2) On the plus side, Clemson did look extremely loose and as close to what it was a season ago on offense as it has through three games this year. Deshaun Watson started 6-for-6 and finished with three touchdown passes. The receivers had a tremendous game, including Ray-Ray McCloud who scored twice and is looking like a dynamic threat to go alongside Mike Williams and Artavis Scott. And defensively, the Tigers' front seven harassed Bulldog QBs early and often.
3) The other positive was all the playing time young players received. Freshman sensation Tavien Feaster led Clemson with 12 carries for 83 yards and scored his first career touchdown. A total of 15 Tigers caught passes - sophomore Trevion Thompson and freshman Diondre Overton collected the first TD receptions of their careers. Clemson had 30 defensive players record a statistic. It was everything Dabo Swinney could have hoped for.
4) There's trouble brewing in Norman, Oklahoma. The preseason No. 3-ranked Sooners are now 1-2 with a bye week ahead of a road game at TCU and the Red River Showdown with Texas. I won't win over many of my OU friends with this statement, but the Sooners have become soft. In the past season plus three games when Oklahoma has faced a team that smacked it in the mouth, OU has rolled over. Texas did it. Clemson did it. Houston and now Ohio State. In fact, Oklahoma is 8-4 in its last 12 games. From my point of view, Oklahoma isn't throwing the first punch and asserting its dominance like the big boys in college football do. Nor is it responding to a few blows - like Alabama did yesterday with Ole Miss. Once the other team gets in a few shots, consider the Sooners done.
5) Over the course of the game with Ohio State, the Buckeyes showed a clear talent gap. OU at times looked lost defensively, which has led to many Sooner fans calling for the firing on defensive coordinator Mike Stoops. That's going to make it pretty awkward for brother Bob to make that call. Speaking of Bob, you have to wonder if his moniker "Big Game Bob" will ever return. Aside from stomping a weak Big 12 schedule, there have been few times when Oklahoma walked onto a big stage and walked away with a victory. Somethings gotta change, or we can continue to put OU in the top five during the preseason only to see the Sooners falter.
6) Can someone check Lamar Jackson for a birth certificate? Because he just doesn't even seem human. Or as my father-in-law put it, he has "Alien skills." With road games at Clemson and Houston remaining, the Cards have only a few hurdles to jump through before stating their case for a Playoff spot. Expect Oct. 1 at Death Valley to be a monster matchup.
6B) Speaking of "Alien skills," check out the photo below for not only the catch of the year, but arguably one of the top three catches in college football. Ever. How Ohio State's Noah Brown - who is barely seen here - caught this for a touchdown is beyond me.
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| (Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports) |
8) Conference watch: The Big Ten has depth. Michigan State opened a big lead at Notre Dame before holding on late. Michigan is where we thought it'd be at this point. Wisconsin already has a win over LSU. Nebraska beat Pac-12 power Oregon and is finding its rhythm on offense. And there's aforementioned Ohio State. ... On the flip side, the Big 12 is treading water. Only two teams are undefeated - Baylor (3-0) and West Virginia (2-0). The Bears have beaten Northwestern State, SMU, and Rice. The conference slate begins with Oklahoma State Saturday, and there's a three-game stretch at Texas, vs. TCU, and at OU. The Mountaineers had a bye, but so far have defeated a now 1-2 Missouri team and Youngstown State. In the way-too-early, but probably true department, it looks like the Big 12 will be out of the Playoff for the second time in three years. ... Elsewhere, the ACC looks to come down to the Clemson-Louisville game on Oct. 1. It's Alabama in the SEC, and then everyone else. And Stanford looks to be the class of the Pac-12 once again, but a Friday night date with Washington to close out September could change things there. ... Houston has the clear shot to lead the Group of 5 teams if it can finish undefeated with that win against Louisville in November.
9) Quick hitters: Don't schedule North Dakota State. Iowa found out the hard way, losing the game 23-21 to the Bison and losing $500,000 in the process. ... Arkansas meets Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas, this weekend. The winner will assert itself as next-in-line behind Alabama in the SEC West. In the SEC East, Florida takes an 11-game winning streak over Tennessee to Rocky Top. The winner there has the upperhand to take that division. ... It might be time to recognize that Bobby Petrino is one of the best coaches currently in college football. Aside from his legal issues, Petrino has taken Louisville to new heights two different times, and don't forget what he did at Arkansas pre-motorcycle accident. It'll be interesting to see if Petrino bolts Louisville a second time if say Auburn, LSU, or someone of the like calls.
10) Clemson enters conference play and goes on the road to a place it hasn't won since 2003 - Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are primed for an upset on a Thursday night Whiteout game. The Tigers have won three of the last four in the series and seemingly have the upperhand in the talent area. Won't matter come Thursday in ATL. Beat Georgia Tech.
-BtW
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