After three weeks of the college football season, four teams appear to have separated themselves from the pack. Alabama, FSU, LSU and Oregon have established themselves early in the season as the alpha dogs. Let’s take a jaunt around the Nation and look at some “snap judgements” from each conference:
ACC
– FSU is a monster and unless they beat themselves there is nobody in the league that should beat them. The game against Clemson next week is easily the game of the year in the ACC.
– Virginia Tech and Virginia embarrassed themselves with their performances this week. They have both clearly taken a step back from where they were last season.
Big 12
– If Texas has actually found an offense they could be dangerous this year, but let’s not get too excited it’s just Ole Miss.
– Kansas State continues to win but they will lose to somebody this year they should easily beat.
– There are still eight undefeated teams in the Big 12, of course they are yet to beat a Top 25 team out of conference (0-1 on the season).
Big East
– After one half of football, I was ready to crown Louisville as the heavyweight champion of the world. After a full game, I think they are good but I also think they will slip up a time or two this year in the Big East.
Big Ten
– The B1G is clearly down this season. After three weeks there are just three undefeated teams in the conference: Minnesota, Northwestern and Ohio State.
– Purdue is going to be the team to beat in the Leaders division. With Ohio State ineligible who else are you going to pick? I’m certainly not putting my money on Wisconsin right now.
– It’s lining up very well for Northwestern. They haven’t been particularly impressive so far this year but they have been winning and their next four games are very, very winnable. They have South Dakota, Indiana, Penn State and Minnesota. I would not be surprised at all to see the Wildcats 7-0 heading into a meeting with Nebraska.
Independent
– Notre Dame is back. They aren’t dominant but they are once again relevant in the world of college football. We will see what Denard Robinson thinks of that statement next week.
– Just when I think BYU has turned the corner, they change my mind again.
Pac-12
– Oregon is clearly heads and shoulders ahead of the rest of the Pac-12.
– USC lost early, but they lost early enough that they can still rebound and be a National title contender if they run the table and beat Oregon twice or get revenge on Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
– For those that tell you Matt Barkley lost the Heisman with his performance on Saturday, they are fools. RG3 had been written off last year until he stuck a dagger through Bob Stoops heart. If Barkley leads USC to a victory over Oregon and puts up stats along the way then he still has a great shot at the trophy.
– I’m impressed by what the new coaches have done so far at Arizona and UCLA but RichRod is about to get a rude awakening next week. Jim L Mora, the self-proclaimed smartest guy in the room, is a little luckier as UCLA could not have an easier Pac-12 schedule if they planned it that way.
– Colorado is the worst auto-matic qualifier team in the Nation. No doubt in my mind. They are an absolute train wreck.
SEC
– Florida found itself in the second half against Tennessee. If they can play like that then they are going to be a load for Georgia and South Carolina.
– Georgia‘s offense is clicking on all cylinders, now they just need to get the defense going.
– Alabama is a weapon of mass destruction. They won’t be challenged until November third.
– Joker Phillips should probably start filling out some job applications. Maybe he and John L Smith should form some sort of pact. First one to get hired, hires the other.
– Auburn will finish sixth in the SEC West this year. Mark that down. Gene Chizik will be “Mark Richt hot” going into next season.
– Tennessee is better but they aren’t ready for prime time. They still have secondary issues and trouble running the football. Bray hasn’t proved he’s ready for the “big moments”. That being said, they are still very dangerous and I’m not quite ready to write off the Doolander just yet.
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