PoopyRhinoPickle

You got a good one in Elijah Greene!

Our matchup sneaks under the radar a bit but will be really good!

Iron sharpens iron. I’m excited about 2 programs I consider on the rise getting after each other. I’d like to establish Bowing Green as a program that can compete with SEC powers. How Outman fares will be super interesting. I think he’s one of the top junior QBs in the country. We have a decent secondary and it’ll be a good opportunity to show our athletes can play. I don’t think it will derail either teams season with both of us interested in competing in-conference but it will be a fun yardstick game for the top 2 vote getters for Coach of the Year last season.

BOWLING GREEN VS GEORGIA Also, Bowling Green vs Texas State

Great work! This will definitely add to the sim. Just a couple ideas to ponder: will this give us the ability to remove redshirts midseason? Also, a med center would make a good addition to the interface where all injuries are listed and able to filter by team, pending Tuscan’s workload of course. Super excited!

Welcome back @Ape! You're approved for Northern Illinois, great to have you in the MAC! Right now we are currently in the offseason for college football as well as NFL, but we are approaching March Madness for the college basketball season and about to begin the NBA season. If you want to participate in those sims as well, ask around on the discord and people can help. I recommend you read this google doc for more information on the game and also how to use the interface. This will cover topics such as depth chart management, gameplan management, recruiting, and game days. Also feel free to pay around on the interface, next season's recruits are already there. OOC scheduling can be found here, NIU has 3 of their 4 games schedules already, though. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

Sorry it's a fact. beat every team in Ohio last season.

Ohio is ours btw

Welcome @AFu01 ! You're approved for Ohio, I'm super excited to have you join the MAC! Right now we are currently in the offseason for college football as well as NFL, but we are approaching conference tournaments for the college basketball season and about to begin the NBA season. If you want to participate in those sims as well, ask around on the discord and people can help. You will need to do the following things: 1. Sign up for the interface and request for Ohio from the interface. 2. I think you are already on the discord server but just in case here is a link. Most activity is announced there. 3. I recommend you read this google doc for more information on the game and also how to use the interface. This will cover topics such as depth chart management, gameplan management, recruiting, and game days. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns! @Kirby, can you get their profile updated please?

