2018 CFB Season in Review

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The toughest and lightest schedules by conference using Phil Steele's preseason magazine
rankings. How schedule strength effects outcomes.

ACC
Most Difficult: Florida State (No. 5 in the FBS in schedule strength) 5-7 record
Easiest: North Carolina (No. 60) 2-9
Conference Champion: Clemson (No. 43) 15-0

Big 12
Difficult: Texas (No. 8) 10-4
Easiest: Oklahoma State (No. 41) 7-6
Champ: Oklahoma (No. 19) 12-2

Big 10
Difficult: Purdue (No. 2) 6-7
Easiest: Wisconsin (No. 65) 8-5
Champ: Ohio State (No. 52) 13-1

Pac 12
Difficult: UCLA (No. 1) 3-9
Easiest: Oregon (No. 70) 9-4
Champ: Washington (No. 58) 10-4

SEC
Difficult: LSU (No. 10) 10-3
Easiest: Florida (No. 64) 10-3
Champ: Alabama (No. 48) 14-1-

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

AAC
Difficult: Tulsa (No. 66) 3-9
Easiest: Memphis (No. 119) 8-6
Champ: Central Florida (No. 80) 12-1

CUSA
Difficult: Charlotte (No. 84) 5-7
Easiest: UAB (No. 125) 11-3
Champ: UAB (No. 125) 11-3

MAC
Difficult: Northern Illinois (No. 67) 8-6
Easiest: Ohio (No. 128) 9-4
Champ: Northern Illinois (No. 67) 8-6

MWC
Difficult: New Mexico (No. 85) 3-9
Easiest: Nevada (110) 8-5
Champ: Fresno State (No. 98) 12-2

SunBelt
Difficult: ULL (No. 85) 7-7
Easiest: Troy (No. 129) 10-3
Champ: App State (No. 127) 11-2

 

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Oklahoma quarterback Tyler Murray won the Heisman Trophy for an outstanding 2018
season. Along the way, he established himself tied for seventh in the Big 12 conference
with single-season touchdown passes. Here's a list of the top 10 Big 12 single season
leaders. Three of the ten won the Heisman Trophy.

1. B.J. Simmons - 52 - 2003 - Texas Tech
2. Sam Bradford - 50 - 2008 - Oklahoma - Heisman Winner
3. Graham Harrell - 48 - 2007 - Texas Tech
4. Graham Harrell - 45 - 2008 - Texas Tech
4. Kliff Kingsberry - 45 - 2002 - Texas Tech
6. Baker Mayfield - 43 - 2017 - Oklahoma - Heisman Winner
7. Kyler Murray - 42 - 2018 - Oklahoma - Heisman Winner
7. Geno Smith - 42 - 2012 - West Virginia
9. Patrick Mahomes - 41 - 2016 - Oklahoma State
10. Baker Mayfield - 40 - 2016 - Oklahoma

The Big 12 likes to throw the ball and it shows with their recent quarterbacks.

 

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Today is national signing day (more on that tomorrow). Here's a successful high school
coach's 10 recruiting commandments for recruits and parents.

10. Great high school players don't equal great college prospects.
9. Believe 25 percent of reported offers.
8. College coaches set the market, not high school coaches.
7. Below average physical attributes requires greatness in all other categories.
6. Spend the majority of your money on campus camps where teaching is involved.
5. Documented speed trumps highlights. Run track.
4. Start low, aim high.
3. Like who likes you. If a school is serious about recruiting you...you will know.
2. If the talent is equal, winning program kids will get offered before others.
1. Grades. Grades. Grades.

 

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National Recruiting Rankings

1. Alabama 2. Georgia 3. Texas 4. Texas A&M 5. LSU 6. Oklahoma 7. Oregon 8. Michigan
9. Florida 10. Clemson 11. Auburn 12. Tennessee 13. Penn State 14. Notre Dame 15. OSU
16. Florida State 17. Washington 18. USC 19. South Carolina 20. Nebraska 21. Stanford
22. Ole Miss 23. Arkansas 24. Mississippi State 25. Purdue

ACC
1. Clemson 2. FSU 3. Virginia Tech 4. Miami 5. NC St. 6. North Carolina 7. Virginia
8. Duke 9. Georgia Tech 10. Syracuse 11. Wake Forest 12. Pitt 13. Boston College
14. Louisville

Big 12
1. Texas 2. Oklahoma 3. TCU 4. Baylor 5. Oklahoma St. 6. Iowa St. 7. West Virginia
8. Kansas St. 9. Kansas 10. Texas Tech

Big 10
1. Michigan 2. Penn State 3. Ohio State 4. Nebraska 5. Purdue 6. Wisconsin 7. Michigan St.
8. Indiana 9. Iowa 10. Minnesota 11. Northwestern 12. Maryland 13. Rutgers 14. Illinois

Pac 12
1. Oregon 2. Washington 3. USC 4. Stanford 5. Arizona State 6. Cal 7. UCLA 8. Colorado
9. Utah 10. Arizona 11. Washington St. 12. Oregon St.

SEC
1. Alabama 2. Georgia 3. Texas AM 4. LSU 5. Florida 6. Auburn 7. Tennessee 8. South Carolina
9. Ole Miss 10. Arkansas 11. Mississippi St. 12. Kentucky 13. Missouri 14. Vanderbilt

 

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Alabama and Georgia battled for the top recruiting class, something we should get
use to in the years to come. As long as Saban is at Alabama and Smart is with Georgia,
the two schools will be at the top of CFB recruiting.

