2016 Week One CFB Bullets
[Tom Pennington – WAPT News]
In the end, the first weekend of college football was much like it always is – despite being branded as the [GOAT emoji] opening stanza of the season by ESPN. Teams shook off the rust-induced brain-farts; coaches rotated quarterbacks without rhyme or reason, both established (Brian Kelly) and not (Kirby Smart); Alabama destroyed some poor saps; there were a number of nail-biters, blowouts, near-upsets, and, as Michigan fans can attest, some perfunctory cupcake gorging. It was an ordinary week one, but after several months without football, it was a very welcome sight.
SEC
SEC*
*Non-Alabama edition
[Alex Kormann – The Daily Tar Heel]
[George Bridges – ABC 13]
Big 12
[John Rivera – Today’s U]
[Morry Gash – News Observer]
Big Ten
[Joe Rondone – Tallahassee Democrat]
ACC
[Ezra Shaw – LA Times]
Pac-12
September 7th, 2016 at 10:24 AM ^
to disagree regarding this opening weekend. Yeah, there was a lot of the same ole same ole. But there was a certain progressive "buildup" this year to good football that began on Thursday night. App. State made Thursday night interesting and there was also a remotely watchable BIG contest between power 5 teams. Furman legitimately pushed MSU on Friday and I watched a whole football game when I expected to get about a quarter. Michigan played at the same time as a Top 25 game in the noon slot with an upset. Wisconsin and LSU was an absolute nail-biter, and that all lead up to a pretty spectacular Texas-ND game. Then you had FSU v. Ole Miss as a pretty satisfying dessert after most of the yelling was over. I thought it was pretty damn entertaining. If USC did not suck so hard(and even that game gave us an epic nut-stomp) it would have legitimately been one of the GOAT as far as opening weekends go.
September 7th, 2016 at 11:04 AM ^
Totally agreed. In five days, I watch all or at least a substantial portion of ten games, and loved every minute of it. Week two on the other hand...
September 7th, 2016 at 11:14 AM ^
I tell ya, brutal. I did my Saturday DVR scan today and could not believe the nonsense that I was seeing. When Notre Dame v. Nevada is must see TV on a given Saturday you know you are in trouble.
September 7th, 2016 at 3:29 PM ^
Last Saturday I watched from Game Day/BC-GT which was on pre-dawn here in SF, through our game, OU-Hou, Wiscy-LSU, Bama- USC, some AZ-BYU,until College Football Final, then on Sunday ND-Tex, and Monday FSU-Miss. All awesome to some degree or other!
This week, after our game I'm golfing! What a steaming pile the rest is (well, I guess our game would be lumped in there too to non fans of the schools involved!)
Week 3 I'll be in the Big House to see a possibly better than expected Colo... can't wait!!!!!
September 7th, 2016 at 1:42 PM ^
You obviously are a novice to football. The sec is a conference of multiple teams. 4of their top 5 teams either lost or squeaked out come from behind wins thanx to the sec requirement for homer refs .
You did not notice that in the first time in ...how many years?...an sec team, lsu, played north of the mason dixon line and did what?...LOST! This is very relevant and not something to brush off.
Time to research the sport of college football and stop being a journalistic geeky finebaum wannabe.
PS. Stop watching espn
September 7th, 2016 at 8:11 PM ^
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September 7th, 2016 at 10:25 AM ^
Couple thoughts: Houston will almost certainly be in over a two-loss Power 5 champ. Houston has already done the hard part and gotten themselves into the top 10. The only way it changes is if Oklahoma and Louisville prove to be .500ish ball clubs. Alternatively, if Oklahoma proves to be really good (say they beat Ohio State in two weeks and win the Big 12), I'd think an undefeated Houston is almost a guarantee to be in, regardless of what anyone else does.
On the Florida State-Ole Miss game, I thought the first half was more about FSU ineptitude than Ole Miss dominance. Two plays had a huge impact on the perception of that first half. Chad Kelly threw what looked like an intercepiton into the end zone that got tipped up and resulted in a TD, and Cook dropping the ball for who knows what reason while waltzing in for a TD. Change those plays and the halftime score is 21-17 Ole Miss despite a dozen penalties and a half-dozen (at least) blown coverages by FSU. Sure, Ole Miss did some nice things, especially on the defensive line, and their tempo did significantly contribute to FSU's secondary issues. But, the only thing that kept htis from being a comfortable 25+ point victory for FSU were their own issues in the first half.
