Category: College Football

Once upon a time, the Heisman Trophy was awarded to the best player in college football. While it was typically an offensive player, Charles Woodson was an anomaly as he bucked that trend by winning it in 1997.

Outside of that, offensive players have won every other year since 1935. In recent memory, quarterbacks have dominated the conversation when winning the Heisman year-after-year. Since 2010, only one non-quarterback won, and that was Alabama’s Derrick Henry in 2015. This year, Devonta Smith should be the odds-on favorite to win the award, but he does not play a position that usually wins the Heisman.

When looking at the landscape of the Heisman, Smith checks all the boxes. He has the flair, stats, production, eye-test, and he plays for a blue blood program in Alabama.

While all those things are true, history is not on Smith’s side.

The last time a wide receiver won the prestigious award was in 1991 when Michigan’s Desmond Howard brought the trophy back to Ann Arbor. It would be hard to believe that there has not been a single wide receiver to win the said award since then. Guys like Randy Moss, Calvin Johnson, Keyshawn Johnson, Michael Crabtree, Larry Fitzgerald, Tavon Austin, and many more had the numbers to win the trophy, but never took it home. Voters have a recent bias towards quarterback because it is the most important on the field, but ironically, they need wide receivers to succeed.

In a year where games have been canceled and Heisman-worthy candidates have missed games, it does not take a rocket scientist to say that Smith is the easiest choice for the award. Ohio State’s Justin Fields and Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence have played great football, but they have not played enough games to win the award. Florida’s Kyle Trask will be in the conversation, but a recent loss to LSU lessened his chances. BYU’s Zach Wilson was a cute story to win the Heisman, but when it mattered most, he did not deliver against Coastal Carolina. Mac Jones (Who?!) was also in the conversation, but since has fallen down the rankings due to his surging teammate.

Smith is the right choice for a multitude of reasons. He has no blemishes on his Heisman resume and he is dominating the game at wide receiver in a way that has not been seen in years. In just ten games, Smith has 83 receptions, 1,327 yards, and 18 total touchdowns. Smith’s game has risen to a new level in the absence of Jaylen Waddle and he has put the team on his back in a sense. His Heisman moment came against Mississippi State when he corralled in 11 catches for 203 yards and four touchdowns. 

In addition to his insane numbers, he is playing for the No.1 team in the country. Nick Saban knows a thing or two about coaching Heisman Trophy winners, so of course, he will be on the campaign trail.

A lot has been wrong this year in college football, due to COVID, and other issues, but this is the time to make things right by awarding the best player on the field the Heisman.

History states that this will not happen but in the words of urban philosopher Cam’ron, who am I to f*** tradition up?

It would be a disservice to Devonta Smith, Alabama, and true college football fans if he does not win the Heisman Trophy, but given how the year has gone thus far, nothing is certain at this point.

It would be an understatement to say college football has been a whirlwind this year. For starters, teams are trying to play a full season during Covid-19. As a result of that, games have been canceled, rescheduled, moved, etc. Players have opted out of the season and some coaches have not been able to coach on the sideline due to contracting the Coronavirus. Despite the chaos that is ensuing — the season is winding down and we are inching towards the College Football Playoffs.

Before the season, if I were to tell you that Notre Dame and Clemson could play three times in one season, you may have drug tested me. Notre Dame is in a great position to make the CFP after being ranked the No.2 team by the playoff committee. To no surprise, their new in-conference foe Clemson is slated to make it as well. The Tigers are ranked No.3 and the two teams are on a collision course to meet again in the ACC title game.

This is not the first time that two top teams in the same conference are fighting for position in the CFP rankings. Since the start of the CFP in 2014, we saw this happen in 2017-2018 when Georgia and Alabama battled it out for the National Championship. In a perfect world, they do not play in the National Championship game, but crazier things have happened this year.  The chances of them playing three times in the same season would be the first time that this would happen in college football history. In 1978-1979 Nebraska and Oklahoma played three times in a calendar year and Nebraska and Washington played three times in 13 months in 2010-2011.

