10 Things We Learned About The 2010 College Football Season
After months of build up, the first week of college football is almost complete (Va. Tech versus Boise St. remains).
Most of the top 25 took care of business but there were more than a few surprises on the opening weekend of play. There are some teams who probably can’t wait to take the field next weekend and a few others who are already looking forward to 2011.
With one weekend behind us here are ten things that we learned about the 2010 college football season.
10. Denard Robinson May Save Rich Rod’s Job
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After beating out Forcier for the starting job, Denard Robinson helped lead Michigan to a 30-10 victory over Connecticut.
Robinson was a nearly perfect completing 19 of 22 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 197 yards (a Michigan record for a quarterback) and another score.
Robinson is a definite fit to coach Rodriguez’s spread offense and if the sophomore can be half as successful as Rod’s former star quarterback, Pat White from the University of West Virginia. Rodriguez might be able to lead the maize and blue for a few more seasons.
The next test comes this Saturday at Notre Dame. The Irish aren’t heavily regarded but a win in South Bend will do wonders for the resume of Rodriguez. Should the Wolverines win that game, they shouldn't face another serious challenge until Iowa comes to Ann Arbor in the second weekend of October.
9. Florida Is Not the Same Team
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I know they lost Tim Tebow but the offense clearly has a long way to go.
Multiple errant snaps from center Mike Pouncey to new QB John Brantley led to more than one fumble. Running Backs Chris Rainey and Emmanuel Moody also coughed the ball up and the Florida offense amassed only 25 yards entering the fourth quarter.
The defense kept them in the game with some key turnovers but the 34-12 victory over Miami (Ohio) was a bit misleading. In fact the game was still competitive until two fourth quarter touchdowns by the Gators sealed the deal.
Make all the excuses you want but if this team can only gain 212 total yards on Miami U, what is going to happen when they play some more formidable foes in the SEC?
It may be too early to panic but the Gators cannot expect to feast on any serious contenders if they play another game like that. Luckily for them the SEC is not as strong as it has been in previous years. Yet, with games at Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida State, The Gators could find themselves on the wrong in of a few thrashings this season.
8. Jake Locker Must Improve If He Hopes To Go No. 1 in the Draft
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The stat line wasn’t bad, 266 yards through the air with a touchdown and another one on the ground.
If you watched the game however saw a different number, zero. As in zero fourth-down conversions and zero game-winning drives.
Locker failed to lead his team when it mattered most. Things started out well as the Huskies marched down the field and Locker tossed a 19-yard touchdown. He would rush for another score in the middle of the second quarter.
The Huskies did not score a single point for the rest of the game. Twice in the fourth quarter, Locker missed on key fourth-down conversions and failed to get his team in the end zone.
It is unimaginable that Locker could slip too far in next April’s draft. Nonetheless, forget the stats. If he cannot prove that he can win games late when given the opportunity, teams at the next level will surely pass.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for UW; they host Nebraska in two weeks and travel to Los Angeles to take on USC a week later. The Huskies need to at least make a bowl game and Locker will need some strong performances along the way to solidify his position as the top draft prospect.
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7. LSU Is Not Very Good
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Note to Les Miles, UNC gift wrapped that game for you and you almost blew it.
Despite the fact they were shorthanded due to a number of suspensions the Tar Heels rallied late and almost managed to beat the Tigers. Although they won a BCS title three years ago, LSU has not been very good since, going .500 in SEC play.
This was a game they should have won by twenty points, but after a huge second quarter in which they scored 23 points, the Tigers offense stagnated in the second half.
The defense gave up two huge scores late including a 97-yard score early in the fourth quarter. The LSU secondary allowed UNC quarterback T.J. Yates to throw for over 400 yards. Jordan Jefferson looked solid in the first half, but the quarterback struggled late.
LSU remains a dark horse candidate to win the SEC but it does not appear to have the killer instinct necessary to beat the top teams.
“We won a football game tonight in very sloppy fashion,” Miles said. “We’ve got to tie up some loose ends right now.”
If Miles and the Tigers can tie up those loose ends, they will be a handful for any opponent. If they can’t, it could be another underachieving year in Baton Rouge and the heat could be turned up on Les Miles.
