowl. SEPT. 5 NOTRE DAME AT FLORIDA STATE Mike Norvell’s debut season included a lopsided road loss to Notre Dame. Will Norvell’s Noles fare any better against the Fighting Irish at home? OCT. 16 MIAMI AT NORTH CAROLINA A pivotal Coastal contest gives Miami a chance to…

BOSTON COLLEGE Eagles

Boston College hasn’t knocked off an AP Top 25 opponent since it upset No. 9 USC in 2014. Steve Addazio’s tenure ended with 16 straight losses to programs ranked in the AP Poll. From 2016-19, ranked opponents drubbed Addazio’s teams by an average of 30 points. BC scrounged together 10.2 points per game in those matchups, scoring a lone touchdown on six occasions. The Eagles were a national afterthought. That changed when Jeff Hafley took over. After turning around Ohio State’s defense in 2019, Hafley revitalized a BC program that was stuck in neutral and projected by many to finish in the ACC’s basement last season. Although the Eagles didn’t earn that coveted ranked win in 2020, they did come closer than they have in years. BC was a two-point…

BOSTON COLLEGE Eagles

Clemson will have a new-look team in 2021 with Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne off to the NFL. But the expectations remain the same — win and win big. It obviously won’t be easy to replace the production of Lawrence and Etienne. The two are arguably the top players at their position in school history. Nor will it be easy to replace the production of receivers Amari Rodgers and Cornell Powell. But there is plenty of talent still remaining at Clemson on both sides of the ball. The Tigers have won six consecutive ACC titles, reached the College Football Playoff in six consecutive years and have won two of the past five national titles. The expectation is that Clemson will be back competing for a national championship again in 2021.…

FLORIDA STATE Seminoles

Technically, Mike Norvell is entering his second season as Florida State’s head coach. In a lot of ways, though, it feels an awful lot like Year One. In 2021, for the first time, Norvell was able to lead the Seminoles through a full month of spring practice in March and April. The strength coaches were able to guide FSU’s players through their first full offseason conditioning program. And the coordinators got to implement their offensive and defensive systems in person, instead of in virtual meetings. While every college football program was adversely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the toll was greater on firstyear coaches such as Norvell, who barely had a chance to see what their players could do before being forced to send them home for several…

FLORIDA STATE Seminoles

LOUISVILLE Cardinals

Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield has slipped into a “prove it” situation in his third season with the Cardinals. Louisville went 8–5 in 2019, then slid to 4–7. Four coaches departed the staff. Two top offensive players left for the NFL without finishing the 2020 season. Satterfield was motivated to write a letter of apology to Louisville season-ticket holders after his bungled effort to be involved with the South Carolina job. The gap between Louisville and Clemson has grown in the Atlantic Division, but the Cards must also climb back over NC State and Boston College while trying to replace their three most dynamic offensive playmakers. The outlook is cloudier than a year ago. OFFENSE After offensive coordinator Dwayne Ledford left for the Atlanta Falcons, Satterfield decided that he would…

LOUISVILLE Cardinals

NC STATE Wolfpack

The difference between coming off of a 4–8 season and an 8–4 season is obvious. “There’s a lot of positivity here right now,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said. And for good reason. The Wolfpack exceeded all expectations last year in reversing their 4–8 record from 2019. Doeren now gets a chance to reap the rewards of his two best recruiting classes (from 2018 and ’19), who enter their third and fourth years in the program. The Wolfpack will be deep and experienced — and overlooked again, with neighbor North Carolina getting all of the attention. Doeren believes the team can apply the lessons it learned from the pandemic last year and build off of last year’s 7–3 record in ACC play. “The guys are in a really good frame…

NC STATE Wolfpack

SYRACUSE Orange

Syracuse heads into Year Six of the Dino Babers era in a precarious position. The 10–3 campaign that Babers and the administration hoped would spark a jump from the Orange’s status in the cellar of the ACC is more than two years old. SU followed a 5–7 campaign in 2019 by posting its second one-win season since 1948. The pandemic cut into a pivotal offseason of installation after Babers hired two new coordinators last winter. Then a string of preseason offensive line injuries forced Syracuse to start its fullback at left guard. This fall marks a chance for Syracuse to take a step forward, but improved line play will be needed for the team to get back into postseason play and for Babers to solidify his long-term vision. OFFENSE Recognizing…

SYRACUSE Orange

WAKE FOREST Demon Deacons

Dave Clawson’s work at Wake Forest culminated last season in a fifth straight bowl appearance, which is a new level for a program that still has the worst all-time winning percentage of any Power Five school. However, in those five bowl seasons, Wake Forest is 25–13 before Nov. 3 and 6–12 in the regular season after that, including 1–5 the last two seasons. “(Depth) is a critical issue,” Clawson says. “We have to find a way to stay healthy and maintain our depth if we’re ever going to take the next step. If there’s ever a chance to do that, I think it’s this year.” That’s because the NCAA’s ruling to grant another year of eligibility may help Wake Forest more than any other school. The program relies on “coaching…

WAKE FOREST Demon Deacons

DUKE Blue Devils

David Cutcliffe’s Duke tenure came full circle during the pandemic-altered 2020 college football season. In 2008, Cutcliffe took over one of the worst programs in Division I, a team that had won just 10 games over the previous eight years. It took him five seasons before reaching a bowl game and six before posting a winning season, but Cutcliffe took Duke to an ACC Championship Game and six bowl appearances in seven seasons from 2012-18. That progress halted with a 5–7 season in 2019 and reversed dramatically in 2020 when the Blue Devils went 2–9, the fewest wins in any of Cutcliffe’s 13 seasons as their coach. Now Cutcliffe, at 66, sets about reversing that trend again and making Duke competitive in the ACC. It won’t be easy. The Blue…

DUKE Blue Devils

GEORGIA TECH Yellow Jackets

For Geoff Collins, overhauling Georgia Tech’s program has taken a twopronged track. The first was upgrading the overall talent level and stocking the roster with more players who fit a modern system of offensive football after so many years running the triple option. The second has been about setting a standard of energy, effort and pace that most of the players he inherited simply didn’t understand. But as he heads into his third season, Collins’ focus has shifted to putting a more detail-oriented team on the field. Georgia Tech finished last season ranked 121st in penalties among FBS teams, with 41 of the 89 penalties that were accepted by opponents coming before the snap. Beyond some of their other issues, including inexperience at quarterback and a defense that struggled to…

GEORGIA TECH Yellow Jackets

MIAMI Hurricanes

Bowl week, even before the Miami Hurricanes took the field for the 2021 Cheez-It Bowl, started off as a celebration. An embarrassing, 36-point loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the regular-season finale was a distant memory by Christmas weekend. The day after Christmas, D’Eriq King announced he was coming back to Coral Gables for one more year, taking advantage of the extra season of eligibility granted by the NCAA because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Run it back” became a rallying cry for Miami — the Hurricanes bring back all but two starters in 2021 — but the Canes need King to be healthy to improve on a breakthrough 2020. OFFENSE Manny Diaz tried to overhaul Miami’s offense in 2019, his first season as Miami head coach, plucking Dan…

MIAMI Hurricanes

NORTH CAROLINA Tar Heels

North Carolina’s resurgence during Mack Brown’s second stint at the school has been swift. The Tar Heels were 5–18 in 2017-18, but they’ve tripled that win total in the last two seasons with two bowl trips since Brown returned. UNC capped last season by playing in the Orange Bowl, its first major bowl game since 1950. Although that game was a 41–27 loss to Texas A&M, it did little to detract from a season that served notice of UNC’s return to relevance. The question now is whether the Tar Heels can take the next step and become legitimate ACC title contenders. UNC returns 21 of the 22 players who started in the Orange Bowl, including star quarterback Sam Howell, and welcomes the nation’s No. 14 recruiting class. Hopes are high…

