10 Biggest Questions Facing Top 25 Teams Heading into Week 3
Week 2 of the college football season provided a couple of big games with bigger-picture takeaways, but by and large, it was a sleepy slate of games that yielded some eye-opening results and upsets.
Week 3 is a little more high-profile. Specifically, two SEC games—Ole Miss at Alabama and Auburn at LSU—take center stage. Another pair of nonconference games—Georgia Tech at Notre Dame and BYU and UCLA—have serious playoff implications.
What are the top 10 questions facing Associated Press Top 25 teams heading into Week 3? We provide the answers based on last week's results, upcoming matchups and more.
10. How Much Will Oregon Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. Play?
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Oregon doesn't talk about injuries much, if at all, but Ducks quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. confirmed this week, via Chantel Jennings of ESPN.com, that he has a broken finger. His availability for Saturday's game against Georgia State is a game-time decision.
Of course, this is the type of game Adams could sit out and it wouldn't affect the Ducks too much. The coaching staff has plenty of confidence in veteran backup Jeff Lockie. The Week 4 game against Utah presents a much stiffer challenge.
How much does Adams play, if at all? A series? A half? Until the game is no longer in question?
9. How Does Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer Handle the Quarterbacks (Part Deux)?
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Three games into the season and no one is still quite sure how Ohio State coach Urban Meyer is going to handle his quarterback situation. The depth chart heading into the Northern Illinois game still has an "OR" between Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett. However, Meyer said this week that Jones is "the starting quarterback," via Steve Helwagen of 247Sports.
Adding more intrigue to the situation is former quarterback Braxton Miller, who has been lighting things up at the H-back spot. When asked if Miller could throw, Meyer played coy, but didn't exactly deny it.
The consensus seems to be that Jones will start, Barrett will get some opportunities and Miller could be the Buckeyes' secret weapon. What the algorithm is for using all of those players remains to be seen, but seeing as Ohio State's schedule looks more than manageable, there isn't a need to have everything figured out right away.
8. Can BYU Make It Three Big Wins in a Row?
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Will BYU crash the playoff party and be the first team outside the Power Five conferences to make into the the field of four? The Cougars actually have the schedule to make a case—provided they go 12-0, that is.
Their biggest test to date comes Saturday at UCLA. The Bruins are one of 16 teams to not have allowed a rushing touchdown; however, BYU is a far more accomplished passing team with quarterback Tanner Mangum on the field. If the Cougars are able to pull off the upset—perhaps in more dramatic fashion?—it'll likely be through the air.
BYU has won on what basically amounts to two Hail Marys. While a third would undoubtedly make BYU the most exciting team in college football, a win of any kind against the Bruins on the road would make the Cougars the trendy playoff-crasher pick.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Can Georgia Quarterback Greyson Lambert Rebound?
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Week 2 wasn't the best outing for Georgia quarterback Greyson Lambert. To be fair, though, Vanderbilt has an underrated defense (and we use the term "underrated" because, well, it's Vanderbilt and we're not expecting them to get credit for anything).
Still, Lambert went 11-of-21 passing and averaged just 5.5 yards per pass attempt while throwing exactly zero touchdowns. Yes, the Bulldogs can rely on their ground attack, but Lambert has to be able to pose a threat through the air.
The annual game with South Carolina has been tricky for Georgia in the past. The Gamecocks have won four of the last five meetings and, to be honest, this has all the makings of a Bulldogs letdown. The good news is that South Carolina ranks last in the SEC in yards per pass attempt allowed (7.1). The bad news is they're the textbook definition of bend-don't-break, allowing just one passing touchdown and intercepting four balls.
The Gamecocks rushing defense is porous, too, so Nick Chubb and Co. should have a field day. That should open up throwing avenues for Lambert down the field. But another poor showing—be it interceptions, low completion percentage or the like—could make things interesting enough for head coach Steve Spurrier to work his magic again for South Carolina.
6. Will USC Take Care of Stanford, or Find Themselves in a Dogfight?
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Before the season began, many would have pegged Stanford-USC to be one of the top early-season games in the Pac-12. It still could be, but the shine has been removed thanks to the Cardinal's season-opening loss to Northwestern.
It's not just that Stanford lost, it's that it got pushed around. Can head coach David Shaw's team reassert itself against the Trojans?
Last year's game between USC and Stanford was a low-scoring slugfest, and the winner of the last three games hasn't scored more than 21 points. But the Trojans offense looks unstoppable. If there's one concern, it's pass protection, and Stanford should prove to be the most legitimate test of that area to date.
If USC can get out to an early lead and put points on the board with ease, it shouldn't have much of a problem winning. If it's a low-scoring, one-possession game in the fourth quarter, Stanford would have some life.
5. Which Josh Rosen Will Show Up for UCLA?
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In two games, we've seen Brilliant UCLA Quarterback Josh Rosen (who has DirecTV) and True Freshman-Looking UCLA Quarterback Josh Rosen (who has cable).
