#12 Oklahoma vs. #11 Florida When: Wednesday, December, 30, 08:00 PM Eastern Where: AT&T Stadium - Arlington, TX Watch: ESPN Odds: Oklahoma by 7.0 pts. Total Points: 64.5 All-Time Series : Oklahoma vs. Florida Oklahoma and Florida have met 1 time since 01/08/2009. These teams last met 4,374 days (~12 years) ago on 01/08/2009. Series Wins: Oklahoma 0-0-1 Florida† Longest streak of continuous meetings: 1 (2008-2008). Florida has won the most recent meeting (2008) in this series. Last 1 Meetings
Allrankingsreflectthecurrent/cfbpoll Oklahoma Injury Report Data Scraped: 2020-12-30 10:00:03
Player
Position
Status
Reported
Notes
Austin Stogner
TE
Out Indefinitely – Leg
Fri, Dec 4
Stogner is out of commission with a leg injury, and he will miss an undetermined length of time.
Jadon Haselwood
WR
Out Wed – Undisclosed
Tue, Dec 29
Haselwood is dealing with an unspecified ailment and will not suit up against Florida in the Cotton Bowl.
Justin Broiles
S
Ques Wed – Lower Body
Sat, Dec 26
Broiles is dealing with a lower-body injury, leaving his status for the Cotton Bowl versus Florida hazy.
Tre Brown
CB
Out For Season – Personal
Tue, Dec 22
Brown has opted out of the remainder of the 2020 season to focus on preparing for the NFL Draft.
Kendall Dennis
CB
Out Indefinitely – Undisclosed
Sun, Nov 22
Dennis has been sideliend with an undetermined injury, and his status moving forward is up in the air.
Greydon Williams
WR
Out Indefinitely – Undisclosed
Sat, Nov 7
Williams has been sidelined with an unspecified injury, and it is unknown when he will play again.
Obi Obialo
WR
Out Indefinitely – Undisclosed
Sun, Nov 22
Obialo has been sidelined with an unspecified ailment, and it is unclear when he will line up next.
Caleb Kelly
LB
Out Indefinitely – Knee
Tue, Aug 25
Kelly sustained a knee injury that will keep him out of the lineup for an unknown length of time.
Finley Felix
OL
Out Indefinitely – Undisclosed
Sun, Nov 22
Felix has been sitting out due to an unspecified ailment, and it is unknown when he will suit up next.
Justin Harrington
DB
Out For Season – Knee
Thu, Aug 27
Harrington tore his ACL, signaling that he will miss the entire season.
Marcus Hicks
DL
Out Indefinitely – Achilles
Thu, Aug 27
Hicks is sidelined after undergoing surgery to fix a left Achilles injury, and the severity of the ailment is unknown.
Injury data lifted from: boydsbets.com Florida Injury Report Data Scraped: 2020-12-30 10:00:03
Player
Position
Status
Reported
Notes
Hayden Knighton
OL
Out Indefinitely – Undisclosed
Sun, Dec 20
Knighton has been out due to an undeclared reason, and his availability is unknown moving forward.
Jacob Copeland
WR
Out Wed – Illness
Mon, Dec 28
Copeland has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be available for the Cotton Bowl versus Oklahoma.
Marco Wilson
DB
Out For Season – Personal
Mon, Dec 28
Wilson has decided to opt out of the remainder of the 2020 season to focus on preparing for the NFL Draft.
Kadarius Toney
WR
Out For Season – Personal
Mon, Dec 28
Toney has made a personal decision to sit out of the remainder of the 2020 season to prepare for the NFL Draft.
Trevon Grimes
WR
Out For Season – Personal
Mon, Dec 28
Grimes has opted out of the remainder of the 2020 season to focus on preparing for the NFL Draft.
Rashad Torrence
DB
Ques Wed – Undisclosed
Sat, Dec 26
Torrence is tending to an unspecified injury, and it is uncertain if he will be available against Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl.
Kyle Pitts
TE
Out For Season – Personal
Sun, Dec 20
Pitts has opted out of the remainder of the 2020 season to focus on preparing for the NFL Draft.
Kamar Wilcoxson
DB
Out Indefinitely – Undisclosed
Sun, Dec 20
Wilcoxson has been sidelined due to an undeclared ailment, and it is unknown if he will line up going forward.
Lucas Alonzo
DL
Out Indefinitely – Undisclosed
Sun, Nov 1
Alonzo has been absent from the lineup due to an unknown ailment, and it is unclear when he will return to the field.
Jeremiah Moon
LB
Out Indefinitely – Foot
Sun, Dec 13
Moon has been on the sidelines due to a foot injury, and it is unknown when he will return to the fold.
Jaelin Humphries
DL
Out Indefinitely – Undisclosed
Sun, Dec 13
Humphries has been absent from the lineup with an injury to an unlisted location, and it is undetermined when he will return to action.
Kevin Johnson
UT
Out Indefinitely – Undisclosed
Sun, Nov 1
Johnson has been sidelined due to an unspecified ailment. It has yet to be determined when he will return.
Ethan Pouncey
DB
Out Indefinitely – Hip
Thu, Sep 24
Pouncey will miss an extended period due to hip surgery.
Lamar Goods
DL
Out Indefinitely – Undisclosed
Sun, Nov 1
Goods has been sidelined due to an injury to an unlisted area. It has yet to be established when he will next be available.
Joshua Tse
UT
Out Indefinitely – Undisclosed
Sun, Nov 1
Tse has been sidelined due to an unspecified ailment, and it is undetermined when he will return to the lineup.
Quincy Lenton
DB
Out Indefinitely – Undisclosed
Sun, Nov 1
Lenton has been inactive due to an injury to an unlisted area, and it is unknown when he will next become available.
Kahleil Jackson
UT
Out Indefinitely – Undisclosed
Sun, Dec 20
Jackson has been sidelined due to an unknown ailment, and it remains to be seen if he will step on the field moving forward.
Injury data lifted from: boydsbets.com What are your "Keys to the Game"? Who do you think wins? Do you think the favorite will cover the spread? Which player(s) are you most interested to watch? Let's talk football! To vote in the matchup "who will win poll" simply include the name of the team you think will win enclosed by {} as part of your TOP LEVEL comment discussing the matchup. To change your vote just edit your initial comment to bracket the other team. You can change your vote as often as you like until the GAME THREAD is posted A full listing of accepted FBS team aliases can be found here.. For FCS teams you will need to use the full name as it appears in the post title. A listing of links, and live vote totals, to all Match-up Preview threads for the current week can be found HERE. Like this format?Generate your own "Match-up Discussion Thread" with the Match-up Discussion Thread Generator. Please DM dupreesdiamond with any issues/suggestions regarding this template
Previewing the 2021 CFP National Championship game
https://preview.redd.it/u9tnu06rraa61.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=a3b8cc6942727bd40ebd62f8cf8a90636ebef08f The two teams meeting in this year’s national title game took very different paths to get here. The SEC (together with the ACC) was one of only two conferences to basically start the season “on time” and Alabama played ten regular season games, to go along with beating Florida in a shootout in the SEC title game and a convincing 31-14 win over Notre Dame in the CFP semifinal of the Rose Bowl. Ohio State on the other hand had three of their eight regular games canceled due to COVID concerns and it took the Big Ten to change their rules about the minimum amount of games played to qualify for a spot in the conference championship game, which they struggled with Northwestern through three-and-a-half quarters, but then surprisingly lit Clemson up 49-28 in the Sugar Bowl, to make it to the big game. All those different factors that have led to the Crimson Tide and Buckeyes meeting in the CFP final don’t matter now, because while people may want to put an asterisk to this very unique season, in the end one of these teams can call themselves national champions. So now let’s see how these two teams match up and what I believe will happen. I will have one paragraph each for one team’s offense, the defense they are facing and how some of the matchups may favor either side, then I give you one X-factor for each team and finally get to my score prediction.
Alabama offense vs. Ohio State defense:
https://preview.redd.it/jyv3a03vraa61.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=1425bbefc430d3461c32c9568f98bb050e990ec5 The Crimson Tide offense to me is really based around the RPO game, which they use a lot in combination with those wide zone runs out of shotgun or power with both guards pulling. And even when they run more downhill, they stress defenses horizontally with all the bubble screens and stuff they have integrated. Maybe their best run play is duo out of pistol sets, where Najee Harris is very patient when picking his spots, but then becomes a load to bring once he shifts into gear. To me he has been the best college running back over the last two years, because he shows excellent pace and vision for backside cuts and while he may not great breakaway speed, he constantly gains yards through contact and we have seen him hurdle quite a few defenders now, who have tried to go low on him. Plus he is one of the top pass-protecting backs and route-runners in the country. In the dropback pass game, it is all about how they can create space for their receivers on crossing routes or get them into matchups with safeties down the field. One of the reasons this has been the most explosive Alabama offense ever – with three of the top five Heisman candidates – and OC Steve Sarkisian was just named the new head coach of Texas is the way they create leverage advantages for their receivers and how they attack the rules of defenses with different motions and run the same concepts out of their various sets – especially mesh. Something they love to do is have the back in the shotgun motion across his alignment and putting stress on those linebackers to shift with him. Plus they have elite pass protection, which allows those plays to develop, and Mac Jones has very calm feet when sliding around in the pocket, to go with excelling on touch passes. And with Sark saying he is still all-in for this game, his new job shouldn’t have any impact. Ohio State’s defense was pretty disappointing early on compared to the 2019 season, which has a lot to do with losing the number two and three picks to the most recent NFL draft in Chase Young and Jeffrey Okudah. They allowed 25 points to a pretty limited Penn State offense, 27 to Rutgers and 35 to Indiana. However, their defensive line has really started to take over games down the stretch and they have been very opportunistic since then, forcing four turnovers against Michigan State and then two each in both their “playoff games” basically. Their defensive tackle duo of Haskell Garrett and Tommy Togiai has been tremendous over the second half of their season and the Buckeyes have a lot of depth on the interior to keep them fresh. You see them stacking their blockers and then being very active with working back across their faces to get to the ball-carrier constantly, which has them as the number two run defense in the country behind only Georgia (89.1 yards per game). Something Clemson put a focus on early on in the semifinal game was attacking the edges of the Buckeye defense with jet sweeps, bubbles and tosses. And then if you get some lateral movement, both Tuf Borland and Pete Warner struggle to keep their shoulder squared to the line of scrimmage, which can get them burnt by cutbacks to where they originally lined up. Trevor Lawrence did throw for 400 yards against them in the Sugar Bowl, but that was more of a product of chipping away at more prevent defense, as Clemson was down early, and the Tigers were held to just 44 yards rushing. Still, they give up some big plays through the air, in part because of how soft their corners play in three-deep coverages. As great as Bama is at creating leverage issues and seemingly making it impossible for zone defenders to stay true to their assignments, in terms of not being able to properly to pass on receivers, I think Ohio State would be best served to just throw a lot of different hard shells at the Crimson Tide and not allow themselves to fall victim to their own match principles as much. Because if Michael Penix can light them up for almost 500 yards when they show single-high from the start, lord have mercy with them in this game. Shaun Wade has said that we “already know who he wants to go up against”, talking about Heisman trophy winner DeVonta Smith, who has averaged 136.8 yards per game and reached the end-zone 20 times this season. While the Buckeyes do play a lot of cover-three match, Wade does end up in one-on-one situations quite a bit in those single-high looks. However, I’m not sure if I love this matchup for him, because if Ohio State asks Wade to press, I think Smitty will give him a lot of issues with those stutter releases and while the receiver is only 6’1”, he has received the nickname “The Slim Reaper” in part because we have seen him kill people at the catch point throughout his career. And if Jaylen Waddle is back (who I’ll still talk about more in a bit), the Crimson Tide have a trio with those two and John Metchie that could give the rest of that secondary a lot of issues. A spot where the Buckeyes could give Alabama some trouble is at center, where the Tide lost one of their biggest leaders in Landon Dickerson on their final touchdown in the SEC title game, who is also a huge piece in creating movement on those combo-blocks with his guards and passing on different games up front by the D-line. So Tommy Togiai will definitely be a challenge at that shade nose position and I could see Ohio State put a lot of pressure on his replacement Chris Owens with delayed blitzes by their linebackers or bring somebody up the A-gaps on a delayed loop. The Buckeyes show a lot of five-man fronts on third downs and drop one man out, plus they like those E-T and inside twists.