NORTH CAROLINA Tar Heels

PITTSBURGH Panthers

Enthusiasm was palpable and realistic for Pittsburgh entering the 2020 season. Yet, despite a roster dotted with NFL hopefuls, the Panthers managed only a 6–5 record, their 11th consecutive season with five losses or more, including all eight seasons since moving to the ACC. This left the fanbase lukewarm. Pat Narduzzi enters his seventh season as the third-longest-tenured Pittsburgh head coach in more than 50 years. And with a contract that runs through the 2024 season, he provides stability. The question is: Can he provide a Top 25 finish and/or a double-digit win total? He’s achieved neither. In 2020, the Panthers started 3–0, lost their next four but salvaged a winning record with three victories in their last four games. With quarterback Kenny Pickett back for a fifth season and…

PITTSBURGH Panthers

VIRGINIA Cavaliers

The unbroken growth that Virginia football coach Bronco Mendenhall has touted over his five seasons with the Cavaliers was broken in 2020. A year after winning the ACC Coastal Division and playing in the Orange Bowl, Virginia opened the year 1–4, finished 5–5 and ended with a loss to rival Virginia Tech, opting out of a bowl game. It was Mendenhall’s worst record since his second year in Charlottesville. Of course, it came in the midst of a pandemic that led extreme schedule disruption. Virginia looks poised for a do-over in 2021. The story going into this season is all the could-have-been seniors who opted to come back from last year’s team. It’s a group that includes four starting offensive linemen, three starting defensive backs and a do-it-all athlete in…

VIRGINIA Cavaliers

VIRGINIA TECH Hokies

Patience is wearing thin at Virginia Tech, where the Hokies had their second losing record in five years under Justin Fuente — after the program had not suffered a single sub-.500 season since 1992. It’s never a good thing when your athletic director has to hold a press conference to explain why he didn’t fire you. Once again, the Hokies can be OK — if they stay healthy. But it’s going to take more offensive consistency and a big leap on defense, where Tech bottomed out in what was a rough first year as coordinator for Justin Hamilton, whose defense allowed 32.1 points per game — the program’s most since 1973. “When things don’t go well, what kind of person are you?” Fuente says. “Are you the kind of person…

VIRGINIA TECH Hokies

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH 2021 Unit Rankings Recruiting by School 1. Cincinnati 2. Memphis 3. SMU 4. UCF 5. USF 6. Tulane 7. Houston 8. East Carolina 9. Navy 10. Temple 11. Tulsa 2021 Bowl Projections Cure Bowl: Tulane vs. Army Fenway Bowl: Memphis vs. Boston College Fiesta Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Texas A&M Frisco Bowl: SMU vs. Air Force Gasparilla Bowl: UCF vs. Pittsburgh Hawaii Bowl: Houston vs. San Jose State Military Bowl: Tulsa vs. Wake Forest AAC Coordinator Carousel Incinnati: Defense New: Mike Tressel Old: Marcus Freeman Houston: Defense New: Doug Belk Old: Doug Belk, Joe Cauthen SMU: Defense New: Jim Leavitt Old: Kevin Kane Tulane: Offense New: Chip Long Old: Will Hall Tulane: Defense New: Chris Hampton Old: Jack Curtis UCF: Offense New: Tim Harris Jr., G.J. Kinne…

SEPT. 4 BOISE STATE AT UCF The first-ever matchup of two of the most successful Group of 5 programs of the last decade takes place in the Bounce House. SEPT. 11 TULSA AT OKLAHOMA STATE Tulsa gets another shot at ending an eight-game losing streak to Oklahoma State after nearly knocking off its big brother from the Big 12 in 2020. SEPT. 18 MISSISSIPPI STATE AT MEMPHIS Memphis will try to pick up a second straight home win over an SEC team from the Magnolia State (Ole Miss in 2019). SEPT. 18 CINCINNATI AT INDIANA Cincinnati has lost five straight to Indiana, but it’s the Bearcats who are coming off of a New Year’s Six bowl appearance and final No. 8 ranking. SEPT. 25 SMU AT TCU The Iron Skillet…

CINCINNATI Bearcats

OFFENSE Quarterback Desmond Ridder’s decision to return for another season in the Queen City is easily the biggest storyline as the Bearcats offense looks to take another step forward in 2021. Ridder threw for 2,296 yards, 19 touchdowns and only six interceptions while increasing his completion percentage by over 11 percentage points, and he also rushed for 592 yards and another 12 scores on his way to AAC Offensive Player of the Year honors. His wide receiver room remains loaded and will be led by two seniors in Alec Pierce and Michael Young Jr., who each found the end zone three times in 2020. Junior tight end Josh Whyle also returns after a breakout season in which he led the team with 353 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Jerome Ford…

CINCINNATI Bearcats

EAST CAROLINA Pirates

OFFENSE Off ensive expectations at East Carolina revolve around a healthy Holton Ahlers at quarterback, a veteran line and a powerful ground attack. Ahlers, the homegrown hero, competed 61.3 percent of his throws for 240 yards per game and was 25th nationally with 18 touchdown passes. ECU coaches think he can do more by running less. The Pirates prefer Rookie of the Year and All-AAC runner Rahjai Harris, who averaged 4.9 yards per rush and 78 yards per game, to carry the load on the ground. Keaton Mitchell (5.0 yards per carry) is also the real deal. C.J. Johnson could be the next big thing at receiver. A freshman All-American in 2019, he led the team with six scoring catches and averaged 21.3 yards per reception in 2020. Reliable All-AAC…

EAST CAROLINA Pirates

HOUSTON Cougars

OFFENSE Is this the year quarterback Clayton Tune gets a fully uninterrupted season? After playing parts of the previous two seasons, Tune admits to never being able to get into a rhythm because of eight cancellations due to COVID-19 last season. Tune still managed to pass for 2,048 yards, but he will need to improve on the 10 interceptions he threw in the abbreviated eight-game schedule. Finding targets for Tune is a top priority as the Cougars sort through a receiving corps that lost Marquez Stevenson (NFL Draft) and Keith Corbin (transfer portal). Nathaniel Dell led the team with 29 catches for 428 yards last season, but Houston will need more production from a group that includes Tre’von Bradley, Jeremy Singleton and Bryson Smith. KeSean Carter, the second-leading receiver at…

HOUSTON Cougars

OFFENSE Through all the obstacles first-year Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield faced — none bigger than watching All-America running back Kenneth Gainwell and all-conference receiver Damonte Coxie opt out — he persevered and prospered. Silverfield led the Tigers to an 8–3 season and snapped the program’s five-game bowl losing streak with a win in the Montgomery Bowl. The player largely responsible for the success — gritty quarterback Brady White, the UofM’s career passing leader — had an opportunity to return but moved on. For Memphis, that created a rare QB competition in the spring, a three-man battle among Arizona transfer Grant Gunnell, LSU transfer Peter Parrish and returnee Keilon Brown. Gunnell played in 12 games at Arizona with 15 TDs and only three interceptions. The team’s rushing average suffered as…

NAVY Midshipmen

OFFENSE Navy’s off ense posted historic numbers on the positive side in 2019 and then did the same in a negative fashion in 2020. The Midshipmen did not have an adequate replacement for QB Malcolm Perry. An inability to get any movement up front meant there was little running room, and Navy averaged 177.6 rushing yards — easily the worst number of the triple-option era (2002 to present). Freshman Xavier Arline took over under center for the final two games of the season and showed promise. The 5'9", 165-pounder has a much better grasp of Navy’s patented triple-option off ense after having a full spring camp to learn the intricacies of reading defenses and making checks at the line of scrimmage. The Midshipmen need fullback Jamale Carothers to have a…

