CFB: Looking Forward to 2017-18
College football is over for the time being, and in the world of sports, we rarely take a moment to breathe; one season ends and the next begins, including fresh new rankings, Heisman candidates, and CFP projections. I will produce my version of a "way-too-early" top-10 rankings, along with a handful of players to keep and eye on, and a couple of teams that I believe have a shot at taking home the coveted title. However, before we look forward to 2017-18, let's reminisce on the great 2016-17 campaign.
Here are our season predictions and bowl projections for the 2016-17 season.
Final Rankings:
1. Clemson (14-1)
2. Alabama (14-1)
3. Washington (12-2)
4. Ohio State (11-2)
5. USC (10-3)
6. Oklahoma (11-2)
7. Wisconsin (11-3)
8. Penn State (11-3)
9. Florida State (10-3)
10. Michigan (10-3)
11. Oklahoma State (10-3)
12. Stanford (10-3)
13. Colorado (10-4)
14. Florida (10-4)
15. LSU (9-4)
16. Western Michigan (13-1)
17. West Virginia (10-3)
18. Virginia Tech (10-4)
19. Louisville (9-4)
20. Auburn (8-5)
21. South Florida (11-2)
22. San Diego State (11-3)
23. Boise State (10-3)
24. Tennessee (9-4)
25. Utah (9-4)
Just Missed the Cut:
26. Miami (FL) (9-4)
27. Nebraska (9-4)
28. Kansas State (9-4)
29. Washington State (8-5)
30. Texas A&M (8-5)
Heisman Standings:
1. Lamar Jackson (Louisville QB)
2. Deshaun Watson (Clemson QB)
3. Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma QB)
4. Jabrill Peppers (Michigan LB)
5. Dede Westbrook (Oklahoma WR)
Bowl Record: 28-13.
Overall Record: 134-47 (74.0%).
Bowl Record: 19-22.
Overall Record: 53-33 (61.6%).
Clemson navigated through their non-conference schedule, including wins over Auburn and Troy, before going 7-1 in the ACC, with their lone loss coming to Pittsburgh in which Deshaun Watson threw for a school-record 580 yards. The Tigers defeated Louisville, Florida State, and Virginia Tech, all in tight games, before clinching their spot in the CFP against Ohio State. Wayne Gallman, Watson, Mike Williams, and Co. destroyed the Buckeyes 31-0, prior to the 35-31 national title victory over undefeated Alabama, in thrilling fashion.
Speaking of the Crimson Tide, they ran through the first 14 games of the season, unblemished, and nearly perfect, including wins over USC, Tennessee, Texas A&M, LSU, Florida, and Washington in the semifinals. Unfortunately for Nick Saban, Jalen Hurts and the rest of the Tide could not hold on to a 14-0 lead over Clemson and win the championship.
Washington came into the season as one of the most talented teams with an extreme amount of questions. However, most of those were answered after their demolition of Stanford. Jake Browning, Myles Gaskin, and John Ross continued to run wild throughout the season, except for one slip-up against USC. Even with the home loss, Chris Petersen's crew beat Colorado in the Pac-12 title game, sealing their spot in the playoff. It was a nice run for a university that is not usually at the top of the college football world, but their season came to a screeching halt in the Peach Bowl against Alabama and a rumbling Bo Scarbrough, who scored the Huskies for 180 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Ohio State, the final piece of the CFP puzzle, had the most irregular route to the Final Four. J.T. Barrett led his Buckeyes into Norman, where they defeated the Sooners, as Noah Brown caught four touchdown passes. Then, Ohio State kept their foot on the gas with wins over Indiana, Wisconsin, and Nebraska, with a road loss at Penn State mixed in. Even though Urban Meyer's team lost a game, their thrilling, double-overtime win against rival Michigan, punctuated by a Curtis Samuel touchdown, was enough to propel his squad into the CFP for the second time in three seasons.
All four playoff teams had difficult, outstanding, and unbelievable roads to the CFP, all in which ended in a different fashion. However, these four teams were not the only storylines of the 2016-17 season; USC's Rose Bowl win over Penn State was arguably the best game of the bowl season before the National Championship. Oklahoma's turnaround, from early season losses vs. Houston and Ohio State to winning the Big 12 and defeating Auburn in the Sugar Bowl.
Michigan's 9-0 start, before falling to Iowa, Ohio State, and Florida State in the Orange Bowl. Oklahoma State's unlikely (and illegal) loss against Central Michigan on a hail-mary-lateral. Colorado's incredible improvement from 4-9 to 10-4. Western Michigan's 13-0 start with victories over Northwestern and Illinois.
And finally, even though their season ended with three loses in four games, Lamar Jackson led Louisville back to the national spotlight, en route to winning the Heisman trophy, putting forth one of the most extraordinary seasons in recent memory, throwing for 3,543 yards and 20 touchdowns to just nine interceptions.
Now, let's look forward to next season.
2017 Class Rankings:
1. Alabama (Top Recruit: No. 1 Najee Harris - RB)
2. Georgia (Top Recruit: No. 27 Richard LeCounte III - S)
3. Ohio State (Top Recruit: No. 9 Baron Browning - LB)
4. Michigan (Top Recruit: No. 11 Donovan Peoples-Jones - WR)
5. Florida State (Top Recruit: No. 4 Cam Akers - RB)
6. Oklahoma (Top Recruit: No. 88 Tyrese Robinson - OG)
7. Auburn (Top Recruit: No. 30 Calvin Ashley - OT)
8. LSU (Top Recruit: No. 24 JaCoby Stevens - S)
9. Texas A&M (Top Recruit: No. 75 Jhamon Ausbon - WR)
10. Clemson (Top Recruit: No. 14 Tee Higgins - WR)
Way-Too-Early Top 10:
1. Alabama: The Crimson Tide are bringing back their most important players on the offensive side; QB Jalen Hurts, RB Bo Scarbrough, RB Damien Harris, and WR Calvin Ridley. Not to mention, the No. 1 player in high school football according to 247 Sports, Najee Harris. Nick Saban, Steve Sarkisian, and Jeremy Pruitt will have talent at every spot and should be near everyone's top slot.