Ohio State offense vs. Alabama defense:
https://preview.redd.it/yj46cq2vraa61.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=a417489a29fff438c7251ec7a8b17555e485d564 The view on this Ohio State offense and quarterback Justin Fields in particular has been kind of a see-saw over their last three weeks. They were scoring 46.6 points through their five regular Big Ten games, before they really struggled against Northwestern in the conference championship game, and then they reached the end-zone seven times against Clemson in the CFP semifinal. After Trey Sermon had only 344 rushing yards through the five regular season games combined, he went off for a school-record 331 on 29 carries against Northwestern, who gave the Buckeyes a lot of challenges in the pass game, and then he touched the ball 35 times for 254 yards against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl. I wasn’t overly impressed with him in that Ohio State jersey until then, because I liked his Oklahoma tape so much better, but he has started to run so much more physical and that stiff arm he dishes out is becoming a real problem for defenders. Over that two-game stretch in particular, they have a lot of inside zone away from the tight-end and even more of the split zone, with one of the TEs lined up as the H-back and coming across on a sift block, where you see Sermon cut it all the way back routinely. Plus they have a bunch of bootlegs off it. Ryan Day also started using a lot more 12 personnel with Luke and Jeremy Ruckert, which gives them a lot of flexibility, whether it is putting them in bunches detached from the line or line them up to one side in two-by-two sets, to force the hand of the defense. Something they create problems with out of those stacks and bunches are the switch releases they use and when they get Chris Olave or Garrett Wilson matched up against safeties vertically from the slot. And with their run game really kicking into gear, they have been deadly off play-action, which all of their successful deep balls came from against Clemson – mostly with seven men in protection or leaking one of them out late. And while Justin Fields hasn’t been a surgical passer necessarily, double-clutching and making some ill-advised throws, he can still let it fly and just watch the play he had before their second TD in the Sugar Bowl, when the Tigers were all over a running back screen and he took off to get them back into position for him to fire a laser to his tight-end in the end-zone on the very next snap, with a defender in perfect position. This is not the Alabama defense of the early 2010s that held opponents to single-digit points on a regular basis, but it’s also certainly not the one from the last year, that got lit up for 94 combined points by their two biggest rivals in LSU and Auburn. The two teams that gave the Crimson Tide defense a lot of issues were wide open spread offenses – Ole Miss put 48 points up against them and Florida in the SEC championship game 46 (funnily also a combined 94). However, in the ten other games they have played, they allowed an average of just 12.4 points per contest. They play a lot three down-linemen plus one of their OLBs standing up on the edge and they have two very rangy linebackers behind that. Bama gives up an average of 20 first downs to their opponents (tied for 44th in the country), but they create a lot of negative plays, with an SEC-high 6.4 tackles for loss per game, to go with 34 sacks and 22 takeaways in 12 games. Nick Saban and DC Pete Golding run more split-safety looks than I can remember in a while, because while they do have arguably the top corner in the country in Patrick Surtain II, the rest of their secondary can be exploited. And that also makes them vulnerable over the middle on dig routes and attacking the seams, while not doing a whole lot of disguising on the back-end. Ohio State hit Clemson over the top for a 56-yard touchdown to Chris Olave, when they were running a double post concept against quarters coverage – so those safeties can’t really squat on those in-breaking routes either. To not let those downfield patterns develop, the Tide will have to come after Fields, where Christian Barmore has turned himself into a monster at create push up the middle and then you have Will Anderson coming off the edge with ferocious pursuit – so Fields better be careful with holding onto the ball when he gets outside the tackle box. As much love as the matchup between Devonta Smith and Shaun Wade will get, I’m also looking forward to seeing how much Chris Olave and Patrick Surtain II will be matched up against each other. As technically advanced as Surtain may be with his fake press technique and guiding receivers into the boundary, he just gave up a long touchdown against Florida in the SEC title game on a pass that hung in the air for a while, which is where he hasn’t been tested a whole lot this season. Surtain almost exlusively lines up on the defensive left outside, so I still expect the Buckeyes to get their receivers in better matchups usually though. Going back to the Florida game, something the Gators did a ton of is getting Kadarius Toney matched up with Alabama’s nickel of STAR Malachi Moore and put him in a plenty of disadvantages, even lining Toney up in the backfield at times. I don’t know if he can hang with those Buckeye receivers, as long as they have enough protection to let routes develop. Not only that, but we have seen opposing teams give the Tide some trouble by getting their backs out on wheel routes or just releasing late with a lot of space underneath – especially Dylan Moses, who can definitely move, but panics with his back to the ball at times. Something Bama could create some issues with on the other hand, is scheming up free rushers, where they do a good job of lining one of the backers up in a gap and occupying the guard, while they bring their STAR off the slot or blitz Christian Harris from different angles, which Justin Fields is a little oblivious to at times and might not be able to get away from as effectively in this game.
X-factors:
https://preview.redd.it/qsh7t23vraa61.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=d3ba5d197a6f88a8227a32efb1272d370e0570b6 Alabama – Jaylen Waddle I usually don’t like going with star players as X-factors, because it obviously doesn’t really fit the category, but with Waddle his health and involvement could make a huge difference. Waddle was off to an incredible start to his junior season, as he basically averaged 142.2 yards and a touchdown through the first four games (since he broke his ankle on the opening kickoff against Tennessee). As phenomenal a season as Devonta Smith has had, this was the most dynamic player on that team and he looked like a Heisman candidate himself. Steve Sarkisian moved him all over the formation and attacked different matchups, while manufacturing touches for him on speed sweeps and stuff like that, to go along with the threat he presented as maybe the most dangerous return man in the country. Nick Saban has said that #17 will most likely be a true game-time decision and I wouldn’t expect him to play the majority of snaps, but if they can use him to attack the edges of the Buckeyes a few times, like I already talked about, or he can at least be a decoy, that would only make the Alabama offense even tougher to defend. Ohio State – Justin Fields’ ribs And then I’m going to go with a certain body part of another star player. Fields took a major shot to the mid-section by Clemson linebacker James Skalski in the first half of the Sugar Bowl. And while he went on to put together a performance for the ages with those six touchdowns, you saw him be in pain on several occasions when he released the ball. So not only could this be a factor in terms of his accuracy, if he tries to shorten that motion or kind of side-arm throws, but also just how much of an element as a runner he brings, pulling the ball on zone reads or scrambling if they give him a lane. And you already know those Bama defenders will try to land shots, to make him hesitant with putting himself into those situations. When you look at some of the big runs the Buckeyes have had before they switched to more of those pistol sets with two tight-ends on the field, you see the back basically replace the contain defender on the backside edge, as Fields takes that guy with him.
My prediction:
https://preview.redd.it/aqmkx03vraa61.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=9e2b879254cee7faefb54602bcf66c979725aa21 Alabama 41 – Ohio State 34 Could Justin Fields bring that “best player on the field” factor and kind of will his team to victory much like Deshaun Watson did against Alabama back in 2017? Yes. Mac Jones is not on the same level talent-wise and can’t make those same off-script plays like Fields, but if that Alabama O-line can keep him clean, like they have done all season long, and he can just take advantage of the separation his skill-position create as plays develop, the Ohio State secondary can not cover all those weapons. If the Buckeyes want to continue having success in the run game, they will have to get those linebackers out of position with misdirection, which they were vulnerable at early on in the season, and not allow the Crimson Tide to keep those three big D-linemen on the field. I could see the Ohio State linebackers get killed in space, as they have to match up with crossers or Najee Harris one-on-one. In the end I’m going with Nick Saban’s defense winning a few more plays against Ryan Day’s offense than the Buckeyes back-seven slowing down this explosive passing attack for Bama, as long as the D-line doesn’t make Mac Jones uncomfortable early on. If you enjoyed this breakdown, I would really appreciate if you could check out the original piece - https://halilsrealfootballtalk.com/2021/01/08/previewing-the-2021-cfp-national-championship-game/
Allrankingsreflectthecurrent/cfbpoll Mississippi State Injury Report Data Scraped: 2020-12-30 11:00:03
Player
Position
Status
Reported
Notes
Nathan Pickering
DT
Out For Season – Personal
Wed, Nov 18
Pickering has made a personal decision to opt-out for the remainder of the 2020 season.
Marcus Murphy
S
Out For Season – Personal
Fri, Dec 11
Murphy has opted out of the remainder of the 2020 season to focus on preparing for the NFL Draft.
Javonta Payton
WR
Ques Thurs – Undisclosed
Sat, Dec 26
Payton is bothered by an unspecified injury, and it is up in the air if he will be available for the Armed Forces Bowl versus Tulsa.
Injury data lifted from: boydsbets.com Tulsa Injury Report Data Scraped: 2020-12-30 11:00:03
Player
Position
Status
Reported
Notes
T.K. Wilkerson
RB
Out Thurs – Undisclosed
Tue, Dec 29
Wilkerson will not be available against Mississippi State in the Armed Forces Bowl due to an unspecified injury.
Carson Collins
QB
Ques Thurs – Leg
Sat, Dec 26
Collins is tending to a leg injury, and it is up in the air if he will play in the Armed Forces Bowl versus Mississippi State.
Seth Boomer
QB
Out For Season – Knee
Tue, Dec 1
Boomer will miss the remainder of the season due to a knee injury.
Shamari Brooks
RB
Out For Season – Knee
Sat, Sep 19
Brooks suffered a torn left ACL and will miss the remainder of the 2020 season.
Yohance Burnett
LB
Out For Season – Knee
Sat, Sep 19
Burnett will sit out the entire 2020 campaign due to a torn ACL.
Injury data lifted from: boydsbets.com What are your "Keys to the Game"? Who do you think wins? Do you think the favorite will cover the spread? Which player(s) are you most interested to watch? Let's talk football! To vote in the matchup "who will win poll" simply include the name of the team you think will win enclosed by {} as part of your TOP LEVEL comment discussing the matchup. To change your vote just edit your initial comment to bracket the other team. You can change your vote as often as you like until the GAME THREAD is posted A full listing of accepted FBS team aliases can be found here.. For FCS teams you will need to use the full name as it appears in the post title. A listing of links, and live vote totals, to all Match-up Preview threads for the current week can be found HERE. Like this format?Generate your own "Match-up Discussion Thread" with the Match-up Discussion Thread Generator. Please DM dupreesdiamond with any issues/suggestions regarding this template
With Alabama and Clemson both scoring, 77 college football teams out of the 78 total teams have now scored in the bowl season. Congrats on another exciting college football season, everyone!
Reeds kicks game-winning field goal as Duke beats Notre Dame
I've got to give it to that Fighting Irish team. They fought til the very end and did not cave in. Once push came to shove, however, their inexperience and lack of poise became clear as crystal. Brian Kelly is building something special up there in South Bend. He's in his 8th season and will need a bit more to get his system in place. They're probably not bowling this season, but look for them to be a solid 9-3 team in two or three seasons.
Finley leads NC State to 27-21 upset of No. 12 Florida State
I'm not 100% on the rules here, but since FSU has only played two games this season I'm pretty sure they can stop playing and just consider this their redshirt season.
I think it’s time we all have a talk with Illinois. Rutgers accepts their beatings every week with no push back. I mean first a close game against Michigan last week, now UPSETTING Wisconsin, it’s gone too far.
Fields leads No. 4 Ohio State past Northwestern 52-3
Post game announcer “hey Justin, what’s the difference between the team this year and the osu teams of the past 2 years” like Justin wasn’t on Georgia and could somehow answer that question
Louisiana Tech beats Miami 14-0 in Independence Bowl
First off, full disclosure - I am not a Miami person. Second off - after watching this frankly mortifying Miami vs. LA Tech adaptation of Shreveport, LA’s Independence Bowl, I’m not altogether sure I am a football person anymore either.
UCF gets 10th by beating Marshall 48-25 in Gasparilla Bowl
Commentating: trash. Player civility: non existent. First half offense: trash. Second half defense: trash. Overall a very fun game to watch. Good job UCF
Florida State beats Southern Miss 42-13 in Independence
How many of you people disrespecting my bowl eligibility have ever been 6-6 or spent a significant amount of time being 6-6? I grew up in a bowl streak and it's my streak; the way that people disrespect the streak every year around /CFB is absurd. Do yourself a favor and go 6-6 before throwing your stones. Consider how you would feel if your streak that you love was constantly being shit on by people who have no idea how many scholarships Delaware State has. It's rude, disrespectful. Just stop.
A bunch of touchdowns scored? Check. A bunch of touchdowns allowed? Check. A shit ton of turnovers? Check. A shit ton of plays that were almost turnovers? Check. A receiver going off for 200+ yards and a crapload of touchdowns? Check. A cocaine binge-esque atmosphere from start to finish? Check. Hawaii blowing a double digit lead and finding a way to win anyway? Check. Lads, this was peak Week Zero Hawaii football.
A team that entered the day with a 4-23 record in their last 27 games, was a 19.5-point underdog, and had lost 25 straight games against Power 5 teams since 2006. That's who Arkansas lost to tonight, at home.
No. 20 Stanford comes back for 15-14 win over Oregon State
you ever wonder how a game with 53 strangers going against 53 different strangers playing fancy catch with a dead inflated pig’s hide can make you pick up the bottle
Sun Devils use strong defense to stun No. 5 Huskies 13-7
Final Tally of Chaos: 2 Clemson, 5 Washington, 8 Washington State, 10 Auburn, 19 San Diego State, 24 Texas Tech, 25 Navy. It has been a successful weekend for Team Chaos boys.
YOU PUT YOUR OFFENSE IN, AND THEY GET SHUT OUT! YOU PUT YOUR DEFENSE IN, AND IN THE FIRST HALF THEY'RE BLOWN OUT! YOU DO THE HOKIE POKEY AND THE NEXT HALF THEY WIN OUT! THAT'S WHAT THIS BOWL'S ABOUT!
There’s a very good chance someone in attendance at today’s Georgia game also attended Wednesday’s Braves game. If this is you, please don’t hesitate to seek help.
