Fact or Fiction: Biggest Surprise of 2022, Blake Corum, Jim Mora Jr.

In today’s Fact or Fiction, I look at three big recent topics in college football and decide whether the statement is indeed FACT or if it’s FICTION.

1. TCU is the biggest surprise of the season.

Farrell’s take: FICTION

It’s in the Big 12, but it’s not TCU despite their undefeated record and amazing season under first-year coach Sonny Dykes. It’s Kansas, and to me, it’s not close. You can make a case for Illinois if you want or perhaps Duke in the ACC if you’d like but neither of those teams were coming off a 2-10 season and picked last in their conference by a wide margin. That honor goes to Kansas and the job Lance Leipold has done has been remarkable. Kansas is 6-4 and bowl eligible for the first time since 2008 and that’s slightly better than a 5-7 TCU team picked middle of the pack pre-season. Kansas got 48 points in votes before the season started and was well below Texas Tech at 119 points as the No. 9 team in the Big 12.

Nov 5, 2022; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold watches play against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first half of the game at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.

2. Blake Corum is the best RB in college football.

Farrell’s take: FACT

He may be too small to be a super high draft pick but give me Corum over anyone else in the country including Texas stud Bijan Robinson and fellow Big Ten backs Chase Brown (Illinois) and Mo Ibrahim (Minnesota). Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins is the future but Corum, with 1,349 yards, is the present.

Nov 12, 2022; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Blake Corum (2) stiff arms Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Malcolm Hartzog (13) in the first half at Michigan Stadium.

3. Jim Mora Jr. should get a Power Five job.

Farrell’s take: FACT

What he’s done at UConn is amazing. 6-5 may not impress many, but this team was 1-11 last season with their only win against Yale. They lost so many lopsided games under Randy Edsall that the program was honestly in jeopardy. Enter Mora, and they not only have a pulse but they’ve beaten a legitimate Liberty team and a Boston College team that has owned them. Colorado? Georgia Tech? Arizona State? This is a man who coached the Atlanta Falcons to the NFC title game and led UCLA to back-to-back 10-win seasons. The man can coach.