{"id":3624,"date":"2018-09-12T11:00:56","date_gmt":"2018-09-12T16:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gridironstuds.com\/blog\/?p=3624"},"modified":"2018-09-12T11:00:56","modified_gmt":"2018-09-12T16:00:56","slug":"five-big-things-week-two-college-football-win-in-the-trenches-am-woke-and-the-next-cfb-monster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/five-big-things-week-two-college-football-win-in-the-trenches-am-woke-and-the-next-cfb-monster\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Big Things Week Two College Football: Win In the Trenches, A&M Woke and The Next CFB Monster"},"content":{"rendered":"

By: Chad Wilson – Editor – GridironStuds Blog<\/strong>
\nTwitter: @GridironStuds<\/strong><\/p>\n

Each year week two of the college football season has the effect of adjusting one’s glasses after week one’s events.\u00a0 2018 is no different.\u00a0 Some fan bases were ready to dump out their whole program after the opening week while others were buying tickets for the college football playoffs.\u00a0 Many this week were forced to adjust their plans.\u00a0 Here’s what week two showed me.<\/p>\n

Fear for the Spear<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Florida State Seminoles were all the talk after week one when they were handled by Virginia Tech in prime time on Labor Day.\u00a0 Despite the putrid performance,\u00a0 the prevailing thought going into week two was that Florida St. was going to do onto other as they have had done onto them when Samford came to town.\u00a0 By halftime,\u00a0 viewers of the game were checking to see if perhaps Stan was misspelled as Sam as the Seminoles were once again getting dominated.\u00a0 Watching the contest,\u00a0 Florida St. appears to lack discipline.\u00a0 I am sure the rival fan bases on Twitter want to chalk it all up to the current coaching staff because that’s a whole lot more fun than saying it’s a holdover from the Jimbo era but it’s still too early to tell.\u00a0 What I do know is that it’s going to be a long season for the Noles if the fundamentals and some self control don’t GPS their way to Tallahassee. Blown coverages, missed blocks, tackles and assignments will only leave you punch drunk against the likes of Syracuse, Louisville, Miami and Clemson coming up on the schedule. The positive for Florida St. for me continues to be Deondre Francois.\u00a0 I continue to be impressed by his poise, mechanics, accuracy and overall skill in these pair of bad team performances.\u00a0 The negative for Florida St. is that they now must take this show on the road and the scenes have not been hitting right.<\/p>\n

Cardinal Ways in the Pac-12<\/strong><\/p>\n

While some programs are finding ways to get kids in with highly questionable athletics so that they can compete on the field,\u00a0 Stanford has found ways to turn away potential athletes due to academics.\u00a0 Despite their M.O. they are finding ways to stay atop one of college football’s toughest conferences.\u00a0 The Stanford model, I am sure,\u00a0 is part of many ongoing studies across America at both the high school and college level.\u00a0 What I saw when I cut on the tape was what you always expect to see in a Stanford win and that’s domination at the point of attack.\u00a0 I was in attendance when Bryce Love went off on USC’s defense last year.\u00a0 This year’s performance was not as spectacular but what was impressive was the Wall of China Stanford set up on pass plays. The Pinesol fresh pocket that K.J. Costello set up in all game allowed for timely passing and extended drives.\u00a0 On the flip side, no such efforts were made by USC as Stanford limited USC’s ground game and the young QB J.T. Daniels’ effectiveness.\u00a0 I am not sure if I’ve ever seen a battle before between two QBs with first names so bad that they both opted for initials instead. Getting back to serious matters, USC is young and clearly lacking the signature marquee running back that we have come to expect in Scarlett and Gold. The 2018 Trojans don’t appear to be able to uphold the wishes of the fanbase and will only make for unrest come November.\u00a0 There’s too much smog in LA to fly banners over the Colosseum like they do in Miami Gardens, FL but dressing up as empty seats on Saturday is a tactic not above the residents of the City of Angels. Helton needs time.<\/p>\n

