The moment you all have been waiting for is finally here! Kickoff! No more talk of lawsuits, arrest reports, or players hurting their ankles. We can finally talk football, and we may have been hoping for a few upsets today — but nothing really came as a shock.
Let’s get right into the Top-25 to get caught up on this week’s action:
The defending national champ Florida State Seminoles had a scare from Oklahoma State. The Seminoles won 37-31, but if not for a few bad breaks for the Cowboys, we could have had our first upset of the season. With a target on their back, look for everyone to give FSU all they can handle this season.
Alabama is very glad they have sophomore kicker Adam Griffith after he went 4-for-4, as the Crimson Tide beat West Virginia, 33-23. It also helped Alabama’s cause that their running back duo of T.J Yeldon and Derrick Henry rushed for 239 yards and three touchdowns.
Oklahoma wanted to live up to the hype of being a possible playoff contender. Sooners’ quarterback Trevor Knight tried his best to rekindle the Sugar Bowl magic, but just performed average in a 48-16 win over Louisiana Tech. He will need to perform better if he wants to lead his team to the promised land.
Ohio State already misses Braxton Miller after squeezing out a win against Navy, 34-17. Auburn beat Arkansas, 45-21, and showed off its second-string quarterback, Jeremy Johnson. Johnson completed his first eight passes and ended up throwing for 243 yards. This just gives Auburn fans hope if anything happens to their starter Nick Marshall.
UCLA has a lot of faith in its defense after posting three defensive touchdowns in the second quarter. The Bruins needed all the help they could get, as they only beat upset-minded Virginia 28-20. UCLA will have to score more than 28 points to keep up with Oregon.
Stanford might have only been playing UC-Davis, but shut them out, 45-0. Stanford wanted to make a statement that they will be in the hunt for the PAC-12 title, along with a playoff spot. The real highlight of the day came from Georgia’s All-American running back Todd Gurley who rushed for 198 yards, scored four touchdowns, and had 293 yards of total offense. He should be at the top of everyone’s Heisman list, as he was the deciding factor in Georgia’s 45-21 win over Clemson.
No matter what the drama is in L.A, USC still found a way to win and win convincingly over a decent Fresno State team. USC’s quarterback, Cody Kessler, helped rout the Bulldogs, 52-13, by throwing for 394 yards and four touchdowns. It was an “interesting” week for Trojan fans, but the team stayed focused and got the job done.
Notre Dame fans welcomed back Everett Golson as he lead the Irish to a 48-17 win against Rice. Michigan beat Appalachian State, 52-14, and showed they are ready to roll vs the Irish next week. Both teams’ offenses are ready to go for their huge rival game next week.
Kansas State handled SF Austin, 55-16k, and Nebraska beat FAU, 55-7. Both team used these games as a chance to fine tune their offenses before conference play starts. Despite missing key players due to suspension, North Carolina beat Liberty 56-29. The Tar Heels want to be a contender in the ACC and hope to get over the hump this year. Missouri defeated South Dakota State, 38-18. The Tigers want to build off last year’s success but will have a big target on its back in the SEC East.
Aggie fans were worried about how Texas A&M would handle life after “Johnny Football.” Not a single one is worried now after their new starting quarterback, Kenny Hill, threw for 511 yards and led an upset over South Carolina at home, 52-28. Texas A&M coach, Kevin Sumlin, showed everyone that his team will be successful no matter who is lining up behind center. It was a huge shock to see how easy Texas A&M moved the ball.
Don’t let the score fool you. Ole Miss beating Boise State 35-13, was one of the sloppiest games anyone has seen in a long time. Penalties and turnovers plagued the game all night. Arizona State beat Weber State, 45-14. The Sun Devils could become a major contender in the PAC-12 this year.
Michigan State’s offense and defense both showed up for their 45-7 win over Jacksonville State. Look for them to be the B1G favorite after Ohio State lost Braxton Miller. LSU barely pulled out a win against Wisconsin, 28-24. The Bayou Bengals did not get anything going on offense until the fourth quarter, when it mattered the most.
Finally, football is here. It was an exciting week for most top teams, as they won with ease. There were a few challenges and shocks along the way, but for the most part it shook out as most thought it would. This season will be a wild one as every team looks to put on a show for the playoff committee and hopefully secure one of the final four spots. We can only hope that the big upsets hit in the coming weeks and we get a few shakeups to keep the season interesting.
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Jeff Hostetler may not have won a Super Bowl with the Giants ( though his uncle of the same name did). He has been an obsessed college football fan living in Florida ever since the Gators beat FSU in the Sugar Bowl to earn the UF’s first national championship.
Ever since Jeff has immersed himself in everything possible related to college football. He enjoys watching, writing, playing, and otherwise obsessing over all things football. A graduate of the University of Florida, he brings a perspective to FishDuck free of our extreme green & yellow homerism glasses to look at the current landscape of collegiate athletics.