College Football Players to Watch in 2018 (Part 2 of 5)

Just like last season, I will be doing a five-part series of posts, each post featuring five players to watch for this fall. Some players on this list are so obvious that you don't need a reminder to watch them, some could be busts, and there will certainly be players outside of these 25 that will have impactful seasons. Also, I must add that the order in which these players are listed is not a ranking system. Without further ado, part two of five:

(Read part 1 here)

Ed Oliver, DT, Houston Cougars

(Highlights here)

Ed Oliver has been on my list, along with almost everyone else's, for a few years now. He came into his freshman year at Houston as a five-star recruit, attracting the attention of many. And as Ed Oliver enters his junior year, that same attention has been garnered with the defensive tackle being ranked the No. 1 college football player in the country by Sports Illustrated. It is believed by many that Ed Oliver could go first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Oliver has earned All-American honors in both of his seasons at Houston, won the Outland Trophy in 2017 (awarded to college football's best interior lineman), and was the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 290 pounds, watching Ed Oliver's mobility can leave a spectator's brain in a state of confusion and shock. His ability to deny engagement with offensive linemen and get into the backfield makes it look easy. He tallied 73 tackles in 12 games last year, with 16.5 of those being tackles for loss. Just like the two previous seasons, we should all be expecting big things from Ed Oliver in 2018 for his final season before the NFL.

Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin Badgers

(Highlights here)

Jonathan Taylor made a name for himself in a massive way throughout the 2017 season, as he broke Adrian Peterson's record for most rushing yards by a freshman. Taylor finished with 1,977 yards, which was the third most in the country. The star freshman added 13 rushing touchdowns on top of his record-breaking yardage performance.

Taylor's consistency throughout his freshman season might be more admirable than his incredible final numbers. The New Jersey native recorded triple-digit rushing totals in ten of the Badgers' fourteen games. In the four games that he didn't reach the 100-yard mark, he still rushed for 87 yards against Utah State (averaging 9.7 yards per carry), 80 yards against Northwestern, 73 yards against Illinois, and 41 yards in a disappointing BIG 10 Championship loss to Ohio State.

The Wisconsin Badgers are causing some serious buzz, as one of the nation's most consistent programs as of late hopes to be a legitimate contender for the playoff. Not that they've been completely out of the playoff picture in recent years, but the expectations are now undoubtedly higher. It's time to beat Ohio State. And with the Badgers in the national spotlight, expect to hear plenty of chatter about Jonathan Taylor as he sets out to continue 2017's success.

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama Crimson Tide

Tua Tagovailoa is probably the only player in the country with his amount of starting experience that is on a first name basis for spectators across the country. That is partially due to his last name being wildly difficult to pronounce/spell, but also mainly due to his legendary performance that brought Alabama yet another National Championship. Now, Tua still hasn't been officially named the starting quarterback for the Tide in 2018, but the everlasting buzz of Tua replacing Jalen Hurts in the second half against Georgia gives me the sense that Tua is their guy. I may just be blinded by the hype, but I do think Tua puts his team in a better position to succeed than Hurts does. Tua has an absolute rocket arm, which would pair very nicely with his young, talented receiving corps.

If there's any program that can afford to take a risk at quarterback, it's Alabama. Again, I believe Tua to be far more talented than Jalen Hurts. But if experience is a concern, the Crimson Tide field a roster so talented and well-rounded that a mediocre quarterback can still avoid tallies in the loss column. You can't help but think the National Championship presented a polarizing swing of emotional momentum amongst the Alabama quarterbacks, with Tua being on the right end of that spectrum. It should be noted that Tua was hurt for a large portion of spring practices, so hopefully that won't slow down his progress heading into the fall. If I'm wrong and Jalen Hurts is named QB1 over Tua, I'll simply just sit and wait until Tua takes the job back.

Greedy Williams, CB, LSU

(Highlights here)

Andraez "Greedy" Williams has one of the best names in all of college football, without a doubt. It's right up there with Texas Longhorns receiver Lil' Jordan Humphrey and former Texas A&M receiver Speedy Noil. And on top of Greedy Williams' fantastic name, he's got some serious talent. In Greedy's first season as a redshirt freshman, he led the SEC in interceptions with six (fourth most in the country). He is listed as NFL.com's 20th best player in the country for 2018, he earned first team All-SEC honors in 2017, and is being deemed the next big thing out of the LSU defensive backfield. LSU boasts some incredible defensive back alumni, including Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson of the Arizona Cardinals.

Greedy Williams is listed at 6 feet two inches, and 182 pounds. His long frame allows him to stay in stride with receivers while preventing an offensive connection once the ball is in the air. In his redshirt freshman season, Greedy recorded a total of 38 tackles and had ten passes defended, the fourth most in the SEC. Williams is an absolute ball hawk as one of the premier cornerbacks in the country, and we'll get to see him go to work in LSU's season opener against the Miami Hurricanes.

Cam Akers, RB, Florida State Seminoles

(Highlights here)

Cam Akers heads into his sophomore season in presumably varied circumstances than when he first committed to Florida State: no Jimbo Fisher as head coach, coming off of a season in which the 'Noles finished 7-6, only tallying three conference wins. Granted, some of FSU's problems came on Labor Day Weekend when Deondre Francois was injured against Alabama. But 2017 presented many more issues in Tallahassee than an injured QB.