NAVY Midshipmen

OFFENSE The Mustangs must find ways to replace Shane Buechele and his 7,024 passing yards of the past two seasons. Tanner Mordecai transferred from Oklahoma hoping to do just that. Mordecai played in 12 games with the Sooners, throwing for 639 yards and four touchdowns. Four-star recruit Preston Stone and Georgia transfer John Seter will push him. Experience up front and depth at running back and tight end will ease the QB transition. All five starters return from an offensive line that helped the offense rank ninth nationally in red zone scoring percentage, 13th in passing offense and 15th in scoring offense. AAC co-Rookie of the Year Ulysses Bentley IV led the league last season with 913 rushing yards. He will be joined by RBs TJ McDaniel and North Texas…

OFFENSE Anthony Russo, the starting quarterback for much of the last three seasons, has transferred to Michigan State. At the end of last season, the Owls were forced to use a true freshman walk-on, as they dealt with a variety of adverse circumstances. Re-al Mitchell, who came from Iowa State, started a couple of games before getting injured. Redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis was Georgia’s opening-day starter a year ago. The duo will battle for the starting job. Tayvon Ruley got the bulk of the work at running back in the second half of the season and is back for a fifth year. Two transfers, Ra’Von Bonner (Illinois) and Iverson Clement (Florida), are expected to push for time if not win the job outright. The Owls return some talent at wideout,…

TULANE Green Wave

OFFENSE After guiding the fourth- and second-highest scoring teams in school history in his two years as off ensive coordinator, Will Hall left in December to become the head coach at Southern Miss. His replacement, former college roommate Chip Long, arrived with the credentials to build on that success. Long, a finalist for the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach when he was off ensive coordinator at Notre Dame in 2018, inherits promising quarterback Michael Pratt, who led all true freshmen with 20 touchdown passes in 2020. At best, the receivers were inconsistent, but the top four are back, including wideouts Jha’Quan Jackson and Duece Watts, who each caught 31 passes and combined for 14 touchdown receptions. Long’s offenses feature the tight ends, and he has a good…

TULANE Green Wave

TULSA Golden Hurricane

OFFENSE When third-string quarterback Davis Brin orchestrated a fourth-quarter comeback last season vs. Tulane, he provided a glimpse of what Tulsa’s offense could look like in 2021. Almost everyone else is back, and Brin appears to have the arm and poise to provide the kind of fireworks that were characteristic of head coach Philip Montgomery’s early years with the Golden Hurricane. Veteran Keylon Stokes highlights a receiving corps that boasts four players who had at least 28 catches in 2020. Sam Crawford Jr. is a sure-handed, big-bodied target, and Josh Johnson and JuanCarlos Santana are sneaky weapons capable of delivering yards after the catch. After being sidelined last year because of a torn ACL the week of the season opener, Shamari Brooks has his eyes on the program’s all-time rushing…

TULSA Golden Hurricane

OFFENSE After a standout freshman campaign, Dillon Gabriel solidified himself in 2020 as one of the nation’s best quarterbacks. His 3,570 passing yards ranked fifth in FBS, and he threw 32 touchdown passes to only four interceptions. Gabriel has always been incredibly proficient with the deep ball, leading the nation with 35 completions of passes thrown 20 or more yards beyond the line of scrimmage. UCF graduated its top two rushers, which should lead to an enhanced opportunity for senior Bentavious Th ompson. But plenty of eyes will be on a pair of incoming transfers: former Auburn running back Mark-Antony Richards, a promising young talent, and Isaiah Bowser, who spent the last three years at Northwestern. The bigger question may be at wide receiver as UCF loses its top target,…

OFFENSE Jeff Scott, the former Clemson co-offensive coordinator, had a rough initial season with the South Florida Bulls. Quarterback instability was a big culprit. Now there’s a plan and a potential pecking order. Cade Fortin, a North Carolina transfer limited to just two games with the Bulls because of a shoulder injury, has the desired passing skills and leadership. Miami transfer Jarren Williams is the fallback option, but don’t be surprised if true freshman lefthander Timmy McClain gets some playing time. Scott was enthused by spring improvement at receiver, particularly from Xavier Weaver and Latrell Williams, while ultra-dependable senior Bryce Miller also returns. True freshman Jimmy Horn Jr., McClain’s high school teammate, might be the best of all. Expect Kelley Joiner and Darrian Felix to open as the primary runners.…

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH 2021 Unit Rankings Recruiting by School 1. Oklahoma 2. Texas 3. Oklahoma State 4. West Virginia 5. Baylor 6. Kansas 7. Kansas State 8. Iowa State 9. TCU 10. Texas Tech 2021 Bowl Projections Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Arizona State Cheez-It Bowl: Texas vs. Notre Dame Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Kansas State vs. Nebraska Liberty Bowl: West Virginia vs. Kentucky Texas Bowl: TCU vs. Arkansas Sugar Bowl: Iowa State vs. Georgia Orange Bowl (CFP): Oklahoma vs. Clemson Big 12 Coordinator Carousel Baylor: Offense New: Jeff Grimes Old: Larry Fedora Kansas: Offense New: Mike DeBord Old: Brent Dearmon TCU: Offense New: Doug Meacham Old: Sonny Cumbie Texas: Offense New: Kyle Flood Old: Herb Hand, Mike Yurcich Texas: Defense New: Jeff Choate, Pete Kwiatkowski Old: Chris Ash, Coleman…

SEPT. 11 IOWA AT IOWA STATE Iowa State’s Matt Campbell has yet to clear the Iowa hump, as his Cyclones have lost five in a row to the archrival Hawkeyes. SEPT. 18 NEBRASKA AT OKLAHOMA It’s been more than a decade since Oklahoma and Nebraska last met, but there’s plenty of history between these former conference rivals. SEPT. 18 OKLAHOMA STATE AT BOISE STATE Oklahoma State heads to Idaho to play a Boise State team that has made a habit of beating Power 5 programs. OCT. 2 OKLAHOMA AT KANSAS STATE Kansas State has had Oklahoma’s number the past two seasons, so you know the Sooners have this game circled on their calendars. OCT. 2 TEXAS AT TCU TCU has dominated the series with Texas recently, winning six of the…

Jeff Grimes can’t imagine trying to install a new offense without spring ball. “We lost most of our spring at BYU last year, but that was my third year there. It was different,” says Grimes, who left BYU in January to join head coach Dave Aranda at Baylor as offensive coordinator. Talk about your perfect storm. As a firsttime head coach, Aranda was trying to implement new offensive and defensive systems last year during a pandemic and didn’t get one day of spring ball. The end result was a 2–7 finish just a year after playing in the Big 12 Championship Game and Sugar Bowl with current Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule. His confidence not shaken, Aranda says the Baylor men’s basketball team’s national championship provided a blueprint of…

IOWA STATE Cyclones

Make no mistake about it. After winning last year’s Fiesta Bowl and returning 19 of 22 starters, the 2021 edition of Iowa State football should be the best in school history by a wide margin. In Year Six of the Matt Campbell era, the Cyclones are a legitimate College Football Playoff contender with all eyes set on winning the Big 12. Campbell, a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year, has led Iowa State to nine wins over ranked teams since 2017, tied for the third most in college football during that span. The only goals for this season involve shattering anything that Iowa State football has done in its 100-plus-year history. OFFENSE Iowa State has two Heisman Trophy contenders on its offense in quarterback Brock Purdy and running back…

