The end of August and beginning of September is all about two things: the transition from NFL preseason to the regular season and the start of the college football season. So, why not blend the two together and break down the Bucs’ finalized 53-man roster through a college football lens?

Tampa Bay has completed its cuts, trimming the roster down from 90 players to 53 ahead of the team’s Week 1 opener in Cincinnati on Sept. 13. Across the 53 players on the Bucs roster heading into the regular season, 13 different conferences and an independent from Division I FBS, Division I FCS and Division II are represented. Overall, 40 college programs are represented.

Even without Greg Gaines (not re-signed), Devin Culp (cut) and Jake Browning (cut), the Bucs’ Washington Huskies contingent remains among the strongest this year, as it includes three players: Vita Vea, Cade Otton and Jalen McMillan. Now up there with that Washington contingent, though, is the trio of former Miami Hurricanes – all newcomers to the team this year. Veteran outside linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad, first-round outside linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. and fourth-round safety Keionte Scott have the Canes well-represented in Tampa these days.

The Washington-Oregon rivalry is alive and well in Tampa Bay’s locker room, too, with two former Oregon Ducks – Bucky Irving and Tez Johnson – right behind the trio of Washington and Miami players as far as programs with the most representation on the roster.

Bucs WR Tez Johnson Photo by: USA Today

Irving and Johnson aren’t the only ones to form a duo of players who share an alma mater, of course. Antoine Winfield Jr. and Ko Kieft represent Minnesota as a duo, while Tristan Wirfs and Anthony Nelson hold strong as the team’s Iowa representation.

Calijah Kancey and SirVocea Dennis, the former Pitt teammates, continue to represent the Panthers, Graham Barton and Evan Deckers remain a duo of Duke Blue Devils in the Buccaneer locker room, Sean Tucker and Riley Dixon form the Syracuse duo and Dan Feeney and Luke Haggard – mates in the offensive line room – also have bragging rights given that their alma mater, Indiana, is college football’s reigning national champion. Kansas State is also represented by cornerbacks Jacob Parrish and Josh Hayes, who is currently on injured reserve.

There are a couple of new duos joined up in the Bucs locker room now, too. Ben Chukwuma was the lone Georgia State product in red, white and pewter last year, but now Ted Hurst III joins him. And while Benjamin Morrison was the only Notre Dame man a year ago, he’s now joined by Billy Schrauth.

The most obscure program represented on the Bucs’ 53-man roster remains Barton College, the alma mater of wide receiver/return man Kameron Johnson.

Bucs Players Whose College Teams Have The Best National Title Odds

As much as Bucs players will be focused on their own seasons this fall, you know they’ll be keeping tabs on their alma maters on Saturdays, too. So, who has a chance to be the happiest guy in the locker room come January when the national champions are crowned?

As of Monday night, Hard Rock Bet’s national title odds have Emeka Egbuka’s Ohio State Buckeyes as the favorites at +550, with Benjamin Morrison and Billy Schrauth’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish right behind them at +650. Bucky Irving and Tez Johnson’s Oregon Ducks are next at +750.

Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka – Photo by: USA Today

Tykee Smith’s Georgia Bulldogs are +850, as are Dan Feeney and Luke Haggard’s Indiana Hoosiers, who are the reigning national champions. Last year’s runner-ups, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Rueben Bain Jr. and Keionte Scott’s Miami Hurricanes, are currently +1100 to win it all this year.

Deeper down the list, you’ll find Bauer Sharp’s LSU Tigers at +2000, A’Shawn Robinson’s Alabama Crimson Tide at +2500 and Baker Mayfield’s Oklahoma Sooners at +3000.

As far as locker room rivalries go, Kansas State (Jacob Parrish and Josh Hayes) will match up with Kansas (Jalon Daniels) on Oct. 17, the day before the Bucs host the Steelers. LSU (Sharp) will play Alabama (Robinson) on Nov. 7, the day before the Bucs play the Bears in Chicago on Sunday Night Football.

Rivalry Weekend in college football is always full of drama, and there will be some interested parties in Tampa Bay’s locker room. Oregon (Irving and Johnson) will play Washington (Vita Vea, Cade Otton and Jalen McMillan) on Nov. 28, two days before the Bucs host the Panthers on Monday Night Football. Also on Nov. 28, Ohio State (Egbuka) will take on Michigan (Ben Bredeson).

It’s not a locker room rivalry, but on the topic of rivalries, Mayfield’s Oklahoma Sooners will play their annual Red River Rivalry game against the Texas Longhorns on Oct. 10. That game will be at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, and interestingly enough, the Bucs play the Cowboys in Arlington two days earlier on Thursday Night Football. Perhaps Tampa Bay’s quarterback could reprise his role as the guest picker on ESPN’s College GameDay after he appeared on the show prior to the 2023 game.

It won’t be the same without the now-retired Lee Corso and his headgear pick, but it would still be cool to see Mayfield in the spotlight ahead of that game once again.