2016 College Football Spring Preview
GOPHERS SPRING PREVIEW
New beginnings are usually a good time for teams and fans to reset their mindsets and expectations for a season. If you are a Minnesota fan, there have been too many of these "do overs" for your football team. Tracy Claeys is the newest head football coach after previous coach Jerry Kill retired from football for health reasons. Kill provided stability for the first time since 2003, but his absence created uncertainty last year. Claeys was a part of Kill's staff, so there should still be some sustained stability with him at the helm. Expectations for 2016 have not changed for Claeys as he is expected to continue what Kill started.
There isn't any reason why the Gophers can't win the Big Ten West. Iowa, Wisconsin, and Northwestern all will compete for the division title, but Minnesota will be in the mix as well. Iowa is the favorite with the return of CJ Beathard, but the Gophers gave the Hawkeyes a scare last year. Claeys is given a "grace period" this year to show what he can do, but patience could wear thin quickly if he struggles. Minnesota has a favorable schedule as it doesn't have to play Michigan, Michigan State or Ohio State in 2016. Their nonconference schedule includes Oregon State, Indiana State, and Colorado State (all at home) and the conference schedule includes games against Rutgers, Maryland, Illinois and Purdue. Home games against Iowa and Northwestern along with road games at Penn State, Nebraska and Wisconsin will be difficult, but there is no reason why the Gophers can't go at least 9-3. For a successful season, the team strengths need to lead the team so their weaknesses have time to improve and contribute.
Strengths
Running Back
With sophomores Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks returning, the Gophers figure to rely on the run again in 2016. The duo combined for over 1300 yards in 2015, giving Gopher fans flashbacks to the Marion Barber III-Laurence Maroney days. Both backs should help carry the offensive load while the O-Line and receivers figure things out.
If Smith (24) can stay healthy, he and Brooks should carry an offense that needs time to develop.
Tight End: Replacing Maxx Williams was never going to be an easy task, but Brandon Lingen did all he could to ease the pain of Williams' early departure. Lingen didn't put up eye popping stats, but he showed his potential in games against Michigan and Iowa last year. Nate Wozniak had a disappointing year in 2015, but he is still a hard target to miss. Wozniak's size (6'10" and 267 pounds) makes him a threat, but he struggled to create separation last year. Lingen and Wozniak may become go-to targets if the receivers can't develop.
Linebacker: A group that includes Cody Poock, Jack Lynn, Julian Huff, and Nick Rallis should be a strength in 2016. Poock and Lynn have a knack for making plays, and should be healthy this year as well. Huff was known for his pass rushing ability as a freshman, but should improve overall to compete for a starting position. He, Rallis, and Jonathan Celestin will compete for the final opening, but may rotate with Poock and Lynn as well. Expect incoming freshman Carter Coughlin to compete for a starting job as well. This will be the Gophers deepest position group, so expect multiple contributers during the year.
Weaknesses
Offensive Line: Injuries hampered this group in 2015, though the consistency wasn't great even without the injuries. The result of the injuries is young players getting playing time, which could help the offense this year. Jonah Pirsig will lead a group that was very young last year, and should be an anchor on the line as QB Mitch Leidner will need him to be. While quarterback play was scrutinized last year, the offensive line didn't do much to improve offensive production. Hopefully, the experience from last year will mean improvement this year.
Carter (9) showed bursts of potential, but will need to be more consistent to lead a weak receiving group.
Wide Receiver: Excluding KJ Maye, this group was invisible. There were spurts of potential, but they were short-lived. Receiver will continue to be an inexperienced and young group, but hopefully that means there will be more excitement than last year. Eric Carter, Rashad Still, and Melvin Holland Jr. all have the opportunity to step up, and hopefully offensive coordinator Jay Johnson's new offense will provide them with more chances to produce.
Defensive Back: When you lose 75% of your starters, you can't expect a group to be a strength. While I trust Jay Sawvel will have this group ready for the season, there isn't much experience. Jalen Myrick and Damarius Travis should lead the group, but the youth will need to help them. Minnesota was 11th in the nation in pass defense in 2015 thanks to Antonio Johnson, Eric Murray and Briean Boddy-Calhoun. All three are gone which leaves gaping holes in the secondary. While this group on paper may seem like a weakness, it could quickly become a strength. Sawvel has shown he can turn two and three star players into NFL prospects, which bodes well for this young group.
FINAL THOUGHTS
QB Play
Leidner needs to perform better, and the competition needs to heat up. If neither happens, the Gophers are headed for another average year. Demry Croft and Seth Green should put their names into the debate, but ideally Leidner's play will improve. Smith and Brooks are workhorses in the backfield, but even they would appreciate some air support. Leidner has proven to be a capable runner as well, but becoming a better thrower would benefit him more.
Coaching Changes
Everyone knows about Tracy Claeys and his recent promotion. There are other coaches who may have as much or a greater impact as Claeys on the Gophers' staff this year. Former Gophers QB Adam Weber is being brought back as a graduate assistant, and could be helpful in Leidner's improvement as well as the development of Croft and Green. Former defensive backs coach Jay Sawvel was promoted to defensive coordinator after producing top talent with his unit for the past few years. Additions of offensive coordinator Jay Johnson and offensive line coach Bart Miller have yet to show what they can do, but Gophers' fans should be excited regardless.
Minnesota should have higher expectations this year (winning the West should be the goal), but there are many pieces that need to fit. The spring game will show a lot about how the offense progresses and how the defense recovers from the loss of multiple NFL players. Last year's spring game was dominated by the defense, a sign of things to come in 2015, and the excitement level was low. 2016 may provide more highlights, and don't be surprised if you've seen some things you haven't seem from past teams. Claeys has vowed to change things about the program, and it will be evident this spring.
