College football

CBS Sports Graphic It doesn't take a genius to figure out which teams will most likely reach the College Football Playoff before the season begins. I know because while I'm an idiot, I've done a good job of predicting the fields since the playoff was created in 2014. What's more challenging, however, is figuring out which teams could introduce a little chaos into the equation. Yes, there are roughly 10 programs capable of reaching the playoff, but there are only four spots and this is still college football . No matter how predictable the sport is, something unexpected happens every Saturday during the season with Goliaths falling to Davids along the line. So which teams are likely to play the role of David in 2022? I've dug into the schedules of all the title-contending programs looking for candidates to emerge, and I found five poised to strike. Now, to be clear, to qualify as a "Chaos Team" in this exercise, you cannot be a contender for a playoff spot yourself. These … [Read more...] about Five potential college football chaos teams ready to wreak havoc on playoff race in 2022 season

Getty Images You know the college football season is quickly approaching when preseason polls start rolling out, and the Division I Football Championship Subdivision is no different. With kickoff less than a month away, it's time to turn our attention to the teams that project to make the biggest impact on the field. Those who followed the FCS last year were treated to a fantastic season that saw -- stop me if you've heard this before -- the North Dakota State Bison take home the national championship. While the Bison seem to be the favorites to take home a national title once again, it doesn't mean this season is short of intriguing storylines. Here are a few examples: Jackson State made history when five-star ATH Travis Hunter became the first No. 1 overall recruit to sign with a FCS program out of high school. The Colonial Athletic Association transformed into a power conference during realignment by adding Hampton and Monmouth this season, as well as Campbell and … [Read more...] about College football top 25: Defending champions North Dakota State lead preseason FCS Power Rankings

Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec is a confident quarterback, but he flies a bit under the radar among other ACC quarterbacks going into the 2022 season. Head coach Jeff Hafley is curious as to why more people are not paying attention to Jurkovec and giving him the proper respect. The quarterback’s season was cut short because of injury in 2021, but ever since transferring in from Notre Dame, Jurkovec’s been the go-to guy for the Eagles. "Well, you really never saw last year — because, if you rewind, he had the unbelievable first year," Hafley said. "And I think everybody in the country was counting on him being one of the top quarterbacks and probably a high draft pick and not coming back for this season, but what did you really see last year of him? I mean, he played a game against Colgate. Then he breaks his hand, the first series of the UMass game, and then he comes back at 50%. So you're going to see growth from Year 1 to Year 2 to Year 3 that I think you … [Read more...] about Boston College football QB Phil Jurkovec gets major endorsement from Jeff Hafley ahead of 2022 season

Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman is out indefinitely with a non-football related medical condition , as the Demon Deacons announced Wednesday. Hartman will be back this season, but Mitch Griffis is the starter in the meantime, head coach Dave Clawson said. Hartman returned to Wake Forest for his fifth year, after a breakout campaign in which he set the Demon Deacons' single-season record by passing for 4,228 yards. Griffis, a third-year Demon Deacon, split a lot of the No. 2 reps with Kern during the spring. Griffis did play in four games last year but only attempted two passes. He only appeared in contests that had a three-score (or more) scoring margin, mostly following both Hartman and another option. Griffis also played in four games as a freshman and threw for 28 yards in both the Duke’s Mayo Bowl and in his collegiate debut against Clemson, tossing a touchdown in the latter. Thanks to redshirt eligibility and the extra year granted to athletes … [Read more...] about Wake Forest football QB: Mitch Griffis named starter with Sam Hartman out indefinitely due to condition

Wake Forest announced Wednesday that quarterback Sam Hartman would be sidelined indefinitely due to a non-football related medical condition. H ead coach Dave Clawson named Mitch Griffis the Demon Deacons' starter and said that Hartman would return to the gridiron for Wake Forest this season . Hartman sought medical attention following a workout Tuesday and, after medical evaluation at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, the Demon Deacons removed him from team activities indefinitely. "The timeline for his return to competition is uncertain," Wake Forest said. "... Wake Forest Athletics medical and athletics training staff are providing Sam and his family with constant support. More updates will be shared when appropriate." Hartman, Clawson and athletic director John Currie included statements. "Tuesday was a frustrating day, but I am extremely grateful for our medical staff and for Dr. Chris Miles and Niles Fleet for … [Read more...] about Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman ‘out indefinitely’ with non-football condition

