D'ville's Full-Service CFB Preview Thread for 2020!

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Ball State

Preview segment: The Ball State Cardinals

Last season: The Cardinals offense was roaring loudly! ...But the defense would let them down one time too many, and Ball State finished 5-7.

Bad news: The tight-end position may be a non-factor, and there's not much experience on the front of the defense.

Good news: Strangely, that's about it for the bad news; everything else looks set. The defense returns 7 starters from last year's aggressive unit, including a good core of linebackers. And the offense might not miss a beat; QB Drew Plitt, RB Caleb Huntley, and WR Justin Hall makes a formidable trio.

Key games:
9/26 vs. Wyoming (This is a big "prove-it" game for Ball State in terms of toughness...)
10/3 vs. Western Michigan (...and toughness is what they'll need to beat the Broncos and compete in the MAC West.)
11/18 @ Central Michigan (Last year, the Cardinals were ONE POINT away from denying Central Michigan the MAC West title as they lost 45-44.)
11/24 @ Toledo (Ball State WERE able to beat Toledo last year. Quite badly.)

Bottom line: Ball State must also go to Buffalo and Miami-Ohio, so the conference schedule will definitely be a hurdle. But it looks like the Cardinals has the horses to actually survive the grind this time. Maybe Mike Neu can finally get his alma-mater to a bowl game this year!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Central Michigan

Preview segment: The Central Michigan Chippewas

Last season: Well, this is strange. Jim McElwain gets away from the pressures of coaching at Florida, and he instantly succeeds at his new school as Central Michigan went from 1-11 in 2018 to a MAC West championship in 2019. Is there any chance that CMU can do it again this year?

Good news: 8 starters are back from a pretty good defense, including a proud secondary. WR Kalil Pimpleton headlines a big collection of skill players that can work on offense.

Bad news: However, who's gonna give these guys the ball at QB? I mean, David Moore was supposed to be the man, but his appeal about a drug charge was denied, and he might not see the field until late October [depending on how the schedule shakes out]. AND, his two backups aren't real experienced.

Key games:
10/3 @ Eastern Michigan (This is a tough way for CMU to start off their MAC slate, as they take on their most hated rivals.)
10/10 @ Northern Illinois (Visiting a NIU team that's desperate to return to glory will also be tough. Maybe this is the game where David Moore will show up.)
10/17 vs. Western Michigan (Maybe this game will take place at Ford Field in Detroit, maybe it won't. But regardless, this will definitely shape the MAC West race.)
10/24 vs. Miami-Ohio (Wow. October is gonna be VERY BUSY for the Chippewas. Maybe THIS is the game where David Moore will show up.)
11/11 @ Toledo (Crushing the Rockets 49-7 helped CMU get to the MAC title game last year.)

Bottom line: Upon further inspection, it looks like the MAC West will be REALLY wide open in 2020. That means that just about anyone can win it, including McElwain and his Central Michigan team. But if CMU wants to get back to Detroit in December, they had better ride that defense of theirs until they finally get their QB mess fixed.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Eastern Michigan

Preview segment: The Eastern Michigan Eagles

Last season: It was another losing season for the Eagles, but who gives a crap? With the best passing offense in the whole MAC, EMU was able to make back-to-back bowl games for the first time EVER.

Bad news: The defense could stand to get better at pressuring opposing QB's and/or forcing more turnovers. QB Mike Glass III is no longer at Ypsilanti, and the RB position looks wide open this year.

Good news: WR's like Dylan Drummond and a good O-line should help out whoever the new starting QB is. The kicking game will also be a solid hidden weapon for EMU.

Key games:
9/19 vs. Northern Illinois (An important conference opener for both of these teams.)
10/3 vs. Central Michigan (See my Central Michigan preview.)
10/24 vs. Toledo (The last 3 games in this series has been pretty good.)
10/31 @ Western Michigan (When EMU defeated Western Michigan 34-27 last year, it was their first win over the Broncos in 6 tries.)