IOWA STATE Cyclones

KANSAS Jayhawks

Following an 0–9 campaign and an offseason of turmoil, the Kansas football team’s main goal should be stability in 2021. KU football coach Les Miles agreed to part ways with the school in March following allegations against him of sexual harassment during his previous tenure at LSU. A few days later, KU athletic director Jeff Long left Lawrence as part of a settlement agreement as well. Though those two men hired in 2018 primarily to fix the football program are gone, the Jayhawks must now do all they can to ensure that Miles’ recruiting efforts weren’t wasted. Miles went just 3–18 during his two seasons at KU, but one area where he did thrive was in talent acquisition, as the school brought in two highly rated classes — completely from…

KANSAS Jayhawks

KANSAS STATE Wildcats

Chris Klieman’s tenure as Kansas State’s head football coach can be divided into two distinct parts. His first 18 games with the Wildcats were a big-time success that featured 12 victories, a bowl appearance and a contract extension. But the final five games of the 2020 season were all losses, including some shield-your-eyes beatdowns against West Virginia (37–10), Iowa State (45–0) and Texas (69–31) that sent the team tumbling from first to seventh in the Big 12 standings. That late swoon makes it difficult to predict what will happen this season. Can Klieman guide the Wildcats back to where he had them in those first 18 games? Or will K-State’s problems persist even after the challenges of playing during a pandemic fade? Time will tell, but with key seniors returning…

KANSAS STATE Wildcats

OKLAHOMA Sooners

Oklahoma’s run of three consecutive College Football Playoff appearances ended in 2020. Still, the Sooners are on a run entering the 2021 season, having won eight straight games — the second-longest streak in the country — including another Big 12 title game and the Cotton Bowl Classic. And they’re a popular choice to keep on winning, with a stacked roster and a growing swagger built down the stretch last fall. OFFENSE Spencer Rattler endured some rough patches during his freshman season, including a three-interception scuffle in an early-season loss to unranked Kansas State. But he enjoyed some spectacular stretches, too. Over the final seven games, Rattler tossed 15 touchdowns with just two interceptions. Overall, he finished with 3,031 yards and 28 TDs and was voted Big 12 Newcomer of the…

OKLAHOMA Sooners

OKLAHOMA STATE Cowboys

The Cowboys sought a special season in 2020, with premium players in place to back up high hopes. Anybody for a redo? The biggest names — Tylan Wallace and Chuba Hubbard — are gone, yet Oklahoma State returns a deep and talented roster equipped to challenge in the Big 12. “Stay healthy, get good quarterback play and limit big plays on defense, and you’ve got a chance,” head coach Mike Gundy says. The Cowboys were rarely healthy a year ago, dealt with inconsistent quarterback play and in their losses committed too many defensive breakdowns. Still, they finished 8–3, third in the Big 12 and closed with a solid win over Miami in the Cheez-It Bowl, offering promise for 2021. OFFENSE Much of Oklahoma State’s optimism hinges on continued growth from…

OKLAHOMA STATE Cowboys

TCU Horned Frogs

The Horned Frogs practice with a song in their heart. The tune depends on how the season is going. In 2020, everything changed in the middle of the year because TCU was out of sync, out of step and writhing and tilting like Elaine from “Seinfeld” at an office party. Something had to be done. In an instant, the players’ playlist was out. The head coach’s was in. “We weren’t playing very well,” Gary Patterson says. “So we went back to my soundtrack, just like we’ve always had it, and we won five out of six.” Coaching is about finding an edge anywhere, and in the latter half of the COVID-challenged year, Patterson and the Frogs found theirs. Winning five of six to finish at 6–4, they led the Big…

TCU Horned Frogs

TEXAS Longhorns

Steve Sarkisian got his second chance as a big-time head coach — one day after he helped Alabama win a national title — when he was announced as the successor to Tom Herman at Texas. Longhorn Nation seemed to get more excited about Sarkisian’s hire with each new assistant coach he added to his staff. Six of those assistants have been on staffs that have either won a national title (TE/special teams coach Jeff Banks, offensive coordinator/O-line coach Kyle Flood, QB coach AJ Milwee and D-line coach Bo Davis) or reached the College Football Playoff (defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and secondary coach Terry Joseph). Players say the vibe under Sarkisian is much more straightforward and transparent than life under Herman, who, like his mentor Urban Meyer, used fear as a…

TEXAS Longhorns

TEXAS TECH Red Raiders

Texas Tech entered the 2020 campaign having lost a lot of close games the season before and with hopes of finishing out those games this time around. The second year of the Matt Wells era was supposed to be the year that Texas Tech took a step forward. Instead, due to COVID-19 and lackluster play, it was pretty much more of the same for the Red Raiders. Looking ahead, Tech has some holes to fill in the starting lineup. The Red Raiders lost starting quarterback Alan Bowman to the transfer portal, and they also bid farewell to some other key players, including receiver Ke-Sean Carter (transfer) and defensive lineman Eli Howard (graduation). Tech is now in a position to turn a new page offensively, with a new quarterback set to…

TEXAS TECH Red Raiders

WEST VIRGINIA Mountaineers

West Virginia head coach Neal Brown went into an odd 2020 season with the expectation that the Mountaineers would be one of the most improved teams in the nation. A 6–4 finish (4–4 in the Big 12) with some solid stats to back up that record allowed Brown to say he had met his goal. Now, in Brown’s third season in Morgantown, the next step for his program is to compete at the top of the Big 12, and key returners across the board could make that goal a reality. The offense will be a veteran group that shows flashes in both the pass and run game but still needs to find consistency. Defensively, the Mountaineers finished No. 1 nationally in pass defense and in the top five in total…

WEST VIRGINIA Mountaineers

Big Ten Preview

2021 Unit Rankings Recruiting by School 1. Ohio State 2. Michigan 3. Wisconsin 4. Maryland 5. Nebraska 6. Penn State 7. Iowa 8. Minnesota 9. Rutgers 10. Michigan State 11. Northwestern 12. Indiana 13. Illinois 14. Purdue 2021 Bowl Projections Citrus Bowl: Iowa vs. LSU Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Nebraska vs. Kansas State Las Vegas Bowl: Indiana vs. USC Music City Bowl: Michigan vs. Tennessee Outback Bowl: Penn State vs. Missouri Pinstripe Bowl: Maryland vs. Virginia Quick Lane Bowl: Minnesota vs. Toledo Redbox Bowl: Northwestern vs. California Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Oregon Cotton Bowl (CFP): Ohio State vs. Alabama Big Ten Coordinator Carousel Indiana: Defense New: Charlton Warren Old: Kane Wommack Illinois: Offense New: Tony Petersen Old: Rod Smith Illinois: Defense New: Ryan Walters Old: Lovie Smith Maryland: Offense New: Dan…

Big Ten Preview

SEPT. 11 OREGON AT OHIO STATE Ohio State will look to stay perfect (9–0) against Oregon when the defending Big Ten and Pac-12 champions face off in Columbus. SEPT. 11 IOWA AT IOWA STATE Iowa has held onto the rivalry’s Cy-Hawk Trophy for five straight years and hasn’t lost to Iowa State in Ames since 2011. SEPT. 11 WASHINGTON AT MICHIGAN Michigan welcomes Washington to the Big House with Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines aiming for a win against one of the Pac-12’s top teams. SEPT. 18 NEBRASKA AT OKLAHOMA A critical season for Scott Frost’s program features a reunion with a former conference rival. NU’s turnaround prospects will be put to the test. SEPT. 25 WISCONSIN VS. NOTRE DAME (CHICAGO) Historic Soldier Field is the perfect setting for these teams’ first…

