Sean and I had many a discussions after the Week 1 slate as to what we thought about the chaos. Here are 6 observations and our cumulative top 10 after the Week 1 action:
1) Football is awesome.
Absolutely wonderful. We are so happy it has returned to us. There are few things better. This Week 1 schedule had all of the hype in the world and more than lived up to
2) Texas is... actually pretty good.
What a difference a quarterback makes, huh? Notre Dame is a very good team with two solid quarterbacks (Kizer > Zaire if you ask me) but young Buechele looked like a veteran dropping dimes all over the field. It's good, at least for me, to see Charlie Strong succeeding in Texas. I hope they have an excellent season but I don't see them making them playoffs, not with that defense.
3) Houston is looking at a playoff spot, however.
I'm not sure how I feel about Tom Herman but whatever the dude is doing IT IS WORKING. Houston is rolling with great play-makers, schemes, and most importantly, heart. They are a fun team to watch and I really hope they run the table and make the final four.
4) Large gap between Alabama and the rest of the SEC.
Boy there were some ugly performances from SEC teams this weekend. Tennessee, with all of their hype, was an absolute train wreck. So were Arkansas (1 point win over LA Tech), Kentucky (blew a huge lead and lost to Southern Miss), Missouri (scorched by West VA), Florida (didn't pull away until 4th quarter), OH, and LSU. LSU will apparently never have solid quarterback play ever again under Les Miles. Wisonsin came to play and, despite the score, outplayed the Tigers throughout the games. The SEC looked pretty awful in week 1, we'll see if that changes in the coming weeks. You do, however, have to give it to Texas A&M and Georgia for their big wins to bring in the season.
5) The ACC is looking pretty damn good.
Despite Clemson squeaking one out against the other Tigers, the ACC had a solid weekend. 10-2 vs non-conference competition to be exact. Louisville, Clemson, and Florida State will lead the ACC charge with North Carolina right behind them. If Florida State and Clemson win every game outside of their matchup on October 29th, as they're each expected to, they could both be in playoff contention despite having a loss.
6) ... and so are the 'Noles.
Speaking of our Seminoles WHAT A GAME. I was there and can tell you that the atmosphere was 100% electric and rightfully so. Deondre Francois surpassed many people's expectations after he found his confidence. The defense was nasty when it got lined up correctly. There is talent and depth across the board for the 'Noles, we knew that, but now they know that and what they are capable of. Shoot me for saying it, but that third quarter was 2013-esque. Look out.
OUR TOP 10:
10) Washington
9) Texas
8) Michigan
7) Georgia
6) Stanford
5) Ohio State
4) Houston
3) Florida State
2) Clemson
1) Alabama
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