FAVORITE TEAMS

Hey guys, I’m back. I’ve had some crazy hours at work but I’m glad to be back posting for all of you that checks out my site. I’ve started this thing called “Underrated Stock”. It’s an occasional update on teams from each conference that will be on my Underrated Teams list in 2019. I’ll explain more about these Week 2 teams that caught my attention. If you guys have your opinions on what teams you think my come out of the shadows and step up, feel free to comment. It’s not set in stone, but it might change as the season gets closer.

I rarely pick underrated teams in consecutive seasons, but Temple returns most of their talent and it’s enough to receive my attention. They have home games against Maryland, Georgia Tech, Memphis, and UCF but road games at USF and Cincinnati will test how proven the Owls are.

Houston returns a healthy QB D’Eriq King along with offensive experience, but their defense is the complete opposite (especially without Ed Oliver). New coach Dana Holgorsen will have his hands full in 2 of the first 3 games of the season, but he’s very familiar against Oklahoma. Tough road games and two tough home games against Cincinnati and Memphis is a task that Houston must overcome.

Virginia has an opportunity in a wide open Coastal division. Miami has concerns at QB and offensive line, Virginia Tech suffered this offseason due to transfer departures, Pitt’s conference title appearance may be a fluke, Duke is working in new receivers and QB, UNC is still rebuilding, and Georgia Tech is expected to falter. That’s enough to give the Hoos’ optimism.

Syracuse could rise in the Atlantic. I won’t say they are the 2nd best in the Atlantic division, but I have yet to see any REAL progression from other teams, including Florida State’s status of their program. But can QB Tommy DeVito play a similar winning mentality that Eric Dungey did?

Maryland’s last 4 weeks of the season isn’t fun, but if QB Josh Jackson can get things going with his new team, the Terps can disrupt someone in the Big Ten East. Traps are laid out in College Park for Syracuse, Penn State, Michigan, and Nebraska.

Nebraska is still hyped since Scott Frost took over. Nebraska finally won their game against Minnesota and went on to win 4 of their last 6 games of the season. QB Adrian Martinez is the real deal, but his health will be a factor. Home games against Ohio State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Iowa could give the Huskers a chance for a bowl bid and maybe more…

Oklahoma State went 7-6 overall, went 3-6 in the conference, and lost 6 of their last 9 games to crawl their way to a bowl. But does anyone know about their 4-1 record against ranked teams (Boise State, Texas, West Virginia, and Missouri)? The Pokes aren’t expected to compete for a Big 12 title, but there’s no reason they can’t upset a good Big 12 team (ranked or not). Coach Mike Gundy proved that time and time again.

I will be questioned about Kansas State because Bill Snyder is gone and the last time he left the program, the program itself suffered. But I believe it won’t happen again. Kansas State’s new coach Chris Klieman could be interesting. They also return plenty of experience and some depth to make them problematic for the Big 12 (even to my Sooners).

Southern Miss has a tough schedule in 3 of their first 4 weeks, but then have home games against North Texas, UAB, and Western Kentucky that could work in their favor. The offensive line will factor in to Southern Miss’s season.

BYU is a toss up. Their defense is working in some depth with young talent but should still compete. If BYU can maintain at QB, there’s optimism for this team. The biggest question is their schedule. The first 5 games will be a stretch and Toledo is no joke. If they can manage the last 7 games, the Cougars are bowling for their 2nd straight season.

Miami (OH) is a risk, but whoever the new QB is will be surrounded by plenty of experience. They have 3 of their first 4 toughest weeks, but they will come into MAC competition looking to break hopes and dreams of their 8 opponents.

You can’t count out Ohio no matter the situation their roster is in. You just can’t. Coach Frank Solich maintained balance in this program and hasn’t missed a bowl since 2014. However, they’re looking for a conference title and they have a quarterback and an experienced defense to help get the job done. After their road games against Marshall, Louisiana, and Pittsburgh, home games against Northern Illinois, Miami (OH), and Western Michigan are their only obstacles to a conference title bid.

Hawai’i is another toss up. QB Cole McDonald is entertaining to watch and they return most of their defense, but replacing a leader at linebacker like Jahlani Tavai will be a tall task. Also, when I picked Hawai’i in 2017 after a good 2016 season, they went 3-9. I’m giving them some thought but playing 8 games at home this season could mean a 2nd straight winning season for Hawai’i.

Air Force returns plenty of upperclassmen, but they have yet to return to a bowl game. QB Donald Hammond III is their guy to help this offense improve. As for their schedule, they must turn 7 close losses in 2018 into wins in 2019. Road games at Colorado, Boise State, Navy, and Hawai’i is possible, but not simple. Home games against Fresno State, Utah State, Army, and Wyoming are also possible, but also not simple. Air Force to me is the most unpredictable team to expect. If they can succeed in close games, they could make some noise in the Mountain. Like I said, possible, but not simple.

Washington State will be overlooked again. They most likely won’t win the North because Oregon, Washington, and Stanford will vie for it, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try shaking things up in the North. QB Gage Gubrud sounds promising, but lets see how he handles defenses in the North. Wazzu returns most of their starting offensive line and receivers, and they should have one of the better coverages in the Pac-12 after finishing 4th in the conference. Their defense must play consistently well to slow down the Top 3 North teams to have an opportunity to steal the Pac-12 North.

Arizona State is still in line to be my underrated pick, but Utah has the edge over them. The majority of State’s games were close and they never had a quit mentality thanks to coach Herman Edwards. Believe it or not, they return most of their roster and have some depth and additional talent after doing well in recruiting. Utah is the favorite to take the South, but Arizona State could easily steal it from them. They must defeat Michigan State on the road, avoid a slip up against Colorado and at Cal, and upset Washington State before their long awaited date at Salt Lake City on October 19th.

Missouri is the 3rd team considered as my back-to-back underrated pick. Despite losing QB Drew Lock, they gain Kelly Bryant who should fit the bill on offense. They also get back CB DeMarkus Acy on defense after not going to the NFL Draft. Their only concern is the backend of the defense after ranking 112 against the pass nationally, and the SEC’s offense aren’t afraid to attack them. Right now, I see 4 games being Missouri’s toughest (West Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida), which means they can still win between 8 to 10 games. The tricky part will be games against Ole Miss and on the road at Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

Mississippi State lacks both sides of the line, which is the biggest concern playing in the SEC West. Their defense will take a step back no doubt. What I’m looking for is Keytaon Thompson’s performance as full time starter. After Nick Fitzgerald’s injury in 2017, Thompson won 2 games for the Bulldogs as a starter, but his passing percentage must improve. Most likely the Dogs will run the ball more. They’re a team to watch because they can easily win their first 3 games and probably cause Kentucky and Auburn to slip up. Even though they’re not guaranteed to defeat Alabama, I see them causing problems against Texas A&M and LSU (believe it or not).