Kirk Herbstreit wasted no time settling on three teams that caught his eye after Week 1, and the list came with a few familiar names and one team that may raise some eyebrows.
On “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” Stephen A.
Smith asked Herbstreit to identify the nation’s best teams, and the ESPN analyst landed on Miami, Indiana and LSU. Herbstreit opened with the Hurricanes, then moved to the defending national champion, and finished with the Tigers after watching each team make a loud early-season statement.
“I got to start with Darian Mensah transferring over from Duke down to Miami,” Herbstreit said. He pointed to Miami after the Hurricanes “just blew Stanford out of the water,” and said that performance pushed them into his early playoff conversation.
Mensah’s move from Duke has already become one of the first big storylines of the season, and Herbstreit liked what he saw from the quarterback working with Malachi Toney and the rest of Miami’s supporting cast.
Indiana also earned a spot in Herbstreit’s top three after a strong debut with Josh Hoover under center. The former TCU starter threw four touchdown passes in Indiana’s 52-16 win over North Texas, and Herbstreit said the Hoosiers’ stability on the coaching staff gives them a real edge.
“I feel like they got the best offensive and defensive coordinator on one team in college football,” he said. “Got incredible continuity. So I got to put Indiana up there.”
LSU finished the list after a ruthless opening-game showing against Clemson. The Tigers rolled to a 51-10 win, and new quarterback Sam Leavitt accounted for three touchdowns in the rout.
“I think I got to put LSU up there just based on what I saw in that opening game with Leavitt coming over,” Herbstreit said.
He also singled out offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. for the work being done on that side of the ball. “Charlie Weiss Jr. doesn’t get enough credit,” he said. “Charlie Weiss Jr. is running that show as an offensive coordinator and play caller.”
Herbstreit also mentioned Notre Dame as a team worth watching. “Another team we just don’t know yet is Notre Dame,” he said.
For now, his early board is Miami, Indiana and LSU. The opening week was enough to get them into the conversation, but the real tests still lie ahead.
In Other News...
Berkeley Just Sent Clemson Fans A Message About Regional Power
Berkeleys win over Summerville carried more than just local bragging rights, and Clemson fans who follow the states high school pipeline had to notice. In a matchup between two programs with real regional weight, Berkeley controlled the night behind senior quarterback Henry Rivers, whose legs helped set the tone while the defense kept Summerville from ever finding much rhythm.
The result also comes at a time when both teams are headed into games against ranked opponents, which only sharpens the significance of what happened here. Berkeley showed it could handle pressure against a familiar rival and do it with balance on both sides of the ball, while Summerville now has to regroup quickly after a loss that could ripple beyond one Friday night. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons Home Opener Suddenly Carries More Pressure Than Fans Expected
Clemson heads into its Week 2 home opener against Georgia Southern with a little more urgency than anyone imagined after the opener. The Tigers will try to steady things Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET on the ACC Network, and while the matchup still comes with a lopsided point spread in Clemsons favor, the focus inside the building is on cleaning up the issues that showed up in the loss to LSU.
Run defense is one of the obvious areas to monitor, and the offense also has questions to answer after a shaky start in Baton Rouge. A first home game usually brings a chance to settle in and reset the tone, but this one now carries the kind of early-season pressure that can shape the conversation around Clemson if the Tigers dont look sharper against Georgia Southern. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson's Biggest Georgia Southern Story Is Suddenly Up Front
The story around Clemsons front line has shifted quickly since the opener, and the timing could not be better for a team still trying to settle things on both sides of the ball. Right tackle Collin Sadler is expected back after sitting out Week 1 because of a weight-room injury, giving the Tigers a chance to restore some stability to an offensive line that needs it as the schedule starts to tighten.
The concern is on the other side of the ball, where the defensive tackle group has taken a hit after Markus Strongs season-ending lower-leg injury. Clemson may get some relief soon, though, with suspended defensive tackle Vic Burley anticipated back with the team in the near future, possibly next week, which would at least help replenish a thin spot before the next round of games. [Read more 🡒]