The craziness that was in week one spilled over into week two, as some of the blue bloods took a beating. Ohio State, FSU, USC, and Texas all fell on Saturday, shaking up the top 25 and making room for programs looking to make a giant leap in the standings.
Here’s the breakdown:
Oregon 35 Ohio State 28 – A game you usually see in the Rose Bowl lived up to the hype that has been stirring all year long. Oregon was without two of their best defensive players, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Justin Flowe, and still managed to play great defense against the best team in the B1G. And as good as their defense played, the offense was the real story. The Ducks were able to score 35 points and produce 505 yards of offense on the buckeyes. Anthony Brown, the senior QB transfer from Boston College threw for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns against bucks, helping Oregon defeat Ohio State for the first time in team history. If the Ducks can cruise the rest of the way, they will be looking pretty come CFP selection. As far the buckeyes, they obviously have issues on the defensive side of the ball. They will need to win out and pray for some help for a chance to get into the playoff at the end of the season.
Iowa 27 Iowa State 17 – Ames, Iowa was rocking Saturday as the annual rivalry game between Iowa and Iowa St drew a national audience. The cyclones needed this win to show the world they belong in the national conversation. The Hawkeyes needed this win to stay in conversation. Iowa’s defense came to play as they picked off Brock Purdy three times and held the cyclone offense to only 17 points. Purdy had 332 yards in the air but when you’re team only converts fours first downs, that’s a recipe for disaster! That makes six in a row for the Hawkeyes over the Cyclones.
Texas 21 Arkansas 40 – Texas got a small taste of what life will be like in the SEC, as the longhorns had no answer for the razorbacks ground game. Arkansas ran for 333 yards on 47 carries, and they did it with hardly any resistance. Coach Sam Pittman had his team playing on all cylinders in front of a sold out crowd. With this win, the Razorbacks look to gain some ground in the SEC West. They better get ready because they have Ga Southern, Georgia, and Texas a&m on deck. As for Texas, we all knew this was a rebuild. Using a two quarterback system might not be the answer for coach Sarkisian; as the old saying goes” if you have two quarterbacks then you have no quarterback”. Texas host Rice next week.
Texas a&m 10 Colorado 7 – An old Big XII rivalry was renewed Saturday as the aggies came to Boulder, Colorado to take on the Buffalos. What was thought to be a shootout turned out to be a defensive fight. Starting QB for the aggies, Haynes King, had to leave the game after a few plays due to a leg injury. Zach Calzada came in and played admirably, throwing for 183 yards and one touchdown. Colorado’s Brenden Lewis didn’t fair as well as he threw for 89 yards and one interception. The aggies held the buff’s to 260 yards on offense and showed signs of life on defense. Head Coach Jimbo Fisher has been stressing for his team to be successful, they must get three and outs on defense. The aggies host New Mexico on Saturday before a SEC showdown with Arkansas next week.
Stanford 42 USC 28 – The Stanford Cardinal entered Memorial Coliseum as the underdog against the USC Trojans Saturday night, but that didn’t bother them, as they put up 42 points and gained an early lead in the PAC-12 North. Sophomore Quarterback Tanner McKee threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns. McKee had plenty of time in the pocket, allowing him to chisel away at the trojan defense. Defense has been an issue for the trojans under Clay Helton, something he has had plenty of time to address. The schedule doesn’t get any easier for USC, as they still have Notre Dame, UCLA, BYU, and Utah to play.
Other notable scores–
Jacksonville St 17 FSU 14- Incredible win for the FCS gamecocks. Horrible loss for Florida St. No offense to JSU but there is no excuse for losing to an inferior opponent and Coach Norvell knows this. I still believe there are better days ahead for the noles but it’s going to be a while before people forget this loss.
Utah 17 BYU 26 – The cougars get a win against their rival Utes and win the holy war rivalry. BYU hopes to be the team to shake up the CFP this season.
App St 23 Miami 25– This game was ugly. Miami was very fortunate not to lose this game. The ACC is not helping it’s case losing or barely winning these games. Will they turn the corner? Time will tell.
Toldeo 29 Notre Dame 32 – Maybe the Irish were still on the high of beating FSU(I hope not) but they played sloppy against the rockets on Saturday and it showed. Toledo was in control of this game until late in the 4th quarter as the Irish finally made plays and escaped with a win.
On tap for week 3
Auburn vs. Penn State 7:30 PM ABC
Alabama vs. Florida 3:30 PM CBS
South Carolina vs. Georgia 7:00 PM ESPN
Nebraska vs. Oklahoma Noon FOX
Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia Noon FS1
Michigan St. vs. Miami Noon ABC
Georgia Tech vs. Clemson 3:30 PM ABC
Georgia Southern vs. Arkansas 4:00 SEC Network
Oklahoma St. vs. Boise State 9:00 FS1
JDubb's Sideline Report 