Despite his team's uncharacteristic season, Cam Akers still turned plenty of heads with his play. His numbers weren't anywhere near the top of the nation, totaling 1,025 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, but the explosive manner in which he plays is certainly worth noting. Akers also proved himself to be pretty useful in the passing game, catching the ball 16 times for 116 yards and a touchdown. In 2017, Akers broke Dalvin Cook's rushing record for Florida State freshmen. Akers hit the triple-digit mark in rushing yards four times last season: 121 yards against Miami, 115 yards at Duke, 199 yards against Syracuse, and 117 yards against Louisiana-Monroe. Regardless of the Seminoles' potential problems this fall, Cam Akers will be sure to put on a show for anyone watching.

College Football Players to Watch in 2018 (Part 1 of 5)

Just like last season, I will be doing a five-part series of posts, each post featuring five players to watch for this fall. Some players on this list are so obvious that you don't need a reminder to watch them, some could be busts, and there will certainly be players outside of these 25 that will have impactful seasons. Also, I must add that the order in which these players are listed is not a ranking system. Without further ado, part one of five:


Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia Bulldogs


After the way he stepped up to the starting position at Georgia last year, Jake Fromm is a household name entering his sophomore season. In 2017, the true freshman led the Georgia Bulldogs to a win over Auburn in the SEC Championship, a College Football Playoff victory over Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl, and was this close to taking down the force that we know as Nick Saban and his Tide in the National Championship game. For the majority of the season, Georgia was viewed as a team consisting of a great defense and a great run game (which were both true). To many, all Fromm had to do was not mess up. Kind of like when Brian Chavez told Mike Winchell, "All you gotta do is exist between the snap, and you getting Boobie the ball." But instead, Fromm showed that he was a viable asset to the Bulldog machine.

Fromm finished the 2017 season with 2,615 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, and also three rushing touchdowns for what it's worth. Fromm was obviously surrounded by an amazing cast, but it's still wildly impressive for a true freshman to take over and tally wins over Notre Dame, Auburn (when it really counted) and Oklahoma. I'm very interested to see if Fromm has any form of a sophomore slump, which I sure hope isn't the case because watching another SEC team challenge 'Bama is something everybody can get on board with. Fromm doesn't have the lethal duo of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel to fall back on this year, but the tremendous level of experience that he gained in 2017 will be a safety net in its own sense. Jake Fromm has proven that he doesn't cower in the spotlight, which is a trait that restrains many talented quarterbacks from optimizing their skillset.

Fromm's 2017 passing numbers were certainly nowhere near the best in the country, but his ability to step up when necessary is what truly makes him special. I mean, when you have the backfield that Georgia boasted last year, you're going to utilize them as much as possible, taking more opportunities to shine away from the QB. But the poise that Fromm displayed at certain points, along with pure talent, leads me to believe that this kid is something special.

Bryce Love, RB, Stanford Cardinal


Stanford's Bryce Love enters his senior season with sky-high expectations after finishing second in Heisman voting behind Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 NFL draft pick this past spring. If that doesn't tell you enough about Love's talent, just simply watch the tape. The only way to describe Bryce Love highlights is mystical. Usually the term used for a running back is "hitting" the hole created by the offensive line. But Bryce Love doesn't hit the hole. He's a Stanford man, he's classier and more elegant than that. This kid smoothly glides through holes. He glides right through and accelerates with the ease of a bike cruising downhill. Much like the Tinder girl you accidentally
swiped left on during your one-night vacation, once Bryce Love has gotten away, that man is gone for good.

The Stanford running back was faced with the difficult task of filling the exciting, play-making, head-turning void that Christian McCaffrey left after being drafted by the Carolina Panthers. Now I don't want to sit here and make you think Bryce Love fully lived up to McCaffrey-level hype, as he hasn't been as valuable of a receiver/returner as his predecessor; but Love's career rushing stats aren't far off from McCaffrey's. In McCaffrey's three seasons at Stanford, he rushed for 3,922 yards and 21 touchdowns on 632 carries, averaging 6.2 yards per rush. In his time with the Cardinal, Love has tallied up 3,126 yards and 24 touchdowns on 403 carries, averaging 7.8 yards per rush. So when it comes to the run game, Stanford hasn't really lost a step in transitioning to Bryce Love, who should put on quite the show for college football fans all over this fall.

The Entire Clemson Defensive Line

All four of Clemson's starting defensive linemen from 2017 have returned to Death Valley for 2018, and every single offense that has to face them should be shaking enough to record a measurement on the Richter Scale. This monstrous group of four is made up of redshirt junior Clelin Ferrell (6 foot 5, 260 pounds), senior Christian Wilkins (6 foot 4, 300 pounds), junior Dexter Lawrence (6 foot 4, 340 pounds), and senior Austin Bryant (6 foot 5, 260 pounds). Three of these four earned All-American honors last year.

Not that a mock draft one year in advance really holds any actual weight, it's most certainly worth noting that the CBS Sports' 2019 NFL mock draft has all four of the Tigers' defensive linemen going in the first round after this season is all said and done. This unit led the country last year in sacks and held opponents to less than two touchdowns per game last season. The fact that this four-headed beast is returning in full for the 2018 season means two things: we as college football fans are unbelievably lucky, and it's truly "championship or bust" in Tiger Town these days. These men surely are on a mission, and I feel bad for any offensive line that tries to obstruct their path.