Why am I doing this? Because I hate myself? Because I have no life? Probably. This is dedicated to USC and Utah, you did nothing, but I still hate you both (shoutout to u/PsuJosh . Why did you do this? Why?). I hope someone at least reads some of this. Kentucky vs Michigan State Kentucky – Reigning national champions had a scare last week vs BYU but even still they proved why they are elite. UCF vs Wyoming Wyoming – Fuck Wyoming. They’re impossible to beat. To shock the FCFB world, they win. Akron vs Ole Miss Akron – Growing up near Akron and going on campus frequently I know that there’s winning spirit in those kids just from Akron. Virginia Tech vs Massachusetts Massachusetts – Umass upsets the ACC power rankings. Texas A&M vs Utah Texas A&M – Even though I ranked them higher in my Coaches poll, the curse of this post strikes Utah and for holding a gun to my head to make this post Utah loses. Boston College vs Appalachian State Boston College – Bounce back win for BC while App State continues their losing streak after their cursed #9 playoff committee ranking. Charlotte vs New Mexico State Charlotte – CLUB LIT. Nuff said. Georgia Tech vs Virginia Georgia Tech – Which annoys Lancer more, losing or Penguino. This game might finally give us the answer. Alabama vs Troy Troy – Coach Ratliff gets it done. The only way he doesn’t is if Bama gets drunk. Looking like the game is going to carry into next week so sober Bama will be in trouble. USC vs Louisiana Tech Louisiana Tech – I’m upset with USC. He loses due to my sheer will and determination to make this post curse his game. Nebraska vs Washington State Nebraska – They were the first of the two teams. I did my research and I am still sticking to my random selection. Nebraska has the slight edge in ELO and is a -1.5 point favorite. This game is going to be close. I think Washington State beats the spread BUT STILL LOSES. 42-41. Arkansas vs Arkansas State Arkansas – Big win over their in-state rival. Washington vs Texas State Texas State – I met a stripper from Texas State and she is a lovely lady SMU vs Boise State SMU – I feel bad for not changing the background color behind SMU on my coaches poll (their background was bright green…) Big mistake on my part, they win. Iowa vs Iowa State Iowa State– Even though several coaches polls have the Hawkeyes ranked, it doesn’t look like they will make it in the top 25 heading into this week. Dick is out for blood though against his in-state rivals and makes sure Iowa stays out of the top 25. Kansas vs TCU Kansas – Uhhh…. Kansas Utah State vs Eastern Michigan Utah State – One of SDSU’s signature wins last year, but Eastern Michigan is no SDSU. Houston vs Navy Houston – Sorry LaPrince Frye, this isn’t a game of connect 4. Houston stays on top. San Diego State vs Stanford SDSU – My former stomping ground continues the success from last season and rolls the trees (what is this Auburn?) Oregon vs Ohio State Oregon – High praises has been given to the ducks this week. After an embarrassing game losing to Jake, OSU continues their downward spiral to despare East Carolina vs Cincinnati Cincinnati – Go Ohio UCLA vs Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee – This is probably a good call… or not. NC State vs Clemson Clemson – Baba continues his offensive attack and gets a huge conference win. Western Kentucky vs FAU FAU – PLAYOFF PACT. PLAYOFF PACT. PLAYOFF PACT. FAU is about to go Primal on Western Kentucky’s A$$ New Mexico vs Georgia Southern New Mexico - ???? Sorry I got nothing. Wisconsin vs Miami, OH Miami, OH – HUGE win last week for Miami, they continue to roll. This was actually one of my backup colleges. Go Redhawks. North Texas vs Michigan North Texas – The big green does what it can to keep Pitt’s strength of schedule high with a win over Michigan Wake Forest vs Arizona Wake Forest – Really liked what I saw out of WF last week in the win over BC, I can see them continuing it this week. Central Michigan vs Western Michigan Western Michigan – Mrs. Lancer’s god-like defense carries Pengy over the finish line and out of the sun. Big bounce back for Western Michigan. I do see the offense improving but the defense wins this one. Texas Tech vs Oklahoma Texas Tech – I could go either way on this one Syracuse vs Louisville Syracuse – After a horrible loss last week, I don’t see how Syracuse doesn’t turn it around this week. If they don’t, they are in serious trouble. Penn State vs Colorado State Penn State – B1G good? Eh, good enough. Get the win here. San Jose State vs Ohio Ohio – O H… wait wrong school… bobcats win anyway Old Dominion vs Notre Dame Old Dominion – Sorry Duke, Snasty is out for blood. Air raid drops bombs on the Irish Florida vs Northwestern Florida – SEC has 4 teams in the top 25 but Hawaii the coach of Florida is set to make it 5 Bowling Green vs FIU Bowling Green – Have you noticed a theme about Ohio teams? Are you even reading? Hello, is anyone there??? Ball State vs Purdue Purdue – Boilermakers make more than steam as they roll Ball State Hawaii vs Colorado Hawaii – This isn’t Florida? Wait, I’m confused. Marshall vs Buffalo Marshall – The Herd has scored haunts my nightmares. Baylor vs Fresno State Fresno State – They good Rutgers vs Coastal Carolina Coastal Carolina – The std schools of America play in the “I forgot the rubber” bowl and the mullets have just enough more sexual appeal to pull-out past slutgers Kansas State vs West Virginia Kansas State – I hate driving through West Virginia. Three toll booths that completely stop a highway. Army vs Pittsburgh Pittsburgh – A win is a win Connecticut vs Florida State Connecticut – FSU’s play last week was “not ideal”. It isn’t ideal this week either. Maryland vs Louisiana-Monroe Maryland – They have a cool flag. ULM’s waterski team takes all the scholarships away from the football players Arizona State vs Vanderbilt Arizona State – I got nothing. Tulane vs Memphis Memphis – I’m nearing the end and running out of steam UAB vs Minnesota UAB – I flipped a coin Missouri vs Liberty Missouri – They started on the coaches poll but have since dropped off. They make it next week BYU vs Nevada BYU – Tough last second loss but they bounce back. Texas vs Oklahoma State Oklahoma State – Jk I didn’t flip a coin last time I was too lazy... but I did this time… Auburn vs Georgia State Auburn – I like tigers. Toledo vs LSU Toledo – Jvitt knows what he’s doing. Rice vs Northern Illinois Rice – Rank Rice… well not after this win, but maybe eventually. Maybe. USF vs Temple Temple – I have a temple I don’t have USF. Tennessee vs Georgia Tennessee – My brother went to Tennessee and I hate Georgia. UNLV vs Louisiana-Lafayette Louisiana-Lafayette – They have a really good waterski team too. UTEP vs Tulsa Tulse – This time I REALLY flipped a coin… (I didn’t) Kent State vs Air Force Kent State – I went to Kent State for a period of time. It was meh, but they win. Miami vs Mississippi State Miami – The win train keeps rolling for Miami. California vs South Alabama South Alabama – They didn’t look good this year but, hey, it’s a new week. South Carolina vs Indiana Indiana – Real or fake I can never root for the cocks. Duke vs North Carolina North Carolina – My boy trash-talking, SASSMASTA gets the big W. “Duke? More like Puke”. I don’t know if Duke will ever recover from this. Southern Miss vs UTSA Southern Miss – I have no idea. Oregon State vs Illinois Illinois – Finally I am done. Please never again.
When: 11/14/2020 Where: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA Coach: Ed Orgeron Mascot: Mike the Tiger 2019: 15-0, SEC Champions, CFP Champions
Offense
Scoring Offense: 35.8 pts/gm (34th) Total Offense: 458 yds/gm (25th) Passing: 338.4 yds/gm (12th) Rushing: 119.6 rush yds/gm (100th) Misc. stats: 33.3% 3rd down conv. (97th), 71.43% 4th down conv. (32nd), 24.4 1st downs/gm (30th), RZ %’s – TD 25% (64th), score 87.5% (52nd), 13 sacks allowed (77th), 21 TFL allowed (47th), 50th+ in plays of 10+, 20+, and 30+ yards from scrimmage Returning starters: 2 (plus 1 opting out of 2020 season) The LSU offense was undoubtedly the biggest story of the 2019 season. Known for traditional ground-and-pound offenses under Les Miles, LSU ran a spread offenses with a blend of RPO and West Coast tactics. The change came with new passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach Joe Brady. Brady brought a new playbook and philosophy with the goal of getting players the ball in space. This was extremely effective, with QB Joe Burrow and WR Ja’Marr Chase setting multiple records for their respective positions. With 2020 comes lots of replacing and rebuilding for LSU’s offense. Every draft-eligible member of the 2019 offense is now in the NFL, which simultaneously explains last year’s success and bodes poorly for 2020’s prospects. The key returners for offensive production are WR Terrace Marshall and RT Austin Deculus. LSU must replace offensive guru Joe Brady (Carolina Panthers OC), QB Joe Burrow (NFL), WR Justin Jefferson (NFL), WR Ja’Marr Chase (Opt-Out), RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (NFL), TE Thaddeus Moss (NFL), C Lloyd Cushenberry (NFL), OG Damien Lewis (NFL), LT Saahdiq Charles (NFL), WTE Stephen Sullivan (NFL), OG Adrian Magee (NFL), WR Derrick Dillon (NFL), and backup OT Badara Traore (NFL). In total, LSU returns a starting lineman and wide receiver on offense, while losing #1 and #2 WRs, #1 RB, #1 TE, and 4 offensive line starters (plus the main backup). Here is their projected depth chart at this point.
2020 Depth Chart
* returning 2019 starters in bold · QB – RS JR Myles Brennan (injured), FR TJ Finley/FR Max Johnson · RB – SO John Emery Jr, RS SO Chris Curry, SO Tyrion Davis-Price · WR – SR Racey McMath, SO Trey Palmer · WR – JR Terrace Marshall Jr, FR Koy Moore, RS SO Jaray Jenkins · WR – FR Kayshon Boutte, SR Jontre Kirklin · TE – FR Arik Gilbert, SR Tory Carter, FR Kole Taylor, RS SO Nick Storz · LT – RS SO Cameron Wire, FR Xavier Hill · LG – JR Ed Ingram, FR Marlon Martinez, RS FR Thomas Perry · C – GR Liam Shanahan, RS FR Charles Turner · RG – JR Chasen Hines, RS FR Anthony Bradford, RS FR Kardell Thomas · RT – SR Austin Deculus, RS SO Cameron Wire, FR Marcus Dumervil · Opt Out – JR WR Ja’Marr Chase · Suspended – starting RS SO Dare Rosenthal
Passing
338.4 yds/gm (12th), 14 TD (24th), 62% completion rate (55th), 8.5 yds/att (28th) The focus of the Tiger’s 2019 offense was their Heisman-winning QB, Joe Burrow. In his LSU-debut, Burrow completed 57.8% of his passes for 2,894 yards, 16 TD, 5 Int, and a 133.21 passer efficiency rating. With the arrival of Joe Brady, Burrow completed 76.3% of his passes for 5,671 yards, 60 TD, 6 Int, and a 201.96 passer rating (just behind Tua’s 206.93). Perhaps the single-most improved season in history, Burrow was deadly accurate through the air, and he made good decisions to minimize turnovers and get the ball to open receivers in space. We must understand Burrow’s role and impact on LSU’s success in order to know what to expect with the inauguration of their 2020 starter, Myles Brennan. Brennan is a RS Junior and is the only quarterback on LSU’s roster with collegiate game experience. As a backup in 2019, he was 24/40 (60%) for 353 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int, and a 137.38 passer rating. Keep in mind that Burrow played far into the end of the game, even in upsets. Brennan didn’t attempt any passes unless LSU was up by 15+, and didn’t throw any passes in the first half of any games. On third downs, Brennan completed 50% of his passes and compiled a 111.60 passer rating. It is safe to say that Brennan has not seen any meaningful snaps in college, as he only attempted 15 passes against SEC opponents, completing 33% for one TD and INT each - for a 108.08 passer rating. Brennan is untested and inexperienced, and he hasn’t shown any signs that inspire confidence in his ability. Will he be the next Joe Burrow? No. But, is he capable of winning the SEC? Also no. Brennan has been serviceable for the Tigers this year, completing only 60.3% of his passes, although he has 11 TD to 3 Int. He averaged 370.7 passing y/g in his 3 starts this year, but he has missed LSU’s last two games due to a lower body injury (some speculate the injury is related to how much LSU fans jerked him off in the offseason). On Wednesday, Nov 4, Orgeron said Brennan is “very doubtful” to be healthy to play in the Alabama game. Most experts agree this is a great business decision for Myles. TJ Finley started LSU’s game against South Carolina and led them to a big win. Finley went 17/21 for 265 yards, 2 TD and 1 Int. Finley’s best attribute however is his size. TJ stands 6’6” tall and weighs in at 242 lbs. He looks every inch and pound as big when watching him on the field. After LSU’s biggest win of the season against 2-4 South Carolina, Finley got the start against Auburn in their last game. He went 15/24 for 174 yards and 1 TD and a QBR of 34.0 before being replaced by FR Max Johnson. It seems that Max Johnson’s most impressive quality is his top-notch name, which is admittedly elite. His quarterback play, however, leaves a lot to be desired. He went 13/24 for 143 yards, 0 TDs, and 2 Ints, resulting in a QBR of 20.2. TJ Finley is most likely going to start against Alabama, but one thing is for sure: If the Tigers need elite QB play to challenge Alabama, they should keep looking.
Rushing
119.6 rush yds/gm (100th), 5 TD (76th), 3.5 yds/car (93rd) By simply looking at LSU’s total rushing defense last year, you might think their main rusher was not very good. However, Edwards-Helaire averaged an impressive 6.58 y/car and 94.27 y/g. He also played a role in the receiving game with 30.2 rec y/g. So, what’s on the horizon for LSU’s 2020 rushing campaign? LSU had four players with rushing yards outside of EH, Burrow and Brennan, and WR Ja’Marr Chase: Soph. Tyrion Davis-Prince (295 yds), Soph. Chris Curry (189 yds), Soph. John Emery Jr. (188 yds), and Lanard Fournette (36 yds). Fournette left the team after four games in 2019. The projected starter is Tyrion Davis-Price (DP) as he was the main backup in 2019. He is a tough runner that can be difficult to bring down, and his weaknesses are his blocking and pass-catching. He only had 8 carries in the postseason, so his experience is still a bit limited. Chris Curry’s accomplishment is that he was the leading rusher against Oklahoma in the playoffs, rushing for 90 yards on 16 carries. On the season, Curry averaged 5.03 y/c with a long of 20 yards including 3 carries in the red zone for 10 yards (3.33 y/c). Within the program, Curry shares Marshawn Lynch’s nickname “Beast Mode” because of Curry’s strength and ability to run through tackles. John Emery Jr. is a former 5-star recruit and the most highly touted back coming into Baton Rouge. Although he is probably the fastest and most agile back on the current roster, he struggled in pass protection and dropped several passes last year. He was also legally blind in one eye and had LASIK eye surgery this offseason. Time will tell if this has truly improved his vision. Emery and Davis-Price have led the rushing charge for the Tigers, totaling 246 and 245 yds respectively. Neither has looked particularly impressive, especially in the absence of Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Receiving
338.4 yds/gm (12th), 14 TD (24th), 62% completion rate (55th), 8.5 yds/att (28th) One of LSU’s two offensive position groups with a returning starter is wide receiver. Ja’Marr Chase was the Tigers’ leading receiver in 2019, and he was expected to be the team’s best offensive (and possibly overall) player in 2020. Chase caught 84 passes for 1,780 yards and 20 TDs while averaging 21.19 y/cat and 127.1 y/g which was good for 2nd nationally. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Chase has opted out of the 2020 season and will declare for the 2021 NFL Draft, ending his time with LSU. Marshall was third on the team with 671 receiving yards on 46 catches, behind only Chase and Justin Jefferson in receiving yards. He had 13 TD and averaged 55.9 y/g. Lots of LSU fans believe Marshall would have been just as good as Chase if he had stayed healthy. He missed games against Utah St, Florida, and Miss St with a foot fracture. After Marshall, LSU only had one other player with more than 100 receiving yards on the season in Racey McMath. McMath is listed as a senior, though he has not started to date. He saw significant playing time last year having the sixth-most catches on the team. He only had two catches in his freshman and sophomore seasons. Marshall has emerged as the clear #1 target this season, capturing a third of the team’s receiving yards. He has caught 9 TDs so far, which is good for 2nd in the country currently (Smitty has 8, and Waddle had 4, so expect Smitty to surpass him Saturday). Marshall also is averaging 108 receiving y/g, which is 22nd in the country (behind both Smitty and Waddle). LSU’s #2 target is their TE, Arik Gilbert, who only has 259 yards and 2 TDs on the season. He and the rest of the receivers haven’t done enough to merit reporting.
