Just as NFL preseason games are not much of a teaser, college football being back on a limited basis isn’t enough.
Without the SEC, Big Ten or Pac-12 playing – keep in mind the juicy ACC matchup of Clemson-Notre Dame matchup isn’t until November 7 – what we’ve seen so far feels like going to a nice restaurant and only sampling the appetizers. Or not being able to order steak at Ruth’s Chris.
Apologies to Troy, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, North Texas and UTSA (extra points if you know what that stands for), but the truth is it’s hard to get stoked for Sun Belt and Conference USA football.
We want the star attractions. That’s why a sport starving for headliners gladly welcomes back the SEC on Saturday. Once 12 noon matchups of Florida-Ole Miss and Kentucky-Auburn kick off a seven-game slate of league action, you might be able to hear the late Beano Cook, the “Cardinal of College Football,” shout down from his heavenly press box seat: “Now that’s more like it.”
So with 14 SEC programs playing a 10-game, conference-only schedule, here are 14 fascinating things worth eyeballing during this COVID-19-impaired season, including options not part of the SEC menu:
1. The Georgia quarterback race. With Jamie Newman opting out three weeks ago and Kirby Smart hiring former Jaguars’ receiver coach Todd Monken as his offensive coordinator, it’s no guarantee that whoever is the starter for the season-opening matchup at Arkansas will keep the job. If it’s D’Wan Mathis, who underwent brain surgery in 2019, that would be a remarkable story. USC transfer JT Daniels and freshman Carson Beck, a Mandarin High product, could be factors as well. Georgia better get this position right if it hopes to make the College Football Playoff.
2. Kyle Trask’s ascent. Let’s just say Florida coach Dan Mullen thinks more highly of his starting quarterback than Pro Football Focus, which ranked Trask 48th in its preseason rankings despite being a productive replacement last year for Feleipe Franks, now at Arkansas. But with the Gators having a ton of experience along the offensive line, a talented but unproven receiver group and projected NFL first-round tight end Kyle Pitts, it’ll be interesting to see if Trask is enough of a difference-maker to knock Georgia off its SEC East perch.
3. Alabama revenge tour. Not that an 11-2 season is anything to be ashamed of, but when Nick Saban’s program doesn’t go to the CFP for the first time, it probably gets under his skin. But before the Crimson Tide can avenge those November losses to LSU and Auburn, it better pay attention to October. In four successive weeks, ‘Bama gets 10th-ranked Texas A&M, at Ole Miss, No. 4 Georgia, and at No. 16 Tennessee. Good luck not slipping up before Halloween.
4. Florida State-Miami already? This huge rivalry was originally scheduled for November 7 until COVID-19 forced the ACC to reshuffle things. Speaking of which, now FSU coach Mike Norvell will have to sit at home for this one as he quarantines from the coronavirus. It’s a shame Norvell has to miss out on such a high-stakes game instead of next week’s highly favorable matchup at home against Jacksonville State.
5. Comeback for the “U.” The Hurricanes sure looked for real in Saturday’s 47-34 thumping of Louisville on the road. Some UM players were seething about their former coach, alumnus Mark Richt, picking the Cardinals to win the game on the mostly-invisible ACC Network. No matter. With a quarterback like D’Eriq King juicing up UM’s offense, maybe this is the year a five-time national champion starts playing like a blueblood again.
6. Pesky UCF. Here come those annoying Knights again, trying to infiltrate college football’s Power 5 cartel setup. Any SEC snob who watched No. 13-ranked UCF dismantle Georgia Tech Saturday in Atlanta with 660 yards total offense in a 49-21 victory, they have to at least acknowledge this is no longer just any upstart program. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel now has a ton of experience in coach Josh Heupel’s offense, and he utilizes all his weaponry. With dynamic weapons like receiver Marlon Williams and former University Christian back Otis Anderson, it’ll be interesting to see if UCF can run the table in a highly competitive AAC that features three top-20 teams.
7. Tight end spotlight. After seeing Miami tight end Brevin Jordan (7 catches, 120 yards) operate against Louisville, it’s a reminder why the Florida-Texas A&M game on October 10 should be quite entertaining. Besides UF’s Pitts, Aggies’ tight end Jalen Wydermyer is also among the nation’s best at his position. They won’t want to admit this matchup could impact their future bank accounts, but it’s foolish to think it won’t be a motivating factor.
8. Circle October 17. Not that I’m in the market for a birthday present, but this might be the greatest day of the regular season. Part of the television lineup includes the main events of LSU at Florida (3:30 p.m., CBS) and Georgia at Alabama (8 p.m., CBS), plus appetizers like Auburn at South Carolina, UCF at Memphis and North Carolina at FSU.
9. FSU rebound. After two consecutive losing seasons under Willie Taggart, it’s no given under Norvell whether the Seminoles can avoid another one. FSU quarterback James Blackman struggled mightily to get the offense untracked against ACC lightweight Georgia Tech. With five games remaining against ranked teams, it may be tough sledding for FSU just to get to 5-5 in league play.
10. Georgia-Florida game. It’s going to be weird seeing a game that will likely decide the SEC Eastern division title being played at 25% capacity, or possibly higher if the coronavirus numbers warrant having more spectators. Hopefully, this is the last time we’ll see not having a full stadium for that matchup.
11. Pac-12 waiting room. Media reports have the league with the most COVID-19 hurdles to clear possibly starting its season on October 31 or November 7. Truthfully, if it doesn’t happen, would that really be a devastating setback for college football without the Pac-12? That sounds cold, but it’s a fair question given the league has made one CFP appearance the last four years – Washington losing 24-7 to Alabama.
12. SEC forgiveness. If there’s any league that can have a team lose one game – maybe even two under perfect storm circumstances – and still get into the playoffs, it’s the SEC. When you think of big-game losers that could still make the Final Four, it’s a short list: Georgia-Alabama, LSU-Florida, Auburn-Alabama, Florida-Georgia and Clemson-Notre Dame. That might be about it.
13. Heisman race. It still might be a one-man show as the hype behind Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence may be too strong for anyone else to emerge as a serious challenger. But with the Big Ten back playing, Ohio State QB Justin Fields could make it interesting.
14. Shaun Wade’s stock. Once the Big Ten begins its season on October 24 — where the league stuck COVID-19 antagonist Nebraska with an opening road game at Ohio State — that will officially start the NFL audition for Buckeyes’ cornerback Wade from Trinity Christian. After covering the slot receiver during his OSU career, Wade gets the chance to impress NFL scouts even further by defending outside receivers. It’ll be worth watching to see if his stock rises enough to follow Travis Taylor (Ribault) in 2000 as the last Jacksonville high school product to become a top-10 NFL pick.
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