Added in to the mix of these established studs are five-star freshmen defensive ends KJ Henry and Xavier Thomas.

As if Henry and Thomas (pictured respectively) weren't talented enough to begin with, they have the best defensive line in the country to learn from. Not only will these two be able to rotate in when the older guys need a breather, but they'll be causing a ruckus in the ACC for years to come.

Will Grier, QB, West Virginia Mountaineers

(Highlights)
After transferring from Florida and having to sit out a year, Will Grier had a tremendous debut season in Morgantown, WV. Whether it was his ability to air the ball out in the truest Big 12 fashion, Grier's luscious locks of flow, the sleek West Virginia uniforms, or a combo of all the above, one thing is for certain: Will Grier slinging the ball in 2017 was a thing of beauty.

In 2017, Grier tossed the pigskin for  a total of 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns, with a passer rating of 162.7. He ranked at No. 20 in the country for passing yards, No. 8 in the country for passing touchdowns, and No. 5 in passer rating last season. Luckily Grier has his most dependable weapon, David Sills, returning for 2018. This duo will continue to do substantial damage to opposing defenses. Grier's catapult of an arm pairs nicely with his ability to roll out of the pocket, making for a very entertaining show. I have a good feeling West Virginia will do some damage this year in the Big 12, and the season-openener against Tennessee will allow them to make some noise from the get-go.

Shea Patterson, QB, Michigan Wolverines


Former Ole Miss quarterback Shea Patterson will be the starting QB for Michigan in his junior season. Patterson left Oxford, MS due to the football program becoming a disaster after getting busted for NCAA violations. Can't blame him there. And what better place to go than a storied program whose alleged sole need is a talented quarterback?

There are two major reasons to be interested in watching Shea Patterson play this fall. The easy reason is that this kid plays the game in an electric manner. Many people have compared his style of play to Johnny Manziel. Patterson has two inches on Manziel, but his mobility and his ability to get the ball out under pressure are strongly resembling of good old Johnny Football in his glory days. Patterson is extremely fun to watch, and I'm excited to see his transition from SEC defenses to the BIG 10.

Another reason to be enamored with the success or failure of Shea Patterson is the fact that he is supposedly the one missing piece to Jim Harbaugh getting over the hump. "What hump is that?" one might ask. You know, the multiple humps of Ohio State and Michigan State. The hump of third place in the BIG 10 East. Harbaugh's tenure at Michigan has been nothing short of overwhelming, and the clock is now ticking for him to show some sort of improvement. I think Shea Patterson will be great, but I'm still not convinced that all this team needs is a quarterback to be a contender. In 2016, I absolutely believe that was the case. Michigan's defense that year was a force to be reckoned with; stacked with NFL talent that were all Brady Hoke's recruits. I don't think this Michigan roster is as complete, and the BIG 10 in general is on the upswing. So for Shea Patterson to be the guy that brings Michigan back to glory, as planned by Harbaugh, he needs to have an incredible season.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for parts 2-5 coming soon.

Dan Hurley to UConn? Or Pitt? Or nowhere at all?

First things first: if this is the end, I do not begrudge Hurley for a second. But there's plenty of chatter out there that this, in fact, is not it; check out Joe Kayata, Yianni Kourakis, Chris DiSano and others who have a wayyyyyyy better pulse on this kind of thing than I do.  

As for Hurley, he inherited a mess at URI and had the team in the NIT within three seasons and by the fifth and sixth seasons, a round of 32 NCAA tournament team. It would have been sooner if EC Matthews didn't tear his ACL nine minutes into the 2015-16 season. URI went further than Providence each season in the tournament, but I digress. During my junior year at URI, when the team went 7-24 in 2011-12, I don't think anyone could have foreseen a run like this coming. 

Hurley's not from Rhode Island (or Connecticut or Pennsylvania, for what it's worth; he's a New Jersey native and played at Seton Hall). Assuming he'll be a lifer in Kingston is probably shortsighted. In the words of the great American philosopher Rob Gronkowski, "bands a make her dance."

My only question is...are we SURE that UConn is THAT much better of a job then URI right now? 

If the Huskies were in a real conference -- which they fully deserve to be in, by the way -- this wouldn't even really be a topic of conversation. It's one of my biggest pet peeves going that UConn was left out of the "new" Big East, that the ACC picked Louisville as a replacement for Maryland...and don't even get me started on the B1G choosing Rutgers over UConn. 

The Huskies, and Huskies fans, deserve better than the American Athletic Conference hodgepodge. There's a few great programs at the top in Cincinnati, Memphis and Wichita State, maybe Temple and SMU in a given year, but that's about it. 

Four national championships since 1999. That's more than Duke, UNC, Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, you name it. UConn is more than a real program when things are firing right; it's a spectacular program.

Kevin Ollie winning a national championship in 2013-14, the first year of The American, was an impossible story not to root for. Throw in the fact that it came against John Calipari's latest batch of one-and-done's at Kentucky, it was practically the U.S. over the Soviets circa 1980 at Lake Placid. 

Which is why it's so remarkable that things have gone this far south four years later. UConn let go of Ollie earlier this month citing "just cause," with the cloud of a potential NCAA investigation hanging over Storrs. Not that I have any faith in the NCAA, which is a dumpster fire of an organization, but what if UConn receives a postseason ban? Doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that's something Hurley must consider.

