College football Week 1: 5 teams on upset alert

NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 25: Oklahoma Sooners QB Kyler Murray (1) hands off to Oklahoma Sooners RB Rodney Anderson (24) during a college football game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the West Virginia Mountaineers on November 25, 2017, at Memorial Stadium in Norman, OK. (Photo by David Stacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

3 of 5

MORGANTOWN, WV – OCTOBER 28: West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Will Grier (7) looks to pass during the first quarter of the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the West Virginia Mountaineers on October 28, 2017, at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, WV. Oklahoma State defeated West Virginia 50-39. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

3. West Virginia Mountaineers

Rank: 17 | Opponent: Tennessee | Date: Saturday, Sept. 1 (3:30 p.m. ET)

There is rightfully a lot of hype about the West Virginia Mountaineers entering the 2018 college football season. While their record last season didn’t put them among the top teams in the country, they were a much better team than the wins and losses at the end of the year would indicate. And now they return one of the most explosive offenses in the country in large part, while still having talent on the defense.

Will Grier comes back to quarterback the Mountaineers offense and is one of the early-season favorites to be in the Heisman Trophy race. He can absolutely sling it to any part of the field and make plays no matter what the situation is. Even better, he’s surrounded with a group of wide receivers that many have dubbed the best receiving corps in the country.

As for the defense, this is a group that indeed suffered some key losses from last season, but still has a ton of upside. Not only do they have a potential 2018 All-American linebacker in David Long, but also highly touted newcomers like defensive end Dante Stills that can help them contribute. If the defense comes along, they can be quite good this season.

Despite all of that, one thing that you always have to watch out for early in the season is new head coaches looking to make a statement, which is the case with the Tennessee Volunteers. As Jeremy Pruitt takes over the program, there is a chance that the culture change really has an immediate and significant effect on this team. They’ve always had talent, but with Pruitt, they might finally be able to put it all together and make a statement to start the year.

Home/College Football