Tag: athlon sports

Athlon Sports lists Texas’ Bijan Robinson as the top breakout running back for 2021

Athlon Sports ranked the top 25 breakout running backs for the 2021 college football season.

First-year head coach Steve Sarkisian has several question marks to sort out on the offensive side of the ball this season, but running back Bijan Robinson is not one of them.

Sarkisian won’t hesitate to give Robinson 20+ touches per game on a consistent basis, something that Longhorn fans were unable to witness last season under Tom Herman.

Although he was used sparingly as a true freshman, Robinson showcased every ounce of his five-star rating. His freshman campaign ended with 703 rushing yards, including 183 in the Valero Alamo Bowl against Colorado. The more impressive part is he accomplished that on 86 carries over nine games.

Robinson set the school record for yards per carry in a game (19.1) at Kansas State and yards per carry in a season (8.2). His rare athleticism coupled with offensive guru Steve Sarkisian is a primary reason Athlon Sports listed Robinson as the top breakout running back in college football for the 2021 season.

The nation’s top running back prospect in the 2020 cycle landed at No. 1. TCU’s Zach Evans and Oklahoma’s Eric Gray landed within the top five.

The combination of the arrival of new coach Steve Sarkisian, along with a heftier workload from Robinson, should turn the sophomore into one of the top running backs in college football. Robinson showcased what’s to come in 2021 by gashing Kansas State for 172 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries and a 183-yard effort versus Colorado in the Alamo Bowl.

It’s a solid bet that Robinson will soon become a household name across the country.

Where Athlon Sports ranks Penn State and the rest of the Big Ten in 2021

What does Athlon Sports predict for Penn State football and the rest of the Big Ten in 2021?

The annual Athlon Sports college football preview magazine just arrived in my mailbox the other day, signaling the start of a new college football season is once again drawing closer and closer. And it may come as a bit of a surprise to you, but Athlon Sports is pretty high on one of Penn State’s rivals this season. But where does one of the most popular preseason magazines project the Nittany Lions this season in the Big Ten and the national picture?

We knew previously Athlon Sports was projecting Penn State to play in a New Years Day bowl game. Athlon Sports’ bowl projections paired Penn State up with Missouri in the Outback Bowl. So you could get an early sense of where Athlon Sports had Penn State in their national picture. Clearly not in reach of a College Football Playoff spot and just a bit shy of playing in one of the bigger and more notable New Years Six bowl games.

Athlon Sports is taking into account some of the questions stemming from the bizarre 2020 season, the hiring of a new offensive coordinator, and a challenging schedule to figure out what’s ahead for Penn State in 2021. And when it all comes together, Athlon Sports predicts Penn State will go 8-4 with a second-place finish in the Big Ten East behind the playoff-bound Buckeyes (Athlon Sports predicts Penn State will go 6-3 in Big Ten play). That would be good enough for a top 25 ranking, with a preseason ranking of No. 19.

But how will the rest of the Big Ten look? Will Wisconsin or Iowa (or Northwestern???) come out on top of the Big Ten West to face Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game? Was Indiana’s 2020 season a fluke? Can Michigan turn some surprises or are the Wolverines destined for a mediocre season? Can Nebraska manage to go to a bowl game? And can Michigan State avoid the cellar of the Big Ten East?

Here’s how Athlon Sports is predicting the Big Ten to look at the end of the 2021 season.

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Where does Athlon Sports have Ohio State ranked in its college football preview?

The Athlon 2021 College Football Preview magazine is out. Where does it have Ohio State and do you agree?

Yes, in the day and age of everything being online, there are still college football preview magazines that hit the newsstands this time of year. OK, so yeah — you can get digital copies of them, but I happened to be picking up some milk and fabric softener the other day and ran across the magazine section. Yes, I stopped.

And yes, I picked up the Athlon Sports 2021 College Football Preview magazine and purchased it to make my ever-escalating grocery bill that much more. But hey, it’s fun to peruse through and there’s something about having the magazine out way-too-long on the coffee table this fall and beyond.

I immediately flipped to the preseason rankings to see where Athlon had this year’s version of the Ohio State football team, and yeah, it was right about where every other publication and media outlet had them, inside the top five.

But what does Athlon say about the Buckeyes in 2021?