What also must be considered is that in the five years The American has existed, the Atlantic-10 has had a higher overall conference RPI in three of them. With Wichita State in the mix this year for the AAC, that tilted the scale in the AAC's favor more than any of the previous five seasons -- for either league. Which is why I thought the A-10 should have made a run at the Shockers, but that's another story for another time.

As far as Pitt? Yes, the ACC is a great league...even if it did produce the first No. 1 seed ever to lose to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA tournament. Jamie Dixon did a great job at Pitt last decade, but even on its best of days today, can the Panthers consistently compete with a Duke, UNC, 'Cuse or Virginia? Is it even that much better of a job than, say, Louisville or N.C. State? Virginia Tech?

The short answer is no, and the long answer is that nine players have been granted their release from a team that just went 0-18 in ACC play this season. Pitt hasn't finished above .500 in ACC play since its first year in the league (2013-14), and even before this year's nadir, went 4-14 in league play last season. Remember how badly BC botched the end of Al Skinner's tenure? Amplify that by 1,000 for how badly Pitt botched the end of the Jamie Dixon era. 

There are 351 NCAA Division I men's basketball teams, and 350 won at least one game in conference play this season. Pitt did what no team had done in two full seasons: it failed to win a game in conference play. Funny enough, BC also did it in the ACC in 2015-16, as did lowly Chicago State in the Western Athletic Conference that same season. Add it all up and yes, it just might be something for Hurley to consider.

On the Rhode Island end of things, what more can be done to keep Hurley in Kingston? There are limitations, of course, as an athletic program. This isn't Texas or Ohio State or Alabama here.

Me personally? I'd cut the football team if that's what it took to come up with the money to keep Hurley in town. That won't happen in a zillion years, so there aren't many other avenues to take.

This dance has happened pretty much every season since Hurley arrived in Kingston, and it'll probably happen after every season until Hurley does finally leave.

Unless he doesn't. Maybe he'll reach that untouchable status Mark Few seems to have at Gonzaga, where the bigger schools don't seem to even bother trying to pry him away anymore.

Hurley has perhaps his finest recruiting class coming in next fall, featuring four-star recruits Jermaine Harris, a center and No. 83 on the ESPN100, and fellow four-star small forward Dana Tate. Shooting guard Brendan Adams and Tyrese Martin are each three-star recruits, rounding out the class.

For context, the only two four-star guys Hurley's brought in during his tenure have been EC Matthews and Jared Terrell. It's no accident that the success they've both had -- along with Hassan Martin, Jarvis Garrett, Stan Robinson, etc. -- have made it easier to lure four-star recruits to a school that's not exactly a renowned basketball power.

Martin graduated last year, while Matthews, Terrell, Garrett, Robinson and Andre Berry are out the door this spring. The only recognizable names who'll be back on next year's roster, aside from the recruits, are Jeff Dowtin, Fatts Russell, Cyril Langevine and to a lesser extent, Nicola Akele.

In that regard, having coached only three players who are sure to be contributors on next year's team, maybe it is a perfect time for Hurley, 45, to continue to ascend through the ranks of college basketball coaching. It just doesn't feel like a job to truly ascend with is available.

Previewing the College Football Playoff

For the first time since New Year's Day of 2015, we are fortunate to start the year in the best way possible; with the College Football Playoff. The way it was meant to be. Not that the College Football Playoff on New Year's Eve of 2015 and 2016 were a bad time by any means, but it's just flat out better on New Year's Day. And honestly, I have a feeling that this semifinal round will be the most competitive one that the College Football Playoff has presented.

Well, not that the previous years of the CFP semifinal have really provided many nail biters. The closest game in the round-of-four was in the playoff's inaugural 1 vs. 4 matchup, in which Cardale Jones and Ohio State upset top-ranked Alabama 42-35. The other five semifinal games in the playoff's history have been decided by no fewer than 17 points.

The long gap between conference championship weekend and the playoff keeps everyone more than eager and anxious. It also diminishes a lot of the momentum that teams had built up throughout the journey of the regular season. This means that the playoff games really come down to coaching and depth. I mean, look at the three coaches who have won the CFP: Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, and Dabo Swinney. The three best coaches in the country, without a doubt. And lucky for us, we get to see two thirds of that top tier coach against each other on January 1st.

No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Alabama

Part three of the Alabama vs. Clemson saga is the final four's headline matchup, as the Tide and Tigers have split the last two National Championships. So naturally, this game has the aura of a championship around it. And when it's all said and done, I strongly believe the winner of this game will go on to be the champion of the College Football Playoff. These are the two deepest and best-coached teams in the country. 

Alabama has received plenty of underwhelmed reviews from spectators this season, with many thinking the Crimson Tide just doesn't have the typical "it" factor this year that we are so used to seeing. That's somewhat understandable, seeing as they haven't really beat any entirely impressive opponents. Squeaking by Mississippi State by seven points doesn't really help their stock, and neither does getting rolled by Auburn in a 26-14 loss. But at the same time, it's a Nick Saban coached Alabama team. It's tough to truly, genuinely doubt them. 

I think the bar has been set so high for Alabama after such an impressive run of dominance, that even when they're truly one of the best four teams in the country, it's still easy to feel unimpressed. But Saban and his boys don't care if we're impressed by them or not. In fact, I'm sure they love feeling a sense of external doubt. If anything, that might help them play with some more fire on top of their ridiculous talent and skill. 

