In today’s Fact or Fiction National Columnist Mike Farrell looks at three big recent topics in college football and decides whether each statement is indeed FACT or if it’s FICTION.
MORE FACT OR FICTION: There could be five Alabama five-stars in 2023 | Bobby Bowden is a top-five all-time coach
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Monday: Five-star countdown | Arch Manning is new No. 1
Tuesday: Rivals250 unveiled | Gorney's thoughts | Meet the new five-stars | Top player at each position | Could there be five five-stars from Alabama?
Wednesday: Teams with the most R250 commits | QB rankings released | RB rankings released | WR/TE rankings released
Thursday: Defensive position rankings released
Friday: State rankings
Saturday: Rivals Roundtable
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1. Iowa will be better than Iowa State this year.
Farrell’s take: FACT. I respect what Matt Campbell has done at Iowa State and the Cyclones have a lot of talent coming back, led by Breece Hall and Brock Purdy, but something tells me that preseason expectations are going to get them. Iowa State hasn’t been in this situation before as a top 10 team expected to win double-digit games.
Meanwhile, everyone overlooks Iowa a bit because of questions about quarterback Spencer Petras, but this team will run the ball down teams' throats. Tyler Goodson should have a big year at running back behind an offensive line that is seven deep and this defense will keep some teams at bay.
The two teams play a week after Iowa plays Indiana, so that could be an issue, while Iowa State gets the Hawkeyes following Northern Iowa. But I’m predicting a victory for the Hawkeyes here.
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2. Sam Howell will win the Heisman.Â
Farrell’s take: FICTION. This came up on one of my Instagram Live sessions on Tuesday when I was asked to name my Heisman winner. I went with Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler and said unknown starters like Bryce Young at Alabama, DJ Uiagalelei at Clemson and CJ Stroud at Ohio State have a better chance than Howell because UNC isn’t enough of a brand name. Unless the Tar Heels go undefeated I just don’t think Howell will get that respect.
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3. Georgia is too low in the preseason coaches poll.Â
Farrell’s take: FACT. The preseason college football poll was released Tuesday, and UGA came in at No. 5 behind Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma and Ohio State, which is tough to believe. Clemson and Ohio State have a ton of talent but are breaking in new quarterbacks. Alabama is always great but the Tide lost so much I expected them to be behind UGA. In fact, I have Georgia as my preseason No. 1 and am surprised others don’t as well. The Bulldogs don’t have a weakness and only a very conservative approach by Kirby Smart would stop them this season.
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CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250
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RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Info/coverage on 2021 camp series
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