Graphic courtesy of @Sarge *This is part of a series previewing Premium members' team for the 2023 college football season. Coaching Little is known about the first coaching staff that led Indiana through the 2021 season. Institutional leadership has purged all information about them from the Hoosiers' website as the program is firmly looking to the future with @Piercewise1 at the helm. Another program that saw a big turnaround in performance from 2021 to 2022, Indiana finished the season on a high, beating their in-state rival and winning a bowl game. To what does Piercewise1 attribute the successful turning of the tides? "The ’21 team really struggled to score points, but had a lot of talent at the receiver position that was being under-utilized. We switched to a scheme that put a lot of that skill on the field at once, and it made an immediate impact. I also put Geoff Alburquerque in as a slot receiver to catch passes and run jet sweeps, where he excelled. So I guess I learned how to creatively get the most out of the players in front of me." It should be no surprise that Piercewise1 has found success, he grew up in one football-crazed state of Ohio just to go to college in another football-crazed state in Georgia. After graduating college he cut his teeth at various FCS schools in the south before heading back up north to take the head coaching gig at Indiana. Hoosier fans couldn't be happier to have him leading the program. History 2021 Season: 4-8 WeekOpponentResult1Kent StateL 10-203Ole MissW 17-34at IowaW 17-75at Penn StateL 16-246BuffaloW 16-137Michigan StateL 0-148at MarylandL 6-149Ohio StateW 7-310RutgersL 6-2011MinnesotaL 7-1412at MichiganL 6-714at PurdueL 0-44 Honors: Big Ten All-Conference 1st Team DL Eric Williams LB Ryan Fede P Raffy Doubront 2022 Draft Picks RoundPickOverallPlayerTeamPosition79201Zack EllingtonBaltimore RavensSS 2022 Season: 7-6, Beef O'Brady's Gasparilla Bowl winner WeekOpponentResult1at Oklahoma StateL 16-452IllinoisW 21-203at CaliforniaL 17-285TulaneW 29-206at NebraskaL 24-387MichiganW 48-98MarylandW 24-179at RutgersL 23-3811Penn StateW 21-1012at Ohio StateL 3-3513at Michigan StateL 3-6114PurdueW 13-10BowlTempleW 33-27 2022 Big Ten Standings Western DivisionConf RecordOverall RecordEastern DivisionConf RecordOverall RecordNorthwestern6-48-6Michigan State8-211-3Illinois5-49-4Penn State6-38-5Iowa5-47-6Ohio State6-38-5Wisconsin5-46-7Indiana5-47-6Purdue4-54-8Rutgers4-55-7Nebraska4-55-7Michigan3-64-8Minnesota0-90-12Maryland3-65-7 Honors: Big Ten All-Conference 1st Team OG Tyler Tate OLB Joe Griffin ILB JC Ward 2nd Team QB Aaron Gossett WR Tarell Griffin DE Ty Bogdanovic 3rd Team K Sean Curtiss 2022 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year: ILB JC Ward 2022 Big Ten Coach of the Year: Piercewise1 2022 PRP Team Awards Offensive MVP - QB Aaron Gossett - 4,570 pass yards, 25 pass TDs, 14 Ints, 101 rush yards, 1 rush TD Defensive MVP - ILB JC Ward - 110 tackles, 15.5 TFLs All-time Big Ten all-conference selections (2021-2022): Illinois - 15 Purdue - 14 Michigan State - 12 Northwestern - 11 Indiana - 10 Minnesota - 8 Rutgers - 8 Maryland - 7 Penn State - 7 Wisconsin - 6 Michigan - 5 Nebraska - 5 Ohio State - 5 Iowa - 4 Offseason 2023 NFL Draft prospects C Cesar Barnes - 4 stars - C+ overall - B+ potential 13 games played; 0 pancakes, 1 sack allowed Barnes is a solid pass blocking prospect I have rated as the 7th or 8th best center going into the draft. His A+ pass blocking grade will have teams willing to take him even with a run block grade of just B. Given that centers are typically in high demand I think we'll see him go in the mid rounds with his higher potential. FB Brian Gurriel - 4 stars - C+ overall - C+ potential 13 games played; 367 rush yards, 1 rush TD, 187 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD OLB Joe Griffin - 4 stars - C overall - C+ potential 13 games played; 82 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 1 FF WR Tarell Griffin - 3 stars - C+ overall - A- potential 13 games played; 112 receptions, 1687 receiving yards, 12 receiving TDs The players above are all late round prospects at best, but I could see them getting drafted. Joe Griffin is at a position that doesn't have much top end talent, and his production is impressive for an OLB. Tarell Griffin had terrific production and has very high potential but there are a lot of good WRs coming out this year. 2023 recruiting class 247 rank: 32 Rivals rank: 22 ESPN rank: 27 SSEC: 6 PositionNameArchetypeStarsOverallPotentialHometownCTimothy DoakPass Blocking5BC+WIndermere, FLQBSamuel JohnsonBalanced4CBChattanooga, TNOGMichael WilliamsRun Blocking4BBLaurel, MDDEPatrick PattonRun Stopper4CBBethesda, MDFSTimothy MooreBall Hawk4BB+Lynchburg, VAQBManuel GarciaPocket3CC+Crete, ILRBJames WhittSpeed3CC+Woodstock, ILTEFrank KsorVertical Threat3CB+Arlington Heights, ILOTPeter LandisBalanced3CC+Columbus, OHDEEugene YeboahRun Stopper3CC+DeLand, FLDTPhillip OtterNose Tackle3CC+Alexander City, ALOLBDaniel CrowellPass Rush3CCVancouver, WAILBDamon DevlinField General3CBHonolulu, HIILBSteven FiferSpeed3CC+Buffalo Grove, ILCBKenneth MosseyZone Coverage3CC+Denton, TXSSRobert PorterRun Stopper3CB+Atlanta, GAWRMauricio RobertsSpeed2CBWintersville, OHOTJames HuelsmanPass Blocking2CB-Tuscaloosa ALCScott CreechPass Blocking2CC+Tallmadge, OHDEAnthony GomesRun Stopper2CB-Lexington, SCDTStephen PaddenNose Tackle2CCPleasant Grove, ALCBTed CastillejaBall Hawk2CC+Carpentersville, ILFSChad GrantZone Coverage2CC+St. Clair Shores, MIFSScott PrestonZone Coverage2CC+Monroe, MISSThomas IrelandZone Coverage2CC+Loveland, CO State Breakdown: Impact Freshman One thing that is known about the previous coaching staff is that they didn't believe in putting in the hard work on the recruiting trail. Piercewise1 is constantly trying to pick up the slack, as last year's class only had one 4 star and three 3 stars. Hoosier fans are happy now as they have a coach who recognizes the effort required to bring talent into the program. It's easy to recognize immediately that they got a stud in 5 star center Timothy Doak. "Getting a 5-star recruit to sign with our program was a huge win, and I expect Timothy Doak to start at center immediately." Piercewise1 is proud of some other prospects he pulled in as well. "QB Samuel Johnson and DE Patrick Patton also look like future playmakers, but they’ll both be redshirts this year." A player that wasn't mentioned by the coach is OG Michael Williams. He has the ability to potentially impact the game in year 1, but what will coach's approach to redshirts be this year? "Almost exclusively freshmen. While I would love to stretch out the eligibility of some of our better players, the truth is at most positions we’re a team of upperclassmen starters with not a lot of depth behind them. So we’re going to put our best team on the field right now, and next year I expect we’ll have quite a few redshirt freshmen either starting or competing for significant playing time." Looks like we'll have to wait and see what the plan for Williams will be. 2023 Preview 2023 Schedule WeekOpponentAll-time record against1SMUNever played2Ohio State1-13at Tulane1-04Indiana StateNever played5at Maryland1-16OPEN7at Michigan1-18Rutgers0-29at Penn State1-110WisconsinNever played11at Illinois1-012Michigan State0-213OPEN14at Purdue1-1 Indiana's 2023 schedule has 6 teams that played in a bowl game last year, and there is no shortage of talented teams in the Big Ten East. Are there any games that Piercewise1 is circling heading into the season? "Week 3 at Tulane should be a great early test. We beat them last year at home and I’m sure they’re anxious to return the favor. Same with Purdue in West Lafayette; any self-respecting Hoosier circles that game on the calendar every year." Roster Breakdown Returning Leaders Passing: None Rushing: RB Geoff Alburquerque - 132 rush yards, 3 rush TDs Receiving: WR Jeremiah McCray - 770 receiving yards, 6 receiving TDs Tackles: DE Ty Bogdanovic - 65 total tackles, 14.5 TFLs Sacks: Bogdanovic - 6.5 sacks Interceptions: None Offense Well we're starting things off with a bona fide competition at Quarterback. There are 2 seniors in Michael Miles and Tim Feliciano, who are similar players and will likely be battling all through spring and fall camps to settle who will be taking the starting snaps against SMU. What does Piercewise1 like about what these players bring to the offense? "Both of these guys have the arm strength you want to see: they can stretch the field with the deep ball, or force a pass into a tight window. With the receivers we have on the roster, I intend to make the most of that strength." Neither of these guys match the talent that 2022 starter Gossett has, but it looks like they'll have more tools around them to help them out. True freshman blue chipper Samuel Johnson might have been the most important recruit Indiana pulled in in the offseason, seeing as the previous coach elected to not recruit a QB. The Running Backs and Fullbacks will be the subject of the "Focus on the Room" below. There are a couple