College football’s Week 1 Saturday is over, and the season can officially be declared open.
Only two top-25 teams fell, but they were both against other ranked foes. Others made their presence well-known against petty opposition. Here are some knee-jerk reactions from all the action.
Clemson are rusty, Georgia are not
The No. 14 Tigers normally wouldn’t take a tumble in the AP poll after losing to the No. 1 team in the country. But the performance head coach Dabo Swinney and company put forth in Atlanta was certainly not befitting of a top-15 team. Clemson managed only three points against Georgia (lowly Akron scored twice as many against No. 2 Ohio State). Major adjustments will be needed for quarterback Cade Klubnik if the Tigers want any shot at the ACC crown let alone the College Football Playoff.
Georgia, on the other hand, is back and firing on all cylinders after the 34-3 drubbing. It’ll be looking for revenge after being omitted from last year’s playoff.
Miami might be the ACC’s lone playoff hope
Speaking of the ACC crown, the No. 19 Miami Hurricanes appear to be the team to beat in the conference after spanking in-state rivals Florida 41-17 in Gainesville. Miami quarterback Cam Ward made his early case for Heisman consideration after throwing for 385 yards and three touchdowns. With Florida State, Virginia Tech and Clemson all faltering in their season-openers, all roads to the ACC championship game – and maybe the playoff – run through Coral Gables. Expect the Hurricanes to be a top-15 team in the next poll.
Penn State is a real playoff threat
Despite an hours-long weather delay, the No. 8 Nittany Lions had no problem staving off a wild-card West Virginia team that simply couldn’t find consistent offense. Penn State, on the other hand, found its groove after a couple of early turnovers. Quarterback Drew Allar threw for 216 yards and three touchdowns while running back Nicholas Singleton rushed for 114 yards and a score in the 34-12 win. If Penn State stays this consistent on offense, they have a real shot to go a couple of rounds deep into the expanded playoff.
Boise State has a Heisman contender in Ashton Jeanty
The Broncos were already at the top of preseason lists to be the Group of Five champion in the expanded playoff but now they’ll have a talented running back on some Heisman watchlists. Ashton Jeanty rushed for 267 yards and six touchdowns (yes, you read that correctly). Two of those scores came on runs of 70+ yards as Jeanty tied the Mountain West record for most touchdowns in a game. The season is long and the road to New York City even longer, but it feels like Jeanty is already halfway there after Saturday’s marathon-length effort.
Notre Dame might have what it takes this year
Notre Dame has one of the easiest schedules in college football but their season-opener against No. 20 Texas A&M provided a tough test early. The Fighting Irish passed with flying colors, escaping a deafening College Station with a 23-13 win. Quarterback Riley Leonard should be able to lead the boys from South Bend to an undefeated season leading up to late-season tests against Florida State and USC.
Michigan looks overrated despite win
The Wolverines paid Fresno State $1.85 million to visit Ann Arbor in what was supposed to be an easily-bought win. Michigan couldn’t pull away from the Bulldogs for much of the contest until late in the fourth quarter. Don’t let the 30-10 scoreline fool you, Michigan still has some kinks to work out if they want to defend their national championship title.
Oregon might be overhyped
Heisman favorite Dillon Gabriel did not look comfortable for most of the Ducks’ season-opener against Idaho. The Vandals harassed and sacked him a few times, but despite that, he still threw for 380 yards and two touchdowns. It’s a bit of a conundrum if you just look at the stat line but the bigger concern is what will Oregon do when it has to face stiffer competition in the Big Ten if Idaho clawed its way to a narrow 24-14 loss.
