College Football Preview Part X

Welcome Back!

Today I continue my 5 weeks of my college football previews. I begin with 3 weeks of individual team previews, and then conclude with 2 weeks of conference previews.

In case you are interested, I get all of my information from various sources. I use the 3 main preview magazines (Phil Steele, Lindy's, and Athlon), but I also use many different websites, including (but not limited to): Google, Winsipedia, sports-reference.com, ESPN.com, TeamRankings.com, NCAA.com, and, of course, individual school websites.

I don't have a staff- it's just me- so all of the research is my own from these various sources (it doesn't help when they contradict each other...), so any mistakes are mine. I also don't have an editor/proofreader, so you are likely to find several (many? I hope not) typos, such as commas where periods should be (or vice versa), a misspelled or missing word, doubled words ("the the" in the middle of a sentence, for example), etc. 

Finally, feel free to leave a comment. Interacting is much of the fun! Of course, if you know me personally, just text me. I'll get that a lot quicker.

So, on with the previews! 

40- Pittsburgh Panthers 7-6/3-5

Coach: Pat Narduzzi (11th year, 11th overall)

Coach FBS Record/Rank: 72-56/.563/62nd

3-year record/rank: 19-19/.500/72nd

6-year record/rank: 44-32/.579/49th

10-year record/rank: 72-56/.563/50th

Last League Title: 2021 ACC champions

Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 1 year/2024/2022

Bowl Record/Rank: 15-23/.395/105th

CFP Playoff Appearances: 0

AP Championships/Last AP Championship: 2/1976

Last Undefeated Season: 1976/12-0 under HC Johnny Majors

Last Winless Season: Never (since 1890); worst season was 1-10 in 1972 under HC Carl DePasqua

All-time Record/Rank: 768-566-42/.573/42nd

Offense/ranks:

Scoring: 32.9/31st/6th ACC

Rushing: 141.8/85th/10th

Passing: 266.9/24th/4th

Total: 408.7/44th/7th

Defense/ranks:

Scoring: 28.4/92nd/12th

Rushing: 112.8/19th/3rd

Passing: 265.4/123rd/15th

Total: 378.2/81st/12th

Returning Starters (Off/Def): 8/8

Schedule: 

Aug 30 Duquesne

Sep 6 Central Michigan

Sep 13 @ West Virginia

Sep 27 Louisville

Oct 4 Boston College

Oct 11 @ FSU

Oct 18 @ Syracuse

Oct 25 NC State

Nov 1 @ Stanford

Nov 15 Notre Dame

Nov 22 @ Georgia Tech

Nov 29 Miami

Notes:The Panthers are on a 6-game losing streak (after starting last year 7-0), and have lost 4 straight games away from

home; offense averaged 42.3 ppg the 1st 7 games, and just 21.2 ppg the next 5; Pitt has finished above .500 in the

ACC just twice in the last 6 seasons, and are 5-11 over the past 2; new K will be Murray State transfer James

London (14-19 FGs), as P Caleb Junko (43.7 avg/40,7 net) returns; QB Eli Holstein (2,228 yds, 61.9%, 17 TDs,

7 INT, 328 rushing yds, 3 TDs) returns; defense had 41 sacks last season; Pitt has had at least 3 losses every year

since 1981 (11-1 under HC Jackie Sherrill in his last year there).

Outlook:Pittsburgh opens the season with 5 home games, but then has 3 of their next 4 on the road. The Panthers should

be better this year, especially if they stay healthy, but they have a tough schedule. In OOC games, they play at

WVU in the Backyard Brawl in week 3, then host Notre Dame in mid-November. In the ACC, they avoid

Clemson and SMU, but get most of the other expected contenders, with Louisville and Miami at home, and GT

and FSU on the road. I see 6-8 wins, so go with 7-5, which is HC Narduzzi’s average season here in Pittsburgh.

