The first week of the college football season is officially over, so what do we know about the rest of the season now?
Dawgs on Top
The Georgia Bulldogs’ 46-point victory over the No. 11 Oregon Ducks put any doubts or concerns about their offense to rest. The defending champions demonstrated to be a complete football team, and former walk-on quarterback Stetson Bennett IV appears to be among the best in the SEC. Bo Nix, the former Auburn quarterback, is now 0-4 in his career against the Bulldogs after struggling against Georgia and tossing two interceptions in a crushing defeat for Oregon. There were no worries for Kirby Smart’s fierce defense, and if you watched this game, you now understand why. The fact of the matter is that Georgia isn’t going anywhere.
The AR-15 Heisman Show
A thrilling victory over the #7-ranked Utah Utes marked the beginning of the Billy Napier era. We all saw Anthony Richardson, the Florida quarterback, put on a Heisman-caliber performance in that game. Richardson threw for 168 yards on about 70% of his attempts, and he also ran for 106 yards and three touchdowns. He looked like a real unicorn prospect and was a highlight machine on the field. Following the victory over the Utes, the Gators rose 14 spots in the AP Poll, and Florida fans should be extremely excited about this Gators team. They possess talent, grit, and most importantly, Anthony Richardson.
The Buckeyes Rally
To sum it up, this game was defensive. Due to a stifling Notre Dame defense, the Buckeyes’ usual fireworks were missing from the game. Despite the lack of explosive plays that Ohio State is known for. In the face of a top-notch Notre Dame Defense, quarterback CJ Stroud appeared in control and at comfort. Ohio State improved its résumé, for the college football playoff committee with a noteworthy victory. From this point forward, I anticipate Ohio State’s offense to perform at its peak, and CJ Stroud to rank among the nation’s top quarterbacks.
The Brian Kelly Dilemma
With an alarming loss to a struggling team like Florida State. The Brian Kelly era for the LSU Tigers got off to a bad start. The LSU offense’s play calls infuriated the fan base. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels surpassed all other running backs in terms of carries and rushing yards. Given that the LSU offense performs better with an aggressive rushing attack, most fans find this confusing. In the future, I’d expect the LSU offense to play more like that. While we can discuss LSU’s poor play calls later. Special teams were the true cause of their defeat. The Tigers’ special team’s struggles in a thrilling game included two muffed punts, one blocked field goal, and an extra point blocked that would have forced overtime.
The Razorbacks Are Contenders
The Arkansas Razorbacks defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats in a great victory to start the 2022 season. KJ Jefferson did appear impressive in the air. That was a significant area where Jefferson made progress heading into the off-season. Similar to last year, Arkansas’ ground attack looked productive. In the second half, the Razorback defense started to falter a little bit after initially appearing strong. But this year, there is a lot to look forward to for Arkansas fans. They are definitely SEC West contenders, especially since they will get to host the No. 1 team in the country this year in Alabama.
Clemson’s Concerns
Despite defeating Georgia Tech by 31 points, Clemson has some serious issues to address if they hope to challenge for the playoffs this year. At best, DJ Uiagalelei, Clemson’s quarterback, had an average performance. Against Georgia Tech, the offense appeared sluggish and frequently ran out of steam. The defense is not at all a concern. The Tigers must see the DJ Uiagalelei they recruited in order for the offense to succeed, or they may decide to switch to freshman Cade Klubnik. Until they identify their clear starter, head coach Dabo Swinney should take into account the two QB rotations.
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