By no stretch of the imagination, this is the strangest year in college football. From a coaching standpoint, teams were doing installs and meetings in a virtual setting and even some schools split up practice groups to minimize chances of catching the virus. To see Clemson and Notre Dame atop of the college football rankings should not come as a surprise, because they have two great coaches.

Dabo Swinney and Brian Kelly maybe two of the most despised coaches in college football, but they get the job done. Both coaches will have a valid argument for their teams to make the CFP depending on the outcome of the ACC title game.

Notre Dame defeated a Trevor Lawrence-less Clemson team on their home field Halloween weekend. Despite, Lawrence not playing Clemson, battled closely and eventually loss in overtime while starting freshman quarterback DJ Uiagalelei in a hostile environment. To some, Clemson attained a moral victory, but they still have one loss. Despite losing, they have the best loss compared to other teams vying for a playoff spot.

Since that matchup, Notre Dame has continued their run of dominance and Clemson is playing at a supremely high level as well now that Trevor Lawrence is back in the fold.

 I know that quality teams such as Cincinnati, Texas A&M, and Florida are on the outside looking in, but if Clemson wins I think there is a case that the top 4 teams should remain, but with some shuffling. If Clemson beats ND, they should be the No.2 seed behind Alabama and Notre Dame should be the No.4 seed. If Notre Dame wins in the ACC Championship against Clemson then there is no chance that this will happen, but then again, who would have thought we would be wearing masks as a part of our daily garb.

2020 has been a year to remember for good and bad reasons, and a third matchup between Clemson and Notre Dame would summarize how odd, yet unique this year has been.

Growing up in the Midwest, College Football is king. Whether you grow up rooting for Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan State, or Michigan you do it with relentless passion. With that passion, you are taught to hate your rival, but in a similar vein, you hold them in high regard when it comes to respecting the rivalry.  

Michigan has been a historic football program that has been revered by some for several decades. At their peak, Bo Schembechler and Lloyd Carr led the Wolverines into national respectability by winning a litany of Big Ten Championships, 18 to be exact, and a shared National Title in 1997. At the turn of the century, UM lost its luster, but not their respect. Even when they were struggling to put a formidable product on the field, they still garnered respect from the country’s best.

After falling off the cliff with previous coaches Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke, the Wolverines were in search of a savior, and on December 29, 2014, the anointed savior arrived.

The Michigan Man himself Jim Harbaugh came back home to Ann Arbor with a Hollywood-like feel. This was not your typical college football hire. He was a guy that was the football captain and starting quarterback that led Michigan to a 21-1-3 record over his tenure. He was a first-round draft pick that carved out a solid NFL career. 

Not to mention, he won as a college coach at San Diego State, Stanford, and he was a top 5 coach in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers.  

The pressure on Harbaugh was insurmountable, but for a coach and player that once thrived in the face of pressure, it was right up his alley. The onus was on Harbaugh to win Big Ten Championships, Bowl Games, National Championships, and of course defeating their much-hated rival the Ohio State Buckeyes. Harbaugh’s arrival came with a lot of promise, but lately, it has been a forgettable ride.

Most if not all of Michigan’s shortcomings fall on their head coach. He says a lot of quirky things that bring unnecessary attention, he slept overnight at a recruit’s home, he has been in a rap video, he brought the Migos and Ric Flair to signing day, but he hasn’t done anything to command respect.