39- Duke Blue Devils 9-4/5-3

Coach: Manny Diaz (2nd year, 5th overall)

Coach FBS Record/Rank: 30-19/.612/43rd

3-year record/rank: 26-13/.667/28th

6-year record/rank: 36-38/.486/77th

10-year record/rank: 63-62/.504/69th

Last League Title: 1989 ACC co-champs/1962 ACC champions/2013 ACC Coastal Division Champions

Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 3 years/2024/2023

Bowl Record/Rank: 8-9/.471/75th

CFP Playoff Appearances: 0

AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None

Last Undefeated Season: 1920/4-0-1 under HC Floyd J. Egan

Last Winless Season: 2006/0-12 under HC Ted Roof

All-time Record/Rank: 546-560-31/.494/99th

Offense/ranks:

Scoring: 26.3/78th/12th ACC

Rushing: 92.5/128th/16th

Passing: 244.3/44th/8th

Total: 336.8/108th/15th

Defense/ranks:

Scoring: 24.5/60th/7th

Rushing: 149.6/68th/12th

Passing: 213.5/53rd/2nd

Total: 363.1/58th/7th

Returning Starters (Off/Def): 6/7

Schedule: 

Aug 28 Elon

Sep 6 Illinois

Sep 13 @ Tulane

Sep 20 NC State

Sep 27 @ Syracuse

Oct 4 @ California

Oct 18 Georgia Tech

Nov 1 @ Clemson

Nov 8 @ UConn

Nov 15 Virginia

Nov 22 @ North Carolina

Nov 29 Wake Forest

Notes: The Blue Devils have won 3 of their last 4, including the bowl loss to Ole Miss, and were 5-1 at home last season, winning 8 of their last 9 home games overall; the offense scored exactly 26 points in each of their 1st 3 games (all wins), then both exceeded and fell short of that number 5 times each in the remaining games; 6 of 9 wins were by 6 points or less; QB looks to be Tulane transfer Darian Mensah (2,723 yds, 66%, 22 TDs, 6 INT, 132 yds rushing, 2.2 ypc); defense had 43 sacks (tied with SMU for most in the ACC), 116 TFLs (led ACC), and 19 fumbles forced and 14 recovered (both led ACC); K Todd Pelino (15-20 FGs, long 53, 2 missed PATs) returns, as does P Kade Reynoldson (43.8 avg/40.3 net, Freshman All-American); only 1 of 9 wins (UConn) was against a team that finished with a winning record; Duke is 14-10 in the ACC the past 3 years, their best 3-year stretch since they were 15-9 from 2013-15; since the ACC expanded conference play to 8 games in 1992, Duke has never been better than 6-2 (2013 under HC David Cutcliffe); since 1963, Duke’s best years were in 1989 (6-1 under HC Steve Spurrier) and 1975 (3-0-2 under HC Mike McGee), though they had a 3-year stretch from 1960-62 when they were 5-1, 5-1, and 6-0, all under HC Bill Murray (no, not the comedian…); Bill Murray also had a stretch from 1952-55 where the Blue Devils were 17-0 in the Southern Conference (1952) and their 1st 3 years in the ACC (sorry about going down that particular rabbit hole…); the Blue Devils had a +8 turnover margin, good for a tie for 24th in FBS at 0.62 per game.


Outlook: Duke faces a much more difficult schedule than they had last year, so I don’t see them improving on last year’s 9 wins. In fact, the Blue Devils have only ever had one 10-win season, when they were 10-4 in 2013 under HC David Cutcliffe, though they have had seven 9-win seasons, 2 of them in the last 3 years. Can they get 9 wins in 3 out of 4 seasons? They have a challenging OOC slate, with Illinois at home, and Tulane and UConn on the road. In the ACC, they avoid SMU, Miami, FSU, and Louisville among the contenders, but do get GT at home and Clemson on the road. I see 6-8 wins and a 4th consecutive bowl, something they’ve only done 1 other time in their history (2012-2015).

