-Originally published 8/12/20-
These teams won’t necessarily be aiming for the playoffs or a BCS game, but they’ll all be entertaining to watch this season. Whether it’s a high powered offense, NFL prospects, or just the ability to entertain, this is a list of teams you might not otherwise tune into this season, that you should consider watching.
Arizona State
Herm Edwards in his last horah as a coach is on the verge of competing for a Pac-12 title. Duel-threat, quarterback Jayden Daniels accounted for over 3,000 yards of offense and 20 TDs in his freshman season and has shown flashes of becoming a star. Top receiver Brandon Aiuik is gone to the NFL but Frank Darby (31 Rec, 616 Yds, 8 TDs) returns to potentially become next ASU receiver in line after N’keal Harry and Aiuik to become 1st round NFL draft picks during Herms reign. Returning is running back Eno Benjamin who rushed for over 1,000 yards and 10 TDs completing a trio of promising skill players. The defensive side of the ball will undergo a base scheme change in 2020 that’ll hopefully improve that side of the ball.
ASU’s new schedule has the Devil’s opening the season against rival Arizona in Tucson and key matchups include road trips to Oregon on Friday, October 9th and USC on Saturday November 21st.
Boise State
Boise’s freshman QB Hank Bachmeier was banged up last season and posted numbers (1,187 passing yards, 9 TDs, 6 INTs, 62% Completion) that didn’t look thrilling, but he shows potential with the supporting cast that’s returning. The potent running attack saw freshman George Holani run for over 1,000 yards and 7 touchdowns and Robert Mahone ran 400+ yards and 6 touchdowns. Receivers Khalil Shakir (63 Rec, 872 Yds, 6 Tds) and CT Thomas (41 Rec, 522 Yds, 5 Tds) provide real threats. The defense loses over 20 sacks on the defense line from last season, but there is potential for growth with who is left.
Indiana
Indiana featured field one of the better defenses they’ve had in a while last season and has real talent on offense moving forward. Before Michael Penix Jr. went down with an injury at QB last season, he logged promising numbers (1,394 Yds, 10 Tds, 4 Int, 68% Comp) and showed promise while having his most productive game in a loss to Michigan State while guiding Indiana to a 5-1 start to the season. Running back Steve Scott III (178 Att, 845 Yds, 10 Tds) returns to the backfield and top receiver Whop Philyor (70 Rec, 1,002 Yds, 5 Tds) returns to be the top target for Penix.
Indiana won’t be able to compete with Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan in-division and they’ll lose to Wisconsin in Madison in the season opener. This doesn’t mean Indiana can’t compete and pull a few upsets to build on last season’s 8-5 record.
Iowa Stata
Eyes will be on Spencer Rattler at Oklahoma and Sam Ehlinger at Texas for the Big 12 conference championship, but the NFL already has it’s eyes on quarterback Brock Purdy at ISU. Purdy is already a two-year starter who logged 3,982 passing yards, 27 Tds, 9 Ints on 65% completion percentage as a sophomore last season. Sophomore running back Breece Hall (186 Att, 897 Yds, 9 Tds), as does a fleet of receiving options in tightened Charlie Kolar (51 Rec, 697 Yds, 7 Tds) and wide out Tarique Milton (35 Rec, 722, 3 TD), who will have an opportunity to the top spot vacated by the departed Deshaunte Jones (76 Rec, 877 Yds, 2 Tds). The defense wasn’t great, but top linebacker O’rien Vance (66 Tks, 6.5 Sacks, 1 FF) returns. Iowa State finished 3rd in the Big-12 last season and should have the firepower to place similarly again.
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes have had an unexciting decade outside of a 2017 run that started with a 10-0 record and ended with back-to-back regular season losses that kept them out of the ACC championship. The ‘Canes ended 2017 with a third straight loss and finished 10-3 after losing to Wisconsin in the Orange Bowl. Fast-forward a 7-6 and 6-7 finish to 2018 and ’19 and a few things have changed heading into 2020.
The excitement revolves around QB transfer D’eriq King from Houston. King sat out 2019 after a rough start to focus on school and preserve his last year of eligibility. A duel threat that recorded an excellent stat line (2,982 PASS/YDS, 36 TDS, 6 INTs, 63% COMP, 674 RUSH/YDS, 14 RUSH/TDS) during his last full season in 2018 and recorded just under 1,000 total yards of offense and 12 touchdowns in the bumpy four game sample size from last season with a less talented roster. He’s one of the better mobile quarterbacks in the country and he’ll be enjoyable to watch every week.
Manny Diaz was less-than-stellar in his first season as a head coach last year, but he’s made his bones as on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive lineman Quincy Roche recorded 13 sacks at Temple in his junior year and he’s transferring to Miami for his last year of eligibility before heading to the NFL. Unfortunately for fans, top defensive prospect Gregory Rousseau opted out of this season to prepare for the draft after recording 15.5 sacks last season.
Diaz brought in a top-20 recruiting class to infuse with (little) returning talent. With D’eriq King energizing the offense and the defense hopefully becoming strength, Miami has the ability to run through a weak ACC. Top games include: Oct. 10 @ Clemson, Nov. 14 @ Virginia Tech, and Dec. 5 against North Carolina.
Mississippi State
Mike Leach always fields one of the top passing attacks in the nation and he’s moving southeast from Washington State to Mississippi State. The SEC hasn’t been home to many open offenses with Saban only opening the playbook after recruiting Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa in the past few seasons and LSU switching to a more open scheme just last year that allowed them to win the National Championship.