of pieces in the Wide Receiver room that Piercewise1 should be pretty excited about. First, he has a solid #1 receiver in senior speedster Jeremiah McCray, who had a decent year in 2022. Second, redshirt freshman Tyler Looney is an all-conference player in the making. Rumor has it that the previous coaching staff only received his commitment after texting the wrong phone number and finding out that Looney was the son of an Indiana alum. Regardless, Looney has a very bright future in Bloomington and Piercewise1 doesn't hide his excitement about it. "I’m excited to see what WR Tyler Looney brings to our passing game. He already has great hands as a redshirt freshman and he’s only going to get better with experience." Outside of McCray and Looney, there are 2 above average options in junior Troy Thomas and senior Sean Grant to round out targets for whoever wins the QB battle. I wouldn't be surprised to see some RBs play out of position to get some snaps at WR, as well. Look for coach to hit the recruiting trail hard for WRs, as there isn't much other than Looney for underclassman. At Tight End, Indiana has returning 2022 starter Jeremy Sutton. Sutton is a steady blocking tight end who probably won't get a lot of targets. It was important that Piercewise1 brought in freshman Frank Ksor, a vertical threat who better fits Indiana's offense, as someone to replace Sutton. Offensive Line is where things mostly look straightforward, with a lot of the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. At OT you have 3 star seniors in Garrett Nugent (returning starter) and Danny Pressley, who will be looking to hold down both bookends. There's one more returning starter in junior OG Seantrel Tom, who is an easy starter. For the other OG position, we have another position battle between senior Bobo Campbell and true freshman Michael Williams, a battle that will really test coach's redshirt philosophy. Look for Williams to be a star in the future for the program. Speaking of stars, 5 star freshman Timothy Doak fits perfectly into this lineup, and as mentioned above, expect to see him start day 1. There are a few pieces that look to be capable of adding depth on the line and may back up players out of position. Junior OT Jose McGrath is a good depth piece, along with centers Jamar Ivory and Alex Miller. I see true freshman Peter Landis as a redshirt candidate, as most of the offensive line will be another recruiting focus for coach Piercewise1. Defense Looking at Indiana's defense, one could probably say that the Defensive Line is the strength of the unit. At defensive end you have returning starter and likely preseason All-Big Ten selection Ty Bogdanovic, who has NFL scouts excited. Opposite Bogdanovic things are a little less clear. Redshirt sophomore Antwaun Pagnozzi looks to have a lead over senior Trevor Whittaker and junior Francisco Guaipe. As mentioned previously true freshman Patrick Patton will likely be redshirted this year. When asked about the prospect of experience vs potential at the defensive end position, Piercewise1 had this to say: "Generally I prioritize the player who can help us most right now, because I still think this team can compete for a winning record and a bowl game this year. That’s especially true on the defensive front, as we’re working toward a scheme change in the coming years. So the best guy for the future might not be the best guy for right now." At defensive tackle you have another returning starter in junior Kyle Pena, who will look to team up with Jake Manuel, a pairing that has the head coach excited. "DT Jake Manuel has some big shoes to fill but should form an impressive tandem with Kyle Pena in the middle of our line." Linebacker was a position that Piercewise1 wanted to address head-on in the offseason, to bring in some more talent. It proved difficult, finding themselves in contention for multiple recruits without being able to lock in commitments. They did eventually pull in three 3 stars who will likely be redshirted this season. At outside linebacker returning starter Brooks Jones will look to increase production in his senior year as he'll pair with junior Justin Marquez. Not much depth exists behind those two; outside of true freshman Daniel Crowell, there are just two 2 stars in Alfredo Aquino and Daryl DeRozan. Another position battle to keep an eye on is at inside linebacker. Gone is Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year JC Ward. How do you replace not just the production, but also the leadership that Ward provided this team? "We’re definitely going to miss Ward; you don’t just replace the B1G Defensive Player of the Year. It’s going to be an open competition this summer, and quite possibly a group job where we rotate different guys in depending on game situation. After that, as with so many positions, it will be up to the new recruits to step up and show us what they’ve learned." Look for junior Elijah Robinson, senior Alex Danish, and redshirt sophomore Jaydon Montgomery to battle it out for the starting spot. In the Secondary, Indiana should feel pretty good about the returning experience they have. At cornerback, returning starter Stephen Hernandez, nickel corner Marco Gurka, and dimeback Lane Korkmaz are all back. What these guys have to do this year is figure out how to be more productive in forcing turnovers, as none of these corners had an interception in 2022. It will be interesting to see what Piercewise1 decides to do at safety. Senior Bo Robinson is a solid candidate to win the free safety position, but behind him you have blue chip true freshman Timothy Moore. At strong safety, 2022 starter Chad Fountain returns, but could find himself susceptible to being overtaken by either Robinson or Moore. The head coach didn't mention redshirting Moore so don't rule out seeing someone play out of position in the secondary. Special Teams Indiana looks to be in good hands at Kicker, as Sean Curtiss, who went 14-16 in 2022, is back. Curtiss is just a junior so he still has time in Bloomington. Punter was a bit of an adventure for Indiana in 2022, with senior Ezekiel Stratton recording 52 punts, and freshman Quinten Bierria recording 40. Bierria is the only punter on the roster, so don't expect too many surprises there this year. Don't be surprised if we see speedy WRs McCray and Sean Grant back for Returns this year. "Focus on the Room" I decided to look at Running Backs and Fullbacks in the FotR because it is easily the deepest room on the team. I decided to group them together because all indications points to Indiana keeping the Air Raid offense, and after seeing a FB led the team in rush yards in 2022, there's no reason to separate them for me. Piercewise1 himself said that they're going to get innovative with how they find snaps for all these guys. "We’ve been working on creative ways to get all these great running backs into the game while sticking with the formations we installed last year. I don’t expect you’ll see a lot of 2- and 3-back sets from us, but you’ll still see their numbers in the formation. Not a lot of Air Raid teams employ a fullback, but I think Mike Nader will get some touches, for example." The real question is who will be starting where? It's already been pointed out that last year Alburquerque was in the slot to catch balls and take reverses, will we see that again? He could just be moved to WR with his skillset. Given Nader's ability to catch the ball will he be split out wide? Who is most likely to get the majority of the carries with some of these players going out wide? All those questions and you still have good players in Parker Metu, Santiago Mickolio, and Mike Bradley to figure out. It's likely we will see Piercewise1 experiment quite a bit with these players, he may be becoming the Mad Scientist of the SimFBA community. Position Battles QB QB Michael Miles - Sr, B- overall, 2 stars, B+ potential QB Tim Feliciano - Sr, B- overall, 3 stars, C+ potential QB Jusuf Ebner - Jr, C+ overall, 2 stars, B- potential QB Hayden Redmond - Jr, C+ overall, 2 stars, C+ potential OG OG Seantrel Tom - Sr, B overall, 2 stars, C potential OG Michael Williams - Fr, B overall, 4 stars, B potential ILB ILB Elijah Robinson - Jr, B- overall, 3 stars, B- potential ILB Alex Danish - Sr, B- overall, 2 stars, C+ potential ILB Jaydon Montgomery - (So), C+ overall, 2 stars, C+ potential Safeties FS Bo Robinson - Sr, B+ overall, 3 stars, B- potential FS Timothy Moore - Fr, B overall, 4 stars, B+ potential SS Chad Fountain - Sr, B overall, 2 stars, B+ potential Final Say: "2022 was a giant leap for the program: we went 6-0 at home, defeated our biggest rival, won a bowl game, and recruited a solid class of freshmen. 2023 could be a challenge on the field, as we replace 15 starters and lament the lack of depth caused by a subpar 2021 recruiting effort. But I believe the future is bright for Indiana, and I think our fans have a lot they can look forward to in the years to come." -Piercewise1

i'm insulted to be ranked behind someone that i beat and has 3 more losses than me