NEXT … Athlon’s preseason ranking of Ohio State

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Where each Big 12 team lands in Athlon Sports’ college football rankings for 2021

Athlon Sports recently released their rankings of where every FBS team is projected to finish at the conclusion of the 2021 college football season.

Athlon Sports released their top 25 rankings in May. Now, they’ve taken it a step further and predicted where every FBS team will finish at the conclusion of the 2021 college football season.

The typical powerhouse programs such as Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Oklahoma are unsurprisingly atop the rankings and are Athlon Sports’ projected playoff teams.

Coastal Carolina and Louisiana found their way in the top 25, while Cincinnati appeared in the top 10. In regards to the Big 12 conference, four teams landed in the top 25, including TCU.

Here’s where each Big 12 team is projected to land at the conclusion of the 2021 season:

Where Steve Sarkisian lands on Athlon Sports’ new head coach rankings

Steve Sarkisian is considered one of the top head coaching hires of the offseason.

Texas was in the market for a new head coach after the Tom Herman era came to abrupt end after four years of mediocrity. You could only stomach the phrase “winning is hard” for so long.

The Longhorns did not lack the talent as they signed multiple top three recruiting classes in the nation under Herman. It was the player development aspect that was severely lacking over the last several seasons. On top of that, Texas looked extremely undisciplined on the field at times.

First-year head coach Steve Sarkisian is looking to bring a winning culture to Austin after stints with the Atlanta Falcons and Alabama Crimson Tide. On January 2, 2021 the Longhorns hired Sarkisian and he’s been “All Gas No Brakes” since arriving to the Forty Acres.

Where does Sarkisian land in terms of each new head coach that was hired throughout the offseason? Athlon Sports recently ranked all of college football’s newest coaches and Sarkisian is very high on the list. One other Big 12 hire was included as well.

Take a look at Athlon Sports’ top 10 head coaching hires this year:

Ranking college football’s new head coaches for 2021

Ranking college football’s new head coaches for 2021.

The 2021 college football season is approaching.

During the offseason, a number of schools made head coaching changes, including four in the Southeastern Conference.

Tennessee hired Josh Heupel as its next head coach on Jan. 27.

Ahead of the 2021 season, Athlon Sports ranked college football’s new head coaches.

Below are the full rankings.

Athlon Sports projects New Years Day bowl game for Penn State

Penn State is heading to a New Years Day bowl game according to bowl projections from Athlon Sports.

Penn State suffered a rare losing season in 2020 but had the option to still go to a bowl game if they wanted. They opted to stay home to close out the pandemic-ridden season and hope to return to the bowl festivities in 2021. According to Athlon Sports, Penn State will indeed be back in the bow lineup at the end of the 2021 season.

Athlon Sports released its bowl projections for the 2021 season, and it includes Penn State playing in a New Years Day bowl game. But don’t get too excited just yet. The Athlon Sports projections don’t have the Nittany Lions playing in the College Football Playoff or any of the other New Years Six bowl games. But if you like bloomin’ onions, you’ll be interested in this one.

The bowl projections released by Athlon Sports have Penn State squaring off in the Outback Bowl against the Missouri Tigers. And, as our recent look at Penn State’s all-time results against teams in the SEC shows, Penn State has had some success against the Tigers in bowl games. Penn State hasn’t played Missouri since 1980, so it’s been a long time coming for the Nittany Lions and Tigers to cross paths.

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As for the rest of the Big Ten, here’s how Athlon Sports is lining them up for postseason play:

  • Cotton Bowl (College Football Playoff Semifinal): Ohio State vs. Alabama
  • Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Oregon
  • Citrus Bowl: Iowa vs. LSU
  • Music City Bowl: Michigan vs. Tennessee
  • Pinstripe Bowl: Maryland vs. Virginia
  • Las Vegas Bowl: Indiana vs. USC
  • RedBox Bowl: Northwestern vs. California
  • Quick Lane Bowl: Minnesota vs. Toledo
  • Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Nebraska vs. Kansas State

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage.

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Where does Athlon Sports rank Penn State in preseason top 25?

Penn State is ranked in the preseason top 25 from Athlon Sports but the Nittany Lions have some work to do.

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Walk into any grocery store and you will soon start seeing copies of the Athlon Sports college preview magazines. It is one of the warm reminders that college football is coming, and you may be enticed to check out the preseason top 25 to see where Penn State is ranked. Fortunately, Athlon Sports released its preseason top 25 last week, and the Nittany Lions are ranked inside the top 20 for the 2021 season.

