It’s the second week of the college football season but Week 1 on the calendar. Confused? Don’t be like that. While we can discuss the benefits of writing something “Week 0,” there is no argument anywhere. The football game is here, and the extreme action has begun.
Suddenly, Florida State’s best chance to accomplish anything of significance this season is on the court. The social media vultures jumped on that Georgia Tech result for a fair play, didn’t they? Never mind that the Seminoles lost a shootout to the Plucky Yellow Jackets in another state with 11 games left (at least).
Now, other victims await our judgment after the first full week of games has taken center stage.
This is an early warning to change your knee attitude. The recently expanded College Football Playoff not only means more reach but also more hope. You may have missed two of these hidden gems in the unwritten CFP rules because, well, they’re not written.
- For the first time in the BCS era (since 1998), winning your conference is not a clear path to the championship.
- You can lose first, actually lose big, and still be in the running… as long as you win your conference.
Yes, both of those things can be true at the same time.
Don’t forget, the top five ranked players earn exclusive spots in the CFP field. Yes, there are nine meetings, so this is not about full redemption for those who missed this weekend. But this is a result of the breadth and depth of the 12-team league.
This week’s games are exciting because they are uncertain. This is good news to be on the receiving end of Clemson vs. Georgia, Penn State vs. West Virginia, Miami vs. Florida, Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M and LSU vs. USC.
Losing doesn’t kill your time. You can go back.
In fact, third place in the Big Ten and SEC may be a safe bet in an extended playoff season. Those teams will likely be in the CFP and don’t have to jeopardize their chances in the conference championship game.
Last year, those teams would be Missouri, the No. 1 seed. 9 at 10-2, and Penn State, the No. 1 seed. 10 to 10-2. Penn State lost to Ohio State and Michigan in the regular season. Missouri lost to LSU and Georgia.
Before we go any further, yes, I know that Alabama made it to the BCS (2011) and CFP (2016) without winning its division. I know LSU lost twice, gave up 50 points at home and somehow won the national championship (2007). Although those results were different, it is also another proof that the SEC – and now the Big Ten – will get every opinion from the selection committee in the room.
Meanwhile, FSU continues to be the last thing on your mind before this week’s games and the first thing on your mind next week. The ‘Noles play Monday night against Boston College as their season lives on…for now.
Week 1 stories
Dabo Swinney and his philosophy are being challenged as Clemson takes on Georgia on Saturday in Atlanta. No (or few) referrals? It’s not fun, Dabo. We’re about to find out how far the Tigers have fallen from national contention, if at all. Their record since that last title (2020) is 54-13, as close to a win as any program can muster. The difference here is that Clemson continues to compete with its championship legacy. Last year’s four losses were the most since Swinney’s second season (2010). Cabe Klubnik has to be the difference maker. The Bulldogs have won 39 straight regular season games. A win Saturday would make them the first FBS team to win at least 40 straight in the regular season since Oklahoma in 1957. Georgia is favored by 13.5 points, the most Clemson faced it in twelve years and the second largest. Dabo Time.
Florida vs. Miami is like a loser’s bracket in wrestling. Billy Napier can’t afford a loss at all considering a tougher schedule than the old one. This is as close to victory as there is to the opening. There just aren’t that many W’s on the schedule. If Napier goes 7-5, he may be eligible for a contract extension.
But Mario Cristobal? She has 80 million reasons to be safe. No, he won’t be in trouble starting Year 3, but the program needs to show progress. Cristobal’s 12-13 record is the worst by a Miami coach in his first two seasons since Lou Saban (9-13) in 1977-78. Cristobal may have the best quarterback on the field; Cam Ward has thrown for the most yards at the FBS level since 2020 (over 13,000). In a sold-out swamp desperate to snap a five-game losing streak, Florida will have the better team on at least one bright afternoon this season.