During his time in Ann Arbor, he has yet to develop a top quarterback– a position which he played and was dubbed as a quarterback whisperer by some. He has uncharacteristic losses to inferior teams such as Iowa, Florida State, and South Carolina. He has also lost the recruiting battle on several key prospects, and he mismanaged talented players such as Donovan Peoples-Jones, Rashan Gary, and Ambry Thomas

Through two games in the 2020 season, nothing has changed. Michigan fans are still clamoring to be in the same pantheon as Clemson, Ohio State, and Alabama, but to be honest, they are a long way away. They have defeated Michigan State twice in three years, but last Saturday’s loss to them may be the worst in school history. Since the Harbaugh experiment revealed itself in 2014, the Wolverines have not defeated Ohio State or won a Big Ten Championship. While they lack championship hardware, they have a collection of sweet Jordan’s and stamps on their passports.

The fans and alumni are tired and upset, the student-athletes must feel the same way as well. Yes, they are the ones on the field playing in the games, but when they are not put in a position to play to the best of their abilities it does not fall on them.

These are the same group of young men that were ranked high on 247 Sports and Rivals, but they are unprepared by the coaches that are being paid hefty salaries. The players are holding up their end of the bargain as they continuously go to morning lifts, classes, be pillars in the community, and of course, be great young men. You cannot ask for much more from a group of 18-23-year-old young men, but you can out of adults.

Jim Harbaugh is staring at criticism like no other, it is nobody else’s fault but his. At this juncture, Michigan is the laughingstock of the Big Ten and college football, and it has nothing to do with the players.

Thanks to Harbaugh and his antics, negligence, and unpreparedness, they lack respect that they have had for a lifetime.

The state of Michigan deserves better, Wolverine faithful deserve better, the student-athletes deserve better, University deserves better, and college football deserves better.

For some, college football is just something to watch on the tube to pass time by, for others, it is a religion that millions of people live, eat, breathe, and sleep about. Some fans do any and everything to support their favorite teams and universities. Some travel hundreds and thousands of miles to games, others have parties to have game-like settings in their home. No matter how you slice it, college football has the best fans in all of sports, and the passion, love, and even hatred of teams is what makes it the best sport in the world.

When the return of college football was announced, it was refreshing for so many reasons. While it was refreshing, it was bittersweet at the same time. In some regions, fans were not allowed for safety reasons, and for people like Michgan(eer) and WVU Grad Joe Staffileno, it was a tough pill to swallow.

Before Covid-19 put the world on pause, Staffileno attended every home game since 1987. Even before graduating from WVU, his love for them started way earlier than that.

“I was 9 years old listening to games on the radio while I would help my Dad wash and detail the car every week. Back in 1967, there was no ESPN and West Virginia getting on TV was very rare. Every week I was following the Mountaineers by radio. The announcer back then did such a wonderful job of painting the picture of the game action. I fell in love with the players by hearing their names and the plays they would make. I knew when I was old enough to go to college, I wanted to be in that stadium so I could see the players live since getting to watch them on TV was so rare. Hearing names like Mike Sherwood, Bernie Galiffia, Carl Crennel, Kerry Marbury, and Danny Buggs perform their craft was thrilling to me. Getting to see them on TV was a rare treat and only made me want to go see every game live even more. I never got a chance to see a live game from the stands until my freshman year. We couldn’t afford it,” said Staffileno to M2Sports.

While that was the case for Staffileno at a young age, that dream turned into a reality after going to his first WVU football game.

“My freshman year was 1975 and it was the first time I got to see a WVU game in person. I saw a great game that year when Bill McKenzie kicked a Field Goal with no time left to upset a Tony Dorset led Pitt team 17-14. The place went nuts. The fans poured onto the field (me included and with a girl on my shoulders), goal posts came down, and we all celebrated the rest of the day. Later that night the celebration continued in Sunnyside. The story goes that this was when the “couch burning” tradition started. I was there for 6 years getting both my undergraduate and graduate degrees and went to every home game. I got to see the very last game at Old Mountaineer Field in 1979 and the very first game when the current Mountaineer field opened in 1980,” said Staffileno to M2Sports.

After going to his first game, the feeling of singing ‘Country Roads’ after games and being next to fellow Mountaineer faithful was almost heaven-like for Staffileno. That eventually led to the inevitable of becoming a season ticket holder.