Much like expectations being sky-high for 'Bama year in and year out, Clemson quarterbacks for the next few generations will always have the massive shoes of Deshaun Watson to fill. A quarterback who led the team to its first National Championship victory since 1981. A quarterback who was drafted first round in the NFL. A quarterback who would likely have won Offensive Rookie of the Year until he tore his ACL. 

I think the superstardom of Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant is largely overshadowed by his predecessor's outrageous résumé. He's certainly not Deshaun Watson, but he's a freak athlete who is surrounded by a more complete team than Watson was. I firmly believe the Tigers are still a National Champion-caliber team, but then again so is Alabama. I think this is Clemson's last year before they fully enter Alabama's territory of neutral fans wanting to see them lose to mix things up. 

I'm really hoping we don't see any key injuries in the third part of this recent rivalry. In Part One, we saw Clemson's shutdown corner Mackensie Alexander suffer a hamstring injury on, if a recall correctly, only the second play of the game. Now I don't know if the end result would have changed had Alexander stayed healthy, but 'Bama did rely on their passing game much more than expected for the remainder of that close battle. Again, maybe 'Bama still would have won. Maybe Clemson would have won, it doesn't matter. It's in the past. But I can tell you pretty damn confidently that Clemson would not have won Part Two if Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough didn't get hurt. He was absolutely rolling over Clemson's defense. But hey, injuries are part of the game. Let's just hope we don't have to see any in Part Three. Safety first, then teamwork. 

Alabama is favorited in this game by three points, which I don't find entirely shocking. It's a very fair line and despite being the "last team in" for this year's playoff, they've earned their stripes throughout the years. Seed number is irrelevant when it comes to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the postseason. They're the favorites to win year in, and year out. 

Having said that, I still think Clemson will come out on top. It will undoubtedly live up to the hype, just as the other two battles between the Tigers and Tide. This will likely end up being the game of the year. I just think I'm leaning with Clemson because they've wow'd me a little more throughout the season. But hey, maybe that's just expecting too much out of 'Bama. But like I said earlier, despite the outcome of this game, I like the winner as the eventual champion.

No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 3 Oklahoma

It really speaks volumes to Clemson and Alabama that the SEC Champion taking on the Heisman winner isn't the headline game. The Georgia Bulldogs face-off against Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma Sooners on Monday at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. The Dawgs are favored by two points over the Big 12 Champs.

To be honest, I was a little surprised to see such a minuscule spread in this game. I don't think it will be a blowout, but I think Georgia is more than two points better than Oklahoma. This matchup is a high-powered offense led by a star QB, going up against a team that can shut you down on defense and run it down your throat. I like the Bulldogs in this one because they're simply a more complete unit than the Sooners.

Oklahoma's offense this season has been remarkable; there's absolutely no doubt about that. They have averaged 44.9 points per game, which is the fourth most in the entire country. Baker Mayfield has thrown for the second most touchdowns this year (41) and the second most passing yards (4,340).  And not that the Sooners' first choice is keeping it on the ground, but they still have recorded an average of 215.9 rushing yards per game, which is the 27th best in the country.

Much like the rest of their conference, Oklahoma flaunts a prime offense which is held back by a subpar defense. This year's Oklahoma defense has impressed me more than in past seasons, and it's not like they're bottom of the barrel. But when you're going up against the three best teams in the nation, you need more than an "okay" defense. The Sooners have allowed 25 points per game and 385 yards per game. Georgia has been heavily reliant on their star running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, and the Sooners D has allowed an average of 144.2 rushing yards per game.

Chubb and Michel should be expected to do the brunt of the work for the Dawgs on Monday. Chubb is averaging 90.3 yards per game and has totaled 13 rushing touchdowns. In Georgia's first go-around with Auburn, Chubb was limited to only 27 yards on the ground. However, he made up for that in the SEC Championship by putting up 77 yards. His best game of the year was against Kentucky, where he ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Sony Michel has matched Chubb's 13 rushing touchdowns on the year, and his averaging 7.2 yards per carry (Chubb is averaging 6.2 yards per carry). To put it simply, this running back duo is lethal, and I don't trust the Oklahoma defense to stop them.

Some people may find it difficult to count out college football's most outstanding player, Baker Mayfield. There's actually a pretty decent rate of Heisman winners going on to win the National Championship, as it's happened five times since 2004: Derrick Henry in 2015, Jameis Winston in 2013, Cam Newton in 2010, Mark Ingram in 2009, and Matt Leinart in 2004. That narrative is obviously a least partially impacted by the CFP being introduced.

Baker Mayfield was such a clear and obvious choice for the Heisman, as he's extremely talented to an outlandish level. But as I mentioned earlier, winning playoff games requires depth and great coaching. Head Coach Lincoln Riley has done a tremendous job in his first year, that goes without saying. But his squad lacks the depth that the other three teams have. And it's not every day that the Sooners face-off against a defense of Georgia's caliber. The Bulldogs have only allowed 13.2 points per game, the fourth-fewest in the country. They've also only allowed an average 158.3 passing yards per game, the second-fewest in the country. Mayfield and the Sooners won't be completely shut down, but the Bulldogs aren't a cupcake Big 12 defense.

