Mark Schlabach – Syndication Server

Texas A&M surprisingly drops out of ESPN’s updated preseason Top 25 rankings

Texas A&M left out of ESPN’s updated Top 25 preseason rankings

Earlier this week, nearly every major college football prognosticator released their updated preseason Top 25 rankings for the 2024 campaign. With conference alignment and the expanded 12-team CFP playoff structure making their debuts, we’re in for an exciting ride.

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko will make his Aggie coaching debut on Saturday, Aug. 31, against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. After a productive offseason that many would deem highly successful for a first-year head coach, ESPN’s Mark Schlabach seems to disagree.

Earlier in the offseason, Texas A&M was ranked 25th in ESPN’s “way-too-early” rankings, and just a month after the conclusion of the spring football period, Schlabach’s updated list has removed the Aggies from the spotlight.

Even before the spring, Elko’s consistent success was hard to ignore as soon as he stepped on campus. He landed over 30 players through the transfer portal and successfully signed 2024 five-star athlete Terry Bussey to finish the cycle.

Well, in his revised rankings, the Aggies were replaced in the standings with Iowa, USC, and Virginia Tech, which is simply nonsensical from an outside point of view.

During A&M’s spring practice period, starting quarterback Conner Weigman’s continued recovery from his offseason surgery may have hindered the offense’s explosiveness during the Maroon & White spring game, but outside of that, the Aggies’ elite defensive line and improved secondary are reason enough to include them in the bottom 20.

Either way, expect Elko, who has been a personal underdog in his own coaching career, to take on that role this season, starting with the projected No. 5-ranked Fighting Irish three months from now.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Texas A&M cracks ESPN’s way-too-early Top 25 rankings

Texas A&M has received a dose of preseason hype, as ESPN’s Mark Schlabach placed the Aggies wining his newest 2024 Top 25 rankings.

The Mike Elko era at Texas A&M is filled with high expectations. Still, this time, said expectations feel much more rooted in reality, as the former Duke head coach is determined to bring the Aggies back to contention with a blend of toughness and determination coupled with yearly development.

Heading into his inaugural season, it’s okay to be unsure of how things will transpire on the gridiron, but after acquiring 22 players from the transfer portal while closing out the 2024 recruiting class with multiple key singing, including 5-star athlete Terry Bussey, we could be looking at a nine, or possible ten win season right out of the gate.

Avoiding Alabama and Ole Miss this coming season, Texas A&M’s schedule is manageable, barring overall health and how things translate on the field after six years under Jimbo Fisher. However, with the return of talented quarterback Conner Weigman and senior defensive lineman Shemar Turner to the fold, plenty of leadership presides on both sides of the ball.

On Tuesday, ESPN senior writer Mark Schlabach released his new “Way-Too-Early” Top 25 college football rankings, and what may come as a surprise to some of the Aggies fan base, Texas A&M comes in right at the finished line at No. 25. Here’s what Schlabach had to say about their inclusion:

“A little discipline and structure might go a long way at Texas A&M, which lost its footing under former coach Jimbo Fisher. New Aggies coach Mike Elko knows the program well after working as Fisher’s defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021. Elko inherited a talented roster and added several key players through the portal.

Quarterback Conner Weigman gets new life and might flourish under new coordinator Collin Klein. The Aggies will have to identify a No. 1 receiver during the spring. Purdue transfer Nic Scourton led the Big Ten with 10 sacks last season, and Alabama cornerback Dezz Ricks is among eight defensive back additions through the portal. Versatile freshman Terry Bussey will start his college career in the secondary.”

While Nic Scourton and Dezz Ricks certainly stand out as the more intriguing portal additions, others, including cornerbacks Will Lee Jr., BJ Mayes, and Donovan Saunders, all possess the size and experience in the secondary that it is in dire need of a makeover after last year’s struggles.

Another underrated storyline resides at wide receiver, as the departure of Ainais Smith (NFL Draft) and Evan Stewart (transferred to Oregon) leaves a new opening at the No. 1 spot, as Moose Muhammad III, Jahdae Walker, and Noah Thomas will compete for the position starting next month, keep an eye on former Louisiana Tech WR Cyrus Allen, who brings a wealth of experience, speed and versatility to the table.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

ESPN Bowl Predictions after Week 6 have new bowl destination for Texas A&M

Texas A&M is currently sitting at 3-3 on the year, with a 1-2 mark in the SEC at the halfway point of the 2022 college football season. Jimbo Fisher knows that after their inspiring performance against the then No.1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in a close loss, there is plenty to work off of as the team enters their bye week with a chance to rest and recover while looking forward to going on a run to finish strong in the second half of the season.

