Now we've still got over two months until kickoff, and there's plenty that still needs to be determined, so I'm just going to verbally vomit about anything college football related in an unorganized fashion. At least I'm being honest with you.
Some big news out of Gainesville, Florida as former Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire recently announced his plans to be a Gator as a graduate transfer. Zaire's journey has been an interesting one, as his high hopes from a few years ago were shot down by a broken ankle and DeShone Kizer's ability to capitalize on a great opportunity.
It's a bit of an odd case with Zaire because although he didn't win his job back after recovering from injury, we all know he has talent. At one point, it was very apparent that Zaire had both talent and extreme confidence. I'm interested to see if there are any alterations to his confidence after the way the last few years have played out for him. I mean, I'm a huge Kizer guy, losing your starting job to him is actually understandable. But only recording 23 pass attempts for a 4-8 team just has to diminish your swagger a bit.
Due to injury and a lost starting job, we have a pretty small sample size of Zaire's on-the-field performance. One of his more memorable games was when he and Everett Golson (another former Irish QB that transferred to a Florida school) traded reps in the 2014 Music City Bowl against LSU. Zaire went 12-15 for 96 yards and a touchdown through the air, while also rushing for 96 yards and a touchdown. It's worth noting that this was against an SEC defense, something Zaire will have to face (at least) nine times this year.
Zaire is by far the most athletic QB on the Gators' depth chart, and he can really sling the ball, but his accuracy isn't particularly consistent. It's also important to think about of Zaire's game has built up any rust over the last few seasons.
Following the Gators' spring game in April, redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks was considered to be QB1. Franks went 8 for 14 passing, totaling 119 yards and a touchdown. His squad came out on top 31-0.
It's pretty clear that Franks is more of a pro-style quarterback than Zaire, and to me it seems like he has a good head on his shoulders. He seems confident yet humble. I think what it will come down to is whether Jim McElwain thinks Zaire is good enough to stunt the long-term investment in Franks. Is it worth depriving Franks of reps and ultimate growth in order to roll the dice on Zaire being the guy that will make the 2017 season a special one? At the end of the day, whoever is starting under center for the Gators, I have a feeling that the 2017 season's ceiling is getting rolled by the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game.....again.
Onto the next random thought: with the format of the College Football Playoff being a four team tournament, it is impossible for every Power Five conference to be represented in the Playoff. There's always the possibility of seeing two teams from the same conference in the Playoff, which would leave out two Power Five conferences, but that is a scenario we have yet to see.
In the 2014 season, it was the Big 12 that missed out on the big dance (Playoff teams: Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon, Florida State). In 2015, the Pac 12 watched the CFP from the couch (Playoff teams: Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Michigan State). And last season, the Big 12 was absent from the playoff picture again, while we saw Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, and Washington on the big stage. So which conference will be left out of the Playoff this year? And that's assuming we won't see two teams from the same conference because I think it's a pretty unlikely scenario.
Although there have only been three editions of the College Football Playoff, there's a noticeable trend: it's either the Big 12 or the Pac 12 that misses out on the action. And I think I have a simple answer as to why this trend exists: the Big 12 and the Pac 12 are the bottom two of the Power Five Conferences. The SEC, ACC, and BIG 10 just have more firepower. So which conference's grand prize will be a bowl game outside of the playoff? I'm thinking it's the Pac 12's year to get into the final four.
USC, Washington, Stanford, and Washington State are all supposed to be legit this year. The Pac 12 has some great depth. However, sometimes a conference depth can eat itself up, dishing multiple losses to each team, making the regular season résumé seem a little less qualified.
I know I openly hate the Big 12 a lot of the time, and I'm trying not to be biased I swear. But I just don't see a Big 12 team making it into the Playoff. The conference's top contender is probably Oklahoma State, who I will admit looks pretty damn good so far. I'd be an absolute lunatic to deny how good Mason Rudolph is. Not to mention "Mason Rudolph" is an A+ name for a QB.
You've also got the Big 12's usual suspect Oklahoma in the mix, but since Bob Stoops stepped down as head coach it's tough to get a read on how the young buck Lincoln Riley will do with a roster that has lost plenty of talented skill players. Kansas State, West Virginia, and Texas are also expected to have good seasons in 2017, but let's be honest, we will not be seeing any of them in the final four. If anything, these teams will celebrate an upset and ruin the chances of Oklahoma/Oklahoma State's playoff chances. I firmly believe we'll see the Longhorns there in a few short years, but Tom Herman will need some time adjusting the roster to his type of recruits.
Last but certainly not least, Rest In Peace to Kent State offensive lineman Tyler Heintz, who passed away Tuesday morning after a team workout. The cause of his death is currently unknown. Obviously an extremely unfortunate occurrence. Heintz was an incoming freshman, and this was his first week on campus for summer classes/practices. It's always scary for parents sending their child away to college, but no parent expects such an immediate and horrible tragedy. Truly a shame.
Anyways, that's what college football ramblings I've got for now. Stay tuned for more posts now that the season is nearing. Just feels good to have discussion around the sport that actually feels relevant again. In the mean time, get hype:
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