6. Kendall Hunter and the Offense Might Lead Oklahoma State to the Big 12 Title
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Kendall Hunter ran for 257 yards against Washington State and 207 of them came in the first half.
There may not be a defense in the country that will be able to slow Hunter down. If he can remain healthy he should eclipse the 1,500 yards he ran for in 2008.
As far as the team goes, expectations are moderate in Stillwater after losing QB Zac Robinson and WR Dez Bryant, but the latter along with Hunter weren't much of an impact last year anyway.
Junior quarterback Brandon Weeden stepped right in and was solid in his first start tossing three TD passes, all to sophomore wideout, Justin Blackmon.
The offensive line is rebuilding and so is the defense but the soft, early-season schedule and lack of dominant powers in the Big 12 may be all Oklahoma State needs to sneak in and steal the South.
There are only three games about which Cowboy fans need to worry themselves: Nebraska, at Texas, and Oklahoma. Texas is not the same team as years past and Oklahoma could barely hold off Utah State. If the Cowboys can manage to win one or two of those big games and avoid any letdowns along the way, they could find themselves playing in Dallas for the Big 12 title.
5. Georgia Might Be the Best Team in the SEC East
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It’s been awhile since the Bulldogs could make that claim but if there is a year for them to win the SEC east, this is it. Florida looks to have lost a step or two and Tennessee isn’t what it used to be either. The other three teams shouldn’t pose much of a threat.
That's without even mentioning that Georgia looked really good in their first game.
Okay so it was against inferior Louisiana-Lafayette but they still put up more points against them then any opponent since 2004, all without suspended receiver A.J. Green and starting tailback Washaun Ealey.
Freshman quarterback Aaron Murray threw for three scores and ran for another. The Georgia offense put up 377 total yards of offense and looked crisp all day long. The defense held the Ragin' Cajuns to 128 yards and forced three turnovers. The Bulldogs should only get better when Ealey returns to face South Carolina next week.
As long as the defense plays well and Murray isn’t put into too many bad spots, Georgia could be well on its way to winning the SEC east.
4. Oregon Does Not Miss Masoli
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They didn’t miss Masoli on Saturday or LaMichael James for that matter.
Sophomore Kenjon Barner totaled a ridiculous 225 all-purpose yards and scored five times in the first half!
Oregon’s offense put up 720 total yards, (a school record by the way) without the two stars that helped fly them into the Rose Bowl last season. Quarterbacks Darron Thomas and Nate Costa seem to be more than capable of leading this uber-talented team. Perhaps some of the success was due to the lousy competition that was New Mexico but scoring 72 points and allowing zero is a great outing regardless of the opponent.
Oregon is the definite favorite to win the Pac-10 and, if everything goes as planned, they could be playing for the national title. The Ducks should be favored in every game they play and their toughest opponent is arguably a bowl-banned USC team who they annihilated last season.
Time will tell how high the Ducks can fly but one thing is for sure, losing Masoli didn’t clip their wings.
3. The Jury Is Still Out on TCU Being a Title Contender
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You got to love the new Nike designed uniforms, the way they play defense, and how they run the ball.
Still, TCU wasn’t overwhelmingly impressive Saturday night. Andy Dalton passed Hall of Fame QB Sammy Baugh as the all-time winner in school history, but he was not particularly spectacular against the Beavers.
Dalton threw two interceptions and at times looked confused and out of place. He hung in long enough to run for two TD’s and throw for another, but it was clearly not his best performance.
Ed Wesley ran for 134 yards and another score for the Horned Frogs and defensive end Wayne Daniels led the defense with two sacks, but Oregon State isn’t among the top tier of teams in the nation and TCU struggled to pull away from them.
Luckily for TCU, the only other challenge remaining on their schedule appears to be a mid-October game with BYU.
Provided they go 12-0, the only thing that can keep them from playing in Glendale for the title would be the voters.