Bottom line: Okay, Eastern Michigan hasn't really challenged for the MAC West division just yet. But this has still been a great job by Chris Creighton in rebuilding the Eagles. ...Just a shame that in 2020, a struggling defense might derail EMU's chances for another bowl trip.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Northern Illinois

Preview segment: The Northern Illinois Huskies

Last season: A combination of injuries to the defense and a strangely bad running game equaled a 5-7 record for NIU... just one year after winning the whole conference. Is this a sign of bad times to come?

Good news: Coach Thomas Hammock is confident that the collection of RB's that he has will revive the run game. Plus, everything else on offense looks set with two of the best tight-ends in the conference and a experienced O-line.

Bad news: That O-line will be missing Jordan Steckler, and QB Ross Bowers already suffered two concussions in his tenure at NIU. The defense may still be a problem, with the secondary having almost no experience.

Key games:
9/19 @ Eastern Michigan (See my previous post.)
10/10 vs. Central Michigan (The Chippewas destroyed NIU last year 48-10, so the Huskies are seeking payback.)
10/17 @ Ball State (Fans of the Huskies knew that 2019 was gonna be a tough year when Ball State defeated them for the first time since 2008.)
11/10 @ Western Michigan (One thing that NIU DID do in 2019 was deny Western Michigan the MAC West title during Senior Day.)
11/17 vs. Toledo (And of course, you can't forget this collision.)

Bottom line: NIU also must deal with BYU [in nearby Bridgeview, Illinois] and Buffalo, so this means they'll have a tough road in 2020 getting back to the big time. If the defense escapes the injury bug this time, they'll have a chance to compete in the wide-open MAC West.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Toledo

Preview segment: The Toledo Rockets

Last season: Entering November 6th, Toledo was sitting pretty; they were 6-3 and controlling their destiny in the MAC West. But then their luck ran out and they finished 6-6 with no bowl invite.

Bad news: No thanks to circumstances, Toledo's QB battle will rage during summer camp as Eli Peters and Carter Bradley go at it. The Rockets defense sucked in 2019, so the front 7 needs a lot of work.

Good news: But at least this Toledo defense can lean on it's secondary. The running game looks to be great once again.

Key games:
9/12 vs. San Diego State (In this east-coast/west-coast contest, we'll see if Toledo's defense is ready for the grind.)
10/3 vs. Ohio (Huh... These two Ohio schools hasn't faced each other that much anymore, do they? Anyway, Toledo is looking to beat the Bobcats for the first time in a decade.)
10/10 @ Western Michigan (In contrast, Toledo has done well against the Broncos as of late.)
11/11 vs. Central Michigan (Last year's game against CMU couldn't have gone any worse for Toledo if they tried. CMU won 49-7, they went to the MAC title game, and Toledo ended up with nothing.)

Bottom line: It's not wise to count out the Rockets; they have enough talent to get over their first non-winning season since 2009. Toledo will once again be in the hunt for a wide-open MAC West; whether or not they win it could depend on which QB will show up.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Western Michigan

The last preview segment for the MAC: The Western Michigan Broncos

Last season: Much like Toledo, Western Michigan had a good thing going in 2019; if they defeat Northern Illinois in their season finale, they were on their way to the MAC title game.
But like Toledo, Western Michigan blew it losing 17-14 to NIU. And it got worse when a stupid penalty costed them their bowl game. Now Tim Lester is rumored to be on the hot seat entering 2020.

Good news: Part of the reason why is because the Broncos has some good pieces to make another run. The O-line is in good shape, and the WR's can make plays from anywhere. There's a lot of experience up front on the defense, too.

Bad news: The defense could stand to do better at dropping their YPG [yards per game] allowed. But the biggest worry may be at the RB position, as LeVante Bellamy has left the building.

Key games:
10/3 @ Ball State (After a tough non-conference slate [Cincinnati, Notre Dame, and Syracuse], the Broncos will relish the chance to make an immediate impact on the MAC West.)
10/10 vs. Toledo (See above game.)
10/17 vs. Central Michigan (So last year, the Broncos beats their in-state rivals for the 5th time in 6 years, yet CMU still wins the MAC West? I'll bet ya that WMU doesn't like that fact.)
11/10 vs. Northern Illinois (A straight-up revenge game, pure and simple.)

