College Football storylines to watch this season

Week 0 kicks off this Saturday before Labor Day Weekend’s huge slate of games. So with the season about to start, here are the top five college football storylines to watch.

Conference realignment

Arguably the biggest college football storyline this season, it remains to be seen only how big the SEC and Big Ten, especially with their new media deal, want to get.

Oklahoma and Texas are in their finals season within the Big 12 before transitioning to the SEC. BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF are set to join the Big 12 next season.

The ACC is taking away divisions in 2023 as the Atlantic and Coastal will be no more.

Brett McMurphy didn’t mince words about the Pac 12 on Finebaum today: “they’re gonna lose four schools to the Big Ten, and then I think four schools out of the Pac 12 take a lifeline to go to the Big 12.” pic.twitter.com/w0IGqwNII2

— John Kurtz (@jlkurtz) August 24, 2022

The Pac-12 on the other hand, looks to be disassembled as Oregon is in talks to join the Big Ten along with USC and UCLA.

Mo’ Money, No Problems

The second top college football storyline is the fact that NIL is making athletes into small corporations.

Millionaires. Cars. Shiny bling. Endorsements. These are among the parts of NIL rights after its first calendar year. We enter the second season of NIL with somewhat of a calm that has centered over the landscape.

2022 sure feels set to be the first season where NIL deals are widely accepted and no longer a novelty in the world of college sports. NIL contracts established a standard for recruiting and team personnel, but some of the deals in 2022 have created a national buzz.

Decoldest Crawford has an NIL deal with a heating/cooling company and it’s perfect 😂

(via @jakewasikowski) pic.twitter.com/dgsv4VAjcm

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) July 28, 2022

There’s the booster funded collectives that garner recruitment for teams like Texas A&M and the University of Miami.

Here are some of the most unique NIL deals of 2022:

• Bijan Robinson signs with Lambroghini Austin
• DeColdest Crawfords signs with HVAC company
• Jaden Rashada’s $9.5 million NIL Contract
• Texas Tech players receiving base pay of $25,000

Are they really back?

Another top college football storyline this season is the emergence of the Texas Longhorns and Miami Hurricanes.

After 20 years getting lost in the championship wilderness, Miami may have finally figured it out. The solution? Money. Miami native Mario Cristobal got a $80 milllion contract.

Miami finally got a coach who understands the culture and can recruit, added an NIL battleship in John Ruiz, and a plan to spend their way to a championship that doesn’t seem outlandish — and not that far off for the Hurricanes.

But will it translate on the field?

Is Texas back? pic.twitter.com/kvUVh5Q9DT

— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 24, 2022

Head coach Steve Sarkisian has a slew of all-star talents across the board, and he’s got the skill guys that could and should be as good as any in the country outside of Alabama and Ohio State.

Arch Manning, Quinn Ewers, Bijan Robinson, and not to mention the glorified football powerhouse transitioning into the SEC. However, with its stars and money– can Texas win the Big 12?

Alabama vs. Texas A&M

The date is Oct. 8. Texas A&M at Alabama. Circle it in red. Hell, circle it in blood. This has immediately escalated into the most bitter rivalry of 2022—if not ever.

One of the biggest college football storylines, if not THE biggest storyline is the fuel raged inferno between Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher.

May 18th, Nick Saban opened Pandora’s box and launched an attack on Jimbo Fisher saying the Aggies “bought every player on their team.” Jimbo Fisher fired back and called his former boss’s statements “despicable”, stated that Saban is a “narcissist who thinks he’s God.”

"A&M bought every player on their team. Made a deal for name, image, and likeness."

–– Alabama head coach Nick Sabanpic.twitter.com/nIRSc1yte5

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 19, 2022

Texas A&M beat Alabama last year 41-38 last year, but the Crimson Tide have dominated the matchup over the years. One day, the Aggies could post a problem for the Saban led Crimson Tide.

Per 24/7 sports, the Aggies landed four five-star recruits in the 2022 class and finished with the No. 1 signing class for the 2022 cycle.

October 8th, 2022 will just mean more.

College Football games to watch

Of course, there are no college football storylines without games being actually played. Here are the top three games to watch this college football season:

Notre Dame at Ohio State, September 3rd

Marcus Freeman  has done everything right since taking over the Fighting Irish. Now, he must face his alma mater in his first game as a head coach. Heisman hopeful C.J. Stroud and his Buckeyes, of course, are aiming to start a potential national title season with a bang.

Alabama at Texas, September 10th

Two college football powerhouses will look to put on a spectacular show. This is not your old Texas Longhorns team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. They will face a tough test as the Crimson Tide have reloaded with names like Jahmyrr Gibbs, Jermaine Burton and Tyler Harrell.

Miami at Texas A&M, September 17th

First-year coach Mario Cristobal get a tough test against the hyped up Aggies. Cristobal is a proven recruiter and winner and has put together a legitimately great support staff. While the Hurricanes have Tyler Van Dyke at quarterback, can the Hurricanes protect him against a talented Aggie defense?

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