INDIANA Hoosiers

After going 6–2 and defeating Penn State, Michigan and Michigan State in the same season for the first time in program history, Indiana still won’t have to search for skeptics. The Hoosiers will be required to deliver proof with a schedule that opens at Iowa and features a visit by Cincinnati before IU enters the Big Ten East grind. The return of 17 starters, including dynamic quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and third-team All-America linebacker Micah McFadden, will make the journey fascinating. Head coach Tom Allen created a national buzz last season with his emotional interactions with players — and IU has gone all-in with Allen, increasing his salary to nearly $5 million through 2027. Allen has preached that IU can shake up the Big Ten East. He has the roster…

INDIANA Hoosiers

MARYLAND Terrapins

Third-year Maryland head coach Mike Locksley has spent a lot of time rebuilding the framework of what he believes can finally be a successful program in College Park. He has some insider information: Locksley was a key part of Ralph Friedgen’s staff in the late ’90s when the “Fridge” chilled out locals with a decade of winning football. And the big offseason story at Maryland, other than another banner recruiting class for Locks & Co., was some notable changes on the coaching staff. Former Cincinnati offensive guru Dan Enos is the new offensive coordinator; Brian Stewart begins a second tour of duty with the Terps as defensive boss; veteran’s veteran Ron Zook takes over the special teams; and former NFL assistant Brian Braswell inherits an offensive line loaded with potential.…

MARYLAND Terrapins

MICHIGAN Wolverines

After a season marred by mistakes and bad football, Michigan has endured significant turnover from a player and coaching standpoint. While questions remain on the offensive side of the ball, the focus now shifts to the defense with the departure of longtime coordinator Don Brown. First-year defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has arrived from the Baltimore Ravens and will be implementing a new scheme with a young and inexperienced group that saw its fair share of struggles. Not void of talent by any means, the defensive side of the ball is looking to be vastly different from 2020. OFFENSE Another year, another quarterback controversy boiling through spring football in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines went through something of a quarterback roulette last season between Joe Milton and Cade McNamara. While both suffered…

MICHIGAN Wolverines

MICHIGAN STATE Spartans

Mel Tucker was not the first choice of Michigan State athletic director Bill Beekman to take over the Spartans football program after Mark Dantonio left. But Tucker is intent on proving that he was the right choice. Tucker inherited a depleted Spartan program that had suffered under Dantonio’s last several years of poor recruiting. To his credit, the Spartans’ new man hit the ground running and went to work. The Spartans didn’t have a great 2020 season, finishing 2–5 in the abbreviated campaign. However, despite significant talent shortcomings, they still beat Michigan, and Tucker was able to show Spartan Nation and future recruits his plans for the substantial rebuild underway in East Lansing. OFFENSE The Spartans welcome in Temple graduate transfer quarterback Anthony Russo. While the expectation is that he…

MICHIGAN STATE Spartans

OHIO STATE Buckeyes

There’s no way around it: Ohio State’s unsettled quarterback situation is one of the most intriguing storylines as we plunge into a highly anticipated college football season. All that is apparent so far is that Justin Fields has left a cloud of uncertainty at the position, and head coach Ryan Day eventually will point in the direction of a freshman. Redshirts C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller III have obvious talent, but neither threw a single pass in limited mop-up duty last year. The other candidate is true freshman Kyle McCord, a five-star recruit and threetime state champion who enrolled in January. But high school trophies aren’t going to win the job in Columbus. What will win it: leadership, comfort with the offense and feel for the game. “I think anticipating…

OHIO STATE Buckeyes

PENN STATE Nittany Lions

For a guy who is coming off his first losing season at Penn State, James Franklin sounds pretty upbeat these days. Maybe that’s because the Nittany Lions were better at the end of the 2020 season than they were at the beginning, winning their last four after starting 0–5. Maybe it’s because he pulled off a recruiting coup in January when he fired offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca and brought aboard Mike Yurcich following a coaching purge at Texas. Maybe it’s because the run of spectacularly bad luck that contributed to Penn State’s 0–5 start — injuries, turnovers and a crucial opt-out — seems unlikely to recur in 2021. Whatever the reason, Franklin has turned the page. “There were tremendous lessons to be learned,” he says. “I look forward to taking…

PENN STATE Nittany Lions

RUTGERS Scarlet Knights

After inheriting a Rutgers program that was riding a 21-game losing streak in Big Ten play, Greg Schiano knew there would be low expectations in his return as the Scarlet Knights head coach. Rutgers was universally picked to finish last in the Big Ten in his first season but instead defied expectations with a road upset of Michigan State in its opener and wins at Purdue and at Maryland late in the year. While a 3–6 record might’ve been disappointing to most fan bases, it was viewed as a colossal feat in New Jersey. And it only heightened expectations for Schiano in his second act at Rutgers. OFFENSE In three of the previous four years, Rutgers finished last in the Big Ten in scoring. But under offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson’s…

RUTGERS Scarlet Knights

ILLINOIS Fighting Illini

Five years ago, new Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman took a shot on longtime NFL coach Lovie Smith, turning over the program to him. It didn’t work. Away from the college game for more than two decades, Smith never found his footing and went 17–39 with no winning seasons. He was fired after the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign. Illinois didn’t wait long to name Smith’s replacement, hiring Bret Bielema off the staff of the NFL’s New York Giants. Why Bielema? Start with his Big Tenheavy background (Prophetstown, Ill., native, former Iowa player, long run of success as Wisconsin head coach.) Bielema said all the right things early in his Illinois tenure, showing a level of competence Illini fans crave. “The overall feeling on this campus is pretty special,” Bielema says. One…

ILLINOIS Fighting Illini

At an age when many plan for retirement, Kirk Ferentz is planning for his 23rd season as the Iowa head coach. Ferentz will be 66 when the 2021 season starts, but he hasn’t given even the slightest indication that he is considering retiring. Ferentz, who is the longest-tenured coach in the country, made it through the global pandemic after testing positive for the coronavirus and showing some symptoms. His team also made it through the pandemic last season, winning its final six games after an 0–2 start and building momentum for this season. Ferentz also has had to endure the shame and embarrassment that came when multiple former Iowa players last summer accused the program of racial discrimination. Long-time strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle was relieved of his duties…

MINNESOTA Golden Gophers

P.J. Fleck’s first seven seasons as a head coach included steady ascents at two different schools — until 2020. After taking Western Michigan from 1–11 in 2013 to 13–1 in 2016 and Minnesota from 5–7 in 2017 to 11–2 in 2019, Fleck saw his 2020 team sidetracked in the delayed, shortened and interrupted COVID-19 season. The Gophers lost two games in overtime and won two one-possession games in regulation to finish 3–4. Two games were called off, and they opted out of a bowl game. Fleck believes that 2020’s challenges will be a springboard for this fall. “What they went through together, what they’ve overcome together, how they’ve failed together, how they’ve succeeded together,” Fleck says. “They’ve gone through it together, and we have a lot of guys that have…

MINNESOTA Golden Gophers

NEBRASKA Cornhuskers

Nebraska drew extensive criticism for being the first school to push the Big Ten to play in 2020, though that criticism subsided when Ohio State joined in the push. The Cornhuskers got their wish and then had to endure a third consecutive losing season under Scott Frost, their fourth overall. Beyond that, the program hasn’t been consistently relevant nationally in 20-plus years. Even so, Frost remains optimistic. Once again, the Huskers have lost their leading receiver, Wan’Dale Robinson, to the transfer portal, after JD Spielman left following the 2019 season. Another wide receiver, Kade Warner, also left during the offseason. Though he caught only five passes, Warner was a co-captain, a reflection of his leadership, not just among receivers but on the team as a whole. That’s a concern. Frost’s…

