Jesse Palmer talks Louisville dominance, North Dakota State in FBS

Jesse Palmer took the time to sit down with us and talk a number of topics regarding the 2016 college football season

We’re now three weeks into the 2016 college football season, and once again, we have not been disappointed by any means. It’s been about as exciting of a first three weeks that we could have asked for, and you get the feeling that it could only get better from here as the season rolls along.

When it comes to talking the college football season, there might be no one better to discuss it with than ESPN personality and former Florida Gators quarterback Jesse Palmer. Working for ESPN, Palmer has a keen eye on the landscape of college football, especially what has happened already this season and what might be taking place in the future.

Palmer was nice enough to sit down with us and discuss a little bit of the college football season here in 2016.

Jack Jorgensen: Jesse, first off, thank you for taking the time to sit down and chat with us about the college football season this year. Through three weeks of the season so far, what to you has been the biggest surprise? 

Jesse Palmer: I feel like there have been some good storylines. I think Week 1 it was a bit surprising maybe to see some of the SEC teams kinda struggle early. LSU, I was surprised, struggled as much throwing the football still. I know that was a big question mark heading into the year, You know, everyone talked about LSU being a quarterback away from potentially being a playoff team. I think watching Brandon Harris struggle throwing the ball against Wisconsin and not seeing any marked improvement I think was a bit shocking.

Obviously, watching Mississippi State go down to, I think it was South Alabama, was surprising. Kentucky lost to Southern Mississippi. Florida had their hands full with UMass. Tennessee went to overtime with Appalachian State in Week 1. Ole Miss lost to a good Florida State team in Orlando.

I think kinda overall it wasn’t the strong start that people expected out of the SEC, granted Alabama whooped up on USC and probably had the statement win early this year.

But I actually had [Louisville QB] Lamar Jackson tabbed as my darkhorse Heisman contender and I thought Houston could beat Oklahoma. I think Houston is for real. But it’s been an awesome start. There’s just so may great storylines to begin the season.

JJ: Speaking of Alabama, we’ve become accustomed to the mighty Crimson Tide losing to Ole Miss early in the season and then running the table, earning a playoff bid and actually winning the title last season. As we saw this past weekend, that is not the case this year, as they exorcised that Oxford demon. So is there anyone on Alabama’s upcoming schedule that can put at least a blemish on their record like the Rebels have the previous two years?

JP: Well, I kinda keep my focus in the SEC. I think with some of the looming games –Tennessee, LSU, Arkansas always plays them very physical and very tough and very close, and Texas A&M is gonna be interesting coming up. They’ve been pretty impressive early this year as well.

Now the reason that I say LSU is because they’ve made the quarterback change to Danny Etling, and it looks as if he’s kinda calmed the offense down. I think they have the identity they’ve always wanted. They obviously wanna run the ball with [Leonard] Fournette and be physical at the same time, but also take advantage of the playmakers they have on the perimeter and not turn it over, keeping the chains moving. I think the offense has looked so much better and just more fluid the last couple weeks.

Tennessee, you know, it’ll be interesting to see what happens this upcoming weekend. That’s gonna be a phenomenal game [vs. Florida].

You know, the thing about Alabama at times, as good as Jalen Hurts has looked, true freshmen quarterbacks are always one play away from outbound. And, you know, it looked like that maybe was going to happen this past weekend at Ole Miss, but special teams kinda bailed them out. But, you know, as good as he’s looked and as good of a job as Lane Kiffin has done as the quarterback whisperer with a different starting quarterback each year these past three years, that position to me is still a question mark. It’s not a given week in and week out for Alabama.

JJ: You also touched on the man that has blown everyone away the first three weeks of the season, Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson. Now all of us at some point or another have been guilty of handing the Heisman out in September after a few weeks. Can Lamar Jackson be the one to take the September hype all the way to December, especially with the marquee games he still has on the slate, and take home the Heisman? 

JP: Yeah, I think he can. The difference with Lamar Jackson is that when I watch him play, he reminds me of Cam Newton and Michael Vick in the sense that when he’s playing, he’s by far the best athlete on the field and it’s not even close. There’s nobody else out there that’s even on his level. I’m not saying he’s as good a quarterback as those other two guys, but the athleticism is off the charts. His speed — he’s the fastest player on the field for one, he’s improved so much as a passer and he has much better poise and understanding of where to go with the football. He’s done a good job of reading defenses, he’s throwing on time, he’s made himself more of a complete player.

