COLLEGE FOOTBALL EVE 2019: THE ROUNDTABLE

By The Touchdown CFB Team

Football is back! The Touchdown’s CFB braintrust have gathered together over tea and biscuits to answer all the big questions and make some bold predictions for the season ahead…

those with a seat at the table:

RORY-JOE DANIELS

JOSHUA EDWARDS

SIMON CARROLL

National Champions:

RORY: ALABAMA

Despite a crushing loss in the National Championship last year the Crimson Tide look as strong as ever. Tua Tagovailoa is a legitimate next level QB, they have a packed wide receiver corps and as per usual the defensive side of the ball should be a force. If the trio of Terrell Lewis, Anfernee Jennings and Trevon Diggs stay healthy then it is difficult to see anyone, except Clemson, being a realistic challenger.

JOSHUA: ALABAMA

It’s hard to keep the Crimson Tide down for long. Continuity is king and Nick Saban might have a chance to start almost entirely juniors and seniors on offense. Tua will likely develop further especially given such a promising WR corps which includes Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle and Henry Ruggs. If Alabama can get improved play from their secondary, they can threaten Clemson. Revenge is a powerful emotion and Saban will harness it to Bama’s advantage.

SIMON: ALABAMA

It’s a full house i’m afraid. Have you seen just how deep this Alabama roster is?! There’s not one position on the field that they don’t have a strong starter in, and in Tua Tagovailoa, Jerry Jeudy and Dylan Moses they have elite pieces that are already playing at an NFL level. Only Clemson can hold a candle to The Crimson Tide, and with all their starters on defense gone The Tigers will struggle to frustrate Alabama like last year.

CFB Predictions

Dark Horse:

RORY: WASHINGTON

With Clemson and Alabama being so far ahead of everyone else picking a dark horse for National Champion is a tough ask. It could be possible that the Pac 12 produces a contender. The division was off colour last year and failed to produce a threat to the title. Washington have a new signal caller in Jacob Eason and that could be enough to see the Huskies pull away from the pack. It began to feel like Jake Browning was putting a ceiling on the team’s potential so having a prototype big-arm prospect like Eason may be the tonic needed for a title charge.

JOSHUA: SYRACUSE

The Orange won 10 games last season but went under the radar in doing so. Their losses were tight and to good teams: 27-23 against Clemson, 36-3 to Notre Dame and a 44-37 overtime loss to Pitt. Syracuse might be hoops first, football second, but winning 10 games breeds confidence and hope and sells tickets. Plus, Tommy DeVito likely starts at QB and he has my favourite name in CFB, so let’s go Syracuse! (‘I mean funny like I’m a clown, I amuse you? I make you laugh, I’m here to f-in’ amuse you? What do you mean funny, funny how? How am I funny?’).

SIMON: UTAH

Syracuse are a nice team. But what are they dark horses for exactly? I’m with Rory – if the PAC 12 can produce an undefeated champion instead of stealing wins off each other then they have a serious chance at a playoff spot. Sadly for him he chose the wrong PAC 12 team. The Utes are loaded in multiple positions, see most starters and all their coaches returning, and have the easiest schedule in the conference. I’m fully aboard the Utah bandwagon.

CFB Predictions

Heisman Trophy Winner:

RORY: TREVOR LAWRENCE, QB, CLEMSON

Lawrence was just getting started in 2018. He returns with a full year under his belt and the surrounding talent that make him the envy of other QBs. He is on target to be the number 1 pick overall in the 2021 draft and is the closest thing to a sure thing as you will get. Throwing to Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross, I expect a monster year.
 

JOSHUA: JUSTIN HERBERT, QB, OREGON

Given the strength of this season’s quarterback class I’m confident that the Heisman will be won by the best QB in the nation for the fourth time running (Murray, Mayfield, Jackson). For me that player will be Justin Herbert of Oregon who, spoiler alert, I have pegged as the first overall pick in the draft. The 6ft 5inch QB had some bad games in 2018 (Arizona in particular) but I’m all in on the Oregon native in 2019 – he is most reminiscent of Andrew Luck and made a sound decision to stay for his senior year.

SIMON: JONATHAN TAYLOR, RB, WISCONSIN

Whilst it’s hard to argue with either of the picks above, going with a Quarterback is just too easy for me. Did you know that the last non-Alabama running back to win the Heisman was Eddie George in 1995?! It’s about time that changed, And who better to do it than a guy who’s basically had two 2,000 yard rushing seasons with 29 touchdowns? Jonathan Taylor is a nasty ball carrier and you can engrave his name on the trophy the second he hits his third 2k season.

