Previewing The 2018 College Football Season

By Trey Scott

(247 SPORTS) - Think about what we thought a year ago.

Ohio State's biggest controversy was whether J.T. Barrett could throw a good enough deep ball. Jalen Hurts was Alabama's future. Christian McCaffrey, Leonard Fournette and Dalvin Cook had exited college football - ending one of the game's great eras of running backs. Florida State and Jimbo Fisher were going to make another Playoff run.

And then a lot happened. Deondre Francois went down, Tua Tagovailoa went in, Saquon Barkley went long, Bryce Love went longer. Scott Frost came home, Baker Mayfield planted a flag and struck a pose. Iowa State shocked the world (more than once) and Georgia turned into Alabama. And then Bama proved it's still Bama.

The 2017 college football season is worth revisiting. It was nuts. For this practice, on the eve of the beginning of the 2018 college football season, let's use 2017 as a reference point — one last time.

This year's Tua? This year's Saquon? This year's Alabama?

THIS YEAR'S FLORIDA STATE? WASHINGTON

Criteria: Disappointing preseason top-10 team

I like the Huskies just fine, but I don't even have them winning their division (rolling with Stanford), so I'm definitely not putting them in the Playoff. Much like Florida State a year ago, the Huskies will open the season against a top-10 SEC team in Atlanta. Alabama ruined Florida State in 2017. Expect Auburn to get after UW quarterback Jake Browning and expose his limitations. A season-opening loss will set the tone for a subdued campaign in Seattle, given the Playoff expectations.

THIS YEAR'S TUA TAGOVAILOA? TREVOR LAWRENCE

Criteria: True freshman who becomes a household name

Mind you, it only took Tua two quarters to become a household name. So go easy on me for picking a guy who's not even going to start Clemson's opener. But all indications are that it's only a matter of time before Lawrence, the second-best quarterback prospect ever, usurps incumbent Kelly Bryant.

Do I think it'll happen by Week 2, when the Tigers go to College Station? No, that's a little much for a true freshman, though Lawrence will be an extraordinary one. If you're picking Clemson in the Playoff, then it should be under the premise that Lawrence will be in charge by then. It's not like Bryant's chopped liver — though Clemson's defense is so stupidly good, the Tigers could win 10 games if I was playing quarterback. Lawrence just lifts the Tigers into another dimension.

THIS YEAR'S BRYCE LOVE? JERRY JEUDY

Criteria: Breakout star who replaces a first-round pick

Jeudy is one of a trove of talented second-year receivers who will step up for the Tide with Calvin Ridley off to the NFL. He's not going to reset the record books or become a Heisman finalist as Love did in replacing Christian McCaffrey, but Jeudy's a potential monster in the mold of Ridley — a supremely polished route-runner with an innate feel for the game. Of course, we also could've gone with Henry Ruggs, Devonta Smith, redshirt freshman Tyrell Shavers or even true freshman Jaylen Waddle, who's earning rave reviews in fall camp. But Jeudy might be the safest bet.

THIS YEAR'S GEORGIA? TEXAS

Criteria: Team ranked in the 15-25 range who makes a conference title/Playoff push

Kirby Smart's first year in Athens didn't go as planned (8-5). Tom Herman's didn't in Austin, either (7-6). But you know how Year 2 went for the Georgia Bulldogs. It'd be stupid to say this year's iteration of the Texas Longhorns finish an overtime away from a national championship, but they're a sneaky-good Big 12 pick considering how close they played Baker Mayfield's Sooners, Sam Darnold's Trojans and Mason Rudolph's Oklahoma State Cowboys (those three losses by a combined 11 points).

Texas brought in 2018's No. 3 recruiting class, which included a potentially historic defensive backs haul. They'll bolster a defense that's already going to be salty. If dual-threat quarterback Sam Ehlinger takes a big step under Herman's guidance, then Texas might finally, finally, be … back?

THIS YEAR'S SAQUON BARKLEY? SHAWN ROBINSON

Criteria: September Heisman

TCU has three potential Top 25 opponents in September in Ohio State, at Texas, Iowa State — though we'll see if the Longhorns can navigate a tricky opening stretch and if the Cyclones are still standing after Iowa and OU in back-to-back weeks – and such a potential stage presents a nice opportunity for sophomore quarterback Shawn Robinson, a dynamic dual-threat quarterback.

Robinson represented TCU at Big 12 Media Days, despite not having officially won the job at that point. But it's his now, and it's not like he'd be the first Horned Frog quarterback to garner some Heisman buzz in Sonny Cumbie's offense (where ya at, Trevone Boykin?). TCU's offensive attack continues to grow more explosive with each improved recruiting class, and Robinson will have some seriously good toys at his disposal.

THIS YEAR'S IOWA STATE? BOSTON COLLEGE

Criteria: Potential giant-killer you do not want to play

The Cyclones knocked off two top-5 teams last year, beating 31-point favorite Oklahoma in Norman and then getting past TCU a few weeks later.

Now, look: I'm not saying Boston College is going to beat Clemson or Miami or Florida State (even though the Eagles waxed them in 2017). But the opportunity will be there late in the season. If AJ Dillon wasn't a flash in the pan as a freshman, then BC is going to be tough to stop.

I wanted to go with LSU for this category by merit of their opportunity to knock off a couple top-10 teams, by the way. But then the Tigers wound up in the preseason Top 25 and, the more you think about it, calling LSU "this year's Iowa State" is all sorts of weird.

THIS YEAR'S BAKER MAYFIELD? DWAYNE HASKINS

Criteria: Heisman winner, rising NFL darling

Killing two birds with one stone here. And if we could break the rules and draw parallels to college football seasons beyond 2017, then I'd have gone with Jameis Winston's redshirt freshman year at FSU in 2013. He replaced a very capable quarterback in E.J. Manuel — and then the Noles took off.

I think Haskins could have the same effect in Columbus. He won't be the runner that J.T. Barrett was, but in flashes he's already shown off a Cardale-like shotgun for an arm. He was clutch in relief vs. Michigan (and, honestly, was the reason the Buckeyes even won that game). Ohio State's offense is about to open up vertically for the first time in what feels like forever. Haskins throwing for 40 touchdowns wouldn't stun me.

THIS YEAR'S SCOTT FROST? TROY'S NEAL BROWN

Criteria: Mid-major coach du jour

OK, there's no Frost in this year's crop of coaching candidates. The farm system for those candidates reset after a torrid few years on the carousel that saw the likes of Frost, Tom Herman, P.J. Fleck, Matt Campbell, Willie Taggart and others get snatched up for bigger opportunities.

It seems like Brown is ready for such a jump. The 2017 Sun Belt Coach of the Year has a 25-13 record at Troy, with a win over LSU to boot. If jobs opened at Texas Tech or even Kentucky, places Brown worked previously as an offensive coordinator, he'd make a lot of sense.

Others also in line for a level-up are Toledo's Matt Candle and Memphis' Mike Norvell.

THIS YEAR'S ALABAMA? CLEMSON

Criteria: National title pick, of course

This is married to the (fairly safe) assumption that the Tigers will wind up starting Trevor Lawrence. In last season's Playoff match, Kelly Bryant seemed overmatched by Alabama. The addition of Lawrence — coupled with the return of an all-time defensive front, so much underrated offensive talent and the fact that I don't think Alabama will be as good defensively in 2018 — gives the Tigers a leg up over the Crimson Tide. They're the two best teams in football, no question. Who wouldn't love to see them meet in the Playoff for a fourth straight year? This time, I think the Tigers even up their recent series and Dabo Swinney wins his second national championship in three years.