Now that the college football season is finally here, it’s time to examine what’s going to transpire on the gridiron in week 1. Here’s a list of burning questions that we should get answers to this weekend.
1. How much has North Carolina’s run defense improved since last year?
If the Tar Heels are going to repeat as Coastal Division champions, they must do a better job of stopping the run. UNC finished 122nd nationally against the run last year, allowing 247.36 yards per game. The Carolina D struggled mightily in the final three games of the 2015 campaign, giving up 1,272 rushing yards to North Carolina State, Clemson, and Baylor.
As I wrote in our Tar Heel preview, I expect for the run defense to improve this season. Week 1 will provide an indication as to how much better it will be. UNC faces Georgia’s powerful ground game, which ranked 18th nationally with 5.14 yards per carry last season. To make matters worse, the Heels have the formidable task of trying to stop a healthy Nick Chubb, who ran for 120 yards or more in every game he finished last season, including a 146-yard effort against Alabama.
Will Carolina hold him to less than 100 yards? Probably not, since Chubb has eclipsed the century mark in every game since assuming the starting role midway through the 2014 season.
Yet, the front seven can prove that it’s better this year by holding him in check. It’ll be interesting to see what wrinkles Gene Chizik uses this season to help shore up the run defense.
2. Is Deondre Francois a caretaker or will he be the starting quarterback for Florida State this season?
Had Sean Maguire not injured his foot, we would have known the answer to this question before the season started. However, since he’ll be out of the lineup for a while, Francois will be the guy under center.
He could potentially win the starting job this weekend with a strong performance against Ole Miss. Sure, it’s only one game. But, the Rebels have one of the better defenses in the country, limiting opponents to less than five yards per play in each of the last two seasons. The pass defense has been especially tough, allowing just 6.3 yards per attempt and picking off 15 passes. In addition, top pass rushers Marquis Haynes (10 sacks) and D.J. Jones (4 sacks) are back, making it even tougher for opponents to throw against the Rebels this fall.
Simply put, the Ole Miss D is a formidable challenge for a veteran quarterback, let alone a player making his first career start. Should Francois have a solid outing against a top 25 defense, it’ll be tough for Jimbo Fisher to take him out of the lineup.
3. How will Pittsburgh use all of its talent at running back?
Make no mistake about it: the Panthers are loaded at tailback this year. 2014 ACC Player of the Year James Conner sits atop the depth chart this year after beating cancer in the offseason. Chawntez Moss, Darrin Hall, and Qadree Ollison will back him up.
That last sentence is the interesting part. Remember, Ollison ran for 1,121 yards and 11 TD’s, while earning second-team All-ACC honors last season. Yet, he’s battling for carries with Moss and Hall, who both had outstanding springs. Anytime an all-conference performer has to fight for carries, you know that depth won’t be a problem.
I’m curious to see how new offensive coordinator Matt Canada uses all of these talented running backs against Villanova this weekend, especially with the loss of Tyler Boyd and J.P. Holtz. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him use some different packages to get more than one of them on the field at the same time.
4. Will Georgia Tech win close games in 2016?
The Yellow Jackets were arguably the biggest disappointment in college football last season. Just one year after capturing the ACC Coastal division crown, Georgia Tech limped to a 3-9 record. The Jackets won just one game in league play, which came on a blocked field goal against Florida State.
Yet, Tech wasn’t nearly as bad as its record would indicate. Yes, the team lost nine games. However, it’s worth noting that six of the nine losses were by eight points or less. With a couple of breaks here and there, the Jackets could have easily finished 9-3.
That begs the question: can Georgia Tech win a few close games this season?
We’ll find out right away in the season opener, when the Jackets travel to Dublin, Ireland, to square off against Boston College. Despite finishing with a 3-9 record, the Eagles had the best defense in the country last year, allowing just 254.3 yards per game and 4.07 yards per play. With seven starters returning on defense, the Eagle D should be just as good – if not better – than it was last season.
In other words: expect a close game, especially since the defenses are usually ahead of the offenses early in the year.
Will Georgia Tech eek out a close victory or will Boston College grab an early “W” that could help it return to a bowl in 2016?
I don’t know, but it will be fun to watch… even at 7:30 in the morning.
