The season ended with a loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl -- a game that will be remembered as one of the best in the Granddaddy's legendary history. More than anything, the season will be a testament to the players' ability to honor the memory of Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe. Lane Kiffin's second year in Oxford couldn't have gone much better. The Rebels pulled off a win regular season for the first time in program history and a Sugar Bowl appearance. The season didn't end the way they wanted to, after quarterback Matt Corral suffered an injury in the first quarter of the Sugar Bowl against Baylor, a game they ultimately lost.
With Corral off to the NFL, Ole Miss won't look the same in , but the program is likely feeling as secure as ever with Kiffin at the helm.
A season that ended with Bob Stoops celebrating a bowl victory seems like a normal year for the Sooners, except that season was in His replacement, Caleb Williams , became an instant star with a legendary rally against Texas in Dallas. The upside is there is considerable enthusiasm for the return of new coach Brent Venables, and OU held together a solid recruiting class despite some key defections to the Trojans. The bad news is Williams went into the portal and is shopping around, as is Mario Williams , another top recruit at WR.
But other than that, it's fair to say we don't know what to expect -- or who will be playing -- with the Sooners right now.
It's truly a new era in Norman. The encore will be tricky, but after a stirring breakthrough in , Pat Narduzzi's Panthers should still have quite a bit to offer moving forward.
The Panthers won 11 games for the first time in 40 years and scored their first ACC title since joining the conference in They lose star quarterback Kenny Pickett and offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, but Biletnikoff winner Jordan Addison was a sophomore, USC quarterback transfer Kedon Slovis is coming to town, and while the team awaits the stay-or-go-pro decision of star end Habakkuk Baldonado , the pass rush should still be top-notch with the likely return of tackle Calijah Kancey and end Deslin Alexandre.
Narduzzi has slowly built a program full of athleticism and attitude, and the Panthers should have plenty of both. The Demon Deacons opened with the motto "Good to great," but they ended up doing more than that, putting together a historic season that ended with 11 wins -- just the second team in program history to win double-digit games.
Sam Hartman had 50 total touchdowns, just the third quarterback in ACC history to reach that mark. Hartman will be back in , along with a new defensive coordinator in Brad Lambert.
But the expectations will be higher after such a successful season. The Tigers struggled to find any offensive consistency for much of the season and were held to fewer than 20 points in regulation in six of their 13 games.
All eyes will be on the quarterback position and rising junior DJ Uiagalelei next season as well as a Clemson coaching staff that has been revamped. Staff continuity has been a constant under Dabo Swinney, but he lost offensive coordinator Tony Elliott to the Virginia head job and defensive coordinator Brent Venables to the Oklahoma head job. Swinney promoted from within to fill both positions -- quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter replacing Elliott and senior defensive assistant Wes Goodwin moving from an analyst's role to replace Venables.
The Tigers ended the season on a six-game winning streak to ensure their 10th consecutive season of 10 or more wins. The Wolfpack went to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego to try to win a 10th game for just the second time in school history, but the game was canceled just hours before kickoff because UCLA had coronavirus issues.
So NC State took matters into its own hands and decided it would count the game as a 10th win in its official record books, even though the NCAA did not declare the game a forfeit. So this season will forever have an asterisk next to it for that reason alone. In the 60 years before Mark Stoops' arrival, Kentucky had won 10 games once.
The Wildcats have now done so twice in the past four years. Quarterback Will Levis and star running back Chris Rodriguez are likely to return in , but UK's ability to live up to increasing expectations next fall will likely be determined by new starters everywhere else. The offensive and defensive lines will get hit by attrition, and stars like receiver Wan'Dale Robinson and safety Yusuf Corker have declared for the draft.
Stoops has dealt with turnover before, of course, and the team has as strong an identity as anyone in the SEC East outside of Georgia. If there's a drop-off, it probably won't be very steep. The Ragin' Cajuns closed out the Billy Napier era with a record and a transfer of power as seamless as a college football program could have with Michael Desormeaux being promoted from offensive coordinator.
They'll look different next season, as running backs Montrell Johnson and Emani Bailey , right guard O'Cyrus Torrence and cornerback Mekhi Garner all entered the transfer portal. Of course, some of the coaching staff also left with Napier to Florida. But there's no doubt that Napier left the school in solid standing after three consecutive and the school's only seasons of plus wins. A record against the Pac, including a win against rival Utah -- the Pac champion -- gives the Cougars regional bragging rights.
Tyler Allgeier 's 1, rushing yards ranked third nationally, and his 23 rushing scores were the most in the country. With coach Kalani Sitake locked up with a long-term contract and passage to the Big 12 secure, the future of BYU football has seldom been so bright.
The Cougars were one of the better turnaround jobs in college football in Dana Holgorsen, who went in his second year as head coach in , led the Cougars to a record.
While his teams are notorious for having a potent offense, his defense, led by first-year coordinator Doug Belk, was one of the toughest units in the country. Narduzzi will have a huge smile walking off the field. Both teams certainly entered the season with loftier goals, but both also should be excited to be in Las Vegas to close out the year.
Wisconsin should have a strong contingent of fans, and Vegas is a short trip for most ASU fans. The Sun Devils got a boost with the return of quarterback Jayden Daniels for the season, but they will face a linebacker-loaded Wisconsin defense that ranks No. The key will be whether Wisconsin controls tempo with Braelon Allen and the run game and doesn't put quarterback Graham Mertz in difficult situations, or ASU gets its own ground game going.
