After week 2, the picture gets clearer. It’s not perfect but a general idea is usually there. Questions that were prevalent in the offseason tend to have a better answer. There’s simultaneously mystery but more knowledge. In this article, I look to answer some of these prevalent offseason questions.

1. Who’s the best team in the Big 10?

Going along with my expectations before the season started, this question is hard to answer. What didn’t go with my expectations is that not very many Big 10 teams have put in performances worthy of being crowned the best team in what is likely the country’s best conference (I mean I think they’re the best conference or maybe fox sports, Desmond Howard, and Joey Galloway brainwashed me and I don’t remember). Michigan has some offensive struggles as they fell to Notre Dame (I thought Harbaugh might’ve started himself at quarterback this week). They took out their frustrations on poor Western Michigan, but that loss to Notre Dame gives them an extremely slim margin of error if they still want a playoff berth. Michigan State has yet to look good this year as they struggled to beat Utah State then lost to Arizona State this week. Brian Lewerke was better this week but he hasn’t yet fully recaptured his magic from last year and LJ Scott has been a non factor. I still think they will end up being a solid team, but my prediction that they’d be a dark horse playoff contender is unlikely to come to fruition. Penn State ran through Pittsburgh this week, but that was in spite of inconsistent play by Trace McSorley. While Pittsburgh is a decent team, I haven’t yet been convinced Penn State can beat some of the better Big 10 programs (not saying it can’t happen, I’m just saying they haven’t shown that to me yet). Wisconsin has two good wins, but neither of them are against good teams so it’s hard to really know how good they are (we do know that Jonathan Taylor is really good though). Ohio State I guess would be the choice. Dwayne Haskins has looked really good. Mike Weber and JK Dobbins look like a great running back duo. Their defense left me with questions after week one, but stepped up against Rutgers. Their game next week against TCU will be a huge measuring stick for them.

2. Was hiring Herm Edwards genius or crazy for Arizona State?

In a hiring decision that still eight months later puzzles me, Herm Edwards has returned to coaching after a 10 year hiatus after he was hired by Arizona State (no matter how boring things may be, I feel like Herm Edwards will always be an endless source of content). After an opening game routing of UTSA, they again played to win the game (HELLO!) and took down Michigan State this week. I will say I did call Arizona State winning but the low scoring game was a surprise to me. Jalen Harvey and Merlin Robertson stepped up for Arizona State’s defense and kept the Sun Devils in it all the way through. N’Keal Harry was held in check by Michigan State’s defense for most of the game but broke through late for the game tying touchdown. What Herm Edwards may lack in coaching ability, I think he makes up for in motivating his teams and with that, I think Arizona State can be in a better position for upsets. I think it’s too early to tell if Herm Edwards’s hiring was smart (this’ll take a couple seasons to know fully), but I definitely feel better about it now than I did when they made the announcement.

3. Is Texas back?

So just as a warning, this section will be a glorified therapy session for me as a Longhorns fan. The abridged answer to this is no. Anybody who’s seen these first two games can see this as the case.The better question to figure out here is why. It’s definitely not because of a lack of talent in the area, or money. Texas is near the top of the country in both of these categories. It’s not for a lack of recruiting as Texas has had the best recruiting class in the Big 12 three of the last four years. With those crossed off, it comes down to three things, needing more time and patience, coaching, or just bad luck. The optimist in me would love to just blame it on bad luck. While Texas has had their fair share bad luck by losing four games by one score, and again this year when they ruled Tre Watson fumbled against Maryland when it looked as though he was down. All of these things are examples of bad luck, but it can’t be all left to chance. I think poor coaching can lead to these moments of bad luck. One knock against Tom Herman at Houston, that I dismissed at first was how constantly played to the level of his opponents. While it looks good as the coach of a G5 when his teams took down Louisville, Florida State and Oklahoma, it looks bad when he coaches a P5 school and his teams struggle in games they should win easily. This shortcoming of Tom Herman’s was on full display when Texas lost to Maryland, then beat Tulsa by only one touchdown. In both of these games, it was clear Texas was a class ahead of their opponents in terms of talent (more than a class with Tulsa). The lack of good coaching has to be brought up when talent doesn’t prevail. The question is, how long until we have to bring Herman’s job into question? I have hesitations about letting him go too early (things would have to go off the rails real quick to let him go after this year) as I worry they might have with Charlie Strong. But even though I think Herman deserves time, I’m starting to think he isn’t the answer for Texas. Maybe once Tim Beck is fired as offensive coordinator (please let this happen soon), things can look better. The predicament for Texas fans is we want the right coach, and we want Texas to win. But since I (and many others) don’t think Herman is the guy, success will just prolong his time as coach. It’s a tough situation for Texas that I’m hoping they can get out of. I also just hope Texas won’t lose to Kansas again.