38- Baylor Bears 8-5/6-3

Coach: Dave Aranda (6th year, 6th overall)

Coach FBS Record/Rank: 31-30/.508/78th

3-year record/rank: 17-21/.447/89th

6-year record/rank: 42-33/.560/52nd

10-year record/rank: 67-59/.532/61st

Last League Title: 2021 Big 12

Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 1 year/2024/2021

Bowl Record/Rank: 14-14/.500/55th

CFP Playoff Appearances: 0

AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None

Last Undefeated Season:1910/6-0-2 under HC Ralph Glaze (adjusted to 6-1-1 by NCAA- forfeited tie with Texas) & 1900/3-0 under HC R.H. Hamilton
Last Winless Season: 1969/0-10 under HC Bill Beall

All-time Record/Rank: 638-608-44/.512/87th

Offense/ranks:

Scoring: 34.4/19th/2nd Big12

Rushing: 178.8/42nd/7th

Passing: 261.3/34th/5th

Total: 440.1/20th/3rd

Defense/ranks:

Scoring: 26.2/79th/11th

Rushing: 152.0/72nd/9th

Passing: 234.2/94th/11th

Total: 386.2/87th/11th

Returning Starters (Off/Def): 10/8

Schedule: 

Aug 30 Auburn

Sep 6 @ SMU

Sep 13 Samford

Sep 20 Arizona State

Sep 27 @ Oklahoma State

Oct 4 Kansas State

Oct 18 @ TCU

Oct 25 @ Cincinnati

Nov 1 UCF

Nov 15 Utah

Nov 22 @ Arizona

Nov 29 Houston

Notes: Baylor won 6 of their last 7 games, including a loss to LSU in the Texas Bowl; the Bears haven’t had 2 consecutive winning seasons since they were 7-6 and 11-3 in 2018-19 under HC Matt Rhule; Bears were 5-1 at home last season; only 1 of 8 wins was by less than 10 points, but 2 of 5 losses were by 7 points or less (and another was by 11, and one by 13); QB Sawyer Robertson (3,071 yds, 62.2%, 28 TDs, 8 INT, 230 yds rushing, 3.7 ypc) returns, as does RB Bryson Washington (freshman school record 1,028 yds, 12 TDs); K will be new, but P Palmer Williams (school-record 49.4 avg/42.9 net led country) returns, as does 2nd-team All-American PR Josh Cameron (20.7 avg, long of 73); offense scored 31+ points 9 times, and 45+ 4 times.


Outlook: The Bears are one of 2 teams (TCU is the other) that plays 11 P4 opponents. Despite this, they are the trendy pick to be the “surprise” team in the Big 12. Now, I’m no expert on semantics, but it seems to me if everyone expects a team to do well, it hardly counts as a surprise or something unexpected. There have been so many instances of “surprise teams” being touted in preseason that just don’t pan out. But should we discount the Bears because of that? With 18 returning starters, I can certainly see why much is expected from Baylor this year. We should have a pretty good idea of where they stand after their 1st 2 games against Auburn and at SMU. The offense will once again be outstanding; the question is if the defense improves, and if so, by how much. They do get 5 Big 12 home games this year, and while they play Utah, Arizona State, and Kansas State, they get all 3 at home, and avoid Iowa State, BYU, and Texas Tech altogether. I can see this team challenging for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game, but I can also see a repeat of last year’s 8 wins. I’ll split the difference and call for 9 or 10 wins, and a top 4 finish in the Big 12.

37- Army Black Knights 12-2/8-0

Coach: Jeff Monken (12th year, 12th overall FBS)

Coach FBS Record/Rank: 82-57/.590/53rd

3-year record/rank: 24-14/.632/36th

6-year record/rank: 47-29/.618/34th

10-year record/rank: 78-49/.614/29th

Last League Title: 2024 AAC champions

Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 1 year/2024/2024

Bowl Record/Rank: 8-3/.727/6th

CFP Playoff Appearances: 0

AP Championships/Last AP Championship: 2/1945

Last Undefeated Season: 1958/8-0-1 under HC Earl Blaik

Last Winless Season: 1973/0-10 under HC Thomas Cahill

All-time Record/Rank: 739-547-51/.572/44th

Offense/ranks:

Scoring: 31.3/41st/8th AC

Rushing: 300.5/1st/1st

Passing: 80.6/134th/14th

Total: 381.1/73rd/10th

Defense/ranks:

Scoring: 15.5/4th/1st

Rushing: 112.0/16th/3rd

Passing: 185.9/25th/4th

Total: 297.9/8th/1st

Returning Starters (Off/Def): 4/5

Schedule: 

