College football Top 25: Clemson leads the way in reduced field
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2020 College Football Preview
The Lexington Herald-Leader’s 2020 College Football Preview special section was published in the print edition on Sunday, Aug. 30. Click below to view all the stories from that section that have been published on Kentucky.com.
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With the Big Ten, Pac-12, Mountain West and Mid-American conferences deciding to sit this one out, the Top 25 has taken a different shape in this different year. No Ohio State. Or Penn State. Or Michigan. Or Oregon. Or USC. Or Boise State. There are still 76 FBS teams planning on playing in 2020. Here are the Top 25 from the group taking the field.
1. Clemson
No way a virus is going to stop Dabo Swinney and his “Football Matters” T-shirt. Returning quarterback Trevor “#WeWantToPlay” Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne make Clemson the cream of this reduced coronavirus crop. Losing receiver Justin Ross for the season was a blow, but there’s more horsepower under the hood. The Tigers have won 22 straight ACC games.
2. Alabama
No doubt Nick Saban did not enjoy sitting out the College Football Playoff last season, so the Alabama coach isn’t about to let that happen again. Penalties and a failure to stop the run were Bama’s Achilles last year. A powerhouse offensive line, receivers DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle and a more disciplined defense should produce a Crimson comeback.
3. Georgia
The Bulldogs hit the transfer jackpot when quarterbacks Jamie Newman (Wake Forest) and JT Daniels (USC) decided to make Athens their second home. Coach Kirby Smart will have another rib-rocking defense, and who knows, maybe the Dawgs will actually be more bite than bark once the SEC title game rolls around.
4. Oklahoma
The Sooners would be higher up the preseason ladder had not big-play running back Kennedy Brooks opted out of the 2020 season. Yes, OU has to replace quarterback Jalen Hurts, but that shouldn’t matter considering every QB head coach Lincoln Riley tutors turns to gold. If only the same were true for the Sooners’ defense, where improvement has proved daunting.
5. Florida
Kentucky did Dan Mullen a favor last season, knocking out quarterback Feleipe Franks for the season and forcing the Florida coach to play Kyle Trask, the better of the two. This is year three for Mullen in The Swamp and the Gators appear primed to steal Georgia’s SEC East crown. If Trask keeps developing, Florida might just turn the trick.
6. LSU
Not sure if the smell of cigar smoke — the Tigers celebrated their 2019 title with stogies all around — has departed Baton Rouge, but plenty of talent has left the football building. Coach Ed Orgeron saw a record 14 alums taken in the NFL Draft. The cupboard isn’t completely bare, of course. It’s LSU. Key will be if Coach O finds a quarterback to feed stud wideout Ja’Marr Chase.
7. Notre Dame
Faced with being left out in the coronavirus cold, the Irish hooked up with the ACC where it will compete for a conference championship for the very first time. Coach Brian Kelly’s club will be a leading contender, too, thanks in large part to returning quarterback Ian Book. Senior tackle Liam Eichenberg is the linchpin up front.
8. Auburn
Starting quarterback Bo Nix suffered some growing pains last year as a true freshman, but should benefit from the experience this time around. Coach Gus Malzahn has just 10 starters returning, but there are plenty of young talented Tigers to pick up the slack.
9. Texas
After pantsing Georgia in the 2018 Sugar Bowl, the Longhorns were a bit of a letdown in 2019. But quarterback Sam Ehlinger is back to run coach Tom Herman’s offense and linebacker Joseph Ossai is Texas’ next big defensive star. The offseason controversy over singing the “The Eyes of Texas” will be forgotten if the ‘Horns can beat Oklahoma.
10. Texas A&M
The Aggies are preview maven Phil Steele’s pick to click for 2020. You can see why. Coach Jimbo Fisher returns a talented roster, led by quarterback Kellen Mond, thanks to three years of recruiting efforts above and beyond. NCAA rules that is. The Indianapolis enforcers stuck A&M with probation, but not a postseason ban.
11. North Carolina
On his second tour of Chapel Hill duty, North Carolina Coach Mack Brown is proving you’re never too old to recruit. With surprising swiftness, Brown has replenished the UNC roster, including stealing five-star cornerback Tony Grimes from Georgia. He’s eligible this year to share the spotlight with sophomore quarterback Sam Howell on offense.
12. Cincinnati
With the Big Ten opting out of fall football, the Bearcats are suddenly the pride of Ohio. Coach Luke Fickell’s team should be up to the task, thanks to the core that won 11 games a year ago. Quarterback Desmond Ridder returns. So does enough defensive talent to make Cincinnati a national name in 2020.
