1. Clemson Tigers– Although Trevor Lawrence didn’t have the best start, the rest of the team picked him up and handled their business. Travis Etienne rushed for 205 yards and three touchdowns. The defense did their part as well. Everything panned out and the defending champs got their first win of the young season. Georgia Tech is out the way, it’s time for the Texas A&M Aggies to stroll into town. It was a close game last year between these two in College Station which saw the Tigers escape with a two-point victory. I think we will see another close showdown today.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide– Prior to the game against Duke, I said the key for the Blue Devils would be to attack a younger Alabama linebacking core, especially with Dylan Moses out with the knee injury. They tried it, but Alabama caught on. They will be just fine. Others will step it up and fill in. As I was watching this game, I was just amazed with Jerry Jeudy and his athletic abilities. Each time he touched the ball, he made magic happen. This Tide offense hasn’t missed a beat. In fact, they looked to pick up where they left off from last season. Today is Alabama’s home opener against New Mexico State.
3. Georgia Bulldogs– After watching the Florida Gators the week before, then seeing the Georgia Bulldogs in their season debut, Florida is nowhere close to Georgia. Kirby Smart’s team is way up while the Gators are trying to catch up. They had many guys starting for the first time, and you’d think they’d struggle. Not at all. If Jake Fromm is under center, they will be a competitive football team. The defense is still one of the best in the country as they held Vanderbilt to six points (two field goals). They have two tune up games before their big showdown with Notre Dame in a few weeks. That will be a fun one to watch.
4. Ohio State Buckeyes– What we saw was a preview of what their offense can be this year. Justin Fields has a chance to become the most electrifying players in college football. He made it look easy on Saturday. This has a chance to be one of the quicker Buckeye offenses we’ve seen in recent memory. I can’t wait until Big Ten play begins because the conference has some good defenses. Speaking of that side of the ball, they need to tighten some things up on defense.
5. Oklahoma Sooners– I’m so proud of Jalen Hurts. Getting benched as an athlete is one of the worst feelings in the world. Instead of pouting and complaining, he handled himself with the utmost grace and class. What a debut he had on Sunday night against Houston. He took over and I think people forget how good he is. Playing with an offensive minded guy in Lincoln Riley will expand your game. He took over with his arm and his legs. For most of the first half, I was impressed with the Sooners defense because it had struggled for so long. Then came the second half and they let the foot off the pedal. I saw potential. Let’s see if they can keep the consistency going.
