Here we are, back again from another crazy week of college football. I’m here again to breakdown all that happened for you guys so you don’t have to spend an hour reading through all the story lines. There is so much to discuss, it seems like every week a bunch of crazy stuff happens. As always, lets get to it!
There Are Some Surprise 2-0 Teams In College Football
BYU, Duke, Oklahoma State, and Syracuse are unexpectedly 2-0, with BYU and Duke excelling despite new quarterbacks and limited rosters; BYU’s success comes from solid all-around play, while Duke relies on its passing game and adequate defense. Syracuse, deemed the most talented, has seen Kyle McCord perform exceptionally well after being overlooked by Ohio State. Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon has had a slow start with only 175 rushing yards, but the team’s passing game and defense have led to their victories, necessitating a stronger performance from Gordon to maintain success.
There Were Some Games That Did Not Go The Way They Were Expected
Boise State V. Oregon
Boise State challenged Oregon in a close game, with Oregon narrowly winning 37-34 despite being ranked #7 nationally, while Boise State was unranked. Ashton Jeanty, the top running back, nearly led Boise State to victory on his own, raising questions about Oregon’s ranking. Oregon’s offense lacks explosiveness, with Dillon Gabriel as a solid but not exceptional QB, and the running game underutilized. The defense is decent but not remarkable.
Texas V. Michigan
Texas destroyed Michigan which was not expected. Despite a number of losses (players and coaches) Michigan is still a very talented roster. The game was pretty much a blow out and the biggest issue was the offense. The Passing game is just not there. Some of it is a lack of talent/development at receiver, but also just the play at quarterback is the biggest issue. Davis Warren is a former walk-on and it shows. He really should just be a back up. Is it time for change at QB? It seems like it. He might start the next game, but will have a short leash.
Military Schools Are Winning??
Army beat up FAU by a score of 24-7. While FAU is a group of five school they still have a good enough roster that they should have made it a game. Army of course won it on the ground and on defense. Navy also beat up Temple by a score of 38-11. Like Army they did it on the ground rushing for almost 300 yards as a team. These teams are college football.
South Carolina V. Kentucky
South Carolina blew out Kentucky, Kentucky’s offense has struggled so far this season. Vandegriff may not be the answer at QB. Kentucky is stacked at wide receiver with Dane Key, Barion Brown and Ja’Mori Maclin with a young developing Khamari Anderson at tight end. Vandergriff may get pulled soon if the offense continues to struggle.
Colorado V. Nebraska
Another game that did not go as expected was Colorado getting worked by Nebraska. Colorado is struggling with the same issues they had last season. While a little better, the offensive line is struggling to protect Shedeur, they running game has not been there and the defense has given up a lot of yards and big plays. The question is Deon Sanders a failure as a HC? because in the end it all falls on the head coach.
Big Upsets In Week 2
Northern Illinois upset Notre Dame. While NIU has a couple potential NFL players on their roster like running back Antario Brown, Notre Dame is worlds better talent wise and depth wise. Riley Leonard was a big transfer from Duke. He played well in 2022, but fell back and played poorly in 2023. it was thought that it was due to the offense and talent around him. It looks like it might have just been him. He definitely needs to get it turned around soon.
There Were Some Close Calls This Week
Northern Arizona pushed Arizona and lost 22-10. NAU even had the lead at half time. Arizona could not get McMillian going. He had just 2 catches for 11 yards. Wisconsin also barely beats South Dakota 27-13. South Dakota State is one of the top two-three FCS schools, but South Dakota is a middle of the road FCS school. The Wisconsin offense struggled again and it could be an issue down the line
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James Madison barely beat Gardner-Webb. While JMU lost their head coach and a number of players to the transfer portal they are still a good enough roster that they should have handled Gardner-Webb pretty easily. Georgia State barely beat Chattanooga. Again a similar situation to JMU in that Georgia State is a Group of five school and did lose some guys to graduation/NFL but they are still a more talented roster than Chattanooga. Penn State also barely beat Bowling Green. Bowling Green has a couple decent running backs and of course Harold Fannin Jr. who went off, but Allar struggled and they shouldn’t have had a problem with them.
Kansas lost a close one to Illinois. Iowa State won the Cy-Hawk with late FG over Iowa. Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati. California had a surprising close win over Auburn. While Auburn is not the powerhouse it was in the SEC, Cal is not a very talented team. Virginia had a close win over Wake Forest with some big receiving games from both teams. Kansas State also pulled away late from Tulane.
Just Some Random Stories From College Football
Cam Ward is putting up some big numbers this season, so far. He has six touchdowns and just one interception, but one of those games was against Florida A&M, so lets see if he can keep it rolling. The freshman class of receivers are killing it so far and there could be an amazing group of receivers in a couple years.
Donovan Smith improved after a tough week one, though Houston narrowly lost to a strong Oklahoma team. Taylen Green emerged as a dual threat for Arkansas, requiring teams to adjust their defenses. Tulane appears to have successfully replaced Michael Pratt with redshirt freshman Darian Mensah, who is completing 71% of his passes with just one interception. Meanwhile, Jaylen Reynor, a sophomore at Arkansas State, continues to impress after a solid freshman season and could become a notable name in offseason transfer discussions for college football.
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