My 2022 College Football Rooting Interests

Let's pick a team from each conference, just for fun

College football is back folks, and I can’t wait.

I could do a preseason top 25, sure, but I always hate preseason top 25s because they are given far too much weight as a starting point even though no games have been played. So, instead, I am going to briefly talk about one team I like in each FBS conference this season.

Note: This is not the team that I think will win these conferences. I just think they could be fun to root for, have some fun players or I have selfish biases. Let’s dive in.

AAC - Cincinnati

Yeah, this shouldn’t be a surprise. Luke Fickell has created an AAC juggernaut in Cincinnati, but the Bearcats lost a boatload of talent to the NFL Draft, including quarterback Desmond Ridder, running back Jerome Ford, wide receiver Alec Pierce and star corners Sauce Gardner and Coby Bryant.

But I believe in Fickell, and the new starting quarterback — whether that be the talented prospect Evan Prater or Eastern Michigan transfer Ben Bryant — will be playing behind a very experienced offensive line.

The American will likely come down to Cincy and Houston, who has plenty of returning stars, but I will be rooting for the Bearcats to take it home once again.

ACC - NC State

Yeah, yeah, I’ve bought in.

The Wolfpack were a whole lot of fun in 2021 and they bring back almost everyone of importance. I also love seeing anyone that isn’t Clemson win this conference, both for nice variety and because I really do not like Clemson.

Quarterback Devin Leary absolutely feels like the real deal to me, and this defense should be nasty with the talent it possesses. I will keep saying should because all I know about NC State is its ability to underwhelm and disappoint as soon as you put faith in them.

Well, I happen to love teams that hurt me, so sign me up.

Big 12 - Kansas State (and Quinn Ewers)

If I am picking a team, Kansas State is my go to. I think Baylor ultimately wins this conference and I have no qualms if that indeed is the case, but I really like this Wildcats roster to surprise people in 2022.

Adrian Martinez is free from the hell that is playing under Scott Frost, and I think he could have a real breakout campaign. It also won’t hurt to have Deuce Vaughn, one of the best running backs in the country, helping him in the backfield.

But, if I were to say my true rooting interest of this conference, it is the success of Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Ewers has a missile launcher attached to his arm that I am just dying to watch at this level, and I didn’t get that opportunity while he was at Ohio State. Now, he’s won the starting job at Texas and has to die to Alabama in his first start. Hopefully it doesn’t destroy his mental, because he was absolutely deserving of every recruiting accolade he got.

If Texas wins games, that’s cool, I probably like them more than most but not as much as the lunatic coach who put them at No. 1 in the poll. But if the Longhorns go like 6-6 but Ewers throws 5,000 yards in the process, I will be completely overjoyed.

Big Ten - Northwestern

I am still unsure of how I will feel watching Ohio State this year. As an alum, maybe the juice will come back, but for now it is more a team I am intrigued to watch, but not one I anticipate rooting for heavily.

No, the Buckeyes are simply not Big Ten Football enough for me. Give me the team with uhhhhh at quarterback and ??????? for expectations. That, friends, is Northwestern football in 2022. Two years removed from a top 10 AP poll finish and one year removed from one of the hardest teams to watch I’ve ever seen, the Wildcats are in a very weird spot and I can’t wait to see it.

This answer changes if Drew Allar gets real action for Penn State this year, which won’t happen pending a Sean Clifford injury. For now, I want to see Northwestern play some disgusting football and somehow win eight games. I’m hearing Rose Bowl.

(you should read this Northwestern preview at Meet At Midfield, it is excellent)

CUSA - Charlotte

Everyone should have seen this coming, so let me take this space to try and sell you all on rooting for the Charlotte 49ers this season.

1. Charlotte’s offense should be very fun. Sixth-year senior quarterback Chris Reynolds is back and looks as old as the head coach. It’s beautiful and he has an excellent receiving corps (Grant DuBose, Victor Tucker, Elijah Spencer) and running back tandem (Shadrick Byrd, Calvin Camp) to work with.