September 7th, 2016 at 10:28 AM ^
Miss tempo-d the hell out of them to start the game. They usually play fast but that was incredible. I think Freeze thought he had to catch them napping to beat them and he basically did in the first half. FSU wins that game 9.75 out of 10 times though.
September 7th, 2016 at 10:37 AM ^
I'm not sure they played any faster than I've seen them, what they did, that I thought was different, was they were much more consistent about it. An incompletion, bad run, sack, whatever, they were going tempo right out of it, and I think that threw FSU off. I'm sure that tempo heavily contributed to FSU's issues. But, on the other hand, FSU should also have handled it a lot better.
September 7th, 2016 at 10:45 AM ^
Depends on who it is. 2 loss SEC Champ gets in over Houston, Michigan or OSU as conf champs with 2 losses get in over Houston (unless OSU loses to Oklahoma). It's not just about wins, their SOS is terrible. What if Louisville loses or isn't ranked by the end of the year? Their resume may hold them back. Beating Oklahoma and Louisville won't matter as much as beating combinations of Wisconsin, Michigan, MSU, OSU, Iowa or Bama, Ole Miss, Georgia, Florida, TAMU.
September 7th, 2016 at 11:37 AM ^
Yes, Houston's SOS will be bad compared to most Power 5 conference champions. But, being undefeated is going to be worth something, especially considering they will have two legitimate non-conference opponents (again, assuming Oklahoma and Louisville live up to expectations). If Michigan is a two-loss Big Ten champion, who exactly have we beaten? Going 3-2 against the collection you mention plus wins over teams not much better than the AAC will not be viewed as better than an undefeated Houston. If Ohio State has two loses, but a win over Oklahoma, how do they win the Big Ten unless the Big Ten proves to be rather average? I assume the only way the SEC manages a two-loss champion is with a shocking upset in the championship game, or if LSU/Ole Miss manages to upset Alabama, and then the question is really about a 1-loss Alabama jumping that SEC champion.
I just don't see a reality where a 2-loss team gets more love than the best possible resume a group of 5 team can put out there.
September 7th, 2016 at 1:21 PM ^
But for Houston to get in, there would have to be 2 power five champs with 2 losses, right? And that is assuming the various 2-teams-from-one-conference scenarios being talked about also do not happen (e.g. Clemson/FSU). I agree that a 2 loss big ten team probably doesn't make the playoff, but I'm not sure it is undefeated Houston taking that spot.
September 7th, 2016 at 5:12 PM ^
The OP phrased it as a question of Houston getting in over a 2-loss Power 5 champion. I think it's pretty clear that they would. I think the scenario assumes that it's coming down to Houston vs. a couple 2-loss champions.
Most people talk about the ACC as being the most likely to produce two top-four teams, with only one loss between FSU and Clemson. But I think that is actually a bad scenario to keep Houston out. The ACC outside the top two just isn't very good. If it's a one-loss conference runner up Clemson, with non-conference wins over mediocre to bad SEC opponents Auburn and South Carolina, I'm not sure they'll get much of a boost on SOS basis. Then it comes down to politics, and if the system is going to keep two or more power 5 conferences out, they may be more inclined to do so for a group of 5 school to show how "fair" the current system is.
Of course, there is a ton of football left to play, so it's sort of silly to get into the weeds. I do stand by my contention that an undefeated Houston is easily in over a 2-loss Power 5 champion, barring collapses by Oklahoma and Louisville.
September 7th, 2016 at 12:42 PM ^
It really does hinge on Oklahoma being really good in order for Houston getting in the playoffs. If Okl falls then that big win suddenly doesn't look that great.
I can't wait to play Wisconsin. Hopefully they keep winning and keep moving up the rankings. They are just too one dimensional on offense and I think our D will have a field day against them. Yes they beat LSU, but LSU looks average AF.
September 7th, 2016 at 10:26 AM ^
Great summary thanks Alex.