Aug 29 Tarleton State

Sep 6 @ Kansas State

Sep 20 North Texas

Sep 25 @ East Carolina

Oct 4 @ UAB

Oct 11 Charlotte

Oct 18 @ Tulane

Nov 1 @ Air Force

Nov 8 Temple

Nov 22 Tulsa

Nov 28 @ UTSA

Dec 13 Navy (Baltimore)

Notes: HC Jeff Monken has been at Army since 2014, the 8th longest tenure in FBS; the Black Knights have won 3 of their last 4 games, including a win over La Tech in the Independence Bowl, as they have won 6 of their last 7 bowl appearances; Army was 7-0 at home last season (including the AC CG vs Tulane), and have won 9 consecutive home games, and 4 straight true road games; offense scored 35+ points 7 times, and 42+ points 5 times; defense held 10 opponents to 14 points or less; QB is likely to be ‘24 backup Dewayne Coleman (121 yds, 68.8%, 1 TD, 0 INT, 136 yds rushing, 3.6 ypc); OL won Joe Moore Award as the best OL in FBS last season, but only 2 of the 5 starters return; defense had 17 INTs, and the team had a +11 turnover margin, good enough for 12th in the nation (0.79/game); K will be new, but P James Wagenseller (41.7 avg/37.8 net) returns.


Outlook: Army had a dream season last year, finishing 12-2 with an AC championship and a bowl win over La Tech. Except for 1 thing; Navy won the CIC Trophy, and in a convincing fashion. Along with Navy and Air Force, the Black Knights also play Kansas State in Manhattan. In the AC, they avoid Memphis, USF, and, of course, Navy, which counts as a non-conference contest since it is played the week AFTER the AC CG. However, Army West Point does play UTSA, Tulane, and ECU on the road, and they get only 5 home games with the game vs Navy being in Baltimore. I see a bit of a drop off, especially on offense, as AWP stumbles a bit in their 2nd season in the conference. I see 8 or 9 wins, which is a step back, but not too much of one.

36- Texas Tech Red Raiders 8-5/6-3

Coach: Joey McGuire (4th year, 4th overall)

Coach FBS Record/Rank: 23-16/.590/54th

3-year record/rank: 23-16/.590/44th

6-year record/rank: 38-36/.514/65th

10-year record/rank: 61-63/.492/79th

Last League Title: 1994 Southwest Conference co-champs/1955 Border Conference champions/2008 Big 12 South co-champs
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 4 years/2024/2023

Bowl Record/Rank: 17-24-1/.417/95th

CFP Playoff Appearances: 0

AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None

Last Undefeated Season: Never (since 1925)- best seasons were 11-1 in 1953 under HC DeWitt Weaver and 1973 under HC Jim Carlen
Last Winless Season: Never; worst seasons were 1-9 in 1962 under HC J. T. King and 1-9-1 in 1981 under HC Jerry Moore

All-time Record/Rank: 605-486-32/.553/61st

Offense/ranks:

Scoring: 37.6/4th/1st Big 12

Rushing: 166.0/61st/8th

Passing: 296.7/9th/3rd

Total: 462.7/9th/1st

Defense/ranks:

Scoring: 34.8/122nd/15th

Rushing: 152.1/73rd/10th

Passing: 308.1/133rd/16th

Total: 460.2/127th/15th

Returning Starters (Off/Def): 10/11

Schedule: 