Bottom line: Okay, maybe I exaggerated Tim Lester's job status a little bit. He HAS been able to keep the Broncos program afloat after the P.J Fleck era, but I think the fans over in Kalamazoo wants him to take WMU back to the MAC West title.
If the defense does better, the Broncos will have as good a chance as anyone to make it to Detroit in December. But if Western Michigan flops badly this year, it may indeed get toasty for the coach.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

MAC Predictions

...Okay, now I'm off to have another think about whether or not to keep these previews going. But before I leave, here are my picks for the MAC in 2020:

MAC East:
1. Buffalo (Conference champs)
2. Miami-Ohio
3. Ohio
4. Kent State
5. Bowling Green
6. Akron

MAC West:
1. Western Michigan
2. Toledo
3. Ball State
4. Central Michigan
5. Northern Illinois
6. Eastern Michigan

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

An important update

I'm not throwing in the towel for this year's preseason, but... I'm no longer doing separate team previews. And it's because after the Big 10 and the PAC-12 threw away their non-conference schedules (and messing up a few of my previews in the process), I don't want to take the risk of having a "key game" that I select become worthless.

Now, I'm not abandoning you guys. Conference predictions? I can do that. CFP and "New Year's Six" predictions? No problem! ...Just get used to the lack of posts from me over the next few weeks.

Thanks for understanding.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

ACC Atlantic analysis

Now it's time to get to serious business. In order to get through the "Power 5" conferences, I'm just going to give you guys my first impression of each team, and then give out predictions later.
So let's start by going through the ACC Atlantic division:

Boston College:
New head coach, new running back (AJ Dillon is in the NFL), new QB (Anthony Brown transferred to Oregon)... almost new everything over here. But the defense and special teams look OK. Maybe a lower-level bowl is not out of the question... IF new stars on offense emerge.

Clemson:
The defense looks to not skip a beat. Trevor Lawrence is back for another year, and (surprisingly) so is Travis Etienne. So if I don't do something quick, Clemson will run over everyone in the Atlantic again... IF their new offensive line holds it together.

Florida State:
Lost in all of the worrying over the offense is how bad the defense was last season. But the new coach has already earned praise for his organizational skills... something that FSU has been lacking recently. Can Mike Norvell succeed where Willie Taggart failed?

Louisville:
Scott Satterfield has already did a great job over here (Louisville went from 2 wins to 8 over the span of a year), and he's hoping that the Cardinals can continue to improve. But now the real journey begins; Louisville's defense was woeful a year ago, so how much better will it be in 2020?

NC State:
Uh oh. Dave Doeren's fine run at NC State is in some trouble; they went 4-8 last year and there are some rumors of bad mojo going around the program. But if the Wolfpack scraps together a bowl invite this year, the next 2 years could be great.

Syracuse:
The preseason hype got to the Orange last year, and now they got problems to solve on a rebuilding O-line and a new scheme on defense. If both of those units struggle again, we might have a big problem.

Wake Forest:
Some teams in the ACC Atlantic are wringing their hands, just thinking about survival. At Wake, however, optimism is running wild. Now they're thinking "Man! If we fix our problems at the O-line, we can shoot for 2nd place in the Atlantic this year!"

I'll try to get the ACC Coastal previews out tomorrow, OK?

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

ACC Coastal Predictions

So I managed to beat "Cuphead" two days ago, even with a drifting Joy-Con... What? Sorry, I was just mumbling something. Anyway, let's get to my look at the ACC Coastal:

Duke:
After 4 years of steady decline, Duke's offense would hit rock-bottom last season. But Duke has maybe one of the best defenses in the whole ACC right now, so maybe they just need to fix the passing game to go bowling again.

Georgia Tech:
To the shock of nobody, Georgia Tech had a rough 2019. Now the rebuilding truly begins, as this team will most likely be better. But if their schedule stays intact, it could be another tough go at it.

Miami:
Miami had another mediocre year in 2019, but a strong recruiting class and a proud defense has the Hurricanes thinking "We are gonna win the Coastal THIS time around!". The ego is a wonderfully resilient thing.