NEBRASKA Cornhuskers

NORTHWESTERN Wildcats

Many Big Ten teams ended 2020 wanting to press delete and start over. Northwestern emerged from a delayed and difficult season feeling revitalized and emboldened. The Wildcats won their second division title in three years, made overdue changes to spark a dormant offense and wiped away a 3–9 clunker in 2019 — a clear outlier for a program with four Top 25 finishes since 2015. They finished No. 10 in both polls under Pat Fitzgerald, who again spurned NFL interest and signed a new 10-year contract with his alma mater. “We’re in an amazing place as a program,” Fitzgerald says. “We just have to eliminate the step backward like we had in ’19.” Northwestern is facing pressing personnel challenges after key departures. Arguably the best defense in team history (15.9…

NORTHWESTERN Wildcats

PURDUE Boilermakers

The pandemic-shortened 2020 season for Purdue exposed familiar flaws on defense and special teams. At 19–25 in four seasons at Purdue, head coach Jeff Brohm faces a critical fifth season in 2021. Speedy receiver Rondale Moore declared for the NFL Draft, leaving the Boilermakers in search of a new dynamic playmaker. Purdue hasn’t been to a bowl in either of the last two years after making appearances at the end of Brohm’s first two seasons as coach. Brohm replaced defensive coordinators for the second straight offseason, bringing in Brad Lambert from Marshall to take over for Bob Diaco, whose defense surrendered 34 points or more in each of Purdue’s final three games last season. Purdue has gained depth and experience the last two seasons. With some potential impact transfers added…

PURDUE Boilermakers

WISCONSIN Badgers

A disappointing 2020 season has Wisconsin looking to turn the page and climb back to the top of the Big Ten Conference West Division. A bevy of juniors and seniors opted to return to Madison instead of making the leap to the NFL, and those players will be crucial in keeping the Badgers’ defense among the top 10 in the nation in scoring and total yards allowed, as well as improving an offense that averaged its lowest scoring output (25.1 points per game) since 2004. Head coach Paul Chryst improved to 5–1 in bowl games as the Badgers’ top man last season, but he had to overhaul his staff after three assistant coaches left for new gigs. Wisconsin will have new coaches leading the quarterbacks, running backs, defensive linemen and…

WISCONSIN Badgers

2021 Unit Rankings Recruiting by School 1. UTSA 2. North Texas 3. Florida Atlantic 4. FIU 5. Rice 6. Old Dominion 7. Charlotte 8. UAB 9. Louisiana Tech 10. Middle Tennessee 11. Southern Miss 12. Marshall 13. UTEP 14. WKU 2021 Bowl Projections Armed Forces Bowl: UTSA vs. Baylor Bahamas Bowl: Florida Atlantic vs. Ball State Boca Raton Bowl: UAB vs. Coastal Carolina First Responder Bowl: WKU vs. San Diego State Independence Bowl: Louisiana Tech vs. BYU LendingTree Bowl: Charlotte vs. Troy New Orleans Bowl: Marshall vs. Louisiana C-USA Coordinator Carousel Florida Atlantic: Offense New: Michael Johnson Old: Drew Mehringer, Clint Trickett Florida Atlantic: Defense New: Mike Stoops Old: Jim Leavitt FIU: Offense New: Andrew Breiner Old: Rich Skrosky FIU: Defense New: Everett Withers Old: Jeff Copp, Jerod Kruse Marshall:…

SEPT. 4 UTSA AT ILLINOIS After a surprising bowl season, UTSA will go for its second win over a Power 5 program (Baylor, 2017) when the Roadrunners face Illinois. SEPT. 11 UAB AT GEORGIA Defending C-USA champion UAB gets an opportunity to make a huge statement when the Blazers head to Athens to face Georgia. SEPT. 25 MARSHALL AT APP. STATE Marshall has won the last three vs. Appalachian State in a series that dates back to when both were Division I-AA (now FCS) powerhouses. SEPT. 25 INDIANA AT WKU WKU, coming off of a 5-7 season, is no stranger to knocking off a Power 5 team. The Hilltoppers destroyed Arkansas 45-19 on the road in 2019. OCT. 2 LIBERTY AT UAB UAB’s top-10 defense will be put to the…

CHARLOTTE 49ERS

OFFENSE After a bizarre and disappointing 2020 season, Charlotte is a program badly hoping to turn the page. Fortunately for the 49ers, they have enough weapons to do just that. Chief among them is fifth-year senior quarterback Chris Reynolds, who has bounced back from the shoulder injury on the first play of 2020 that hindered him last season. While Reynolds is within striking distance of school records for passing yards and touchdowns, he’ll have some competition from dual-threat Texas A&M transfer James Foster, a former four-star recruit. There are plenty of options in the passing game, most notably receiver Victor Tucker, who earned All-Conference USA second-team honors last season and has averaged 4.5 catches per game for his career. “He’s the go-to-guy,” head coach Will Healy says. “He’s been exceptional,…

CHARLOTTE 49ERS

FLORIDA ATLANTIC Owls

OFFENSE Poor quarterback play hindered the offense last season, prompting Florida Atlantic to sign Penn State transfer Michael Johnson Jr. and hire his father, Michael Johnson, to coordinate the passing game. Johnson Jr.’s physical tools shined during the spring game, but can he successfully read an FBS defense? Nick Tronti’s shortcomings prompted FAU’s mid-year switch to Javion Posey, who electrified with his feet but also experienced accuracy issues. FAU’s deepest position in 2020, running back, might be even better this year. USF transfer Johnny Ford, who rushed for 1,175 yards and 13 TDs in 24 games with the Bulls, impressed in spring practice with speed and elusiveness. The Owls hired former Michigan assistant Ed Warinner to coach the offensive line and coordinate the running game. FAU used the transfer portal…

FLORIDA ATLANTIC Owls

OFFENSE FIU’s offense is a work in progress to say the least, with the team going through a revolving door of coaches. Tim Harris Jr. was expected to lead the unit in 2021 after his appointment following the end of the 2020 season by Butch Davis, but Harris opted to join the UCF staff in late February, leaving Davis to scramble for a new coordinator prior to spring drills. Andrew Breiner, who was Mississippi State’s pass-game coordinator, took the position on March 25 and jumped right to work. There are talented skill guys with wide receivers Shemar Thornton and Bryce Singleton and tight end Sterling Palmer returning, but the question is whom Breiner will choose to throw to them. Quarterback Max Bortenschlager returned for his extra year, and he will…

MARSHALL Thundering Herd

OFFENSE Marshall offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey is the lone 2020 holdover for new head coach Charles Huff, but the offense will be vastly different in 2021. Huff’s offense will be a high-octane attack predicated on the right arm of Grant Wells (2,091 yards, 18 TDs in 2020) and an aerial attack that takes advantage of the many experienced receivers — Talik Keaton, Corey Gammage, Broc Thompson — that the Herd have at their disposal. Sheldon Evans and Rasheen Ali replace All-Conference USA running back Brenden Knox, giving the Herd more of a pass-catching threat out of the backfield. The offensive line returns intact with the exception of NFL hopeful Josh Ball and adds former UNC starter Billy Ross, giving the unit plenty of experience and depth. Despite the presence of…

MARSHALL Thundering Herd

MTSU Blue Raiders

OFFENSE Middle Tennessee lost a good quarterback and gained another. Asher O’Hara transferred to FCS Sacramento State to play with his brother, but the Blue Raiders replaced him with former NC State starter Bailey Hockman. Last season, Hockman passed for 2,088 yards and 13 TDs in leading the Wolfpack to the Gator Bowl. Offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon is another new ingredient after calling plays at Kansas last season. Hockman and Dearmon should have a chance to guide a productive offense with the top running back and five key receivers back. Jarrin Pierce (59 receptions, 584 yards), Yusuf Ali (37 receptions, 457 yards) and CJ Windham (31 receptions, 331 yards) lead a deep and experienced receiving corps. Chaton Mobley (366 yards rushing, four TDs) is the returning starter in the backfield.…