13. Oklahoma State
It wasn’t just coach Mike Gundy’s fashion sense — Gundy’s OAN T-shirt sparked a player uprising — that posed problems for the Pokies in the offseason. Running back Chuba Hubbard still sounds a little chafed and Gundy’s handling of the entire program has come into question. Just 8-10 in the Big 12 over the last two seasons, wins will quiet Gundy’s critics.
14. Kentucky
If consistency compounds, the Cats are in a good spot for whatever 2020 throws their way. Coach Mark Stoops is in his eighth season. He has four starters back on an offensive line that cleared the way for a school rushing record in 2019. Plus, Stoops returns key parts from a defense that by the end of last season had turned a question mark into an exclamation point.
15. Louisville
New coach Scott Satterfield reenergized the PPSD (Post Petrino Stress Disorder) Cardinals last year. A surprising eight wins, including the Music City Bowl, showed up on the U of L scoreboard. Malik Cunningham, Tutu Atwell and Javian Hawkins return on offense. Satterfield’s next task: Develop a defense that allows fewer than 33 points a game.
16. Tennessee
Head coach Jeremy Pruitt was left for dead after the Vols lost to Georgia State in their 2019 opener. What a difference even a coronavirus year makes. UT finished the season with five straight wins. Senior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano appears to have finally figured things out. And Trey Smith anchors an improving offensive line. The schedule-makers did the Vols no favors with Alabama, Auburn and Texas A&M on the itinerary.
17. UCF
Surely the Knights are licking their chops what with the Power Five now the Power Three. UCF is 35-3 over the past three seasons and Coach Josh Heupel returns Dillon Gabriel at quarterback. The Knights would probably have to run the table to have a shot at this year’s truncated College Football Playoff, but they’ve shown before that they’re capable of doing just that.
18. Iowa State
A couple of years ago, Matt Campbell’s name popped up in NFL circles as a future pro coach. That might still be the case if Cyclones quarterback Brock Purdy continues to turn heads. He led the Big 12 in passing a year ago. Now Campbell must figure out how to bolster the ISU defense. The ‘Clones do get Oklahoma in Ames on Oct. 3.
19. Miami
Blanked by Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl, the Hurricanes fed last year’s offense directly to the shredder. Former SMU offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee is the new play-caller. Houston grad transfer D’Eriq King is the new quarterback. If head coach Manny Diaz can survive the opt-out of Gregory Rousseau on defense, Miami will write a better ending to 2020.
20. Virginia Tech
The Hokies have had an entire offseason to think about the 18-play, eight-minute marathon drive Kentucky used to ruin their Belk Bowl. Justin Fuente starts his fifth season as head coach, but its first without now-retired defensive coordinator Bud Foster (Justin Hamilton takes over) and he’s also missing star cornerback Caleb Farley, who opted out to concentrate on the NFL Draft.
21. Appalachian State
The Mountaineers are the train that just keeps on rolling. Scott Scatterfield left for Louisville after 2018. No problem. Eli Drinkwitz led ASU to a 13-win season. Drinkwitz left for Missouri. No problem. Shawn Clark takes over a team lead by quarterback Zac Thomas and a tradition of coming out on top. Over the last five years, ASU is 54-12.
22. TCU
Gary Patterson was among the coaches who found himself in hot water when the players empowerment movement took over the summer. Tempers seem to have cooled in Fort Worth and the Horned Frogs have a potential star in running back Zachary Evans. Returning quarterback Max Duggan is out indefinitely with a heart abnormality not related to COVID-19.
23. Memphis
The way his summer has gone with the Seminoles, new Florida State coach Mike Norvell may be wishing he had stayed in Memphis. After all, he’d have senior quarterback Brady White and star running back Kenneth Gainwell. Ryan Silverfield is the man in charge. His task: Stay ahead of Cincinnati in the AAC.
24. Baylor
Matt Ruhle was such a force of nature, it’s hard to believe things will be the same in Waco. Former LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda isn’t exactly taking over a fixer-upper, but there is work to be done. Having quarterback Charlie Brewer back is a plus.
25. Pittsburgh
Losing star defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman to an opt-out was a kick in the teeth, but the Panthers are solid otherwise under Pat Narduzzi, son of former UK assistant Bill Narduzzi. Quarterback Kenny Pickett needs to take another step forward after throwing for 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season.
This story was originally published September 2, 2020 at 7:45 AM.
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