North Carolina:
Jeez. One 7-6 season under Mack Brown, and now the Tar Heels are now thinking about the ACC title game in 2020? Well, 10 starters are returning to the Tar Heel offense, so maybe they have a reason to be so optimistic. Now if only they can get past the two Virginia teams in the division...

Pittsburgh:
The wild-card of the whole conference. Coach Pat Narduzzi may just have his most talented team here at Pitt, and the defense has 8 starters back (including a proud secondary). If the running game gets going again, watch out!

Virginia:
Fresh off an ACC Coastal title and a Orange Bowl appearance, the Cavs want to keep the gravy train going. That won't be easy to do with QB Bryce Perkins (and some of his top receivers) gone, but the defense could help out a lot.

Virginia Tech:
So Bud Foster is now gone, but Va-Tech is returning 19 starters from last year's team. Maybe THIS is the year that coach Justin Fuente wins over the Hokies fanbase with a strong season.

My conference predictions are coming up this weekend!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

ACC Predictions

Seems like some people are already liking my new approach to the 2020 previews! ...But now it's on to something they may not like: My predictions for the ACC this season:

ACC Atlantic:
1. Clemson (Conference champs, maybe playoff)
2. Louisville
3. Wake Forest
4. Florida State
5. NC State
6. Boston College
7. Syracuse

ACC Coastal:
1. Virginia Tech (Maybe "New Year's Six)
2. North Carolina
3. Miami
4. Pittsburgh
5. Virginia
6. Duke
7. Georgia Tech

Next week, I'll get to the Big 12 conference.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Big 12 Previews (Part 1)

Now we go on to the conference full of bad defenses and proud QB's. It's time to look at the Big 12 in 2020:

Baylor:
Last year was phenomenal! ...But the coach that led them there (Matt Rhule) is gone, replaced by a guy (Dave Aranda) in his first head coaching job ever. Oh, and the defense is only returning 2 starters. At least QB Charlie Brewer is here.

Iowa State:
Stupid ol' me really thought that Iowa State had the chance to go to a "New Year's Six" bowl last year. But 9 starters return on defense and QB Brock Purdy is still here, so that type of breakthrough is still possible over in Ames. Beat Texas or Oklahoma State this year, and it WILL happen.

Kansas:
Same ol' struggling team, still trying to not suck. The offense MAY move upwards, but Kansas ain't going anywhere unless the defense gets better.

Kansas State:
Coach Chris Klieman won 8 games in his debut year here. Was it beginner's luck, or does K-State have the next Bruce Snyder? 2020 will test his coaching muscles, as the O-line and the RB position are potential problems.

Oklahoma:
Listen to me: The Sooners are ONCE AGAIN going back to the Big 12 title game as they have known commodities everywhere. Everywhere, that is, except at QB. Can the coach actually develop a QB that he himself recruited?

(To be continued in Part 2)

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Big 12 Predictions (Part 2)

Oklahoma State:
It really does look like a great team will be in Stillwater for the 2020 season; that's why tensions are so high over there right now. If the Cowboys somehow beat Oklahoma THIS time around, we could see them in the "New Year's Six"... or even higher.

Texas:
Oops! Texas flopped in 2019, but people are now saying that "it was a young team in Austin last year". Coach Herman overhauled his coaching staff for this year, and now he's hoping that with more veteran players here he can buy himself some time.

Texas Christian:
Man! Only 7 starters total are returning, there's no known QB behind Max Duggan, there's still injury concerns... God's been kicking down TCU a bit over the last couple years. If the offense stabilizes, though, they should be fine.

Texas Tech:
Great offense, crap defense... Yep, sounded like a typical year for TTU last year. But coach Matt Wells is looking for a better defense this year; if he does, it'll be a dangerous weapon in his arsenal.

West Virginia:
WVU's offense sucked last year, but it wasn't Jarret Doege's fault. If Jarret keeps his spot as the Mountaineers' starting QB, a hopeful defense should do the rest.

My conference predictions will come this weekend!