2020 NFL Draft #1 OVERALL PICK:

RORY: CHASE YOUNG, EDGE, OHIO STATE

Young is a physical phenom. He has the size and speed off the edge that you routinely see getting snaffled with the first pick. The way he attacks the line of scrimmage is similar to that of Myles Garrett and the Bosa brothers who preceded him at Ohio State. If a team with an established QB have a bad year, Young will be the obvious choice.
 

JOSHUA: JUSTIN HERBERT, QB, OREGON

Four of the past five first picks in the draft have been quarterbacks and as I’ve mentioned already, I think Herbert is most likely to be the first of the board next April.

SIMON: ANDREW THOMAS, OT, GEORGIA

I really wanted to go Chase Young here but i’ll offer another name out there instead. For me, The Cardinals are still the favourite for the #1 overall pick. And with Kyler Murray in place they’ll address either the limp pass rush or better yet, the porous offensive line. With one of the most diminuitive QB’s in the league under center they’ll want to protect his blindside. Thomas is arguably the most polished left tackle in college football and stands to get even better in 2019.

CFB Predictions

Breakout Player:

RORY: SHAUN WADE, DB, OHIO STATE

We are back at Ohio State with this pick. Jeffrey Okudah will be the player who most draftniks have their eye on during this season which will free up others to make plays. While Okudah shuts down one half of the field, Wade can reap the benefit. A five star-recruit, he can roam the backfield as a true corner, nickel or safety. By the end of the year he could be a household name.
 

JOSHUA: DEMETRIS ROBERTSON, WR, GEORGIA

Riley Ridley and Terry Godwin are gone and there’s a big void to fill for the Bulldogs. Robertson can fill that void. He didn’t have a catch last year because he transfered late and sat behind Georgia’s estabished playmakers, but in 2016 he went for 767 yards and 7 TDs for Cal as an 18 year old. Robertson is my breakout surprise for 2019 and can go from zero to hero to allay the fears of Bulldogs’ fans about their WR corps.

SIMON: JARRETT GUARANTANO, QB, TENNESSEE

The Volunteers have been a laughing stock for too long. But maybe, just maybe, they see salvation ahead. In his first full season under center in Knoxville, Jarrett Guarantano threw for almost 2,000 yards with 12 touchdowns and just 3 picks. THREE. This on an offense with an atrocious offensive line and statistically the worst rushing attack in the SEC. He shined in big wins against Auburn and Kentucky and plays mistake-free football. With another year in the system and the shackles off, I expect Guarantano to put himself on the map in 2019.

Storyline To Watch Out For In 2019:

RORY: CAN SCOTT FROST TURN NEBRASKA INTO A TOP TEN TEAM WITH THE HELP OF ADRIAN MARTINEZ?

It was a baptism of fire for Scott Frost at Nebraska. He lost his first six games in charge and the Cornhuskers looked a lost cause. However, Frost showed his man management skills to rally the troops. They finished 4-8 and there were glimmers that he could turn things around. They go into the season ranked 24 and with Adrian Martinez at QB we could see a charge for a top 10 berth.
 

JOSHUA: ARMY – HOW MUCH BETTER CAN THEY GET?

Army should have been ranked this year, if you ask me. Jeff Monken returns for his 6th season as head coach and quarterback Kelvin Hopkins is back too. Hopkins was superb last season for the Black Knights. They’re chasing their 3rd Commander In Chief’s Trophy in a row for the first time ever. A week 2 trip to Michigan will be a cracking watch and I’m really intrigued to see if Army can march to even greater heights this season.

SIMON: DOES THE TRANSFER PORTAL WORK?

Gone are stories of quarterbacks such as Tom Brady getting limited exposure at the college level. If guys with NFL aspirations are stuck on a losing team or mired at the bottom of a depth chart, they can enter the transfer portal and head for pastures new. Programs across the country have bought in and are stealing talent left right & centre, but does it really boost your football team? SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic highlights just how transient quarterbacks in particular are with this tweet here. With big things expected of the Shea Patterson’s, Jalen Hurt’s and Jacob Eason’s of this world, it will be interesting to see who wins this giant game of musical chairs.

If you have liked the content that The Touchdown CFB team have brought you this off-season, then stick with us! We intend to help further your knowledge of the college game throughout the year, before seamlessly transitioning into NFL Draft season. Rory & Josh will be previewing the ‘week zero’ games – Florida v Miami & Hawaii v Arizona – tomorrow.

FOOTBALL IS BACK. Enjoy the season folks! 

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