Aug 30 Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Sep 6 Kent State

Sep 13 Oregon State

Sep 20 @ Utah

Oct 4 @ Houston

Oct 11 Kansas

Oct 18 @ Arizona State

Oct 25 Oklahoma State

Nov 1 @ Kansas State

Nov 8 BYU

Nov 15 UCF

Nov 29 @ West Virginia

Notes: Texas Tech won 2 of its last 3 games, including a loss to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl; TTU has won 7 of their last 9 home games, and 5 of 7 Big 12 home games; offense scored 44 points or more 5 times (52+ four times), and at least 26 points in every game but 1 (37-16 loss to Wash State); defense allowed 8 opponents to score at least 35 points, and every foe except 1 scored at least 22 points; QB Behren Morton (3,335 yds, 63.3%, 27 TDs, 8 INT) returns; Buffalo transfer Upton Bellenfant (18-21 FGs, 31-31 PATs) appears to be the new K, with P Jack Burgess (42.2 avg/37.8 net) returning; TTU has been to 4 consecutive bowls (winning 3) for the 1st time since they went to 11 in a row from 2000-2010 under HC Mike Leach and HC Tommy Tuberville (2010); the Red Raiders have had 3 straight winning conference records for the 1st time since they had 7 in a row from 1991-97 under HC Spike Dykes, a span that includes the old SWC and the beginning of the Big 12; they also have 4 consecutive winning seasons for the 1st time since they had 16 straight from 1995-2010 under the aforementioned HC’s Dykes, Leach, and Tuberville (2010).


Outlook: The Red Raiders have a criminally easy OOC slate, and so will have no excuse not to go into Big 12 play 3-0. However, they have 5 Big 12 games on the road, and those include Utah in their conference opener, Arizona State, and Kansas State, as well as Houston and WVU. Their home games are all winnable. There are high expectations in Lubbock due to the amount of money spent on portal players, and they are another trendy pick to finish at or near the top of the Big 12. I see as many as 9 wins in the regular season, and a 6-3 conference record, which would be similar to the 1st 3 years under HC McGuire. Can they have a breakthrough season? It’s possible, but it all depends on if the defense can improve.

35- Minnesota Golden Gophers 8-5/5-4

Coach: PJ Fleck (9th year, 13th overall)

Coach FBS Record/Rank: 88-61/.591/52nd

3-year record/rank: 23-16/.590/44th

6-year record/rank: 46-26/.639/28th

10-year record/rank: 73-50/.593/43rd

Last League Title: 1967 Big Ten co-champs/1941 Big Ten Champions/2019 Big Ten West co-champs

Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 4 years/2024/2024

Bowl Record/Rank: 13-12/.520/47th

CFP Playoff Appearances: 0

AP Championships/Last AP Championship: 4/1960

Last Undefeated Season: 1940/8-0 under HC Bernie Bierman

Last Winless Season: Never (since 1892); worst season was 1-11 in 2007 under HC Tim Brewster

All-time Record/Rank: 741-548-44/.572/43rd

Offense/ranks:

Scoring: 26.2/80th/9th Big Ten

Rushing: 115.6/109th/13th

Passing: 222.2/76th/10th

Total: 337.8/107th/12th

Defense/ranks:

Scoring: 16.9/9th/4th

Rushing: 109.6/12th/7th

Passing: 176.1/10th/3rd

Total: 285.7/5th/3rd

Returning Starters (Off/Def): 7/6

Schedule: 

Aug 28 Buffalo

Sep 6 Northwestern State

Sep 13 @ California

Sep 27 Rutgers

Oct 4 @ Ohio State

Oct 11 Purdue

Oct 18 Nebraska

Oct 25 @ Iowa

Nov 1 Michigan State

Nov 15 @ Oregon

Nov 22 @ Northwestern

Nov 29 Wisconsin

Notes: The Golden Gophers are on a modest 2-game winning streak, but have won 4 of their last 5 home games, and 4 of their last 5 away games (including the bowl over Va Tech); defense held 7 opponents to 17 points or less, including back-to-back shutouts (1st time since 1962), with Iowa (of all teams) scoring the most points at 31; 4 of 5 losses were by 7 points or less, and only 3 of 8 wins were by less than 14 points; Minnesota has been to a bowl in 4 consecutive seasons, one short of tying their best stretch of 5 set in 2012-2016 under HCs Jerry Kill and Tracy Claeys, and from 2002-2006 under HC Glen Mason; QB is likely to be rsFr Drake Lindsay; both K and P will be new; the Gophers have won 8 straight bowl games (broke a streak of 7 consecutive losses).


Outlook: Minnesota has an easy OOC schedule (game at Cal is the toughest), so they should be 3-0 heading into their Big Ten opener against Rutgers. With 5 conference home games, their schedule sets up nicely for 8+ wins for a 4th time in the last 5 years, with their toughest home games being Nebraska and Wisconsin, and tougher road games at Ohio State, Iowa, and Oregon.

