The season's coming like this
Which mean it's time to talk about the team!
All deference to Sam Houston's championship, but it's time to raise a trophy without the asterisk of all the Spring bailouts.
NDSU will be right back in the mix for a trip to Frisco, starting with something that has become a bit too common. For the third season in a row Champ U is beginning the year with a question mark at quarterback. It's easy to forget because of the campaign that Lance put together in 2019 but going into game 1 no one would have predicted everything that followed the Butler domination.
That's not nearly the same as 2020 when the team proved to not have a single quarterback on the roster, with all due respect to South Carolina.
Cam Miller tried to fill the role but he was forced into a situation that he wasn't ready for, plain & simple.
The silver-lining is that the team has a chance to go from 0 to 3 in one Summer's time. Now that Quincy Patterson has been named the opening day starter Miller can have the opportunity to keep improving without the pressure of starting. Behind those two will be the latest highly-touted quarterback recruit, Cole Payton, who can also watch, listen & learn.
Of all the players on the roster Payton is the clear favorite for usage under the four game rule, maybe even in the fourth quarter on Saturday to help expedite his preparation.
Due in part to the impact of the transfer portal he won't be the only true freshman to be used that way either. Tight-end, linebacker & cornerback stick out as the three groups which may be best served to get some snaps by the new players. All three can be mentally challenging but it makes sense to get the mistakes out of the way in a couple of the blowouts that are going to happen, which simultaneously would help preserve the top guys at all those positions.
It's a different situation at RB, who have as much returning experience as any group on the roster. If history is any indication they'll need all the experience and depth they've accrued to overcome the physical demands, which means that we may get to see West Fargo Sheyenne's former duo of Nathan Goldade & Barika Kpeenu get some carries, the latter being a true freshman as well.
For most of the young guys to get on the field for more than four fourth quarters, a rash of injuries (or the China virus) will have to strike. Along both lines & in either direction the top of each position has an all-conference (or better) level player with years of experience to lean on. We've all seen the machine roll over the sub-division for the last decade but a team that just had three guys drafted isn't supposed to return as much experienced talent as the 2021 team is primed to! The term "embarrassment of riches" comes to mind.
Which brings this to the "Players to watch" section
Here's the thing, with every group being so top heavy, each could have a backup named as one to watch. The closest I could get to distilling it down is whether Luke Weerts can live up to the hype that was generated when he came from Illinois & who will be the best receiver not named Watson & Sproles.
It's a good problem to have when so much is already solidly known!
Which brings up the next standard preview practice: Win/Loss prediction
It will be a surprise if they don't win all three games in September by at least three touchdowns. Then comes the in-state rival. The ones who still view UND as the top rival may not like to read this but the Birdies have things going in the right direction & the same presumption of dominance can't be assumed for that game. NDSU should be able to come back with a W but it's no sure thing. If they make it to 4-0 then pushing their record to 8-0 would become favored, injury dependent of course.
Another undefeated clash in Brookings could begin the final month of the regular season and that's never a gimme. How the Bunnies come back from their latest unsuccessful postseason run is as intriguing as the local quarterback competition, but two months into the season they should be beyond that.
Spoiler alert: When time runs out on that game the Marker will be coming home and will put NDSU in the driver's seat for home field advantage again. Youngstown & South Dakota won't be able to foil that aspiration.
11 - 0
Not much longer now and the hypothesizing can end!