Oklahoma still doesn't have this defense thing figured out
Oklahoma suffered a shocking home defeat at the hands of Kansas State, 38-35, in a game that may very well have already eliminated Lincoln Riley's program from playoff consideration. Kansas State has already lost to Arkansas State and to lose this game in Norman is the biggest surprise of the early season.
Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch is making $1.8 million and Sooner fans might be wondering why right now. Defense has been a thorn in OU's side even through their phenomenal run of offensive success in recent years under Riley.
Spencer Rattler put up huge numbers -- 30/41, 387 yards, 4 TD -- but he also three picks. On the other side, Skylar Thompson went for 334, proving the Sooners' defense still has a long way to go.
Oklahoma has built a reputation as a Heisman factory for quarterbacks but playoff appearances and defensive statistics have me wondering if Riley is the coach to get the Sooners to another level. There are too many close games (not to mention this loss) in a bad conference and we've got to start thinking about them differently.
There was nothing flukey about what OU's defense struggled with today. They're just bad.
Texas survives in the most exciting game of the day
But Texas keeps the Big 12's playoff hopes alive with a remarkable comeback against Texas Tech (but if you have to come back and give up 56 points to a TTU team that was ravaged by COVID and contact tracing in the preseason, how good a sign is that?).
Sam Ehlinger and Alan Bowman combined for 10 touchdown passes in a game that featured two Texas touchdowns in the last 2:39 and then a score in overtime.
It was the most exciting game of the day and while it's good for Tom Herman and the Longhorns, in terms of the outcome, it underscores the deep mediocrity and also parity in the conference.
These two games featuring the Sooners and Longhorns were about as Big 12 as it gets.
It certainly feels like the Big 12 teams are trapped in this style of football that isn't ideal for building championship teams and even with the Longhorns trending in the right direction you have to wonder if they're still not falling prey to it themselves.
Don't sleep on Oklahoma State
I'm a bit out on a limb here following Oklahoma State's narrow escape against Tulsa a week ago but their 27-13 win over West Virginia has me feeling a bit better about the Cowboys, maybe not as a darkhorse playoff contender but as a real candidate to win the Big 12.
This Pokes offense should be doing better because they have good skill personnel if spotty quarterback play, but surprisingly it's actually Oklahoma State's defense that makes me think they're going to be a tough out in that conference.
The defense should be good enough to keep them afloat and competitive while the offense gets its bearings and I'm still expecting them to make some noise this year, maybe like Baylor last season.
Georgia's quarterback position moving forward
Georgia looked remarkably pedestrian during the first half against Arkansas in a game that looked like one of the SEC's biggest mismatches of the year on paper.
Dwan Mathis couldn't get anything going in the first half and it took a strong second half from Stetson Bennett (20/29, 211 yards, 2 TD) for the Bulldogs to pull out a 37-10 win in Fayetteville. UGA did eventually exert its will and defense wasn't a problem, as it shouldn't be all season, but the quarterback position is going to be interesting to watch for UGA.
It was a gritty performance from Sam Pittman's team but they're still outmatched in a West that appears stout.
JT Daniels has still not been cleared following his knee issues so let's see what Bennett is able to do moving forward before he can make it a conversation. It might be a while before Mathis gets back into the conversation. He probably didn't win too many fans among the UGA faithful today.
Yes, Mike Leach's offense still works in the SEC
Kentucky fans remember how Mike Leach's Air Raid offense first set the SEC ablaze and began the process of revolutionizing the way college football passing games work.
Then he spent the better part of two decades at Texas Tech and Washington State in two conferences not known for defense and the narrative became, "Would that really still work in the SEC?"
The answer appears to be a resounding yes. He got the right quarterback transfer in KJ Costello and racked up more than 600 passing yards and five touchdowns to take down the defending national champs LSU in Baton Rouge in a game that served notice to the SEC: Watch out for this team.
It was wild to see star running back Kylin Hill do almost nothing on the ground for much of the game but rack up huge receiving yards. He's going to make a lot of money via his NFL stock showcasing his hands under Leach.
Could this Mississippi State team be the third best in the West behind Alabama and Auburn? Kentucky's coaches might lose some sleep preparing for this group, which did that with a maligned group of wide receivers heading into the season.
It was shocking to see how quickly this offense clicked switching to an entirely new system.
We knew LSU was going to take a step back, but watching MSU receivers light up LSU defensive backs (mostly due to the system, granted) was something we've never seen before.
Ole Miss will be fun to watch if nothing else
Lane Kiffin has his own reputation for molding strong offensive units and while they won't put up Mississippi State numbers they did have nearly 400 passing yards and 35 points against a Florida defense that should be solid.
The problem for the Rebels is on defense, as expected, and they were torched by Kyle Trask in allowing 51 points.
Kentucky's pass defense must be much better this week or the 'Cats will be in danger of starting 0-2. But they should get plenty going on the ground.
It was not last year's starter John Rhys Plumlee who did the damage. Rather, Matt Corral is the quarterback UK will be preparing for.