2. The defense is a complete wild card, but that’s better than knowing the 2021 defense was coming back because friends, that defense was hot freaking garbage. If the D can even remotely resemble mediocre, a bowl game is upon us.

3. That being said, all Charlotte fans should want is a bowl game, and there’s something enjoyable about wanting something so modest. This team is talented enough to do it and is being undersold (my opinion) by the betting line win total.

So, hammer the over 4.5 wins and join this ride with me. We march into Florida Atlantic on Saturday.

Independents - BYU

This one is a no-brainer. BYU’s football team whips all the ass this year and should be a ton of fun. Root for UMass if you like pain, but the Cougars bring back the most talent in college football and were already pretty damn good ahead of schedule last year.

MAC - Akron

I don’t know who’s winning the MAC, but I know I’m rooting for the team that’s been a bottom feeder for the past few years.

The Akron Zips, by no other clear reason besides an act from above, somehow convinced a very talented offensive coordinator in Joe Moorhead to come and be their head coach.

Moorhead likely won’t have this team competing for a bowl game or MAC crown in year one, but almost any wins will be progress from where this Zips team has been the past few years (3-24 under former HC Tom Arth). I am curious what Moorhead can get out of quarterback DJ Irons, but this year I would just love to see Akron get to like four wins.

This is a heart pick as well, as Akron is my dad’s alma mater and was my go-to NCAA Football 14 dynasty team, but there is true, genuine hope for the Zips now that Moorhead is at the helm.

Mountain West - Utah State (but really all of it)

Folks, you should watch Mountain West football this year. There are a whole lot of good, interesting teams in this conference and I don’t think there’s a clear runaway favorite in the group.

I am curious about the likes of Boise State, Fresno State and San Diego State just to name a few, but I am going to lean into my friend Patrick Mayhorn’s venture and follow Utah State the closest.

The Aggies had a very solid 2021 season and bring back a decent amount of talent, including quarterback Logan Bonner. Patrick has fully sold me on the immense coolness of Hale Motu’apuaka on defense, and I’m genuinely just excited to be able to follow this team led by all-around nice guy coach Blake Anderson.

Pick whichever team you want in this conference (probably not Hawaii though), because the Mountain West seems like it will be great viewing all year.

Pac-12 - Oregon

I really like Utah too, but Oregon is the team I will be following the closest. This is thanks to some personal biases — my girlfriend having family ties to the Ducks, etc. — but I also have really enjoyed what Oregon has done in the wake of losing Mario Cristobal.

Dan Lanning seems like a great head coaching hire, and the starting quarterback, whether it be Bo Nix or Ty Thompson, should be a whole lot of fun to watch. Lanning should also get this defense to new heights, including with star linebacker Noah Sewell.

The Pac-12, per usual, should be quite a mess, and the Utes and UCLA would be great picks here, but I have my primary attention on Oregon.

SEC - uhh, Kentucky I guess?

I didn’t realize how little I care about the SEC until I had to write this section. This is the most relevant conference when it comes to the rankings, but man I just don’t want to watch them.

Anthony Richardson should be a ball at Florida and I am rooting for Billy Napier to succeed. Ole Miss could be fun. Alabama sure has a lot of good players.

Rooting interest though? I guess I will pick Kentucky, who has managed to be a ray of light for fun in the conference as of late. I love what Mark Stoops has done at this program and while I think Will Levis is being overrated as far as NFL Draft stock goes, I still think he’s a perfectly entertaining CFB signal caller.

So, sure, go Wildcats. Keep getting 7 or 8 wins every year and fighting the good fight.

Sun Belt - Coastal Carolina and James Madison

The first pick is easy. Coastal Carolina lost like everyone from the past two years of success, but it didn’t lose the top two most important members: head coach Jamey Chadwell and quarterback Grayson McCall.

Until proven otherwise, Chadwell seemingly can run this beautiful art piece of an offense with any players willing to fully commit to it, and McCall continues to be one of the most underrated players in the country. Even if it’s not quite the same as it has been, I’m excited to see one more year of this magical duo.

As for James Madison, of course I will be rooting for the FBS newbie. It seems like a great program and should add even more talent to the deeply fun Sun Belt.

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