National Columnist Mike Farrell is here with the 3-Point Stance with teams with inexplicable poor QB situations, rebuilds that look further off than expected, and five teams already out of the playoff picture.
Strangely Poor Quarterback Situations
— In the transfer portal age, having a weak QB as a starter and a horrible QB room is unacceptable. But these teams have done it.
1. Nebraska
— How was it okay to have Jeff Sims be the apparent solution and little experience behind him. Casey Thompson sure looks good now.
2. Oklahoma State
— Oklahoma State is a perennial Big 12 title contender, yet Alan Bowman was the choice through the portal, and they couldn’t hold on to Spencer Sanders, who would rather be a backup.
3. Florida
— Florida is a storied program, but the best they could do was Graham Mertz, who failed as a game manager in the Big Ten?
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4. Virginia Tech
— Here we go again, as Grant Wells was not the portal solution, and adding Kyron Drones means nothing.
5. Illinois
— Luke Altmyer would be the fourth QB at Ole Miss, and there is zero experience behind him, and Illinois is struggling.
Bigger Rebuilds Than Expected
— The rebuilding process takes time, right? In today’s college football world, time isn’t granted. Programs MUST be patient as they rebuilds will take some time.
1. Nebraska
— I saw some pundits and many fans saying 9-3 was the ceiling this year and 7-5 would be okay. This team stinks, and Matt Rhule has a tough job on his hands. The good news? He did it at Baylor, but it took a 1-11 season first.
2. Florida
— Billy Napier needs time, but Florida fans and boosters are impatient. Will they learn from pushing out previous coaches after a few years, or will Napier be given the needed time to make this average roster into something better?
3. Wisconsin
— It’s not really a rebuild, but the transition to a new offense and a new coaching and staff will take some time, it appears. Wisconsin is not a Top 25 team, clearly.
4. Virginia
— Maybe Tony Elliott isn’t the answer. I’m not sure. But a total revamp after the odd fit that Bronco Mendenhall was will take a while. Losing to JMU isn’t how it’s done, though.
5. Arizona State
— Kenny Dillingham is going to play his guys — portal and high school recruits — in what could be a rough season, but he was left with nothing from Herm Edwards.
Teams Already Out of the CFP
— And finally, these pre-season ranked teams are already out of the CFP picture.
1. LSU
It wasn’t just that they lost to Florida State. It’s how they got embarrassed in the second half. So, despite a down SEC West (more about that in a moment), they’ve got a lot of questions that still need to be answered and would likely need to run the table to make the playoff.
2. Alabama
We’ve all heard the stats about how historic their loss to Texas was. But even more importantly, they clearly still don’t have an answer at quarterback, where Jalen Milroe has shown inconsistent passing ability. Like LSU, they need to run the table.
3. Texas A&M
The outside chance the Aggies had at the CFP was completely demolished at Miami this week. They’ve still got all the talent in the world, but they’re in disarray yet again and Jimbo has to be on that hot seat.
4. Wisconsin
The transition to an entirely new offensive and defensive scheme is clearly going to be a rockier one than those around Madison had hoped for. The Badgers are -5 in turnover differential through two games and have generated next to no pass rush.
5. Texas Tech
Now sitting at 0-2, the Red Raiders have started with a dud in what many people thought could be an ascendant season for second-year head coach Joey McGuire. Even if they were to miraculously win out, it’s too late, and a TCU-like run is not happening.