MTSU Blue Raiders

OLD DOMINION Monarchs

OFFENSE The last time the Monarchs saw the field — in November 2019 — they were capping a 1–11 season in which they ranked 129th out of 130 FBS teams in yards per play. Since then, the Monarchs welcomed a new head coach in former Penn State off ensive coordinator Ricky Rahne and had the entire 2020 season wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic. While it’s a certainty that the Monarchs will try to incorporate elements of the no-huddle, spread attack Rahne ran at Penn State, much of the rest of the off ensive equation is undefined. Senior Stone Smartt, who started seven games in 2019, and redshirt freshman Hayden Wolff, who started three, off er some experience at quarterback. Meanwhile, Norfolk native and UCF transfer D.J. Mack Jr., who…

OLD DOMINION Monarchs

WKU Hilltoppers

OFFENSE WKU is hoping that new faces can turn the offense back into what it was in the mid-2010s. WKU hired Zach Kittley as its new coordinator after he led FCS Houston Baptist’s high-powered offense the last three seasons in the same role, and he’ll have familiar pieces to work with. Quarterback Bailey Zappe and receivers Jerreth Sterns, Josh Sterns and Ben Ratzlaff all followed Kittley from HBU, where in four games last season — three against FBS programs — the Huskies averaged 547.5 yards of offense. During the spring, the Hilltoppers weren’t sure if they would have 2020 starting quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome back; he entered the transfer portal but was still undecided as spring practice progressed. Receivers Mitchell Tinsley, Craig Burt Jr. and Dayton Wade, who saw significant action…

WKU Hilltoppers

LOUISIANA TECH Bulldogs

OFFENSE The offense was anemic in 2020, averaging just 22.3 points vs. FBS opponents on a C-USA-worst 4.3 yards per play in conference games. Meanwhile, the season-long quarterback rotation between Luke Anthony and Aaron Allen was never quite resolved. Anthony, a grad transfer from FCS Abilene Christian, started eight of the first nine games and fared considerably better on paper, besting Allen in yards per attempt (6.7 to 5.0), touchdowns (16 to four) and interceptions (five to eight). But Allen, the more athletic of the pair, still handled more than a third of the total snaps and had the lion’s share of the work in the spring as Anthony remained limited by the compound leg fracture he suffered vs. TCU in 2020. Generating more juice from the skill positions is…

LOUISIANA TECH Bulldogs

NORTH TEXASMean Green

OFFENSE Some key components return from last season’s off ense, which led Conference USA in scoring, rushing, passing and total yards. How North Texas replaces the missing parts will determine if it can match that production. Jaelon Darden, statistically the best receiver in program history, left for the NFL Draft, and other wideouts entered the transfer portal. Th at void must be filled by Deonte Simpson (25 receptions, 517 yards), Jyaire Shorter, Loronzo Th ompson and others. Simpson is a big-play threat, averaging 20.7 yards per catch. Shorter looked like a rising star in 2019 and may be a future NFL prospect, but he struggled through a leg injury last season. Th ompson returns to off ense after playing cornerback in 2020. Four of five starters on the off ensive…

NORTH TEXASMean Green

OFFENSE Marques Tuiasosopo brings a version of the West Coast offense in his first year as offensive coordinator, but Rice’s philosophy will remain largely the same: Pound the ball, control the clock and mix in some play-action. The quarterback battle will continue into preseason camp with graduate transfer Jake Constantine, who made 23 starts over two seasons at FCS Weber State; JoVoni Johnson, who started the final two games of the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season; and Wiley Green and TJ McMahon vying for the job. Rice has opened with a different quarterback each of the last six seasons. Jordan Myers will line up at wide receiver, tight end and in the backfield to put some stress on defensive coordinators. The team leader in receptions (24) last season, Myers also was used…

SOUTHERN MISS Golden Eagles

OFFENSE Southern Miss returns roughly three-fourths of last year’s rushing/receiving output as well as eight linemen who started multiple games. RB Frank Gore Jr. did his name justice as a freshman, ranking fourth in C-USA with 708 rushing yards, and he has the look of a rising star. The same goes for junior receiver Jason Brownlee, a former junior college All-American who averaged a team-high 17.9 yards per catch with five TDs. The longest-tenured of the line vets, sixth-year senior Arvin Fletcher, has logged 47 consecutive starts at four different positions. USM cycled through three different starting quarterbacks in 2020, with predictably blah results. For new head coach Will Hall, a former QB himself, settling on a starter is a make-or-break priority. Hall wasted no time scoring his first big…

SOUTHERN MISS Golden Eagles

OFFENSE In his sixth year with the Blazers, quarterback Tyler Johnston III is poised to hold off a challenge from Bryson Lucero. Lucero had more starts and more pass attempts and threw for more yards than Johnston, who battled injuries, but Johnston is a bit more efficient and takes better care of the ball (one interception to Lucero’s eight). The running back position is deep, experienced and talented. Sophomore DeWayne McBride has already set the UAB record for the longest run with a 75-yarder and also added a 71-yarder. The 230-pounder averaged 9.3 yards per carry. Jermaine Brown Jr., Lucious Stanley and Larry Wooden will fight for carries and will be challenged by Mississippi State transfer Lee Witherspoon. Running room will be plentiful as the off ensive line returns seven…

OFFENSE UTEP had one of its most potent attacks of the last decade in 2020 before a string of COVID-related cancellations disrupted an odd season. With eight starters back on off ense, the Miners feel they are on the edge of the breakthrough they teased at last September. The path to success: Quarterback Gavin Hardison lives up to the potential his arm shows in every practice; tailback Deion Hankins is another under-recruited El Paso gem; and receivers Jacob Cowing and Justin Garrett establish star power to give UTEP its most explosive group of skill players in years. New off ensive coordinator Dave Warner comes over from Michigan State, but his job is to keep continuity in head coach Dana Dimel’s off ense. Hardison, coming off his first year as an…

UTSA Roadrunners

OFFENSE The Roadrunners welcome back 10 starters from a unit that jumped from No. 117 in scoring in 2019 (20.3 ppg) to No. 67 (28.2) under first-year head coach Jeff Traylor. Running back Sincere McCormick is coming off a season in which he set a school record with 1,467 yards (second in the nation) and scored 11 touchdowns while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. He will again be the focus of the offense after earning first-team All-C-USA honors and finishing sixth in the country with 133.4 yards per game. He will be running behind an offensive line that returns five starters and a strong blocking tight end in Leroy Watson. Left tackle Spencer Burford, center Ahofitu Maka and right tackle Makai Hart were all named second-team All-C-USA in 2020, and…

UTSA Roadrunners

2021 Unit Rankings Recruiting by School 1. Toledo 2. Central Michigan 3. Miami (Ohio) 4. Northern Illinois 5. Ball State 6. Eastern Michigan 7. Western Michigan 8. Buffalo 9. Ohio 10. Bowling Green 11. Kent State 12. Akron 2021 Bowl Projections Arizona Bowl: Buffalo vs. Nevada Bahamas Bowl: Ball State vs. FAU Camellia Bowl: Ohio vs. Appalachian State Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: West. Mich. vs. Fresno State Myrtle Beach Bowl: Kent State vs. Georgia State Quick Lane Bowl: Toledo vs. Minnesota MAC Coordinator Carousel Akron: Offense New: Bryan Gasser, Tommy Zagorski Old: Tommy Zagorski Bowling Green: Defense New: Eric Lewis Old: Brian VanGorder Central Michigan: Offense New: Kevin Barbay Old: Charlie Frye Miami (Ohio): Offense New: Eric Koehler Old: George Barnett, Eric Koehler Western Michigan: Offense New: Tim Lester Old:…

