The 2021 college football season is, for all intents and purposes, upon us. Week zero is in the rearview mirror and brought with it some truly despicable football, and as I write this, I’m staring down a Thursday night slate of games that will kick off this new season in earnest. Whether this is good or not depends on how you consume college football, because I can understand that those who haven’t made the sport their business may have a healthier relationship with it than I do.
That doesn’t matter here, though. Whether I’m dreading the start of another college football season isn’t important because that start is immutable. I can’t change it, you can’t change it, and college football sure as hell can’t change it after missing out on at least a portion of its usual cash grab in 2020. Those funds have to be recouped if we like it or not.
Let’s lean into the return of football, then. You’re going to sit down and watch games every Saturday this season as I will, and if the last few years are any indication, the usual hot spots for quality football content will continue to cool, as they have every season for the last decade or so. If it feels as though the top of the sport is dwindling in quality, it’s because it is. Those primetime ABC games suck and have since the playoff started, and we don’t need to lie and pretend otherwise.
That’s the bad news. The top of the sport is corrupting at a rapid pace, morphing into some kind of monstrous NFL offshoot – not because the sport has allowed its laborers to profit from their work, but because it exists in America and makes money, which isn’t good for quality control.
The good news: there’s another part of the sport that doesn’t make money, or at least not the kind that the oligarchs atop it have any interest in, meaning that there is still a slice of purity here if you’re willing to dig through the shit and give me five dollars a month.
That’s what this primer is for. If you want to expand your college football horizons this season and find more competitive games and conference races in the process, this is the place to go. For a deeper dive, I would certainly recommend my preview series, but for those of you that want an easy jumping-in point, this is it. Let’s talk about the G5.
The Contenders
These are your heavy hitters. Potential conference winners, NY6 bid snaggers and even a few that would be legitimate threats to make the playoff in a just system. If you’re looking for the easiest possible transition into the G5 ranks, these teams are going to field the kind of talent and play the kind of style of football that a P5-only fan would be accustomed to.
Cincinnati Bearcats
I won’t say that this is a straight-up top 14, because the AAC would likely find a little more representation in that (and the C-USA and MAC a little less), but these are the top conference title contenders in each league, at least in my view. Cincinnati is the heavy favorite in the AAC and has the best shot yet at giving the Group of Five playoff team if it can win every game it plays and run the table in its conference slate. Wins over Indiana, Notre Dame (both on the road), UCF, SMU and in the AAC title game would rival the resume of just about any other playoff contender and would be quite a bit more impressive than whatever Clemson, Ohio State, or Oklahoma emerge from their conferences with.
Louisiana Ragin Cajuns
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Appalachian State Mountaineers
Beyond the Bearcats, I don’t imagine that the trio of Sun Belt contenders have a serious shot at qualifying for the sport’s invitational, but that’s not really what this newsletter is about. We’re looking for compelling football here, and the Sun Belt has that in droves. This is going to be the best conference title race in college football, and all three have strong ideological schematic ties that will make for great style clashes when they square off.
App State draws the short stick in scheduling, with Miami, Marshall, Georgia State, Louisiana and Coastal Carolina all on the slate in the first six weeks of the season, and has a steep climb to reclaiming its crown. Louisiana dodges the Chanticleers, but has a road trip to Texas to open the year, a tricky Ohio team in week three, Liberty in the penultimate week of the season and two difficult in-conference battles in Georgia State and App State. On schedule and recent history, Coastal Carolina should be the favorite here, with only two truly losable games in App State and Georgia Stae on the slate. Still, all three are absolutely talented enough to win the league and should be able to take it all the way down to the wire.
SMU Mustangs
Many cowards in the mainstream media will put UCF and lying, fake news Gus Malzahn in this spot. That’s for the birds. To quote my dear podcast cohost Ryan Donnelly, “UCF sucks and Gus Malzahn is stupid.” SMU by 30.
Liberty Flames
Man, fuck these guys.
Boise State Broncos
Nevada Wolfpack
The Mountain West is far too shaky at the top to feel especially confident in either of these picks, but these are the two most talented teams in the league, so I’m sticking with them. Boise State with a healthy Hank Bachmeier and George Holani backfield is as good as any in the league, and there isn’t a corner in the league that can stick to wide receiver Khalil Shakir. If Andy Avalos can get the defense cooking, Boise should run to a title.