What no one’s talking about is Louisville’s defense and how dominant that they’ve been, and they’ve been living in everyone’s backfield. I mean, they had five sacks against Florida State. They’ve got a difference maker in every level of the defense. I think when you look at guys like Devonte Fields and Josh Harvey-Clemons, you can see that defense is gonna help this team win games.

And you’re right, there’s gonna be a big showcase game next week at Clemson and then in mid-November at Houston, so there will be bigger stages for Lamar Jackson, but he definitely can go the distance. He’s certainly got everyone’s attention right now.

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JJ: Now this past Saturday, the boys from North Dakota State took down another high-profile FBS program in last year’s Big Ten West champion Iowa. Is it time now for the Bison football program to just become a member of the FBS? 

JP: It’s incredible what they accomplish year in and year out. I mean, they’re not sneaking up on anybody anymore. After their fifth win in a row [over an FBS opponent] –and yeah it helped to have Carson Wentz, but they didn’t have Carson Wentz the first year they won and they don’t have Carson Wentz now– what the program has done is just remarkable.

From a school standpoint, it’s kinda hard for me to say that because, you know, without understanding the academics there and sort of what their situation is in other sports it’s difficult. But from a football perspective, there’s no doubt about it. We’ve seen Appalachian State make the jump, we’ve seen Georgia Southern make the jump, and that’s a program that I’d love to see [in the FBS]. I’m not sure whether it would be the Mountain West or the MAC — I don’t know where they would join and I don’t know what fits, but what I do know is that on the field, they’re certainly worthy of FBS-level competition, there is no doubt about that.

I don’t care if you’re playing pee-wee football, to win four straight national championships where you’re re-recruiting and graduating players, the turnover you have, that’s just phenomenal what they’ve been able to accomplish.

JJ: With only four teams eligible for the College Football Playoff, there’s always the black cloud hanging of someone missing out. Through just three weeks here, which conference in your mind is in the biggest trouble of missing out on the playoff? 

JP: Yeah, I think it’s the Big 12 right now. Oklahoma was a team that everyone sort of had circled after their season last year, especially with virtually everyone coming back like Baker Mayfield, Samaje Perine and others. They’ve just had struggles on the offensive line and their defense has given up some big plays. Obviously losing twice early without a conference championship game I think makes it tough.

You know, TCU was another team that I think people thought had a shot at at least making a run, but an early-season loss to Arkansas hurts that.

Even though Oklahoma State lost, they should not have because of the miscue by the referees. I would hope that the playoff selection committee will keep that in mind. If they were to run the table and win convincingly in some big games, then I think maybe they have a shot.

Of course Baylor, with weak strength of schedule, it makes it tough for them. Baylor’s gonna have to go unbeaten in conference play which is very, very difficult to do.

I think right now, as it stands to me and I think it’s apparent, it’s the Big 12 right now that is the Power 5 conference most in danger of missing.

JJ: Now just to have a little hypothetical fun before I let you go, right now the top four teams in order in the AP Top 25 are Alabama, Ohio State, Louisville and Michigan. If these are the four teams that had to battle in a playoff for the national title — who comes away with it all? 

JP: That’s a tough question. I would say –and a bit hesitantly — Louisville. It’s the way their playing right now. It’s because they have the best player in the country through three weeks who’s playing on a different level than everybody else, and their defense is playing lights out.

It’s amazing what Urban Meyer has done, to replace all the draft picks with more NFL talent. That’s a team that had the fewest returning starters than anyone in the FBS, and you’re just watching these playmakers emerge.

Michigan’s been extremely impressive. Even with a brand new quarterback, they’re kinda doing what they do.

And of course, ‘Bama is just ‘Bama. But I would give the edge right now through Week 3 to Louisville because of the quarterback edge. Just in all three phases I think they’re the most complete team through three weeks. Awesome question; it’ll be interesting to see what this looks like at the end of the year.

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JJ: And before we do let you go, please tell us about the work that you’re doing with the Allstate/AFCA Good Works Team. 

JP: Yeah, this is really exciting stuff for me. I’m really proud, this is the second year now to join up with Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association, helping them recognize this year 24 college football players and and honorary head coach to be named to their 25th Anniversary Allstate Good Works team.

I think the last 25 years Allstate and the AFCA have done such a great job working together to honor a select group of college football players and student athletes that have done a phenomenal job donating their time to helping others.

Fans right now, for now up until November 26, can visit ESPN.com/Allstate and they can vote for the Allstate/AFCA Good Works Team captain. And that team captain is going to be recognized at the Home Depot College Football Awards upcoming in December.

As a former student-athlete myself, I understand the dedication, commitment and sacrifice that it takes to give your best both on and off the field. It’s a big reason why I wanted to be involved with this.