The Associated Press (AP) Poll was released & it got my mind turning toward college football & the upcoming season. Well, that along side playing old school NCAA Football games on my PS2 (2003, 2006, & 2009 to be exact). So with that being said, let's get to buying and selling who could be punching their ticket or getting left on the side of the road with Buy or Sell!
*NOTE: These are not in order of the rankings*
Texas Longhorns - BUY
Last season: 13-3 (Lost Cotton Bowl vs Ohio St.)
WHY TO BUY: It makes sense why the Longhorns would be favored by most to go back to the CFP & possibly win the national title. They currently boast, arguably, a top ten defense headlined by junior linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. & senior safety Michael Taaffe. They also have coveted sophomore edge rusher Colin Simmons & junior cornerback Malik Muhammad looking to step in as a starter for Jahdae Barron. Despite all they lost, the defense looks steady and reloaded yet again. The offense that Steve Sarkisian has built looks fairly simple yet effective in establishing the ground game & allowing their speedy receivers to gain yards after the catch. Losing their two starting wideouts would hurt, however, they seemed to have reloaded with junior DeAndre Moore Jr. & sophomore Ryan Wingo (not to mention freshman five stars Jamie Ffrench & Kaliq Lockett). Plus, Texas have another safety net in the receiving corp at tight end in Cal transfer Jack Endries to replace the loss of Gunner Helm.
BUYER BEWARE: First and foremost is quarterback. Quinn Ewers did his job well enough to help lead team throughout the season & into the playoffs. But for two games, the future of Longhorn football was on display in sophomore Arch Manning. He is the biggest name in college football without a doubt and the biggest question mark as well. His numbers after replacing an injured Ewers (939 Yds, 9 TD, 2 INT) were solid but came against the likes of UTEP, Louisiana-Monroe, & Mississippi State. By saying that, it should be inferred (and rightly so) that they were all sub-par to bad teams. So can Manning live up to the hype & deliver another playoff appearance for Texas. Another question is whether redshirt sophomore running back CJ Baxter is healthy & ready to hit the ground running along side junior Quintrevion Wisner, who stepped up last season.
Ohio State Buckeyes - BUY
Last Season: 14-2 (Won CFP National Championship vs Notre Dame)
WHY TO BUY: They are the defending national champions for a reason. it all starts with the best player in college football & (should be) Heisman favorite sophomore Jeremiah Smith. I've dubbed him the God Receiver. Not since DeVonta Smith or Michael Crabtree has a receiver looked this dominate in his first year touching the field as a starter, which is crazy when you remember he was only 18 YEARS OLD. Crazy! Smith is the exclamation point on the Buckeyes nickname, "Wide Receiver U", especially when you add junior Carnell Tate & sophomore Brandon Inniss who each took big steps toward more playing time this year. They also upgraded at tight end this offseason with Kansas State transfer junior Max Klare. Defensively, it feels like they lost some key pieces for sure. They have a top linebacker in senior Sonny Styles leading the charge with a slew of talented backers. It all ends with junior safety Caleb Downs. He is the best defensive back in the country. Corner or safety, he can do it all and play it all. By my account, he is the next Ed Reed (or Sean Taylor or Eric Berry). Plus, I've heard rave reviews about freshman cornerback Devin Sanchez looking like another Denzel Ward. Could be a stretch, but watching his tape from high school, I'm inclined to believe it as of now.
BUYER BEWARE: Sounds like I'm on repeat here, but quarterback & running back is where they look weakest. Sophomore Julian Sayin is a former 5-star recruit that transferred from Alabama that is competing with redshirt junior Lincoln Kienholz. Both seem capable of getting the job done. I'm one who believes that freshman 5-star recruit Taven St. Clair might be the best option of them all. The bigger issue seems to be the loss of TreyVeyon Henderson & Quinshon Judkins. Despite being more pass-happy last year, Ohio State still established a strong running attack to have a well balanced offense. But this season could see a dip (or major drop-off) with their best options likely being senior TC Caffey, sophomore James Peoples, and/or freshman Bo Jackson.
Penn State Nittany Lions - BUY
Last Season: 13-3 (Lost Orange Bowl vs Notre Dame)
WHY TO BUY: Whether or not he is the Next Josh Allen, senior quarterback Drew Allar showed all the qualities to be that guy after having to overcome an above average receiving corp against some tough competition. Lucky for him, the Nittany Lions went out & got senior transfer wide receivers Trebor Pena (formerly from Syracuse) & Kyron Hudson (formerly of USC) to bolster their passing attack & stretch the field. Sophomore tight end Luke Reynolds is primed to take over for Tyler Warren. He might be even better. And their offensive line should be considered top 10 lead by senior Drew Shelton. The defense could be the best in the country. Senior defensive linemen Dani Dennis-Sutton & Zane Durant look like first round picks. Penn State may have the best linebacker corp in the country with Senior Dominic DeLuca, junior Amare Campbell, & junior Tony Rojas (plus freshman LaVar Arrington II in the wings). Finally, a secondary that is led by another possible first rounder in junior cornerback A.J. Harris. All in all, this could be the best roster in college football by season's end.
BUYER BEWARE: My main cause for why Penn State could miss the playoffs really falls on the shoulders of head coach James Franklin. In my opinion, he's one of the best coaches in college football. What holds him back his decision making (or his staff's) in big games. Their two biggest games this year will be home vs Oregon & at Ohio State, the two games they lost last season. In order to be true contenders in the eyes of the masses, they'll need to be both. The other concern goes to the offense. Despite Allar looking good & the additions at receiver, there were times the offense looked just off. Allar's decision making was questionable at times & things could go sideways quick if Pena and/or Hudson do not help move the needle as expected.