On Sunday, ESPN college football writers Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura released their brand new bowl projections after week 6 commenced, As Schlabach picked the Aggies in an interesting matchup in the Auto Zone Liberty Bowl on Dec. 28th against ascending Big 12 contending Kansas State Wildcats, who are currently 5-1 on the season, ranked 17th in the AP, and are coming off of a 10-9 win over the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday night.

Kyle Bonagura went a different route, slotting the Aggies in a matchup with another Big 12 opponent, the 3-2 Baylor Bears in the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl also played on Dec. 28th.

Texas A&M has a long season ahead of them, and with college football playoff aspirations eliminated this season, there is still plenty to play for, mainly the potential to win out with a 9-3 record, which would best their 2021 mark of 8-4, which is an obvious sign of progress in the making.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty

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Ducks climb back into Rose Bowl predictions after big win over BYU

The Ducks are sitting favorably in the bowl predictions after a big win over BYU.

In the late hours of September 3, not long following Oregon’s 49-3 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs. it was overreaction central in Duck Twitter circles.

The loss was appalling, yes, but it led to many fans crying that the season was over, and that Dan Lanning was in over his head, and that Bo Nix was one of the worst quarterbacks to play in Oregon since before Joey Harrington came to town.

I preached patience. I encouraged worried fans to give it a couple of weeks, and see how the team looked after the BYU game on September 17. If they still looked like a dumpster fire squad incapable of competing in the Pac-12, then you could hit the panic button.

It’s crazy what patience will get you, isn’t it?

After routing the No. 12 BYU Cougars on Saturday by a score of 41-20, the Ducks are back up into the nation’s polls, and being taken seriously once again. The offense looks great, the defense is getting the wheels turning, and Lanning looks like one of the best young coaches in the game.

A positive side effect of this is that Oregon is getting back into the conversation when it comes to bowl season. Each week, ESPN puts out a list of bowl projections based on the latest standings. This past week, the Ducks’ dominant win had one voter, Mark Schlabach, feeling bullish enough to place Oregon in a New Year’s Six game — the Rose Bowl.

Here’s what Schlabach had to say:

Oregon was left for dead after its ugly 49-3 loss to Georgia in Atlanta in the season opener. The Ducks weren’t competitive in coach Dan Lanning’s first game, but give them credit for bouncing back. Oregon crushed FCS program Eastern Washington 70-14 last week, then took down No. 12 BYU 41-20 at home Saturday. The Oregon offense was balanced and the defense surrendered only 61 rushing yards to the Cougars. The Ducks are right back in the Pac-12 championship hunt.

Should the Ducks find a way to go on the road and beat a very feisty Washington State team this weekend, the aura around them will only continue to grow. They have one of the easier conference schedules in the Pac-12, and could very well run the table until late in the season when they host No. 24 Washington and No. 14 Utah in back-to-back weeks at Autzen.

Should they make it out of that without any new blemishes, the bowl projections are going to be something to see.

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ESPN updates bowl projections after Week 1: Where is Notre Dame headed now?

Hot takes after week one

The first official week of college football is finally over and everyone is having their hot takes from just one data point. ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach have made their bowl projections, which will undoubtably change between now and when the matchups are announced. Find out where Notre Dame landed along with the New Year’s Six and College Football Playoff pairings and who advances to the CFP Finals.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

ESPN predicts Dan Lanning will have the best year among new coaches

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach says Oregon head coaches Dan Lanning will have the best season among new coaches in 2022.

ESPN published their big predictions for every Power 5 conference in college football this season and when it came to the Pac-12, it definitely had some interesting takes.

