College football buy or sell: Should Texas have sat Quinn Ewers after torn oblique? Is Carson Beck a villain?

The college football offseason is underway, but plenty of questions remain. On Tuesday, news broke that Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers played nearly the entire 2024 season with a torn oblique suffered against Michigan in Week 2. He only missed two starts because of the injury, which came to light in Week 3 against UTSA, but the decision to play him puts a new focus on backup Arch Manning, who is now set to take over as starter in 2025. 

Additionally, spring games have found themselves in the crosshairs as teams worry about talent getting poached after strong performances. Ohio State, Texas and Florida State rank among the high-profile programs that will no longer hold a true game. 

With the offseason underway, CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah and Brad Crawford are buying and selling these topics, and many others from around the sport, including whether Miami quarterback Carson Beck is a new villain after coming back to school for another season. 

1. Buy or sell: We feel good about Ohio State’s coordinator overhaul?

Crawford: Sell. The complexities associated with replacing both of your coordinators following a national championship run is a harsh reality brought on by success. Bluntly, Ryan Day went 1-for-2 with these hires. In-house promotions don’t always make the most sense, but the transition to Brian Hartline as OC should be smooth. When Chip Kelly was in his bag last season, the Buckeyes were rhythmic offensively and that’s something Hartline has to figure out on his own. He’s already held the OC before with the Buckeyes, but did not call plays in 2023. Given Jim Knowles’ impact on Ohio State’s defense each of the past few seasons, the Buckeyes should’ve ponied up and met his asking price. Going with Matt Patricia — despite having the resources to retain Knowles — feels like a downgrade.

Jeyarajah: Sell. Ohio State was arguably the best-coordinated team in college football last season behind Chip Kelly and Jim Knowles. Kelly was likely not long for the job after stepping down from UCLA to lead the offense, but the failure to retain Knowles remains bizarre for a program of this magnitude. The Buckeyes were title-or-bust in 2024 and delivered a historic season, but it’s hard to view this as anything other than starting from scratch. While Matt Patricia certainly could bring some success, the last time he was in charge of a defense in 2020, the Detroit Lions posted the worst defense in the NFL. 

2. Buy or sell: A torn-oblique Quinn Ewers should have started over Arch Manning?

Crawford: Sell. Steve Sarkisian should be applauded for how he managed this quarterback room throughout the 2024 season. That was a pressure-cooker in Austin when you consider Manning’s starpower. Sarkisian made it clear his starting quarterback was not going to lose his job due to injury, somehow kept his five-star backup happy with additional game reps and finished a few plays short of a berth in the national championship game. Was Manning the better option for the Longhorns down the stretch? Perhaps. Ewers tossed five interceptions, had no mobility and was sacked 15 times from the SEC Championship Game through the end of the playoff.

Jeyarajah: Buy. Look, I get it, the allure of Manning is strong. In his limited appearances, his deep ball accuracy looked great and there’s no question that he would have added something with his running ability. At the same time, Ewers has to be the most successful No. 1 recruit of all time to never get any credit for his team’s success. Texas went 25-5 over the past two seasons, including its only conference championship since 2009. Ewers was also the only quarterback to lead his team to back-to-back national semifinals over the past two seasons. There’s no serious case that you can make that a freshman quarterback could simply replicate all of that with zero drawbacks. Manning will be ready next year. 

3. Buy or sell: Carson Beck is indeed the “villain” of 2025?

Crawford: Sell. Carson Beck is no more of a villain next season than Ryan Day as the Big Ten’s new starchild, Paul Finebaum harping on the SEC or Arch Manning receiving preseason Heisman frontrunner laurels despite his career-best highlights coming against Mississippi State and UTSA. He’s a face of the sport as the transfer portal’s top player this cycle, but “villain” feels a bit strong. Beck made a business decision — and the right one — for his future. If he’s able to star at Miami with talent around him in the ACC and cut down on silly interceptions, there’s a good chance he ascends back into first-round billing for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Jeyarajah: Buy. Beck hasn’t done anything wrong, but fair or not, he is set to become the face of college football’s NIL era. He transferred to Miami, perhaps the most aggressive NIL program in the country. He’s dating Hanna Cavinder, a Miami women’s basketball player and TikTok star. He had not one but two luxury cars stolen, and is making so much money that he turned down the NFL Draft. 

Inside Carson Beck’s transfer: The quiet tension behind his Georgia departure and what may come next

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All Beck has done over the past two years is put his head down and post great numbers, but it doesn’t matter. All eyes will be on him. And by the way, I expect him to deliver. It’s frankly ridiculous to me how much his stock sunk after essentially every unit at Georgia struggled around him, and I also expect him to be a first round pick. 

4. Buy or sell: Nebraska and Tennessee should have kept series?

Crawford: Sell. It does not benefit either program to have a potential loss on the schedule in 2026 and 2027, not for two teams with budding superstar quarterbacks hoping to take their teams to the College Football Playoff. Tennessee’s schedule is littered with quality opponents while Nebraska is trying to stay above water with Matt Rhule after reaching bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016 last fall. “Good on good” non-conference matchups featuring Power 4 competition is great for viewers, but not so much for the participating teams who have grueling league slates that await.

Jeyarajah: Buy. There are two types of Big Ten and SEC programs — relevant ones and stragglers. The former has nothing to lose from playing high-profile competitive games. The latter has nothing to gain because they’re just praying to eke out bowl eligibility. It’s a shame to me that Nebraska sees itself in the second group. If the ‘Huskers take the step that many expect in 2025, they could enter 2026 as a national contender. In that case, a chance to beat Tennessee could be a program-changing moment. To me, canceling the matchup is just shortsighted. 

5. Buy or sell: TV networks need to step in and save spring games?

Crawford: Sell. Be honest — how many televised spring games are appointment-viewing every April? Maybe you want to see a five-star freshman’s unofficial debut, but these glorified practices and situational football with more thud than tackling are just a way for coaches to get a better feel for their roster from a depth standpoint. From a fan’s perspective, yes, eliminating spring games is disheartening, but I’m not going to fault coaches for not wanting to take part in a dress rehearsal for potential poachers in the portal.

Jeyarajah: Sell. I’m a big proponent of spring games and think they should be played, but there’s no need for them to be television products. In fact, some of the beauty of spring games is that they’re for the fans in the building, not a network audience. Georgia, Colorado and Ohio State rank among the teams to play nationally-televised spring games in recent years, and none have provided much national value. Spring games should be for the fans, and not have to worry about TV timeouts or presentation. 

Crawford: Sell. Oregon’s needed an instant-starter at offensive tackle given the program’s NFL Draft losses and World is legit, but I’ll go with a dark horse pick here as most impactful in the Big Ten. Indiana hit a home run with the acquisition of quarterback Fernando Mendoza from Cal. He’s a player who will be statistically dominant at the position this fall after being handed the keys to the Hoosiers’ offense from Curt Cignetti.

Jeyarajah: Sell. Call me a pessimist but I’m wary of just how much an individual offensive line transfer can change fortunes. Ohio State’s Seth McLaughlin was the one to really cement a position last season, and he was a multiyear SEC standout. World and Emmanuel Pregnon (USC) together should solidify the Oregon line, but I’m looking to a safer position for top production. Nebraska wide receiver Dane Key (Kentucky) posted 715 yards in a miserable Wildcats offense and now joins Dylan Raiola and offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen. Don’t be surprised if Key is one of the nation’s most productive pass-catchers.