Here’s a novel idea: ranking the 2022 college football teams based on what they’ve actually done rather than name recognition or recent glory.
Too often, every year, teams get the benefit of the doubt because of success in years past, sometimes even several years past. For instance, Clemson recently jumped Michigan football in the AP top 25 despite both teams having the same record and both having played basically the same game the Saturday before. Now, Clemson potentially could have been ranked higher than the Wolverines prior to that point thanks to two then-ranked wins, but it was only the week that it beat Boston College in the same fashion with a similar score to Michigan’s win over Indiana that the Tigers rose above the Wolverines.
The ESPN college football analyst discussed #USC and Lincoln Riley while also looking at Brent Venables and Oklahoma plus Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame.
ESPN college football television analyst Greg McElroy handed out “mid-term grades” for USC’s 2022 season. We give out a report card here at Trojans Wire after every USC football game, and you will want to see what we said after the Washington State game. McElroy offered his own grade for USC for the first six games of this season. He had plenty to say about Lincoln Riley, Alex Grinch, and the whole operation at Heritage Hall.
One of McElroy’s foremost insights is how Alex Grinch has been able to steer this defense from collecting takeaways in the first few weeks to an aggressive style which attacks the quarterback in more recent weeks, particularly against Washington State. Tuli Tuipulotu got three sacks versus the Cougars in Week 6.
McElroy also noted how cleanly USC is playing, having committed just one turnover and having lost zero fumbles in six games.
Does McElroy think USC is the best team in the Pac-12 right now? Find out in the video below, which also includes his mid-term grades for other teams led by first-year coaches: Brent Venables and Oklahoma, Brian Kelly and LSU, Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame, plus Sonny Dykes and unbeaten TCU:
Watching DJ Uiagalelei in Clemson’s season opener against Georgia Tech on Sept. 5, Greg McElroy thought the Tigers’ quarterback “was a little bit of a liability.” Fast forward to the present, and the ESPN college football analyst no longer feels …
Watching DJ Uiagalelei in Clemson’s season opener against Georgia Tech on Sept. 5, Greg McElroy thought the Tigers’ quarterback “was a little bit of a liability.”
Fast forward to the present, and the ESPN college football analyst no longer feels that way after seeing how Uiagalelei has performed in Clemson’s three games since then, especially the win at Wake Forest last Saturday.
“DJ U was a little bit of a liability three weeks ago against Georgia Tech,” McElroy, the former Alabama quarterback, said on ESPN’s College Football Live this week. “That has completely flipped. I am no longer at all concerned about that position. If he continues to play like that, they’ll be a very difficult out for everyone they face this year.”
It’s certainly been a bounce-back season for Uiagalelei, who struggled during his first full season as a starter a year ago after bursting onto the scene as a freshman while filling in for Trevor Lawrence across two starts against Boston College and Notre Dame.
After throwing more interceptions (10) than touchdown passes (nine) last season, Uiagalelei has already thrown 10 touchdown passes with just one interception through four games this season.
The junior signal-caller has completed 64.3 percent of his passes so far this season, as opposed to only 55.6 percent last season. He has already thrown for 1,033 yards in four games this year after passing for 2,246 yards in 13 games a year ago.
Uiagalelei also has 169 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on 41 carries (4.1 yards per carry).
“I think DJ has really come into his own,” McElroy said. “He’s much more athletic, it appears, this year. He’s willing to run, he’s capable of running, and I love how he’s driving the ball down the field. I mean, he’s pulling off throws that he didn’t even think to attempt last year, and his accuracy … his accuracy has been next-level good.
“Yeah, college accuracy is a completion. But when he’s locating the ball and negotiating defenders well, making those completions, that’s a whole other level. He’s throwing it high to his receivers in the back of the end zone, he’s throwing it with great touch down the field on deep balls. He did it time and time again and went throw-for-throw with Sam Hartman, who I thought had a phenomenal game there for Wake Forest on the other side.”
In the 51-45, double-overtime win at Wake Forest, Uiagalelei completed 26-of-41 passes for a season-high 371 passing yards and a career-high five touchdown passes while racking up 423 yards of total offense (371 passing, 52 rushing).
Against the Demon Deacons, Uiagalelei became the first Clemson player to throw for 300 or more yards, rush for 50 or more yards and throw at least three touchdowns in a game since Deshaun Watson accomplished the feat against Louisville on Oct. 1, 2016.
“Definitely the best game we’ve seen him play this year, and probably did the things that we expected him to do,” ESPN’s Joey Galloway said on College Football Live. “Now, he still has those moments where he’ll throw a ball that everyone’s wondering, where did that come from, and then two throws later he throws a ball on the money, 40 yards down the field, an amazing throw.”
