3 STORYLINES TO WATCH
Year of the Quarterback
They're everywhere: UCLA's Josh Rosen; USC's Sam Darnold; Wyoming's Josh Allen; Louisville's Lamar Jackson; Washington State's Luke Falk; Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph; Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield. There are more, but college football is stacked with better NFL prospects at the quarterback position than last year, and that doesn't even encompass the players who are less-hyped for the next level but are stars at this one. Let the over-evaluation process begin.
Herman’s Horns
It's a tired cliche, but it's true: It's all well and good to have programs in the Lone Star state like Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech and Baylor (OK, you can leave the last one out) have success, but it's just not the same if the the University of Texas Longhorns aren't in that party. Charlie Strong recruited solid talent but couldn't win with it, so he was fired and replaced by Tom Herman. The hope in Austin is that Herman, after a successful stint in
Houston, can finish the job that Strong started.
Playoff consistency
By and large, you can't really argue with the results of the College Football Playoff system. However, that does not mean it is without flaws, because there are overlapping, contradictory criteria. Last year's Penn State team won the Big Ten but had two losses, while Ohio State lost to Penn State and did not win the conference, but had a better non-league resume. The Buckeyes got the nod, but there was enough dissent to warrant greater clarity on what the committee actually values most.