College Football Cheat Sheet: Setting the table for Week Zero

We are back, baby. We are so back. The 2023 college football season has finally arrived, and we’re here to break it all down and absorb as much game-watching as we can over the next three months.

The best regular season in sports has returned. I hope you’re ready for a wild three-month ride filled with missed field goals, bad beats, under sweats, parking lot beers, punts down inside the five, gadget play touchdowns, stuffed QB sneaks, hoodie weather, multi-screen basement setups, hot wings, and roller coaster Saturdays spent with friends and loved ones.

KSR’s cheat sheet will be here every Friday to provide a template to help get you ready for a weekend of college football. There is no time to waste. Week Zero starts now. Football is back.

Let’s ride, Broncos Country.

The Slate

— Navy vs. No. 13 Notre Dame (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC)

— UTEP at Jacksonville State (5:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)

— Ohio at San Diego State (7:00 p.m. ET, FS1)

— UMass at New Mexico State (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)

— Hawai’i at Vanderbilt (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

— San Jose State at No. 6 USC (8:00 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)

— FIU at Louisiana Tech (9:00 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)

Sam Hartman debuts for Notre Dame

Sam Hartman became a college football star playing in Dave Clawson‘s slow mesh scheme over five years at Wake Forest. The former mid-three star recruit out of South Carolina played 3,438 snaps in Winston-Salem leaving the ACC school after five years as the program’s all-time leader in career completions (944) and passing yards (12,967). Hartman is the ACC’s all-time leader in career touchdown passes (110). That is good for top-20 in college football history.

Hartman is the most accomplished quarterback that Notre Dame has had on its roster since Jimmy Clausen or Brady Quinn. The Irish now have a potential difference-maker at quarterback and that could lead to some big moments. However, they’ll need Hartman to be special thanks to some moving parts around him.

Marcus Freeman is still a young head coach. Gerad Parker will be calling plays for the first time this season. There is not a proven star wideout on the roster. The Irish play Ohio State (Sept. 23), USC (Oct. 14), and Clemson (Nov. 4) this season. Much will be expected of Hartman.

We will get our first look at the most popular transfer quarterback of this year’s portal cycle on Saturday when Navy and Notre Dame lock horns in Ireland. The Irish could be a tough out if Hartman becomes a 4,000-yard passer in South Bend.

Rich Rodriguez is back

Rich Rodriguez won 60 games in seven years (2001-07) at West Virginia unleashing the spread option attack on college football with Pat White at the center of it all. Three consecutive double-digit win seasons got Rodriguez the Michigan job that ended up being an awful fit for both parties.

After a year off, Rodriguez landed at Arizona spending six years (2012-17) in Tucson, and unleashed Khalil Tate on college football. However, he was fired following a former administrative assistant filed a multi-million dollar sexual harassment claim. The lawsuit was dismissed two years later.

Rodriguez called plays at Ole Miss in 2019 and had some bright moments with John Rhys Plumlee running spread options concepts. After a year at ULM in 2020 where he coaches his son, Rhett, Rodriguez landed at Jacksonville State.

An FCS program that won nine Ohio Valley championships from 2009-2020 was making the transition to FBS in 2022. The Gamecocks turned to Rodriguez to run the show, and he delivered a 9-2 debut season with an Atlantic Sun title in year one. Now JSU is in Conference USA and Rodriguez is back in the FBS.

The Gamecocks get a bunch of starters back and could be a sneaky threat in the C-USA this season. JSU will host UTEP at Burgess-Snow Field on Saturday evening to give us a rare conference game in Week Zero.

If a big season comes in 2022 or 2023, don’t be surprised if Rodriguez becomes a power conference head coach candidate again.

Vanderbilt begins year 3

Clark Lea showed some proof of concept in year two when Vanderbilt ended a long SEC losing streak by knocking off Kentucky and Florida as double-digit dogs in consecutive weeks in November. With massive facility upgrades ongoing in Nashville, this is a program with some real momentum for what feels like the first time since James Franklin was on the West End.

However, the Commodores will be without the quarterback who led them to those wins after Mike Wright transferred to Mississippi State in the offseason. AJ Swann took over for Wright as a true freshman last season, and the Commodores are all-in on the young quarterback.

However, Swann’s completion percentage (58.1%), yards per attempt (6.4), passing success rate (37.6%), and explosive pass rate (13.6%) were among the lowest in the conference. With an improved offensive line and a sneaky good receiver room led by potential All-SEC performer Will Sheppard, Vandy needs Swann to play at a high level.

A lot is riding on the sophomore quarterback out of North Georgia. Facing what projects to be a fairly bad Hawai’i defense, we’ll get an early look at what Swann looks like while many will fire off construction jokes regarding FirstBank Stadium’s current status.

With a manageable early slate, Vandy has a great shot at getting off to a fast start in 2023, but Swann must deliver the goods. We’ll get an early look at the intriguing sophomore on Saturday night in Nashville.

The rest of the college football card

— Defending Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams will also take the field when USC hosts San Jose State. Unfortunately, no one will be able to watch it thanks to the Pac-12 Network. The Trojans have legit national championship aspirations in year two under Lincoln Riley, and No. 13 is the top reason why.

— If you’re looking for the best game of the day, look no further than Ohio vs. San Diego State. Both teams are legitimate contenders in the MAC and Mountain West making this one of the best Group of Five non-conference games this year. Kurtis Rourke might be the best quarterback (3,257 passing yards, 9.2 yards per attempt, 29 total touchdowns) is the best quarterback you don’t know. We could get some fireworks with Tim Brando and Spencer Tillman on the call.

— Will we see Jerry Kill‘s tattoo when New Mexico State hosts UMass? I certainly hope so.

— We’re getting a C-USA double-dip with a nice after-dark window game when FIU travels to Louisiana Tech. This an intriguing matchup between second-year programs as Sonny Cumbie needs to make some big strides at Tech while Mike MacIntyre surprised some last year at FIU. Boise State transfer Hank Bachmeier could give the Bulldogs a big upgrade at quarterback in this Air Raid tempo scheme.