 

34- Memphis Tigers 11-2/6-2

Coach: Ryan Silverfield (6th year, 6th overall)

Coach FBS Record/Rank: 42-21/.667/21st

3-year record/rank: 28-11/.717/18th

6-year record/rank: 54-22/.711/11th

10-year record/rank: 89-40/.690/15th

Last League Title: 2019 AAC champions

Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 3 years/2024/2024

Bowl Record/Rank: 8-8/.500/55th

CFP Playoff Appearances: 0

AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None

Last Undefeated Season: 1963/9-0-1 under HC Billy Murphy

Last Winless Season: 1936/0-9 under HC Zach Curlin

All-time Record/Rank: 544-538-33/.503/94th

Offense/ranks:

Scoring: 35.7/12th/1st AC

Rushing: 174.1/46th/6th

Passing: 370.5/20th/3rd

Total: 444.5/16th/3rd

Defense/ranks:

Scoring: 23.8/55th/4th

Rushing: 111.8/15th/2nd

Passing: 257.5/119th/10th

Total: 369.3/66th/5th

Returning Starters (Off/Def): 5/4

Schedule: 

Aug 30 Chattanooga

Sep 6 @ Georgia State

Sep 13 @ Troy

Sep 20 Arkansas

Sep 27 @ FAU

Oct 4 Tulsa

Oct 18 @ UAB

Oct 25 USF

Oct 31 @ Rice

Nov 7 Tulane

Nov 15 @ East Carolina

Nov 29 Navy

Notes: The Tigers are on a 4-game winning streak, including the bowl win over West Virginia, and have won their last 7 home games, and 12 of their last 15 conference games, but the Tigers haven’t played in the CG since 2019; Memphis has been to a bowl in 10 of the last 11 years, and were eligible in 2021 at 6-6, but the bowl was canceled (2021 is also the only one of the last 11 seasons that did not end with a winning record); 9 of the last 11 years Memphis has won 8+ games, with 5 seasons resulting in 10+ wins; offense scored 33 points or more 9 times, while defense held 6 opponents to 18 points or less (but also allowed 44+ in 3 contests, 2 of them losses); the Tigers had a +18 turnover margin, with their rate of 1.38/game the 2nd best in FBS; QB is likely to be Colorado/Nevada transfer Brendon Lewis (2,290 yds, 67.6%, 16 TDs, 7 INT, 775 yds rushing, 4.9 ypc); Ohio transfer Gianni Spetic (13-16 FGs) will be the K, and the P will also be new; offense has scored 20+ points in 40 consecutive games (longest current streak in FBS, but still far short of the record 77 games set by Ohio State between 2017 and 2023).


Outlook: Memphis now has an all-time record over .500; can they stay there? The overall schedule this year is quite favorable, with an easy OOC slate and a favorable AC schedule. All of their big games- Arkansas, USF, Tulane, and Navy- are at home. The Tigers could be 8-1 when Tulane comes to town for a Friday night game in early November. If all the new transfers fit in well, then this is a team that will win 10+ games for a 3rd consecutive season, and the Tigers should challenge for a spot in the AC CG, and perhaps the CFP.

33- Utah Utes 5-7/2-7

Coach: Kyle Whittingham (21st year, 21st overall)

Coach FBS Record/Rank: 167-86/.660/24th

3-year record/rank: 23-16/.590/44th

6-year record/rank: 47-25/.653/24th

10-year record/rank: 82-43/.656/20th

Last League Title: 2022 Pac 12 champions

Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 1 year bowl-less/2023/2017

Bowl Record/Rank: 17-10/.630/15th

CFP Playoff Appearances: 0

AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None

Last Undefeated Season: 2008/13-0 under HC Kyle Whittingham

Last Winless Season: 1943/0-7 under HC Ike Armstrong

All-time Record/Rank: 724-489-31/.594/31st

Offense/ranks:

Scoring: 23.6/102nd/14th Big 12

Rushing: 130.4/98th/12th

Passing: 199.4/98th/15th

Total: 329.8/115th/15th

Defense/ranks:

Scoring: 20.7/25th/2nd

Rushing: 129.4/35th/5th

Passing: 200.3/39th/5th

Total: 329.7/29th/3rd

Returning Starters (Off/Def): 10/7

Schedule: 

