By Charlie Mensh

College football is back and so is all of the hype that comes with it. There are many teams to be watching this year and players that will look to make huge contributions as well.

   The powerhouse Alabama team returns in strong fashion as they look to be back to back national champions with major contributions from their star quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa.

   RJ Reynolds assistant football coach Rod Dunlap has his pick of Tagovailoa taking the coveted Heisman trophy home this year.

   “His talent and versatility makes him special and he has the X factor,” Coach Dunlap said. “Tua is a candidate that a lot of people put their bets on to win.”

   Another talented team to watch this year will be the Clemson Tigers as they return from another playoff apearance and a lot of new talent coming in.

   Between stud freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence and a defensive line led by Christian Wilkins, they will be a tough team to score against. Quarterback Kelly Bryant looks to hold off Lawrence as the starter as the season moves forward into Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play.

   The ACC is not as strong this year as it has been in the past as University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is down down in talent and struggling to get a win. Wake Forest and Duke, however are both on the rise, making the middle of the ACC an interesting competition. In addition to Clemson, Virginia Tech also hopes to run the conference in dominant fashion.

   There are a few teams that could surprise this year. Auburn and Lousiana State University are similar teams with very strong defenses that could give Alabama a run for their money in the Southeastern Conferece (SEC). Quarterback Jarrett Stidham of Auburn will look to lead the Tigers to a huge season with their high powered offense.

   There is talent all over the nation this year and to highlight one more major talent, senior football player Will Crowley weighed in.

   “I think Will Grier will win the Heisman because he has a ton of weapons on his team,” Crowley said.

   In the wake of all the hype, there has been some drama surrounding another powerhouse school. Ohio State University’s head coach Urban Meyer has been suspended for 4 games. Some may take it as a distraction but so far the team has rallied behind that and dominated their first few opponents. Meyer will be back for the Buckeyes’ main stretch of the season and will look to compete for the national championship once again.

   As football comes back, people around the country like senior Ryan Eisner get extremely excited and ready to watch their favorite teams.

   “I just love the chaos that comes with college football,” Eisner commented. “It makes me excited to watch everyday.”

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