Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

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long green
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Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by long green »

I think I might have picked Arizona last year but I know I singled out Arkansas as a possible surprise team so good job me.

This is a smidge early for this year but hey! Two weeks from tomorrow there is real college football on TV! Miami and Florida. It’s like having the Kickoff Classic back. That’s not the only game that day, either.

My favorite surprise pick for this year is Minnesota. That’s a vote of confidence in P.J. Fleck, who is starting his 3rd year there. They got better as last year went on (they did have some letdowns) and they were playing a lot of young guys late last year. This year they should have the traditional Gopher hot start but the league schedule gives them five home games with one of the four roadies being Rutgers, who Minny did not play last year. That’s a manageable division with Wisconsin receding from “national contender” status.

If I had to pick a runner-up I’d pick Washington. I think they may upgrade from their long-time QB with Jacob Eason and though they have to replace a lot of guys on defense Chris Peterson has his program going. They also get a slightly easier start to this year to get Eason and the new defenders going.

So bet heavily against both UMinn and UDub this year.
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by MNAlum »

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... definitely

FYI, MN QB vying for starting spot out for possibly the season.
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tulaneoutlaw
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by tulaneoutlaw »

Baylor under Matt Rhule has quietly been building. They might surprise some folks.

Virginia is my pick to win that side of the ACC. Their QB Perkins is pretty good.
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by GreenieBacker »

Baylor is on the cusp, but may still be a year away. Rhule is a good fit for them though........
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by tjtlja »

I have two picks for this year - Utah and Kentucky. Both should be very good defensively.
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by tulaneoutlaw »

tjtlja wrote:I have two picks for this year - Utah and Kentucky. Both should be very good defensively.

Utah has been a media darling this offseason. I wouldn't really consider them a surprise as they are picked to win the Pac-12 South again this year, but I agree they could have a special season.

Kentucky was great last year, but they lost a ton including three of their best defenders to the draft. If they win big again it would be a big surprise to me and I would bet success comes from improved offense as much as their defense.
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long green
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by long green »

tulaneoutlaw wrote:Baylor under Matt Rhule has quietly been building. They might surprise some folks.

Virginia is my pick to win that side of the ACC. Their QB Perkins is pretty good.
Baylor is a solid pick.
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

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Tulane. Penn St. UVA.
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Ray
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

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long green wrote:I think I might have picked Arizona last year but I know I singled out Arkansas as a possible surprise team so good job me.

This is a smidge early for this year but hey! Two weeks from tomorrow there is real college football on TV! Miami and Florida. It’s like having the Kickoff Classic back. That’s not the only game that day, either.

My favorite surprise pick for this year is Minnesota. That’s a vote of confidence in P.J. Fleck, who is starting his 3rd year there. They got better as last year went on (they did have some letdowns) and they were playing a lot of young guys late last year. This year they should have the traditional Gopher hot start but the league schedule gives them five home games with one of the four roadies being Rutgers, who Minny did not play last year. That’s a manageable division with Wisconsin receding from “national contender” status.

If I had to pick a runner-up I’d pick Washington. I think they may upgrade from their long-time QB with Jacob Eason and though they have to replace a lot of guys on defense Chris Peterson has his program going. They also get a slightly easier start to this year to get Eason and the new defenders going.

So bet heavily against both UMinn and UDub this year.
I think Wisconsin will at least surprise you !! :wink: :wink: Thinking ball control & men in trenches.
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by OGSB »

SI weighs in after 4 weeks:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb ... spartanntp
Max Meyer
I’ll go with an under-the-radar pick: SMU. The Mustangs went 5–7 in Sonny Dykes’s first full season as head coach, and scored at least 30 points four times. SMU has scored at least 37 points in all four games this season, with the most recent being a 41–38 road win over No. 25 TCU. In fact, this is the first time that SMU has started 4–0 in 36 years. Texas transfer Shane Buechele has looked sharp thus far, as his 8.8 YPA is the same as his former teammate Sam Ehlinger down in Austin. A tough road game at Memphis looms, but without UCF on the schedule, SMU is a threat to contend in the AAC.
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by GreenieBacker »

So is Baylor the biggest surprise? Currently undefeated and ranked above Texas. Not sure anybody saw that coming. And SMU, as much as I hate them, would be another candidate still not sure how they're doing it.
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by tulaneoutlaw »

GreenieBacker wrote:So is Baylor the biggest surprise? Currently undefeated and ranked above Texas. Not sure anybody saw that coming. And SMU, as much as I hate them, would be another candidate still not sure how they're doing it.
I did, about 8 posts up. I agree SMU has been a big surprise so far. The other biggie is Minnesota which now has the inside track in the Big Ten west. It probably won't last but still a good story.
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by GreenieBacker »

outlaw you're right, Baylor was your pick. I thought they were still a year away. But I was thinking nationally, not sure the national pundits saw that coming.

Baylor has a terrific QB in Charlie Brewer that has really sparked their Offense. Brewer, BTW, is from Austin, comes from a Texas Longhorn family but never got a scholarship offer from Texas which is how he ended up at Baylor.

As for SMU maybe I'm a cynic but I wonder if there isn't something behind the scenes fueling their big turnaround.
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by PeteRasche »

GreenieBacker wrote:As for SMU maybe I'm a cynic but I wonder if there isn't something behind the scenes fueling their big turnaround.
"Hey, that was over 30 years ago, and nobody would ever suspect we'd be so bold as to try it a second time!!!"

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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by GreenieBacker »

Radical out of nowhere turnarounds usually require radical measures :wink:
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by windywave »

Minnesota.

Next question
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by GreenieBacker »

Well I guess Minnesota is for real. They beat a very good PSU team.
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by GreenieBacker »

And not to be out done, Baylor beats an average TCU team in 3 OT’s to go 9-0.
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by windywave »

GreenieBacker wrote:And not to be out done, Baylor beats an average TCU team in 3 OT’s to go 9-0.
TCU got frick on that overturn in OT
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by GreenieBacker »

I hate TCU so screw them. Felt a little sorry for PSU. So does either Minnesota or PSU play Ohio State during the regular season?
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by tulaneoutlaw »

GreenieBacker wrote:I hate TCU so screw them. Felt a little sorry for PSU. So does either Minnesota or PSU play Ohio State during the regular season?
Psu has to. Same division. Minnesota does not. They have @Iowa @Northwestern and Wisconsin left
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

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GreenieBacker wrote:Felt a little sorry for PSU.
Never. Had to put up with way too many JoePa PennStaters throughout the years who still felt like Sandusky was fake news.
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by windywave »

GreenieBacker wrote:I hate TCU so screw them. Felt a little sorry for PSU. So does either Minnesota or PSU play Ohio State during the regular season?
Why do you hate them?
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

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GreenieBacker wrote:So is Baylor the biggest surprise? Currently undefeated and ranked above Texas. Not sure anybody saw that coming.
Just finished whipping Texas, 24-10 (Texas TD came with :01 left). Going to the Big 12 title game.
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Re: Biggest Surprise in College Football 2019

Post by GreenieBacker »

Rhule has really done an amazing job and he took a massive train wreck of a Program
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