It's difficult to take anything useful away from season openers. Last week brought us things that were new and exciting, but we didn't quite know what to make of them at the time. Is Ohio State's offense really that explosive? Is M*ch*g*n State a contender or a pretender? Is the SEC still the best conference team-for-team, top-to-bottom? Week two is where we first see things truly beginning to take shape. It's our first chance to put this season into context based on what we're seeing now, rather than just guessing based on what we remember from previous seasons.
With that in mind, what did we learn this week?
The Big Story - Comeuppance for the SEC:
Bret, you fabulous bastard...
Aside from this comment being premature and out-of-touch with his program's place in the pecking order of college football, there is also an element of self-satisfaction involved. The attitude seems to be that competence, if not greatness, is a given just by the company they keep. The games don't matter... except that they do. While he was occupying himself with the supposed lack of quality among midwestern teams, an opponent from the region's B-league was sneaking up on his Razorbacks. It's difficult to imagine how a man who can't even see his feet could manage to stick them in his mouth with such frequency, but when your public persona's defining characteristic is pandering to Finebaum callers I guess you find a way.
Toledo 16 - Arkansas 12. There's a word for what happened, but I'm struggling to come up with it...
That's the one. Thanks, Jen.
Let's not forget about the rest of the SEC though. Bret Bielema was not the only star performer. We would be remiss to overlook the Auburn Tigers, who needed overtime to defeat FCS team Jacksonville State. They only got by because the Gamecocks crapped the bed to the point of not even wanting to try at the end. With one timeout, :39 seconds and the ball at their own 35-yard line, they inexplicably took a knee and opted for overtime on the road instead of trying to get into field goal range for the win. It was a coward's move, and they rewarded Auburn with a win they did not deserve.
Meanwhile in Tennessee, the Volunteers blew a substantial lead in an overtime defeat to Oklahoma. Now, there's no shame in losing to Oklahoma. However, one of the backup arguments that SEC fans usually resort to in moments like this one is that while they might lose some inconsequential non-conference games, when the lights are brightest in major non-conference matchups, the SEC team usually comes out on top. In what was the second-biggest game on today's slate the SEC team choked. Financial partner ESPN was left speechless:
The only positive the SEC has taken away from this week came from the LSU - Mississippi State game. One team won the game and the other team achieved a hard fought strength-of-schedule moral victory.
Highlights:
Lowlights:
PATs:
With that in mind, what did we learn this week?
The Big Story - Comeuppance for the SEC:
Bret, you fabulous bastard...
Aside from this comment being premature and out-of-touch with his program's place in the pecking order of college football, there is also an element of self-satisfaction involved. The attitude seems to be that competence, if not greatness, is a given just by the company they keep. The games don't matter... except that they do. While he was occupying himself with the supposed lack of quality among midwestern teams, an opponent from the region's B-league was sneaking up on his Razorbacks. It's difficult to imagine how a man who can't even see his feet could manage to stick them in his mouth with such frequency, but when your public persona's defining characteristic is pandering to Finebaum callers I guess you find a way.
Toledo 16 - Arkansas 12. There's a word for what happened, but I'm struggling to come up with it...
That's the one. Thanks, Jen.
Let's not forget about the rest of the SEC though. Bret Bielema was not the only star performer. We would be remiss to overlook the Auburn Tigers, who needed overtime to defeat FCS team Jacksonville State. They only got by because the Gamecocks crapped the bed to the point of not even wanting to try at the end. With one timeout, :39 seconds and the ball at their own 35-yard line, they inexplicably took a knee and opted for overtime on the road instead of trying to get into field goal range for the win. It was a coward's move, and they rewarded Auburn with a win they did not deserve.
Meanwhile in Tennessee, the Volunteers blew a substantial lead in an overtime defeat to Oklahoma. Now, there's no shame in losing to Oklahoma. However, one of the backup arguments that SEC fans usually resort to in moments like this one is that while they might lose some inconsequential non-conference games, when the lights are brightest in major non-conference matchups, the SEC team usually comes out on top. In what was the second-biggest game on today's slate the SEC team choked. Financial partner ESPN was left speechless:
The only positive the SEC has taken away from this week came from the LSU - Mississippi State game. One team won the game and the other team achieved a hard fought strength-of-schedule moral victory.
Highlights:
- This Week in Fat Kicker:
- Or short of this, send Dear Leader the coordinates:
- This play - it's sublime:
- The best play you probably didn't see - Minnesota State Moorhead vs. Concordia St. Paul:
Lowlights:
- This guy:
- ...and this guy:
- ...and this guy:
PATs:
- Tom Herman has been saying that his team needs to keep pace with Boise State. Looks like it's actually the other way around.
- Best wishes to Malik Zaire for a full recovery. You'd be hard pressed to find any Notre Dame fans at BuckeyePlanet, but we know all too well what it's like to see a promising QB lose the remainder of his season to a devastating injury.
- One of the stories last week was how the B1G's premier teams mostly disappointed in their opening games. There were struggles and embarrassing results this week (looking at you, Maryland and Rutgers), but M*ch*g*n State got a huge win in a battle of top ten teams and the other brand-name teams all won in lesser matchups. It's true that M*ch*g*n, Penn State and Nebraska are not as good as they used to be. Their names still carry weight though, and they are looked upon as secondary standard bearers behind Ohio State. Despite the overall profile being similar to last week, who wins and who loses matters in the perception game.
- Power Five college football programs would do well to beware of high-profile transfer QBs. I think the teams that take them in imagine that they're getting the next Russell Wilson, but they're more likely to be getting another team's trash. See also: Jake Rudock and Everett Golson.
- Ohio State has a cakewalk schedule. They should have to play twelve games led by the crippling mediocrity of Will Muschamp and Bret Bielema like the SEC does.
- Kirk Ferentz is setting himself up to reclaim the B1G Coach of the Year award after getting the win in 'El Assico' against Iowa State. After starting 2-0, he could probably afford to go .500 the rest of the way and still win the award, such is the way that it is determined.
