Illinois Fighting Illini
With a new quarterback at the helm, it is typically tough to say that a team will improve, but Illinois is a special case. Nathan Scheelhaase, the 2013 starting quarterback, was not bad, per say, but transfer Wes Lunt will make the loss of Scheelhaase easy. Lunt transferred because he wanted early playing time, but with J.W. Walsh on the roster, that looked unlikely. To a degree, Lunt’s situation is similar to that of Gunner Kiel’s. Lunt will elevate the offense around him. On top of Lunt, running back Josh Ferguson, who impressed as a sophomore last season, will be back once again as the running-and-receiving threat that he is. To be honest, Illinois’s defense will not be top notch, but the team as a whole will improve on their four wins from last season.
Florida Gators
As of late, the Florida Gators have had little success, especially in 2013. Injuries, poor play calling, and the defensive downfall following Dominique Easley’s injury turned 2013 into a joke of a year that included a loss to an FCS team that did not attempt a single pass. Luckily, the team is, in theory, much healthier. Most notably, new offensive coordinator Kurt Roper, who held the same position at Duke last season, has implemented an offense that will make Jeff Driskel’s job much easier, which will hopefully lead to fewer mistakes from a common offender of such.
Defensively, the key is development and the youth. In regards to the youth, Vernon Hargreaves, the most talented corner in the nation, is going to be the clear No.1 cornerback, but Jalen Tabor will be eased into the No.2 role with Brian Poole. Tabor, though only a freshman, is incredibly talented and will be a solid contributor despite his youth. Aside from the corners, Jarrad Davis is the most important new starter. Davis is a fluid linebacker that was impressive at the end of the season when he was needed due to injury. In regards to development, Dante Fowler Jr. has slimmed down and become much quicker, which will be terrifying to compliment his power.
Michigan Wolverines
For Michigan, a seven win season in 2013 is disappointing. Devin Gardner, who is inconsistent to say the least, will still be the starting quarterback, but he is not the headliner in Ann Arbor. Derrick Green has lost weight. Green’s weight was the root of Green’s lack of success as a freshman. It made him too sluggish for the college level, but now, Green is lean and cut. This year, he will be moving into a starting role and he is primed for a huge year. Also, tight end convert Devin Funchess will be a key piece in the passing game, even more so than he was last year. Lastly, Michigan’s duo of corners in Blake Countess and star Jabrill Peppers will be more than impressive.
Oklahoma Sooners
Sure, Oklahoma is coming off of a bowl win against the powerhouse that is Alabama, but in 2014, they will be capable of much more. Quarterback Trevor Kinight had one hell of a performance against Alabama and looked more refined in that game that he had in any game prior. With a full offseason of running with the 1’s, the game will come more easily to Knight. As if his development alone was not enticing enough, stud receiver Dorial Green-Beckham transferred to Oklahoma. So long as he can stay out of trouble, “DGB” will be a top three receiver in the nation.
While their passing game will be top notch, they also have two defensive players that will make the opposing passing offense look clearly inferior. Defensive end Geneo Grissom and outside linebacker Eric Striker are a nasty duo of pass rushers that will give quarterbacks nightmares, as if they did not already do that last season.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Marquise Williams, who exceeded expectations as a replacement for Bryn Renner, will be the full time starter in 2014 and he has a lethal duo of receivers to throw to. Quinshad Davis and Bug Howard are both massive targets with the ability to make wonderful catches in traffic. Of course, the loss of Eric Ebron will hurt a bit, but the upcoming emergence of Howard will certainly make up for it. To support what will become a scary passing offense, T.J. Logan and Romar Morris make for a solid duo of rushers, especially Logan. When he is allowed to take the bulk of the carries in 2014, he will have no issues rushing for over 1,000 yards.
Penn State Nittany Lions
As anyone who has seen him play would know, Christian Hackenberg is the most talented quarterback, maybe even overall player, in college football. Of course, last season had its “freshman” moments, but that was expected from a true freshman being thrown into the fire. Despite those moments, Hackenberg gave life to a program that had lost their identity. That being said, Hackenberg’s play next season will be unlike anything else in college football. No other team in college football is as dependent on a single player as Penn State is, but the one player will bring great things. Although, fortunately, Hackenberg has a plethora of of talented tight ends that he will be throwing to- a group lead by Jesse James.
Utah State Aggies
More importantly than anything else, Chuckie Keeton will be healthy and back in charge of Utah State’s offense. Had he not gotten injured last season, he lowkey would have been a strong Heisman candidate. With him back, the Utah State offense will be electric, especially with the speedy Bruce Natson as a specialized weapon. On a lighter note, the Vigil brothers and Kyler Fackrell (the most talented of the bunch) will make for the best linebacker corps in the Mountain West. The solidity of the defense and Keeton’s return will be enough to lock up a conference title.
Duke Devils
Kurt Roper will not be back as the offensive coordinator, but head coach David Cutcliffe is a genius in his own right and has seemingly turned the program around. Cutcliffe has made a respectable quarterback out of Anthony Boone. For reference, he is a better Tajh Boyd, and Boyd’s collegiate success is well documented. Also, Boone has his own deep threat in Jamison Crowder. Though undersized, Crowder is a sneaky little athlete that will make defenders pay for taking questionable angles.Unlike 2013, Duke will have the experience and talent to end the year strong.
Temple Owls
To be honest, Temple was embarrassing last season. They only won two games. Although, the future is brighter. Sophomore PJ Walker is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the country. The comparison will sound absurd, but Walker is not unlike Johnny Manziel. He is an athletic passer with a similar pocket presence and arm talent. Also, in the same way Manziel did, Walker elevates the talents around him. Both of Temple’s wins were when Walker started, but he had only started seven of the twelve games last season. Walker is an exciting player that will ultimately be the reason Temple improves next season.
Ole Miss Rebels
Unfortunately, Bo Wallace is still the starting quarterback, but it is the team around him that makes Ole Miss a sneaky contender. Laquon Treadwell, Laremy Tunsil, and Robert Nkemdiche are three incredibly gifted young players that started last season as freshmen. Treadwell will now be taking over as the No.1 and Nkemdiche will be injury-free, which will allow him to unleash the beast inside of him that garnered comparisons to Jadeveon Clowney. The race for the SEC title is much more wide-open than people assume, so no year is better than this year for Ole Miss to make an unexpected push for the tile, much like Missouri did last season.