Buy or Sell: Will Texas and these teams emerge as contenders?

We separate legitimate teams from counterfeit contenders.

It’s still early in the college football offseason, but that isn’t stopping plenty of outlets from projecting surprise contenders for the 2023 season. As is often the case, the Texas Longhorns are one of the trending breakout teams.

Often the teams nobody expects to cross the 10-win threshold emerge as playoff contenders.

Last season, the TCU Horned Frogs went from 5-7 to their first ever playoff berth. The Washington Huskies enjoyed a similar turnaround in 2022.

The year before saw Pittsburgh, Wake Forest and NC State surprise as Clemson took a step back.

While its hardly ever Miami, Texas or Nebraska who reach new heights, their track record of winning raises expectations for each team. Let’s look at whose hype we’re buying and selling for the 2023 season.

Former Georgia DB Tyrique Stevenson to enter NFL draft

Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Tyrique Stevenson, who transferred to the Miami Hurricanes, is entering the 2023 NFL draft.

Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Tyrique Stevenson, who transferred to the Miami Hurricanes, is declaring for the 2023 NFL draft.

Stevenson finished the 2022 college football season with 25 total tackles, two interceptions, and seven pass deflections. Miami had a very disappointing 5-7 season, but Stevenson was one of the few brights spots on the Hurricanes.

Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Tyrique Stevenson breaks up a pass intended for Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver Ahmad Wagner  during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

During the 2020 season at Georgia, Stevenson saw action in all 10 games, leading the team in pass breakups and finishing 5th in tackles. Stevenson’s best play of the season came in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, when he defected a fourth down pass to give Georgia’s offense an opportunity to win the game.

Stevenson is a former four-star recruit out of Miami Southridge High School. The Miami defensive back announced that he would be entering the NFL draft via Twitter:

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ACC News: Miami’s season going downhill as free-fall continues

In other ACC news, Miami’s season continues to go downhill as its free-fall continued on Saturday, getting blown out at home to Duke.

The Miami football program started the season ranked No. 16 and moved as far up as No. 13 in the country before watching its season unravel in front of them.

Miami is now sitting at 3-4 and coming off of a 45-21 blowout loss at home to Duke in which the Blue Devils scored 28 unanswered points in the second half.

The 28 unanswered points weren’t even the entire story, however. The Hurricanes also gave up the ball eight times — three interceptions and five lost fumbles.

So, what’s next for Miami?

It’s just the first season for head coach Mario Cristobal, but this is not the way anyone thought or expected the season to go.

There are still five chances for Miami to get two wins and get back to a bowl game, but with the inconsistencies for the Hurricanes all year, that’s not a sure thing at this point.

This performance wasn’t the first time a ‘quitting’ Miami team to the field this season. And that was part of the message Cristobal had postgame.

You think Brent Venables has it bad at Oklahoma? What about Mario Cristobal at Miami?

One huge difference between Venables and Cristobal, having awful first seasons at OU and Miami: Venables was never a head coach. Cristobal? Far less of an excuse. @Ducks_Wire

USC fans have taken an interest in the coaching career of Brent Venables, since he is Lincoln Riley’s replacement at Oklahoma. One can easily imagine what Trojan fans are thinking and feeling after Venables’ ship crashed upon the rocks of difficulty in Year 1 at OU.

We want to be fair to Venables. He doesn’t have his starting quarterback. He shouldn’t be unfairly or excessively judged at Oklahoma. We need to wait until he gets his recruits into the program. He could still be good, but he obviously needs to make the kinds of adjustments Lincoln Riley has made at USC. You can read our piece and get more details on Venables’ situation.

Meanwhile, another coach in his first year at a big-name program is struggling. What’s going on with Mario Cristobal at Miami? Let’s take a look:

Outside Texas Football: Predicting the rest of this week’s games

Let’s look at how these Week 3 games could unfold.

The Texas Longhorns have a big game this weekend. You could argue that outside of Red River it is the most important game of the season.

The bout with UTSA will display the Longhorns’ response following last week’s heavyweight fight with Alabama.

Texas enters the game bruised and battered with Quinn Ewers out and Hudson Card questionable for Saturday’s game. Presumably, Charles Wright could start the game for Texas. Even so, the Longhorns will look to stay, as Steve Sarkisian puts it, “enamored with us.”

Outside of Austin, a number of consequential games loom. Oklahoma faces a challenge similar to what Alabama faced last week. The Sooners wake up early for a morning road battle against a team they should beat with ease.

Let’s look at how these games could unfold.