Offensive Line
2.6 sacks allowed/gm (82nd), 7 TFL allowed/gm (33rd) Besides QB, this is where the biggest drop-off for LSU is expected. LSU returns 2019 SR RT Austin Deculus, but must replace LT Saahdiq Charles, OG Damien Lewis, OG Adrian Magee, C Lloyd Cushenberry, and the main OL replacement Badara Traore. Starting at LT is RS SO Cameron Wire. He is replacing Dare Rosenthall who has been suspended indefinitely from the team. Wire only played 35 snaps in 2019, so he has a lot to learn still. JR Ed Ingram is listed as the starting LG. Ingram started 12 games at RG as a true freshman, then served a year-long suspension following his arrest for two counts of sexual assault charges and being indicted by a Texas grand jury. DeSoto Police Department would not disclose the victim’s age, but confirmed they were a minor. The case was dropped, and details are limited because the attorney general placed the case under official seal. During the suspension and court proceedings, Orgeron said “I think that maybe, maybe, if things go right, we may get him at some part of the season. I don’t know exactly when, but hopefully we get him at some part of the season…” Starting Center is Liam Shanahan, a Harvard transfer. His backup is RS FR Charles Turner. The starting RG is JR Chasen Hines. Hines played snaps in 10 games last year without any starts. RT will be the only known commodity with returning SR Austin Deculus. RS FR Thomas Perry is his backup. All told, the OL starters and backups include 1 SR, 2 JR, 2 SO, and 8 FR.
Defense
Scoring Defense: 33.6 pts/g (84th) Total Defense: 478.6 yds/g (111th) Passing Defense: 335.2 yds/g (119th) Rushing Defense: 143.4 yds/g (52nd) Misc. stats: +4 turnover margin (15th), 2.8 sacks/gm (34th), 7 TFL/gm (33rd), 5 INTs (49th), 6 fum recov (10th), 6 fum forced (24th), 46.97% opp 3rd down conv. (100th), 40% opp 4th down conv. (20th), 21.2 opp 1st downs/gm (57th), opp RZ %’s – TD 57.89% (42nd), score 73.68% (22nd) Returning starters: 4 (plus 1 opting out of 2020 season) LSU’s 2019 defense was… not what it has been in years past. 59th is the lowest LSU’s pass defense has been ranked since 2015. They also lost several key starters from last year, most notably S Grant Delpit, OLB K’Lavon Chaisson, ILB Patrick Queen, and ILB Jacob Phillips. Projected starters DT Tyler Shelvin, and DB Kary Vincent Jr (less likely to start) have opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft. That leaves the Tiger’s defense with 4 returning starters: DL Glen Logan, LB Damone Clark, CB Derek Stingley Jr., and S JaCoby Stevens. Let’s look at the roster and specific position groups. LSU has certainly missed Dave Aranda this year. Bo Pelini has not proved up to the challenge of stopping the modern passing offenses they have faced. Bo Nix, who is completing 57.6% of his passes and has thrown 16 TDs and 6 INTs completed 75% of his passes against LSU for 3 TDs and 0 INTs. In their debut, they gave up 600+ passing yards to a QB who has now been benched in favor of a freshman. LSU fans must continually tell themselves that 2019 was worth it while plugging their ears and looking the other way in 2020.
2020 Projected Depth Chart
· RDE – FR BJ Ojulari, RS SR Andre Anthony, FR Phillip Webb, RS FR Desmond Little · LDE – JTR Ali Gaye, RS STR Travez Moore, RS SO Jarell Cherry · DT – RS FR Joseph Evans, SR Neil Farrell Jr., FR Jacobian Guillory · DT – RS SR Glen Logan, RS JTR Soni Fonua, SR Neil Farrell Jr., FR Jaquelin Roy · OLB – JR Micah Baskerville, RS SR Ray Thornton, FR Antoine Sampah · OLB –GR Jabril Cox, SO Devonta Lee, RS JR Jared Small · MLB –JR Damone Clark, FR Josh White · CB – SO Derek Stingley Jr, SO Jay Ward, GR Darren Evans, FR Dwight McGlothern · CB – SO Cordale Flott, FR Eli Ricks, RS FR Raydarious Jones · FS –SR JaCoby Stevens, RS SR Cameron Lewis · SS – RS JR Todd Harris Jr, SO Maurice Hampton Jr, FR Jordan Toles · Opt Out – SR FS Kary Vincent Jr., RS JR NT Tyler Shelvin (13), RS SO DL Nelson Jenkins III
Defensive Line
2.8 sacks/gm (34th), 7 TFL/gm (33rd) With Bo Pelini replacing Dave Aranda as Defensive Coordinator, LSU uses a 4-3 scheme as opposed to 3-4 which was preferred by Aranda. Despite the losses of Rashard Lawrence and Breiden Fehoko, the defensive line looked to have good depth going into 2020 before Tyler Shelvin opted out of the 2020 season. Additionally, TK McLendon, who was named as the left end starter during spring camp, entered the transfer portal in August. Another blow came when Justin Thomas, the named starting right end, was announced to have left the team unexpectedly in August. Thomas was a strong contender to start at defensive end, where he started one game last year, played in five, and had a recurring role in LSU’s 3rd-down pass rush package. Shelvin was a returning starter. That leaves former linebacker Andre Anthony as the only end with any starts. The freshman Ojulari has carved out for himself a starting role on the end ahead of Anthony. The middle of the line will feature returning starter Glen Logan. Logan is one of the leaders of the DL as the only DT with any starts.
Linebackers
46.97% opp 3rd down conv. (100th), 40% opp 4th down conv. (20th) The linebackers are one of the most inexperienced group on LSU’s 2020 defense. After losing both OLBs and one of their two MLBs from their 4-backer scheme, only MLB Damone Clark returns to the middle of the field. Clark took over Michael Divinity’s role on the outside and provided a lot of support in that part of the field, although he was overshadowed by departures Patrick Queen, Jacob Phillips, and K’Lavon Chaisson. Ray Thornton Jr. saw limited playing time at OLB behind Clark, Marcel Brooks, and Michael Divinity, recording only 9 total tackles on the season. He has been a regular backup on the outside. Micah Baskerville has limited playing time, and his time in the program has earned him the start over Thornton. Jabril Cox brings a lot of playing time and experience from NDSU, and he also played for Pelini at Youngtown State. With his playing time and experience in a winning program like NDSU, he has earned the starting job opposite Baskerville.
Secondary
5 INTs (49th), 14 PBUs (69th), 19 passes defended (68th), 54 opp passes 10+ yds (74th), 30 opp passes 20+ yds (117th), 17 opp passes 30+ yds (118th), opp passes of 40+, 50+, 60+, 70+, 80+, and 90+ (110th or worse for all), LSU is one of only 5 teams to give up a 90+ yd pass The secondary looked to be LSU’s strongest unit on defense this year. They returned CB Derek Stingley and S JaCoby Stevens who were both regular starters last year. Todd Harris has become the starter at SS and moved Stevens to FS. Outside of Stingley, CB Cordale Flott is the only other CB with meaningful playing time. Many expected Kary Vincent to play at corner and/or safety before he opted out of the 2020 season. With Vincent’s decision to withdraw, LSU has very little depth at safety or corner. The rushing defense has actually been average for the Tigers this year, but the passing defense has been downright abysmal. Ranking at the bottom of the NCAA in most passing defensive categories, they should not prove to be much of a challenge for Mac Jones and the Bama 10.
Special Teams
2020 Projected Depth Chart
· P – RS SR Zach Von Rosenberg (39), JR Avery Atkins · PK – SO Cade York (15) · KO – JR Avery Atkins · LS – RS FR Quentin Skinner · PKR – SO Derek Stingley Jr., SO Trey Palmer * for kicking and punting starts, I used 1) LSU’s official game starts or 2) number of games the team played that season if the player was the primary starter for the role
Punting
Fortunately for LSU, one of the players they have utilized the most in 2020 returns plenty of experience. Punter Zach Von Rosenberg has been the primary punter since 2017. He is averaging 47.05 yards per punt in 2020.
Kicking
The Tigers also return their placekicker, Cade York. York is 8/10 on FGs and 21/21 on XPs this year. Avery Atkins returns as the kickoff specialist. Atkins has 33 KOs with 28 touchbacks (84.85%).
Returning
Stingley has been the primary punt/kick returner. He has only had to return 3 punts this year, averaging 30.67 (48 yds came on one return). Trey Palmer has returned 6 kickoffs averaging 36.5 yds/return, including a 93 yd TD return.
Orgeron’s early coaching days included coaching the defensive line for Miami beginning in 1988. He began coaching the 1992 season in which his Canes were trounced by Alabama in the national title game, but his tenure was cut short when he was arrested following a bar fight in Baton Rouge, LA, during which Orgeron admits he was intoxicated. “Coach O” is in his fourth full year as the head coach at LSU (he was the interim coach for most of the 2016 season). As head coach, his records beginning in 2016 are 6-2, 9-4, 10-3, 15-0. He has improved each year (until 2020). Arguably his most effective coaching decision has been hiring “Passing Game Coordinators.” He hired Joe Brady for the role in 2019, and Brady hand-crafted their offensive scheme which was extremely effective. Coach O gained national recognition in 2019 after his team beat Alabama (his first time since coming to LSU, the first LSU win vs the Tide since the 2011 season) and he made the comments “We’re going to beat [Alabama’s] ass in recruiting. We’re going to beat their ass every time they see us. You understand me? Roll Tide what? Fuck you!” The coach then promptly finished multiple spots behind Alabama in the 2020 recruiting class, and currently trails Alabama for the 2021 recruiting class by a wide margin. His head coaching record against Alabama is 1-7, and he is 1-5 coaching against Nick Saban. Orgeron currently has the Tigers at 2-3 for the year. After 2019, some speculated Orgeron may be on the same coaching tier as Saban with the great team they fielded. 2020 has shown that Orgeron hasn’t figured out how to deal with losing talent to the NFL, including players and coaches (something Saban encounters on an annual basis).
Ensminger became the offensive coordinator in 2016 under Orgeron. His style includes a hurry-up no-huddle tempo (HUNH) and using the run-pass option (RPO). He has said that no matter what formation they line up in, he wants them to be able to throw the quick pass. We saw this implemented last year with Joe Brady coordinating the passing game. Look for a similar style and scheme in 2020. The challenge will be coming up with new routes and plays to get receivers open the way that Joe Brady managed to do.
Former Nebraska head coach and former LSU defensive coordinator was rehired for the DC position for the 2020 season. Pelini utilizes the 4-3 defensive scheme which includes 4 down linemen and 3 linebackers. The benefit of a 4-3 defense is that you can typically get a better push against the offensive line, resulting in better run-blocking or more pass-rush. However, since each down lineman is responsible for a single line gap, it is more vulnerable to the play-action (PA) pass. Another concern for the Tigers is that with so many departures on the defensive line, they will have a lot of inexperience having to make decisions. It also forces the defense to use a defensive end instead of a linebacker for extra pass-support.
Scott Linehan will replace the biggest void on the LSU coaching staff, Joe Brady. Linehan is the product of John L. Smith, who was the last college coach he worked under. He last coached for the Dallas Cowboys, leading their passing game and serving as offensive coordinator. We won’t know what similarities or differences Linehan’s offense will share with Brady’s, but a major difference will be the personnel available. LSU loses Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase at receiver, QB Joe Burrow, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and 4/5 offensive linemen. I would expect the Tigers’ 2020 offense to look similar to 2018.