Rosen looked unstoppable against Virginia with 351 yards passing, three touchdowns and no picks. However, against UNLV, Rosen averaged just 5.3 yards per pass attempt, completed just above 50 percent of his passes and threw a touchdown and an interception.
Which one will show up against BYU? Or will we see yet another side of Rosen?
As a first-year college player, there are going to be ups and downs for Rosen. That's part of the learning process. The positive takeaway is that he's mature beyond his years and able to move on from the bad plays.
"He just has tremendous poise and focus and the ability to move through the good and move through the bad and just keep playing," head coach Jim Mora said, via Joey Kaufman of the Orange County Register.
Can Rosen get back on track against BYU? Even if he can't, can he make enough plays to win?
4. Will Alabama's Stout Defense Pass Its Toughest Test Yet?
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Looking at Alabama's schedule in the preseason, it would have made sense if someone picked Texas A&M or Auburn as the best offense the Tide would face all year. As it turns out, it could very well be Ole Miss this Saturday.
The Rebels have scored at least 73 points in both of their games. Granted, they've played a pair of gimme games, but they've taken care of business—and then some. And Ole Miss has done so without star offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil.
According to ESPN.com's Chris Low, however, Ole Miss is bracing for Tunsil to miss even more time with an NCAA investigation. His absence verus Alabama's stout defensive line could prove to be huge. As Low writes, "Tunsil is rated by ESPN's Mel Kiper as one of the top five overall prospects in the 2016 NFL draft."
This Rebels team has the talent to go toe-to-toe with Alabama and surprisingly leads the SEC in rushing. Can the Tide shut down that ground attack while taking advantage of Tunsil's absence and slow down receiver Laquon Treadwell? That's a lot to ask of any defense.
3. Can Auburn Right Its Offensive Troubles vs. LSU?
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What a bumpy ride it's been for Auburn to start the season. In two games, the Tigers have experienced two different outcomes. The opener against Louisville got off to a great start, but required holding off the Cardinals from a late rally. The Week 2 win over Jacksonville State, however, required Auburn to come from behind and win in overtime.
At the heart of both games has been offensive inefficiency. Specifically, quarterback Jeremy Johnson has thrown five interceptions that, essentially, fall on his shoulders. Going up against LSU's talented secondary isn't exactly the best game to try to turn things around, either.
But if Auburn can get running back Peyton Barber going, it could at least take some of the pressure off of Johnson to make all the plays himself. B/R colleague Barrett Sallee calls Barber the savior of Auburn's team. Given how poorly Johnson has played, it's hard to argue with that title. The Tigers may need to ride Barber for the rest of the year. But it would be an improvement to see some positive difference against LSU, however little it may be.
2. Will Ole Miss Wide Receiver Laquon Treadwell Have a Career Game vs. Alabama?
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It's crazy to think about, but Ole Miss has the top rushing offense in the SEC in total yards, yards per rush and touchdowns. Considering this was the team's biggest question mark coming into the season, the numbers have been a pleasant surprise.
However, Tennessee-Martin and Fresno State aren't exactly the stingiest defenses. Alabama, Ole Miss' Week 3 opponent, hasn't allowed a rushing touchdown and is giving up fewer than three yards per rush. It's a matchup that favors the Tide. This is where Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell comes in.
Treadwell has a team-best nine receptions, but zero touchdowns. Coming back from his season-ending leg injury, there's no time like the present to have the breakout game of his career. His best game to date was coincidentally his last—a 10-catch, 103-yard performance against Auburn in 2014. His numbers would have been even better if he hadn't sustained his broken leg.
Treadwell is an absolute matchup nightmare and goes up against an Alabama pass defense that has given up some big plays in the past couple of years. If the Rebels running game gets stuffed, it could be up to Treadwell to have the game of his career.
1. How Does Notre Dame Quarterback DeShone Kizer Play vs. Georgia Tech?
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At least Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer has the miraculous game-winning touchdown pass against Virginia going for him. Depending on how the year unfolds for the banged-up Irish, it could prove to be the ultimate highlight.
Notre Dame is hoping that isn't the case, though. This is a team that believes Kizer, a redshirt freshman, can lead this group to 10 more victories while Malik Zaire sits out with an ankle injury. But before throwing the now-famous touchdown pass, Kizer looked hesitant and Notre Dame's offense was generally stale. Obviously, that cannot happen in Week 3 against Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets look to be too potent offensively for Notre Dame to make it a low-scoring affair.
"DeShone will do quite well," head coach Brian Kelly said, via Paul Skrbina of the Chicago Tribune. "We'll just feature some of the things he does a little bit better, that are considered his strengths as a quarterback."
Kizer has two best friends at the moment: running back C.J. Prosise and receiver William Fuller. It'll be interesting how much more Kizer spreads the ball around, if he does at all. Can Kizer pick up where Zaire left off? Or will Irish fans be pining for the days of Everett Golson again?
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
