Three-Point Stance: Big wins, surprising teams, Farrell 50
Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here with five big wins that have helped recruiting, teams that are beginning to emerge as surprises (good and bad) and some players who just missed the Farrell 50 cut.
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1. FIVE BIG WINS THAT WILL PAY OFF IN RECRUITING
Recruits, just like fans, clearly take notice of big wins. Here are five big wins this season that have pushed programs forward in recruiting:
Florida over Auburn – The Swamp was going crazy on Saturday, it was a great SEC atmosphere and Dan Mullen and his team dominated Auburn in front of numerous recruits in attendance. This was an important win for Florida as recruiting hasn’t been consistently elite since the Urban Meyer days. This will help Mullen sell his program over in-state rivals Florida State and Miami as well as the rest of the Southeast.
LSU over Texas – This was a great game and could have gone either way, but an LSU loss would have hurt its efforts to keep its amazing 2020 class together. Why? A loss that early in the season in such a big game would have easily led to negative recruiting opportunities for programs recruiting against the Tigers, and with so many commitments hailing from far away from Louisiana, some might have been swayed to at least listen. LSU would not be the talk of the country without that win and being one of the top teams in the country has recruiting momentum going very strong.
Georgia over Notre Dame – Georgia will probably finish as well as any program in the country for 2020 with a relatively small number of commitments so far and the win over Notre Dame was key. Did the Bulldogs blow out the Irish as many expected? No. But a win is a win and a win over a national top-10 program is key to keep recruiting momentum going. Kirby Smart has come close to a national title but the knock against him is that he chokes in big games. A loss to Notre Dame at home would have fed that narrative.
Wisconsin over Michigan – The Badgers don’t recruit on a national level like some of the bluebloods and they have a distinct recruiting disadvantage when it comes to geography and weather. But if they keep pounding teams like Michigan, who do recruit well nationally, more and more big-time recruits will take a look. Of course running backs and offensive linemen will be interested in Wisconsin, but that defense is nasty and they will start getting more looks from big-time players on that side of the ball as well.
Auburn over Texas A&M – This is a sneaky one because it didn’t get as much national attention as the others, but for Auburn to march into College Station and win with a true freshman quarterback in such a hostile environment certainly sent a message to recruits watching. Auburn doesn’t recruit Texas that extensively, but with more wins like this one, they can start stealing players here and there.
2. WHICH TEAMS HAVE IMPRESSED? DISAPPOINTED?
Okay, we’ve seen enough football for some teams to have shown their true colors. Here are some teams that have impressed and disappointed me so far.
IMPRESSED
Florida – I still have Alabama, Georgia and LSU ahead of the Gators in the SEC, but quarterback Kyle Trask is certainly growing on me and the defense is nasty.
LSU – I’m still not sold on the LSU offense, so something needs to give this weekend when the Tigers play Florida. One of those teams will emerge as a top three team in the SEC. But Ed Orgeron has been doing an excellent job.
Wisconsin – Same old Wisconsin, so I shouldn’t be surprised. The Badgers boast a powerful rushing attack and a swarming defense.
Penn State – The defense doesn’t get the notice it deserves and Sean Clifford is a very good quarterback. I don’t think the Nittany Lions can beat Ohio State, but they have impressed me.
Wake Forest – How about the job Dave Clawson is doing? He’s going to be in line for some big jobs if he keeps it up.
Baylor – The best coaching job in the country is being done by Matt Rhule considering where this program was when he started.
Minnesota – It may not be pretty, but undefeated is undefeated and PJ Fleck has them believing.
Arizona State – Herm Edwards loses doubters every week it seems and Arizona State is for real.
Missouri – The Tigers are quietly 4-1 and in the hunt in the SEC East, although no one seems to notice. That’s just the way they like it, too.
DISAPPOINTED
Miami – The defense was supposed to be the strength and it’s been average. The offense is a mess.
Tennessee – Jeremy Pruitt seems to be putting out a new fire every week.
Boston College – I picked the Eagles as a sleeper in the ACC and they’ve lost to Kansas, Wake Forest and Louisville. They were never a threat to unseat Clemson, but they should be better than this.
Iowa State – Some had them as the “look at me, I’m smart” pick in the Big 12 and so far they haven’t impressed.
Michigan – Beating Iowa was nice, but the offense looks the same as it ever has and that’s not good.
Northwestern – How did this team become so bad so quickly?
Washington – Talk about a team with talent that is playing down to opponents. Chris Petersen might not be the genius we thought.
UCLA – I didn’t expect much, but expected a little bit more than 1-5. It’s awful.
Kentucky – I know the Wildcats lost their starting quarterback, but this is a program that was moving forward and this could be a big step backwards.
Texas A&M – Quarterback Kellen Mond made the Aggies a sleeper pick in the SEC but they’ve looked very average at best and are a long way away.
3. TEN PLAYERS THAT JUST MISSED THE FARRELL 50 CUT
Here are 10 players who just missed the cut for the midseason Farrell 50.
RB Cam Akers, Florida State – Where would Florida State be without Akers? It’s kind of scary to think about since he’s been so important to a struggling offense and is running behind a weak offensive line without a ton of help from the passing game. He’s an elite talent.
RB Darius Anderson, TCU – Who? Yep, so many other backs get attention in the Big 12 but Anderson is an excellent one and should be mentioned near some of the others. He’s a kid with excellent vision and is a load to bring down.
DB Trevon Diggs, Alabama – Once just known as the brother of Stefon Diggs, now he’s emerged as one of the best cornerbacks in the country and a guy who should land in the first round of the NFL. He started off as a wide receiver in Tuscaloosa but Nick Saban has worked his magic once again.
WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU – I chose Justin Jefferson for the Farrell 50, but it could have easily been Chase, who has been just as good. Chase has had a couple of huge games and is a big reason why quarterback Joe Burrow is having such success.
WR Michael Pittman, USC – USC has had quarterback injuries, but Pittman has been steady as usual and he’s quietly having a monster season.
WR Sage Surratt, Wake Forest – I could have gone with quarterback Jamie Newman here but Surratt has been so good, he needs to be singled out for Wake.
LB K.J. Britt, Auburn – The Auburn defensive line gets a lot of the attention, but watch Britt play and how he arrives at the football and you will become a fan instantly.
LB Jacob Phillips, LSU – The former five-star gets overlooked a bit with Grant Delpit and a few others on the defense, but he’s become a consistent tackling machine and is one of the best linebackers in football.
DE Curtis Weaver, Boise State – Let’s give the Group of Five some love as Weaver is one of the best pass rushers you’ve never heard of.
LB Jonathan Greenard, Florida – The Louisville transfer might be my favorite on this list and came the closest to making the list. He’s just a dangerous man on every play and is always in the backfield.