Alabama leads the all-time series with LSU 53-26-5, boasting a 66.1% win percentage. The largest victory belongs to Alabama, 47-3 in 1922. The longest streak also belongs to the Tide, with 11 consecutive wins from 1971-1981. Alabama recently won 8 consecutive games against LSU despite LSU being ranked in each loss, including being ranked in the top-10 five times and in the top-5 four times. LSU was shut out in three of the eight games (37.5%) including the January 9, 2012 matchup in the national championship game held in New Orleans, LA, a short 90-minute drive from Baton Rouge. LSU’s win over Alabama last season marked the fourth victory for the Tigers over Alabama since Nick Saban came to Tuscaloosa. The Tide have enjoyed ten wins over the last fourteen seasons. The four Alabama losses had a total point difference of 18, including three of them being five points or fewer. In the same time span, Alabama has outscored LSU by 135 in the remaining games, resulting in a 117-point advantage for Alabama since 2007. Since Nick Saban’s arrival in 2007, the early-November matchups between the Tigers and the Tide have often been competitive and tension-filled. Of the 14 Saban vs. LSU games, half have been decided by 7 points or fewer. Another 4 games were decided by 14 pts or fewer, leaving only 3 of the 14 games being won (all by Alabama) by more than two scores. The 4 LSU wins in this time span were all by 7 points or fewer. The teams have gone to overtime thrice, and surprisingly the visiting team has won all three times (Alabama 2, LSU 1). On a related note, Alabama has been dominant in the supposedly-daunting “Death Valley” holding an all-time 28-9-2 record in Baton Rouge, as well as winning 5 of the last 6 games there, including the last 4. Although Alabama and LSU have not been rivals historically, the series has been split since 2000, with Alabama holding a close 11-10 series lead. Also, since Bear Bryant retired, Alabama has controlled the series 22-15-1. Despite the recent competitiveness of the “rivalry,” a 2009 poll of SEC fans revealed that Alabama fans mostly did not consider LSU to be a rival, while over 60% of LSU fans singled out Alabama as their most bitter rival. This no doubt stems from the fact that Nick Saban previously coached at LSU from 2000-2004. Saban compiled a 48-16 record at LSU while winning LSU’s second ever national championship, and their first in 45 years. Saban left LSU to try his hand at head coaching in the NFL. He found success hard to come by, and decided to return to coaching college. LSU did not want Saban back, instead preferring to keep then-coach Les Miles, so Saban took the best job on the table- Alabama. For some reason, LSU took this as a personal insult of the highest order and have hated Saban and Alabama ever since. The Tigers have only managed to beat Saban’s Alabama in Baton Rouge once.
Ole Miss is undoubtedly LSU’s longest-standing and most significant rival. The Tigers lead the Landsharks all-time 63-40-4, but recent history is even more lopsided as Ole Miss has only managed to beat LSU five times since 2000. In the “Magnolia Bowl,” LSU and Ole Miss have produced some exciting rivalry games. Probably the most famous was 1959’s “Cannon’s Halloween Run” in which #1 LSU’s Billy Cannon had an 89-yard punt return TD late in the game, breaking 7 tackles en route to what would be the game winning score. On Ole Miss’s ensuing drive, they made it all the way to LSU’s 1 yard line, but were stopped as time expired. The teams would have a rematch in the Sugar Bowl (effectively the national championship that year) and Ole Miss routed the Tigers 21-0. This would not be the last time LSU would lose a national championship 21-0 in the Sugar Bowl in a rematch to a team they narrowly beat in the regular season.
Arkansas has been a traditional rival for LSU. The two first played in 1901 in Baton Rouge, with LSU winning 15-0. They played until 1936, but the series stopped until 1991 when Arkansas joined the SEC and defeated LSU in Fayetteville 30-6. Overall, LSU holds a 41-22-2 lead in the series. The LSU-Arkansas winner takes home “The Golden Boot” trophy, or just “The Boot.” This is because the trophy, which outlines the states of Louisiana and Arkansas, forms what looks like a boot. The 175 lb, 4” tall trophy is made of 24-karat gold.
LSU’s oldest rival is found in New Orleans, LA. The Tulane Green Wave first played LSU in 1892. LSU and Tulane were each members of the SIAA from 1899, the Southern Conference from 1922 to 1932, and charter members of the SEC from 1932 to 1966. The matchup is known as the “Battle for the Rag,” with LSU referring to it as the Tiger Rag, and Tulane calling it the Victory Flag. The flag shows each school’s logos divided diagonally with the Seal of Louisiana in the center. While the series was somewhat competitive to begin with LSU leading 23-18-5, the Tigers have gone 45-4-2 since, including winning the last 18 matchups. LSU leads the all-time series 69-23-7. The teams met on the field once from 1997 to 2005, but they renewed the series in 2006. After their 2009 matchup, LSU offered Tulane to either play the remaining games in Baton Rouge or end the series early for a small payout. Tulane took the buyout deal and the teams have not met since.
Mascot
Perhaps one of the most famous college mascots is LSU’s Mike the Tiger. Traditionally, Mike is a Bengal tiger, although the last three iterations have been mixed-breeds. Mike VII is a Bengal-Serbian mix. LSU adopted the tiger as mascot referencing the Louisiana-native troops in Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia in the civil war, as they were known as “the Tigers.” LSU’s may be the only SEC mascot to pay homage to confederate nostalgia since Ole Miss rebranded themselves as the Admiral Ackbars Landsharks. Each Mike has generally been in good hands in Baton Rouge, as LSU’s vet school is exceptional. A new, 15,000 square foot habitat was created for Mike in 2005 for $3 million. . He can be seen eating, sleeping, roaming, or playing on any given day in his home on campus. According to legend, LSU will score a touchdown for every one of Mike’s roars on game day. Mike VI and Mike VII have come under scrutiny for not roaring enough on Alabama game days.
Lagniappe
Misc. program stats
· 812-415-47 (.656) all-time record (13th) · 812 all-time wins (12th) · 4 national championships (16th) · 16 conference championships (31st) · 52 bowl game appearances (8th) · 28-23-1 (.548) bowl record (27th) · 39 consensus all-Americans (14th) · 2 Heisman winners (11th) · 352 NFL Draft picks (10th) · 635 weeks in AP poll (10th) · Conference foes Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee hold series leads over LSU · LSU’s last two head coaches each left the program with one national championship · Current head coach Ed Orgeron has one national championship · LSU has not scored against Alabama in Death Valley since 2014 · In LSU’s last five games in Louisiana against Alabama, they have scored a total of 30 points (includes 3 shutouts)
Jerseys
The current style of jerseys were introduced by head coach Paul Dietzel in 1957. While it is customary for the home football team to wear their primary color and the visitor to wear white, LSU also prefers to wear white jerseys for both home and away games. From 1983 to 1994, the NCAA mandated visiting teams to wear white. From 1994-1999, LSU often wore gold in lieu of purple due to then-head coach Gerry DiNardo’s understandable dislike of the color purple. In 1995, the NCAA changed the rule to allow the home team to wear white with visitor’s prior approval. In 1997, the SEC ruled that the home team can wear their color of choice without consent of SEC visiting teams. While LSU wears white to home games, they occasionally wear purple or gold similarly to how other teams have a white-out or black-out game. Nick Saban and Matt Mauck led the Tigers to a national title in 2003 with Mauck wearing No. 18. The No. 18 jersey “became synonymous with success on and off the field as well as having a selfless attitude.” Each season, a player is chosen by the coaching staff to wear the No. 18 jersey.
Other traditions
Tiger stadium has two defining characteristics on the field that contrast from most other colleges. First, the field displays all 5-yard line numbers on the field instead of just the 10-yard line numbers. Only the 10-yard lines have directional arrows, however. Second, Tiger stadium features “H”-style goal posts instead of the more popular “Y” style. This is allegedly to double players’ chances of injury due to impact with the posts. About an hour before kickoff, the players, coaches, band, and cheerleaders march down a hill to the North of the Stadium. Ironically, this is called Victory Hill despite the tradition preceding many, many losses. Night games in Tiger Stadium have become iconic in Baton Rouge. Statistically, LSU has performed better at home during night games. According to LSU’s 2016 Media Guide, LSU was 320-105-13 (.745) in night games through the 2015 season. Unfortunately for the Tigers, LSU is 0-4 in night games in Tiger Stadium against Saban’s Crimson Tide.
Florida vs. Oklahoma odds, predictions, betting trends for 2020 Cotton Bowl
No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 7 Florida meet in what should be a high-scoringCotton Bowl Classic on Dec. 30. The gameis at theAT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for8p.m. onESPN. Florida (8-3) is back in a New Year’s Day Six bowl for the third consecutive season. Dan Mullen is 2-0 in bowl games for the Gators, and the Gators bring the nation’s leading passer in quarterback Kyle Trask to the game.Oklahoma (8-2) missed the College Football Playoff this year, but the Sooners won seven straight games to close out the 2020 regular season. Lincoln Riley is 0-3 in bowl games against SEC schools, so this is a chance to silence the critics on that front.Here's everything to know about betting onFlorida vs. Oklahoma,including updated odds, trends and our prediction for the 2020 Cotton Bowl.MORE: Predicting every bowl game for 2020-21Florida vs. OklahomaoddsSpread:Florida -3Oveunder:71.5Moneyline:Oklahoma –110, Florida –110The opening line has stuck, but the over continues to trend upward. It opened at 67.5. It’s fair to expect a shootout between the two high-scoring offenses.Florida vs. Oklahomaall-time seriesThe Gators and Sooners have one previous meeting. Florida beat Oklahoma 24-14 in the BCS championship game on Jan. 8, 2009. Tim Tebow led Florida to the victory with 231 passing yards, 109 rushing yards and two TDs.Three trends to know—The Sooners were 7-3 ATS this season, but they were favored in every game. Oklahoma is 3-2 ATS as an underdog under Riley.—The Gators were 5-6 ATS this season, and that included a 3-6 ATS mark as a favorite. Florida was a single-digit favorite only one time this season.—Florida is 3-4 ATS in neutral-site games under Mullen. Oklahoma is 5-6 ATS in neutral-site games under Riley.Three things to watch—Trask without his favorite targets. Trask won’t have starting tight end Kyle Pitts, who opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft. Pitts battled injuries in the second half of the season, and he still averaged 17.9 yards per catch with12 TDs.Kadarious Toney (984 yards, 10 TDs) and Trevon Grimes (589 yards, 9 TDs) also opted out.Oklahoma did not allow more than two passing TDs in a single game this season.—Spencer Rattler vs. SEC defense. Rattler struggled with interceptions early in the season, but he threw just three picks in the Sooners’ last seven games.Freshman Marvin Mims (583 yards, 8 TDs) and sophomore Theo Wease (494 yards, 3 TDs) emerged as playmakers, and that led to a strong second half of the season. Oklahoma will test a Florida defense thatallowed 258.3 passing yards per game.—Aggressive play-calling. Florida and Oklahoma were fast-starting teams in the regular season. The Gators outscored opponents 103-73 in the first quarter, but the Sooners were outstanding at 134-17 in the first quarter. Neither Mullen nor Riley is going to hold back with the deep shots, and they should come early.That first quarter should feature a handful of trick plays, too. Stat that matters162That’s the number of combined points Oklahoma has allowed in semifinal losses to Georgia, Alabama and LSU the last three seasons – an average of 54 points per game. We know Oklahoma can score, but it’s on the defense to get a few stops against a high-scoring Florida offense that is just as productive as those last three offenses the Sooners faced.Florida vs. Oklahoma predictionRattler gets off to a fast start with his receivers, but the Gators hold up enough against the running game to stall a few Sooners’ drives in the second quarter. Oklahoma leads at halftime, but Trask leads a second-half comeback. A late TD pass gives the Gators their third straight New Year’s Day Six bowl victory.Both offenses averaged more than 40 points per game this season, but this one falls right on the over line.Final score:Florida 38, Oklahoma 34
Florida vs. Oklahoma odds, predictions, betting trends for 2020 Cotton Bowl
No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 7 Florida meet in what should be a high-scoringCotton Bowl Classic on Dec. 30. The gameis at theAT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for8p.m. onESPN. Florida (8-3) is back in a New Year’s Day Six bowl for the third consecutive season. Dan Mullen is 2-0 in bowl games for the Gators, and the Gators bring the nation’s leading passer in quarterback Kyle Trask to the game.Oklahoma (8-2) missed the College Football Playoff this year, but the Sooners won seven straight games to close out the 2020 regular season. Lincoln Riley is 0-3 in bowl games against SEC schools, so this is a chance to silence the critics on that front.Here's everything to know about betting onFlorida vs. Oklahoma,including updated odds, trends and our prediction for the 2020 Cotton Bowl.MORE: Predicting every bowl game for 2020-21Florida vs. OklahomaoddsSpread:Florida -3Oveunder:71.5Moneyline:Oklahoma –110, Florida –110The opening line has stuck, but the over continues to trend upward. It opened at 67.5. It’s fair to expect a shootout between the two high-scoring offenses.Florida vs. Oklahomaall-time seriesThe Gators and Sooners have one previous meeting. Florida beat Oklahoma 24-14 in the BCS championship game on Jan. 8, 2009. Tim Tebow led Florida to the victory with 231 passing yards, 109 rushing yards and two TDs.Three trends to know—The Sooners were 7-3 ATS this season, but they were favored in every game. Oklahoma is 3-2 ATS as an underdog under Riley.—The Gators were 5-6 ATS this season, and that included a 3-6 ATS mark as a favorite. Florida was a single-digit favorite only one time this season.—Florida is 3-4 ATS in neutral-site games under Mullen. Oklahoma is 5-6 ATS in neutral-site games under Riley.Three things to watch—Trask without his favorite targets. Trask won’t have starting tight end Kyle Pitts, who opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft. Pitts battled injuries in the second half of the season, and he still averaged 17.9 yards per catch with12 TDs.Kadarious Toney (984 yards, 10 TDs) and Trevon Grimes (589 yards, 9 TDs) also opted out.Oklahoma did not allow more than two passing TDs in a single game this season.—Spencer Rattler vs. SEC defense. Rattler struggled with interceptions early in the season, but he threw just three picks in the Sooners’ last seven games.Freshman Marvin Mims (583 yards, 8 TDs) and sophomore Theo Wease (494 yards, 3 TDs) emerged as playmakers, and that led to a strong second half of the season. Oklahoma will test a Florida defense thatallowed 258.3 passing yards per game.—Aggressive play-calling. Florida and Oklahoma were fast-starting teams in the regular season. The Gators outscored opponents 103-73 in the first quarter, but the Sooners were outstanding at 134-17 in the first quarter. Neither Mullen nor Riley is going to hold back with the deep shots, and they should come early.That first quarter should feature a handful of trick plays, too. Stat that matters162That’s the number of combined points Oklahoma has allowed in semifinal losses to Georgia, Alabama and LSU the last three seasons – an average of 54 points per game. We know Oklahoma can score, but it’s on the defense to get a few stops against a high-scoring Florida offense that is just as productive as those last three offenses the Sooners faced.Florida vs. Oklahoma predictionRattler gets off to a fast start with his receivers, but the Gators hold up enough against the running game to stall a few Sooners’ drives in the second quarter. Oklahoma leads at halftime, but Trask leads a second-half comeback. A late TD pass gives the Gators their third straight New Year’s Day Six bowl victory.Both offenses averaged more than 40 points per game this season, but this one falls right on the over line.Final score:Florida 38, Oklahoma 34
Hello Friends, Over at the /FloridaGators Discord this season we have put together a game guide each week where each day we look a little deeper into the upcoming matchup. It begins with a short recap of the prior game and moves forward from there. If you are not yet in the discord, please join us! We'd love to have you. We have daily discussions on recruiting, analysis, and most of the time we just hang out and chat Florida Gators. Discord Invite Link Without further ado, the Game Guide. Let us know what you think and if you have any ideas or feedback, we'd love to hear it. Special thanks to stev_mmk, bgr308, DrMartyLawrence, and Eric-UF for their contributions this week.