3 star First Name: Bernard Last Name: Fiveankles Position: K Archetype: Power Height: 5'8" Weight: 225 Hometown: Fremont High School: Fremont State: Ohio

Thanks!

Graphic courtesy of @Sarge *This is part of a series previewing Premium members' team for the 2023 college football season. Coaching After initially showing interest in South Carolina, @Sarge ultimately followed his heart and took on the position Head Coach of the University of Georgia Bulldogs. Initial results had fans wondering if he had what it took to keep Georgia competitive at even the lowest level, only beating lowly Vanderbilt in the 2021 season. After dropping the opener in 2022 at Georgia State, Bulldog fans asked themselves if they were in for more punishment, but what happened next was one of the best turnarounds in the entire country. Georgia proceeded to finish the season 8-5, rattling off 6 straight wins to end the season, beating College Football Playoff contender Tennessee and defeating Texas in the Pocket Full of Pennies' Deep in the Heart of Texas Bowl, earning Sarge the National Coach of the Year award to boot. What was it that led to such a big turnaround between year 1 and 2? "I think understanding how to take advantage of the talent at certain positions and what skills our players had relative to what schemes we were running. Can't fit square pegs into round holes and assume you'll have success. I also think some of our players developed, we had a relatively young roster going from '21 to '22. We look to expand into the '23 season on that." Off we go. History 2021 Season: 1-11 WeekOpponentResult1 at Duke L 24-33 2 Boise State L 3-14 3 at Stanford L 17-39 5 South Carolina L 17-24 6 Missouri L 13-35 7 Arkansas L 16-17 8 Kentucky L 13-57 9 at Vanderbilt W 20-3 11 at Tennessee L 24-30 12 at Florida L 0-24 13 at Auburn L 16-37 14 Georgia Tech L 17-20 Honors: SEC All-Conference 2nd Team RB Aaron Lengel TE Deonte Canaan DB Foye Gunter 2022 Draft Picks RoundPickOverallPlayerTeamPosition6 20 180 Aaron Lengel Miami Dolphins RB 2022 Season: 8-5 Week Opponent Result 1 at Georgia State L 17-29 2 SMU W 14-3 4 Auburn W 24-19 5 at South Carolina L 3-27 6 at Missouri L 9-20 7 at Mississippi State L 3-6 8 at Kentucky L 3-21 9 Vanderbilt W 21-10 11 Tennessee W 34-19 12 Florida W 21-16 13 at Georgia Southern W 27-14 14 Georgia Tech W 28-7 Bowl Texas W 41-28 2022 SEC Standings West TeamConf RecordOverall RecordEast TeamConf RecordOverall RecordAlabama 7-2 14-3 Tennessee 7-2 12-4 Auburn 5-3 8-5 Missouri 6-2 9-4 LSU 5-3 6-7 South Carolina 4-4 5-7 Mississippi State 4-4 8-5 Georgia 4-4 8-5 Arkansas 3-5 4-8 Kentucky 3-5 5-7 Ole Miss 3-5 4-8 Florida 3-5 4-8 Texas A&M 1-7 3-9 Vanderbilt 2-6 3-9 Honors: SEC All-Conference 2nd Team DT Casey Shaffer CB Serge Stewart 3rd Team WR Steve West OT Jaime McManis OG Cody McClain DT Jon Gore 2022 National Coach of the Year: Sarge 2022 PRP Team Awards Offensive MVP - QB Will Outman - 3,605 pass yards, 25 pass TDs, 16 Ints; 89 rushes, 330 rush yards Defensive MVP - DT Jon Gore - 63 total tackles, 15.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, 1 FR All-time SEC all-conference selections (2021-2022): Missouri - 12 Auburn - 11 Kentucky - 10 Alabama - 9 Georgia - 9 Tennessee - 9 LSU - 8 Ole Miss - 8 Texas A&M - 8 Vanderbilt - 7 Arkansas - 6 Florida - 6 South Carolina - 6 Mississippi St - 5 Offseason 2023 NFL Draft outlook OT Jaime McManis - 4 stars - B Overall - B+ Potential 13 games played; 5 pancakes, 1 sack allowed I grade McManis as the 6th or 7th best OT in the draft and will likely be a 2nd or 3rd round prospect. At 6-3 285, he's the smallest of the high-end OTs but his A+ IQ, agility, strength, and pass block make him very appealing to a lot of teams. DE Tony Edmond - 4 stars - C+ Overall - B- Potential 13 games played; 32 total tackles, 12 TFLs, 3 sacks Edmond didn't have a great season, but he benefits from a DE class that doesn't have as many NFL ready guys compared to last year. Some might say that Edmond is 9th best DE coming out this year, which could see him going in the mid-to-late rounds. WR Steve West - 4 stars - B- Overall - C+ Potential 13 games played; 86 receptions, 1281 rec yards, 4 rec TDs This WR class is deep. West is fortunate to have had a productive senior year, that might move him ahead of some of the higher graded WRs. A good combine will do him a lot of good, but I see him as a late round draft pick at best. 2023 recruiting class 247 rank: 15 Rivals rank: 29 ESPN rank: 8 SSEC: 21 PositionNameArchetypeStarsOverallPotentialHometownQBWalter GarnerScrambler4CC+Franklin, LARBCharles BellamySpeed4CC+College Park, GADTJonathan GreenPass Rusher4CBSummerville, GAOLBNorman MorrisonPass Rush4CCHephzibah, HACBJohnny HansfordBall Hawk4BC+Ocilla, GAFSDennis GermanyZone Coverage4BCSpartanburg, SCPCraig HunterAccuracy4CDLutcher, LARBChristopher StallmanReceiving3CC+Ferndale, MIRBThomas PayneSpeed3CB-Marietta, GAFBAnthony MinnisBalanced3CCCommerce, GAWRPhuong HamPossesion3CCChicago, ILWRMarino CollazoSpeed3CCMonticello, ILTERichard WalkerReceiving3CBStockbridge, GAOTDerrick SherrillBalanced3CBBarnwell, SCOTCollin KudukBalanced3CC+Atlanta, GAOGRay NorthernBalanced3CC+Warner Robins, GACMitchell WhiteLine Captain3CC-Thomson, GADEBrian SpearsSpeed Rusher3CC+Cedartown, GADTDouglas GideonBalanced3CC+Newnan, GADTDaniel TillmanPass Rusher3CC+Jensen Beach, FLOLBStephen DurkinRun Stopper3CC+Blythewood, SCCBDennis JohnsonZone Coverage3CB-Hephzibah, GACBGregory RobinsonZone Coverage3CC-Mt. Pleasant, SCFSManuel CentenoZone Coverage3CCMarietta, GADEJesse LopezRun Stopper1DA-Cumming, GA State Breakdown: Impact Freshman I think the freshman who is best positioned to earn a starting position is FS Dennis Germany. He'll compete with redshirt sophomore Cody Jones at a position that is young and not necessarily loaded with talent. Coach Sarge agrees, saying: "FS Dennis Germany will also likely push for starting snaps as one of the best rated safeties in this recruiting class." Don't be surprised to see Johnny Hansford on the field as well, escaping a redshirt. "CB Johnny Hansford will likely get meaningful snaps in Dime packages if he performs well in our spring games," Sarge said. You know who else Sarge elected not to redshirt? OLB Norman Morrison. He likely won't see too many snaps on defense but expect him to be a special teams monster. Recruiting expectations are starting to rise in Athens, summing up his freshmen class, Sarge had this to say: "Our class came up short on expectations for recruiting this year but I like the progress we're making." 2023 Preview 2023 Schedule Week Opponent All-time record against 1 at Michigan Never played 2 Stanford 0-1 3 Bowling Green Never played 4 OPEN 5 at Auburn 1-1 6 Kentucky 0-2 7 at Vanderbilt 2-0 8 Florida 1-1 9 Missouri 0-2 10 OPEN 11 South Carolina 0-2 12 Ole Miss Never played 13 at Tennessee 1-1 14 at Georgia Tech 1-1 Life is never easy in the SEC, and this year is no exception. Sarge isn't backing down from competition outside the conference either. "We are looking to schedule Michigan, which is a program I have a lot of respect for and feel as though we're comparative roster wise as well as looking at BGSU who are widely considered one of the best programs in the country as our Bulldogs look to measure themselves against the very best." Roster Breakdown Returning Leaders Passing: Will Outman, (Jr) - 3,605 pass yards, 25 pass TDs, 16 Ints Rushing: RB Antwuan Harris, Sr - 776 rush yards, 2 rush TDs Receiving: WR Georges Garcia, Jr - 826 rec yards, 10 rec TDs Tackles: DT Jon Gore, Jr - 63 tackles, 15.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, 1 FR Sacks: DE Jordan Yancey, Sr - 28 tackles, 11 TFLs, 5.5 sacks Interceptions: CB Serge Stewart, Sr - 27 tackles, 6 Ints Offense Quarterback is one of the reasons for optimism for Georgia going into the 2023 season. Redshirt junior Will Outman was vital in the run to end the 2022 season finishing with over 3,600 pass yards and 25 TDs. Look for him to build off that solid showing and aim to be one of the leading QBs in the SEC. Sophomore Michael Gillislee and senior Mark Olynyk will battle each other for backup but don't expect to see either of them get many snaps this season. Something interesting to watch for in the future will be the battle between youngsters Walter Garner (freshman scrambler) and Chin-Lung Patmon (sophomore pocket) who will both be redshirted going into 2023. Sarge has to at least like the potential of the Running Back room. 2022 starter Antwuan Harris returns to lead the group, but most Bulldog fans will be looking for an increase in production from either Harris or the RB group as a whole. Harris finished 2022 with 776 rush yards and only 2 rush TDs. If he isn't able to provide a spark, expect him to be on a short leash given the depth and talent behind him. Sophomore blue-chippers Roy Mejia and Corey Brown will battle it out for #2 reps, but don't be surprised to see them push if Harris starts to struggle. Sarge has identified the running backs as someone he wants improvement from: "Oddly enough, RB has been a position group that has significantly underperformed and it's not because of the lack of talent...I really like the work the work Harris and Mejia have put in but we need our guys to catch the football as offensives in college modernize. I like what our Freshman Stallman has to offer and