September 7th, 2016 at 10:28 AM ^
MAC run down
September 7th, 2016 at 10:31 AM ^
returns to being terrible - Western Michigan will need a new coach next year. Bowling Green "struggled" with their in-state foe.
/End MAC run down.
September 7th, 2016 at 10:46 AM ^
CMU closed strong to put a 49-3 whooping on Presbyterian - which apparently is a college with a football team.
EMU pounded FCS cupcake Mississippi Valley State (1-10 in 2015) from the opening kick 61-14.
September 7th, 2016 at 10:30 AM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 10:31 AM ^
Tells me the coaching is the problem.
September 7th, 2016 at 10:35 AM ^
have an offense, unsurprisingly similar to Lloyd-era Michigan teams, that plans entire games around landing two or three big plays out of a ball control grind and ground offense. The only problem is that those plays never land so they control the ball but never really go anywhere with it. It is coaching and QB development and has been for about five years.
September 7th, 2016 at 1:11 PM ^
Needs to fire Cam and hire a better OC and a real QB coach if he wants to keep his job. He's getting to the age where the quality of his assistants is going to start to matter more and more.
September 7th, 2016 at 5:13 PM ^
Not going to get the chance. He is only keeping his job if LSU turns it around and basically wins out or only loses a close game to Alabama. If that happens, he is unlikely to fire Cameron.
September 7th, 2016 at 11:24 AM ^
Coaching is a huge problem, LSU has the talent to compete and beat any team in the country even BAMA, but refuse to try anything new! Its sad to see such wasted offensive talent at LSU, while Les Miles continues to run up the middle against a loaded box! I am so glad he never came to Michigan!
September 7th, 2016 at 6:25 PM ^
It seems like LSU has had inept QB play forever, I can't remember their last good quarterback.
September 7th, 2016 at 4:20 PM ^
UCLA's Offensive Line is basically Michigan's line of 2013. Decent tackles, but a disaster on the interior. It's going to destroy their season as they have talent everywhere else, but that is a crippling weakness, since they are moving to a more power based offense.
Throw in a defense that has talent, but with no real natural pass rushers save for a lightly deployed Outside Linebacker in Deon Hollins with a D-coordinator who refuses to blitz and you have a recipe for a sludgefart season. Mora made a gamble based on the constant frustration of being turned into Stanford's bitch every year and it could have worked out if their starting guards from last year hadn't made incredibly dumb decisions to declare for the draft.
This is going to be an interesting year to watch play out for UCLA, as bad as this line is BYU and Stanford should both murderate them and starting out the year 1-3 might just torpedo a team most see as being mentally and physically soft.
Mora is starting to look like a slightly better Brady Hoke, he was able to mobilize a gifted group of upperclassmen and use a gifted quarterback in Brett Hundley to out-athlete teams, but he has some weaknesses he just cannot overcome and there's a loyalty to underperforming staff members that is killing him.
September 7th, 2016 at 10:42 AM ^
That is a lot a paragraphs for a Bullets post.
AND STILL NO MACTION?
September 7th, 2016 at 10:44 AM ^
I watched a bit of the UMass-Florida game and was shocked that UMass' D-line got push on the Florida OL. Between that, attrition, and a lack of experience, I think this could be a rough season for UF.
The same thing happened a bit in the Tennessee game. App. State was smaller and kept getting injured but they were around the ball and made a bunch of TFLs. If it weren't for the missed PAT and the long TD pass, they would be 0-1.
One team to keep an eye on: Maryland. I know they beat some cupcake. They also shut them out for three quarters and only let up scores on the backups. Durkin could have something going there once the recruiting and depth work their way through the program.
September 7th, 2016 at 11:01 AM ^
Most interesting thing for me this weekend was seeing Alabama with a mobile QB. That's a new thing, as if Nick Saban were trying to take a page from Urban's playbook. I wonder if Saban was the guy at Bama recruiting the QB (Jalen Hurts). It certainly adds another dimension to that offense.
September 7th, 2016 at 11:02 AM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 11:26 AM ^
Bama fatigue. I am really tired of watching them in primetime and in the playoff, etc. I am not even upset that they are winning, this is not a "hating" type thing. I am just really bored with them. I guess you know they are good when they are so good that they make college football boring.
