College football games Week 2 : Texas looking forward, Michigan plagued by past as blue-blood clash headlines
There are alternative ways to reload. No. 3 Texas has performed it seamlessly on the fly. No. 10 Michigan? Effectively, it has been a little bit of a clumsy transition.
One crew made the Faculty Soccer Playoff for the primary time in its historical past and is over the moon taking part in within the SEC. The opposite is reigning nationwide champion whereas defending itself towards the NCAA. One crew is ascending. The opposite is, properly, descending, even when only a bit. Their fates meet in the midst of some X and Y axis at The Huge Home on Saturday.
Possibly that is not the very first thing that involves thoughts with Michigan however, good gosh, there are distractions heading into this showdown with the Longhorns.
At Texas, Steve Sarkisian is within the technique of weathering the lack of 11 draft picks whereas transitioning to arguably the hardest convention within the nation. Michigan? It misplaced a school-record 13 draft picks and its coach after Jim Harbaugh turned the primary nationwide championship-winning coach to depart his program since Tom Osborne retired at Nebraska in 1997. The Distinction is that he is nonetheless round in a what-did-I-just-step-in sort of manner.
The detritus left by Harbaugh’s wake wants a road sweeper. Cheeseburger Gate was laughable within the case that ended with Harbaugh getting a four-year show-cause and one-year suspension.
The NCAA remains to be digging down on the Connor Stalions affair whereas former Michigan staffers break land pace data attempting to distance themselves from this system’s former analyst/volunteer/savant/all of a sudden documentary topic.
Harbaugh’s substitute, Sherrone Moore, faces a doable NCAA suspension. Athletic director Warde Manuel expressed a few of his frustration this week with 247Sports’ Sam Webb.
None of it ought to trouble Texas, which has gained seven straight highway video games by virtually 16 factors per contest. The ‘Horns have a little bit of expertise with these type of showdowns. Final 12 months’s win at Alabama might have been the deciding think about getting Texas into the Faculty Soccer Playoff forward of Georgia and Florida State. Saturday’s end result might have the same impact.
“That is the great thing about coming to Texas,” coach Steve Sarkisian mentioned this week. “For 2 years in a row, we performed Alabama. This 12 months, we get to play Michigan to associate with our convention schedule. And our youngsters like it.”
Texas is trying ahead. Sure people at Michigan are checking their rear view. By no means thoughts the one “significant” penalty left for the NCAA might be a trip of wins; Michigan continues to steer the nation in all-time victories (1,005).
Harbaugh was on such a roll he was credited with win No. 1,000 regardless that he wasn’t on the sport.
Taking away a few of these wins from a 15-0 season in 2023 would wound the collective Michigan psyche. If the NCAA vacated simply two of these wins, this system would drop from first all-time in successful proportion to fourth.
No huge deal? Ask any Michigan Man or Lady.
The NCAA will not penalize the present athletes with a postseason ban. A scholarship limitation might be scoffed at. Michigan’s greatest protection at this level could be a sly smirk because it turns into teflon in an off-field, frat boy, buzzing-the-tower sort of manner.
On the sector? They’ve change into uncovered a bit. The Wolverines come into Saturday’s sport with some quarterback contretemps. Junior Alex Orji did not win the job. David Warren, as inspiring as he’s, should show he can maintain onto it.
The separation in quarterback expertise could not be a lot wider. Texas started the season with arguably the most effective quarterback room within the nation. Quinn Ewers stays a Heisman Trophy favourite after passing for 260 yards — virtually 10 yards per move — towards Colorado State.
The win was so decisive that Arch Manning — a 2025 Heisman favourite? — obtained 26 snaps whereas operating and passing for touchdowns. Texas can change into the primary crew with nonconference highway wins towards AP high 10s in back-to-back seasons since Notre Dame in 2005.
The host has gained 23 straight dwelling video games. The customer hasn’t misplaced on the highway in two years. Texas cannot be beat at this level. Michigan can not help however sit up for higher occasions as a result of that rear-view mirror is changing into a bit smudged.
Week 2 storylines
Prime Roast: The Deion Impact peaked final September in back-to-back dwelling wins towards Nebraska and Colorado State. The world came upon Coach Prime does not simply win, he rubs groups noses in it. Within the 36-14 win over Nebraska, Shedeur Sanders imitated his dad doing a “Deion Shuffle” after one landing. Colorado followers stormed the sector after beating an opponent that hasn’t been to a bowl since 2016. The end result stays Sanders’ largest margin of victory as an FBS coach. Saturday, then, is about payback, grudge, no matter you need to name this Colorado vs. Nebraska sport. The Cornhuskers are positively higher. Adequate to beat CU? Prepare for a reciprocal area storming.