This week, in a very empty stadium with a weird atmosphere with spread out Gator fans wearing masks intermingled in the bleachers with cardboard cutouts, Will Muschamp returned with his Gamecocks to Gainesville for the third time since stepping down as head coach in 2014. The defensive had some similar struggles as last week, but also made some decent plays, including forcing punts on 3 of South Carolina’s first 5 drives and forcing a fumble in the second half. The defense struggled in one aspect where it was elite last season, which was allowing touchdowns on a short field as 2 of South Carolina’s 3 touchdowns were after Trask turnovers. The offense, especially in the first three quarters, did not struggle. Trask had another good day passing with 4 touchdowns and 268 yards. He did, however, commit two turnovers; one of these was a fumble on a designed run, the other was an interception that is likely more on the receivers than it was on him. Grimes and Toney were supposed to be running a pick or rub play to the field side, but there was a miscommunication at some point and both receivers were blocking, leading Trask to throw a pass to no one besides Israel Mukuamu. Pitts had another great day with two receiving touchdowns and is on pace to break Troy Edward’s record for receiving touchdowns in a season. Kadarius Toney has also continued to show he is a big-time playmaker, which was shown on a long touchdown reception where he somehow avoided at least 5 would-be tacklers on his way to the endzone. The entire team seemed to go on cruise control after scoring to go up 38-14 late in the third quarter, which might have been an issue if not for Will Muschamp’s inability to understand clock management, getting the ball down 14 with 8 minutes left and going on a 7 minute drive that ended in them turning the ball over on downs inside the Florida 5 yard line with under a minute remaining, securing a final score of Florida 38, South Carolina 24.
Florida vs. South Carolina: Advanced Stats Graphical Review by DrMartyLawrence
Link to Twitter Post Marty's Analysis is based off Bill Connelly's Five Factors: College Football's Most Important Stats
This week, Florida visits Texas A&M at Kyle Field. The projected odds and score are 35.7 Florida to 23.1 Texas A&M, Projecting a Florida victory. The line opened as high as -7.5 Florida and now sits around -6.5 Florida. A&M is coming off of a 24-52 loss to No. 2 Ranked Alabama. Kellen Mond was a pre-season top 5 QB in the SEC, and he put up a middling 25/44 with 318 yards, 7.2 AVG and 3:1 TD:Int. Mond is very hit or miss, but still a player to keep an eye on. Florida's defense has largely struggled against QB's who can use their legs (Matt Corral, anyone?). Meanwhile, A&M gave up 20/27 with 435 yards, 16.1 AVG and 4:1 TD:Int for Mac Jones. In my humble opinion, Mac Jones is an above average QB, but he isn't a heisman candidate and shouldn't be anytime soon. Alabama plays as similar of an offense as you may find to Dan Mullen, although Mullen generally will be more "progressive" as Alabama still has remnants of the old-style. I compare the two (Alabama and Florida) because I anticipate Florida will take a similar offensive approach as Alabama - a pass heavy approach with quick scoring and a defense that does just enough, although there's no doubt Alabama's defense is far superior at this point in time. The Aggies are 1-1 on the season, and were ranked 13 going into the Alabama matchup. They fell to 21 with the newest rankings, which if the Gators handle business in College Station is still a ranked opponent nonetheless. My prediction? 41-24. The Gators are consistently winning (by consistently I mean 2 games) by 14 (give or take). I don't think Kellen Mond will be as much a threat as some may have thought preseason, but still a threat. I predict the offense finds its killer instinct in the 4th quarter and rebound from South Carolina. A&M's defense does not worry me. Expect the Aggies to keep it close coming into halftime before the Gators ultimately pull away late in the third.
QB - Kellen Mond (Senior) Kellen Mond is mobile quarterback in his senior year at Texas A&M, in his third year under coach Jimbo Fisher. During this time, Mond has had highs and lows, while averaging 3000 yards, 22 TDs, and 9 INTs over his last 2 seasons. Also considered a threat on the ground, Mond has rushed for 488 yards and 8 TDs on average during the same timespan. Much like Feleipe Franks, Kellen Mond has shown flashes of potential maligned by inconsistency. Dr. Jekyll-Mond can look like a Day 2 draft choice, while the very next play Mr. Hyde-Mond can come out and look as lost as an abandoned puppy at a truck stop off I-10 in Gulf Shores, Mississippi. While having a strong arm, Mond has struggled with accuracy on deep balls but generally maintains efficiency on short-to-intermediate passes. Expect to see a lot of shotgun formation with RPOs built in to help keep the Gator defense off-balance and make use of A&M's running game. Kellen Mond TD run off option vs Oklahoma State - 2019 Texas Bowl Kellen Mond Pick-6 vs Alabama 2020
RB - Isaiah Spiller (Sophomore) Spiller returns as Texas A&M's leading rusher this year, coming off a productive freshman year where he rushed for 10TDs at 5.4 yards per carry for a total of 946 yards. A big, physical back, Spiller will be featured as the primary back in Jimbo's pro-style offense. Expect to see Spiller running between the tackles while also having the ability to run off-tackle as well. In week 1 against Vanderbilt, Spiller rushed for 117 yards on 8 carries, including a 57 yard gain with some decent speed. Against the more formidable Alabama defense, Spiller had 11 carries for 25 yards and struggled mightily. Isaiah Spiller 50 yard TD Spiller 57 yard run vs Vanderbilt
RB - Ainias Smith (Sophomore) As a wide receiver turned running back, Ainias Smith will be seen splitting carries with Spiller in the backfield, but will also be featured in the slot. He displayed tremendous speed and excellent pass-catching ability against Alabama, where he had 6 catches for 123 yards, 2 TDs, and 152 all-purpose yards. On Saturday, Smith will be all over the field on offense as well as punt returns, where A&M hopes to get him the ball in space where he is the biggest threat. Ainias Smith Speed Option TD vs Vanderbilt Smith 47 yard TD vs Alabama
Other Names to watch: Jalen Wydermyer (TE, So) Chase Lane (WR, RS Fr) Caleb Chapman (WR, RS So)
Defense
S - Demani Richardson (Sophomore) Richardson played in 12 games as a true freshman and brought a physical presence to the safety position for Texas A&M. While sometimes struggling in coverage, Richardson has shown exceptional ability to cover the field and make tackles in open space. Although he is young, you can expect to see Richardson become one of the premier SEC safeties over the next couple years. In week 1, Richardson was the SEC's highest graded defensive back according to PFF. Richardson open field tackle
MLB - Buddy Johnson (Senior) With the opt-out of potential breakout player Anthony Hines, Buddy Johnson will be stepping up as A&M's leader in the linebacker group. Experienced in all linebacker positions, Johnson is poised to be one of the better backers in the SEC this year. He is fast enough in coverage to make opposing quarterbacks reconsider their reads, which also helps him in shooting gaps in the run game and undercutting throwing lanes. On Saturday, Johnson will likely be the first player our running backs make contact with coming out of the backfield. Johnson TFL
CB - Myles Jones (Senior) At 6'4", 185 lbs, Myles Jones will be the lead corner for the Aggies after opt-outs from corners Elijah Blades, Derrick Tucker, and Clifford Chattman. Due to his height and length, Jones will match up well with the height advantage the Gators receivers have over most DB matchups. Despite his height, Jones has very fluid hips and is athletic enough to have high upside, but can struggle with recovery speed against quick receivers. With that being said, I think many of the targets he receives will be in the short to intermediate passing range so that our playmakers can leverage their technical route-running against his weaknesses.
Opt-Outs
Texas A&M has seen what is likely the second most opt-outs on their roster for the 2020 season behind LSU. Some of the key names that were supposed to be big contributors to the Aggies include leading receiver Jhamon Ausbon, linebacker Anthony Hines, and defensive backs Elijah Blades, Derrick Tucker, and Clifford Chattman. Expect this to affect the Aggies significantly as we will look to tune our offense to take advantage of these opt-outs. 2020 Opt-Outs: Jhamon Ausbon (WR, JR) Elijah Blades (CB, SR) Derrick Tucker (DB, SR) James Foster (QB, FR) Anthony Hines (LB, JR) Clifford Chattman (CB, SR)
National Media predictions on the game:
Bill Connelly, ESPN, SP+: Florida 33 A&M 23 247 Sports (multiple): Brad Crawford Texas A&M 31, Florida 24 Chris Hummer Florida 34, Texas A&M 31 Bill Bender, Sporting News: Florida 38 A&M 28 - Florida covers the Spread Sam Cooper, Yahoo Sports: Florida to win and cover CBS Sportsline Model: “The model is projecting Florida quarterback Kyle Trask to throw for almost 300 yards, while tight end Kyle Pitts records 80 yards of receiving and a score, as the Gators win by double digits and cover in almost 60 percent of simulations.”
Link to Matchup Graphic To continue the theme of both last week's matchup and our prior notes here, keep a special eye on A&M's Defensive Backs versus the deep WR group of Florida. Although Florida has advantages across the board here - the specific matchup to watch will be the Secondary vs. WR group of Florida. I still fully expect Florida to have a similar approach as Alabama did last week. The offenses are built similar and Dan Mullen definitely watch the tape on that one. Expect Kyle Trask to light them up, moreso than Mac Jones. Another interesting matchup is the Florida DB's to the A&M WR group. A&M is very young at WR and their adjusted rating of .815 reflects that. Time for Torian Gray to earn that paycheck and prevent some easy points on the board.
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Team:DenverBroncosDivision: AFC West 2019 Record: 7-9 Divisional Finish 2nd place higherthantheRaiders!
Team Stats
Offense:
Category
Value
League Rank
Total Yards
298.6 YPG
28th
Yards Per Play
5.0
26th
Rushing YPG
103.9
20th
Yards Per Rush
4.1
21st
Passing Yards
194.7 YPG
28th
Yards Per Pass
6.7
T-21st
Total Touchdowns
28
T-30th
Rushing Touchdowns
11
T-22nd
Receiving Touchdowns
16
32nd
Scoring
17.6 PPG
28th
Pass Completions
312/504 (.619)
20th
Third Downs
64/202 (.317)
30th
First Downs Per Game
17.4
29th
Possession Average
29:21
21st
Sacks Allowed
41
T-16th
Turnover Differential
+1
T-13th
Penalties
110
19th
Penalty Yardage
912
18th
Defense:
Category
Value
League Rank
Yards
337.0 YPG
12th
Yards Per Play
5.4
T-13th
Rushing Yards
111.4 YPG
16th
Yards Per Rush
4.2
T-13th
Passing Yards
225.6 YPG
11th
Yards Per Pass
7.1
14th
Touchdowns
31
T-4th
Rushing Touchdowns
9
T-5th
Receiving Touchdowns
19
T-5th
Scoring
19.8 PPG
10th
Pass Completions
348/537 (.648)
24th
Third Downs
79/211 (.374)
13th
First Downs Per Game
19.1
T-9th
Sacks
40.0
T-17th
Forced Fumbles
9
T-26th
Fumble Recoveries
6
T-26th
Interceptions
10
T-25th
Penalties
121
29th
Penalty Yardage
1,041
T-28th
Coaching Changes
Title
2019
2020
Head Coach
Vic Fangio
Vic Fangio
Offensive Coordinator
Rich Scangarello
Pat Shurmur
Defensive Coordinator
Ed Donatell
Ed Donatell
Special Teams Coordinator
Tom McMahon
Tom McMahon
Quarterbacks Coach
T.C. McCartney
Mike Shula
Running Backs Coach
Curtis Modkins
Curtis Modkins
Wide Receivers Coach
Zach Azzanni
Zach Azzanni
Tight Ends Coach
Wade Harman
Wade Harman
Offensive Line Coach
Mike Munchak
Mike Munchak
Assistant Offensive Line Coach
Chris Kuper
Chris Kuper
Offensive Quality Control Coach
Chris Kragthorpe
Justin Rascati
Offensive Assistant
Rob Calabrese
Rob Calabrese
Defensive Line Coach
Bill Kollar
Bill Kollar
Linebackers Coach
Reggie Herring
Reggie Herring
Outside Linebackers Coach
Brandon Staley
John Pagano
Defensive Backs Coach
Renaldo Hill
Renaldo Hill
Defensive Quality Control
Nathaniel Willingham
Nathaniel Willingham
Defensive Assistant
N/A
Chris Beake
Special Teams Assistant Coach
Chris Gould
Chris Gould
Head Strength & Conditioning
Loren Landow
Loren Landow
Assistant Strength & Conditioning
Anthony Lomando
Anthony Lomando
Assistant Strength & Conditioning
Cedric Smith
Cedric Smith
Assistant to the Head Coach
Rob Grosso
Mike Hiestand
2019 ushered in a new era for the Denver Broncos: The Don of Fangio. After exiling Vance Joseph to the desert, the Broncos brought in the longtime defensive coordinator for his first ever shot as Head Coach. The season got off to a rough start as the Broncos fell to 0-4 before limping into the bye week at 3-6. Injuries took their toll on the Broncos early and often, but with Fangio's guidance and some late season lineup changes, the Broncos finished the year 7-9. After ending the season on a high note, Fangio is back for his second year in Denver. Gone is Rich Scangarello, whose experience as the QB Coach in San Francisco had fans excited about the potential of the Broncos offense. As the season wore on, Scangarello's offense failed to live up to the hype. Whether it was ineffective quarterback play, poor game scripts, or too many weird sweeps to the tight end, the Broncos finished last in several key offensive categories (28th in Yards Per Game, 28th in Scoring, and 26th in Yards Per Attempt.) Scangarello was fired at the season's end and replaced with Pat Shurmur. Shurmur's stint as the Head Coach of the New York Giants was a wash, as the club won nine games in his two years. However, Shurmur's aggressive, down-the-field offense seems a better fit for sophomore quarterback Drew Lock. Shurmur bringing in his guy Mike Shula as the Quarterback Coach should help him learn the offense and take the next step in his NFL progression. On defense, Ed Donatell returns to helm a unit that finished 10th in Scoring and 12th in Yards Allowed. One notable hire in this coaching group is John Pagano, who is here to boost the pass rush on a defense that finished with 40 sacks, nearly the league average. ST Coordinator Tom McMahon is still around, despite another middling year from special teams. Maybe new punter Sam Martin will help with that.
