Big storylines
1. Oklahoma hype: While the No. 1 team in our post-spring CBS Sports top 25 was Alabama, the Crimson Tide being successful is too boring to really generate hype or buzz, especially considering the massive turnover on the field and on the sideline following last year's title-winning campaign. While the Sooners may not be the No. 1 team heading into the year, they are the most intriguing national title contender. Oklahoma was playing its best football of the year at the end of the season, noticeable in the performance from quarterback Spencer Rattler and a defense that has gotten better each year under Alex Grinch. After missing the College Football Playoff for the first time in four seasons with Lincoln Riley as coach, the 2021 expectations are not just for a return to the playoff but taking the next step.At the 100-day mark, most analysts seem reserved to a more conservative approach of "Oklahoma can win a playoff game" as the prediction for 2021. Will the hype grow as we get closer to kickoff such that the Sooners become a popular national championship pick? Few programs have won with the consistency of Oklahoma over the last four years and while the rest of that group has to replace a quarterback that finished as a Heisman finalist. That's why Oklahoma, with the 2021 Heisman Trophy favorite in Rattler, starts to look like an intriguing option to not just win "a playoff game" but the program's first national title since 2000.
2. Quarterback turnover at Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State: The consolidation of power in college football has made it easy to name Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State as playoff favorites, especially now that they rank as the three winningest programs in the College Football Playoff's short history combining for 17 of the 21 wins in the seven years of the format. But even if the strength of the rosters and coaching suggest we should not question their title-contending status, what about the quarterback position? Clemson has at least seen its successor to Trevor Lawrence in a high-pressure situation with DJ Uiagalelei stepping in against Boston College and Notre Dame last season, but it's far less proven than what's ahead at Alabama and Ohio State.
The Crimson Tide feel good about Bryce Young's ceiling, and Bill O'Brien has had all spring to figure out how his skill set meshes with a new set of weapons at the skill positions, but it's still a new coordinator leading an offense that has to replace five first-round NFL Draft picks. Ohio State has three quarterbacks that all appear capable of leading an offense otherwise ready to dominate, but it's also three quarterbacks that have a combined zero pass attempts in college. When you reach the level of Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State, the stress of replacing a first-round NFL Draft pick quarterback is lessened by having talented options, but it's still a question mark at the most important position on the field.