Playoff time, baby! Enough said. Let’s go!
My Top 5 Dynasty RBs
- Caleb Hawkins, North Texas (FR)
- Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss (SO)
- Ahmad Hardy, Missouri (FO)
- Isaac Brown, Louisville (SO)
- Antwan Raymond, Rutgers (SO)
It’s pretty straightforward. It was a fairly pedestrian freshman class at the position, so I’m more willing to go with what I have seen from the second-year guys. Hawkins could very well transfer up, but he could also go God Mode if he and Eric Morris were to run it back at UNT another year. Lacy, Hardy, and Raymond just simply get too much volume to ignore, and Brown was on his way to an epic season if it weren’t for the bum hammy. Cam Cook is right on the cut line, but I always worry about G5.
It’s Tool Time in StarkVegas
Could it be Kamario Taylor szn? Oh, buddy…inject it straight into my veins. Yes, Shapen was listed as “probable” on the availability report, but he has exited the last two games with injury. And quite frankly, the Bulldog offense has looked better with Taylor under center. Give me the sneak peek that I crave, Lebby. We deserve this. I get that he is still somewhat raw as a passer, but I say he’s Kamario “The Tool Man” Taylor because all the tools are definitely there. He is already electric as a runner. Lebby once said that Taylor reminds him of Robert Griffin III during the time Lebby helped coach him to a Heisman trophy at Baylor.
No Mercy!
We have reached the point in the season, with just a few games left, when teams can impress the playoff committee for those last at-large bids. Here are some rosters to potentially target starters in your playoffs that need to run it up…or sweep the leg on their opponents to leave a lasting impression.
Miami: The ACC title game bid is bleak, so Mario is going to need to step outside his comfort zone by continuing to press the gas in the second half against NC State, VaTech, and Pitt.
Utah: The Utes don’t hold a tiebreaker against BYU or Texas Tech, so their best bet to make the CFP is to continue to impress the committee, which clearly likes them, given their #13 ranking. Dampier, Davis, Bentley, and Parker have nice upside with three of the bottom-half defenses in the conference remaining.
USC: They need to show the committee they belong as a 3-loss team if they split the next two weeks against Iowa and Oregon. Lord have mercy on UCLA’s poor soul in week 14 if that happens. Lincoln could cook the Bruins longer than he does his brisket.
There Ain’t No D in Texas State, GJ Kinne, or San Marcos
Remember when we turned the calendar to October and GJ Kinne’s name was being thrown around for jobs like Arkansas and Oklahoma State? Texas State has since gone 0-5 and finds itself in the FunBelt cellar. Don’t get me wrong. I love Kinne for CFF purposes. He’s approaching KingMaker status at QB. But they are lifeless on one side of the ball. They are giving up 39 PPG to FBS opponents, which is almost 15 PPG more than they allowed last year. Bless you for the shootouts, GJ. But good lord, man. Make an effort on defense. Start your Bobcats. And start everyone you have playing against the Bobcats.
The Daniels Dilemma
Ashton Daniels has a redshirt year still available (don’t we all) that he planned to use this year. There are some layers to this onion. Auburn has two games remaining, but he can only play in one and preserve the redshirt. Could he sit out the Mercer game? It would give Auburn a chance to see what they have in Deuce Knight and determine whether they want to try to pay up to retain one of them next year. But damn, that sure would suck for CFF owners who just picked up Daniels for that juicy semi-finals matchup. But that would seem to make more sense than sitting out the Championship week against Alabama.
Having an interim coach muddies the water even more. Is it worth it to play one extra game, still miss a bowl, have your career abruptly end, and pass on that opportunity to get another NIL paycheck next year? I wouldn’t think so. But hey, I’m not the guy with the degree from Stanford. That’s Daniels.
Cheers and good luck in the playoffs!