As Bryan Harsin enters Year 2 as Auburn's head football coach, the Tigers have a chip on their shoulder. He explained his team's mentality this week, via Auburn Undercover . "I think that whole concept of the chip and all that, you kind of got it, right," Harsin said . "I think that's one thing. There's certain things that motivate you and you can get upset about whatever. I think what we're trying to teach our guys is just how to be that way regardless. I think that's the whole idea of our football program is to teach people in our football program, players and coaches, how to be that way on a day-to-day basis — is what it is. How to go out there and really have the chip, so to speak, on your shoulder, every day. For whatever it is you're trying to do. You made it, you're at the bottom, it doesn't matter what anybody says or if they're patting you on the back. I've been there in both positions, everybody's loving you and telling you that you're all this, and you're not. … [Read more...] about Auburn football: Tigers coach Bryan Harsin breaks down ‘chip’ on team’s shoulder

Kansas football upset Texas 57-56 in a Week 11 overtime thriller of the 2021 season, highlighting Year 1 under head coach Lance Leipold . Entering the weekend, Kansas was seven games under the .500 mark on the campaign and 3-15 against the Longhorns all time. During a recent interview on The Rich Eisen Show , Leipold was asked about what that win meant for his program. "When you get to that later part of the season in November ... and you're 1 and 8 and you're going to one of the blue-blood programs of college football, there's a lot of times young men will just play out the slate," he said. "And sometimes, it's not everything that you want as far as intensity and focus goes. And for us to go down there and play and some early success in that game, much like we did against Oklahoma at home in October, I was so proud. We were able to get some momentum and gain confidence. And to see the guys, first of all, believe in one another, battle — Texas battled back, put … [Read more...] about Kansas football coach Lance Leipold reflects on Texas upset, what beating Longhorns meant for Jayhawks

The Michigan Wolverines had a fantastic defense led by Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo in 2021. It helped the team win the Big Ten and get to the College Football Playoff. With both pass rushers off to the NFL, the biggest question posed by The Michigan Insider’s Zach Shaw: How do the Wolverines replace both guys? However, there’s a possibility Jim Harbaugh can find his next star pass rusher with one of the current players he has on the roster. “But under Jim Harbaugh , Michigan has always had stars emerge at EDGE, with every starter ultimately becoming a top-100 NFL Draft pick,” Shaw wrote. “A rotation can be valuable, but at the end of the day the Wolverines are best-served with a player who draws attention, makes plays and scares opposing offensive tackles. Someone stepping up to that level could help Michigan’s pass-rush avoid a drop-off from last season, and they might come away with a nice NFL Draft future as a result.” Shaw then broke down some … [Read more...] about Michigan football: Replacing Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo biggest question facing Wolverines’ defense

Gone is Kenny Pickett , so the Pittsburgh Panthers hit the reset button at the quarterback position in the offseason. Kedon Slovis transferred in from USC and Nick Patti returned after coming into the spotlight in last year’s Peach Bowl as Pickett prepared for the draft. Pitt's fall camp battle between two quarterbacks is in full swing, and Narduzzi provided the latest update with Greg McElroy on Always College Football . "Yeah, we're not ready to (name a starter) at this point," Narduzzi said. "But we've got, really, two guys that are battling it out at that quarterback (spot). Kedon Slovis , as you mentioned, (is) a kid that was here for spring ball. He's done an outstanding job. He's a tremendous person. I just like how he presents himself every day in our offices and our meetings and our field. He leads the right way. And then the other guy's Nick Patti, who played in the first series — I guess first two series — of our Peach Bowl loss. And if he plays the entire … [Read more...] about Pitt football: Pat Narduzzi updates QB battle between Kedon Slovis, Nick Patti

A landmark NIL initiative is coming to USC football. A donor-run name, image and likeness (NIL) collective is coming to the Trojans program, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times . This comes on the heels of SMU reportedly putting an NIL collective in place for football and basketball players Monday. However, the Times' report states this group of donors and fans is going against the USC administration’s wishes. “When USC partnered with an outside media company to launch BLVD LLC, the hope was that its unique approach to facilitating name, image and likeness endorsement deals for Trojan athletes would help stave off the rise of a donor-run collective — and keep USC out of the crosshairs of any future NCAA crackdowns,” Ryan Kartje wrote. “But less than two months later, The Times has learned that a group of deep-pocketed USC donors and diehard fans are proceeding with their own NIL operation against the school’s wishes. The group plans to soon launch ‘Student Body … [Read more...] about USC football: NIL collective launching against school’s wishes, report says