All He Needed Was to Change the Colors<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over this last three seasons at Florida St.,\u00a0 Jimbo Fisher was losing his grip in the Clemson series.\u00a0 The decline in his success vs. Clemson seemed to run similar to his overall deteriorating success with the Seminoles program.\u00a0 After last season,\u00a0 he made his abrupt departure and wagon ride to College Station where he was once again greeted with Dabo on the menu.\u00a0 While a Clemson win was a bit of a forgone conclusion in this contest,\u00a0 Texas A&M made it every bit the edge of your seat thriller. One could even say that Texas A&M won this game were it not for player haters dressed as referees.\u00a0 What is evident is that Jimbo can still dial up some play calling and has a wonderful set of WRs and quarterback to work with.\u00a0 Write down the name Kendrick Rogers.\u00a0 The sophomore A&M wideout was a full on beast and will turn heads this season.\u00a0 Clemson,\u00a0 like most winning programs,\u00a0 was great in the trenches and has some playmaking WRs themselves.\u00a0 Because of what they bring to the table,\u00a0 I think Texas A&M has as good a chance of upsetting Bama as anyone (if there is anyone).\u00a0 Where Bama might be a tad weak,\u00a0 A&M is strong.\u00a0 The game is in Tuscaloosa though,\u00a0 so let me put away the liquor.<\/p>\n

A Dash of Cold Water to the Face in Gainesville<\/strong><\/p>\n

Florida Gator fans got a headache laughing at their Big 3 state of Florida brethren Miami and Florida St. last week.\u00a0 Further tickling their belly was a Tennessee blowout loss to West Virginia.\u00a0 This Saturday night provided the ominous blue and red lights in the rear view mirror of a dope smoking driver,\u00a0 also known as a blown high.\u00a0 I had a high top fade and thought British Knights sneakers were cool the last time Kentucky defeated Florida on a football field.\u00a0 Saturday Night, the Wildcats capped off what was a dismal night for me personally (more on that later) when they upended the Gators 27-16 in the Swamp. The problems were clear.\u00a0 Florida was defeated at the line of scrimmage.\u00a0 While Florida fans were envisioning a return to the Urban Meyer days after hog tying Charleston Southern in week one,\u00a0 they were ignoring the inability to dominate on the offensive line against the FCS foe.\u00a0 That trouble reared it’s ugly head against this SEC combatant.\u00a0 However,\u00a0 the more troublesome sight was Florida’s defensive line getting moved out of the way by Kentucky like an expired department store display by an employee.\u00a0 Kentucky fulfilled what many upsets are made of.\u00a0 They held the ball and scored while limiting the opponent’s ability to do the same. Gator fans should not panic but that’s like telling a baby not to take a dump in a diaper.\u00a0 It’s going to take some time for the program to adopt the physical nature that Mullen wants to impose.\u00a0 Colorado St. should allow for some tear drying ahead of another real test in Knoxville in two weeks.<\/p>\n

The Beast is Forming in the East<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes,\u00a0 I know that Georgia played in the National Championship game and almost won it last season.\u00a0 However,\u00a0 many felt that Kirby Smart had inherited a very talented and experienced team.\u00a0 Some thought \/ hoped that it would take some time to get the young program back up to speed and get to the championship again. Start biting your nails.\u00a0 The Georgia team I saw vs. South Carolina on Saturday looked like Alabama East Campus.\u00a0 The formula is the same:\u00a0 Big on the offensive line with flawless execution.\u00a0 Destructive on the defensive front with the intent of ruining every offensive play like whack vocals over a dope soundtrack. Finally, competent quarterback play combined with multiple running backs who are allergic to laying on the turf and you have confetti fever in January.\u00a0 Georgia won on both sides of the line of scrimmage all game long.\u00a0 South Carolina could not tackle the Georgia running backs or wide receivers for that matter.\u00a0 The Bulldogs’ wide receiver Mecole Hardman is the explosive playmaker that keeps opposing teams’ safeties from being too nosey about the UGA run game.\u00a0 It’s all adding up for a disaster for SEC East opponents as Kirby has not even matured his sprawling field of recruited 5 stars yet.\u00a0 If I were into emojis I would post multiple face palm ones right here.\u00a0 Kirby’s going to get some coaches in the SEC East a Ryder truck and Century 21 sponsorship.<\/p>\n

