SEC put on notice with Leach debut
Coach leads Mississippi St. to upset of then-No. 6 LSU
The SEC better beware of Mississippi State. New coach Mike Leach put the SEC on notice after his Mississippi State team amassed more than 600 yards in the team’s opener. QB KJ Costello threw for a school-record 632 yards and five TDs in an upset of No. 6 LSU.
Defense still Oklahoma’s issue. The Sooners may have one of the most explosive offenses in the country, but without a solid defense, Oklahoma continues to disappoint. OU gave up 31-second half points Saturday during a stunning loss to unranked Kansas State.
The Big 12 is in big trouble. Oklahoma and Texas were the cream of the crop in the Big 12 this season, but the Sooners’ loss to Kansas State and the Longhorns’ struggles slipping by Texas Tech in OT have been a blow to the league’s CFP hopes.
Florida is the clear-cut beast of the SEC East. Not since the coaching days of Steve Spurrier has Florida looked this explosive on offense. QB Kyle Trask threw for 416 yards and six TDs against Ole Miss as the Gators made their case they’re the best in the SEC East.
Georgia needs to find a QB. The Bulldogs have had a solid QB since Kirby Smart’s arrival, but the position appears to be a weakness after the Bulldogs struggled during their opener. The team needs to improve quickly at QB to compete with Florida in the SEC East.
Auburn makes statement. The Tigers opened against a top 25 foe, and the Tigers walked away with an impressive victory over No. 23 Kentucky. Tigers QB Bo Nix finished with three TD passes, including two in the final quarter.
Miami owns the rivalry series with FSU. The Hurricanes humiliated the Seminoles in front of a prime-time, national audience, handing FSU one of the worst losses in the history of the series. The ’Canes scored during six of their first seven drives and put up a record 52 points during the win.
It’s only going to get worse before it gets better for FSU.
When Mike Norvell took over FSU, he knew the program needed work, but the loss to Miami shows how far away the Seminoles are from being ACC title contenders. It won’t get easier because, after this week’s game against Jacksonville State, the team faces Notre Dame, UNC, Louisville and Pittsburgh during the next six weeks.
Pac-12, MWC and MAC to follow Big Ten’s lead.
A week after the Big Ten announced it will play this fall, the Pac-12, Mountain West and MAC all voted to play fall football with abbreviated schedules. While they’ve been criticized for the way they’ve handled this season, conference leaders argue access to rapid COVID-19 testing makes it safe.
UCF, Cincinnati and Louisiana remain strong Group of 5 teams.
For the second consecutive week, Louisiana needed a late push, this time a 53-yard FG at the gun, to remain undefeated. UCF cruised past East Carolina and Cincinnati survived a tough test against Army.