Congratulations y'all. We made it. College Football is BACK and, despite some old-timers protestations to the contrary (self-included) it looks like it's all going to be fine.
And, yes, it was hard to find some true gems in what was a weekend full of relative blow-outs, there were some take-aways that I noticed and I'm going to summarize them here:
1. Florida State.
Let's just go ahead and get this one out of the way. There's a lot to unpack with this team. And while most of it centers on the offense, and the poor performances of DJ Uiagalelei, their defense, especially defending the run, is not good. Florida State has holes throughout their roster, most noticeably at QB, where I think we MIGHT just have witnessed the last Collegiate game for DJU, IF this Brock kid is ready that is. My guess would be the Mike Norvell keeps his job even IF the Seminoles continue to flame out. After all, who could they possibly hire at this point that would be any better?
2. The 12-team playoff
If, by this time, you do not understand how the playoff works then you obviously did not watch College Football at all over the weekend. Seemingly every broadcast (ESPN/FOX/CBS) had an explainer on how a bracket works. It was infuriating, boring and after a while very repetitious. Hopefully that was just a one week thing.
3. Ranking the Teams.
I'm not a fan of Top 25 rankings this early in the season. In fact, I wish they would just up and do away with them until say, mid-October. That said, I do think there is some benefit in discussing where teams are in the pecking order, where they could be and possibly putting them in unranked tiers. Here's my go at it.
Looking Playoff Ready Right Now: Georgia, Alabama, Penn State, Ohio State, Utah, Miami, Texas.
Not looking ready for the playoffs but could get there by the end of the season: Boston College, Michigan, Ole Miss, Oregon, USC, Notre Dame.
Stick a fork in them: Florida State (see above), Texas A&M, West Virginia, LSU, Florida, Clemson
For all of the other teams it's just too early to tell. Certainly there were some good performances but, and especially for the teams above in the "might get there" column many had great performances but it was against inferior competition. Many of those teams did not play their best, but they could improve by the end of the season.
One of those teams, I think, is Michigan. And yes, I know I'm a fan but I saw enough on defense that I think this team will be OK by the end of the year, once the offense has a chance to gel. Unfortunately, I don't think they're going to be able to fix their issues prior to Texas rolling into the Big House. As such, I have a large supply of whiskey on-hand for this upcoming Saturday.
4. Betting recap.
Normally I'm not one to bet the opening weekend. I prefer to see the games, and get some actual, usable data. I did well fading Colorado, Houston and Florida State. I did not do as well taking some shots at some big underdogs. All in all the opening weekend was a push. I've already loaded up my plays for this upcoming weekend which I'll share later, probably on Friday morning if all goes to plan.
As always, if you DO choose to place wagers on the game do so responsibly. Don't hire a tout service and bet within your means. If it's not fun, stop. If you find yourself chasing losses, stop. Betting is entertainment, treat it as such. Also please remember that sports betting is illegal in many jurisdictions still. Know your local laws and know your outs for placing legal bets during the season. In many cases that might involve driving across State lines.
5. Final Thoughts.
After Week One it's easy to get irrational. "UNLV to the Playoffs" is one I've seen. While UNLV looked REALLY good against what many thought would be an improved UH team, I still believe that NEXT year is the one to watch for the Cougars. Willie Fritz seems to have a knack for turning it around then, not in year one. But UNLV's performance does show that the Odom miracle in the desert is probably more than a one-year fluke flash in the plan. This is a talented team with some depth across the roster. I still think Boise State is the team to beat in the Mountain West, but UNLV is #2 with a bullet.
As for the rest?
Again, Top 25 lists are worthless this time of year. There's a LOT of football still to be played in front of us. Top teams will play top teams and it will all work itself out in the end. Enjoy the ride.
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