I believe we'll be seeing a Clemson vs. Georgia National Championship, although any combination of these four teams would be pretty awesome. So buckle up everybody, and have a great start to 2018.

Being upset over Gronk's one-game suspension is foolish

So now that it's official, after an attempted appeal was denied, we can now react to Rob Gronkowski's one-game suspension for his late hit in Buffalo on Sunday.

Gronk's hit after the whistle on Buffalo's Tre'Davious White was wildly uncharacteristic for the goofy tight end that seems to be universally loved, but that doesn't make up for the fact that it was a vicious act.

I think the most asinine takes I've heard about this situation are the homers who claim his reaction was justified because he got held/interfered with before the interception. "He's fed up with not getting calls his whole career!" That may be so, but launching into the back of an opponents head after the whistle is no way to start having calls go your way. I mean, this was even before talks of a suspension, people were justifying the hit itself, regardless of the consequences. Can you imagine if Travis Kelce had done this to Devin McCourty in the season opener? Oh my god, everyone in the New England area would be calling for him to be suspended for the year. So anyone saying Gronk's hit was justified because he was held, get out of my face with that. Erroneous.

Now onto the actual punishment for the hit: a one-game suspension that Gronk tried to appeal, but the league upheld. I think that's rational. For a fanbase that constantly (and rightfully) criticizes the way that the NFL handles issues, it's awfully hypocritical to disagree with penalizing a hit to the head of a defenseless player. I mean, White was on the ground, the whistle had blown, and a 6'6" 265 pound frame willingly launched itself into the back of his head. Again, if an opponent had done that to a Patriot, nobody in New England would say it was justified. I'm not saying Gronk is a bad guy in any sense. Emotions run high on game day, he messed up, he apologized, and now he's paying the price.

A lot of people's issue with the Gronk suspension is the "inconsistency" in similar acts and their respective punishments this season. I've heard many mention the two-game suspensions of Michael Crabtree and Aqib Talib being reduced to one-game after an appeal.



I'd say the one comparable aspect of the two scenarios is that neither Gronkowski's hit or the fist fight are football plays. Both scenarios are extracurricular bologna. But what it comes down to is that Crabtree and Talib were both willingly throwing fists. Neither player was "defenseless" by any means. They hate each other and they wanted to settle it in a way that wasn't just playing football.

Another scenario that has been brought up is Tampa Bay's Mike Evans absolutely blasting Saints' cornerback Marshon Lattimore a few weeks back.



Evans was suspended one-game for this act, which should say everything there is to say about Gronk's suspension. Evans knowingly wrecked a defenseless Lattimore after the whistle. It was a non-football play. It was a reckless move. It was highly dangerous, and there's no place in the game for stuff like that. Seems pretty reasonable to me.

Another scrap that the NFL brought in the month of November came between Jacksonville's Jalen Ramsey and Cincinnati's A.J. Green.



Again, it's important for fans to recognize the difference between a situation like this and the Gronkowski hit. These two players exchanged shoves, and one could maybe make the argument that Ramsey was "defenseless" for a split second before Green put him in a chokehold. Punches were thrown, but I think it's a little different than the Talib vs. Crabtree fight where two guys are dancing on their feet and squaring up. Neither Ramsey or Green received a suspension, just heavy fines. You could argue that there are inconsistencies in punishments for fist fights during the game, but Gronk's hit on White was far from a fist fight.

Monday night's matchup between the Bengals and Steelers brought two suspensions, both one-game, for Pittsburgh's JuJu Smith-Schuster and George Iloka. Iloka's suspension was successfully appealed, whereas Smith-Schuster will be out this week against Baltimore for his monster block on the league's #1 scum bag Vontaze Burfict.



To be honest, I'm a little iffy about this suspension, although I can understand where the league is coming from. We all witnessed an absolute bloodbath on Monday night that certainly got out of hand. I don't think JuJu would be sitting out a week if: 1) the violence of that game as a whole didn't generate so much negative PR for the NFL, and 2) JuJu didn't stand over Burfict after the hit. I don't necessarily blame him for asserting his dominance after the hit; a 21 year old rookie wide receiver dropping a brick house of a linebacker is an impressive feat. He was probably feeling on top of the world. Still, a dumb move that most likely led to his suspension, but as a fan I didn't hate the act of standing over Burfict and staring him in the eyes. A dumb move, but a ballsy one.

So back to Gronk. The only one of these scenarios that was similar to Gronkowski's shenanigans is the Mike Evans hit, which also received a one-game suspension. I think for the first time in our lives, the NFL has shown some form of consistency in penalization.

I genuinely believe that Gronk feels terrible about his actions, as he stated. I don't think it was likely that we'd see him do something like this again anyway, but the one-game suspension will reinforce that. That's the whole point of punishment: to reinforce that the mistake won't happen again.

If you're complaining about the one-game suspension of Rob Gronkowski, you're a fool. It always sucks to see one of your best players forced to sit out a game, but that's on him. If the Patriots lose to the Dolphins on Monday night, the issues that come along with that will go beyond the absence of a star tight end. The good news is that Gronk will be back for the Pittsburgh game, and for now that should be every Patriot fans' biggest concern.