Aug 30 @ UCLA

Sep 6 Cal Poly

Sep 13 @ Wyoming

Sep 20 Texas Tech

Sep 27 @ West Virginia

Oct 11 Arizona State

Oct 18 @ BYU

Oct 25 Colorado

Nov 1 Cincinnati

Nov 15 @ Baylor

Nov 22 Kansas State

Nov 28 @ Kansas

Notes: HC Kyle Whittingham has been at Utah since 2005, the 2nd longest tenure in FBS, and needs just 33 wins to obtain career win #200, as he is also the all-time winningest coach at Utah; after a 4-0 start, the Utes lost 7 consecutive games before winning their closer at UCF; Utah has lost 4 straight home games; offense was held under 28 points in 8 games (scored 28 their last 2, 1 loss and 1 win), while the defense held 10 opponents under 28 points; last year ended a streak of 9 bowls in 10 years (only missed in 2020), and a streak of 10 straight winning seasons; after winning 5 bowls in a row from 2011-2017, and 14 out of 15 from 1999-2017, the Utes have now lost 5 in a row; QB will be New Mexico transfer Devon Dampier (2,768 yds, 58%, 12 TDs, 12 INT, 1,166 yds rushing, 7.5 ypc, 19 TDs, 1st team All-MWC), who followed his OC, Jason Beck, to Utah; both K and P will be new; all 5 OL starters return; 5 of 7 losses were by 8 points or less.


Outlook: The Utes are poised for a bounce back season, and should get back to a bowl. After opening at UCLA, they play an FCS squad at home and then travel to Wyoming (only 6 home games this year). They should be no worse than 2-1 at this point, though I expect them to be 3-0. In the Big 12, they avoid Iowa State and TCU, but play most of the other contenders, including Baylor and Kansas on the road, and Texas Tech, Arizona State, and Kansas State at home. This team will have their usual stout defense, so much depends on how well their offense does, whether they can close out close games, and whether they can reverse their -4 turnover margin. I predict a winning season and a bowl appearance, and even a top half finish in the conference, but 8 or 9 wins is the ceiling.

32- Washington Huskies 6-7/4-5

Coach: Jedd Fisch (2nd year, 5th overall FBS)

Coach FBS Record/Rank: 23-29/.442/90th

3-year record/rank: 31-10/.756/12th

6-year record/rank: 46-24/.657/23rd

10-year record/rank: 85-39/.685/16th

Last League Title: 2023 Pac 12 champions

Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 3 years/2024/2023

Bowl Record/Rank: 20-22-1/.477/73rd

CFP Playoff Appearances: 2

AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None (1991 UPI champions)

Last Undefeated Season: 1991/12-0 under HC Don James

Last Winless Season: 2008/0-12 under HC Tyrone Willingham

All-time Record/Rank: 780-472-50/.618/24th

Offense/ranks:

Scoring: 23.4/104th/12th Big Ten

Rushing: 128.8/100th/12th

Passing: 261.7/32nd/5th

Total: 390.5/61st/6th

Defense/ranks:

Scoring: 23.4/53rd/11th

Rushing: 161.8/87th/15th

Passing: 166.5/2nd/1st

Total: 328.4/28th/9th

Returning Starters (Off/Def): 5/7

Schedule: 

Aug 30 Colorado State

Sep 6 UC Davis

Sep 20 @ Washington State

Sep 27 Ohio State

Oct 4 @ Maryland

Oct 11 Rutgers

Oct 18 @ Michigan

Oct 25 Illinois

Nov 8 @ Wisconsin

Nov 15 Purdue

Nov 22 @ UCLA

Nov 29 Oregon

Notes: The Huskies are one of 3 teams with 2 CFP appearances without a championship; UW has lost 5 of their last 7 games, including a bowl loss to Louisville; Washington has a 20-game home winning streak; defense held 3 opponents to 9 points or less, but also allowed 4 opponents to score 31+ points; UW has won 3 of their last 4 bowls (not including their 2023 National Championship Game loss, which technically is not a bowl); QB will be Demond Williams, Jr. (944 yds, 78%, 8 TDs, 1 INT, 282 yds rushing, 3.4 ypc); OL allowed 39 sacks (worst in Big Ten); K Grady Gross (18-26 FGs) returns, but P will be new.


