Adjustments are a big part of football.
So with that, let’s tweak our pre-season prognostications on the NCAA pigskin playing field.
Over-reactions? Perhaps.
But nonetheless, these are necessary adjustments with the opening weeks of college football now in the books and a first glance at teams and players helping to reshape our take on the campaign.
The big shift from mid-August is the outlook of a few ACC adventurists — and that conference, in general.
The Florida State Seminoles? Oops.
The Miami Hurricanes? Whoa!
And the Clemson Tigers? Hmmmm.
We had the Seminoles — like other pundits — atop the ACC come season’s end.
But what a stinker it’s been for them through their first two games of the schedule. Last week’s home loss to the Boston College Eagles followed the Dublin debacle versus the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Oof.
After going unbeaten in 2023 — and getting robbed of a final-four spot, remember — the ’Noles are now 0-2 to start 2024. The stumble has already punted them from this year’s College Football Playoff, even with the expanded bracket to 12 teams.
We admit we didn’t see that coming from FSU at all.
Meanwhile, the ACC-rival Hurricanes — the No. 12 team on the AP Top 25 poll — are gathering steam among the sharps.
That after Week 1 and a surprising — and historical — sinking of the Florida Gators in the Swamp.
Drinking the Miami Kool-Aid is a dangerous game since they forever under-achieve despite the annual hype. But how can you deny the ’Canes after last Saturday’s sensational show of force put on by quarterback — and Heisman Trophy candidate — Cam Ward?
They’ve got us believing in a resurgence … finally.
And Dabo Swinney’s Tigers? What do we make of the once-powerhouse ACCers?
Sure, it was the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs (1-0) bullying them in Week 1.
But Dabo’s dudes don’t get bullied by anyone. Or at least, they didn’t used to.
It’s just one game, but it was ugly. And when you combine it with the last couple of years of mediocrity coming out of Clemson, it’s seems like the best years are behind the Tigers.
SECOND DOWN
It doesn’t get any easier for No. 25 Clemson (0-1) — somehow they remain ranked — in Week 2, getting always-game App State (1-0) in Death Valley (8 p.m. ET) … BTW: Sudden ACC-darling Georgia Tech (2-0) checks in at No. 23 on the AP Top 25, breaking a nine-year drought of reaching the rankings after last week’s follow up to Dublin — a 35-12 domination of Georgia State (0-1). The Ramblin’ Wreck travel to play Syracuse (1-0) in Upstate New York for a suddenly sneaky good ACC tilt Saturday (noon ET) … Don’t over-react and get down on No. 7 Oregon (1-0) — dropped from No. 3 — after a clunker against visiting Idaho (0-1), an FCS side. Sure, the Quack Attack only won 24-14, but QB Dillon Gabriel — the pre-season Heisman front-runner — put up magnificent numbers. Unfortunately, his 41-of-49, 380-yard effort didn’t translate into a lot of endzone efforts. That will change.
THIRD DOWN
Sherrone Moore zig-zagged in naming Davis Warren his starting QB for No. 10 Michigan (1-0) ahead of last week’s win over visiting Fresno State (0-1). All the hype was on QB Alex Orji under centre — akin to the buzz that surrounded J.J. McCarthy a few years back — but the new sideline boss went with Warren in Week 1, who’s a senior with limited snaps under his belt. That decision’s got plenty of pundits pushing Michigan even further down in their power rankings …. Moore, Warren and Michigan get a chance to change our minds big-time with No. 3 Texas (1-0) at The Big House on Saturday in our Game To Watch (noon ET, FOX) … The only other Week 2 match featuring ranked-v-ranked teams sees No. 14 Tennessee (1-0) play No. 24 NC State in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC/TSN2) … That FSU fan on X.com — @321noles — sure disappeared fast from social media after promising he’d eat dog-poop from a red solo cup and video said meal if the Seminoles lost to Boston College (1-0). Here’s hoping he didn’t do it.
FOURTH DOWN
Tweak up ACC lesser-light BC (1-0) after running over FLA ST in Tallahassee, because Bill O’Brien is the new sideline boss there. Us fans of No. 8 Penn State (1-0) wish he’d never left that program for the NFL. Sorry, James Franklin … Tweak down fellow ACC squad North Carolina (1-0) after losing QB Max Johnson — son of NFL champ Brad — to a broken leg suffered in Week 1. The grad student has been at three schools — LSU, Texas A&M and now North Carolina — during his five years of college football. Despite the major player loss, Mack Brown’s squad did pull out a 19-17 edge of host Minnesota (0-1), but that’s a big blow for a school always relying on a star pivot … Speaking of long-tenured NCAA QBs, how about Utah’s Cam Rising, now in his seventh year. Wow! But that’s nothing compared to Miami TE Cam McCormick, who is in his ninth(!) NCAA year, having spent seven of them with Oregon. Call the Cams career students … Walk-on linebacker Gage Goldberg, son of former WWE champ Bill ‘Goldberg’, has earned a spot on Deion Sanders’ crew, Colorado (1-0). The wrestling legend and ‘Coach Prime Time’ were actually former football teammates with the NFL Atlanta Falcons … More from the ACC? Best name in the biz belongs to RB Daylan ‘Hollywood’ Smothers of No. 24 NC State (1-0). Give us a show, Hollywood!
AP TOP 25
Rank Team (last week) Record
1. Georgia (1) 1-0
2. Ohio State (2) 1-0
3. Texas (4) 1-0
4. Alabama (5) 1-0
5. Notre Dame (7) 1-0
6. Ole Miss (6) 1-0
7. Oregon (3) 1-0
8. Penn State (8) 1-0
9. Missouri (11) 1-0
10. Michigan (9) 1-0
11. Utah (12) 1-0
12. Miami (19) 1-0
13. USC (23) 1-0
14. Tennessee (15) 1-0
15. Oklahoma (16) 1-0
16. Oklahoma State (17) 1-0
17. Kansas State (18) 0-1
18. LSU (13) 0-1
19. Kansas (22) 1-0
20. Arizona (21) 1-0
21. Iowa (25) 1-0
22. Louisville (NR) 1-0
23. Georgia Tech (NR) 2-0
24. NC State (24) 1-0
25. Clemson (14) 0-1
NR — not ranked
GAME TO WATCH
(-7.5) #3 TEXAS @ #10 MICHIGAN
Saturday, noon ET, in Ann Arbor, FOX
Big win at The Big House for Texas? Maybe, but not by much.
PICK: MICHIGAN
BEST BETS
IOWA STATE @ #21 IOWA (-3)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
Iowa could well pitch another shutout in stopping short-manned State.
PICK: IOWA
(-10) #14 TENNESSEE @ #24 NC STATE
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
SEC vs. ACC here, with Tenne-SEC much too quick for NC.
PICK: TENNESSEE
BOISE STATE @ #7 OREGON (-19.5)
Saturday, 10 p.m. ET
The Quack Attack under QB Dillon Gabriel will be just fine.
PICK: OREGON
LAST WEEK: 2-2
2024 RECORD: 2-2