Sloppy Potatoes

NCAA Football: 9 storylines to watch

Thanks to the huge number of schools, players, and coaches, there is always drama in college football. Forget your favorite cable television station — that is probably repeating the same movie for the 473rd time this month — tune in to the NCAA gridiron for these gems:

1. Rich Rodriguez’s Michigan project. It’s probably going to be a long first year for Rodriguez. But, I envision a near future where Rodriguez’s spread offense dominates and then changes the Big Ten. With the talented recruits these schools draw, a league-wide philosphy change could make the Big Ten a dominant conference, instead of a bunch of perennial bowl speedbumps. Could it happen this year? Watch and find out.
2. Tim Tebow’s Heisman follow-up. It would be ridiculous to think the Florida QB could replicate last season’s 20-20 TD season. Or would it? 40 TDs is a realistic number. How he gets them depends on whether his offensive line can give him time to toss double-digit TDs to star wideout Percy Harvin, or whether he’ll be scrambling for yards. Either way, it’ll be entertaining to watch.
3. Graham Harrell/Chase Daniel to Michael Crabtree/Jeremy Maclin. While each of these combos could be their own storyline, how they play out will make some big waves in the high-powered Big 12. Texas Tech’s Harrell led the nation in passing yards last year. He needs 43 TD passes to be NCAA football’s all-time TD leader. He’ll get it without breaking a sweat. Missouri’s Daniel to Maclin was good enough to sniff the top of the polls last year.
4. Can Georgia live up to the hype? Probably not, especially after the turmoil atop the Top-25s last year. But it’ll be fun to watch. Knowshon Moreno is a game-breaker and junior QB Matthew Stafford was a good game manager last year who could break out.
5. Will Ohio State fake it’s way back to a title game? This has got to stop. Period. Then again, James Laurinaitis, Chris Wells and the addition of Terrelle Pryor probably make them contenders again. Just don’t suck once you get to the big game.
6. West Virginia’s Pat White is all alone. Okay, not completely, he’s got running back Noel Devine to help. But gone are running back Steve Slaton — important in the spread-option WVU runs — and the offense’s ring-leader, coach Rich Rodriguez. White is talented enough to carry the team on his shoulders. The Mountaineers will put up great offensive numbers and a great record. Next year, with White gone, it could be a different story.
7. Notre Dame improves, Charlie Weis gets all the credit. Yes, as a Notre Dame fan this is probably the team I’ll waste most of my time watching. Really, they can’t get much worse than they were last year. There are plenty of sub-plots here, too. The biggest one will probably determine whether the team exceeds or meets expectations. Will Jimmy Clausen live up to his loud-mouthed, golden boy attitude?
8. Penn State’s Joe Paterno problem. Okay, the guy is an absolute legend. He’s won a lot of games. But, is he still the real coach of the team or just a figurehead? While I respect the guy, there are going to be lots of people asking him if he’s going to retire this year.
9. Big games to rule them all. Rivalries make college football, but there are a couple games that will most definitely be water-cooler fodder for everybody, including: Michigan vs. Ohio State (Rodriguez vs. Tressel I), Georgia vs. any ranked opponent, Notre Dame at Boston College. There are games every week. This week check Alabama-Clemson.

What should No. 10 be? What’s your most anticipated moment/player to watch? Do you agree or disagree with my nine? Leave a comment below.