“I would get season tickets starting the 1985 season even though I lived in Houston. The plan was to come back for a week vacation in the fall when there would be back to back Saturday home games so I could at least catch 2 live games in stands. The other 4 games I gave to my parents to use. I did that for the 1985 season and the 1986 season. In March of 1987, I transferred to Detroit and have not missed a home game since. Both of my kids (Steven & Taylor) were born and raised in Michigan. My parents still lived in West Virginia so I would sometimes take the kids with me so they could see their grandparents and then take them to Mountaineer Field to experience WVU Football. The drill would be to take Friday afternoons off and drive to my parent’s house in time for dinner. Saturday mornings drive 70 miles from my parents to Morgantown for the game and return to Wellsburg for dinner and watch the Saturday evening college football games. Sundays after lunch usually by 2:00 pm we would start back to Michigan,” said Staffileno to M2Sports.

Like any great parent, the love for WVU trickled down to Joe’s children Steven and Taylor, and wife Bridget.

“I encouraged both kids to look at a minimum of 4 schools when looking for colleges to attend. Both kids chose WVU. I think being familiar and comfortable with the campus from all our visits over the years made their choice easy. Steven became Director of The Mountaineer Maniacs which is the largest student organization on campus and Taylor served as a board member for the Maniacs. Both have multiple degrees from WVU, and both worked for WVU for a short period. My daughter Taylor taught English 101 for two years there and my son Steven set a record for fundraising securing the largest private donation for the College of Business & Economics,” said Staffileno to M2Sports.

For Taylor Staffileno, she knew she could go to just about any school she wanted to, but her love and familiarity with WVU ultimately won her over. 

“WVU was the only school I ever knew and loved growing up. Ultimately, WVU was always my dream school and I knew I would regret it if I went anywhere else. I have always been proud of WVU being a family tradition, and I wanted to keep it that way,” said Taylor Staffileno to M2Sports.

With Taylor being fully entrenched in Mountaineer fandom, she has a lot of memories, but one certain moment stands out for her.

“My favorite WVU memory with my dad is the Pitt game in 2005. I was 12 years old. It was below 0 with the windchill and my dad tried to convince me that I should not go because I would be miserable. Well, I was stubborn and begged to go, so he ended up letting me. I was freezing by the second half, but I kept my mouth shut both to prove a point and because I knew there was not a chance (in hell) we were leaving early. It does not matter if we are up by 70 or down by 70, my dad does not leave until the clock hits 0. I learned that lesson the hard way, said Taylor Staffileno to M2Sports.”

The Staffileno family is synonymous with West Virginia Football just as the last name Bush is to politics. With Joe, Taylor, and Steven fully invested as Mountaineers, Joe’s wife, Bridget was next to join the fray. “Bridget has joined our WVU family and adopted WVU as her own because she saw what it means to all of us. It was Bridget’s idea to get married on the steps of Woodburn Circle which was the original 3 buildings when WVU was started back in 1867, Joe said to M2Sports.” Now that West Virginia are allowing some fans into the stadium, this Saturday will be a reunion of sorts for the Staffileno family, particularly Joe, who will be back in Milan Puskar Stadium for the first time this season.

^{This time of year, in Miami, Hurricane season is prevalent. Whether talking about the forecast or in the realm of football, both ring true. For the University of Miami, their football team has been struggling for nearly two decades, but things are on the up thanks to quarterback D’Eriq King.}

^{Unlike most historic college football programs, they have had only one 10-win season since 2003. When comparing to other universities in Florida, they rank last behind Florida Atlantic, USF, UCF, UF, and Florida State in 10-win seasons since 2003.}

^{A lot of their issues derive from coaching and recruiting, but the lack of good quarterback play has haunted Miami. Former Head Coaches Larry Coker, Randy Shannon, Al Golden, Mark Richt have tried to right the ship, but they have been unsuccessful in recruiting top players, specifically at the quarterback position.} 

