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25 biggest college football storylines for the 2022 season

By Michael Thompson

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JANUARY 10: The National Championship Trophy is seen on the field prior to the 2022 CFP National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 10, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JANUARY 10: The National Championship Trophy is seen on the field prior to the 2022 CFP National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 10, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – DECEMBER 01: Brian Kelly (C) is introduced as the head football coach of the LSU Tigers by LSU President William F. Tate IV (L) and athletics director Scott Woodward during a news conference at Tiger Stadium on December 01, 2021 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – DECEMBER 01: Brian Kelly (C) is introduced as the head football coach of the LSU Tigers by LSU President William F. Tate IV (L) and athletics director Scott Woodward during a news conference at Tiger Stadium on December 01, 2021 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

22. Who will overachieve?

It seems every year we have a handful of teams that may not be on the radar in terms of the expected elite, but they find a way to push themselves into the conversation. Think of a team like Wake Forest last year, Gardner Minshew’s Washington State Cougars, or Manti Teo’s Fighting Irish.

Here are four teams to look at to overachieve this fall.

Pitt: We’ve talked about this team earlier. I’m a believer in what Pat Narduzzi has built in Pittsburgh. Kedon Slovis was a great quarterback in 2020, and I believe he has a terrific supporting cast that will have the reigning ACC champs thinking about repeating. Early home tests against West Virginia and Tennessee will set the tone for the season, games I believe Pitt will win.

Washington State: Another program I talked about earlier, Cameron Ward is going to put the Cougs on the map this season. Head coach Jake Dickert will have the defense in a similar groove they found themselves in last season, while the offense will soar, making fans in Pullman wonder if this is still the Mike Leach offense. This is a team that can beat USC and Utah, and just may sneak into a big-time bowl game for their future NFL quarterback.

Michigan State: People forget that Mel Tucker took the Spartans back to national relevance last year, leading them to a Peach Bowl victory. Tucker was given a massive extension and raised expectations for his program.

This year’s club will have to replace the stellar play of Kenneth Walker III but expect quarterback Payton Thorne to have a big season while the defense plays like they have for what seems like forever: solid. The Spartans have a difficult schedule, but maybe the one team capable of keeping the Ohio State Buckeyes from a perfect regular season.

LSU: Brian Kelly ain’t fooling no one with that accent, and he doesn’t need to. Brain Kelly is one of the best football coaches in the country, having brought Notre Dame from the depths of despair to national relevance. Now, Kelly takes over one of the sleeping giants of the game and will have more talent than he’s ever had at his disposal. The pressure in Baton Rouge should be eased by the addition of Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels.

The talented dual-threat quarterback struggled to find consistency at the mess down in Tempe but will have some elite dudes to throw to at LSU. The SEC West is a gauntlet, but I like the Tigers to win 9-10 games and find themselves playing in a New Year’s Day type of bowl.

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