SEPT. 11 BALL STATE AT PENN STATE Aside from Indiana (3–7), Ball State is 0–22–1 against current Big Ten members. This will be the Cardinals’ first-ever meeting with Penn State. SEPT. 18 COASTAL CAROLINA AT BUFFALO This matchup of teams that finished ranked in the final AP Top 25 last season could have New Year’s Six bowl ramifications. SEPT. 25 TOLEDO AT BALL STATE Ball State withstood a furious fourth-quarter rally by Toledo to escape the Glass Bowl with a 27–24 victory last November. OCT. 2 WESTERN MICHIGAN AT BUFFALO The last time these two teams met in 2017, WMU beat Buffalo 71–68 in a seven-overtime thriller that set a new FBS mark for total points. OCT. 9 BALL STATE AT WESTERN MICHIGAN Ball State rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter…

OFFENSE A Zips off ense that bumped its average up about a touchdown to 17.2 points per game last fall must choose between a pair of returning starters at quarterback. Kato Nelson, Akron’s starter from 2017-19, missed all of last season due to an injury but was healthy and back in the mix during spring practices. He’s competing with Zach Gibson, who produced modest numbers in six starts last fall. Teon Dollard gave the Zips’ rushing attack a desperately needed boost last season. Dollard ran for over 150 yards in three of six games last season while averaging 111 yards per contest and just under six yards per carry, earning first-team All-MAC honors. However, Dollard’s availability for the 2021 season is in question. He faced a felony weapons charge and…

BOWLING GREEN Falcons

OFFENSE The ineptitude on this side of the ball in 2020 was catastrophic for the struggling Falcons program, as they averaged just 11.4 points per game, had one touchdown pass in five games and scored touchdowns on just five of their 15 red zone trips. Head coach Scot Loeffler hopes offseason shoulder surgery will allow junior quarterback Matt McDonald, who played hurt last season, to reach his full potential as a passer while leading a still very young unit. The former Boston College transfer had 39 touchdown passes his senior year at California prep powerhouse Mission Viejo. McDonald’s likely backup is freshman Tucker Melton. After starting last season as a freshman, Tyrone Broden leads the youngest receiver group in the conference. The rushing attack is relying heavily on Terion Stewart,…

BOWLING GREEN Falcons

OFFENSE Behind the nation’s second-ranked rushing attack, Buffalo stampeded into the Top 25 for the first time last season. Even with All-American Jaret Patterson gone to the NFL, the Bulls don’t intend to cede ground. Kevin Marks Jr. will carry a larger load after teaming with Patterson to form the country’s top rushing tandem over the past two seasons. The MVP of the Camellia Bowl averaged 106 yards per game on 6.6 yards per carry as a junior and outgained Patterson in four of seven games. Four starters return on an off ensive line that was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award for the nation’s top line, notably All-MAC center Mike Novitsky and tackle Jake Fuzak, who is moving over to the left side to replace All-American Kayode Awosika.…

KENT STATE Golden Flashes

OFFENSE Dual-threat quarterback Dustin Crum is no longer a secret. After leading the Golden Flashes to the first bowl victory in school history in 2019, Crum (6'3", 207) spearheaded a KSU offense that finished 2020 leading the nation in scoring (49.8 points per game) and total offense (606.5 yards per game) — although the Flashes played only four games due to COVID-19 issues. He’s one of the most highly regarded signal-callers in the nation after completing 70 percent of his passes for 3,803 yards and 32 TDs with just four interceptions while rushing for 947 yards and 10 scores in 17 games over the past two seasons. Ja’Shaun Poke emerged at wide receiver last season along with Keshunn Abram. The Flashes added Syracuse transfer Nykeim Johnson to the mix at…

KENT STATE Golden Flashes

MIAMI (OHIO) RedHawks

OFFENSE The RedHawks possess one of the top quarterbacks in the conference and a load of offensive talent, so they expect to field one of the more prolific units in the MAC this season. Brett Gabbert, who won MAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2019 after throwing for 2,411 yards and 11 touchdowns while leading Miami to the MAC championship, has a chance to build on his reputation after scant opportunities in Miami’s three-game 2020 season. Veteran running back Jaylon Bester, who had 741 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2019, missed last year due to injury but returns at full strength, as does Tyre Shelton, the top backup who also missed 2020 with injury issues. The receiving corps is potent with senior Jack Sorenson, who has 115 career catches,…

MIAMI (OHIO) RedHawks

OFFENSE A season cut down to three games prevented Ohio from answering its quarterback question in 2020. So now the Bobcats will face the same issue as they enter 2021. Ohio used two quarterbacks in 2020, with pass-first signal-caller Kurtis Rourke (68.2 percent, 386 yards, three TDs) starting all three games. Graduate transfer Armani Rogers (from UNLV) also appeared in every game and gave Ohio a QB with minimal passing (48 yards, one TD) but a stronger run presence (114 yards, two TDs). Veteran head coach Frank Solich didn’t pick between the two during the spring session, and it’s expected that both will continue to see reps deep into 2021. Beyond the quarterbacks, there are few questions on offense. Three starters return on the O-line, and they’re joined by Virginia…

BALL STATE Cardinals

OFFENSE The defending Mid-American Conference champion Cardinals will rely on the experience and leadership of senior All-MAC quarterback Drew Plitt, who returns for his third season as a full-time starter. Plitt ranks fourth all-time at Ball State with 6,520 passing yards in his career. In the 2019 season, Plitt had 2,918 passing yards and a six-TD game against Fordham, and he threw for another 2,164 yards and 17 scores last season. Plitt has a pair of returning All-MAC receivers to connect with in seniors Justin Hall and Yo’Heinz Tyler. Hall has won All-MAC honors four times and is the FBS active leader in career receptions (257). Tyler caught a touchdown pass in each of the final seven games of 2020 and has a career 16.1 yards per catch average. The…

BALL STATE Cardinals

CENTRAL MICHIGAN Chippewas

OFFENSE Deficiencies in the passing game led to some disappointments during the abbreviated season, and Central Michigan addressed that during the offseason with the addition of transfer quarterback Jacob Sirmon from Washington. He joins Daniel Richardson (63-for-99, 714 yards, four TDs, two interceptions) in a competition for the starting job. Sirmon, who was a highly ranked high school recruit, appears to be the favorite. Kalil Pimpleton will once again bring his versatility to the forefront of the offensive attack after catching a teamhigh 26 passes in 2020 for 277 yards and two TDs. He also rushed 16 times for 134 yards and three TDs, and he completed 5-of-8 passes for 149 yard and a TD. Look for him to again rack up statistics in every facet of his game. A…

CENTRAL MICHIGAN Chippewas

EASTERN MICHIGAN Eagles

OFFENSE There will be two solid options at quarterback this fall. Preston Hutchinson started all six games in 2020 and threw for 277 yards per game with 12 touchdowns to only six interceptions while completing 63.6 percent of his passes. But with graduate transfer Ben Bryant entering the fold by way of Cincinnati, it appears to be an open competition heading into the fall. Bryant saw limited action over three seasons with the Bearcats, completing 63 percent of his passes and showing enough to warrant a strong look. A very experienced and capable offensive line returns in full led by All-MAC guard Sidy Sow. Highly regarded senior tight end Thomas Odukoya is known as a strong blocker and has proven to be a red zone threat with two TD receptions…

EASTERN MICHIGAN Eagles

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