Guerry Clegg: Hoping college football season gets here in a hurry

So the countdowns continue …

▪  Just 26 days until the first college football game. That is, if you care to wait up for the 10 p.m. kickoff for Hawaii -Cal on Aug. 26.

▪  Just 32 days for the first SEC game, even if it is only South Carolina-Vanderbilt. If nothing else, it’s always fun watching Will Muschamp’s neck veins bulge. Tennessee also opens on Sept. 1 against Appalachian State.

▪  Just 34 days until the first Saturday of games. Ah, yes.

AreWeThereYet? AreWeThereYet? AreWeThereYet?

We college football junkies are close to surviving yet another offseason.

Am I ready for some football? Is Dabo Swinney hyper?

I’m ready and anxious.

I’m ready to see how the quarterback competitions play out at Georgia, Auburn and Alabama.

There are so many scenarios of how this could play out. It’s conceivable — though bit of a long shot — that all three teams finish the season with true freshmen starting.

I offer no inside knowledge, just gut feelings.

Georgia: Greyson Lambert or Bryce Ramsey will have to beat out Jacob Eason.

Sure, Eason is third on the depth chart. So was Herschel Walker before his first game. Georgia coach Kirby Smart has repeatedly said that he will play the quarterback who gives the Dogs the best chance to beat North Carolina. So if Lambert or Ramsey is even just slightly better, then that’s who Smart will play. But if it’s a dead heat, why not play the one who has the most potential to improve?

Eason is not just the guy for the future, but for this season. The schedule will get progressively tougher — at Ole Miss, home against Tennessee, Florida in Jacksonville, home against Auburn.

From a talent standpoint, Eason gives Georgia the best chance to win those games. If they sweep those games, there’s a good chance the Bulldogs will win the SEC East.

Alabama: Talk about numerous scenarios. Cooper Bateman has a slight edge in experience. Blake Barnett is the best pure passer. David Cornwell didn’t leave Oklahoma’s backyard, so he could be a career backup in Tuscaloosa. But it’s a true freshman who could be the wildcard. No one expects Jalen Hurts to start against Southern Cal.

But if Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin are convinced Hurts gives the Crimson Tide the best chance to win later in the season, then they might go with Bateman until they are ready to trust Hurts. If not, then perhaps they go with Barnett and stick with him the entire season and redshirt Hurts. That’s my guess.

Auburn: This is the toughest call of all for many reasons. One, as I wrote last spring, the stakes are much higher. The Tigers’ season — and quite possibly Gus Malzahn’s job security — hinges on this decision. Two, there are so many variables.

If Jeremy Johnson regains his confidence, he has the best blend of talent, experience and leadership. If not, or at least if the coaches are not convinced that he has, then much depends on how they want to shape the offense.

John Franklin, the Florida State transfer by way of junior college, failed to win the job in spring practice. His passing skills are the worst among all of the candidates.

Here’s the X-factor: True freshman Woody Barrett. He might be the most complete quarterback Auburn has. He’s almost the same exact profile as the guy the Tigers will face in the season opener, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson. Watson didn’t start the 2014 season opener against Georgia. By midseason, Watson had established himself as Clemson’s starter and one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Malzahn has to win now and show promise for 2017. Barrett just might be the one who gives the Tigers the best chance.

Non-QB questions

I’m anxious to see if Nick Chubb is fully recovered from that horrific knee injury. First of all, Chubb is entertaining to watch. If fully healthy, he might be the best running back in college football. But it goes beyond football. He’s such a good person, very bright and of high character, that he’s impossible to not like.

How long will it take Chubb to fully trust his knee?

I’m curious to see how different Georgia will be with Smart. The one biggest knock on Mark Richt’s teams was their lack of toughness, especially up front. Saban often talks about mental toughness more than physical toughness. Smart has the same philosophy.

I’m interested to see how Auburn’s defense will perform under Kevin Steele. Sometimes, too much is made of the coordinators. They won a national championship with Ted Roof and played in the title game with Ellis Johnson running the defense. It’s still about players making plays. It’s not so much coaching style that matters but chemistry between the coach and players. Going from Johnson’s quieter demeanor to Muschamp’s loud approach might have been a shock to the system. Players do need to be intense. But they also have to play with confidence. Steele’s approach is more like that of Roof and Johnson.

The Tigers’ defense won’t be among the best in the country. But it could be vastly improved with depth up front and a healthy Carl Lawson.

One thing is certain. We will soon find out. But not soon enough.

This story was originally published July 30, 2016 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Guerry Clegg: Hoping college football season gets here in a hurry."