College football teams ready for a comeback in the 2022 season

These college football teams have a chance to bounce back this season.

Everybody loves a comeback story, especially in college football. Once-great and proud schools that fall on hard times are always looking for a way back in.

And now, with the advent of the transfer portal, the game is looking at a far-greater rate of turnover on rosters, allowing schools to more quickly regain their footing and ease back into their conference races.

That could be the case for a few programs on the downswing that used this offseason to correct some problems and put themselves in position to make a run.

As ever, the presumptive College Football Playoff race is as narrow as ever, and the usual suspects will be in contention for most of the season.

But as last year showed, there's more than enough room for a first time team to qualify for the semifinal and from there make a run at the national championship.

Which teams are in position to execute a turnaround this season?

Ranking 10 college football teams ready for a comeback in 2022

10. North Carolina

Previous Top 25 ranking: Unranked

2021 record: 6-7

College Football HQ preview: Last season was supposed to be when UNC made its move, ranking No. 10 in the preseason polls, but started 0-1, didn't win a game on the road, and threw away quarterback Sam Howell's final season. And while losing Howell doesn't exactly help, Carolina does bring back a very stable running back room led by British Brooks (a year 10 ypc back in 2021), a loaded wide receiver rotation (Josh Downs had 1,335 yards last season), and brings back coordinator Gene Chizik to revive a defense he's rebooted once before, and has stockpiled some serious recruiting gold, especially along the front seven. Make the right tweaks there and the Heels can make a push in the wide-open ACC Coastal.

9. Nebraska

Previous Top 25 ranking: Unranked

2021 record: 3-9

College Football HQ preview: The Cornhuskers out-passed, out-ran, and out-scored every team on their schedule — and still lost all nine games by single digits. 

But the school gave head coach Scott Frost another chance, which he used to work the transfer portal, landing quarterback Casey Thompson (who led the Big 12 in TD passes last fall) and defensive lineman Ochaun Mathis, the best edge rusher in the portal this offseason. 

Add in new OC Mark Whipple, who coached Pitt's offense last fall, and the Huskers look a lot better this time around. Especially when this schedule features Rutgers and Indiana instead of Ohio State and Michigan. Anything short of a bowl appearance could spell the end for Frost.

8. Penn State

Previous Top 25 ranking: Unranked

2021 record: 7-6

College Football HQ preview: Having experience at quarterback is a good foundation to work from, and Penn State gets sixth-year player Sean Clifford back at the position. One of three players in school history with over 8,000 total yards, Clifford can work the deep field with receivers like Parker Washington and WKU transfer Mitchell Tinsley, who had over 1,400 yards receiving and 14 scores last fall.

Looking at Penn State's schedule, you can see this team getting to eight wins, but there are road trips to Auburn (an SEC power fallen on hard times), at Michigan, and a home tilt with Ohio State before finishing up against MSU. But winning eight games means running the ball a lot better (the team didn't have a back rush for 100 yards in a game last fall), and patching up some holes on the defensive front seven.

7. Miami

Previous Top 25 ranking: Unranked

2021 record: 7-5

College Football HQ preview: All of eight combined points kept Miami from a perfect record in ACC games last fall, and having quarterback Tyler Van Dyke back in the rotation could be the difference this season. Van Dyke passed for almost 3,000 yards with 25 TDs and six picks in reserve for the injured D'Eriq King, a run that included an upset win over No. 17 Pitt.

One major task for first-year coach Mario Cristobal and his blue-chip staff is to locate a crop of new receivers for Van Dyke to locate downfield. In the meantime, an experienced O-line will help lead back Jaylan Knighton (561 yards, 8 TDs in 2021) find some holes early. Add in a young, athletic secondary unit will help anchor this defense while it scouts new blood at defensive end and linebacker in what should be a competitive ACC Coastal race.

6. USC

Previous Top 25 ranking: Unranked

2021 record: 4-8

College Football HQ preview: No other school generated as much offseason pub as the Trojans, and for good reason. Head coach Lincoln Riley came over from OU and brought a trail of blue-chip transfers with him, not least quarterback Caleb Williams and Biletnikoff receiver Jordan Addison, who led the nation with 17 TDs last season.

The additions all but ensure that USC will be vastly improved on the offensive side of the ball, but there are still more questions than answers on a defensive unit that ranked 89th nationally and 103rd in scoring defense. 