Leach was able to snap up KJ Costello out of Stanford as a transfer to make the journey East with him and figures to quarterback the offense in Leach’s first season. Costello is a pocket quarterback with career numbers of 5,834 passing yards, 46 touchdowns, 16 interceptions and a 63% completion percentage. An injury ended his season early last season for Stanford. Running back Kylin Hill ran for 1,350 yards and 10 touch downs last season. Wide receivers Osirus Mitchell (29 Rec, 430 Yds, 6 Tds) and Deddrick Thomas (30 Rec, 401 Yds, 2 Tds) are the top producers returning to the passing attack. MSU will be adding a top-30 recruiting class for the sixth consecutive year.
This team won’t be fun to watch if they’re constantly getting crushed (like Georgia Tech last season, switch coaches and offensives schemes from a triple-option to a spread offense) but it will be entertaining averaging 60+ passing attempts-per-game if they can stay relatively competitive.
Memphis
Memphis will return key members to a top-10 offense in 2019. Quarterback Brady White (4,014 Yds, 33 Td, 11 Int, 64% comp), WR Damonte Coxie (76 Rec, 1,276 Yds, 9 Tds) and running back Kenneth Gainwell (231 Att, 1,459 Yds, 13 Tds) will all have an opportunity to play in the NFL. The offense will be top-notch again and exciting to watch. The AAC is always underrated and Memphis, UCF (Central Florida) and Cincinnati will be in a three way battle for the conference crown this season. All three have exciting offenses and matchups between any two of the three squads will be exciting. Memphis is my pick to win the AAC this season.
North Carolina
Mack Brown brought in a top-35 recruiting class in his first year back in Chapel Hill, top-20 class this season and he’s lined up a top-10 class so far for next season. The star of his recruiting labor so far is Quarterback Sam Howell. Howell won ACC Offensive player of the year last season (over Trevor Lawrence) as a true freshman and returns one of the best wide receiver duos in pair of 1,000 yard receivers Dazz Newsome (10 TDs) and Dyami Brown (12 TDs). The defense returns linebacker Chazz Surratt, a top NFL prospect. Surratt started his career at quarterback in 2017.
The team was close to a breakthrough last season. All six losses were by a touchdown or less including an OT loss @ Pitt and a 6-OT loss @ Virginia Tech. The covid schedule change adds a home date against Norte Dame to the schedule and a road trip to Miami to close out the season. It’s not inconceivable that NC is 7-0 or 6-1 heading into those final two games. The Tar Heels should be a lock for 9 wins and playoff dark horses should they knock off Clemson in a potential ACC title game matchup.
North Dakota State
North Dakota State has dominated FCS (1-AA) football, winning 8 of the past 9 national titles. The highlight for NDS this season is QB Trey Lance. Lance is a redshirt sophomore that could be a first round pick in the 2021 NFL draft if he leaves early. Lance passed for 2,786 yards, 28 TDs, and 0 interceptions with just under a 67% completion rate. He also rushed for 1,100 yards and 14 TDs. He doesn’t need to air it out much with NDS’s rushing attack, but NDS games will be with a watch to see the future NFL quarterback in action.
Texas A&M
Quarterback Kellen Mond (2,897 YDS, 20 TDS, 9 INTS, 61% COMP) hasn’t been stellar, but he’s a 2+ year starter with wheels (500 RUSH/YDS, 8 RUSH/TDS) and Jimbo Fisher trusts him with the ball in big spots. Don’t forget, Mond outdueled Joe Burrow and LSU in a 73-72 7OT victory in 2018. Texas A&M hasn’t excelled on the offensive or defensive side of the ball but Fisher has brought in top-10 recruiting classes in back-to-back years to help improve a top-30 offense and defense. There are pieces on both sides of the ball to build on.
Texas A&M had a brutal schedule in 2019 that included losses to Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Georgia, and Clemson. The good news? The aggies beat everyone else including Oklahoma in the Texas Bowl to finish 8-5. The pre-covid schedule could have seen the aggies starting 9-1 or 10-0 heading into the final two weeks of the season against Alabama and LSU. A post-covid schedule won’t do them any favors. As of this writing, there will be the normal divisional matchups against Alabama (away), Auburn (away), and LSU (home). Florida was added to the home schedule and will be a tough out. If the Aggies can win the games they’re supposed to and show enough improvement to split the tougher matchups, an 8-2 or better record is in the cards.
USC
Freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis stepped up last season and finished with 3,502 passing yards, just shy of a 72% completion percentage, 30 TDs, and 9 INTs. He’s a pocket QB that could be looking for a Heisman before he finishes his collegian career. Michael Pittman Jr. is gone to the NFL, but the wide out position shouldn’t suffer with Amon-Ra St. Brown (77 Rec, 1,042 Yds, TDs), Tyler Vaughns (74 Rec, 912 Yds, 6 TDs) and Gary Bryant Jr., the #7 WR in the 2020 signing class. USC also runs a quartet of running backs highlighted by Vavae Malepaei (105 Atts, 503 Yds, 6 Tds) that provides a lot of depth. USC has a shot to win the Pac-12 this season and Kedon Slovis could be a Heisman dark horse if his numbers continue to explode this season. The offensive will be explosive. Stay up late on the east coast for late-night USC games.