Penn State gave new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki the sack by stealing from him in Kansas. The rookie who helped put the Jayhawks on the map could be the difference in the Nittany Lions’ season opener against West Virginia. However, something bothers me. Kotelnicki is known for his ability to squeeze the best out of two dangerous quarterbacks. Penn State’s Drew Allar is a statue. This one just screams Nittany Lions. Allar had the second-best touchdown-to-interception ratio in the nation last year. Penn State has won 21 straight against unranked opponents (fourth longest streak). But the Mountaineers will try to prolong this one with an impactful running game and Garrett Greene, one of the best quarterbacks in the country. West Virginia coach Neal Brown surprised everyone last season with nine wins on the line. Tip: Go ahead, Nits.
I have a hard time feeling Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M. This product might be as tough as it gets for the Fighting Irish this season. The menu is friendly. Anything less than 10 wins and this season should be considered incomplete. First-year Texas A&M coach Mike Elko, a former defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, knows a lot about Irish quarterback Riley Leonard. They were together last year at Duke. This is the second time since 2000 that a head coach/QB who played together last season faced different teams the following season. I’m still waiting best team of all time starting at A&M. After Jimbo Fisher’s concussion, the Aggies needed the regularity that Elko provides. Next is winning an SEC title at a school with more money and resources than NASA.
Is it reasonable to think so Michigan coach Sherrone Moore wants to take her NCAA case to a full hearing? Entering the spring game against Fresno State, Moore is accused by the NCAA of deleting 52 texts from his phone (since recovered) in the Connor Stallions’ theft case. A negotiated resolution, which is believed to be on the table, would end the situation sooner rather than later. Moore agreed to such a decision last year with a one-game suspension in the season opener. How bad would it look if Moore received a suspension with that decision for his first game as a head coach? Stay tuned because the status of Moore’s future is one of several ways the NCAA could damage the program going forward in the Connor Stallions case. Or maybe not. Michigan won the national championship last season and its head coach is out for half the regular season.
The focus is on Lincoln Riley while USC opens with LSU. The Trojans have to start playing some defense to get to the next level. New defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn will get some testing from what’s left of LSU’s explosive offense from last year (a little bit, actually). Rumors surfaced that Riley had been trying to get out of the game for two years. He also suggested at Big Ten Media Days that Notre Dame’s rivalry could be over. Beat a top quality opponent as you prepare for the Big Ten, Lincoln. That’s how you play “catch up.” These programs have produced the last two Heisman winners.
Watch hell on Thursday night, Coach Prime. North Dakota State will beat Deion Sanders’ team in Colorado. They are not afraid of anything. We know this because NDSU is 6-1 against the current Power Four since 2010. All of those games are on the road. Prophecy: To put it in binomial nomenclature, the A buffalo of buffaloes will win. (Either way).
UCLA in Hawaii: By the end of the season only Apollo 13 will have flown more miles than the Bruins.
Boston College at Florida State (Monday): You thought Haynes King was dangerous? Boston College QB Tom Castellanos rushed for 1,100 yards last season. Only Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels had more rushing yards among quarterbacks.
FAU in Michigan: It wouldn’t be a proper sports season without some gambling controversy. The Spartans started the season with a 4.5 win average.
Quick kick
- Steve Sarkisian continues to mock Arch Manning’s appearance. Asked this week if Manning would play the first half against Colorado State, the Longhorns coach said, “We’ll find out.” Let me translate: Yes, we will see Manning at some point in the game. Sark has to have a plan to keep Manning (and the family) happy as sophomore QB backs up Quinn Ewers for the second straight year.
- The National Football Foundation reports 3,534 players in all three teams will start the season with their diplomas. The year of COVID-19 certainly helps. Northwestern leads everyone (surprise!) with 34 undergraduate degrees.
- Considering the point of publication, Clemson is looking for its biggest win since 2004 (Miami)
- Ohio State (hosts Akron on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS) has won 24 straight regular-season games.. That’s the third-longest streak since 1978.
- Michigan is the first program to pursue a national championship with a new coach Since Frank Solich replaced Tom Osborne at Nebraska in 1998.
- These six teams have a chance to win the national championship: Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss. We know this because in the 10-year history of the CFP, the teams that were in the top six in the preseason won it all.
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