5-star edge rusher Jayden Wayne is ready to commit

Five-star class of 2023 edge rusher Jayden Wayne is ready to commit and has UGA among his top schools.

Five-star class of 2023 edge rusher Jayden Wayne is ready to commit. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound pass rusher plans to announce his commitment on Saturday, July 9 at 4:00 p.m. EDT.

Wayne plays high school football for national powerhouse IMG Academy. He previously played football for Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington.

The Miami Hurricanes are the favorites to land a commitment from Wayne, who will decide between Georgia, LSU, Michigan State, Alabama, Oregon, and Miami.

Jayden Wayne has recently visited all of his top six schools over the past couple of months.

He’s ranked as the No. 5 edge rusher and the No. 9 recruit in the class of 2023. Wayne is the No. 30 recruit in his class. The elite athlete excels on the field and in the classroom.

The five-star recruit plays basketball in addition to football. Wayne shows off his versatility in football. He plays both wide receiver and defensive end in high school.

Wayne, who will be committing on his sister’s birthday, locked in his commitment date and time via Twitter:

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What a potential 40-team college football league could look like

We are one step closer to a two-conference college football league.

It was reported on Thursday that the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins are interested in departing the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten conference. Continue reading “What a potential 40-team college football league could look like”

4-star Georgia football target Robert Stafford makes commitment

4-star ATH Robert Stafford is headed to Miami…

Four-star 2023 athlete Robert Stafford, the No. 12 athlete in the class, has made his college decision – Stafford is headed to Miami.

Mario Cristobal gets an in-state boost to the Hurricanes’ 20th ranked class with a commitment from Stafford, a Melbourne, Fla., native out of Eau Gallie High School.

UGA was one of Stafford’s top-five schools, including Kentucky, Arkansas, Oregon, Georgia and Miami.

Although the Dawgs have missed on Stafford, they maintain the No. 6 ranked class in the nation, which includes five-star defensive back A.J. Harris, who is one of the top players in the entire class.

Miami Football Schedule 2022: 3 Things To Know

Miami football schedule. The 2022 schedule with 3 things to know

Miami football schedule 2022: Who does Miami miss on the ACC schedule and what are 3 things to know?


Miami Football Schedule 2022

Sept 3 Bethune-Cookman

Sept 10 Southern Miss

Sept 17 at Texas A&M

Sept 24 Middle Tennessee

Oct 1 OPEN DATE

Oct 8 North Carolina

Oct 15 at Virginia Tech

Oct 22 Duke

Oct 29 at Virginia

Nov 5 Florida State

Nov 12 at Georgia Tech

Nov 19 at Clemson

Nov 26 Pitt

2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

Miami Football Schedule What To Know: Who do the Hurricanes miss from the Atlantic Division?

Hey, Mario Cristobal. Welcome to the new job. As a gift, the ACC is giving you a road game at Clemson late in the year to go along with the rivalry date against Florida State.

The Hurricanes miss NC State and Wake Forest – along with Boston College, Louisville, and Syracuse – but having to go to Death Valley is a killer because …

Miami Football Schedule What To Know: The road games aren’t all brutal, but …

There’s no shaming Miami for starting the season with Bethune-Cookman, Southern Miss, and Middle Tennessee as the first three home dates. Why?

Before facing the Blue Raiders, they have to go to Texas A&M. That’s the first road date, Clemson is the last game away from Hard Rock, and there’s a run of four road games in six weeks that should be trying before closing out the regular season against Pitt.

Miami Football Schedule What To Know: What does it all really mean?

Getting North Carolina, Florida State, and Pitt at home certainly helps, and going to Virginia Tech, Virgina, and Georgia Tech isn’t that bad. There will be a few misfires along the way, but there’s no excuse to not come up with a winning season with relative ease.

The key will be to get up to speed with the first two warm-up games before going to Texas A&M. If the Hurricanes can at least split between the Aggies and Clemson, it’ll be a huge year.

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2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

Several UGA transfers shine in CFB Week 1

The Georgia Bulldogs gained and lost a bunch of talent via the transfer portal. Several UGA transfers played well for their new teams.

The Georgia Bulldogs gained and lost a bunch of talent via the NCAA transfer portal this offseason. The transfer portal saw record numbers of activity.

Georgia gained key players Arik Gilbert, Tykee Smith and Derion Kendrick. At the same time, UGA lost Demetris Robertson, Jermaine Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson and many more.

It will be interesting to see if Georgia’s gains from the transfer portal outweigh their loses at the end of the 2021 college football season.

What former Georgia Bulldogs made the biggest impact for their new teams?