^{New head man Manny Diaz struggled in 2019 going 6-7, in large part due to shaky offensive line play coupled with a subpar quarterback, but this year, things are looking promising.  The ‘Canes have not faced a true test, but they have shown promise winning their first two games. One glaring change that Diaz has that the other coaches did not have is a star quarterback as he does now with King.}

^{King left the third coast (Houston) to take his talents to South Beach. Since arriving on campus, he has given them a sense of hope that they have not felt since Carson Daly was hosting TRL.}

^{In a small sample size of two games, King has displayed that he is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. His PFF grade of 83.4 is fourth among Power Five Quarterbacks and his showing on the road in Louisville should not be ignored.}

^{In a 47-35 showdown against the Cardinals, King tallied 325 yards passing and three touchdowns, including a game-changing 75-yard to Jaylan Knighton. Although we are still in the early stages of the season, Miami fans cannot help to be excited about the rest of the season. It is safe to say that the jury is still out on the ‘Canes, but for the first time in forever, they have an NFL-caliber quarterback. In an interview, college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit likened King’s impact as a transfer to a familiar name.}

^{“Russell Wilson comes to mind for me,” Herbstreit said. “He left N.C. State and showed up in Madison. He was there for four weeks and was voted unanimously a team captain. His temperament and his style with the way he carried himself reminds me of D’Eriq King — not what we saw of him against the Patriots the other night, but as a college player — he reminds me of D’Eriq King in a similar situation.”}

^{With compliments like that, it shows that King is a special player, but for those who have been studying the game, this should not come as a surprise.}

^{In 2018, King had a 91.2 PFF grade, which was only behind by then Heisman winner Kyler Murray. While King is not back to that level, he is more than capable of doing so. During that year, King also had a turnover-worthy throw percentage of 1.8%, which shows that he can take care of the ball, and area that has hurt Miami over the years.}

^{Miami’s offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee has a great track record with quarterbacks at previous stops and that is the perfect recipe for King’s success. His high-octane offense will give King ample opportunities to make plays through the air and on the ground.}

^{The excitement is real and Canes fans should be happy. No, Nevin Shapiro is not leading the team out of the smoked tunnel at the OB, but the Hurricanes have the makings to be one of the top teams in the ACC.}

^{The U may not be back to the days where they were the most feared team in college football, but thanks to King, they are back to respectability, which is a great start for their football program.}

The 2020-2021 College Football season will be one to remember for good and bad reasons. The Big 10 is back after having their season postponed, and Pac 12 will not resume football until the spring while the other conferences have found a safe way to play football amidst Covid-19. Despite the chaos college football is here, and with that, here are the way too early contenders to make the College Football Playoffs.

AAC 

Welcome to the big-league boys. The AAC has a chance to put their first team into the College Football Playoffs since its inception in 2014. To no surprise, there are a few teams primed to make a postseason run. Memphis is good on paper, but it may take new head man Ryan Silverfield to find his footing. UCF and Cincinnati are tough and can make a run as well. UC will have a tough contest against Army and a loss to them could derail their chances in making a serious run.

ACC

The ACC comes down to Clemson and Notre Dame (sounds weird, huh). 

Teams such as Boston College, Virginia, Wake Forest, and Miami will be much improved, but they will be no matchup for Clemson and Notre Dame. If Trevor Lawrence is under center they have a clear advantage against the rest of the conference and perhaps the rest of the country. We know what to expect out of Travis Etienne, who is the best running back in college football. The only question mark is their defense, but Brent Venables will have them well-prepared. 

Notre Dame is officially in the ACC this season and Ian Book & Co. will make things interesting, but they will not have enough firepower to make a legit run against a hungry Clemson team that fell short in last year’s National Championship Game. 