2017-2018 CFB Toilet Bowl Preview

Bowl season is here, and with it comes your annual slate of toilet bowl matchups between non-Power Five teams, the type of games that even the average college football gambling degenerate like me looks at and goes "yeeeesh I don't know about that one." We'll get into previewing the playoff and all of the major/Power Five vs. Power Five matchups later this month, but today, we're going to talk about the games that are the equivalent of a tipped over porter-potty. Let's do it.

*Flanny is not liable for your dumb degenerate ass losing money on some wild college football bet. If these picks do not pan out don't get mad, get help, at the National Problem Gambling Hotline (1-800-522-4700) and delete Bovada off of your freaking phone, idiot. 

Cure Bowl (12/16)
Georgia State (6-5) vs. Western Kentucky (6-6)

The NCAA decided to begin bowl season by banging out five of these suckers on day-one, and the Cure Bowl matchup between Georgia State and Western Kentucky certainly is not the prize of the afternoon. Western Kentucky finished the season losers of four of their last five and one of their six losses on the year came to an absolutely horrible Illinois team that finished 2-10. Georgia State, meanwhile, finished the season on a two-game losing streak and the lowlight of their season came in the form of a 56-0 b****-smacking at the hands of Penn State. Georgia State has had trouble scoring this season, as the Panthers were held to 14-or-fewer points four times. Western Kentucky gets it done thanks to their far-superior offense led by quarterback Mike White (3,826 yards, 24 touchdowns) but this is a game that I'd highly recommend avoiding on the betting front.

Pick: Western Kentucky 33-16

Celebration Bowl (12/16)
North Carolina A&T (12-1) vs. Grambling State (11-2)



I'm not even sure what to call this one. Technically it's a bowl game but neither team is a legitimate member of the FBS. Both offenses hold the ability to score 30+ points but history says this one may be pretty low-scoring (10-9 Grambling in 2016 Celebration Bowl). I'll take North Carolina A&T given their ability to hang around better and actually beat an FBS team this season (39-36 win over Kent State) while Grambling State fell 31-21 to Arizona and 43-14 to Tulane. I got nothing else other than that.

Pick: NC A&T 31-26

New Orleans Bowl (12/16)
Troy (10-2) vs. North Texas (9-4)

Considering where these two teams finished in their respective conferences, this could arguably be the best matchup out of all the non-Power Five toilet bowls. Troy, as many remember, knocked off LSU 24-21 in week-five for their biggest win in program history and finished the season on a six-game win streak, earning themselves a share of the Sun Belt crown with Appalachian State. North Texas rebounded from a 1-2 start and finished the season on a five-game win streak before falling to Florida Atlantic in the Conference USA title game. Despite playing in an offensive-friendly dome, these two defenses should hold one another in check, resulting in a pretty medium-ranged scoring affair. Jordan Chunn still runs wild for the Trojans.

Pick: Troy 27-20

New Mexico Bowl (12/16)
Colorado State (7-5) vs. Marshall (7-5)

Why the NCAA decides to hold a bowl game in New Mexico in the dead of winter every year is beyond me, but nevertheless, this game features two teams capable of scoring a lot of points. Colorado State scored 40-or-more points five times this season and reached 50 three times. The Rams will rely heavily on star wideout Michael Gallup (94 receptions, 1,345 yards, seven touchdowns) and Colorado State should have its way against a Marshall team that stumbled to the finish by losing four of five.

Pick: Colorado State 37-24

Camellia Bowl (12/16)
Arkansas State (7-4) vs. Middle Tennessee (6-6)



Middle Tennessee is no slouch, as the Blue Raiders defeated a Syracuse team that caused a lot of problems within the ACC this season (beat Clemson, almost beat Miami). However, while MTSU did score 30-or-more points in each of their final four games, I don't think they have the consistency on offense to keep up with Arkansas State. The front-seven of the Red Wolves are just as good, if not better, than some Power Five times, highlighted by former Alabama defensive tackle Dee Liner. This game lives and dies with Arkansas State quarterback Justice Hansen, who comes in after throwing for 400+ yards in back-to-back games and multiple touchdowns in all but one game this season. However, Hansen has thrown three-or-more interceptions three times this season. I think we get to see the good side of Hansen in the Camellia Bowl, and Arkansas State caps off its season with a win after pissing away their regular season finale against Troy (32-25 loss).

Pick: Arkansas State 36-26

Boca Raton Bowl (12/19)
Florida Atlantic (10-3) vs. Akron (7-6)



This game is just a pure mismatch. Lane Kiffin's FAU Owls rolled to the finish line in 2017 and enter the Boca Raton Bowl winners of nine straight and sport a Conference USA title belt around their waist. Akron was the best mediocre team in an extremely bad MAC-East Division and surrendered 45 points to Toledo in the conference title game. It's hard to imagine the Zips defense being able to withstand an Owl offense that scored 30-or-more points in each of its final 11 games and reached 50+points three times. FAU wins handily behind a big day from running back Devin Singletary and Lane Kiffin leaves to go coach at either Florida State, UCF, or Tennessee.

