Kantor: Football storylines I’m looking forward to most in 2021

Justyn Ross fields a punt during Friday's practice.

by Ryan Kantor - Contributor - Tue Mar 09 14:01:03 GMT-04:00 2021

Following Clemson’s last National Championship, the offseason felt so short. There was a parade with sentimental speeches and countless reasons to look back and appreciate all the sub-plots like Austin Bryant playing through injury. Clemson fans were rightfully soaking in the glory and in no rush to turn the page to the 2019 season. This year is different. After a weird season that didn’t include games against Clemson’s biggest rivals and ended with a blowout loss to Ohio State, it’s easier to look ahead. While autumn is a long way away, I’m already looking forward to seeing how some stories will unfold.

Is Georgia really elite?

2020 was a disappointment for the Bulldogs as they failed to win their division for the first time since 2016. They lost handily to both Alabama and Florida before managing to save face with a close win over Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl. The Bulldogs are often lumped in with Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State as one of college football’s elite teams, but they’ve only won the SEC once since 2005. That 2017 season was admittedly special – they blew out Auburn in the SEC Championship, won a memorable Rose Bowl Classic, and pushed Alabama to overtime in the National Championship. Since then, though, has their program getting better or worse? 2021 is a big “prove it” year. They return nine starters on offense including QB JT Daniels and five on defense. They begin their season in Charlotte against Clemson. Are they ready to not just hang around, but beat one of college football’s elite programs? It’ll be not just the biggest game for those two teams, but likely the most anticipated college football game of the year.

Justyn Ross Returns

Justyn Ross accumulated 1,865 receiving yards and 17 TDs in his first two seasons at Clemson, but spinal surgery prevented him from taking a snap in 2020. The Tigers were fortunate to have Amari Rodgers (1,020 yards, 6 TDs) and Cornell Powell (882 yards, 7 TDs) post career years and help pick up the slack. Still, missing Ross made the offense less dynamic, and getting him back will immediately infuse the offense with that dynamic playmaking ability. News that he could be moving to the slot receiver position adds even more intrigue. Getting Ross on the field with some combination of EJ Williams, Frank Ladson, and Joseph Ngata gives the Tigers something special. Ross missing 2020 likely delayed his departure for the NFL for a year, and like Mike Williams’ neck injury that led to his return in 2016, it could be the factor that pushes Clemson to the next level.

How will coaches in new spots fare?

I’m not a fan of athletic departments having a quick trigger on making coaching changes. Just look at the decade-long depression in Knoxville since they dismissed Phil Fulmer and began rotating coaches every couple of seasons. Josh Heupel heads to Knoxville from UCF to give it a shot this time. He may have NCAA sanctions holding him back though. That whole situation is still unfolding. Meanwhile Auburn parted ways with Gus Malzahn who backfilled Heupel’s role at UCF. His offenses grew stagnant at Auburn, but it nonetheless feels like a strong hire for the AAC powerhouse. Has college football caught up with his offensive philosophy, or can he find success at UCF where there are surprisingly high expectations? Back at Auburn they hired Bryan Harsin from Boise State. It feels a bit unexpected -- and also safe and non-controversial.

On the opposite end of the controversy spectrum are the two coaches in Mississippi. Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss and Mike Leach at Mississippi State are two of the most fun coaches in the game. They will both be in their second years and fans will want to see some progress. Jeff Hafley at Boston College is another second-year coach who will be interesting to monitor. His Eagles have the potential to become the second-best team in the ACC Atlantic.

Finally, the biggest coaching change of the offseason happened at Texas, where Steve Sarkisian went after leaving his role as Alabama’s offensive coordinator. Texas has a lot of talent to replace. Will the locals get restless if year one isn’t a smash hit? Meanwhile, back in Tuscaloosa, Nick Saban must figure out how to replace key pieces all across the offense while replacing one of the most talented coordinators in the country.

How does Brent Venables’ defense rebound from the Fiesta Bowl?

Coach Venables is widely considered the best defensive coordinator in the college game. Despite that, his defenses were shredded in their two most recent playoff games. 2019 LSU was historically good, so perhaps that deserves a caveat, but nonetheless the results are a stark contrast to the dominant performances his defenses have posted in years past.

Perhaps it is as simple as having a defensive line that can generate the type of pressure upon which his system is predicated. The last two units have lacked that and with the promising trio of Davis, Bresee, and Murphy in 2021, that may change. Conversely, we’ve seen opponents change their tempo to prevent his defense from adjusting before the snap. Is a counter-adjustment in order? Much of the cat-and-mouse game of coaching at this high level is subtle, but the results aren’t. Venables has his entire starting defense returning less LB Mike Jones and CB Derion Kendrick. They have an opportunity to reassert themselves.

Rebuilding the middle class of the ACC

Notre Dame’s one-year admission into the ACC made the race for the conference crown far more interesting. With them gone, Clemson will be heavily favored while Miami and North Carolina – ranked 8th and 10th in the ESPN SP+ advanced statistics rankings – look to give them a challenge. After that grouping of top teams, there’s a notable drop-off into what can be viewed as the “middle class” of the conference. Virginia Tech (36th), Pittsburgh (43rd), NC State (45th), Louisville (47th), and Georgia Tech (48th) rank 4th through 8th in the SP+’s preseason ACC rankings.

This is where the ACC needs to get better, and each of these teams could go several different ways. At Virginia Tech, Justin Fuente is on the hot seat. The SP+ likes them at the top of this tier, but their recruiting has tailed off. Would a bad year surprise anyone? NC State dodged both Clemson and Notre Dame last year and had a record that was much better than their point differential. Louisville and Georgia Tech are solid programs, but they haven’t been very solid lately. Are they close to turning the corner?

Florida State in Shambles

Florida State seemingly finds a new rock bottom to hit every year lately, and the more we learn about the situation the deeper the rebuilding job ahead of them appears to be. After last season’s debacle in which they canceled the Clemson game after the Tigers had already traveled to Tallahassee, I expect very little sympathy for the old rival’s plight. Will they start getting the program turned back in the right direction? What will the Tigers have in store for them when they come to Clemson?