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On ESPN’s College Football Live this week, ESPN college football analysts Greg McElroy and Joey Galloway discussed the potential impact of bad weather in Saturday’s game between fifth-ranked Clemson (4-0, 2-0 ACC) and No. 10 NC State (4-0, 0-0) at …
On ESPN’s College Football Live this week, ESPN college football analysts Greg McElroy and Joey Galloway discussed the potential impact of bad weather in Saturday’s game between fifth-ranked Clemson (4-0, 2-0 ACC) and No. 10 NC State (4-0, 0-0) at Death Valley.
The conditions could possibly include heavy rainfall and wind, and with that, the ground game would figure to be of utmost importance for both teams.
McElroy was asked, if that’s the case, if he favors either the Tigers or Wolfpack in terms of their rushing attack.
“It’s a really good call because honestly so much about being able to run the ball effectively is who you’re running it against,” McElroy said. “So, I think if you look at both NC State and Clemson’s front sevens defensively, you’re going to have to earn your yards, there’s no doubt about it. I think if I had to favor one over the other, I would lean just ever so slightly in favor of Will Shipley and this Clemson Tiger rushing attack. But I also think if there were one offensive line in the ball game that I would lean towards, it’d probably towards NC State.
“So, it’s a little bit of a coin toss, and it’s a really interesting aspect. Because so much of the conversation will center around DJ Uiagalelei, so much of the conversation will center around Devin Leary and is this his time to really break through and is this a statement opportunity for NC State? Whereas it might ultimately be the rushing game that leads to who is victorious in the game itself. So, I think that’s definitely gonna be a huge aspect for both these teams to try to establish it, especially if weather and the elements are a factor.”
Galloway hopes the weather cooperates Saturday so the talents of Uiagalelei and Leary can be on full display.
“I think we have to find out what the weather is like for sure to figure out if these quarterbacks, if Leary and DJ U, are playing to their top capabilities, then the run game is sort of secondary,” Galloway said. “So, I don’t have a lean either way. Greg, you sounded like you were about 50-50 on each side of that, who has the better run game. Everything will be focused around these quarterbacks and how they play in this game.
“And absolutely hoping for good weather because we want to see these guys. There’s so much talk about these ACC quarterbacks before the season began, Leary and DJ U being in that conversation, you want to see them perform head to head just like we saw last week with DJ U going against Sam Hartman.”
Saturday’s game is slated to kick off at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
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DJ Uiagalelei took most of the snaps in Clemson’s season opener against Georgia Tech on Monday night before Cade Klubnik came in and led the Tigers’ final touchdown drive to put a cap on their 41-10 win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. …
DJ Uiagalelei took most of the snaps in Clemson’s season opener against Georgia Tech on Monday night before Cade Klubnik came in and led the Tigers’ final touchdown drive to put a cap on their 41-10 win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Uiagalelei, who played the first three quarters and change, finished 19 of 32 passing for 210 yards and a touchdown through the air while adding a 9-yard score on the ground late in the third quarter.
The junior starter helped the Tigers take a 34-10 lead midway through the fourth quarter before giving way to the true freshman Klubnik, who led the offense 66 yards in 10 plays while completing 4 of 6 passes for 50 yards, including a 3-yard toss to Will Taylor for what was Klubnik’s first career collegiate touchdown on his lone drive of the game.
After the game, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter reaffirmed that “D.J. is our starting quarterback, and Cade is going to play.”
Swinney echoed that in his postgame press conference, saying along with Streeter that Uiagalelei has earned the position he still holds atop the depth chart.
“Just like we’ve said, it’s no different than when D.J. came in here when Trevor (Lawrence) was the starter,” Swinney said. “We wanted to get D.J. as much opportunity as we can, and we definitely want to get Cade as much opportunity as we can within the flow of the game and within the flow of the season.”
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) celebrates with quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (5) after throwing a TD against Georgia Tech during the 4th quarter of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game Monday September 5, 2022 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider
During Tuesday’s edition of College Football Live on ESPN, college football analysts Greg McElroy and Joey Galloway gave their takes on Clemson’s quarterback situation.
Asked what he thinks the Tigers should do at QB, McElroy weighed in on what he saw from Uiagalelei as well as how Clemson’s offense looked during Klubnik’s limited time on the field.
“At the time, I don’t think it really was a performance that warranted needing to be replaced. I didn’t think he played as poorly as some people have suggested,” McElroy, the former Alabama quarterback, said of Uiagalelei.
“Meanwhile, you can just tell at the end of the game when Cade Klubnik went in the ball game, how the energy changed, how the urgency changed, how his willingness to take shots downfield opened some things up. So, I don’t want to be someone that’s going to be over-reactionary. That’s never really been my M.O.”