Alabama's full class includes three five-stars and twenty three four-star recruits and
a single three-star player. The three-star recruit was somewhat of a big deal because
he was the top ranked kicker in the country and Bama needs a consistent kicker. The
interior was the main area of focus for the Crimson Tide, as they received commitments
from seven defensive linemen and five offensive linemen. The top addition at the skill
positions is running back Trey Sanders, a five-star player who could help fill the void
left by Josh Jacobs and Damiem Harris.

Of the twenty four players in Georgia's 2019 class, thirteen play defense and eleven are
offensive players, so that gives the Dogs a good mix in depth at certain positions. Kirby
Smart installed the recruiting system he learned while at Alabama and its paying off big
time for him.

The recruiting battles between Alabama and Georgia will be interesting to watch over the
next few years.

 

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Where top-20 rated players signed (per 247Sports).

1. Nolen Smith - 5 Star - DE - Georgia
2. Keyvon Thiboderux - 5 Star - DE - Oregon
3. Derek Stingley - 5 Star - CB - LSU
4. Jedon Heselwood - 5 Star - WR - Oklahoma
5. Antonio Alfeno - 5 Star - DE - Alabama
6. Trey Sanders - 5 Star - Alabama
7. Evan Neel - 5 Star - OT - Alabama
8. Zacch Pickens - 5 Star - DT - South Carolina
9. Bru McCoy - 5 Star - Ath - Texas
10. Darnell Wright - 5 Star - OT - Tennessee

11. Spencer Rattler - 5 Star - QB - Oklahoma
12. Zack Harrison - 5 Star - DE - Ohio State
13. John Emery - 5 Star - RB - LSU
14. Daxton Hill - 5 Star - S - Michigan
15. Kenyon Green - 5 Star - OT - Texas AM
16. Demarvin Leal - 5 Star - DT - Texas AM
17. Logan Brown - 5 Star - OT - Wisconsin
18. Brandon Smith - 5 Star - LB - Penn State
19. Nakobe Dean - 5 Star - LB - Georgia
20. Garrett Wilson - 5 Star - WR - Ohio State

*Alabama (3), Georgia, Oklahoma, LSU, Ohio State, Texas A&M (2), Others (1).
*Offense (10), Defense (10)
*Quarterbacks (1)
*Running Backs (2)
*Wide Receivers (2)
*Offensive Tackles (4)
*Defensive Ends (4)
*Defensive Tackles (2)
*Linebackers (2)
*Defensive Backs (2)
*Athlete (1)

 

[MackDonald]

Interesting to note that in the top 20, (15) were defensive players, (4) were on the offensive side of the ball and one (Trey Star-Alabama) was not designated.
I always believed that you don't win without a good defense, it looks like the coaches feel that way too.

 

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Interesting to note that in the top 20, (15) were defensive players, (4) were on the offensive side of the ball and one (Trey Star-Alabama) was not designated.
I always believed that you don't win without a good defense, it looks like the coaches feel that way too.

No doubt about it Mack...defense does win championships. One stat I always look at is scoring defense. Alabama is almost
always at or near the top in this category. Off the top of my head, I believe Clemson was No. 1 in SD this year.

 

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Following a historic 2018 title run, CLEMSON becomes the second program to employ three
$1 million assistants. On Friday, Clemson's Board of Trustees approved across-the-board
raises for the Tiger staff.

COACH...…………………………………...2018 Salary...……….2019 Salary...……….Raise
Brent Venables (DC)……………….…..$2.2...……………………$2.2...…………………..N/A*
Jeff Scott (Co-OC)………………….…..$850,000...…………...$1.0...…………….…$150,000
Tony Elliott (Co-OC)…………………..$850,000...…….……..$1.0...………………...$150,000
Robbie Caldwell (OL)…………………..$540,000...……………$570,000...…………$30.000
Danny Pearman (TEs/STs)………….$480,000...……………$505,000...…………$25,000
Brandon Streeter (OBs)………………$445,000...…………….$500,000...………..$55,000
Mike Reed (CBs)………………………….$440,000...…………….$495,000...………..$55,000
Mickey Conn (Ss)………………………..$370,000...……………$400,000...………….$30,000
Todd Bates (DTs)………………………..$300,000...……………$375,000...…………$75,000
Lemanki Hall (DEs)……………………..$300,000...……………$350,000...…………$50,000
*Scheduled for raise to $2.4 million in 2020 per contract.

Michigan was the first school to employ three $1.0 million assistants in 2017. Two
of those coaches are no longer employed by the school.

 

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The last step of the NCAA investigation into OLE MISS is complete, and it concluded with
the program vacating 33 wins over a seven-year period due to ineligible players partici-
pating in football games. Four wins from 2010, two from 2011, seven in Hugh Freeze's
first year in 2012, seven in 2013, eight from 2014 and five from 2016 have been wiped
from the record book. Houston Nutt was the coach during the 2010-2011 seasons and
Hugh Freeze was head man during the rest of the charges. The Rebs have served their
punishment and will eligible for bowl play this season.

 

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FBS coaches who have signed a contract extension since the 2018 season.

Justin Wilcox - Cal - 7-6 (2018 record)
Nick Rolovich - Hawaii - 8-6 (right direction for Bows)
Lovie Smith - Illinois - 4-8 (unbelievable)
Matt Cambell - Iowa State - 8-5 (hot coach right now)
PJ Fleck - Minnesota - 7-6 (Circus barker)
Barry Odom - Missouri - 8-5
Lincoln Riley - Oklahoma - 12-2 (NFL interested)
Will Muschamp - South Carolina - 7-6 (still questionable)
Dino Babers - Syracuse - 10-3 (Bigger schools eyeing him)
Bill Clark - UAB - 11-3 (good move by UAB)
Josh Heupel - UCF - 12-1
Tim Lester - Western Michigan - 7-6
Paul Chryst - Wisconsin - 8-5 (not a fan)

Might be one or two others I missed...………………..