Running back Jerrion Ealy is the player we all knew about from Ole Miss but the fast and elusive Elijah Moore had 10 receptions for 227 yards.
Is Florida State the nation's worst team?
It's tough to fathom that I can even ask that question but it seems fair at this point. The line was only modest in Miami's favor before the game, less than two touchdowns, but the Hurricanes boat raced the Seminoles with FSU head coach Mike Norvell missing due to COVID-19. It was a humiliating 52-10 loss.
You'll remember last week I said I thought Miami is for real. Not a championship team, but as maybe the biggest competition for Clemson in the ACC other than perhaps Notre Dame.
D'Eriq King had another big passing game and FSU's offense was a total trainwreck. An embarrassment really. Miami nearly doubled the Noles in yardage and carried a 38-3 lead into the locker room.
Why was this a national television game at night on ABC?
Louisville starts 0-2 in the ACC
Scott Satterfield's honeymoon with the Cardinals is officially over.
Truth be told, I don't think there's any shame in UofL's 1-2 record. They weren't great against WKU and they're 0-2 in ACC play, but if Miami is really good and Pitt is solid. But this is not a top-25 team.
Malik Cunningham had a very poor day passing (107 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT) and Louisville was essentially shut down by one of the nation's top defenses. In that context they were fortunate to only lose 23-20.
In an anticipated matchup between Louisville's explosive offense and Pitt's defense Pat Narduzzi's side was superior. Pittsburgh racked up seven sacks on the game.
In a scary moment Cunningham had to leave the field at the end of the game on a stretcher. Satterfield is hopeful his quarterback will be okay but that put everything in perspective.
Louisville may yet rebound for a winning record because the schedule is manageable from here on out. But it's not going to be a special season on the higher end of what their fans were hoping for.
Disappointing Texas A&M
When I think about Texas A&M these days I can't stop thinking about how much money they're paying Jimbo Fisher to fail to meet expectations. Before the season I bought into a much improved Aggie squad because of the number of returning contributors and my belief Kellen Mond would have a big year.
Beating Vanderbilt 17-12 is not how they wanted to start the season. A&M turned it over four times with Mond accounting for three of those giveaways. This game was in doubt through the fourth quarter.
Like the UGA-Arkansas game this appeared to be one of the league's bigger mismatches on paper that we'll see this year.
Vanderbilt had absolutely no respect coming into this year but at the very least Derek Mason can occasionally rally his players to turn in a good effort for him.
I don't think A&M will be that sloppy often and surviving is better than a loss.
But the West looks very different now than it did before today.
Auburn and Mississippi State up. LSU and A&M down.
Oklahoma suffered a shocking home defeat at the hands of Kansas State, 38-35, in a game that may very well have already eliminated Lincoln Riley's program from playoff consideration. Kansas State has already lost to Arkansas State and to lose this game in Norman is the biggest surprise of the early season.
Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch is making $1.8 million and Sooner fans might be wondering why right now. Defense has been a thorn in OU's side even through their phenomenal run of offensive success in recent years under Riley.
Spencer Rattler put up huge numbers -- 30/41, 387 yards, 4 TD -- but he also three picks. On the other side, Skylar Thompson went for 334, proving the Sooners' defense still has a long way to go.
Oklahoma has built a reputation as a Heisman factory for quarterbacks but playoff appearances and defensive statistics have me wondering if Riley is the coach to get the Sooners to another level. There are too many close games (not to mention this loss) in a bad conference and we've got to start thinking about them differently.
There was nothing flukey about what OU's defense struggled with today. They're just bad.
Texas survives in the most exciting game of the day
But Texas keeps the Big 12's playoff hopes alive with a remarkable comeback against Texas Tech (but if you have to come back and give up 56 points to a TTU team that was ravaged by COVID and contact tracing in the preseason, how good a sign is that?).
Sam Ehlinger and Alan Bowman combined for 10 touchdown passes in a game that featured two Texas touchdowns in the last 2:39 and then a score in overtime.
It was the most exciting game of the day and while it's good for Tom Herman and the Longhorns, in terms of the outcome, it underscores the deep mediocrity and also parity in the conference.
These two games featuring the Sooners and Longhorns were about as Big 12 as it gets.
It certainly feels like the Big 12 teams are trapped in this style of football that isn't ideal for building championship teams and even with the Longhorns trending in the right direction you have to wonder if they're still not falling prey to it themselves.
Don't sleep on Oklahoma State
I'm a bit out on a limb here following Oklahoma State's narrow escape against Tulsa a week ago but their 27-13 win over West Virginia has me feeling a bit better about the Cowboys, maybe not as a darkhorse playoff contender but as a real candidate to win the Big 12.
This Pokes offense should be doing better because they have good skill personnel if spotty quarterback play, but surprisingly it's actually Oklahoma State's defense that makes me think they're going to be a tough out in that conference.
The defense should be good enough to keep them afloat and competitive while the offense gets its bearings and I'm still expecting them to make some noise this year, maybe like Baylor last season.
Georgia's quarterback position moving forward
Georgia looked remarkably pedestrian during the first half against Arkansas in a game that looked like one of the SEC's biggest mismatches of the year on paper.