With that said, McElroy added if the woes that plagued Uiagalelei and Clemson’s offense at times last season continue to persist as this year’s campaign progresses, then he wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see Klubnik on the field more often moving forward.
“I would not at all be surprised, if we fast forward a week, two weeks, three weeks, and if DJ is continuing to do some of the things that plagued them at times last year and hasn’t addressed them, then we might start seeing a little bit more Cade Klubnik,” McElroy said. “You can just tell the energy was different when he was in the game at the end, and I think that could be something that they might look into, especially if we keep getting kind of average play from DJ. You’ve got to be spectacular as the quarterback at Clemson.”
Galloway agreed with McElroy about the energy that Klubnik injected into Clemson’s offense during the former five-star prospect’s brief college debut, while adding that Uiagalelei “just didn’t look comfortable” to him.
“I think the only thing you take away from that game was the energy changed,” Galloway said. “Now, I don’t know who was in the game for Georgia Tech. I don’t know if it was the twos, the ones. You know, you always get that at the end of games, you’re not real sure who you’re going against. But the energy definitely changed, and it was kind of strange to be honest with you – I didn’t feel the energy that I expected to feel from the Clemson offense.
“From the beginning of the game all the way until Klubnik came into the game, it felt like everyone wasn’t sure what was going on. The offensive line did not play great, there was a lot of pressure in the backfield, and DJ U just didn’t look comfortable to me. Now, we don’t know if Klubnik plays the whole game, if he starts the game, if he has that same energy. But when he came in that game, things were different. He moved differently, his energy level was different, and it seemed like the offense picked up in a different way when he came into the huddle.”
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During ABC’s broadcast of Florida State’s 24-23 win over LSU on Sunday night, college football analyst and color commentator Greg McElroy weighed in on Clemson and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Play-by-play commentator Joe Tessitore asked the …
During ABC’s broadcast of Florida State’s 24-23 win over LSU on Sunday night, college football analyst and color commentator Greg McElroy weighed in on Clemson and the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Play-by-play commentator Joe Tessitore asked the former Alabama quarterback what his expectations for the Tigers are this season.
“I think they’re going to be really good,” McElroy said. “I think that defense is more athletic than they’ve been in recent years. I am curious how they’re going to replace the coordinators, but everything I’ve heard about their staff, everyone raves about the hires that Dabo Swinney made. So, I think Clemson bounces back in a big way this year. I’m just most interested in who is going to be the quarterback. Is it (DJ) Uiagalelei, or will it be the freshman down the road, Cade Klubnik?”
ACC teams went 9-3 in Week 1, with the only losses being Virginia Tech’s defeat at Old Dominion, Boston College’s home loss to Rutgers and Louisville’s road loss to ACC foe Syracuse.
Speaking on the state of the ACC, McElroy opined that he doesn’t believe the gap between Clemson and the rest of the conference is “as wide” as some of Saturday’s games — such as UNC and NC State’s narrow wins over App State and East Carolina, respectively — might make it seem like.
“I think the ACC as a whole, even though there were a couple scares (Saturday) in the Carolinas, looks like FSU is an improved football team, Pitt weathered the storm on Thursday (vs. West Virginia) remarkably well,” he said. “So, I wonder just how wide that gap is between Clemson and everybody else in the ACC. Because I don’t think it’s as wide as some of the outcomes (Saturday) might suggest.”
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McElroy took issue with the suggestion that Kelly is not a fit in Baton Rouge.
LSU coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is the third-winningest coach currently active in the FBS, and it was a landmark moment for the Tigers’ athletic department to woo him away from Notre Dame.
However, the move didn’t come without some criticism, with the hire’s naysayers normally doing so based on his fit (or lack thereof) in Baton Rouge. There were certainly some growing pains, like the accent snafu, and for a coach with no experience coaching south of Cincinnati, some of those concerns were valid.
But we’re still talking about one of the best coaches in college football, and when it came to Kelly’s fit in Baton Rouge, ESPN analyst Greg McElroy emphatically defended the hire on an episode of the Always College Football Podcast.
“LSU has the talent, we all know that. But do they now have the right leader? No doubt,” McElroy said. “A lot of people have mocked Brian Kelly all off season. A lot of people have said how bad of a fit he was. But here’s been my pushback with Brian Kelly’s hire: They just had the best fit ever at LSU. A guy that was from Louisiana, that had every relationship that you could possibly manufacture in the state of Louisiana in Orgeron. And it was a remarkable failure the last couple years.