hopefully he can take some notes in order to get meaningful snaps next year." Not all the blame goes on this group though, "I think we need to get the Offensive Line to gel a bit more in run block schemes to get (the Running Backs) to excel." More on the offensive line later. Georgia has a clear #1 at Wide Receiver coming into the season, even if they lost their leading receiver from last year. Junior Georges Garcia showed a distinct ability to find the end zone, finishing 2022 with 826 yards and 10 TDs, and Outman will be looking to improve that rapport with Garcia, especially with both of them having 2 years of eligibility left. Look for senior Richie Armstrong and junior Corey Smith to get on the field a fair amount this season as they provide decent depth at the position. Sarge may want to prioritize WR in the offseason to find that future playmaker once Garcia graduates. One player that might be sneaking under the radar is the Calabasas Assassin, senior Tight End Deonte Canaan. He was 2nd team All-SEC as a sophomore in 2021, and put up respectable numbers last year, recording 521 receiving yards and 5 TDs. Does Sarge have any special plans for Canaan? "I think our TE Deonte Canaan is overlooked and he'll be getting more targets this year as a TE and you might see him line up at WR to create mismatches against opposing LBs with his speed and CBs with his physicality." Don't be surprised to see Canaan in the All-SEC conversation at the end of the season. Sarge will definitely want to focus on adding additional pieces on the Offensive Line in the near future, especially with divisional opponents loading up on the opposite side of the ball. Out of 19 OL on the entire roster, only 2 of them are blue chip recruits. Sarge redshirted all 4 of his freshman recruits, all 3 stars, this year. I'll take a closer look at OTs in the "Focus on the Room" segment below. At guard, you have the only returning starter in junior David Muscala, who will be a bright spot on the line. Other than him it's tough to say who will earn a starting role. You have a trio of 2 star players in Robert Kuo, Nick Pennington and Danny Te'o, who don't do much to impress. We very well could see an OT move inside considering the additional depth that exists there. My guess is that we'll see Ryan Bush start at center. The senior wasn't highly recruited out of high school, but he's known as a gym rat who refuses to be outworked by anyone. Again, given the added depth at OT, Sarge could be considering playing someone out-of-position at center. Defense For any lack of depth that Georgia has on the offensive line, they make up for it on the Defensive Line. Sarge has an equally difficult decision to make when it comes to getting enough playing time for 5 talented players and prospects at defensive end. Does this mean playing some guys out of position? "I think we have to analyze our front seven and get the best players on the field. If that means playing out of position so be it. I think having a lot of depth is instrumental to success because as guys get tired, we don't want our pressure on the QB to drop off. We'll have to make sure we rotate them appropriately but I like what we have going so far." Returning sack leader DE Jordan Yancey (5.5 sacks in 2022) won't want to take too many reps off as he aims for the NFL. At the other DE position you have redshirt sophomore Cam Atchison and redshirt junior Dante Riley fighting it out to lock up a starting spot. Sarge has indicated Atchison has the inside track, "We love what we see from DE Cam Atchison to start for the first time for us." Expect that fight to go deep into fall camp. And even still! Behind them you have 2 blue chip sophomores in Matt Becton and Dion Guerra. Guerra's future looks especially bright as a run stopping force that opponents will find hard to move. There's a lot to like about defensive tackle as well. I'm a big fan of junior Jon Gore, I gave him Defensive MVP last season after finishing 2nd on the team with 63 total tackles, 1st with 15.5 TFLs, and 3rd with 4.5 sacks. Gore will find himself playing on Sundays in a couple years. There's a lot to like about redshirt junior Toby Mayfield as well, as he'll be getting his first shot at meaningful snaps. Don't be surprised to see some of the previously mentioned DEs on the depth chart at DT. Linebacker is more of a mixed bag when looking at the roster. Another player that has NFL scouts salivating is OLB Brett Lin. Sarge has a lot of faith in Lin, saying: "LB Brett Lin can be a first round pick if he can continue to work on his cardio." The senior is known as a coverage specialist, but he'll be looking to prove that he deserves to be on the field every down. A difficult question for Sarge is what to do opposite Lin. He has 2 junior OLBs with pretty low ceilings in 3 star Jarvis Okafor and 2 star DJ Cook. The wildcard is true freshman 4 star Norman Morrison, who wasn't redshirted. Maybe coach sees something that will translate to early success on the field for Morrison. Seeing as Georgia will likely run a 4-3 to get as many defensive lineman on the field as possible, he could also try backup ILB Derek Bradley at that position. Senior Vyncint Foster will hold down that ILB position, following Akiem Johnson's graduation. Competition is the name of the game when it comes to Defensive Backs. At cornerback, you have a 3 players battling for 2 spots. Leading the charge is senior Serge Stewart, who is one of the top returning interception artists in the country, getting 6 picks last year. Other than him you have junior Kayvon Tate and senior Trai Syndergaard. All 3 have experience playing important snaps so it will likely come down to Sarge's schematic preference. "I think we have an interesting situation where we have two classes of corners that specialize in different things. This gives us a lot of flexibility with scheme and really exploit opposing offensive tendencies so that's the strength of it. The weakness is if we have guys go down, now we start playing guys out of their comfort zone," Sarge said when asked about the parity in the cornerback room. As mentioned previously, it's likely we'll see true freshman Johnny Hansford thrown into the mix at dime corner. Another freshman in Dennis Germany will have a shot at starting free safety. Redshirt sophomore Cody Jones is the only other contender to win that position, but I'm leaning towards Germany at this point. Strong safety is in good hands for the next 2 years, with the 2022 starter returning in junior Bennie Carpenter. The position will need to be a recruiting priority for Sarge as Carpenter will be the only strong safety on the roster next year. Special Teams Georgia will have a new starter this year at Kicker, but I think they'll be in good shape with Branden Board. The senior should be able to hold off redshirt sophomore Josh Howard to win the job. Punter could be a little more interesting. Returning starter Kevin Valdez is favored to keep his starting position, but freshman blue chipper Craig Hunter wasn't redshirted, so it could be more of a battle than most people expected. Lastly, Georgia has a couple speedster WRs in Georges Garcia and Corey Smith. Don't be surprised if both of them at least get reps taking returns in Spring and Fall practice. "Focus on the Room" Offensive Tackle I wanted to look closer at OT because it really gives Sarge a few difficult decisions to make on his line. Josh Valverde has worked his tail off to be one of the program's best graded lineman and you'd have to think he has a starting spot locked up. One of the sophomore blue chippers Lewis Tretter or Joe Kornet could very well hold down the other tackle position, but then that leaves you with multiple players that you could argue are better suited to line up at OG or C than anyone else. Outside of the previously mentioned OG David Muscala, I don't think any spot is safe from being poached by one of the OTs above. I asked coach his thoughts on getting some of the younger guys snaps this year. "I honestly think our offensive line is an area we need to work. We have great young guys that will develop and we're hoping as these kids get in-game snaps we'll be able to sure up the tackle positions. Right now I want guys that know the scheme so Outman can be protected." Sarge has his work cut out for him piecing this puzzle together for the best results. Position Battles Offensive Line OT Lewis Tretter - So, B overall, 4 stars, C- potential OT Joe Kornet - So, B overall, 4 stars, C potential OT Jason Reddick - Sr, B overall, 3 stars, C potential C Ryan Bush - Sr, B overall, 2 stars, B+ potential OG Robert Kuo - Sr, B- overall, 2 stars, B- potential OT Stephon Mathieu - (So), B- overall, 3 stars, B potential OLB OLB Jarvis Okafor - Jr, B- overall, 3 stars, C potential OLB DJ Cook, (Jr), B- overall, 2 stars, A- potential ILB Derek Bradley - So, B overall, 4 stars, C- potential CB Kayvon Tate - Jr, B+ overall, 3 stars, B potential Serge Stewart - Sr, B+ overall, 3 stars, B potential Trai Syndergaard - Sr, B+ overall, 3 stars, C+ potential Final Say: "I think getting to a bowl game and winning it was a colossal milestone for our program and our players are ready to push for further heights. We have our sights set on the SEC Championship game but we can only do that going undefeated every week. Go Dawgs." -Sarge