Georgia Bulldogs - SELL
Last Season: 11-3 (Lost Sugar Bowl vs Notre Dame)
WHY TO SELL: Some will say this is a bold (aka dumb or idiotic) take, but I thought a lot about Georgia for this season & came to the conclusion: this could be a drop-off year. I've stated on the record that I've thought Gunner Stockton was a better quarterback than Carson Beck. And I still believe that. With that being said, the offense around him feels like it took a step or two backwards. Nate Frazier looked good in his freshman season running the ball (671 Yds, 8 TD, 5.0 AVG) in compliment with Trevor Etienne. This year, I think he could be the lone tailback in the offense, but will that be enough to (literally) carry this team. The big hit feels like it's in the passing game. They return senior Dillon Bell as their leading receiver, added former 5-star Zachariah Branch from USC, & still have former transfers senior Colbie Young and junior London Humphreys. Oh yeah, and they have senior tight end Oscar Delp coming back too. That sound decent on paper. But how long can "decent" cut it in the SEC & College Football Playoff? I just don't see it being a benefit to Stockton or any QB that plays for Georgia. Also, if I'm not mistaken, they on have one starter returning to the offensive line in junior Earnest Greene III.
STOCK ON THE RISE: The reason this team could become worth the investment is likely from head coach Kirby Smart & his defense that looks top ten yet again. Their defensive line is big and quick with junior defensive tackle Christen Miller & young depth that could play early in 5-star freshmen Elijah Griffin & Isaiah Gibson. They have so much depth at linebacker that it's insane lead by juniors CJ Allen & Gabe Harris Jr. being looked at as the main-stays. Just like at linebacker, defensive back is insanely deep as well. KJ Bolden lived up to the hype of his 5-star status at safety, which will help JaCorey Thomas (likely starter) get in-tune with taking over for Malaki Starks. Meanwhile, senior cornerback Daylen Everette returns to likely play opposite of junior Daniel Harris with Joenel Aguero & Ellis Robinson IV to battle Harris for No.2 and compete for the nickel corner position.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish - SELL
Last Season: 14-2 (Lost CFP National Championship vs Ohio St.)
WHY TO SELL: Notre Dame had a one heck of a season that many Fighting Irish fans should be proud of regardless of the outcome. They lost to unranked Northern Illinois & still made it to the championship game. But much of it was luck thanks to big upsets to top teams throughout the season. This year, could be much harder for them. The biggest issue glaring for Notre Dame is coming from their options at quarterback: redshirt freshman CJ Carr, sophomore Kevin Minchey, & freshman Blake Hebert. Not exactly a standout group. Carr & Minchey looks to be the favorite for starting QB for the Irish, with Carr being the leader to win the job. I would say that Carr SHOULD be an upgrade over Riley Leonard as a pure passer. Unfortunately, Notre Dame has solidified itself as a run-first-and-heavy offense. That would lead me to believe that Kevin Minchey fits better because his athleticism opens up what you can do offensively. So who's the right choice? One feels like Brady Quinn or Jimmy Clausen (Carr) & the other feels like Everett Golson, Ian Book, or Riley Leonard (Minchey). One has limited experience (Minchey) & the other has none (Carr). Both options sound solid by talent, but neither feels like a lock to bring Notre Dame back to the playoffs just quite yet.
STOCK ON THE RISE: While my focus to sell stood on quarterback, that doesn't mean this team can't find a way to get back. They have, arguably, the best running back in the country in junior Jeremiyah Love, accompanied by his backups, junior Jadarian Price & sophomore Aneyas Williams. They've revamped their receiving corp to have one of their best in years by adding Virginia senior transfer Malachi Fields to compliment juniors Jaden Greathouse & Jordan Faison and freshman Cam Williams. Their offensive line last year was young, but now have experience behind themselves. And this defense is solid from top to bottom. Sophomore cornerback Leonard Moore cuts the field in half which benefits junior Christian Gray greatly. Linebacker has a core with Jaiden Ausberry, Drayk Bowen, & Jaylen Sneed. Their defensive line could use some work, but have leaders up front like junior Donovan Hinish to bring the pressure.
Clemson Tigers - BUY
Last Season: 10-3 (Lost CFP First Round vs Texas)
WHY TO BUY: This team could bring the noise this season. They feel more complete after last season. Quarterback Cade Klubnik is the biggest name on offense. Last year, he dragged Clemson into the playoffs winning the ACC championship. He has a dynamic trio of wideouts in junior Antonio Williams & sophomores Bryant Wesco & T.J. Moore. They have two more (possibly) top-10 picks destroying on the defensive line with juniors T.J. Parker at end & Peter Woods at tackle. Feels like they have the newest versions of college Chase Young & Derrick Brown on the same line. Senior linebacker Wade Woodaz quarterbacks the defense while sophomore Sammy Brown looks exactly every part the top linebacker he was being sold as to us. And their secondary is well anchored with juniors corner Avieon Terrell (yes he is A.J.'s brother) & safety Khalil Barnes watching the skies. Senior corner Jeadyn Lukus & sophomore Ashton Hampton should get their flowers too for their work as well. Collectively, Clemson could have a solid roster that could help them finish stronger than last year & repeat as ACC champs.
BUYER BEWARE: Maybe I'd be nitpicking on this, but losing Mafah at running back could be an issue for helping to take heat off Klubnik. However, I will say that a combo of freshman Gideon Davidson & redshirt sophomore Jay Haynes could be effective enough. The only other issue that could about that could hold the Tigers back would be head coach Dabo Swinney making the wrong call at some point. Not that I think he really would, but you never know. He has had his moments from time to time.
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