Questions for FSU, Alabama after openers
Breaking down the ballots for the first regular-season AP Top 25 and wrapping up college football’s opening weekend.
Overrated or over reactions?
Maybe it’s a bit of the former, but probably far more of the latter after the first weekend of the college football season, which is notorious for setting off way-too-early alarms.
No. 1 Florida State and No. 2 Alabama held their spots in the AP Top 25 released on Tuesday, though both looked to be less than juggernauts in close victories against heavy underdogs on Saturday.
Florida State struggled to run the ball behind an offensive line with four returning starters and had a difficult time getting the Cowboys off the field on third down. Still, Jameis Winston was mostly excellent and the Seminoles outgained the Cowboys 476-364. If anything, the 37-31 victory for Florida State in North Texas might tell us more about how good Oklahoma State is than it does about the Seminoles’ weaknesses.
Alabama got into a back-and-forth game against West Virginia before beating the Mountaineers 33-23 in Atlanta. The problems came mostly on the defensive side for Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide, which had problems with pass coverage.
But let’s take a step back: Alabama outgained West Virginia 538-393, and allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown. That troublesome Tide defense allowed one offensive touchdown – though dropped passes by WVU aided Alabama’s cause.
Texas A&M’s demolition of South Carolina in Columbia was the statement of the weekend. And because it happened on Thursday it gave the college football world the entire long weekend to toss around potential nicknames for the Aggies’ new star quarterback.
Kenny Football? Please, no.
Kenny Pigskin? We see what you did there.
Kenny Thrill. Workable, maybe.
First-time starter Kenny Hill broke Johnny Manziel’s school single-game passing record with 511 yards in the 52-28 drubbing of the Gamecocks.
South Carolina provided the equal and opposite reaction to Texas A&M. The two traded spots in the rankings with the Gamecocks falling to No. 21 from No. 9.
It was a disturbing weekend for the Gamecocks on another front: South Carolina’s main rival in the SEC East, Georgia, looked tremendous in beating Clemson 45-21 behind star running back Todd Gurley. The Bulldogs moved up six spots to No. 6.
It took Bobby Petrino one week to get Louisville into the rankings. The Cardinals’ opening 31-13 victory against Miami on Monday pushed them into the No. 25 slot as Petrino starts his second stint as Louisville coach.
Chris Petersen’s debut at Washington coach was victorious but not nearly as impressive.
The Huskies slogged through a 17-16 victory at Hawaii with backup quarterback Jeff Lindquist and fell out of the rankings. The suspended Cyler Miles will return, and start, this week for Washington against Eastern Washington.