One of the arguments regularly made by those who opposed the expansion of the College Football Playoff, was that an expanded field would dilute the importance of each week.
While understanding the point, I’ve always disagreed with the take.
Admittedly there will be some games down the road which don’t mean quite as much as they would have in previous years.
But there are going to be plenty of games each week, which will ultimately impact seeding and selection.
Notre Dame losing in Week 2 to Northern Illinois might not have eliminated the Irish as a CFP contender like it would have in previous years, but that loss will still be carried and felt by Notre Dame all season.
Quick hits on last week, and then an overview of the games to watch in Week 3.
Week 2 Quick Hits
Georgia 48 Tennessee Tech 3 – Yes, the Bulldogs faced Clemson in Week 1, but their schedule still included Tennessee Tech and UMass. I don’t care how strong the SEC is, that’s pathetic for a program the caliber of Georgia.
Ohio State 56 Western Michigan 0 – The Buckeyes had 3 RB’s with at-least 9 carries. 5 WR’s had at-least 45 yards. Western Michigan went from a competitive 28-14 loss to Wisconsin in Week 1, to this bludgeoning in Week 2.
Texas 31 Michigan 12 – This game wasn’t particularly close. Michigan’s vaunted defense allowed Texas to convert 10 of 16 opportunities on 3rd down. Michigan’s offense was a mess.
Alabama 42 South Florida 16 – This was a 14-6 game at halftime, and a a 14-13 game at the end of the 3rd Quarter. Alabama closed out the game with a 28-3 4th Quarter.
Northern Illinois 16 Notre Dame 14 – Notre Dame had a 70%+ chance of making the CFP entering the game. After the loss, those chances dropped to 31.8%.
Oregon 37 Boise State 34 – I thought this might be a shoot-out, but it’s the second straight game which makes you raise an eyebrow with the Ducks. Boise State should be in good position to win the Mountain West.
Penn State 34 Bowling Green 27 – The Mid-American Conference took down Notre Dame, and almost scored a second win last Saturday vs. a Top 10 team. The Nittany Lions had two rushers go over 100 yards, and a WR have nearly 150, and were still pushed. The Nittany Lions recorded zero sacks, and that seems telling.
Utah 23 Baylor 12 – Utah looks like the favorite in their new Conference (The Big 12).
Tennessee 51 NCST 10 – Are the Volunteers potential spoilers in the SEC? Some were touting the Wolfpack as an ACC sleeper. That was the best they could do? 28 carries for 39 yards for NCST. 44 carries for 249 yards for Tennessee.
Oklahoma 16 Houston 12 – The Sooners feel under the radar currently. I respect the Cougars program, but they lost by 20 at-home in Week 1 to UNLV. UNLV might contend in the Mountain West; but I was a bit surprised that Houston could lose by 20 at home to UNLV, and be competitive at Oklahoma.
Oklahoma State 39 Arkansas 31 – Fun double OT game here. The Cowboys able to ultimately get the W vs. the Razorbacks. Lots of Cowboys caught passes, but their rushing attack did little.
Kansas State 34 Tulane 27 – Back and forth game, and a good showing from American Athletic Conference’s Green Wave.
Iowa State 20 Iowa 19 – Rivalry game. Iowa State outscores Iowa 20-6 in the 2nd half.
Syracuse 31 Georgia Tech 28 – The good vibes that existed for the Yellow Jackets disappeared in Northwestern New York.
Clemson 66 Appalachian State 20 – 378 yards and 5 TD’s for Clemson’s Cade Klubnik. Clemson still good enough to win the ACC.
Week 3 Games Of Note
Arizona at Kansas State – Like Utah / Baylor last week, another interesting game with a former Pac 12 team in their new conference.
Alabama at Wisconsin – This is not a vintage Badgers team, but Camp Randall can be special. Bama pulled away from USF in the 4th, but the first 3 Quarters of that game showed the Crimson Tide is probably a work in progress early on in the post Saban era.
Oregon at Oregon State – Rivalry game. Oregon State and their fans have to be bitter. Don’t know that the Beavers have enough left to beat the Ducks, but Oregon will probably have to earn the W. If you are a Ducks fan, you want to see some improvement this week.
Washington State at Washington – Rivalry game. Washington State and their fans have to be bitter. Don’t know that the Cougars have enough left to beat the Huskies, but Washington will probably have to earn the W.
Ole Miss at Wake Forest – Wake has a history of surprising teams, but Ole Miss is #5 in the Country and should win fairly convincingly. Wake lost by 1 at home to UVA last week.
Indiana at UCLA – Just a pair of undefeated Big Ten teams.
Owner
Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.