Other things of Note<\/strong><\/p>\n

I told you Michigan fans not to worry. Michigan sprayed the right guard and got the stink off of that Notre Dame performance nicely.\u00a0 Granted it was a directional school to the rescue but the Wolverines showed the fans that the offense does work and that the defense can keep people out of the end zone.<\/p>\n

Chip Kelly may hope that the NCAA says his ban has not expired and get him out of the mess he’s in over in Westwood.\u00a0 Oklahoma damn near hung half a hundy on the man with the master plan in their 49-21 route of the Cubs. With Saturday’s loss in Norman,\u00a0 Chip Kelly has tasted the sweet wine of winning only once in his last 18 games.\u00a0 If this Fresno St. game this Saturday doesn’t produce a bottle of spirits then there’s no telling when the cork will be popped in this comeback event.<\/p>\n

In more trouble in the Pac-12 than Chip is Kevin Sumlin.\u00a0 It’s not just that he’s 0-2 in Tucson, it’s that he seems to be too far away from winning.\u00a0 Yes, I know that getting competent quarterback play after Rich Rodriguez is similar to getting laughs on stage after following Kevin Hart but give me a D for defense Wildcat fans. Houston is not supposed to puncture you for 31 by the half and 551 total yards when you are a proud member of the Pac-12.\u00a0 Sumlin has a get right quick game vs. Southern Utah this Saturday followed by a date with a jilted lover at Oregon St. in two weeks.\u00a0 Let’s hope that Arizona can dust up these two opponents.<\/p>\n

Several cactus away in Tempe,\u00a0 ole Herman Edwards was playing to win the game and that he did vs. Michigan St.\u00a0 Two games into his college football coaching debut and Herm has a livestock head to hang up on the wall.\u00a0 Good old fashion defense,\u00a0 mixed in with that new era hurry up offense funk and Edwards might have a hit record at Arizona St.\u00a0 We’ll keep listening to the rest of the cassette tape to see if he has a grammy on deck.<\/p>\n

I see you Mississippi St……….<\/p>\n

Did some Ole Miss defensive players get red cards or placed in a penalty box in the first half?\u00a0 Were they playing with 11 men out there?<\/p>\n

Finally,\u00a0 Saturday Night,\u00a0 I experienced what no parent ever wants to experience watching their child play football.\u00a0 Two plays into the defensive series of the Florida vs. Kentucky game,\u00a0 my son went down holding his knee.\u00a0 The same way you can spot your child from across the field just by the way they walk, jog or carry themselves is the same way you know when an injury is serious.\u00a0 Instantly I knew Marco Wilson’s season was over.\u00a0 It’s a sobering experience that we’ve been through before.\u00a0 In the days since,\u00a0 I’ve had a chance to reflect on a number of things.\u00a0 I know this will fall on deaf ears because fans cannot help themselves but the truth of the matter is that these young men you see playing every Saturday are putting their bodies on the line to entertain you.\u00a0 It takes a tremendous amount of time, effort and struggle to get prepared to give you their best when the lights come on.\u00a0 It’s even more mentally draining when a serious injury occurs and all that hard work is instantly rendered useless.\u00a0 The mountain that has to be climbed to get back to action would be too tall for most of us to consider climbing.\u00a0 As you experience the ups and downs of your teams’ performance each week,\u00a0 bear in mind what it takes for those young men to don your favorite team’s colors and attempt to make you happy.\u00a0 Before you tweet,\u00a0 consider the human effort involved to accomplish what you witness every Saturday.\u00a0 I appreciate all the support that has been shown to Marco, myself and my family by those of you who reached out both privately and publicly.\u00a0 It’s an ACL,\u00a0 it’s not life threatening.\u00a0 He’ll be back,\u00a0 he’s one of the most mentally strong people I know.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By: Chad Wilson – Editor – GridironStuds Blog Twitter: @GridironStuds Each year week two of the college football<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[829],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-college-football"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3624"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3624\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}