USA TODAY International Edition
AUBURN’S CLOSE WIN COULD HURT CAUSE
Michigan among winners in Week 2
A win is a win, except if you’re Auburn and your opponent is Jacksonville State.
Auburn did survive, winning by a touchdown in overtime against the No. 6 team in the most recent Football Championship Subdivision poll, but the victory does little to bolster the Tigers’ standing among the elite teams in college football. It’s fair to say teams worthy of being included in that mix don’t struggle with a member of the FCS.
The reasoning behind Auburn’s high preseason standing ( the Tigers sit at No. 7 in the Amway Coaches Poll) was simple: Will Muschamp, Gus Malzahn and Jeremy Johnson — defensive mastermind, offensive guru and Heisman Trophy contender, respectively. The Auburn team most expected hasn’t appeared through two weeks.
And as critics bemoan the flimsiness of Ohio State’s schedule, it bears noting that the Southeastern Conference’s strength of schedule takes a slight hit — a small one and a survivable one at that — with the Tigers’ struggle. If Auburn does stand atop the SEC in November, expect Saturday’s win to be a topic of conversation.
More of this week’s winners and losers in college football:
WINNERS
Michigan: Jim Harbaugh’s home debut gave a glimpse into what to expect from the Wolverines: extended, run- heavy drives on offense and sure- tackling physicality on defense. After a slow start, Michigan found its groove with a seven- minute touchdown march to take a 10- 7 lead in the second quarter. That UM pulled away to win 35- 7 showed a killer instinct largely missing during his predecessor’s tenure.
Boston College: The Eagles were playing Howard, so let’s take this with a grain of salt. But the 11 yards allowed in a 76- 0 win are the fewest given up in a game by a Football Bowl Subdivision team since at least 2000. At the very least, Boston College again looks like a team no opponent — inside the Atlantic Coast Conference and out — wants to play.
Dalvin Cook: The Florida State sophomore made early noise in the Heisman race, rushing for 266 yards and three scores in the Seminoles’ 34- 14 win against South Florida. Given the struggles of quarterback Everett Golson — somewhat caused by the rainy weather, perhaps — Cook’s explosive performance helped FSU avoid a crippling upset. If Golson rebounds, however, the Seminoles have the makings of an effective offense. Though the ACC lacks teams with national- title pedigree, Florida State will need a consistent and balanced offensive approach to knock off divisional rival Clemson.
Houston: Here’s another amazing fact: Houston’s 34- 31 win against Louisville marked the program’s first victory against a Power Five opponent since 2009. It’s clear that first- year coach Tom Herman has made an immediate impact. That’s seen most clearly on offense, where the former Ohio State coordinator has orchestrated a quick- tempo attack averaging 87 plays in its first two games.
LOSERS
Penn State’s offense: Penn State did get into the win column against Buffalo, which should alleviate some of the sting from a season- opening loss against Temple, but offensive woes continue to plague the Nittany Lions. The running game was an asset against the Bulls, racking up 200 yards on 39 carries, but Christian Hackenberg completed just 14 of 27 attempts for 128 yards. That’s just 4.7 yards per attempt, and that’s not even in the realm of respectability.
Maryland: Maryland has sim
ply shown no progress under Randy Edsall. Saturday’s loss to Bowling Green might have been the program’s newest low point: Maryland allowed 692 yards of offense and 35 first downs and turned the ball over four times in a must- have game against a MidAmerican Conference foe. Edsall is now 21- 31 with the Terrapins and on as hot a seat as you’ll find on the Power Five level.
Virginia: One pass put the Cavaliers at the bottom of this column instead of the top. When you’re Virginia and the schedule’s first four games include three ranked teams, you have to seize every opportunity you can, and the Cavaliers didn’t cover the one player with the best chance to beat them with 12 seconds left against Notre Dame. Could coach Mike London’s future come down to one pass? If Virginia falls to Boise State in two weeks, you could say that.