The 2015 college football season was a lot of fun for the fans, but the college football playoff semi-finals didn’t exactly live up to the hype. Even after an exciting National Championship game, there was still a feeling for some that it could have been a better year overall. A lot will change this off-season with a number of top juniors declaring for the NFL Draft and, while the outlook for every single conference will have a much different appearance next year, it could be for the better. Here is a look at the four biggest reasons why the 2016 college football season will be better than the 2015 season.
DeShaun Watson Returns To The Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers topped the college football rankings nearly all season en route to the National Championship Game and, while they ultimately fell short against Alabama, there is every reason to buy into their stock as one of the top teams in the country looking forward to 2016. The Tigers have strung together five straight seasons with at least 10 wins under head coach Dabo Sweeney and, while they lost some serious defensive talent to the NFL Draft, they still return some of their best players including most importantly quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson is the first player in FBS history to pass for more than 4,000 yards and run for 1,000 yards in the same season and he will have a solid cast of offensive weapons around him again next year, including wide receiver Mike Williams, running back Wayne Gallman, and tight end Jordan Leggett. Clemson has the potential to do some serious damage next season and, unlike this year college football fans will see it coming and know that they are a legitimate national title contender worth following.
The “U” Is Back…Hopefully
There will be a lot of talk about Florida State bouncing back as a fellow contender in the ACC but the bigger story next year will end up being Miami and the return of the “U”. Mark Richt returns to the Hurricanes with a chance to push them to the top of the ACC with an experienced quarterback and plenty of talent on both sides of the football. Miami should also benefit from a relatively mediocre schedule and a decent cast of returning players. It’ll help that Brad Kaaya is back, who many people believe could be one of the top quarterbacks in the country. If Richt can get the most out of his players, then the Hurricanes will be one of the stories of the year in college football.
Michigan Wolverines’ Rise Continues
Jim Harbaugh did a tremendous job turning things around in his first year at Michigan and there is every reason for the bar to be set even higher now that he has had a full year to develop and groom the talent at his disposal. Remember that the Wolverines were expected to take some time to develop, but clearly Harbaugh has this team on the fast track. They started the season 9-2 and eventually finished with a 10-win campaign. Nobody expected that.
The addition of Don Brown as defensive coordinator is an intriguing one and, with 15 returning starters including eight on offense, the hype surrounding the Wolverines will be even greater in 2016. Michigan State is still the defending Big Ten champion and Ohio State will reload for another run at becoming a national title contender, but there will be a lot of eyes on Michigan with the potential for them to become one of the most intriguing stories of the year.
LSU’s Fournette Reloaded
LSU running back Leonard Fournette put on an absolute show throughout the first half of the college football season en route to rushing for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns in his sophomore season and at points throughout the year his play actually sparked debate about whether or not college players should be eligible for the NFL Draft. Fournette slowed down a bit towards the end of the year, but he promised to return better than ever in 2016. If his 2015 performance is any indication then college football fans will be in for an incredible ride next season.