Big Ten

Kevin Warren is out of his bunker and the Big Ten will start their 8-game season on October 24th. With that news, it is no secret that Ohio State is a near-lock to make the CFP. Ohio State returns Justin Fields, who will be a Heisman Favorite and arguably the best interior lineman in the country in Wyatt Davis. With the return of Shaun Wade, the Buckeyes will look to promising players such as Josh Proctor, Sevyn Banks, and Zach Harrison to take the next step towards stardom. Outside of the Buckeyes, Penn State is next in line to make a push, but the loss of Micah Parson will be huge for the Nittany Lions. 

Big 12 

The Big 12 embarrassingly started the season as Iowa State and Kansas State suffered big losses against the University of Louisiana Lafayette and Arkansas State, respectively. As a conference, the Big 12 has not won a National Championship since 2005 and that streak will continue this season. Despite that, they do have three strong contenders in Oklahoma State, Texas, and Oklahoma. Oklahoma State has 10 out of 11 starters coming back on defense and they have 4 starters returning on the offensive line. In addition to that, they have Chuba Hubbard, Tylan Wallace, and Spencer Sanders that round out the offense high-powered offense.

Texas has a lot of talent coming back with Sam Ehlinger under the center. The Longhorns also add former Michigan Wolverine wide receiver Tarik Black to an already potent offense. The pressure is on Tom Herman’s team to take the next step, and this year could be it.

Oklahoma and Lincoln Riley have been the class of the Big 12, but unlike previous years they are thin and inexperienced at their most valued positions. Lincoln Riley has worked magic with previous quarterbacks Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts, but this year will be his toughest task yet. Redshirt freshman Quarterback Spencer Rattler is still a complete unknown although he lit up against Arkansas State, only time will tell with him and his development. If he is what was expected out of him in high school, he will add to the list of Heisman-worthy quarterbacks under Riley.

As always, the college football playoff hopes fall on the Sooners defense. The defensive Coordinator has a tall task ahead of him, which is no surprise given that they have been one of the most abysmal units in the country over the last three years. If they make a slight jump and improvement it may increase their chances of making the CFP, but do not expect them to make any noise if they make it.

PAC-12

The Pac 12 has been close to silent thus far in their stance on having a football season. Maybe they are waiting for Urban Meyer to save the conference. Sorry Clay Helton.  They are fighting state governments, mandates and restrictions, let alone school presidents and conference commissioners. As the clock ticks, the odds on favorite to win the conference and earn a play off birth in Oregon are left out in the cold while the rest of major college football cozies up next to the fire that is College Football.

SEC

The SEC is top-heavy with Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Teams such as Auburn, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Texas A&M will be improved, but not enough to be considered a threat. The defending champions LSU will take a huge step back after losing nearly their entire offense highlighted by Heisman Trophy Winner and No. 1 draft pick Joe Burrow. 

The trio of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida will be interesting to keep an eye on. A lot of people are high on Florida given their success last season and Alabama and Georgia return a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. There are questions marks for Georgia at quarterback with D’Wan Mathis under center. The Bulldogs are talented, and the third game of the season against Alabama will determine a lot going forward. 

St. Nick will have the Crimson Tide ready to go and they are primed to make a run to the CFP. They have the best skill position players in the conference with Najee Harris, DeVonta Smith, and Jaylen Waddle and they have a top-flight defense led by future All-American Patrick Surtain II. Quarterback Mac Jones will have to flourish in the A.J. McCarron role for Alabama to reach the CFP, which should not be a tough task given how talented and well-prepared they will be. 

There is always hype around Florida, but could this year be the year that they take the next step. Kyle Trask is one of the best quarterbacks in the conference and Dan Mullen knows a thing or two on how to get the most from his QB’s. Florida has a solid foundation on the defensive side of the ball as well. The winner of the UF vs. UGA showdown will likely make it to the SEC Championship so there is a lot at stake on November 7th. I honestly think two SEC teams may sneak into the CFP just as we have seen before.