College Football Unfiltered

Fifteen transfers have poured into USC. That includes the offseason's top prize, quarterback Caleb Williams, who followed Riley from Oklahoma to Hollywood.

How about a marquee wide receiver to complement Williams?

Pittsburgh's All-America wide receiver Jordan Addison is considering a transfer that could take him to USC, ESPN reported last week.

On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams examine the Trojans' candidacy to be the top threat to SEC for college football supremacy.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Depending on your sportsbook of choice, the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in 2022 is one of two quarterbacks – Alabama's Bryce Young or Ohio State's C.J. Stroud.

Young is the reigning Heisman winner, running away with the voting last year, while Stroud finished fourth. Alabama is expected to be the preseason No. 1, and although playing on the nation's best team isn't a prerequisite to winning the Heisman, it doesn't hurt, either.

So, Young is the logical favorite, right?

Hang on just a second.

On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams make the case that Stroud should be considered the frontrunner for the award.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

College football coaches across the nation are grumbling about the direction of the sport. 

But why should coaches get to enjoy the corner on complaints? Let's join the gaggle of grumblers.

On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams offer a collection of college football grievances. 

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Spring games once served a purpose as coaches evaluated their roster for the upcoming season, but the exhibitions are now an antiquated concept of limited value, given the expanded practice, training and conditioning calendar that marks today's college football.

On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams argue for the elimination of spring games. And they caution against drawing any significant depth-chart conclusions off a two-hour scrimmage.

To wit: Transfer QB Robby Ashford dazzled in Auburn's spring game, but that doesn't make him the frontrunner to be the starter.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Spring football means it's rankings season, and we're getting in on the action.

Alabama will open the season as the favorite to win the national championship, and you'll hear no argument here. And while Georgia will be hard-pressed to match its 2021 star power, the Bulldogs are here to stay as a competing force in the SEC East.

After that, things get interesting. Parity will be a relevant buzzword throughout much of the SEC in 2022.

On the edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams offer their spring power rankings for the conference.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Which SEC team will embody Ole Miss and become this season's dark horse, and which will emulate the Aggies in failing to live up to the hype?

That forms the lead discussion from hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams on this week's installment of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

The SEC ranked as one of the nation's best basketball conferences this season but didn't receive much love from the NCAA selection committee.

No SEC teams secured a No. 1 seed, and Tennessee got snubbed from a No. 2 seed despite going 27-6 and winning the conference tournament. Meanwhile, Texas A&M became arguably the best at-large team left out of the tournament.

On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast of the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams argue that, for all the love showered upon the conference in football rankings, a reverse effect appears to be in place for SEC basketball.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

LSU played its bowl game to conclude last season with a converted wide receiver as its quarterback.

What a difference two months can make.

LSU added 14 transfers this offseason, tied for the most in the nation.

That influx of talent raises the bar for the Tigers during first-year coach Brian Kelly's inaugural season. Another first-year coach, Florida's Billy Napier, also used transfers (although not in the same abundance) to help stabilize the Gators' roster.

On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate which team has the higher ceiling in 2022 under its new coach.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

The SEC is loaded with veteran quarterbacks and returning starters for 2022.

Alabama's reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young headlines the group, but the talent runs much deeper than one or two guys.

On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams each draft four SEC quarterbacks as they try to build the best four-deep quarterback depth chart.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

The SEC has produced 10 playoff qualifiers in eight years, and an SEC team claimed the national championship in five of those seasons, including three in a row.

Nonetheless, multiple SEC schools would have benefited if the playoff had expanded to a 12-team format that included six at-large bids.

On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams offer their SEC teams most negatively affected by the playoff remaining at four teams.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.