In the “Three bold predictions for the Pac-12” portion of the article, writer Mark Schlabach said USC would miss out on a New Year’s 6 bowl, UCLA would begin the season 5-0, and then had this to say about the Ducks:

Oregon’s Dan Lanning is the best first-year coach: Lanning helped Georgia end its 41-year national title drought as its defensive coordinator. He’s a first-time head coach, and the Ducks will have some early hiccups against the Bulldogs in Atlanta on Sept. 3 and at Washington State three weeks later. After a 2-2 start, the Ducks will get it rolling to finish 8-4. Auburn transfer Bo Nix is going to send Oregon fans on another roller-coaster ride, but Oregon’s defense and its veteran and talented offensive line will carry the load.

If the Ducks go 8-4 which features a loss at Washington State, we’re fairly sure that won’t constitute a successful season in Eugene. Lanning didn’t walk into a program that’s rebuilding. Instead, he came here to take Oregon to the next level. Lanning, the Duck players, and their fans aren’t going to be thrilled with a mid-tier bowl game in 2022.

Luckily, we all get to find out how right or wrong we are about how things will shake out in just under a week.

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Does ESPN see Clemson returning to the playoff in 2022?

On Monday, ESPN released its 2022 college football bowl projections (subscription required), predicting matchups for every game, including the College Football Playoff. A pair of writers for the four-letter network see Clemson returning to the CFP …

On Monday, ESPN released its 2022 college football bowl projections (subscription required), predicting matchups for every game, including the College Football Playoff.

A pair of writers for the four-letter network see Clemson returning to the CFP this season after its streak of six consecutive playoff appearances came to an end in 2021.

Both ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura project the Tigers to take on Alabama in the CFP semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 31 at 4 or 8 p.m.

“Utah and Oklahoma received strong consideration for the final spot, but ultimately Dabo Swinney’s track record over the past decade was the justification for putting the Tigers in,” Bonagura wrote.

Added Schlabach: “I considered the same three teams as Kyle did for my final CFP spot — Clemson, Oklahoma and Utah — and ended up going with the Tigers for now. Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is going to have to dramatically improve for Clemson to get to the top four.”

Both Schlabach and Bonagura have Ohio State playing Georgia in the CFP semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31 (4 or 8 p.m. at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.), while both ESPN writers also predict Alabama and Ohio State to square off in the CFP National Championship on Jan. 9 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

Clemson kicks off its 2022 campaign against Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday, Sept. 5 (8 p.m. on ESPN).

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center. Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix. If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

ESPN gets it right, has Notre Dame on their Way Too Early Top 10

The Irish weren’t left off this list

Earlier this week we were all in a bit of shock, as Pro Football Focus’ Anthony Treash left Notre Dame off his Way Too Early Top 10 list. It obviously caused some concern, but since the start of the regular season is months away, not really much at all.

ESPN released their Way Too Early Top 25 (insider), a bit more comprehensive look at this coming seasons top teams. Mark Schlabach was much more kind to the Irish, ranking them inside his Top 10. Find out below where Notre Dame was placed along with the rest of the early Top 10.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

Notre Dame’s bowl outlook still peachy according to ESPN

Hot-lanta?

Although the Irish have finally gotten an early signature win over Wisconsin, there really hasn’t been much change to how they’re viewed for a bowl destination. The projections before the season, many of which had Notre Dame heading to the Peach Bowl, haven’t changed.

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Today, ESPN released their updated bowl projections (insider) and both Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach have the Irish heading to Atlanta to partake in the Peach Bowl. The difference between the two are who they’ll play in a New Year’s Six game.

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Schlabach has the Irish facing off against Wake Forest, not the most intriguing opponent. Currently the Demon Deacons are just inside both polls. That matchup really doesn’t move the needle for me too much.

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Bonagura on the other hand has the Irish potentially facing Florida, which would be a Top-10 matchup. This game would bring many more eyes, as Notre Dame facing off against an SEC opponent would be a great measuring stick.

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The season is just in it’s early stages so these projections are exactly what they are, projections. It is fun to see where and who the Irish could play in the offseason however.

Which bowl games Notre Dame is projected to play in entering 2021 season

Where do you think the Irish will go bowling?

The season gets started tomorrow, week 0 brings us a mix intriguing contests, Illinois hosting Nebraska, and some odd scheduling, Southern Utah playing two games in the span of four days. With that in mind, bowl projections are flying all over the place and in an effort to make it easier for you, we’ve complied a few of the experts projections for where Notre Dame could be headed in late December or early January below.