Outlook: The offense should be much improved this season, with the defense also improving a bit. Their schedule is easier than last year, with 7 home games, and their toughest conference games- Ohio State, Illinois, and Oregon- at home, though they do travel to Ann Ardor to take on Michigan in the Big House. I see 8-10 wins, with 9-3 a likely outcome.

31- Arizona State Sun Devils 11-3/7-2

Coach: Kenny Dillingham (3rd year, 3rd overall)

Coach FBS Record/Rank: 14-11/.560/65th

3-year record/rank: 17-21/.447/89th

6-year record/rank: 35-33/.515/62nd

10-year record/rank: 60-59/.504/67th

Last League Title: 2024 Big 12 champions

Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 1 year/2024/2019

Bowl Record/Rank: 15-18-1/.456/81st

CFP Playoff Appearances: 1

AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None

Last Undefeated Season: 1975/12-0 under HC Frank Kush

Last Winless Season: 1937/0-8-1 under HC Rudy Lavik

All-time Record/Rank: 649-427-24/.601/26th

Offense/ranks:

Scoring: 32.9/30th/4th Big 12

Rushing: 199.9/20th/4th

Passing: 229.5/62nd/10th

Total: 429.4/28th/4th

Defense/ranks:

Scoring: 22.6/37th/3rd

Rushing: 112.9/21st/1st

Passing: 226.7/81st/10th

Total: 339.6/38th/5th

Returning Starters (Off/Def): 8/9

Schedule: 

Aug 30 Northern Arizona

Sep 6 @ Mississippi State

Sep 13 Texas State

Sep 20 @ Baylor

Sep 26 TCU

Oct 11 @ Utah

Oct 18 Texas Tech

Oct 25 Houston

Nov 1 @ Iowa State

Nov 15 West Virginia

Nov 22 @ Colorado

Nov 28 Arizona

Notes: The Sun Devils are on a 6-game regular season win streak, and a 6-game home winning streak; last year was their 1st winning record (and bowl) since 2021, and they’ve lost 5 of their last 6 bowl games; offense scored 42+ points 4 times, and 30+ 8 times; defense allowed 30+ only 3 times (1 was the 39-31 loss in 2 OTs to Texas), and held 4 foes to 14 points or less; 6 of 11 wins were by 8 points or less, with 2 of 3 losses by 8 points each, and the third by 10 points; ASU had a +14 turnover margin, with their +1/game rate tied for 6th best in the FBS; QB Sam Leavitt (2,885 yds, 61.7%, 24 TDs, 6 INT, 443 yds rushing, 5 TDs, Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year) returns for his sophomore season, as does WR Jordyn Tyson (75 rec, 1,101 yds receiving, 10 TDs, Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year); K Jesus Gomez (12-16 FGs, long 55, 2nd team All-MAC) has transferred in from Eastern Michigan, but P Kanyon Floyd (40.8 avg/37.7 net) returns; defense had just 24 sacks (6th in Big 12); RB Cam Skattebo cannot be replaced, but Army transfer Kanye Udoh (1,117 yds, 6.2 ypc, 10 TDs) will be the first option.


Outlook: Arizona State had a magical season last year, as they started the year expected to finish last in the Big 12 (by almost everyone) and ended up winning the conference, making the CFP, and then taking Texas to 2 OTs before losing. This year the expectations (and pressure) are much different, so they might not win the Big 12 this year. They should start the year 3-0 in their OOC games before traveling to Waco to take on Baylor in a blockbuster Big 12 opener. And their schedule doesn’t get much easier, as the Bears are followed by 3 more contenders- TCU, at Utah, and Texas Tech. After that the schedule eases up a bit, with only a game at Iowa State, in a rematch of last year’s CG, looking like the toughest matchup. I see 8 or 9 wins, and maybe 10, but a repeat of last year’s 7-2 conference record may be asking too much.

Make sure you come back Monday as I continue my previews!

Until next time, may you and your loved ones be blessed!