By: Heath Moorman (@heat1017)
Miami is HOT
Coming off a win in the national championship game at the end of last season, you would think Miami would’ve been the favorite in the opening game rematch between them and Texas A&M. That was not the case. But Miami showed up and showed out, largely due to two parts of their game plan. The first being success throwing the ball, getting the most value out of transfer Quarterback TJ Cunnington (Fun fact, the last true Freshman QB to play at Miami was Mateo Walker in Season 16, each quarterback since has been a transfer). The second being filling up the passing lanes and denying A&M any chance they got.
My official hot take coming out of Miami is this: the Defensive Player of the Year award will be coming to Miami at the end of Season 23. The Miami staff has figured out how to read opposing quarterbacks. Over their last 4 games, reaching back to last season, they’ve picked off opposing quarterbacks 15 times. They’ve got fresh young talent bolstering that side of the ball this season, and I think one of them will separate themselves from the others and emerge as the top defensive player in the league.
We Need a Diet for ACC Quarterbacks
Not being entirely serious here, but who decided to start recruiting offensive linemen to play the QB position in the ACC? These boys look like they could single-handedly out-horsepower a Dodge Viper. Bojack Merriweather, standing at 6’3”, 285, looks like he should be lining up at nose tackle, but his size won’t stop him from carrying the rock, lumbering for a 13-yard carry in week 1. Bear Michaels is another lineman-sized signal caller, but his size seemed to hinder him in week 1, as he was unable to escape from 7 sacks, and that pressure influenced 4 interceptions in Florida State’s loss to Colorado. Below is the list of ACC quarterbacks and their measureables.
Bojack Merriweather – 6’3” – 285
Bear Michaels – 6’3” – 285
Cole Mantell – 6’5” – 245
Matt Perez – 6’3” – 235
Saint Major – 6’3” – 225
TJ Cunnington – 6’4” – 215
Total Weight: 1,490 lbs
The Big 10 Appears to be a Gauntlet
Closing out Week 1 of action, only one conference came out with a winning record: the Big 10. The conference’s only loss came as Michigan fell to LSU. While some of the wins that the conference came away with are strong and impressive victories, I’m here to claim that it is a facade. Top to bottom, the league didn’t look as good as advertised.
Ohio State had an impressive win against Auburn, but they gave up nearly 800 yards of offense in doing so. Their defense is going to have to step up to the plate if the Buckeyes want to gain some respect in the league. Offensive efficiency isn’t guaranteed week to week. Positive: They looked solid on offense, especially in the red zone.
USC brings likely the strongest win home, bringing down the #2-ranked Crimson Tide in a battle to the finish. USC barely holds on to the lead as Alabama outgains them by 121 yards in the game. Relying on 3rd-down defense to keep them on top. While this is a strong win for USC, to continue to improve in the right direction, they’ll need to clean up their red zone trips. Going 10-6-1 for a 70% red zone percentage.
Oregon and Iowa each had wins over opponents they were supposed to beat. Penn State snuck out a win over a stronger opponent. This conference as a whole still has the potential to be the best in the league, but currently, the eye test is saying they’re a few steps behind teams like Miami, Colorado, Texas A&M, and Virginia Tech.
Tune in each week this regular season for more of Heat’s Hot Takes as I bring you bold predictions and off-the-wall approaches to all things CFSL.
Quick Hitters
Alabama’s season is in trouble: following a Week 1 loss to USC, Alabama turns its attention to defending champion Miami, then the runner-up Texas A&M. Arguably, the toughest non-conference schedule in the league could severely hurt their playoff chances.
USC will be #1 with a win this week: the Trojans head to the heart of Texas to take on the Aggies. Despite the Aggies likely falling in the rankings this week. A win against the defending runner-up could find them at the top of the league. Pair that with a Miami loss to Alabama, and it is a sure thing. Unfortunately, this won’t happen, and USC will lose to A&M due to an inability to contain Aggie WRs and Malcom Streets regaining his composure and finding his stride.
Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Colorado will be competing for a Big XII Title in Week 7: Oklahoma is the odd man out here as they will play each of the other two teams in Weeks 5 and 6. Oklahoma drops a game to Colorado before recovering and upsetting Texas A&M in Week 6. This puts the trio in a three-way tie for the title with an Aggie victory in Week 7.
Penn State might be Good? Getting back to winning ways, Penn State defeats Florida in Week 1 and has a pair of winless teams to look forward to in Weeks 2 and 3. Then they have a horrifying thrust into conference play with USC and Ohio State to welcome them. They will start the season 4-1 following Week 5, but finish 6-2. Putting themselves just outside title contention for the Big 10.