Free Agency: Arrivals...
Player
Position
Contract
Shelby Harris
DE
1 year, $3.25 million
Jurrell Casey
DE
2020 7th round pick (to TEN)
AJ Bouye
CB
2020 4th round pick (from SF trade)
Melvin Gordon
RB
2 years, $16 million
Graham Glasgow
OG
4 years, $44 million
Nick Vannett
TE
2 years, $5.7 million
Jeremiah Attachou
OLB
1 year, $1.5 million
Jeff Driskel
QB
2 years, $5 million
Jacob Bobenmeyer
LS
2 years, $2.3 million
Sam Martin
P
3 years, $5.7 million
Shelby Harris wound up re-signing with Denver after having less interest on the market than anticipated. The talented defensive end comes back on a cheap "prove it" deal to play opposite Jurrell Casey. The longtime anchor for the Titans defensive line was sent to Denver for a measly seventh-round pick in a move that freed up a good chunk of cap space for Tennessee. The Broncos got another steal via trade in cornerback AJ Bouye. After an up-and-down career in Jacksonville, the 28 year old corner hopes to have something of a comeback season in Fangio's zone coverage scheme opposite Bryce Callahan. Former Chargers RB Melvin Gordon is here now, too, replacing Devontae Booker (and maybe Royce Freeman. Who knows.) When healthy, Gordon is a terror on the football field and should give the Broncos the pass-catching ability and goal line punch that Freeman and Lindsay couldn't quite find last year. Do I love that he has the 8th highest guaranteed RB salary this season? No. Will I ever forgive him for wrecking shop against Nebraska in 2014? Also no. Former Lions guard and noted BIG BOY Graham Glasgow is the latest free agent to play on Denver's offensive line. Glasgow has missed one start in the last three years and should bring some much needed stability to the offensive line. Nick Vannett is here now, for some reason. The Broncos have a thing for Big Ten tight ends and I truly can't wrap my head around it. Jeremiah Attachou is back as a depth piece behind Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. Jeff Driskel follows our aforementioned BIG BOY over from Detroit to back up Drew Lock. Jacob Bobenmeyer replaces longtime long snapper Casey Kreiter. I don't know much about him, but he's a long snapper, and that's enough for me. Punter Sam Martin signed with Denver after eight years in Detroit, hoping to break the punter curse that has plagued the Broncos since the departure of Britton Colquitt several years ago.
...and Departures
Player
Position
Team
Will Parks
Safety
1 year, $1.6 million (PHI)
Connor McGovern
C
3 years, $27 million (NYJ)
Chris Harris Jr.
CB
2 years, $20 million (LAC)
Derek Wolfe
DE
1 year, $3 million (BAL)
Andy Janovich
FB
Traded to CLE for 2021 7th Round Pick
Will Parks got a chance to play for his hometown team this offseason. After seeing the contract details, many were confused as to why Denver let Philly Will walk, but the versatile safety was fighting for playing time behind Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson. Connor McGovern got a decent payday from the Jets and will be a welcome addition on a line that has struggled to defend Sam Darnold (and Trevor Siemian. And Luke Falk.) The writing was on the wall for shutdown corner Chris Harris Jr. after Denver cashed in on the firesale in Jacksonville and scooped up AJ Bouye. Harris eventually signed a contract with the Chargers, who are not even the best soccer team in LA. Derek Wolfe was in a similar situation when the team landed Jurrell Casey in a trade with the Titans. Wolfe now joins Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams in the Ravens new and improved defensive front. Andy Janovich... I can't even talk about this, man. WHYWOULDGODLETTHISHAPPEN
2020 Draft Class
Pick
Player
Position
School
1.15
Jerry Jeudy
WR
Alabama
2.46
KJ Hamler
WR
Penn State
3.77
Michael Ojemudia
CB
Iowa
3.83
Lloyd Cushenberry
C
LSU
3.95
McTelvin Agim
DT
Arkansas
4.118
Albert Okwuegbunam
TE
Mizzou
5.178
Justin Strnad
LB
Wake Forest
6.181
Netane Muti
OG
Fresno State
7.252
Tyrie Cleveland
WR
Florida
7.254
Derrek Tuszka
DE
NDSU
It wasn't exactly a secret that Denver was looking to add a receiver in this year's draft. After months of reports that Denver was high on speedster Henry Ruggs III and rumors of a trade up into the top ten picks, Denver stood pat at the fifteenth pick and ended up with the best WR prospect in the class. Jerry Jeudy is a master route runner with excellent YAC ability, and will give the Broncos offense a true #2 behind last year's breakout star Courtland Sutton. Denver had the choice between Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb at Pick 15, and really couldn't have gone wrong with either. Jeudy was considered by many to be the most pro-ready receiver in the draft, and he now has the opportunity to prove that statement correct in Denver. The Kansas City Chiefs have put the league on notice: speed and field-stretching ability are a must in the new NFL. Enter KJ Hamler, who the Broncos picked in the second round of the NFL Draft. Hamler was a star for the Nittany Lions, racking up 906 yards and 8 touchdowns in his last season. He had 12 drops in 2019, which is some cause for concern, but he's got speed for days and can take the top off a defense without breaking a sweat. Between Hamler and Jeudy, the Broncos brass showed their faith in sophomore QB Drew Lock, who now has two talented rookies to sling the ball to. Despite having inferior corn, Iowa has conistently managed to pump out NFL-worthy talent. Cornerback Michael Ojemudia is no different. Ojemudia has excellent size (6'0", 199 lbs) and was a crucial part of the Hawkeyes zone defense. Ojemudia is also a solid tackler, which is a non-negotiable if you're hoping to start in a Fangio defense. I wasn't sold on Ojemudia at first (I was pulling for Mississippi State corner Cameron Dantzler at this point in the draft), but his tackling ability and success in a scheme similar to what Fangio likes has made me a hopeful that the former Hawkeye can have some success in a secondary that was begging for talent last season. Everyone gets hung up on Jeudy (and for good reason!) but my favorite pick in this year's draft was Lloyd Cushenberry in the third round. Cush was a star for LSU en route to their Natty win this past year. He's a better run blocker than anything else, but he kept Heisman winner and honorary Cajun Joe Burrow clean all season, and should be able to do the same for Drew Lock in 2020. Cush will likely end up starting Day 1 at Center for the Broncos, filling the void left by new Jets center Connor McGovern. McTelvin Agim was a pick that had me scratching my head, but I've since come around on it. The defensive tackle was a rare bright spot on the Razorbacks defense. Agim has killer burst off the snap and good agility for someone who clocks in at 307 lbs. This pick was made with an eye on the future -- Shelby Harris might be leaving after this season, after all -- but Agim has both the chance and the skill to make some noise up front for the Broncos defense. A quality defense and an affinity for Italian beef (citation needed) wasn't all Vic Fangio brought over from Chicago. Denver grabbed Albert Okwuegbunam in this year's draft, adding yet another tight end to an already crowded room. Albert O. is more of a receiver than a blocker, which is honestly fine. He's got great hands and is big enough to catch balls beyond the reach of the defender. He joins a tight end group that consists of Noah Fant, Jeff Heuerman, Nick Vannett, piles of bone meal, and whatever is left of Jake Butt. For years, it feels like Denver has struggled to find even a solid inside linebacker. Fifth round pick Justin Strnad is the latest player to attempt to fill the void left by the departures of Danny Trevathan in 2016 and Brandon Marshall in 2018. It’s no secret that John Elway doesn’t like spending big money or draft capital on inside linebackers, hence the Day Three selection of Strnad, but that’s not necessarily indicative of his talent. Strnad is rangy tackler who showed excellent athleticism during his time at Wake Forest. Denver’s ILB cupboard is pretty spare: Alexander Johnson had a bit of a breakout year for the Broncos last season, but behind him is run-stuffer Todd Davis and Josey Jewell, who will likely be fighting for a roster spot this season. Strnad should bring some much needed athleticism to a unit that desperately needs it. Every year, there are a handful of rookies who fall two or three rounds due to injury concerns. Fresno State guard Netane Muti is no different. The former Bulldog missed most of his 2019 season with a Lisfranc injury after missing much of the previous year with a ruptured Achilles. When healthy, however, Muti is an aggressive and athletic blocker in the run game and has the power to punch defenders off the line of scrimmage in pass protection. Denver’s offensive line is set, but Muti gives the team a talented depth piece with starting upside if he can stay healthy. After selecting Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler in the first two rounds, Denver sprang for another wideout late in the draft. Tyrie Cleveland played in 46 games at Florida, starting 26 of them. Cleveland has good hands and an excellent catch radius, but his lackluster route running and struggles to get separation showed on the stat sheet. He’s a developmental receiver that will push depth players like Fred Brown and Juwann Winfree for a roster spot. As is tradition, the Broncos spent a draft pick on a pass rusher, namely defensive end Derrek Tuszka. As a senior in 2019, Tuszka racked up 48 tackles and 13.5 sacks for the Bison. Tuszka finished his career in the lesser Dakota with 133 tackles and 29.5 sacks. Some will likely consider the talent of NDSU’s opponents a knock against Tuszka, but he’s a talented end who will be a good developmental player for the Broncos.