But if Avalos is shaky in year one as a head coach, this Nevada team sure is attractive. Carson Strong can throw the ball a mile in the air, he has the best receiving corps in the league and an improving defense, led by defensive tackle Dom Peterson, who we’ll talk about in a little bit.
Toledo Rockets
Like Boise State, Toledo is a case of “way too much talent not to be on here.” However, also like Boise, that hasn’t translated to conference crowns as of late. Jason Candle has to do it at some point, and he has strong picks at 21 positions. The biggest question, though? At position No. 22: Quarterback.
UTSA Roadrunners
Marshall Thundering Herd
UAB Blazers
I don’t want to tell you to watch the C-USA, because I don’t think it’s a good representation of G5 football. This is the league that matches the stereotypes of the Group of Five. It’s poorly put together; lacking in coherent rivalries; devoid of a geographical footprint that makes any sense; can’t find more than a few teams that care enough about winning to invest seriously in their programs.
That’s what happens when you shop for TV markets ahead of football programs. While the Sun Belt was collecting established programs with established fan bases, the C-USA was dreaming of what it could be as it expanded into growing markets, without first realizing that those schools need to value football to succeed in it.
Many of them don’t, so we’re left with a seriously unbalanced conference, strong at the top but empty at the bottom because of several schools that just refuse to make a concerted effort. UTSA, Marshall and UAB buck the trend and play compelling football, but they’re the only three really worth watching at this point, at least until Charlotte starts to break through.
Ball State Cardinals
Kent State Golden Flashes
Toledo might be the MAC favorite, but as established, it needs to prove itself as competent with the target on its back. It hasn’t yet, and both Ball State and Kent State have the quarterbacks and offenses to seriously threaten if the Rockets aren’t ready to go. I’m not sure how much I trust the former despite its league title last season, and the latter really needs to find something on defense, but good quarterback play goes a long way in this league. In the same breath, Western Michigan may be worth some consideration too, if for no reason other than the Kaleb Eleby and Skyy Moore pairing.
Players Worth Watching
QB Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
QB Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
Wildly different quarterbacks, but two of the best in the game at commanding the offenses around them. McCall is as good a triple-option quarterback as college football has seen since the 80s, and Ridder absolutely flew onto the scene last season as a true playmaker, rather than just a game manager. There’s a reason these teams are among the best at this level, and these two are a big part of it.
RB Sincere McCormick, UTSA
RB Camerun Peoples, Appalachian State
You aren’t going to find two more violent runners in college football. McCormick reminds me a lot of Iowa’s Shonn Greene, with his compact, low-to-the-ground style and thighs the size of tree trunks. McCormick is a little smaller than most workhorse backs, but he’s just as effective in an offense that really knows how to use him.
Peoples, meanwhile, looks like he’s about 6-5 out there. He runs even taller than he actually is, but it doesn’t matter, because he’s too powerful and fast to actually tackle. If you’re looking for a freaky back, this is your guy.
WR Reggie Roberson Jr., SMU
WR Justin Hall, Ball State
WR Khalil Shakir, Boise State
In Roberson, we have an electric deep threat, so long as he can stay healthy. Hall is the hyper-productive possession receiver, that already holds just about every Ball State record he can get his hands on. Shakir is our gadget slot man that plays everywhere and does everything for the Broncos. This would be a delightful receivers corps, but it’s just as fun to watch them on their own.
TE Cole Turner, Nevada
TE Isaiah Likely, Coastal Carolina
Do you like 6-5, 240-pound wide receivers? Buddy, I have just the thing for you.
UAB’s OL
Coastal Carolina’s OL
Another serious style clash, but two very fun options regardless. UAB blocks like an SEC team, overwhelming opponents with freaky athletes in huge bodies. Coastal Carolina takes the high school approach, rolling out wildly undersized players at each spot, all of whom have a master’s degree in utilizing leverage. Not a bad fit for an option offense.
DE Praise Amaewhule, UTEP
DE Scott Patchan, Colorado State
DT Dom Peterson, Nevada
DT Zi’Yon Hill, Louisiana
I’ll admit that I’m more interested in the tackles than I am in the ends because Peterson is impossible to block without a double team and one of my favorite players in all of college football while Hill is an absolutely killer interior pass rusher. Amaewhule is an insane athlete and Patchan is ultra-productive.