Dwan Mathis couldn't get anything going in the first half and it took a strong second half from Stetson Bennett (20/29, 211 yards, 2 TD) for the Bulldogs to pull out a 37-10 win in Fayetteville. UGA did eventually exert its will and defense wasn't a problem, as it shouldn't be all season, but the quarterback position is going to be interesting to watch for UGA.
It was a gritty performance from Sam Pittman's team but they're still outmatched in a West that appears stout.
JT Daniels has still not been cleared following his knee issues so let's see what Bennett is able to do moving forward before he can make it a conversation. It might be a while before Mathis gets back into the conversation. He probably didn't win too many fans among the UGA faithful today.
Yes, Mike Leach's offense still works in the SEC
Kentucky fans remember how Mike Leach's Air Raid offense first set the SEC ablaze and began the process of revolutionizing the way college football passing games work.
Then he spent the better part of two decades at Texas Tech and Washington State in two conferences not known for defense and the narrative became, "Would that really still work in the SEC?"
The answer appears to be a resounding yes. He got the right quarterback transfer in KJ Costello and racked up more than 600 passing yards and five touchdowns to take down the defending national champs LSU in Baton Rouge in a game that served notice to the SEC: Watch out for this team.
It was wild to see star running back Kylin Hill do almost nothing on the ground for much of the game but rack up huge receiving yards. He's going to make a lot of money via his NFL stock showcasing his hands under Leach.
Could this Mississippi State team be the third best in the West behind Alabama and Auburn? Kentucky's coaches might lose some sleep preparing for this group, which did that with a maligned group of wide receivers heading into the season.
It was shocking to see how quickly this offense clicked switching to an entirely new system.
We knew LSU was going to take a step back, but watching MSU receivers light up LSU defensive backs (mostly due to the system, granted) was something we've never seen before.
Ole Miss will be fun to watch if nothing else
Lane Kiffin has his own reputation for molding strong offensive units and while they won't put up Mississippi State numbers they did have nearly 400 passing yards and 35 points against a Florida defense that should be solid.
The problem for the Rebels is on defense, as expected, and they were torched by Kyle Trask in allowing 51 points.
Kentucky's pass defense must be much better this week or the 'Cats will be in danger of starting 0-2. But they should get plenty going on the ground.
It was not last year's starter John Rhys Plumlee who did the damage. Rather, Matt Corral is the quarterback UK will be preparing for.
Running back Jerrion Ealy is the player we all knew about from Ole Miss but the fast and elusive Elijah Moore had 10 receptions for 227 yards.
Is Florida State the nation's worst team?
It's tough to fathom that I can even ask that question but it seems fair at this point. The line was only modest in Miami's favor before the game, less than two touchdowns, but the Hurricanes boat raced the Seminoles with FSU head coach Mike Norvell missing due to COVID-19. It was a humiliating 52-10 loss.
You'll remember last week I said I thought Miami is for real. Not a championship team, but as maybe the biggest competition for Clemson in the ACC other than perhaps Notre Dame.
D'Eriq King had another big passing game and FSU's offense was a total trainwreck. An embarrassment really. Miami nearly doubled the Noles in yardage and carried a 38-3 lead into the locker room.
Why was this a national television game at night on ABC?
Louisville starts 0-2 in the ACC
Scott Satterfield's honeymoon with the Cardinals is officially over.
Truth be told, I don't think there's any shame in UofL's 1-2 record. They weren't great against WKU and they're 0-2 in ACC play, but if Miami is really good and Pitt is solid. But this is not a top-25 team.
Malik Cunningham had a very poor day passing (107 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT) and Louisville was essentially shut down by one of the nation's top defenses. In that context they were fortunate to only lose 23-20.
In an anticipated matchup between Louisville's explosive offense and Pitt's defense Pat Narduzzi's side was superior. Pittsburgh racked up seven sacks on the game.
In a scary moment Cunningham had to leave the field at the end of the game on a stretcher. Satterfield is hopeful his quarterback will be okay but that put everything in perspective.
Louisville may yet rebound for a winning record because the schedule is manageable from here on out. But it's not going to be a special season on the higher end of what their fans were hoping for.
Disappointing Texas A&M
When I think about Texas A&M these days I can't stop thinking about how much money they're paying Jimbo Fisher to fail to meet expectations. Before the season I bought into a much improved Aggie squad because of the number of returning contributors and my belief Kellen Mond would have a big year.
Beating Vanderbilt 17-12 is not how they wanted to start the season. A&M turned it over four times with Mond accounting for three of those giveaways. This game was in doubt through the fourth quarter.
Like the UGA-Arkansas game this appeared to be one of the league's bigger mismatches on paper that we'll see this year.
Vanderbilt had absolutely no respect coming into this year but at the very least Derek Mason can occasionally rally his players to turn in a good effort for him.
I don't think A&M will be that sloppy often and surviving is better than a loss.
But the West looks very different now than it did before today.
Auburn and Mississippi State up. LSU and A&M down.