2020 Season Predictions
Week 1: vs. TEN (W) The Broncos get a tough matchup to open the season when the Titans come to town for a late Monday night game. Tennessee is coming off a season that ended in a loss in the AFC Championship. The Titans return most of their starters from last season on both sides of the ball, with Derrick Henry and a newly extended Ryan Tannehill leading the offense. The two teams met last season in a game that Denver won 16-0, just before Tennessee ripped off a series of wins that earned them a 9-7 record and a playoff spot. Broncos newcomer Jurrell Casey will be eager to show his previous team what they’re missing, helping propel Denver to a close home win in their first game. Broncos 24, Titans 23 Week 2: @ PIT (L) Denver’s first road test is likely the toughest one on their schedule aside from @KC. The Steelers finished 8-8 last season with their defense doing its best to overcome the early season loss of Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben should be back this season, with newcomers Eric Ebron and Chase Claypool giving the offense some more firepower. The Broncos should be greatly improved on offense this year, but an early road game against a top five defense in 2019 is likely too much for Denver to overcome. Steelers 27, Broncos 17 Week 3: vs. TB (W) Open your heart to the snake oil peddler, Tampa Bay. Tom Brady joined the team during free agency, with wrestling star and cruise ship aficionado Rob Gronkowski following close behind. Brady’s pursuit of a seventh (!!!) Super Bowl win brought him to Florida, where he’ll be spearheading an offense that includes talented wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Denver is the only team Brady has a losing record against – he is 8-9 overall and 4-7 when playing in Denver. Look for that trend to continue this season when the Buccs come to town. Despite the best efforts of Brady’s offense and a defense led by former Bronco and 2019 sack leader Shaquill Barrett, Denver gets another win at home over the future Hall of Famer. Broncos 27, Buccaneers 24 Week 4: @ NYJ (W) The Jets are one of three AFC East teams who finally saw their long nightmare come to an end when Tom Brady left for the greener pastures of Tampa Bay. Sam Darnold is still a young and talented QB. Former Broncos C Connor McGovern and rookie OT Mekhi Becton were brought in to give the Jets QB some much needed protection, and rookie WR Denzel Mims is aboard to help stretch the field. However, the team is still coached by Adam Gase, and thus will continue to fall short of their potential ceiling. This matchup has all the makings of a classic Broncos trap game, but Denver should be able to get a comfortable win on the road. Broncos 23, Jets 13 Week 5: @ NE (L) As mentioned above, the Patriots will be beginning a season without Tom Brady for the first time in nearly two decades. Enter sophomore QB Jarrett Stidham and recent signing Cam Newton. The Pats are reportedly big fans of Stidham, but when a talent like Newton comes around, he’s not going to ride the bench if he’s healthy. New England’s defense finished the 2019 season as the best in the league and retained most of its starters. If you can believe it, the weapons at Newton’s disposal are probably better than those he had during the run up to Super Bowl 50. On paper, one would hope that Denver could squeeze out their fourth win of the year. However, a second consecutive road game against Bill Belichick and the vaunted Patriots defense is too much for this young team to handle this early in the season. Newton gets a modicum of revenge against Denver after becoming Von Miller’s son in early 2016. Patriots 24, Broncos 16 Week 6: vs. MIA (W) After two trips to the east coast, the Broncos return to the Mile High City to try and get back in the win column. Despite being one of the worst teams to take the field in 2019, the Dolphins head into 2020 with a completely rebuilt roster. Free agents Jordan Howard and Matt Breida have come to keep Ryan Fitzpatrick from being the team’s leading rusher for a second year, while Shaq Lawson and Byron Jones have come to South Beach to shore up the league’s worst defense. Rookie tackle Austin Jackson will be battling for a starting spot, but will he be protecting Fitzmagic or rookie phenom Tua Tagovailoa? The Dolphins figure to be a better team in 2020, but a road game in Denver isn’t quite winnable for this team yet. Denver moves to 4-2 in a game that isn’t as close as the score would have you think. Broncos 30, Miami 17 Week 7: vs. KC (L) Denver went into the draft looking to match Kansas City’s speed on offense; a wise decision, considering that speed won the team its first Super Bowl since the moon landings. Patrick Mahomes is now the highest paid athlete of all time, having recently signed a deal that will keep him in the AFC West’s collective nightmares for another twelve years. The Chiefs were quiet in the offseason but woke up one morning and bought themselves a gun in rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire. This Broncos team is better than the one that lost both matchups with KC by a total score of 53-9, but a game against the reigning champs isn’t quite winnable for Denver yet. This one gets away from Denver early. Chiefs 31, Broncos 23 Week 8: BYE Week 9: @ ATL (W) A midseason Bye is a plus for any team, especially one coming off a loss to a division rival. The timing couldn’t be better for Denver, who travels to Atlanta in Week 9 to take on the high-powered Falcons offense. Atlanta swapped Devonta Freeman and Austin Hooper for Todd Gurley and Hayden Hurst in the offseason and added former Ram Dante Fowler Jr. to bolster their pass rush. I can’t really get a bead on this Falcons team, they could win twelve games or five, and neither would be terribly surprising to me. Denver comes out of the Bye strong and lets the defense do its job in a tight victory. Broncos 27, Falcons 24 Week 10: @ LVR (L) Introducing your Las Vegas Raiders, who will certainly be just as good as the Las Vegas Golden Knights in their first season. In fairness, the Raiders didn’t have a terrible offseason. They addressed their longtime problem at linebacker by picking up Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkowski in free agency. Maliek Collins and Prince Amukamara join Richie Incognito in Jon Gruden’s attempt to build Huskers West. Rookies Henry Ruggs III and Lynn Bowden Jr. hope to give the offense some juice. (Is Bowden the best QB on the team? Perhaps!) Jason Witten is here, for some reason. Unfortunately, Denver gets caught sleeping in this one, as Oakland Las Vegas puts it all on black for a home win. Raiders 24, Broncos 20 Week 11: vs. LAC (W) Sorry, Chargers, you’re on the receiving end of this home win. LA enters the 2020 season with a shiny new quarterback in Justin Herbert, former Broncos CB and fan favorite Chris Harris Jr, and rookie ILB/the entire Oklahoma defense Kenneth Murray. It wouldn’t surprise me if Tyrod Taylor starts the year for the Chargers, but barring any surprises, I expect Herbert to be trying to charm defenses into submission by Week 11. Despite having the most hype uniforms in the league, the Chargers lose a road game as a Melvin Gordon TD run seals the deal. Broncos 34, Chargers 17 Week 12: vs. NO (L) The Saints come marching in for the Denver’s toughest home game yet. Hall of Fame QB and pyramid scheme enthusiast Drew Brees has maybe one or two years left to win another ring, and this Saints team is in a good position to help him do just that. Rookie OL Cesar Ruiz gives the Saints an impenetrable offensive line, perfect for giving Brees enough time to find Michael Thomas or former Bronco Emmanuel Sanders down the field. Alvin Kamara is healthy again, which should scare everybody who is not a Saints fan. Denver’s hot and cold streak continues as the Saints take this one. Saints 28, Broncos 24 Week 13: @ KC (L) Sorry, Denver fans, but until the Broncos actually beat the Chiefs, I’m penciling every game in as a loss. Especially during a road game late in the year. With any luck, Denver won’t be playing this one in a blizzard. Denver keeps this game closer than their previous matchup, but that’s not enough of a bonus to take the win this week. Chiefs 31, Broncos 27 Week 14: @ CAR (W) NORTH CAROLINA, COME ON AND RAISE UP. Denver travels to the newly statueless Bank of America Stadium to take on a Panthers team that looks poised to chase the first overall pick. Teddy Two Gloves defected from the bayou to start for the Panthers, replacing new Patriots QB Cam Newton. Christian McCaffrey is coming off a year where he played his way into a massive payday. Rookies Derrick Brown and Jeremy Chinn hope to give a boost to a defense that was only better than Miami’s in 2019. Denver gets back in the win column as Carolina continues its quest for Trevor Lawrence. Broncos 34, Panthers 16 Week 15: vs. BUF (W) Denver returns home to take on a staunch Buffalo team that was a few weird plays from an overtime victory against the Texans in the playoffs last season. The Bills added Stefon Diggs to their receiving corps and snagged rookie AJ Epenesa to add to an already terrifying defensive front. Quarterback Josh Allen, who played his college ball just up the road in Laramie, should be able to throw the ball roughly two miles in the thin mountain air, but this game ends up being a low-scoring affair that is decided by the defense. Buffalo Bills, telephone bills, automo-bills, doesn’t matter. Denver’s defense grinds out a win at a chilly Mile High. Broncos 19, Bills 13 Week 16: @ LAC (W) After a tough and wintry outing against Buffalo, the Broncos get a bit of a vacation to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers once again. The outcome is the same, but even the Chargers can have a little home field advantage, as a treat. Denver gets a win and is on a hot streak heading into the last week of the season. Broncos 27, Chargers 23 Week 17: vs. LVR (W) After a bad weekend in Vegas earlier in the season, the Broncos host the Raiders in the regular season finale. Denver is rolling and the team’s first playoff berth since 2015 is on the line. Denver gets a commanding lead early and never really looks back. Oakland mounts a late rally, but a long Phillip Lindsay run keeps Denver ahead and runs out the clock on a winning season. Broncos 31, Raiders 24 It’s a tough schedule, but Denver’s hardest games are at home this season. They aren’t unseating Kansas City anytime soon for the division crown, but I’ve got the Broncos finishing 10-6 with a shot at the playoffs.
Shurmur’s New Offense
Pat Shurmur became the latest coach to join the Broncos earlier this year. After several years of rotating offensive coordinators (Rich Scangarello in 2019, Bill Musgrave in 2018, and a combination of Musgrave and Mike McCoy in 2017), Denver decided to take a chance on Shurmur. As mentioned earlier, Shurmur’s two years as the head coach of the Giants was less than inspiring. Denver didn’t hire him for his head coaching abilities, though. Rather, they brought Shurmur in based on his ability to squeeze good-to-great seasons out of his quarterbacks as an offensive coordinator (see Nick Foles in 2013 and Case Keenum in 2017.) Shurmur’s offense could not be more different from the scheme that Denver ran last year. I’m not sure what Scangarello’s offense would have looked like in its second year; Shurmur doesn’t get as cute with his skill positions pre-snap, but he will motion receivers inside on play-action and for run blocking. This offense is also much more vertical and aggressive than the scheme we saw Denver roll out in 2019. The Broncos ran a lot of plays out of 12 and 22 personnel last season, a holdover from Scangarello’s experience in San Francisco. Shurmur, on the other hand, uses a lot of spread concepts to stretch the defense. Lock should have plenty of options downfield as Shurmur's scheme opens up the back of the defense. Shurmur’s offense does not rely heavily on the use of fullbacks. (We miss you, Andy.) However, Shurmur still likes to run plenty, generally out of a zone scheme that got even Latavius Murray 842 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2017. Despite the impending shift to a more modern spread offense, the Broncos should still be running the ball plenty with their three solid RBs.
Projected Roster
QB: Drew Lock, Jeff Driskel RB: Phillip Lindsay, Melvin Gordon, Royce Freeman, LeVante Bellamy WR: Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, DaeShon Hamilton, Tim Patrick, Diontae Spencer TE: Noah Fant, Jeff Heuerman, Albert Okwuegbunam, Nick Vannett OT: Garett Bolles, Ju’Wuan James, Elijah Wilkinson OG: Dalton Risner, Graham Glasgow, Netane Muti C: Lloyd Cushenberry, Patrick Morris DT: Mike Purcell, McTelvin Agim, Christian Covington DE: Shelby Harris, Jurrell Casey, Dre’Mont Jones, DeMarcus Walker OLB: Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, Malik Reed, Jeremiah Attachou, Justin Hollins ILB: Alexander Johnson, Todd Davis, Justin Strnad, Josey Jewell CB: AJ Bouye, Bryce Callahan, Michael Ojemudia, De’Vante Bausby, Duke Dawson, Davontae Harris SS: Kareem Jackson, Trey Marshall FS: Justin Simmons, Douglas Coleman K: Brandon McManus P: Sam Martin LS: Jacob Bobenmeyer Practice Squad: Brett Rypien (QB), Shakial Taylor (CB), Josh Watson (LB), Malik Carney (LB), Derek Tuszka (DE), Tyrie Cleveland (WR), Zimari Manning (WR), Douglas Coleman (SS), Essang Bassey (CB), Hunter Watts (OT)
Players To Watch:
Drew Lock, QB This feels like cheating, but that doesn't make it any less true. It took a while to get him into the starting lineup, but Drew Lock showed enough in his five starts to earn a vote of confidence from both Elway and the coaching staff. Granted, the bar wasn't set terribly high by either Joe Flacco or Brandon Allen, but the team brass spent the offseason building an offense around the second-year signal caller. Rookies Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler give a massive boost to the passing game, while Melvin Gordon provides a powerful threat in the running game. For the first time in several seasons, the Broncos offense looks like a strength rather than a liability. All Lock needs to do is deliver.
Garett Bolles, OT This is truly a make-or-break year for Bolles. The team declined to pick up his fifth year option this past spring, and the 2021 draft class has some quality tackles that could come in and replace Bolles on day one. The hope is that another year under the tutelage of OL mastermind Mike Munchak can help break Bolles of some of his old habits, not to mention having a quarterback who can move around in the pocket and avoid pressure (Bolles allowed pressure once every 46.8 pass rush snaps through the last five weeks of the season.) The one good thing anyone can say about Bolles is that he has remained healthy during his three years in Denver, but if he can't clean up his technique, don't be surprised to see Samuel Cosmi or Alex Leatherwood starting in his place next year.
Shelby Harris, DE Harris re-signed with the Broncos last spring after his market dried up -- rumor had it that he was headed to Indianapolis before the Colts made a late trade for DeForest Buckner. Harris was incredibly productive for the Broncos the last couple of seasons, especially after moving back to his more natural position of defensive end in Fangio's scheme last season. Look for Harris to have a massive chip on his shoulder as he builds on a 2019 campaign where he totaled 6 sacks, 49 tackles, and 9(!!!) passes defensed.
Bryce Callahan, CB No, really, can someone keep an eye out for him? I haven't seen him anywhere.
SportsLine's advanced computer model simulated Saturday's LSU vs. Oklahoma game 10,000 times. Oklahoma Betting Stats & 2019 Season Profile. Season Record: 11-1 Against-the-Spread Record: 5-7 Conference: Big 12 Offense Yards Per Play Rank: 1 Defense Yards Per Play Rank: 42 S&P+ Special Teams Rank: 28 Analysis: The Sooners have the highest success rate of any offense in college football.OU ranks in the top 25 in almost every offensive category from the ground to the air. For fans of points scored, this is the game for them. Oklahoma ranks second in total offense, only bested by their opponent, LSU. LSU (47.8 ppg) edges Oklahoma (43.2 ppg) in scoring offense and passing efficiency. Bottom line, there’s no questions about either team’s offense; the game is going to come down to defense. No. 1 LSU takes on No. 4 Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl on December 28th. LSU opens as an 11.5 point favorite in the spread over Oklahoma, per OddsShark.The over-under is set at 75 points in what ... Peach Bowl Playoff Semifinal: Oklahoma vs. LSU: Point Spread Line Movement Saturday Dec 28, 2019 4:00 pm - Atlanta, GA (Neutral Site) Odds: Louisiana State by 12.5, Total Points: 75 LSU averages the most yards per game with 554.3, while Oklahoma comes in second with 554.2. yards per game. The weak spots on both of these teams comes in on the defense. In this one, we will see a pair of Heisman finalists with Joe Burrow , the heavy favorite, and Jalen Hurts , the latest star transfer quarterback at Oklahoma. LSU is a 13-point favorite for the College Football Playoff national semifinal game on Dec. 28, according to VegasInsider.com, on Monday morning with the spread moving two points since it opened. Oklahoma Sooners vs. LSU Tigers Point Spread - Pick. Oklahoma Sooners (12-1 SU, 5-8 ATS) vs. LSU Tigers (13-0 SU, 8-4-1 ATS) Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl – College Football Playoff Semifinal Date/Time: Saturday, December 28, 2019 at 4PM EST Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia TV: ESPN. By Loot, NCAA Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com LSU vs. Oklahoma: Prediction, pick, odds, line, spread, Peach Bowl 2019 kickoff time, preview The Tigers and Sooners will battle in the first of two College Football Playoff semifinals on Saturday
LSU vs Oklahoma Football 12/28/19 (CFB Playoff Semifinal ...
Gary and Chris preview College Football's 2019 Peach Bowl between Oklahoma and LSU, taking place on Saturday, December 28th, with picks against the spread, p... Our 'Inside College Football' analysts preview #4 Oklahoma at #1 LSU in the Peach Bowl for the 2019 college football season. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL: https:... I do not own the rights to any material shown. All videos posted are for archival purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended. LSU Tigers vs Oklahoma Sooners Predictions, Picks, and Odds for their Peach Bowl showdown on Saturday, December 28, 2019, from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlan... Who will win the National Championship? LSU OSU Clemson OU?CFB Playoff Score Predictions. Peach Bowl & Fiesta Bowl PicksPlayoff Predictions, Mock Drafts, Bon...