If they want to help their chances, they must avoid any close calls with anyone else remaining on their schedule. The Horned Frogs may not be able to control their level of competition but it is imperative they make a case to the BCS by blowing all their opponents out of the water. Do that and the BCS should not overlook or under rank this team. Then again, this is the BCS we’re talking about.
2. The Miami V. Ohio State Game Will Answer Many Questions
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They last met in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl for the national title. A game that went into double overtime and broke the heart of Hurricane fans everywhere. Seven years later they play in a game that may go a long way in determining this year’s title game. Both teams boast talented quarterbacks, the Buckeyes' Terrelle Pryor and the Hurricanes' Jacory Harris. They both also face a lot of unanswered questions about their defense, making next Saturday’s game in Columbus a huge test for both teams.
Miami started out 2009 with easily the toughest first four games of any team in the nation, they went 3-1. The Hurricanes appeared to be heading to an ACC title but losses to Clemson and UNC derailed that train.
This year, the Hurricanes have another tough early run and the game versus the Buckeyes can serve as a launching pad or a stumbling block. After the game with Ohio State, Miami heads to Pittsburgh, then Clemson before coming home to play arch rival Florida State.
Beating the Buckeyes will not only be sweet revenge for the ‘Canes but would go a long way towards proving they are indeed back amongst the nation’s elite.
For Ohio State, this is a chance to prove that last year’s Rose Bowl victory over Oregon was no fluke. For Terrelle Pryor the time is now or never. Ohio State comes into the season ranked No. 2 in the polls and should be able to navigate through a tough but not impossible schedule.
Win out and Ohio State will lead Jim Tressel to his fourth BCS title game. Doing this will add to Tressel’s legend and go a long way to solidifying Pryor as a top draft pick in April should he declare himself eligible.
You can’t win a title, in September but you sure can lose a chance to compete for one.
Come next Saturday night, one of these two teams will see their dreams of winning a title this season shattered.
1. The ACC Might Be the Best Conference in America
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This conference boasts three teams who are threats to make a potential run at a national title and a few other teams who could make some noise before the year is over.
With Virginia Tech leading the way and Miami, Florida State, and Georgia Tech not far behind, this may be the best the ACC has even been.
The conference came in with five teams ranked in the top 25 to start the season and have the chance to play some high profile non-conference games early in the season. North Carolina barely lost to LSU despite missing eleven players to suspension. Virginia Tech will host Boise State on Monday, Miami plays Ohio State and Pittsburgh in the next two weeks. Florida State will take on Oklahoma next Saturday and BYU a week later.
Those are five huge games and, if they can manage to win the majority of them, it would be hard to argue that there is a better conference.
Virginia Tech is the most obvious title contender out of the bunch. The Hokies were ranked No. 10 in the preseason poll and, if they beat Boise State Monday night, they will skyrocket up the polls.
Sophomore running back Ryan Williams is one of the top backs in the nation and senior quarterback Tyrod Taylor is seasoned and has the experience to take this team to the next level. They were close last season finishing 10-3 and look to be stronger this year.
A win over Boise State and they should cruise to 8-0. After that the schedule gets really tough, they face Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Miami in consecutive weeks. If they manage to win those games, all that would stand in their way of playing in the national championship game would be a matchup with the winner of the Atlantic division in the ACC title game.
First things first, they must get by Boise State.
The next best team in the conference would be the Hurricanes and they have their own early season tests to get through, beginning with Big Ten favorite Ohio State. Beat them and it’s off to take on a vulnerable looking Pittsburgh team. Miami has the talent to play with anybody, the question is do they have the discipline and experience to put it together for an entire season.
The last real threat to come out of the ACC would be the Florida State Seminoles.
Christian Ponder is an experienced leader and this team could pull off a few surprises before the season’s done. Unlike many schools with new coaches who go through the growing pains of adapting to a new style, the Seminoles have played in Jimbo Fisher’s system for years while he served as offensive coordinator under the legendary Bobby Bowden.
"We are going to play one way only," Fisher told reporters, "and that's with effort and passion." They look more than capable of beating Oklahoma in Norman next week and, if they can win there, they should be able to win anywhere.
It’s still too early to tell but if I were a betting man I’d put my money behind the ACC as the best conference in America.
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