LB Tyler Grubbs, Louisiana Tech
LB Chad Muma, Wyoming
LB Carlton Martial, Troy
I certainly have a type. Grubbs and Martial are heat-seeking missiles that look more like defensive backs than linebackers, and I’m putting them around one of the most traditional middle linebackers in the sport in Muma, who’s going to average about 20 tackles every game and go in the seventh round. All three are delightful.
CB Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati
CB Steven Gilmore, Marshall
CB Shaun Jolly, Appalachian State
It’s hard to find a true lockdown cornerback in college football, and we’ve got three of them right here. Not too bad at all.
S Ja’Von Hicks, Cincinnati
S Jerrick Reed II, New Mexico
Like with the linebackers, I certainly have a type here: chaos machines that can play in the box.
Must-See Games
Sept. 2, Boise State @ UCF
Sept. 16, Ohio @ Louisiana
Sept. 18, Ball State @ Wyoming
Sept. 23, Marshall @ Appalachian State
Sept. 25, San Jose State @ Western Michigan
Sept. 25, Toledo @ Ball State
Oct. 2, Nevada @ Boise State
Oct. 9, Boise State @ BYU
Oct. 9, Ball State @ Western Michigan
Oct. 12, Appalachian State at Louisiana
Oct. 15, San Diego State @ San Jose State
Oct. 16, Kent State @ Western Michigan
Oct. 16, UCF @ Cincinnati
Oct. 20, Coastal Carolina @ Appalachian State
Oct. 23, Kent State @ Ohio
Oct. 23, Western Michigan @ Toledo
Oct. 30, Wyoming @ San Jose State
Oct. 30, SMU @ Houston
Nov. 2, Eastern Michigan @ Toledo
Nov. 4, Georgia State @ Louisiana
Nov. 6, San Jose State @ Nevada
Nov. 6, Marshall @ FAU
Nov. 12, Wyoming @ Boise State
Nov. 13, UAB @ Marshall
Nov. 13, Georgia State @ Coastal Carolina
Nov. 13, UCF @ SMU
Nov. 16, Western Michigan @ Eastern Michigan
Nov. 20, Louisiana @ Liberty
Nov. 20, SMU @ Cincinnati
Nov. 20, UAB @ UTSA
Nov. 27, Georgia Southern @ Appalachian State
Fun To Watch, Probably Not Contending
UTEP Miners
Electric passing game? Honestly, if the coaching staff can get out of the way, there’s a decent chance at it. That’s a big if, though.
New Mexico Lobos
Danny Gonzales has not yet built the 3-3-5 of his dreams out here, but a fun secondary could make for some interesting play, even if it’s not yet good play.
South Alabama Jaguars
Similar story here. A fun defensive scheme without the players to really thrive should create a fun team that just isn’t quite good yet.
Texas State Bobcats
If you like Johnny Manziel, this team has the knockoff version of him in Brady McBride.
Eastern Michigan Eagles
Good quarterback, good receivers, good offensive line. The defense… less so, but a bowl game means a lot to EMU and I think it can get there.
Georgia State Panthers
Cornelius Brown IV is not yet that dude but he is a dude and could be in for another step this season with a young, fun group of wideouts. Georgia State isn’t within the Sun Belt’s trio of power, but I think it makes for a convincing No. 4.
Wyoming Cowboys
I need to see it to believe it from this offense, but Craig Bohl has the defensive talent to churn out another top 10 group, which he’s been able to do very well at Wyoming.
Tulane Green Wave
Willie Fritz has gone away from the triple for the most part, but I can’t really blame him with quarterback Michael Pratt in town. This kid is awesome, and he’s lining up behind a really good offensive line.
San Jose State Spartans
One of college football’s best stories this year, San Jose State shouldn’t have the talent to really compete in the MWC, but we could say that last year too. With a returning Nick Starkel at quarterback and Brent Brennan still at the helm, who knows what could happen here.
Conference Winners
AAC: Cincinnati over SMU
C-USA: UTSA over Marshall
MAC: Kent State over Toledo
MWC: Nevada over Boise State
Sun Belt: Coastal Carolina over Louisiana