Ultimately, Wisconsin's defense will be the difference in a close one. Don't write off the somewhat rare bowl participant, as five of six teams with that record won their bowls after the and seasons. The Demon Deacons offense is a real pain to prepare for, especially on relatively short notice. Rutgers doesn't have the offensive sizzle to keep up with Sam Hartman and Wake Forest, which pulls away in the second half. Both teams come in hot. Washington State won six of its final eight regular-season games, capping things off with its most lopsided Apple Cup win ever.
Central Michigan won six of its final seven games, with the lone loss coming by a single point to Northern Illinois. But WSU's defense will be the difference in this one, making a few key fourth-quarter stops. I keep coming back to the enthusiasm around Notre Dame after Marcus Freeman's hiring, plus the disappointment on the Oklahoma State side after the Big 12 championship game loss, which likely cost the Pokes their first CFP spot.
Oklahoma State boasts an exceptional defense and has faced a tougher schedule than Notre Dame. But the Irish played complete, dominant football down the stretch and have a more reliable offense than Oklahoma State. Notre Dame's recent record in top bowl games isn't good, but a new era is dawning in South Bend, and it begins with a win in Freeman's head-coaching debut. Utah will try to mimic Michigan's brilliant game plan against the Buckeyes, as the Utes and Wolverines are similarly constructed.
Kyle Whittingham's team surged down the stretch and twice bullied Oregon at the line of scrimmage. Ohio State poses a much tougher task, especially with a passing game that, unlike Oregon's, can truly stress the Utes' secondary. Utah could be the more motivated team, too, appearing in its first Rose Bowl, while Ohio State had set its sights on a third straight CFP appearance.
But the Buckeyes typically rise up well in bowls, and quarterback C. Stroud will look to make a statement before a season when the team returns to the national title mix. Allstate Sugar Bowl: Baylor Bears vs. Both teams will be excited to be in New Orleans.
Baylor was in the Sugar Bowl in and Ole Miss last made the trip for the game. Both teams have nice balance, too, as Ole Miss' defense improved a lot late in the season. I'm going to assume quarterback Matt Corral plays for the Rebels.
Aranda has faced coach Lane Kiffin before, and should have his talented defense ready to go. This will be one of the bowl season's best games, but I like Ole Miss to cap off a historic season with its 11th win.
Both teams are senior-laden, and the opt-out factor could loom large heading into the game. Penn State already has lost primary defensive coordinator Brent Pry to Virginia Tech, and co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter is a prime candidate to become Virginia's next head coach.
The Lions' defense has been their hallmark, along with a passing game featuring Jahan Dotson and Parker Washington. Arkansas played better down the stretch and gets the edge with a much more balanced offense led by quarterback KJ Jefferson. Vrbo Citrus Bowl: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Former Iowa defensive back Mark Stoops will lead Kentucky against his alma mater in a game that will feature the two defenses.
Iowa leads the nation in interceptions 24 , and faces a quarterback in Kentucky's Will Levis who has been picked off 12 times. Kentucky's defense isn't as opportunistic but cracks down nicely against the run 3. Iowa's offensive struggles aren't going away, and the Hawkeyes will need their defense and special teams to rise up in Orlando. Expect a tight, somewhat ugly game that Iowa wins on a pick-six.
There have been coaching changes on both sides, more dramatically at LSU, but Kansas State recently fired offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham. Former Wildcats star Collin Klein will call offensive plays against LSU, which played well on defense during the last month of the regular season. Not surprisingly, LSU's interest level and personnel situation likely will shape the game's outcome.
Kansas State has been inconsistent -- three wins, three losses, four wins, two losses -- but wants to send off its seniors with a bowl win.
Wildcats pass-rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah 11 sacks, six forced fumbles and the defense prove to be the difference in this one. Skip to main content Skip to navigation. Predicting the score of every bowl game. Alabama Crimson Tide. Sources: Gobert cleared after 5-game absence. Utah Jazz. Djokovic faces deportation as visa revoked again. Dallas Cowboys. Rimington Trophy winner Linderbaum enters draft. Iowa Hawkeyes. Bucks stomp Dubs, keep 'building good habits'. Milwaukee Bucks. USC receiver McCoy back in portal for third time.
USC Trojans. Watt practices; undetermined if he'll play Monday. Arizona Cardinals. Texans fire coach Culley after just one season. Houston Texans. What to know for the NFL wild-card round: Score picks, bold predictions, key stats and more. Buffalo Bills. How we got here: The Novak Djokovic visa saga timeline.
Brothers Stefon and Trevon Diggs push each other to greater heights. MMA Rank Which fighters will have the best ? Trolling champs: These schools had the best jokes on social media during the college football season. Kansas City Chiefs. These moments played a role in defining the Cowboys-Niners rivalry. Eight things Juventus might want to do in their rebuild. What can we expect from WNBA free agency? Seattle Storm. Atlanta Hawks. Inside the NBA's new wave of trash talk: 'It's not really a verbal assault like it used to be'.
MotoGP great Rossi to race cars in Aston Martin to launch '22 car on Feb. Can the Florida gymnastics team find redemption this year? Jan 5, Close College football reporter. Ole Miss Rebels. USC receiver McCoy back in portal for third time.
USC Trojans. LSU Tigers. Boston College Eagles. UVa QB Armstrong returning to play fifth season. Virginia Cavaliers. RB Johnson follows Napier to Gators as transfer. Florida Gators. Trolling champs: These schools had the best jokes on social media during the college football season.
Alabama Crimson Tide. Georgia Bulldogs. Victory and vindication for Georgia's Stetson Bennett.
0コメント