Penn State checks in at No. 19 on the Athlon Sports preseason top 25. Coming off a tough 2020 season but with a good batch of ingredients for possible success in 2021 makes it difficult for Penn State to have a solid read going into the new season. That trend seems to continue with its preseason ranking from Athlon.

Here’s what Athlon Sports had to say about Penn State in 2021;

Last year’s 4-5 record was a big disappointment, but Penn State should rebound in 2021. Prior to last season, the Nittany Lions won at least 11 games in three of the last four years. While getting back to double-digit wins won’t be easy, there should be noticeable improvement, especially if the offense gets on track under new coordinator Mike Yurcich. The former Texas and Oklahoma State play-caller will be Penn State’s third different coordinator in three years, but a normal offseason should ease the transition. Quarterback play is under the spotlight after Sean Clifford had an uneven ’20 season and tossed nine picks in nine games. Clifford has an edge to be the No. 1 signal-caller once again, and he won’t lack for help with Jahan Dotson and Parker Washington back at receiver, along with a deep stable of running backs and three starters back in the trenches. Penn State’s defense held teams to 5.1 yards per play but gave up 27.7 points a contest. Improving on both totals is a reasonable expectation with seven starters back. However, there are big holes to fill up front with Jayson Oweh, Shaka Toney, Shane Simmons and Antonio Shelton all departing the trenches. Transfers Derrick Tangelo (Duke) and Arnold Ebiketie (Temple) need to make an impact right away up front. The road slate features treks to Wisconsin, Iowa and Ohio State, while Michigan, Indiana and Auburn visit Happy Valley this fall.

This is a pretty good summary of Penn State. The upgrade at offensive coordinator with Mike Yurcich is benefitted by having a full spring practice schedule to work through the transition. Sean Clifford has had his ups and downs but has good help around him on the offensive side of the football. And the defense has room for improvement, although the points allowed per game wasn’t helped last year by extremely costly turnovers leading to opponents scoring on defense or having an extremely short field to work with.

The ranking by Athlon Sports is six spots higher than the one released by Sporting News this week. Sporting News ranked Penn State No. 25 in its preseason top 25.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

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18 Sooners among Athlon Sports’ 2021 Big 12 All-Conference Team

18 Oklahoma football players featured in Athlon Sports’ 2021 All-Big 12 first, second, third and fourth team projections.

It is beginning to look a lot like football.

Athlon Sports honored the best in the Big 12 conference with a release of the first, second, third and fourth all-conference teams for 2021. The 2021 All-Big 12 team is led by 18 selections from Oklahoma.

The listing is based on projected production of elite players this upcoming season. This is a compilation of the greatest individual assets to teams in the conference with the programs not playing a role in the ranking and the Sooners lead the pack. Oklahoma is poised for a college football playoff berth and the ultimate goal, a national championship with the talent on both sides of the football. Here is a look at which Sooners that made the cut.

First-Team Offense 

QB Spencer Rattler

WR Marvin Mims

OL Marquis Hayes

First-Team Defense 

DL Perrion Winfrey

DL Isaiah Thomas

LB Nik Bonitto

First-Team Specialists 

K Gabe Brkic

Second-Team Offense 

RB Kennedy Brooks

TE Austin Stogner

OL Wanya Morris

Second-Team Defense 

LB Brian Asamoah

CB D.J. Graham

Third-Team Specialists 

PR Marvin Mims

Fourth-Team Offense 

RB Eric Gray

WR Theo Wease

OL Tyrese Robinson

Fourth-Team Defense

DL Jalen Redmond

S Delarrin Turner-Yell

Other Big 12 conference selections in Athlon’s 2021 All-Big 12 Team:

Baylor (10), Iowa State (17), Kansas (4), Kansas State (6), Oklahoma State (14), TCU (14), Texas (12), Texas Tech (9), West Virginia (10).

12 Texas Longhorns make Athlon Sports’ preseason All-Big 12 teams

Oklahoma and Iowa State led the conference with the most selections in Athlon Sports’ preseason All-Big 12 teams.

Athlon Sports recently honored the best players in the Big 12 conference for the 2021 college football season. Continue reading “12 Texas Longhorns make Athlon Sports’ preseason All-Big 12 teams”