Thoughts and Awards From the Dudes on the 2021 College Football Season

There is no doubt that this season was exciting and unpredictable. So, going into the Bowl Games and the College Football Playoffs, we thought we would give a review and some awards from the Dudes Who Bet Sports. If you’ve read our articles and listened to our podcasts we hope you have learned that we love this sport and we have a few opinions that might be a little different from some of the big-mouth experts. So, here is a review and some awards from us.

COACH OF THE YEAR:

• Luke Fickell-Cincinnati *PAPA DUDE TOP PICK* He led his team to a 13-0 record under all kinds of pressure as the Bearcats became the first Group of Five team to make the playoffs.
• Jim Harbaugh-Michigan *AARON TOP PICK* Michigan is back in the National Championship hunt under his steady leadership.
• Dave Aranda-Baylor He did a great job leading the Bears to the Big-12 Championship and a berth in the Sugar Bowl.
• Mel Tucker-Michigan State The Spartans went 10-2 in the tough Big-12 Eastern Division.
• Dana Holgorsen-Houston The Cougars lost their opener to Texas Tech, and then won 11 straight before a loss at Cincinnati.
• Pat Narduzzi-Pittsburgh In his 7th year, he guided the Panthers to an 11-2 record and the ACC championship.

TEAM OF THE YEAR:

• Cincinnati *DUDES WHO BET SPORTS PICK* A special team and a special season.
• Michigan They came through a tough Big-10 season.
• Georgia The unanimous best team all season before Alabama took them down.
• Alabama They squeaked by a few times this season, but when the chips were down, they hammered Georgia to get the No.1 spot in the playoffs.
• UTSA and Louisiana Both of these Group of 5 teams went 12-1 and deserve some mention.

HEISMAN TROPHY CANDIDATES:

• Bryce Young-Alabama *PAPA DUDE TOP PICK*
• Kenny Pickett-Pittsburgh *AARON TOP PICK*
• Desmond Ritter-Cincinnati
• C.J. Stroud-Ohio State
• Kenneth Walker-Pittsburgh

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

• Aidan Hutchinson-Michigan *PAPA DUDE TOP PICK*
• Jalen Pitre-Baylor
• Nakobe Dean-Georgia *AARON TOP PICK*
• Ahmad Gardner-Cincinnati
• Jermaine Johnson-Florida State

• BIGGEST WINS OF THE YEAR:
• Cincinnati over Notre Dame *PAPA DUDE TOP PICK* If they hadn’t won this game, no one would be talking about the Bearcats which makes this one of the biggest wins of the year.
• Alabama over Georgia *AARON TOP PICK* Obviously, this was a huge win for the Crimson Tide and the eventual playoff pairings.
• Michigan over Ohio State This was the win that propelled the Wolverines into the playoffs. Just a huge win for Michigan and Jim Harbaugh.
• Baylor over Oklahoma State The Bears are an underrated program that doesn’t get enough recognition.
• Utah over Oregon (twice) Utah whipped up on the Ducks twice in two weeks, saying a lot about both programs.

BIGGEST SURPRISE TEAMS OF THE YEAR:

• Michigan: *DUDES WHO BET SPORTS PICK* A lot of people were picking them 6-6 and saying Harbaugh would be fired after the season.
• Baylor: No one picked them to win the Big-12 after going 2-7 in 2020. They deserve a ton of credit.
• Pittsburgh: They go 7-5 or 6-6 every year. Now, they are the ACC champs with an 11-2 record.
• Wake Forest: Winning 10 games is unheard of for the Deacons. But that’s exactly what they accomplished.
• Houston: They took advantage of a weak schedule and won 11 in a row before falling to Cincinnati.
• Michigan State: Some people picked them last in the Big-10 but instead they ended up 10-2.
• Oklahoma State: The Cowboys had a great year and had a shot before falling to Baylor in the Big-12 Championship.
• UTSA: How many people had heard of the Roadrunners before they ran off a 12-1 record in 2021?
• Arkansas: The Razorbacks became relevant again and went 8-4 with losses against No.1 Alabama, No.3 Georgia, No.7 Ole Miss, and Auburn.
• Tennessee: Everyone thought the Volunteers made a mistake by hiring Josh Heupel. Not hearing that now after he led them to a 7-5 record.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS:

• USC: *DUDES WHO BET SPORTS PICK* They were in everyone’s Top-25, fired their coach during the season, and finished 4-8.
• North Carolina: Many people had them playing Clemson for the ACC title. Instead they went 6-6 and were a huge bust.
• Indiana: After going 7-2 in 2020, with a lot of starters back, they were picked in the Top-5 in the Big-10. So, they went 2-10 and were horrible.
• Iowa State: The Cyclones were one of the two favorites to win the Big-12 but couldn’t win the close ones and they ended up 7-5.
• Texas: The Longhorns lost 6 in a row before winning the finale to finish 5-7. Good luck in the SEC!
• Washington: They were in everyone’s Top-25, but started the season with a loss at home to FBS, Montana. They finished the season 4-8.
• Stanford: They were expected to contend in the Pac-12 but lost their last 7 games and finished at 3-9.
• Florida: The Gators lost 4 of their last 6 games and ended up 6-6, which cost Dan Mullen his job.
• LSU: After a 42-21 loss at Kentucky, which dropped their record to 3-3, they fired Ed Orgeron and ended up 6-6.
• Texas A&M: The Aggies finished 8-4, including a win over Alabama. But they also lost to Arkansas, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and LSU..