2021 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl winner 2022 MAC Champions 2022 College Football Playoff participants

Welcome @Time! You're approved for Central Michigan, excited to have you join the MAC! Right now we are currently in the offseason for college football as well as NFL, but we are right in the middle of the college basketball season and about to begin the NBA season. If you want to participate in those sims as well, ask around on the discord and people can help. You will need to do the following things: 1. Sign up for the interface and request for Central Michigan from the interface. 2. I think you are already on the discord server but just in case here is a link. Most activity is announced there. 3. I recommend you read this google doc for more information on the game and also how to use the interface. This will cover topics such as depth chart management, gameplan management, recruiting, and game days. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns! @Kirby, can you get his profile updated please?

Thank you!

?

Graphic courtesy of @Sarge *This is part of a series previewing Premium member's teams for the 2023 college football season. Coaching rabidsnowman coached Kentucky during the 2021 season and he took the program to the doorstep of greatness, falling in the College Football Playoffs Semifinals. Little is known of what happened to rabidsnowman once the season ended. Some say he retreated to the mountains of eastern Kentucky to brew moonshine while others claim to have seen him on the beaches of Phuket drinking Thai Milk Tea. Who is to say if rabid will ever return to us. Kentucky had a hard time filling the coaching vacancy, going coachless for the first 2 games of the 2022 season, until eventually @Ezaco came on board to lead the Wildcats. Kentucky had plenty of expectations for 2022, having done so well the season before and having 5 star freshman Michael Oliveros at the helm, however Oliveros struggled to find consistency eventually finishing the season 5-7. When asked what he learned from his first season as head coach Ezaco had this to say: "2022 was a real tough year for the team, especially coming into the season with the success they had in 2021 and the expectations for them in the conference and nationally. In the end we failed as a coaching staff to execute the proper gameplan to our team and players' strengths. That's the biggest thing we learned and will be carrying through forward." History 2021 Season - 14-1; Loss in CFP Semifinals WeekOpponentResult0VirginiaW 21-162at HawaiiW 37-74MissouriW 26-175at VanderbiltW 34-136South CarolinaW 34-217FloridaW 27-208at GeorgiaW 57-139at Middle Tennessee StateW 32-611at LSUW 24-912TennesseeW 38-1613at Mississippi StateW 41-1314LouisvilleW 34-14SEC ChampionshipAlabamaW 28-19CFP QuarterfinalsPurdueW 42-31CFP SemifinalsTulsaL 7-23 Honors SEC All-Conference 1st Team QB Rashaan Lyons RB Kelvin Dupree WR Jalen Jenkins 2nd Team DL Clinton Gregerson DB Ryan Solano 2021 Biletnikoff Winner: WR Jalen Jenkins 2022 Draft Picks RoundPickOverallPlayerTeamPosition1 3 3 Rashaan Lyons Indianapolis Colts QB 1 25 25 Christian Carter Seattle Seahawks ILB 2 27 59 Clinton Gregerson Los Angeles Rams DT 2022 Season - 5-7 WeekOpponentResult0Wake ForestW 38-102OklahomaW 32-144at MissouriL 20-275VanderbiltW 26-76South CarolinaL 31-407at FloridaL 7-208GeorgiaW 21-39Mississippi StateW 28-310at TulsaL 19-3311at Ole MissL 10-1412at TennesseeL 10-3713at LouisvilleL 7-16 2022 SEC Standings West TeamConf RecordOverall RecordEast TeamConf RecordOverall RecordAlabama 7-2 14-3 Tennessee 7-2 12-4 Auburn 5-3 8-5 Missouri 6-2 9-4 LSU 5-3 6-7 South Carolina 4-4 5-7 Mississippi State 4-4 8-5 Georgia 4-4 8-5 Arkansas 3-5 4-8 Kentucky 3-5 5-7 Ole Miss 3-5 4-8 Florida 3-5 4-8 Texas A&M 1-7 3-9 Vanderbilt 2-6 3-9 Honors SEC All-Conference 1st Team OT Rubby Stewart 2nd Team RB Kelvin Dupree ILB Yohan Moore 3rd Team OG Georges Skinner FS Justin Marsh 2022 PRP Team Awards Offensive MVP - RB Kelvin Dupree - 250 carries, 1324 rush yards, 14 rush TDs, 65 catches, 642 receiving yards, 7 receiving TDs Defensive MVP - DT Ade Johnson - 54 total tackles, 15.5 TFLs, 3 sacks, 2 FFs All-time SEC all-conference selections (2021-2022): Missouri - 12 Auburn - 11 Kentucky - 10 Alabama - 9 Georgia - 9 Tennessee - 9 LSU - 8 Ole Miss - 8 Texas A&M - 8 Vanderbilt - 7 Arkansas - 6 Florida - 6 South Carolina - 6 Mississippi St - 5 Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Outlook OT Rubby Stewart - 5 stars - A+ Overall - B+ Potential 12 games played; 12 pancakes, 2 sacks allowed Stewart is the top offensive line prospect in this draft and likely a top 3 pick. He has a NFL-ready body at 6-6 308 pounds and will likely walk in and start day 1 wherever he ends up getting drafted. A+ IQ, A+ strength, A+ run block, and A- pass block. As close to the complete package as you'll get. OLB Tony Belt - 4 stars - C- Overall - B- Potential 12 games played; 9 tackles, 6 TFLs, 1 sack WR Marco Seymour - 3 stars - C- Overall - B+ Potential 12 games played; 34 catches, 355 yards I don't believe that either of these players will get drafted, but if they test well, someone may pick them up and put them on Practice Squad. 2023 recruiting class 247 rank: 51 Rivals rank: 72 ESPN rank: 74 SSEC: 58 PositionNameArchetypeStarsOverallPotentialHometownRBBrian DoughtyReceiving4BB-Union, NJCMatthew PritchardLine Captain4CC+Louisville, KYQBEdgar RitcheyScrambler3CC+Apopka, FLQBNeal McilhennyBalanced3CC+Elyria, OHQBDavid SmithPocket3CBLouisville, KYWRVernon RousePossession3CC+Dyersburg, TNTEGeorge WolfeReceiving3CANashville, TNTEMatthew beilReceiving3CC+Punta Gorda, FLDERobert HillBalanced3CB-Whittier, CADEAlan MontenegroRun Stopper3CB+Miami, FLOLBAlfred CoxPass Rush3CASt. Louis, MOOLBNeal BenneyPass Rush3CBLouisville, KYCBManuel JuarezZone Coverage3CC+Lihue, HICBAndrew DuncanMan Coverage3CC+Conyers, GACBLenny RoemerZone Coverage3CC+Canton, MACBMark ClemmerZone Coverage3CC+Huntsville, ALCBMark SchererMan Coverage3CC+Sykesville, MDWRMario RojasSpeed2CB-El Paso, TXRBJoseph KnowltonBalanced1DA-Memphis, TNOGJohn NunezPass Blocking1DBCleveland, OHDTDaniel StephensPass Rusher1DC+Clayton, OHDTBradley KincadeBalanced1DB+Madisonville, KYILBRichard HauserField General1DCDecatur, TNFSKamlesh ShinRun Stopper1DFMiddletown, OHPLawrence PierceBalanced1DD-Louisville, KY State Breakdown: Impact Freshman RB Brian Doughty will definitely be a good one by the time that he's done at Kentucky and C Matthew Pritchard will likely start a lot of games for the Wildcats as well. I don't think either will be required to step in immediately given the players that are in front of them on the current roster. There's some other players such as TE George Wolfe, DE Alan Montenegro, and OLB Alfred Cox who will undoubtedly be good players, they just need the time to get into the weight room and master the playbook. 2023 Preview 2023 Schedule* WeekOpponentAll-time record against1 OPEN 2 OPEN 3 at Vanderbilt 2-0 4 OPEN 5 OPEN 6 at Georgia 2-0 7 Florida 1-1 8 Missouri 1-1 9 Tennessee 1-1 10 OPEN 11 Alabama 1-0 12 at Mississippi State 2-0 13 at South Carolina 1-1 14 Louisville 1-1 *Leaked preliminary schedule Regarding any potential out-of-conference opponents we might see Kentucky play this year, Ezaco made it clear where his priorities are: "Out-of-conference scheduling is always an exciting time, but at the moment the only thing we're focused on there is the game against Louisville. It's the penultimate game for both programs and the state as a whole. It's the one we aim to cap off the entire season with. We won the matchup in 2021 and fought hard this season but just came up short. So that's the one we're most focused on. For other games we're looking forward to working with the conference commissioner on what's best for us and the conference as a whole." Roster Breakdown Offense There isn't much in question when you look at the Quarterback room. The returning starter is back in 5 star Scrambler Michael Oliveros. 2022 was an up and down year for Oliveros, as he only completed 53% and threw just as many picks as he did TDs with 11. On top of that, coach Ezaco decided to go with senior Casey Williams at QB for the final 2 games of the season, moving Oliveros to split RB reps with Kelvin Dupree. It's pretty easy to chalk Oliveros' struggles up to being just a redshirt freshman, and I think we'll see improvement in his play this year. Ezaco keeping Oliveros at RB this season? It doesn't look like it, when asked about his QB room he said this: "Our quarterback room is going to be an interesting question. Michael still has two years in here but after that no one has set themselves apart as a clear successor. Our goal is to put each guy in a position to excel and succeed and make a name for themselves. It's going to be a dogfight after Michael." You have to think senior Caleb Hoskins out of Chicago will be the backup, with a lot of 3 star youth behind him. If any QB other than Oliveros finds themselves playing significant minutes this year, Kentucky probably won't be in the best place. Kentucky's Running Back situation isn't that different from their quarterback room. Kentucky returns one of the most talented running backs in the entire country in senior Kelvin Dupree. He was the team MVP in 2022 with 1300+ rush yards, leading the team in receiving yards, and recording 21 total touchdowns. Ezaco has to be excited knowing that pressure that Dupree can take off Oliveros. Behind Dupree are competent young players who can spell him when he needs a breather. Sophomore Trey Garcia is a very different kind of back, 2 inches taller and more than 30 pounds heavier than Dupree, but I guarantee you defenses won't want to have to bring him down in the 2nd half. True freshman Brian Doughty, as mentioned before, may be the closest true freshman to being able to contribute this season, but he may find himself getting redshirted given the