Alex Grinch inherits some important pieces — Tuli Tuipulotu led USC in sacks and forced fumbles and Korey Foreman brings 5-star pedigree off the edge — and the team signed key transfers at linebacker and corner. And the Trojans face a very winnable schedule with important dates at Utah and against Notre Dame.

5. Wisconsin

Previous Top 25 ranking: Unranked

2021 record: 9-4

College Football HQ preview: Last season started off terribly for the Badgers, who opened at 1-3 and 0-2 in the Big Ten, throwing a monkey wrench into their West Division chances and any hint of the playoff. But then came a seven-game win streak that only an upset loss to Minnesota ended. Win that game, and Wisconsin would have played for the conference championship against Michigan, not Iowa.

This team brings back more than enough to make another run at the division. Especially on its defense, a unit that ranked No. 1 nationally last season, and when looking at youngster running back Braelon Allen, who had more than 1,200 yards rushing while breaking records last fall. One area of worry: at quarterback, where Graham Mertz is yet to establish any consistently dynamic play going downfield.

4. Texas

Previous Top 25 ranking: Unranked

2021 record: 5-7

College Football HQ preview: Steve Sarkisian is already facing some serious pressure coming into Year 2 after a meager five-win debut that included a home loss to Kansas. Offensively, the Longhorns have a solid foundation at the skill positions, especially after signing 5-star transfer quarterback Quinn Ewers to pair with lead receiver Xavier Worthy and Bijan Robinson, maybe the best back in the country who leads one of the nation's best position groups, the lynchpin to an offense that ranked No. 6 nationally in red zone scoring percent (93.02%).

But the Longhorns needed major work defensively after allowing 31.1 points per game, more than 200 rushing ypg, and failed to generate a consistent pass rush. One-time FCS star linebacker Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey is a solid addition to the middle of this group, as is Ohio State transfer corner Ryan Watts. Alabama comes to Texas in Week 2, a measuring stick if there ever was one to see if this team is headed in the right direction or not.

3. LSU

Previous Top 25 ranking: Unranked

2021 record: 6-7

College Football HQ preview: The definition of a wild card in the SEC and nationally, LSU is just 11-12 since winning the national championship and just signed Brian Kelly, the winningest coach in Notre Dame history, to right the ship. So far, he's done enough, signing a top 15 recruiting class and inking a strong transfer group. 

His most important moves so far may be convincing two players to stay: Kayshon Boutte, one of the best receivers in the nation, and quarterback Myles Brennan, a potential goldmine of passing production if he can stay healthy. It's tough to say what LSU will look like, given the huge amount of turnover and Kelly's lack of experience against this kind of schedule, and the schedule is murder, but the upside is only too obvious. 

2. Texas A&M

Previous Top 25 ranking: Unranked

2021 record: 8-4

College Football HQ preview: It's been an up and down few years for the Aggies under Jimbo Fisher, who had his best season in 2020, losing one game and earning the school's highest AP ranking — No. 4 — since 1939, when A&M last won the national championship.

The school had one big up last season, beating No. 1 Alabama, but four bad downs, which set the team back and out of the Top 25. 

Now, the Aggies have stormed back after signing the best recruiting class in modern history and are loaded at the skill positions and defensive line to potentially make a run at the SEC. A date at home with Miami and a trip to Alabama highlight another brutal schedule to see if this team belongs.

1. Clemson

Previous Top 25 ranking: No. 14

2021 record: 10-3

College Football HQ preview: For most programs, winning 10 games and a bowl over a Power 5 team doesn't usually count as a down year. Clemson isn't most programs, last season breaking a six-year streak of winning the ACC title and making the playoff, where it's won two national titles under Dabo Swinney.

Despite losing both coordinators, Clemson should still field one of the top defenses in the nation, a unit that ranked No. 8 overall a year ago, and is absolutely loaded in the trenches, an advantage that will help if any of these ACC games get too close.

But how can this team move the ball? DJ Uiagalelei spearheaded an offense that placed 98th overall, passing for just nine TDs and 10 picks while completing 55.6% of his attempts. This quarterback has shown he can ball when filling in for Trevor Lawrence briefly in 2020, and he'll have lead back Will Shipley (11 TDs in 2021) to balance things out.

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