We are just over the mid-way point of the 2022 College Football season. This season has been nothing short of exciting. We have a playoff race that is so wide open. There are 7-8 teams that all are in serious contention for the College Football Playoff. The Heisman trophy is as big of a tossup as we have ever seen. The coaching carousel is in full swing already.
As we are over halfway in the season, lets discuss some fun superlatives for the 2022 season so far!
Team
Most likely to have disappointed you this season - Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame is under the direction of first time Head Coach Marcus Freeman after long time Coach Brian Kelly left for LSU. After a hard-fought loss to Ohio State, Notre Dame was upset by Marshall (Go Herd) at home. They continued to struggle since. A team that was in the pre-season top ten, a top 10 recruiting class, and returned a lot of core players, they have been a major disappointment. Besides Ohio State, Notre Dame should have won every game. However, 3 season losses and too many close games have ended Notre Dame's chances at a New Year's Six Bowl game and maybe any bowl game.
Biggest Surprise- Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee was unranked in the preseason AP and coaches' poll. It is now week 10 and they are the number 2 team in the country. The SEC as expected was crowded at the top. They were led by Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Kentucky and more. Josh Huepel has turned this program into a serious contender for a National Championship and QB Hendon Hoover is the front runner for the Heisman.
Class Clown- UCLA Bruins
UCLA has completely turned their program around. I thought Chip Kelly was on the hot seat to start the season. However, he has UCLA in the top 10 and is set to get paid this offseason (from UCLA or another school.) Now I am sure you are wondering why UCLA is the class clown? After so many years they finally are making themselves relevant in the Pac-12. Now they off to the Big 10, where they will be at the bottom. The Big 10 is much more competitive, and UCLA will not have the money to compete at this level. You really think UCLA will go to Ohio Stadium, The Big House, or Beaver Stadium and win? If given the chance could UCLA beat the University of Maryland? They should have stayed in the Pac-12, let USC leave, and make them a power in the conference.
Most Likely to Aggravate the Playoff Committee- TCU Horned Frogs
Let's be honest about the playoff committee. Even though the argument about expanding the playoff occurs every year, they have rarely had a tough situation about keeping a team out. TCU could throw a major wrench into the playoff committee's plans. They are currently 8-0, 7th in the AP poll, and have 4 wins over ranked opponents. We are all focused on the SEC, Big Ten, and Clemson for the playoffs. If they win out, they will have a Big 12 Championship, possibly 2 more ranked wins. How can you make the argument that they do not deserve a place in the playoff? The reason the committee will not like TCU is because they will want to favor the usual suspects and now, they will have to decide, do the right thing or tv ratings?
Most likely to say "We aren't a football school."- Indiana Hoosiers
The Hoosiers started 3-0, things were looking great. They then proceeded to lose 5 straights. Can they end the season on a solid note? They end the season with Penn State, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Purdue. To answer that question, they are ranked 14th in the preseason basketball rankings and less than a week till their season opener.
**If you think the Kansas Jayhawks should be the winner here, you are wrong. They were undefeated until Jalon Daniels went down. Lance Leipold has turned Kansas into a good football team. If he stays at Kansas, he will turn them into an elite team
Indvidual
Biggest Surprise- Hendon Hoover (Tennessee QB)
This is obvious. Heading into this season, there were 5-6 QB's we were talking about who were serious Heisman contenders. Hoover was not one of them. Now he has Tennessee undefeated, #2 in the country, and on the verge of winning the Heisman Trophy. With expectations low he has 2,300 yards, 21 touchdowns, 1 interception, and a QBR of 91.2. Without him Tennessee would not be where they are.
Most Likely to Survive the Hunger Games- Desmond Watson (Florida DL)
I won't say much, just look.
Most Likely to be paid more from Netflix than an NFL team- Spencer Rattler (South Carolina QB)
Going into the 2021 season, Rattler was the undisputed top prospect in the NFL Draft and favorite for the Heisman while at Oklahoma. After struggling he was benched in favor of Caleb Williams and at the end of the year transferred to South Carolina. Even though the Gamecocks are having a better season than they have in a long time, Rattler is playing worse than when he was at OU. He has more interceptions (9) than touchdowns (5) on the season. He went from the undisputed best player to someone who should not be drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. I am sure Netflix paid him more for QB1 than an NFL team will pay him.
Most Likely to be the 1st Pick in the 2023 NFL Draft- CJ Stroud (Ohio State QB)
The debate heading into the season was Stroud or Byrce Young and will probably continue until the commissioner makes the call. After another strong season, Stroud should be the first overall pick in the draft. Each QB in this draft class has something special. CJ Stroud has the best deep ball in this class, and he is the best QB prospect since Andrew Luck. If you loved Trevor Lawrence out of college than you should love Stroud 10x more. He has the right physical attributes to be an NFL QB and he has the skills to be a franchise QB.
Most likely to be replaced by Urban Meyer- Jimbo Fisher (Texas A&M)
The Jimbo Fisher era at A&M has been nothing short of disappointing. Every year it is the same thing. First, they have a strong recruiting class, national championship aspirations, a solid win, multiple bad losses, and no championship. It is rumored Fisher is on the hot seat and they are currently 1-5 in the SEC. A&M needs to make a move quickly as the SEC is growing and getting stronger with Texas and Oklahoma joining. Texas A&M will not be competing for an SEC Championship anytime soon, so a change in leadership needs to occur now. Urban Meyer goes back to his roots in the SEC where he won 2 national championships?
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