2. Ohio State: Urban Meyer's team is going to be good, like they have been every season since he took over, but with a little more experience than 2016-17. QB J.T. Barrett is returning for his senior season, RB Mike Weber will be back after struggling against Clemson in the CFP, and DL Nick Bosa and Tyquan Lewis will be forces to be reckoned with. Even though WR Curtis Samuel is heading to the NFL, the Buckeyes will likely open as Big Ten favorites.
3. USC: The Trojans are back to the big time after defeating Penn State in the Rose Bowl and ending the season on a nine-game winning streak. QB Sam Darnold is back for his sophomore year, and will be high on a lot of potential Heisman lists. USC will have a ton of speed and talent as usual, highlighted by RB Ronald Jones III and WR Deontay Burnett. Clay Helton's team will have high expectations heading into 2017-18.
4. Michigan: Jim Harbaugh's third season at San Diego resulted in an 11-1 record, his third season at Stanford was 8-5, and with San Francisco it was 12-4. After back-to-back 10-win seasons with Michigan, his third season is expected to take the next step at Michigan. With QB Wilton Speight, RB Chris Evans, WR Eddie McDoom, and DL Rashan Gary set to go, the Wolverines are going to be nearly impossible to defeat (especially with their schedule).
5. Oklahoma: Bob Stoops' 19th season should start in a familiar place, the top-5, as he brings back QB Baker Mayfield, RB Abdul Adams, WR Mark Andrews, S Will Sunderland, and possibly S Steven Parker and CB Jordan Thomas. The Sooners also have the No. 6 recruiting class, to go along with a 10-game winning streak. Week 3 is going to be a measuring mark as Oklahoma visits Ohio State.
6. Florida State: The Seminoles were heavy contenders going into 2016-17, but because of injuries, a depleted secondary, and an inexperienced offensive line, Jimbo Fisher's crew slipped to a "down" 10-3 year. RB Dalvin Cook is gone which will hurt more than anything, but QB Deondre Francois has improved greatly in a matter of months and will be returning. If RB Cam Akers can make an impact as a freshman, the 'Noles will be fine.
7. Washington: Chris Petersen, just a handful of days after losing to Alabama in the CFP, has already lost three of his best defenders in Budda Baker, Sidney Jones, and Elijah Qualls. However, with QB Jake Browning, star WR Dante Pettis, and potentially RB Myles Gaskin all coming back for another go around, Petersen will have his team ready to go in a mediocre Pac-12.
8. Oklahoma State: Mike Gundy and Co. are going to be quiet College Football Playoff contenders, mainly because of two guys who have announced they are returning: Mason Rudolph and James Washington. They are one of the best QB-WR duos in the country, and have their eyes set on competing for a Big 12 title (and more). I wouldn't be surprised if Bedlam vs. Oklahoma was the Big 12 championship for the third straight year.
9. Clemson: The Tigers will have a lot of questions heading into 2017-18, because QB Deshaun Watson, RB Wayne Gallman, and WR Mike Williams are all departing for the NFL. Even with a top-10 recruiting class, it is going to be difficult to remain successful with so much talent leaving. A lot of weight will be placed on the new starting quarterback, whether it is Kelly Bryant, Hunter Johnson, a graduate transfer, or someone else.
10. LSU: Ed Orgeron's team, who ended 2016-17 with a dominant performance against Lamar Jackson and Louisville, will have a lot of it's core returning. QB Danny Etling and RB Derrius Guice showed that they are more than enough to propel a solid offense, and Orgeron and Dave Aranda will have the defense playing up to LSU's potential. Week 1 against BYU will tell us a lot about this team.
Players to Watch: Jalen Hurts (Alabama) is going to open near the top of a lot of Heisman rankings, after 2,780 yards and 23 touchdowns in his freshman year. J.T. Barrett (Ohio State) is also coming back, this for this senior season, and will be looking to improve on his 2,555 yards and 24 touchdowns, attempting to reach the CFP for the third time. Sam Darnold (USC) is faced with the task of getting his Trojans back over the hump, but if anyone can do it, it's Darnold. Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma) had another stellar season in Norman, Oklahoma, throwing for 3,965 yards and 40 touchdowns, but wants to get back to the CFP for his final season as a Sooner. Derrius Guice (LSU) showed that he was not going to play second fiddle to Leonard Fournette in 2016-17, and with Fournette leaving for the NFL, Guice will have the stage to himself, and will take full advantage.
CFP Hopefuls: The SEC champion will likely make the playoff, whether it is Alabama, LSU, or someone else. The Big Ten champion should be in, and it could come down to "The Game" again, between Ohio State and Michigan. The Pac-12 champion won't be a shoe-in, but if either USC, Washington, or a surprise contender reach 12- or 13-wins, then they'll clinch a playoff berth. The Big 12 is going to finally (!) have a conference championship game again, and if things go similarly to 2015 and 2016, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are the favorites to face one another with a potential chance to go to the playoff. As for the ACC, it has two major candidates in Florida State and Clemson. The Seminoles are young and upcoming, while the defending champion Tigers must reload for another run.
Photo Credit: Bleacher Report.
