Tag: Countdown 2 Kickoff

Countdown to Kickoff: 5 head coaches with the most pressure to win in 2023

The countdown to kickoff continues with five FBS head coaches who need a winning season this fall.

Few jobs in sports are more challenging than being the head coach of a college football program. In a volatile industry where so much can change in a matter of months, college football coaches are constantly under pressure to win, no matter the circumstances.

For some programs, a period of struggle is acceptable. For others, any sign of struggle is an immediate cause for concern and could put a head coach’s job on notice. Since the beginning of last season, 16 FBS head coaches have been fired, 15 of them due to a lack of success. Entering this fall, there are another 10-15 head coaches across the country whose jobs could be in jeopardy if their programs once again struggle. 

With five days remaining in the countdown to kickoff, College Sports Wire looks at five head coaches in college football who are facing the most pressure to win this season. 

A pair of head coaches that could’ve made the list but ultimately didn’t were Michigan State’s Mel Tucker and Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher. Large contract buyouts could play into both coaches’ favors this offseason, even if their programs face some struggles.

Countdown 2 Kickoff: Six storylines to follow this season

Deion Sanders, the CFP, and the Pac-12 are among the top storylines for the upcoming season.

As we continue counting down to the start of the college football season with kick-off in week 0, College Sports Wire is diving into the top storylines of the season.

The storylines for the upcoming season begin with the self-imposed penalty from Michigan, which will suspend Jim Harbaugh for the first three games of the season. This is likely to help their case for avoiding a much larger punishment for the Level I and Level II infractions committed by the football program.

Another set of storylines to monitor will be how the new hires from the past coaching carousel and the second-year coaches perform in 2023. Some coaches including Mario Cristobal and Brent Venables, are looking for better results at major programs. While Matt Rhule looks to return the Nebraska Cornhuskers to their former glory.

As the march to the season continues, we have six major storylines to follow.

Countdown to Kickoff: 8 impact transfers in 2023

The Countdown 2 Kickoff series continues with the top transfers in college football.

College football has changed with the addition of the transfer portal. Free agency at the collegiate level has changed the way that coaches build their rosters. Just look at Colorado who totally flipped the roster in a single offseason.

Some players are looking to get a fresh start due to coaching changes, not being a good fit, or just looking for a shot to win a national championship. Whatever the reason, there are plenty of good and bad reasons why the transfer portal has forever changed the landscape of the sport.

As the start of the 2023 college football season gets closer, College Sports Wire breaks down eight impact transfers.

Countdown to Kickoff: 9 revenge games to watch

College Sports Wire continues the countdown to kickoff with nine revenge games to watch in 2023.

Revenge is a dish that is best served cold. At least that is how the saying goes. When it comes to college football, fans want to see their teams hand out some much-needed revenge on the football field and recruiting trails. For his countdown series, we will stick to the play on the field.

Before we dive into the list of nine revenge games to watch in 2023, we have several honorable mentions to go over.

South Carolina vs Tennessee

Tennessee was absolutely embarrassed by South Carolina last season. Not only did they lose 63-38 but the team also suffered a major loss when quarterback Hendon Hooker tore his ACL. Can the Vols return to dominance or will Spencer Rattler get the last laugh? Check out this game on Sept. 30 before we head into the October slate of games.

USC vs Notre Dame

The Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh might have lost some of its luster in recent years due to the struggles for the Trojans, but last season it was an exciting battle. Notre Dame won this game four straight times before last year’s defeat, can they knock off USC to regain the shillelagh and ruin their bid at the CFP? Make sure you have this game circled on Oct. 14.

Penn State vs Ohio State

The Penn State Nittany Lions have been the bridesmaid but not the bride for the last several years. Last season the team fell to Ohio State and Michigan giving them their only losses. They would defeat Utah in the Rose Bowl but a loss to the Buckeyes kept them out of the playoffs. Both teams turn to new quarterbacks in 2023, so keep an eye on this game come Oct. 21.

And now we break down the nine games to watch in 2023 if you are looking for some revenge action in college football. These games are listed in sequential order.

Countdown to Kickoff: 11 unranked teams who can make noise in 2023

Continuing the Countdown 2 Kickoff series, our focus shifts to unranked teams who could make noise in 2023.

Preseason rankings aren’t an exact science. Often teams will find themselves among the top teams in the country before the games are played only to be dropped in the first few weeks of the season when the games are factored in.

On the flip side of that coin, we have the teams who are on the outside looking in that can make a statement and finish the year among the top 25 teams in the country. The coaches poll powered by USA TODAY Sports was released last week and we are focusing on the teams on the outside in our second installment of the ‘Countdown 2 Kickoff’ series.

The only team on our list that wasn’t ranked in the Coaches Poll but earned a spot in the AP poll is Iowa. The Hawkeyes came in at No. 25 on the AP poll but they do join 10 other teams on our list of unranked teams since we are using the coaches poll as the baseline.

As we move one day closer to the start of the 2023 season, College Sports Wire previews 11 unranked teams who could make noise this year.