While defense wins championships there is no doubt that explosive offenses can help a lot of teams get to the big games. That is especially true every year in college football. Defense is important but a good number of the top teams in the nation will once again rely on their high-powered offenses to lead the way for them this coming year.
Here is a look at the most explosive offenses in college football heading in to the 2016 season.
Clemson Tigers
No offense in the country is more stacked on paper heading in to 2016 than Clemson. Star quarterback Deshaun Watson is coming off a year in which he registered a total of 4,104 passing yards, 1,105 rushing yards and 47 total touchdowns while running back Wayne Gallman is back after rushing for a school-record 1,527 yards with 13 touchdowns last season. As if that wasn’t enough, the Tigers will also get back their No. 1 receiver in Mike Williams, who had a 1000-yard season in 2014 but missed almost all of 2015 due to injury. Artavis Scott, Hunter Renfrow and Deon Cain round out a talented cast of wide receivers and with all of those weapons there is no doubt the Clemson offense will once again be among the best in the entire nation in 2016.
Washington State Cougars
Washington State’s Air Raid offense can score points in waves with head coach Mike Leach pushing a vertical passing attack that can strike big on any given play. We know that he loves to call more passing plays than anyone else in the country, be aggressive and take shots as much as possible. It took him some time to recruit at Wazzu and build a team that’s capable, but he finally has the structure and weapons in place.
Quarterback Luke Falk attempted an FBS-record 644 passes and that’s despite missing a game last season. His attempts could have been close to 700. He put up some impressive numbers with a 69.4-percent completion rate for 4,561 yards, 38 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. The Cougars have one of the top-five receivers in the country in Gabe Marks and it will be interesting to see what he does after making 104 catches for 1,192 yards and 15 scores in 2015. He could be a household name by the time things are said and done this year. River Cracraft, Robert Lewis and Tavares Martin round out an impressive receiver core while Gerard Wicks, Jamal Morrow and Keith Harrington could move the ball on the ground when needed at the running back position. The Cougars’ offense is absolutely loaded and there is no doubt it will be one of the best in the entire nation this season – especially playing in a Pac-12 conference where defense is optional.
Houston Cougars
Tom Herman’s debut as the head coach at Houston was a riveting success and expectations will be just as high this season with an absolutely loaded cast of talent on offense. If he does what he did last year, he’ll be in line for a bigger and better coaching job next season at a bigger school.
Greg Ward Jr. proved his merit when he threw for 2,828 yards and 17 touchdowns as well as 1,108 rushing yards and an additional 21 scores. Now the dual-threat quarterback will have the opportunity to cut down on the mistakes he made a year ago and really perform at an elite level. Texas transfer Duke Catalon will step in to replace leading rushing Kenneth Farrow while Chance Allen, Steven Dunbar and Ra’Shaad Samples highlight an impressive cast of receivers.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Red Raiders’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes II registered 5,109 total yards of offense and 46 touchdowns a year ago. What will he do for an encore? There is a very good chance that the star passer hits that mark again as he is surrounded by a ton of talent at the running back and wide receiver positions. Losing speedy wide receiver Jakeem Grant will hurt but every other receiver is back and Texas Tech added Derrick Willies to help make up for the loss of Grant. The Red Raiders’ defense might be a mess heading in to 2016 but the offense will score in bunches as one of the most explosive groups in the country.
