The second big weekend of spring games features three early favorites to win the College Football Playoff National Championship. Georgia, the reigning champion in college football, takes the field in the afternoon, along with big hitters like Alabama, Ohio State and Miami.
As we get set for the loaded slate this weekend, Chip Patterson broke down the biggest position battles left in spring camp, while Barrett Sallee added breakdowns of Alabama’s biggest offensive questions and where Kirby Smart goes now after winning a previously elusive title in Athens. Tom Fornelli, meanwhile, explained why Ohio State keying on one particular defensive improvement is key to the Buckeyes making a title run.
Here are some of the other key storylines to watch from the second major weekend of spring games, followed by a look at the schedule featuring notable teams in action on Saturday.
Spring games storylines
Georgia — Avoiding the championship hangover: Few programs understand how difficult it is to win a national championship quite like Georgia, which went 41 years between title-winning seasons. Now the Bulldogs hope to join an even more exclusive club: back-to-back champions, a feat that has never occurred in the College Football Playoff era.
The path will be more difficult with seven top-100 defensive prospects on the CBS Sports NFL Draft Prospect Rankings off to the NFL and defensive coordinator Dan Lanning taking over as head coach at Oregon. All eyes will be on the offense to see if it can fill in some of the gaps. Quarterback Stetson Bennett IV is back after leading the Bulldogs to the promised land but will have to move forward without his two most talented wide receivers. Finding options to thrive next to star tight end Brock Bowers would be a big win.
Alabama — Finding new wide receivers: The Crimson Tide had the most potent passing game in college football … and then both Jameson Williams and John Metchie III went down with injuries. The playoff provided an early opportunity for young playmakers to step up, though early returns have not been encouraging, especially with Agiye Hall now in the transfer portal.
Georgia transfer Jermaine Burton should step into the No. 1 spot after finishing first among Bulldog wideouts in receiving yards. Ja’Corey Brooks had 10 catches and a key touchdown in the playoff. Traeshon Holden was also in the rotation. Otherwise, playing time at receiver is virtually wide open for underclassmen to push their way in. The Crimson Tide recruited seven top-100 recruits at receiver over the past two recruiting classes, so talent should be easy to find.
Ohio State — Learning Jim Knowles’ new system: Enough was enough for Ryan Day as the Buckeyes coach opted to make a defensive coordinator change after two seasons. Instead of looking within the Big Ten, Day identified Broyles Award finalist Jim Knowles, who constructed one of the nation’s top five defenses at Oklahoma State.
However, Knowles’ scheme will be a change from the single-high system that dominated Day’s early tenure. The Cowboys ran a true three-safety look last season with defensive backs who lined up at different angles on the field. Ohio State added former Oklahoma State cornerback Tanner McCalister, but the Buckeyes will likely be experimenting with different styles of players in the three roles.
Miami — Building a new offense: Mario Cristobal nabbed Broyles Award winner Josh Gattis to run the offense after a successful stint at Michigan. However, Gattis will likely bring a style of offense to Coral Gables different than what Rhett Lashlee used last season.
Michigan produced one of the top rushing offenses in the country last season behind a Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line. The Hurricanes have a top-level running back in Jaylan Knighton to build around, but must figure out how to complement sophomore quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. Gattis’ first charge is building something that works around his playmakers.
Michigan State — Fixing the pass defense: Every Spartans fan remembers where they were when Ohio State blitzkrieged MSU’s secondary into submission last November. Michigan State ultimately finished the year ranked last in yards passing allowed at more than 324 yards per game.
The Spartans added a major contributor in cornerback Ameer Speed from Georgia, but the rest of their improvement comes down to internal improvement. Xavier Henderson, Darius Snow and Angelo Grose are all back in the deep secondary, but every starting spot should be up for grabs after an inconsistent 2021 season. Mel Tucker is a defensive backs coach by trade, so don’t be surprised if the unit takes a step forward with another year in the system.
Spring games schedule, how to watch
|
Arkansas |
12 p.m. |
SEC Network+ |
|
Miami |
12 p.m. |
ACC Network |
|
Mississippi State |
12 p.m. |
SEC Network + |
|
Ohio State |
12 p.m. |
Big Ten Network |
| Georgia | 1 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Michigan State | 2 p.m. | Big Ten Network |
| Oregon State | 2 p.m. | Pac-12 Network |
| Vanderbilt | 2 p.m. | SEC Network+ |
| Wake Forest | 2 p.m. | ACC Network |
| Alabama | 3 p.m. | SEC Network+ |
| Virginia Tech | 4 p.m. | ACC Network |
| Duke | 6 p.m. | ACC Network |
| South Carolina | 7 p.m. | SEC Network+ |