Week 2 already feels different for the College Football Playoff picture, and it all comes down to the kind of games that can actually move the board. Week 1 mostly left things in place, but Saturday is loaded with matchups that should shake up the bracket, especially the SEC and Big Ten showdowns that have everyone watching Austin.
The biggest spotlight lands on Ohio State and Texas, with top-ranked Ohio State and No. 4 Texas meeting in Austin in one of the day’s marquee nonconference games.
That game carries obvious weight for the playoff race, but it also comes with a full-blown coaching chess match. College football and NFL fans will get a kick out of the coordinator battle, with longtime pro coaches Arthur Smith and Matt Patricia calling plays against college veterans Steve Sarkisian and Will Muschamp.
The scouting crowd will be out in force, too, because this one is packed with first-round NFL draft picks - and, as the source notes, plenty of sweat in those temperatures.
Texas isn’t the only team whose place in the bracket could shift by night’s end. The Cougars open Big 12 play against Arizona at home, and that result will help determine how the Steve Sarkisian Bowl looks when the dust settles. Depending on how Texas handles Ohio State, the Longhorns could finish the night at No. 1 or slide further in the playoff pecking order.
The other massive SEC-Big Ten clash sends Michigan and Oklahoma to the Big House in a game that feels like a must-win for both sides. There’s no hiding from the stakes there, even if the rest of the weekend still has room for the unexpected. That’s usually how this goes: the biggest games get the headlines, and then a surprise result somewhere else stirs the whole thing up.
One of the more intriguing games outside the power conferences is Memphis at Boise State. It might be the best Group of 6 game of the season, with Memphis one of the favorites in the American heading to face the Pac-12 ringleader on the blue turf. The atmosphere should be strong, and the winner will be sitting in pole position for a playoff bid, even with Boise State still having Western Michigan on the schedule in a few weeks.
There’s also the matter of Georgia, though the Bulldogs’ soft nonconference slate doesn’t offer much in the way of real answers. Kirby Smart’s team should put up impressive numbers against opponents like Western Kentucky, but those games won’t tell anyone much about the roster beyond the stats.
Oregon’s road trip to Oklahoma State should be revealing in its own way. The Ducks can climb higher in the playoff bracket if they handle that one well, while USC will spend a late night in Los Angeles without giving anyone much clarity yet. Lincoln Riley’s team won’t start revealing itself in a meaningful way until Big Ten play begins later this month.
Indiana, meanwhile, has already reached the point where the nonconference games are supposed to be over early. The Hoosiers should have had a running clock in the second half against Howard on Saturday afternoon, and until they face someone with a pulse, the questions won’t go away. Ole Miss has a far more pleasant setup, with the Rebels able to enjoy a day in the Grove for what will remarkably be Pete Golding’s first game as a head coach against a team that isn’t ranked at the time.
Florida A&M did not have nearly as good a weekend, getting thumped on Thursday night in what was probably less competitive than a Hurricanes practice. Miami still came out of it looking sharp despite a short week of preparation after coming back from the West Coast, and the Hurricanes have not one, but two legitimate Heisman candidates in Malachi Toney and Darian Mensah.
Elsewhere in the SEC, the Tigers will use their Saturday night tune-up against Louisiana Tech in Death Valley as little more than a warmup for what comes next. The real attention is already drifting toward next week’s trip to Ole Miss.
Notre Dame should have a quieter afternoon against Rice, and the mismatch figures to limit the takeaways. Even so, the Owls’ unusual option offense could create a few interesting snaps in South Bend.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Fans Just Got Their First Real Look At Noah Grubbs
Noah Grubbs had been on Notre Dames radar for months, but Saturdays game against Rice gave fans their first real look at the freshman quarterback in live action after CJ Carr exited. Grubbs arrived on campus early in January, got a full spring to settle in, and had already shown up in practices and the spring game, so the debut did not come out of nowhere - it just carried a different kind of weight once the lights came on.
At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Grubbs brings the kind of frame and arm talent that naturally invites attention in South Bend. Quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli has even pointed to the similarity in Grubbs strong-armed style and Carrs freshman profile, which makes Notre Dames quarterback depth chart all the more interesting as the season unfolds. The bigger question now is how quickly the freshman can turn a first glimpse into something the staff can actually lean on. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Is Suddenly In The No. 1 Debate After Week 2
Week 2 brought the kind of shakeup that can turn a routine early-season ranking into a national argument, and Notre Dame found itself right in the middle of it. Texas pulled off the biggest result of the weekend by beating No. 1 Ohio State late, while other contenders around the top of the AP poll also stumbled, creating the kind of opening that forces voters to rethink the entire order.
For Notre Dame, the conversation is less about simply moving up and more about how high the Irish can climb in a crowded field that also includes Georgia. With Oregon and Oklahoma taking losses that could send them sliding, the top of the poll is suddenly crowded with possibilities, and Notre Dame has done enough early to stay in the mix as the new rankings start to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Finally Looked Like The Team Fans Were Waiting For
After a season opener that left Notre Dame searching for a cleaner rhythm, the home opener brought the kind of performance fans had been waiting to see. The Irish overwhelmed Rice 52-0 with a fast, efficient start and never let the game drift out of their control, getting big contributions on both sides of the ball as the offense moved with purpose and the defense kept the shutout intact.
CJ Carr settled in immediately and looked comfortable directing the attack, while safety Adon Shuler and wide receiver Jordan Faison added to a night that felt complete from the start. For Notre Dame, it was the sort of lopsided win that does more than pad a scoreline, it offers a clearer sense of what this team can look like when the pieces are working together. [Read more 🡒]