September 7th, 2016 at 11:09 AM ^
ACC and B1G are still TBD because of all the FCS/MAC dates. Big 12. . . I just don't care about, sorry. Just being honest; any snowflake take out of diligence would just be a regurgitation of someone else's opinion.
Northwestern probably lost to a better team than Virginia, but I still didn't expect that from a team that won 10 games last year. It's not like they lost any once-a-generation (for NU) players like a Darnell Autry.
September 7th, 2016 at 11:19 AM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 11:11 AM ^
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September 7th, 2016 at 11:13 AM ^
I have to agree with ijohnb.....This was a great first week with a bunch of good games, Texas/ND being the most entertaining of them all! I was not too impressed by the LSU/Wisconsin game, they looked like two average teams slugging it out! If it werent for LSU #5 ranking, no one would care about that game or thought it was at all impressive!
September 7th, 2016 at 12:46 PM ^
Yeah, I think we will work over Wisconsin.
September 7th, 2016 at 11:19 AM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 1:46 PM ^
"There were a few other losses across the league" -- and Arizona was one of them.
September 7th, 2016 at 11:38 AM ^
Do we now have a tougher overall schedule than Alabama?
September 7th, 2016 at 11:48 AM ^
depends still on what Wisconsin, MSU and Iowa end up doing. It is possible though. The SEC looked really bad this weekend (and frankly has for a couple of year now).
September 7th, 2016 at 1:14 PM ^
To be fair, the SEC played some very good opponents this week and came away with some nice wins. I suspect the B1G would come out looking worse than they did had they been playing teams like USC, UCLA, Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina and West Virginia.
Yes I'm glad they lost 6 non-conference games in Week 1, but they deserve some credit for scheduling worthy opponents.
September 7th, 2016 at 1:28 PM ^
know man, Tennessee, Miss. St. and Arkansas don't fit that bill.
September 7th, 2016 at 2:25 PM ^
Okay, 3 teams out of 12 scheduled cupcakes. I look at the B1G scoreboard from Week 1 and see Furman, Bowling Green, Hawaii, Eastern Kentucky, Howard, Murray State, Kent State, FIU, Western Michigan and Miami (OH).
I mean, it kind of shows what the rest of us suspected all along, that the SEC isn't that far ahead of the other Power 5 conferences. But give them credit for scheduling the games, because after suffering 6 losses, it may not happen again LOL.
September 7th, 2016 at 11:50 AM ^
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September 7th, 2016 at 12:35 PM ^
if you want to see what Week 1 usually looks like, just look at this week's slate. Every Top 25 team is playing some mid-major also-ran except for TCU v Arkansas and Tennessee v VT
With this year's week 1 featuring FSU-Ole Miss, Wisconsin-LSU, Houston-OU, UNC-UGA. and Texas-ND, I feel like it's absolutely the greatest opening weekend of the past decade at minimum. Plus there was the cherry on top that was the SEC humiliating themselves all weekend.
September 7th, 2016 at 12:37 PM ^
Or at the least, like they do in the pressers, a bulleted list at the front of each conference section?
Thanks for all the great work!
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September 7th, 2016 at 2:14 PM ^
Great Week 1 for the state of Texas:
Texas beat ND
Texas A&M beat UCLA
Houston beat Oklahoma
TCU beat South Dakota State
Baylor beat Northwestern St.
Texas Tech beat Stephen F Austin (a wash for the state of Texas)
Texas St. beat Ohio
Texas San Antonio beat Alabama State
SMU beat North Texas (another wash for the state of Texas)
UTEP beat New Mexico State
Abilene Christian LOST to Air Force
10-3 record (with 2 loses to fellow Texas schools)
September 7th, 2016 at 3:48 PM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 4:52 PM ^
No way they let go of Pat. They've had two 10-win seasons, won a bowl game, and he's shown he can put together a team that's competitive against almost anyone. He's recruiting well, and I think they are looking to stay around a 8-10 win team under his watch. Why would NW want to fire someone who can get them to a good bowl game? WMU is a legit team, and they have a ton of NFL players on that team. Week 1, blah blah blah. NW will be ready to play come B1G season.
September 7th, 2016 at 8:05 PM ^
If you missed it, watch it. It was crazy good.
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