Kramer: College Football Bowl Season Preview – Exclusive VSiN News – News

I’m struggling. There, I said it.

I’m not ashamed to admit that college football is moving too fast for my comfort. Given how quickly lists evolve, it’s hard to keep up with it all.

Maybe I shouldn’t admit it. I live and breathe sports every day, and I’ll let you know my findings and thoughts every week.

I’m too connected to social media. I follow the beat writers for all the major teams in the sport. The foundation was created to always know what is happening in college football.

But now? I feel a little lost.

As bowl season gets underway, the draft and transfer portal makes things very difficult to process. There are hundreds of players on the portal, stars leaving early for the draft, and coaches leaving one program after another. (That last part is not new.)

One coach, Scott Satterfield, is leaving Louisville for Cincinnati. These two teams will meet on Saturday in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl. (Great title, by the way.)

How do we reasonably expect to influence what that move will be for a given program?

While I’m in favor of empowering players forever and ever, it certainly hasn’t made the handicaps any easier for these illustrious exhibitions.

In a way, it’s a challenge. It also feels extremely random. For the record, none of this is a complaint in any way. It is simply an acknowledgment that we have our responsibilities.

Also, barring a major change by the NCAA, which is unlikely to happen, this is the new normal. We might as well adapt, because every December from now on is going to be a lot like this one.

Snack: football trivia and observations

1. Caleb Williams is your Heisman winner, which should come as no surprise. It’s weird to see a non-playoff QB win the award, even though it was the right choice. Williams was a statistical monster, helping to transform the program in one season. I thought he would have fun, although I didn’t expect such a surge. For those who got on the train before the start of the season, you’re likely to enjoy cash in the 8/1 to 10/1 range. Not too shabby.

2. For the second consecutive season, the Heisman winner will return to college football. Alabama’s Bryce Young, who won in 2021, got a chance to repeat the feat. He failed to do so, although he did a pretty solid encore. Williams will likely have a higher mountain to climb given the Trojans’ defense and how much work needs to be done. However, he will be the face of the sport next year and is likely to be a heavy favorite for the award. It’s still early days, but I’ll almost certainly be betting elsewhere.

3. I won my army and navy bet MORE, even though I felt disgusting. With the score at 10 after regulation and both offenses essentially doing very little, extra football ultimately doomed the UNDER. Let me apologize to those of you holding these tickets. Overtime and a blocked punt that led to a touchdown boosted the final score by OVER 32.5 points. You deserve a better outcome than this. Whoever boasts of this victory should not be in your inner circle. (I’ll take it, though.)

4. Jeff Brohm’s return to Louisville could be very successful. It felt like this move was lost in the madness, but I really like this decision for both parties. Brom from the district. He should be a force in recruiting and a challenge in the ACC for years to come. His offense seems to be traveling and it will be again. I really like this move.

5. Speaking of coaches, the hype around Deion Sanders remains palpable. Speaking to soccer minds around the country, it seems like the transfer portal is very interested in Colorado, something we haven’t talked about in a while. Sanders is also assembling a hugely experienced staff. It will take some time, but so far so good.

6. Jackson Smith-Njigba is not playing in the college football playoffs. The player who imploded during last year’s Rose Bowl will rehabilitate his hamstring and focus on the NFL draft rather than the game against Georgia. It’s been a losing season for the wide receiver who is likely to be an early draft pick. As for Ohio State, they are still loaded at the position.

Buffet: Top five games of the week

We have a lot of games we want to cover and we will be moving forward each week.

To begin with, we present all the games until December 18th^thousand. Good health.

While the teams aren’t making a ton of national noise, this is a great football game between two very good football teams. Both teams come into this match very hot, each having won 10 games in a row. UTSA has covered the spread in four of its last five; Troy has covered the spread in five of its last six. While UTSA appears to be the more explosive offense, Troy, which finished the season with the No. 5 scoring defense in the nation, may be the more elite group. I’m leaning towards Troy, though I’m interested in watching two uniquely crafted teams go head-to-head.

Well, it’s embarrassing, and we talked about how unique this coaching exchange is between these two programs. It won’t directly affect this game, although two interim coaches are never easy to match. However, the biggest news surrounding this game is that Louisville QB Malik Cunningham is out. Brock Doman is likely to be a starter for the Cardinals, and he has played a few this year. Cincinnati’s offensive situation isn’t exactly dazzling either, and the Bearcats also need to find a rhythm with Luke Fickell gone and the transfer window open. This one can be ugly.

For Fresno State, it felt like 2022 was two different football seasons. The Bulldogs started the season 1-4, thanks to tough competition and poor play. Fresno closed the season with eight straight wins, covering the spread in its final three games. Washington State ended its year against Washington, and it didn’t go very well. The Cougars have allowed 703 rushing yards and one can’t help but wonder if that performance will continue. While Wazzu has had some moments this year, Bulldogs QB Jake Hanner, who has a wealth of talent, probably loves this matchup.

Which team will Florida field? This is not a joke. QB Anthony Richardson and standout offensive lineman O’Cyrus Torrence are headed to the NFL. The Gators have also been hit by a flurry of transfer announcements on the portal. ​​​​​​While it may seem strange to see the Beavers as a double-digit favorite against a team with so much history, it is not. On the Oregon State sideline, the Beavers closed out the year with a huge win over Oregon. They have also covered the spread in their last six games. There’s definitely still talent in Florida, though I’m not sure if the spread is high enough. That win over Utah seems like a long, long time ago.

Although some of the first cups make for an ugly scoreboard, this is not one of them. It’s one of the biggest numbers on the board this offseason, and it feels fitting. SMU was ranked 123rd nationally in scoring defense; BYU ranked 100th in the same category. The Cougars ended a disappointing year with three straight wins (and covers). SMU bounced back from a rough game against Tulane with a three-point win over Memphis. Both teams should be relatively intact for the match, although I don’t have a clear opinion either way.

Last Call: Parting Shots in other important games

Seth Littrell’s surprising layoff is an interesting storyline for North Texas. In that sense, it feels like Boise State should turn around when it does. As always, the “if” is real during bowling season.

The atmosphere at UAB is questionable right now. With the arrival of a new coach and an active transfer portal, this game will be difficult to understand. While Miami (OH) isn’t as talented, the points are tempting.