players in front of him. The challenge Ezaco might face is finding that right balance between passing and running the ball given the receiving weapons Kentucky has to offer as well. The Wildcats return a lot of experience at Wide Receiver and Tight End. The question is how can they get more production from them on the field? Improved play from Oliveros will help, but they certainly have the potential the give opposing defensive backs a lot of trouble. The top 2 WRs from 2022 return in senior Logan Njoku (A overall) and redshirt sophomore Brennan Dominguez (A- overall), but they only combined for 935 receiving yards and 2 TDs last year. Both will be looking to improve on that. Some real intrigue exists in who will back up Njoku and Dominguez. Senior Brendan Belisle, redshirt sophomore Zack Beck (both 3 star talents), and sophomores Eddie Gibson and Johnathan Forrest (both 4 stars) will all battle it out to get snaps this year. There's a chance Gibson and Forrest could both end up redshirting as well. "We haven't really dived into anything with redshirts at the moment while we're moving through Winter Workouts, but it's something on our mind. Doesn't matter how long you've been here already if we think an extra year will help your development, we're not afraid to apply that redshirt," coach said when asked about redshirts. Leading TE comes back as well in redshirt junior Ian Beverley, and he'll be looking to build on the 259 receiving yards he had last season. Kentucky's Offensive Line will be going through a bit of a transition as they'll be looking to replace 3 starters from last year. It can't be overstated either, the loss of OT Rubby Stewart, one of the top NFL prospects. Despite losing 3 starters, the line is still in a pretty good place. Look for redshirt junior Casey Long to hold down one tackle position. While there will be a competition for the other spot, senior Nick Vizcaino likely has the inside track to be a starter, but don't count out young talent Austin Bolsinger. Guard is a position that Ezaco will likely be looking to add reinforcements to this year, there's very little quality depth with just a 1 star walk-on joining in the last 2 years. Returning starter Mike Kendricks will be a leader, and look for junior Brian Farquhar to fight off Fish Alford and Dominic Wagner, both 2 star prospects. Coach Ezaco has faith in Long and Kendricks. When asked about who could step up aside from the stars, Ezaco had this to say: "Yeah (Oliveros, Dupree and Njoku) are getting the most attention, and for good reasons. As leaders of the team, as the stars, they're going to have to step up even more than they did last season and really lead this team. But we've got some good guys elsewhere as well. Mike Kendricks is going to have to step up and lead our offensive line who had some trouble last season, him and Casey Long." Senior Keishawn Woodrum will likely hold down the center position. True freshman Matthew Pritchard is easily the best prospect in the interior line, but I think it's too early to throw him in the mix, barring any surprises or injuries. Defense You could make the argument that Defensive Line is the deepest area on this Kentucky defense. Defensive end alone has 6 players that are at 3 or 4 stars and at least B- overall. You have to think senior Matthew Berry and junior Ramon Curletta will get the looks in the starting lineup, but there could be a lot of rotation given the depth of talent at the position. Keep an eye on sophomore blue chippers Jevon Puello and Allonzo Stevenson, depending on how spring ball goes they could be redshirt candidates as well. Defensive tackle might be the toughest competition on the entire roster. You have 3 players of a similar talent level who are fighting for what is probably 2 spots. I imagine Ezaco is thinking about running a 4-3 given the team's lack of depth at ILB (more on that below), but it's not a given, maybe coach wants to move some players around at linebacker. 2022 starter Ade Johnson is gone, meaning it'll come down to 4 star sophomore Kendrick Honeywell, 3 star junior Will Ratley, and 2 star redshirt junior Danny Diaz battling day-in and day-out in spring practice and likely fall practice to determine who will end up starting. Linebacker is one of the more top-heavy position groups, but they still have some talented youth. The attention immediately goes to 5 star senior OLB Tanner McCarthy, and rightly so. A versatile run stopper, McCarthy will be looking to build on his 2022 season where he only recorded 32 total tackles but had 13 TFLs, which was good enough for 2nd on the team. To prove how young this room is, McCarthy is the only senior in the entire group. Two sophomores, Greer Daniels and Antwuan Souza will battle it out for OLB opposite McCarthy. Both are blue chippers who have a bright future in blue and white. ILB will be another position like OG where Ezaco will be hard-pressed to find reinforcements. Fortunately, he has a year to get it done since the position is held down by returning starter and redshirt junior Yohan Moore, who led the team with 82 total tackles, and was 3rd with 12.5 TFLs. What's unfortunate is that behind Moore you only have 3 star junior Nolan Huff and a 1 star freshman walk-on, Richard Hauser. After looking at the Secondary, I've decided my "Focus on the Room" segment will be looking at the cornerback room below. As for free safety, you have 2022 starter and #2 tackler on the team Justin Marsh returning, so that will be a bright spot. When asked about leaders, Ezaco was quick to point out Marsh on the defensive side of the ball. "On the defensive end Justin Marsh and (cornerback) Joe Calhoun are going to probably be the main guys we rely on to lead that unit and keep them in the game." Strong safety is a much more alarming position when you look at the players available. The top rated player at SS is 2 star redshirt junior John Austin, who doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence. There are two 3 star sophomores and one other 2 star behind him, but there isn't a lot of talent at SS to begin with. I wouldn't be surprised to see FS prospects take some reps at SS, especially considering blue chip sophomore Mike Dixon and 3 star junior Andrew Freeman might be able to slot in for the season. Special Teams Kentucky lost their starting Kicker Terry Sokoli, but they have a pretty good replacement in 3 star senior Ronnie Ramirez. The problem is that he's the only kicker currently on the roster. Look for Ezaco to hit the recruiting trail hard for their kicker of the future. Punter is in a better place with 2022 starter Darqueze Eveland returning. Seeing as Eveland is a 4 star junior, they have some time to add talent to the room. The only other punter on the roster is a 1 star freshman walk-on. In the return game there is plenty of talent and speed to put back there returning kicks and punts. Don't be surprised to see stars like Njoku or Dupree taking reps in attempt to get the ball in the hands of their most talented players as often as possible. "Focus on the Room" Cornerback I took a look at this room and just thought: wow, this is kind of a bizarre makeup for a position. 12 players who are all 3 star players, and a lot of youth. You have 2 clear starters in Joe Calhoun (2022 starter, 49 tackles, 1 Int) and Jordan Watson (22 tackles in 2022) and probable nickel and dime guys in Lou Wheeler and Sam Worley. The big picture is that Kentucky only had 4 interceptions last season. To get back into the conversation of division contender, they need to be getting more takeaways than that, and it starts in the cornerback room. Then behind those guys you have a plethora of options as far as who you prioritize or redshirt. You would have to think that Anthony Gesicki is a future stud for the Wildcat defense, but how do you get him snaps? 5 (!) freshmen, and all are very similar prospects, just dependent on what scheme you'll be playing, so that will have to be sorted out as well. Ezaco provided insight into his approach at cornerback: "As for the cornerbacks, it's a weak point for us. We've got a couple good guys right now, but they'll be graduating soon. We want some guys to come in, learn the program and the system, and really battle for those starting spots. We're going to be competitive on the defensive end and while that ends in quality, it starts with quantity." Position Battles Where are we likely to see competition throughout scrimmages and late into fall camp? #3 & #4 Wide Receiver Brendan Belisle - Sr, B+ overall, 3 stars, C+ potential Zack Beck - (So), B+ overall, 3 stars, B potential Johnathan Forrest - So, B overall, 4 stars, C- potential Eddie Gibson - So, B overall, 4 stars, B- potential Offensive Tackle Nick Vizcaino - Sr, B+ overall, 3 stars, C+ potential Austin Bolsinger - So, B overall, 4 stars, C potential Defensive Tackle Danny Diaz - Sr, B overall, 2 stars, B potential Kendrick Honeywell - So, B overall, 4 stars, B+ potential Will Ratley - Jr, B overall, 3 stars, B- potential Outside Linebacker Greer Daniels - (So), B+ overall, 4 stars, C potential Antwuan Souza - So, B overall, 4 stars, C+ potential Strong Safety John Austin - (Jr), B overall, 2 stars, A potential Mike Dixon (FS) - So, B overall, 4 stars, C potential Andrew Freeman (FS) - Jr, B overall, 3 stars, B potential Final Say: "We're really excited for 2023. We can into 2022 with high expectations, a bit too much swagger, and we got knocked down a peg. Now we can reset our expectations properly and aim to compete for the SEC East and get back to the SEC title game. It's not a foregone conclusion, or an expectation, but something the guys are really going to have to battle for and they know that now. And we're just really excited to get a full season of recruiting for ourselves, it's something we missed in 2022 and you can see the results on paper. But we're trying to get ready to make that paper crumple." -Ezaco