On the Heup(el) Practice: Simply suppose if Nico Iamaleava performs a complete sport. When final seen, Tennessee’s quarterback was throwing for a school-record 314 yards within the first half towards Chattanooga. In his first two begins, No. 14 Tennessee has outscored the opposition 104-3. We’re witnessing the start of a star. Nico appears to have that dual-threat management vibe about him we noticed from former Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa. Only for enjoyable, I ran the numbers for each of their first two begins. Tua has Nico in whole passing yards by 10 (465-455). Every had seven whole touchdowns passing and dashing. They each accomplished greater than 70% of their passes, the place Nico leads Tua by 1.11% (72.34% to 71.43%). Not making any comparisons right here … however, yeah, I assume we’re. Josh Heupel will unleash his weapon on the highway within the Volunteers’ first actual check of the season at No. 24 NC State.
Getting all the way down to single digits: The beneath has hit in 17 of the final 19 Iowa vs. Iowa State conferences, together with the final 5 in a row. Three of the final seven conferences have concerned one crew scoring within the single digits. Ah, however there may be hope after No. 21 Iowa’s 40-0 whitewash of Illinois State. The Hawkeyes hit 40 factors for the fifth time this century. Cade McNamara is tied for second within the Huge Ten with three TD passes, all of them to receivers. Iowa quarterbacks accomplished three scoring passes to receivers all final season. Iowa State wants a very good efficiency to remain within the peripheral dialogue for the Huge 12 title. Kirk Ferentz makes his season debut after a one-game suspension. However, within the Huge Ten, do suspensions even matter?
Ore-gone?: Oregon blamed itself after a lackluster opener towards Idaho. Ask Dan Lanning. The Geese had 54 performs of at the least 25 yards final season. Towards the Vandals, that they had none. For the primary time in 15 video games, the Geese had been held beneath 30 factors. For sure, Oregon might be ticked off this week towards Boise State. The Broncos will run the ball with arguably the early Heisman chief Ashton Jeanty. The Broncos are 3-0 all-time towards the Geese, together with Chip Kelly’s first sport as coach 15 years in the past this week. Simply do not name Saturday a slugfest. There’s an unsightly historical past to this collection.
USC can play: Las Vegas? A levitating bottle? All of it appeared to suit after No. 13 USC pissed off No. 18 LSU within the win over the Tigers on Monday. Brian Kelly was definitely pissed off. With first-year coordinator D’Anton Lynn main the protection, clearly the most effective of the Lincoln Riley period, the Trojans are going to be an element within the Huge Ten. How’s that for magic?
State of Kansas State: A loss to Tulane two years truly would have helped Okay-State’s playoff resume had it been within the race. The Wildcats obtained schedule energy from shedding to a crew that finally completed 12-2 and ranked within the high 10. Saturday, the Wildcats go to New Orleans nonetheless a Huge 12 favourite and a loss essentially does not doom its playoff probabilities. Look ahead to spectacular sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson to go 200-100 within the Okay-State’s first significant sport.
Clemson warning: The partitions proceed to shut in on Dabo Swinney for not dabbling within the switch portal. For the file, No. 25 Clemson is 54-14 because the first full season (2019) the switch portal opened. For actual, how would this week’s opposing quarterback, App State’s Joey Aguilar, look in Clemson gear proper now had he entered the portal? Aguilar, the Solar Belt Preseason Participant of the Yr, was the one participant final 12 months to throw for at the least 3,700 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Fast kicks
- Two of the most effective play-callers within the sport, Mike Gundy and Bobby Petrino, meet as No. 16 Oklahoma State battles Arkansas.
- Iowa State has gained 4 in a row on the highway. It hasn’t gained 5 consecutive away from dwelling since 1961.
- Watch out for the longer term at Texas: 5 gamers scored their first profession landing towards Colorado State
- Ryan Day is the one FBS head coach within the final 50 years to start out his profession 40-0 towards unraked opponents. No. 2 Ohio State
hosts Western Michigan to go 41-0 - Lastly, a former Huge 12 Participant of the Yr — Colt McCoy — from what’s now an SEC college will debut this week breaking down the Huge Ten (Colorado-Nebraska) on tv. Realignment ya’ll.