’Bama still the 1
Tops coaches poll
While there weren’t any huge upsets to roil the Football Four Playoff projection in Week 2, there were thrilling, and maybe telling, developments. There were also plenty of mismatches, to which we applied the ol’ eye test (meaning: hey, this team looks really good).
The result, a slight reshuffling from the initial Football Four. Remember we pick the College Football Playoff bracket as if the season was over.* It could all change next week. (Well, except for Alabama. Possible, but seems unlikely.)
The Four
1. Alabama: The more things change, the more … but the Crimson Tide are doing it differently: The first six offensive touchdowns in a rout of Arkansas State came through the air. And it wasn’t just Tua Tagovailoa; Jalen Hurts had a couple of TD passes.
2. Ohio State: Game 2 during Urban Meyer’s suspension went a lot like the first one: an easy blowout. Dwayne Haskins threw four more TD passes. It could get more difficult this week, with TCU in Arlington, Texas.
3. Georgia: The talk about South Carolina pulling an upset was manufactured and then greatly overcooked — the Gamecocks aren’t ready to challenge the Southeastern Conference’s upper-tier teams — but Georgia was very, very impressive in a road victory.
4. Oklahoma: Kyler Murray continued to show the Sooners might not skip a beat on offense, but as important a revelation in the first two games is an apparently improved defense. Rodney Anderson’s knee injury could be a blow.
Four more**
5. Clemson: The Tigers escaped a revved-up bunch of Aggies in the superheated caldron of Kyle Field. Veteran QB Kelly Bryant got the bulk of the work down the stretch, but Clemson wasn’t able to put together a clinching drive. The QB competition will continue.
6. Auburn: After notching the most impressive win of Week 1, the Tigers easily dispatched FCS school Alabama State. Up this week, an SEC West showdown when LSU visits.
7. Wisconsin: No issues with New Mexico. Give the ball to Jonathan Taylor — 33 times, for 253 yards and three TDs — and let him do the rest.
8. Penn State: After the scare vs. Appalachian State, the Nittany Lions took care of business at Pittsburgh. An improved defensive showing was encouraging.
A few more after that***
Stanford: The Cardinal were clearly superior to Southern California.
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs can get lost in the SEC West but dominated at Kansas State. Defensive front stout.
LSU: The offense continues to sputter. But after whipping FCS-level Southeastern Louisiana, Ed Orgeron’s Tigers are 2-0 heading into Auburn.
Washington: The Huskies bounced back from the loss to Auburn with an easy win over the FCS’s North Dakota.
West Virginia: Another FCS opponent, another lopsided win.
Nowhere close****
Florida: 31 years later, another loss to Kentucky.
Southern California: Three points? Arkansas: At altitude, an 18-point lead evaporates.
Arizona: Could be worse, but it’s hard to see how.
Purdue: Just ... sigh.
Florida State: Yeah, we know, the Seminoles beat Samford — somehow.
Special recognition
Kansas: And on the 47th try, a road win!
* The season is not over.
** Don’t be worried that your team sits just outside the cut. This is a weekly snapshot. And what do we know, anyway?
*** See the previous note, but it’s OK to be slightly concerned or very angry. But what do we know, anyway?
**** No note necessary