AROUND THE NATION
Spring Storylines
A Look Back
It's amazing how quickly scenery can change in college football. Each week can provide a change as well as each year. Just ask Texas and Florida. Two programs who dropped off the face of the college football world and have experienced the pains of clawing their way back into national conversations. We will take a look back at the history of preseason rankings, as well as a summary of what happened that season. In keeping with the playoff format, the top four will be listed.
2006 Preseason: #1 Ohio State #2 Notre Dame #3 Texas #4 Auburn
Ohio State remained at the top while Notre Dame, Texas and Auburn suffered multiple losses each. The Buckeyes made it to the championship but sustained its first of two consecutive national championship losses to SEC teams. Florida won the title and would win again two years later. Texas was coming off of it's national title win over powerhouse USC, so expectations were high. SC and LSU rounded out the final top four rankings.
2011 Preseason: #1 Oklahoma #2 Alabama #3 Oregon #4 LSU
Many remember this year as the controversial championship game that sparked playoff debates. Alabama lost to LSU 9-6 in overtime to force the Tide to 8-1. As a result, the Tigers played for (and won) the SEC championship, leaving the Tide with one loss and no conference title. At the end of the year, Oklahoma State sat at 11-1, the same record as the Tide, but boasted a conference championship as well. The Tide ended up sliding into the championship game thanks to the BCS system, and ran (literally in the game) away with a 21-0 win. The game would feature 43 future NFL draft picks, an outstanding number for one game.
2015 Preseason: #1 Ohio State #2 TCU #3 Alabama #4 Baylor
Injuries derailed TCU and Baylor's title hopes, while Ohio State had internal issues. Alabama lost early to Ole Miss, but climbed back into the conversation with losses by other contenders. Runner up Clemson started 12th and went undefeated to make the playoff. Michigan State and Oklahoma started 5th and 9th respectively, while making their way into the playoff despite the Spartans late season loss to Nebraska and Oklahoma's loss to Texas and no conference title game. Crazy to think that Texas beat Oklahoma and Baylor in a season, yet still finished with a losing record.
Spring Watch List
Teams to watch: Notre Dame, Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Stanford
Alabama, Michigan, and Stanford are all looking for a new signal caller to lead their teams. Spring games give you a preview of who will take over the reigns for each team or at least tell you who is going to compete in fall for the job. Notre Dame has two quarterbacks in competition with Malik Zaire returning from injury. He will battle with DeShone Kizer, who led the Irish in Zaire's absence. Ohio State is the only team in this list without quarterback issues. Then again, everyone said that last year and things didn't go so well. J.T. Barrett should prove he is the starter, but the Buckeyes have many holes to fill on both sides of the ball after losing numerous players to the draft.
Teams you don't need to watch: Florida State, LSU, Clemson, Baylor, Oklahoma
If you are a fan of these teams, obviously you will watch them, but these five don't necessarily have much to figure out on either side of the ball. Each of these teams has holes to fill, but the core returning players should erase any angst fans may have in spring. Florida State and LSU boast a large number of returners on both sides of the ball while Clemson, Baylor and Oklahoma are still loaded as usual. Injuries would be the only thing that would make this spring a notable one, but all teams are looking to avoid that.
First Week Games
Spring games provide a slight spike in excitement for college football fans, but this preview makes September seem forever away. There are lower tiered games that many will look past like Kansas State at Stanford, North Carolina vs. Georiga (Georgia Dome), Notre Dame at Texas, and UCLA at Texas A&M. But those games have interesting storylines. Can Stanford include Christian McCaffrey more in their offense? Is North Carolina a one year wonder? Will Texas become relevant again? How hot is Kevin Sumlin's seat? All of those questions may not be answered in one week, but certainly will be throughout the season.
In case that didn't get your adrenaline rush from those games, you should when you see these next few. 2015 runner-up Clemson heads to Auburn, where Gus Malzahn is on the hot seat. Heisman hopeful Deshaun Watson looks to lead his team back to the playoff, where they proved the ACC hasn't fallen off. Auburn may be down, but expect the Tigers to come out on fire at home to begin the year. National champ Alabama heads to their alternate home in Dallas (AT&T Stadium) to face USC in what could be an upset. First year coach Clay Helton gets the hardest team he will face all year, and expectations are as high as they've ever been. Within the same state, 2015 playoff contender Oklahoma looks to bounce back from an awful loss to Clemson with a game against red hot Houston at NRG Stadium in Houston. While this could be considered a home game for the Cougars, Sooners' fans should flock to this top 25 matchup. A win for Oklahoma boosts its resume, while a loss would put a quick damper on the season while boosting Houston into playoff contention. LSU heads to the Midwest to begin it's national title aspirations and will face Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. LSU returns multiple notable starters on each side of the ball, while Wisconsin may struggle offensively. Leonard Fournette's 2016 Heisman campaign may begin, but the Badgers are underrated defensively. Finally, the madness that is Week 1 will end with Florida State and Ole Miss playing in the Citrus Bowl. All eyes will be on Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook and Rebels' quarterback Chad Kelly. Florida State returns every offensive starter and is expected to compete for the playoff. Ole Miss lost some key players and will look to win the SEC West. Kelly's return to Oxford is huge, but will it be enough in Week 1?
Spring games bring college football out of hibernation and provide glimpses of the fall. 2016 figures to be as exciting as previous years, while also bringing along controversy and debates. It may only be spring, but college football will be just around the corner soon enough.
