Entering the 2016 college football season, Clemson Tigers’ quarterback Deshaun Watson was considered by many to be the top draft prospect at the position come April. But with he and the Clemson team starting the season off slowly, the junior quarterback began to fall a bit in draft circles, allowing other players such as DeShone…
The Saturday after Thanksgiving offered up a slate of rivalry games for the college football connoisseur. Ohio State versus Michigan and Alabama versus Auburn dominated the day. It’s unlikely many people outside of the Palmetto State tuned into the meeting between Clemson and South Carolina that night, and even fewer were probably watching when the…
Under first year offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, the Cal Golden Bears have found some success in the passing game by utilizing elements of the scheme he ran from the previous three years at Texas A&M. With stability at quarterback following the departure of Jared Goff, Spavital has found success using the short side of the…
The 2017 NFL Draft is already being heralded as a deep class of incoming NFL talent, especially at the edge defender position, where as many as 8-10 prospects are receiving first round billing from various analysts. I’ve written about the four- and five-year draft eligible edge defenders in recent weeks, highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, and…
On Saturday night in New York City, Baker Mayfield, DeShaun Watson, Jabrill Peppers, and Dede Westbrook will be present when the 82nd Heisman Trophy is awarded, but they will serve as nothing more than well-dressed, seat-fillers in what should be the long-awaited Lamar Jackson coronation ceremony. From the outset of the 2016 season, Jackson captivated…
If you’ve listened to the Pylon U podcast this season, you’ve probably heard me reference pythagorean expectation, or pythagorean win percentage, many times. Originally designed by Bill James as a way to calculate a baseball team’s projected winning percentage based on runs scored and runs allowed, the formula has been adapted for use in other…
In a quarterback class filled with enigmas, Oklahoma Sooner Baker Mayfield might be the biggest of them all. There are moments when the QB makes plays that are “drop the pen” moments, often coming as a product of pin-point accuracy on a vertical route or a throw on a crossing route placed well and with…
In Matt Rhule’s introductory press conference as the head coach of the Temple University Owls football team, he mentioned his team will throw the ball until they were good at it. After years as an assistant coach in college football and the NFL, Rhule thought his best chance at success would be to spread defenses…
We’re headed down the home stretch of the college football season which means most of the attention during the next week will be centered on how to assess which four teams in the nation are the best and will ultimately meet in the College Football Playoff. When the Selection Committee makes their announcement on Sunday,…
During what head coach Rich Rodriguez termed an “awful year” the Arizona Wildcats have struggled on both sides of the football, ranking 75th and 113th in total offense and defense, respectively. While injuries at the quarterback position and a lack of continuity across the team have contributed to the team’s dismal 2-9 record through 11…
Everyone has bad habits. Every person reading this right now has a habit they wish they could get rid of, I’ve got many, to be sure. Two that I’ll admit to publically are biting my fingernails and picking at my cuticles. I’ll be doing something like watching tape and I’ll find myself picking away at…
When any sports fan hears of a Duke–North Carolina matchup, the two rival’s annual clash on the gridiron is not the first thing that comes to mind. The matchup has certainly gotten much more enticing as the Duke football program has reemerged as a contender in the ACC in recent years but it has a…
The 2016 season has been a disappointing one for two sets of Owls: Florida Atlantic and Rice. Each entered their Week 11 clash with a 1-7 record, with each team’s one win coming against a non-BCS opponent. Both sets of Owls were coming off a brutal conference loss – Louisiana Tech handed Rice a 61-16…
Oklahoma State’s 37-20 win over the West Virginia Mountaineers in Week 9 of the college football season remains one of the most noteworthy games in the Big 12’s entire conference schedule in 2016. The Cowboys’ defense had its best performance of the year, forcing three turnovers for great field position that the offense was able…
With the rise of spread offenses, teams have begun to incorporate more wrinkles into their schemes. The Utah Utes are no different, as Ryan Dukarm shows with a break down of their Run-Pass-Option game. The Utah Utes are off to an impressive start to the 2016 college football season, and one of the main reasons for their…
Sometimes one player can take over a game when they find an advantageous matchup. That’s exactly what happened for Mississippi State wide receiver Fred Ross against Texas A&M, as Mark Schofield explains. When the initial college football playoff standings were announced this week, the biggest surprise was the inclusion of Texas A&M at the number four…