Saturday is the start of the 2017 college football season with a plethora of interesting, average, and sub par games. With games to be played, a large group of names will come to your attention as the season progresses. Let’s take a look at some G5 superlatives heading into the 2017 season.
These are all preseason superlatives.
Offensive Player of the Year: Quinton Flowers, QB, South Florida.
The quarterback of the Bulls was a dominant force last season with over 2,800 yards passing and 1,500 yards rushing. He was responsible for 42 touchdowns and led the AAC in yards per pass attempt and yards per rush attempt. The Bulls averaged 43.8 points per game with Flowers leading the way.
Defensive Player of the Year: Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
Oliver had large shoes to fill heading into his freshman season. He was the first consensus five-star recruit to choose a G5 program out of high school, bringing along unrealistic expectations. You know what? He EXCEEDED expectations in earning first team All-America honors with 22.5 tackles for loss. The athleticism shown in his first season should not be possible for a 290-pound player. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Oliver break 30.0 tfl in a single season before he leaves for the NFL.
Special Teams Player of the Year: Kylen Towner, Western Kentucky.
It is an absolute joke that Towner was not named the return man of the year in CUSA last season. He finished the season with an absurd 40.3 yards per return average, more than SEVEN yards better than #2 on the list. Nearly every single time Towner was given a chance to set up the Hilltoppers offense, he was successful.
Coaching Staff of the Year: Idaho Vandals, Sun Belt.
While Appalachian State, Arkansas State, and Troy will respectfully get the majority of the press, what Paul Petrino and his staff do this season is worth some attention. They are building a confident and deep program that could easily compete for the Sun Belt in a year or two, but they are doing so with the complete understanding that they will not be at the FBS level next season. I hope they are able to build on last season’s success and go bowling again in 2017.
Most versatile player: Richie James, WR, MTSU.
James is already one of the best wide receivers in the nation. With nearly 3,000 yards and 212 catches in the first two years of his career, he is on pace to obliterate several national records. What makes him so special is his ability to adapt to situations. When quarterback Brent Stockstill went down in 2016, James stepped in and ran as a wildcat quarterback. He ended the season with 80 yards passing and 339 yards rushing during Stockstill’s absence.
Team of the Year: South Florida, AAC.
This is the year of the Bulls. They are loaded all over the field, have a very manageable schedule, and bring in a coach that can fix some of the defensive issues that plagued the team in 2016. I cannot see a glaring hole on this team and they are projected by many to run the table this fall. Can you imagine a 13-0 South Florida in an NY6 bowl? It can easily happen.
Biggest Unknown team: Georgia Southern, Sun Belt.
The Eagles are a proud program that struggled mightily under a new coaching staff last fall. As recently as last week, no one had a clue who would play quarterback, much less what offensive Summers and company would run this fall. GaSo could go 3-9 or 9-3 and I would not be surprised.
The team most likely to lose to an FCS team in Week 1: East Carolina, AAC.
The Pirates are rebuilding and have to face the reigning FCS champs, James Madison, in game one. ECU will have its hands full and there is no guarantee that they come out victorious.
Conference Winners:
- AAC: South Florida
- CUSA: Western Kentucky
- MAC: Toledo
- MWC: Boise State
- Sun Belt: Appalachian State
A huge storyline for each conference:
- AAC: Can South Florida live up to such high expectations this year? Last time they were ranked this highly headed into the season, they fell flat on their face.
- CUSA: Is there a team ready to compete with Western Kentucky this year? The Hilltoppers are back to back CUSA champs and seem destined for another crown. Can MTSU, Louisiana Tech, or even UTSA step in and take out the king?
- MAC: Is Toledo ready to finally take the throne? Every year, it seems like Toledo is considered the second best team in a top heavy MAC. Whether it’s NIU or WMU, some team always seems to be in the way. The course is clear for the Rockets to finally break the glass ceiling undefeated and win the MAC.
- MWC: Can Josh Allen live up to the hype? Whether you believe Allen is deserving of a possible #1 pick in the NFL Draft or not, the pressure is on him this season. Leading Wyoming to another stellar season and outplaying Boise State star quarterback Brett Rypien would seal the deal.
- Sun Belt: Will Arkansas State ever fall in line? The Red Wolves have mastered the ability to play exceptionally poor in non-conference play, only to race through the Sun Belt schedule and earn at least a portion of the conference title. Is this the year that state finally gets got by one of their conference mates and finishes in—gasp, second place?
- Independents: A CIC trophy for Army? Jeff Monken and company broke through with a winning season, a bowl win, and a win over Navy last season. The one missing piece was earning the CIC trophy for the first time since 1996. This is a year that the Black Knights could step forward and beat both Navy and Air Force in route to the historical trophy.
Five teams that will go bowling after missing out in 2016:
- New Mexico State
- Marshall
- UNLV
- Nevada
- Ball State
Preseason bracket for a hypothetical G5 tournament:
- #1 South Florida vs. #8 Louisiana Tech
- #2 Western Kentucky vs. #7 Houston
- #3 Toledo vs. #6 Appalachian State
- #4 Memphis vs. #5 Boise State
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