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CRFF Roundtable: Football and Unpopular Questions

NCAA Football: Florida State vs Oklahoma State Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Fall camp began Tuesday and we are now less than one month from the season opener!!!

We hope you’ll leave us your answers below and I promise I will go heavy on football next week.

With the receiver depth on this team, how bad does the Ateman injury hurt the Cowboys and who steps in to make up his production?

NCAA Football: Oklahoma State at Iowa State Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Christopher

I think the Ateman injury hurts just because he's unique in the challenge he presents for a defense. We have depth at WR, but no one who does what Ateman does. I want badly for it to be Seales who steps up, but I'm going to guess its Chris Lacy who does the bulk of making up for Ateman's absence.

Robert

If they can't find a mismatch, then it hurts a lot. As we all know, Ateman's advantage is his size. You need someone who can create a mismatch either by size or speed. Size-wise, you only have Chris Lacy at 6-3. Only other option along those lines would be former WR Keenan Brown at 6-3, but he's now at CW (Cowboy Back). If you can't put size out there, you need someone with enough speed to create a Tyreek Hill type of mismatch. Don't know if they have anyone like that.

Austin

It's going to hurt, but I don't think we'll notice it until conference play. Hopefully we'll only have to go a few games without Ateman. Jhajuan Seales has got to be the guy who steps up. He has shown us a few flashes of brilliance over the years, but has never taken the big step we all expected.

Josh Elias

Because of the depth we have at receiver, I don't see Ateman's injury as much of a problem. Obviously, he's got the size and range that you can't replace, but there are enough guys that can make dynamic plays that it won't slow down the offense. I think Chris Lacy can be the guy to fill in and make some plays. However, as we've heard more and more about recently, I'd like to see freshman Dillon Stoner open some eyes and play a key role this season like Jalen McCleskey did last year.

Kyle

I’m going to take the easy way out and say it’s by committee. But I also think it’s true. All the names above: McCleskey, Seales and Lacy. I also think Dillon Stoner who Mike Gundy all but admitted would play as a true freshman will have even a bigger chance to shine early.

Four first-time Major champions and none were named Rickie Fowler. What do you make of Rickie’s season and do you think it’s possible he gets left off of the Ryder Cup roster?

Quicken Loans National - Final Round Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Christopher

Rickie has been Jekyll and Hyde this year. He hasn't had a good run in majors (cut twice, T46, T33) and he has missed five cuts, but he also has 11 top 25 finishes and eight top tens in 20 tournaments (counting the unofficial Hero World Challenge). He's also played really well in WGC events. What I make of this season is largely this is who Rickie is at this point in his career - brilliant but inconsistent. I don't think he gets left off the Ryder Cup team at this point. He's 12th in the standings with a pretty healthy lead over #13 Scott Piercy. None of the names immediately below him jump out at you as guys DL3 might go out on a limb for. So I think Rickie makes it as a captain's pick. He's the perfect combination of experience and youthful energy. Do the right thing, Davis.

Robert

Fall camp just started, and you're asking a golf question?

Austin

It was a rough season for Rickie. When I watched him, it seemed as if he was really struggling to find the fairway off the tee box. The pressure for Rickie to win a major will be off his shoulders for a little while, and maybe he'll take this time to relax and work out some issues that he may have in his swing/confidence. I doubt he gets left off the Ryder Cup roster, but what do I know?

Josh Elias

I love Rickie and wish him the best, but see Robert's answer.

Kyle

Tough crowd.

I’ll say Rickie’s season definitely go how he would have planned it but he actually hasn’t played horrible. He’s gotten from tee to green pretty well but just hasn’t put it together at the right time.

Jimmy Walker’s PGA Championship win does further complicate matters but honestly Rickie will make the roster. How could he not, right?

Who you got in the Octagon? T. Boone Pickens or Daniel Cormier?

Christopher

I would take the army T. Boone Pickens would hire to stand between him and Daniel Cormier.

Robert

Fall camp just started, and you're asking an Octagon question?

Austin

How cool was that interaction on Monday?!?! I'd imagine T. Boone has some crazy grandpa strength going on, but I think DC is the safe bet here.

Josh Elias

They actually made a movie about it. It's called Warrior. Daniel Cormier is played by Joel Edgerton, while T. Boone Pickens is so accurately portrayed by Tom Hardy.

Kyle

I appreciate Josh’s analogy (underrated movie) and agree with his Cormier pick but I think it’s less dramatic. All "DC" has to do is imagine Jon Jones’ face in front of him and it’s over quick.