Pick: Florida Atlantic 49-17

Frisco Bowl (12/20)
SMU (7-5) vs. Louisiana Tech (6-6)


SMU averaged 36.75 points during their final four games. The only problem is that the Mustangs lost three of them, including a 66-45 defeat to Memphis. AKA, SMU's defense is horrendous. Quarterback Ben Hicks (3,442 yards, 32 touchdowns), thousand-yard rusher Xavier Jones along with wideouts Trey Quinn (106 receptions, 1,191 yards, 12 touchdowns) and Courtland Sutton (62 receptions, 1017 yards, 12 touchdowns) highlight SMU's potent offense. Louisiana Tech's strength is its defense, which held the likes of South Carolina, South Alabama, and UTSA to under 20 points, but were gashed by Mississippi State (57 points) and Florida Atlantic (48). SMU isn't quite on the same offensive level as a Mississippi State or Florida Atlantic, but the Mustangs should be able to score a heavy amount of points. Tech quarterback J'Mar Smith needs to have a big day in order for the Bulldogs to have any sort of chance, and even if he performs well, I still think SMU's offense is too much to handle.

Pick: SMU 41-21

Gasparilla Bowl (12/21)
Temple (6-6) vs. Florida International (8-4)



Temple earned bowl eligibility by winning three of its final four. FIU was pretty hot-and-cold throughout the season as its offense struggled out of the gate, but the Golden Panthers didn't lose to UConn like Temple did, so, therefore, it is impossible me to pick the Owls and feel good about myself. FIU also gets the advantage of playing in their home state. Butch Davis and company get the job done, but it's close and points are scarce.

Florida International 19-13

Potato Bowl (12/21)
Wyoming (7-5) vs. Central Michigan (8-4)


Whoever decided Boise, Idaho was a good location for a bowl game is an absolute maniac. Until the NCAA puts a bowl game in the yard of a Siberian gulag (which still might be better), the Potato Bowl will always reign as the king of toilet bowls. Anyways, this game lives and dies with the health of Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, who's missed the last two games with a shoulder injury. Even if healthy, Allen may pull a Christian McCaffrey or Leonard Fournette-like move and sit out to prepare for the NFL Draft. However, Allen hasn't exactly lit it up this season (1,658 yards, 13 touchdowns, six INT's) the way many projected, so he may want to consider putting on the Cowboy jersey one final time to try and improve his draft stock. Nevertheless, even if Allen suits up, I still like Central Michigan, who finished the regular season with five straight wins and scored an average of 41.2 points-per-game during that span. Wyoming's defense is pretty legit, though, as the Cowboys surrendered less than 20 points in four of their final five contests.

Pick: Central Michigan 28-23

Bahamas Bowl (12/21)
UAB (8-4) vs. Ohio (8-4)



Central Michigan beat Ohio 26-23 in the regular season, held the same record at 8-4 and a better conference record than the Bobcats at 6-2, yet the big payoff for the Chippewas was a trip to the frigid Potato Bowl while Ohio enjoys a week in paradise. Good call by the NCAA here rewarding failure. Anyways, UAB to me is the favorite in this game purely based off of their 25th ranked run defense. Ohio's ground game, highlighted by quarterback Nathan Rourke (134 carries, 882 yards, 21 touchdowns) matched up against UAB's front-seven is going to be the determining factor. If UAB is able to shut down the run game in the early going and force Rourke to drop back and pass, it could be a long day for the Bobcats, who's top receiver mustered just 32 receptions for 525 yards this season in Papi White.

Pick: UAB 27-10

Armed Forces Bowl (12/23)
Army (8-3) vs. San Diego State (10-2)

Two of nation's top rushing attacks square off and as San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny and his 2,000 yards match up against Army's always-tricky option attack. The Black Knights have been a fun story this season, winning eight games for the first time in over two decades. I just don't think the Army defense is capable of handling the never-ending physical pounding that the Aztecs have become known for with Penny touching the rock 35 times a game.

Pick: San Diego State 26-14

Dollar General Bowl (12/23)
Toledo (11-2) vs. Appalachian State (8-4)

This could sneakily be an extremely entertaining matchup as two of the better offenses in the group-of-five square off. Toledo scored its way to a MAC title behind the play of quarterback Logan Woodside (3,758 yards, 28 touchdowns) and presents an extremely difficult matchup for Appalachian State's defense. The Mountaineer offense makes it a game against Toledo's iffy defense, but the Rockets get it done. Hammer the over.

Pick: Toledo 41-30

Hawai'i Bowl (12/24)
Houston (7-4) vs. Fresno State (9-4)

If you're the type who appreciates stout defensive play and enjoys watching quarterbacks get ransacked, this is the game for you. In what will likely be Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver's final game before declaring for the NFL Draft (where he'll 100% be a first or second-round pick), expect the sophomore to have a HUGE day against Fresno State's non-existent passing attack. Meanwhile, I expect Fresno State to make life a bit hard for Houston's offense, but the Cougars definitely hold the edge as far as all-around consistency and skill on the offensive side of the ball. Fresno State is trending in the right direction but Houston knocks them down to Earth.

Pick: Houston 29-16

Arizona Bowl (12/29)
Utah State (6-6) vs. New Mexico State (6-6)



New Mexico State is in a bowl game for the first time since 1960. Yes, you read that correctly, it's actually been 57 years since New Mexico State played a football game past the midway point of December, almost too hard to imagine. Utah State might be the favorite on paper, but New Mexico State's defense enters after having not allowed 20 points in either of their final two games. Expect a big day out of both quarterback Tyler Rogers (3,825 yards, 26 touchdowns) and wideout Jaleel Scott (73 receptions, 1,042 yards, eight touchdowns) as the Aggies pull off a minor upset.

Pick: New Mexico State 24-19