If anyone is interested in the Hornets feel free to take them, I won't be doing NBA this year.

me please

Great write up. I still feel like we’re a year away from being able to beat the top teams but last year proved anything is possible. Can’t wait to read about all the other classes.

Things are looking pretty bleak for most of the league.

Final Standings West TeamConf RecOverall RecEast TeamConf RecOverall RecordWestern Michigan 6-2 12-3 Bowling Green 9-0 11-3 Central Michigan 6-3 10-4 Akron 5-3 8-5 Eastern Michigan 5-3 8-5 Buffalo 4-4 5-7 Ball State 4-4 6-7 Miami (OH) 3-5 5-7 Northern Illinois 2-6 4-8 Ohio 2-6 4-8 Toledo 2-6 3-9 Kent State 1-7 3-9 Conference Championship Game: Bowling Green - 17 Central Michigan - 13 Final Power Rankings :kentstate: 12. Kent State (3-9); Preseason: 8 Kent State had a very poor season, and if it weren't for 2 shocking wins at the end of the year it would have been even worse. To give you an idea of the scale of these upsets, in Week 11 Kent State beat a Nebraska team pushing for bowl eligibility and in Week 13 they beat an LSU team that was still a possible division champ at that time. In the week between those games they lost to Miami (OH) 46-0. The Golden Flashes had a bad offense, only scoring 11.2 ppg, combined with a bad defense, giving up almost 412 yards per game. ILB Chase Britton set a MAC season record with 105 total tackles, largely due to the fact the defense was always on the field. Best Win: LSU 34-28; Worst Loss: Miami (OH) 0-46 MVP: ILB Chase Britton; 105 total tackles, 22.5 TFLs :toledo: 11. Toledo (3-9); Preseason: 9 In my preseason Power Rankings I predicted an improved Toledo team over last year. Technically that happened as Toledo went only 2-10 in 2021, but they didn't take the step I thought they might. RB Taylor Abreu was solid this season but led the conference with 7 fumbles. Combine that with QB Eric Diekman throwing 15 interceptions and you had a turnover-prone team with a defense that wasn't good enough to bail them out. The 2022 defense even took a step back from how they performed in 2021, giving up the most points (284) in the conference. Best Win: Pitt 30-6; Worst Loss: Northern Illinois 10-27 MVP: RB Taylor Abreu; 1264 rush yards, 5 rush TDs, 358 rec yards, 4 rec TDs :ohio: 10. Ohio (4-8); Preseason: 5 Thinking back on Ohio in 2021, you had one of the most prolific offenses in the entire country. In 2022 it couldn't have been any further from that. An offense that averaged 8.2 ppg (worst in MAC) and only 253 ypg (worst in MAC) didn't help a defense that was actually about average (7th in points allowed and 4th in yards allowed). Poor QB play from senior Devonte' Wesley (1799 pass yards, 8 pass TDs, 17 Ints) plus a below average RB in Ervin O'Malley (only 3.52 yards per carry and more fumbles than rush TDs) led to an offense that was abhorrent. OLB Xavier Gipson and DE Shawn Dominguez were the lone bright spots in a very, very dark season for the Bobcats. Best Win: Syracuse 16-9; Worst Loss: Kent State 3-24 MVP: OLB Xavier Gipson; 47 total tackles, 14.5 TFLs, 7 sacks, 1 FF :northerillinois: 9. Northern Illinois (4-8); Preseason: 7 Expectations were high for Northern Illinois this season, as they had the 2nd most A overall players in the conference with 8. Things never really clicked on offense with QB DJ Falk never quite figuring out how to master the playbook. RB Patrick Onwuasor and TE Delino Bertolet carried the offense as much as they could but 20 picks from Falk often let the team down. The defense allowed only 16.2 ppg this season, good enough for 3rd in MAC and had a couple stars in OLB Zak Martin and DT Cayson Rodgers who both wreaked havoc in opponent's backfield, combining for 28 TFLs and 13 sacks. Best Win: Arizona 23-3; Worst Loss: Miami (OH) 0-33 MVP: RB Patrick Onwuasor; 1309 rush yards, 6 rush TDs, 343 rec yards, 1 rec TD :miamiu: 8. Miami (OH) (5-7); Preseason: 12 Miami was truly one of those teams where you didn't know what you were going to get week to week. On offense it was difficult to figure them out. QB Randy Weiser threw 18 pass TDs while throwing just 5 picks yet only completed 52.8% of his passes. They ran the ball a lot (2nd in MAC with over 220 rush yards per game) and for good reason, RB Jeff Needham and FB Brandon Travis were #1 and #2 in the conference in yards per carry for players over 900 rush yards. So why didn't they win more games? Well, they were 2nd in the MAC in points scored per game but 3rd in points allowed per game. When their defense failed, they failed big, giving up 55 points to both Western Michigan and Bowling Green. Weiser and Travis are back next year, so look for a more stable team in the future. Best Win: Temple 30-10; Worst Loss: Cincinnati 27-31 MVP: RB Jeff Needham; 1210 rush yards, 10 rush TDs, 276 rec yards, 5 rec TDs 7. Buffalo (5-7); Preseason: 11 Buffalo is that team that has a pretty good defense (3rd in MAC in yards allowed) but couldn't quite cut it on the offensive side of the ball. Too many times they were shut down by opponents, only scoring 3 points against Texas Tech, Ole Miss and 0 against Ohio. They ran a Double Wing Option offense, which makes sense given their personnel, but QB Jeff Whitehead just couldn't get the offense clicking and they were probably too one-dimensional and predictable. ILB Justin White commanded the defense well, but they just couldn't make enough plays to change games. Their sack-leader was DE Pedro Castillo with just 4 sacks and CB Kevin Currie led the way with 4 interceptions. Best Win: Akron 27-0; Worst Loss: Ohio 0-15 MVP: ILB Justin White; 90 total tackles, 16.5 TFLs 6. Ball State (6-7); Preseason: 3 For different reasons than last season, Ball State will be kicking themselves for how the year went. Ball State had 1 point losses to Toledo and Ohio, two of the worst teams in the Conference. Combine that with a 3 point loss to Central Michigan and we could have been talking about a very different season for the Cardinals. They were still able to reach bowl eligibility but the inconsistency of the season can largely be attributed to the team's youth on offense. Redshirt freshman Scott Romero had an above average year statistically and will be a force to reckon with in the future but there were games when he didn't show up. He'll be happy to have RB Garett Cordier back next season. The defense wasn't lacking for playmakers with DT Scott Hall, OLB Zach Collins, and SS Robert Ervin all able to leave an impact on the game. Best Win: Eastern Michigan 26-20; Worst Loss: Toledo 9-10 MVP: RB Garett Cordier; 1389 rush yards, 8 rush TDs, 839 rec yards, 5 rec TDs :easternmichigan: 5. Eastern Michigan (8-5); Preseason: 10 If you went to an Eastern Michigan game this year, you were at least guaranteed a lively game. Eastern Michigan had an entertaining offense, led by QB Tyler Clarkson (4202 pass yards, 21 pass TDs, 16 Ints), that was 3rd in the conference in total yards at 441 per game. They also had the worst defense in the conference, allowing over 440 per game. They proved they could play with most teams, putting up 34 points on Michigan State and even beating a Central Michigan team with a top defense. They had some individual standouts on defense with DT Jimmy Amukamara and DE Malik Giavotella combining for 14 sacks, and FS Mike Christian putting out fires all over the field, but ultimately this Eagles team should be very proud of what they were able to accomplish this season. Best Win: Central Michigan 21-19; Worst Loss: Ball State 20-26 MVP: WR Keenan Briscoe; 1465 rec yards, 10 rec TDs 4. Akron (8-5); Preseason: 6 Akron was pretty good in 2021, going 9-4, and they followed it up with yet another solid season. Led by the best RB in the league Devontae Harrison, Akron had one of the best offenses in the MAC, and it was by far the most balanced with 277 pass yards per game and 180 rushing. Sophomore QB Quandre Quintanilla was a pleasant surprise with 3598 pass yards, 23 TDs, and 20 Ints, he'll be the top returning passer in the MAC next season. While their defense didn't do them any favors, it's worth mentioning their ILB duo of Jesse Wieland and Avery Gonzalez combined for 176 tackles and 38.5 TFLs. They lose their top RB and WR but look for Q-squared to keep this team in a lot of games the next couple years. Top off the season with an impressive 58-14 win over a good Louisiana Tech team in the Bahamas Bowl and Akron has to feel good about the season. Best Win: Louisiana Tech 58-14; Worst Loss: Buffalo 10-27 MVP: RB Devontae Harrison; 1902 rush yards, 11 rush TDs, 766 rec yards, 3 rec yards 3. Central Michigan (10-4); Preseason: 2 Central Michigan finally realized the potential of the talent they have on the roster, but I think this team still could have accomplished more. Easily the most talented team in the conference, CMU will take pride in winning the division and making the College Football Playoffs, but will probably be kicking themselves for losing twice to Bowling Green and once to Eastern Michigan. The Chippewas wanted to beat you by pounding the rock with RB Mark Davis and suffocating opponents with a great defense. Average QB play led to many games being closer than they really should have been. It was very difficult to run the ball against Central Michigan, giving up under 89 yards per game on the ground, largely thanks to an uber talented front 7. Their defensive line of DT Miguel Peterson, and DEs Casey Jeffress and Rico Jones combined for 62.5 TFLs and 14.5 sacks. Talent is returning as well with 5 star OLB David Brown Jr and 5 star CB Ryan Herget both coming back next year. Best Win: Western Michigan 22-14; Worst Loss: Eastern Michigan 19-21 MVP: DT Miguel Peterson; 66 total tackles, 28.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF 2. Bowling Green (11-3); Preseason: 4 How do you rank the conference champs at #2? Well with Western Michigan making a run in the playoffs and finishing as National Champ Runners-Up, I thought they finished the season stronger than the Falcons. Bowling Green players have to be very proud of what they accomplished this year, knocking off #1 Western Michigan in Week 10, MAC Conference champs, finishing as the #2 seed in the CFP, all of this with a not-spectacularly talented roster. It started with QB Dexter Reed, who finished 9th in the Heisman race. Reed was able to get the ball into the hands of the weapons he had at WR and RB. Speaking of RB, Frank Robinson (a converted QB) had an underrated year, running for 1173 yards in an Air Raid offense and accumulating 19 total TDs. The defense took a step back from 2021 but still saw good individual performances from players like DT Phillip Bell (70 tackles, 22 TFLs, 5 sacks), ILB Evan Mangen (97 tackles, 19.5 TFLs), and of course true freshman CB Donald Dingus (53 tackles, 9 Ints). The defense only had 3 senior starters so look for the unit to improve in the offseason. Best Win: Western Michigan 34-17; Worst Loss: Northwestern 35-50 MVP: QB Dexter Reed; 4679 pass yards, 34 pass TDs, 17 Ints :westernmichigan: 1. Western Michigan (12-3); Preseason: 1 There were some high expectations on this Western Michigan squad coming in to the season and it's safe to say they met nearly all of them. None of their accomplishments can be recognized without acknowledging the play of Heisman Trophy winner Theo Scribner, who lead the country in both pass yards and pass TDs. Everyone knew what Western Michigan was going to do on offense and very few teams were capable of stopping them. WRs Durham Simmons and Andy Anderson both deserve credit for incredible seasons, going #1 and #2 in the conference in receptions, receiving yards and TDs. All this praise for their offense, yet it shouldn't be ignored the part their defense played in all this. They led the MAC in only 326 yards allowed per game and were absolute monsters in the opponent's backfield. Bronco defenders accounted for 4 of the top 8 sack artists in the conference, with DT Paul Reed, DEs Will Lee and Nicky Wilson, and true freshman OLB Seantrel Garate combining for 29 total sacks. Reed was the MAC Defensive Player of the Year adding in a MAC record 29.5 TFLs. They'll be disappointed in dropping another game to thorn-in-the-side rival Central Michigan, preventing them from having a shot at a conference championship, but I think a lot of coaches would exchange that for an appearance in the National Championship Game. Best Win: Tennessee 34-26; Worst Loss: Central Michigan 14-22 MVP: QB Theo Scribner; 6737 pass yards, 49 pass TDs, 12 Ints Bowl Games Arizona Bowl: Ball State - 14 New Mexico - 38 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Eastern Michigan - 20 Florida International - 9 Bahamas Bowl: Akron - 58 Louisiana Tech - 14 Gator Bowl (CFP Round 1): Central Michigan - 24 UCLA - 45 Peach Bowl (CFP Quarterfinal): Bowling Green - 23 Alabama - 34 Fiesta Bowl (CFP Quarterfinal): Western Michigan - 27 Louisville - 10 Rose Bowl (CFP Semifinal): Western Michigan - 34 Tennessee - 26 NCAA National Championship Game: Western Michigan - 7 Alabama - 14 Year-to-year changes: Best School 2021 Wins 2022 Wins Difference Western Michigan 8 12 +4 Bowling Green 7 11 +4 Eastern Michigan 5 8 +3 Central Michigan 8 10 +2 Ball State 5 6 +1 Buffalo 4 5 +1 Toledo 2 3 +1 Worst School2021 Wins2022 WinsDifferenceOhio 12 4 -8 Kent State 5 3 -2 Northern Illinois 5 4 -1 Akron 9 8 -1 MAC in the Polls Coaches Poll (16 total polls)/Playoff Committee (9 total polls) School Weeks Ranked Peak Rank First Rank Appearance Central Michigan 16/9 Week 2: #3/Week 14: #6 Preseason: #6/Week 7: #24 Western Michigan 14/9 9 weeks at #1/3 weeks at #1 Week 2: #11/Week 7: #2 Bowling Green 9/9 Week 13: #7/Week 15: #2 Week 7: #19/Week 7: #19 Northern Illinois 0 RV: Preseason, Week 3, Week 6 N/A Ball State 0 RV: Week 1 N/A Akron 0 RV: Week 1 N/A Player Awards MAC Offensive Player of the Year: Theo Scribner - Western Michigan - QB MAC Defensive Player of the Year: Paul Reed - Western Michigan - DT All-Conference Teams First Team Associated Press All-Americans QB: Theo Scribner, senior, Western Michigan WR: Durham Simmons, senior, Western Michigan C: David Sanchez, senior, Miami (OH) K: Eric McCullers-Sanders, senior, Central Michigan Second Team Associated Press All-Americans WR: Andy Anderson, senior, Western Michigan OG: Ian Kerrigan, junior, Buffalo C: John Hurst, senior, Kent State DT: Paul Reed, senior, Western Michigan PoopyRhinoPickle's Awards: QB of the Year: Western Michigan Theo Scribner; 6,737 pass yards, 49 pass TDs, 12 Ints, 67.77 comp % RB of the Year: Akron Devontae Harrison; 1,902 rush yards, 5.3 ypc, 11 rush TDs, 766 rec yards, 3 rec TDs WR of the Year: Western Michigan Durham Simmons; 148 recs, 2,269 rec yards, 16 rec TDs TE of the Year: Northern Illinois Delino Bertolet; 47 recs, 572 rec yards, 6 rec TDs OL of the Year: Buffalo OT Trevon Ingram; 13 pancakes (2.35% pancake %), 0 sacks allowed DL of the Year: Western Michigan DT Paul Reed; 68 tackles, 29.5 TFLs, 8 sacks, 1 FF LB of the Year: Ball State OLB Zach Collins; 41 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 7.5 sacks, 2 FFs, 3 FRs DB of the Year: Bowling Green CB Donald Dingus; 53 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR, 9 Ints ST Player of the Year: Central Michigan K Eric McCullers-Sanders; 32/33 FGs, 28/31 XPs, Long: 47 Offensive Freshman of the Year: Ball State QB Scott Romero; 3,109 pass yards, 14 pass TDs, 12 Ints, 61.93 comp % Defensive Freshman of the Year: Bowling Green CB Donald Dingus; 53 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR, 9 Ints

Pretty similar to last year, hitting Ohio hard and going down south, especially Florida. Why even bother with the western half of the country?