“Brian Kelly, say what you want about his tenure at Notre Dame, his inability to get over the hump at Notre Dame, but he got them there. Got to the National Championship, got to the Playoff on multiple different occasions. He has kind of reinvented himself a time or two. And if you say anything about Brian Kelly, that he’s just not a great fit, well let me tell you what. A great fit at LSU is a guy that wins.”
He certainly makes a valid point here. You can’t get a more perfect cultural fit than Orgeron was on the bayou, and that situation still ultimately soured. When discussing how coaches can overcome perceived “poor fits” he drew a lofty comparison.
“Because last time I checked, when a guy that coached at Toledo and Michigan State decided to head on down to the Bayou, he won a lot of games. His name was Nick Saban. Wasn’t a great fit from West Virginia. But guess what: Gets down to LSU, he wins, he all of a sudden becomes a great fit.
“It doesn’t matter. The fit doesn’t matter. All that matters is winning. And at LSU, they have the pieces right now to get the job done.”
After the Orgeron era produced one of the greatest college football teams of all time but was unable to sustain that success, the Tigers hope they’ve got the right guy in Kelly — cultural fit or not.
Former Clemson and All-ACC offensive lineman Eric Mac Lain joined Greg McElroy’s Always College Football show this week. Clemson’s over/under is set at 10.5 wins according to Caesars Sportsbook, and McElroy said on ESPN’s College Football Live this …
Former Clemson and All-ACC offensive lineman Eric Mac Lain joined Greg McElroy’s Always College Football show this week.
McElroy reiterated that to Mac Lain, saying he thinks 10 will be the number and that “in an improved ACC, to go 11-1 is a pretty impressive ask.” McElroy then asked Mac Lain if he feels confident about the 10.5 number from Vegas for the Tigers.
“I think it is a good number, and I think obviously they’re trying to put people in a tough spot with 10 being the number,” Mac Lain said. “But I just think this defense is going to be too good, and I think if they can get average play from the quarterback position, I think they’re back. So, I’m going over. I think Clemson gets back to that.”
Mac Lain then gave a hot take on defending ACC champion Pittsburgh.
“I think we might have two undefeated teams in the ACC Championship with a Pittsburgh and a Clemson, and my goodness, how much fireworks would that be if that came to fruition,” Mac Lain said.
“Put it on paper. Eric Mac Lain’s got Pitt going undefeated,” McElroy said.
You can watch McElroy’s full show with Mac Lain breaking down the Tigers entering the 2022 season here.
.@EricMacLain stopped by today to give a breakdown of @ClemsonFB and also slipped in a HOT take on the reigning ACC Champs 🌶 👀
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On ESPN’s College Football Live show on Tuesday, ESPN college football analysts Greg McElroy and Joey Galloway discussed Clemson’s over/under being set at 10.5 wins according to Caesars Sportsbook. McElroy said he’s taking the under and added, “I …
On ESPN’s College Football Live show on Tuesday, ESPN college football analysts Greg McElroy and Joey Galloway discussed Clemson’s over/under being set at 10.5 wins according to Caesars Sportsbook.
McElroy said he’s taking the under and added, “I don’t love the narrative surrounding Clemson right now.”
“I think Clemson’s a team that’s better when they are disrespected, but right now, they’re sitting at No. 4 in the country (in the preseason AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll) after a very disappointing year. That’s the opposite of disrespect,” McElroy said.
“So, I think that there’s still questions around their quarterback spot. I think there’s questions with having to replace both coordinators. So, I’m going to take the under. I’m thinking that 10-2 is probably the most realistic setup, and it’s an ever-improving ACC group from top to bottom.”
Galloway agreed with McElroy and said he’s going with under 10.5 wins for Clemson this season as well.
“I think they’ll get to 10,” he said. “We’ve been talking about Clemson like they died last year and they got to 10 wins, and I think they get back to 10 wins this season. In the middle of that schedule, they have at Wake Forest and NC State back-to-back, and then later in the season they go at Notre Dame. So, I’m going to go with about 10 wins for Clemson, but I would not be surprised if they do get to 11.”
Clemson went 10-3 (6-2 ACC) last season to extend its streak of consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins to a school-record 11.
The Tigers kick off the 2022 campaign against Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday, Sept. 5 (8 p.m., ESPN).
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He appeared in 13 games for Tennessee during the 2021 season.
Hooker completed 206-of-303 passing attempts, totaling 2,945 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns and three interceptions in 2021. He recorded 620 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns on 167 attempts for the Vols last season
Ahead of the 2022 season, former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy joined “SEC Now” on SEC Network.
McElroy provided analysis of SEC East quarterbacks. Below is McElroy’s SEC East quarterback analysis.