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Good work with this previews, definitely nice to read even when making these predictions are nearly impossible to navigate right now with the constant schedule changes

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Big 12 Predictions

I haven't checked my schedule as of late, but I think I'm doing the Big 10 in this coming week. I'll go check on that, but first here are my picks for the Big 12:

1. Oklahoma (Conference champs, maybe playoff)
2. Oklahoma State (Maybe "New Year's Six")
3. Iowa State
4. Texas
5. Baylor
6. Texas Tech
7. TCU
8. Kansas State
9. West Virginia
10. Kansas

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

PAC-12 North Previews

...I never really liked those stupid UConn Huskies anyway. Buncha cowards... What? Oh, sorry, you came here for PAC-12 previews. Well, let's start with the North division:

California:
Talk about 2020 being a bizarro year; this year the Cal Golden Bears might just be the best team in the state of California. Their conference slate works in their favor, and hopefully the Cal offense will improve with 10 starters coming back.

Oregon:
Last year, Justin Herbert actually did what he came back to Oregon to do: Get Oregon a PAC-12 title and a Rose Bowl victory! ...But now he's gone, and so is 4 starters from the O-line. But at least the defense should keep Oregon a favorite in the conference.

Oregon State:
A lack of practices in the spring boned Oregon State's offense, but here's another PAC-12 team with a solid defense. If the coaching staff finds a QB quickly enough, the postseason might beckon for the Beavers.

Stanford:
For the first time in a while, Stanford is NOT a favorite entering the season. That's fine by the Stanford coaching staff; they're more worried about fixing a running game that has sucked over the last couple of years. Oh, and the defensive front needs work, too.

Washington:
The Huskies will have a new coach (who's in his very first head-coaching job) and a new QB, but has experience everywhere else. But with a brutal conference slate, who knows what'll happen this year?

Washington State:
Mike Leach has left the building, and so has Anthony Gordon. So Wazzu will have a new coach (Hawaii's Nick Rolovich) and almost no experience at QB. ...This could be a tough road for the new-look Cougars this year.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

PAC-12 South Previews

And now, my look at the PAC-12 South:

Arizona:
2 years into Kevin Sumlin's tenure, and Arizona has gone from PAC-12 South favorite to depressed soul. Now if the new QB (Grant Gunnell) and his WR's doesn't produce in 2020, Sumlin's job security will be on the lips of nearly everybody in Tucson.

Arizona State:
In contrast, Arizona State is sitting pretty. They have a good defense, and a mini-NFL experience that is enticing recruits. Now all Herm Edwards has to do is get some help for QB Jayden Daniels, and we could be looking at our next PAC-12 South champs.

Colorado:
One 5-7 season, and Mel Tucker flew the coop? That (and other circumstances) has put the Buffaloes in quite a bind, but at least the new coach knows that this is a multi-year project. A bunch of starters from 2019 are returning, so that should help.

UCLA:
...Just know that some real progress will have to be made for Chip Kelly and his "Baby Bruins" to compete in this division. I mean, we only have 3 starters returning on defense and a muddled mess at the O-line and at quarterback.

USC:
Clay Helton actually kept his job in 2019! ...But then he assembled the worse recruiting class in USC history. Combine that with a whole lot of newness at the school (new AD, new school president), and it's safe to say Helton is right back on the hot seat. If the defense doesn't make big strides to improve...

Utah:
So close! I was SO DAMN CLOSE to being vindicated when I said Utah would make the CFP last year! The Utes did have a great 2019, but cue the slidedown; Utah has a new QB and only 2 starters returning on defense.

My conference predictions is coming soon!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

PAC-12 Predictions

For F--K'S SAKE! Thanks to the cowardly MAC conference, I now have to reconsider my preview segments AGAIN! I gotta take a few days off to think about this.
Before I do, I'll give you my PAC-12 picks before I go:

North division:
1. Oregon
2. California
3. Washington
4. Stanford
5. Oregon State
6. Washington State

South division:
1. Arizona State (Conference champs, "New Year's Six" bowl)
2. USC
3. Utah
4. UCLA
5. Colorado
6. Arizona

 

[Gohogs14]

Any plan on finishing this now that it's looking a bit better for most teams playing? Enjoyed reading your previews!

 

[jwolt92]

I'll do the Florida State preview for you @Dolgevillefootballfan

Florida State 2020: Still bad. Won't get any better until the OLine is fixed.