4. Is Jimbo Fisher worth the money for Texas A&M?

So I have to go from complaining about Texas to complimenting Texas A&M, this is not very fun. Texas A&M played Clemson close and were a two point conversion or a fumble away from going to overtime with the second best team in the country. Obviously the home crowd has a factor but it was still definitely a great performance by Texas A&M and one of the rare times where I will use the term “quality loss” in a serious sense. Kellen Mond really stepped up after a mediocre week one. Kendrick Rogers made multiple clutch grabs and kept the Aggies in the game. Their offensive line deserves a lot of credit for containing the best defensive front in the country (they did hold pretty egregiously but getting away with holding is an art form). They managed to stuff Clemson’s rushing attack and just wouldn’t go away. Also they lost partially due to a terrible rule. They fumbled through the end zone, and thus gave Clemson the ball (this rule is stupid, but because it happened to my least favorite team, it’s just funny). Now to answer the original question, I think the answer is inconclusive for now. Jimbo Fisher is the highest paid coach in college football and has a ten year contract after essentially getting run off at Florida State. On the upside, he did win a national title there and built a team that was a consistent contender up until his last year. It was definitely a high risk – high reward in investment. It’s hard to say for now but things do appear to be looking up for Texas A&M (I’m going to go throw up now and then watch Justin Tucker’s game winning kick the last time Texas and Texas A&M played on loop).

5. How will these quarterback questions be resolved?

Every offseason, there are teams with quarterback battles. Most of the time, they’re resolved by the start of the year but this year, there are still some that are lingering. Here I will just break some of the more know ones down by team.

Alabama:

It’s clear that Tua Tagovailoa is the guy for Alabama. He’s performed well and while Jalen Hurts is a sold quarterback, Tua just has a higher ceiling. What’s puzzling is that Hurts has played in both games so far. I assumed he would redshirt this year, and be on his way to a different school. I just don’t see the upside in having garbage time reps sacrifice this year for him. He needs to play four games or less then transfer Tua different school after this year (did you guys get the joke). I think having two years of eligibility as opposed to one is a big deal, and he shouldn’t waste a year. I guess we’ll see how it turns out for him, but at the moment it looks like Tua will not be dethroned.

Clemson:

In a situation strikingly similar to Alabama’s, Clemson has had to choose between a proven veteran who’s strengths and weaknesses are commonly known, or a blue chip young prospect who’ll likely turn into a star later on. In Saturday’s win over Texas A&M, Kelly Bryant showed that he still definitely deserves his reps at quarterback. Trevor Lawrence was fine in his time, but it’s hard to expect much from a true freshman in big games like these. I think rotating quarterbacks might still be the right call and it looks like that’s what they plan on doing. Bryant just has an ability running the ball that will always keep defenses on their toes and actually impressed me with some of the throws he made. With all that said, I still think they should’ve subbed in Lawrence more for obvious passing situations. I think Dabo Swinney will just end up riding the hot hand throughout the season.

Florida:

While before the season there was some speculation that Dan Mullen might go with Kyle Trask or true freshman Emory Jones, Feleipe Franks seems to have cemented himself as the starter for the time being. While his week two performance wasn’t as great as last week’s but I still don’t see him being replaced this season.

Florida State:

Deondre Francois’s credentials as a starter were brought to question after their loss to Virginia Tech, and I guess were quieted slightly after their ugly week two victory over Samford. I don’t think his position is in jeopardy quite yet, but he still hasn’t set himself apart from James Blackman. Francois needs a big time performance these next few weeks for fans and coaches alike to feel comfortable with him in the starting role. The Florida State program overall should be worried. This may be a long year if they have to fight hard to beat Samford. Also seeing that pick six by their quarterback was just so depressing to watch.

Notre Dame:

Something that has been quite a surprise to me this season is Brian Kelly’s patience with Brandon Wimbush (I think Notre Dame has rotated quarterbacks for the last 10 years seriously I can’t think of the last time someone has securely been the starter for an entire year). Not only has Kelly been patient and given Wimbush a long leash, I would argue he’s been too patient and needs to shorten it. While Wimbush’s performance was respectable against Michigan, his play against Ball State left a lot to be desired. Ian Book has also shown he’s no slouch. Wimbush has tended to come up short in big moments for the Fighting Irish. Book on the other hand, has thrown a game winning pass in the Citrus Bowl, and hasn’t really done anything to have his big game chops questioned. I think Book needs to be given his shot, and I’ll be very surprised if he isn’t.

6. Can Georgia overtake Alabama?

I’m not trying to brag (yes I am), but Georgia was my pick to win the National Title this year, and they’ve fared pretty well so far. Jake Fromm put in another solid performance at quarterback against South Carolina and the combination of D’Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield is dangerous at running back. Their defense came through with two interceptions and only allowed 56 rushing yards. It’s also important to realize that this team still has some young pieces and will get better with game reps. Alabama has also looked very impressive but they have yet to face an opponent as good as South Carolina. It looks like Georgia has the talent to dethrone Alabama, but the question of will they is going to have to be answered in December.

7. How will Kyler Murray do in his last year at Oklahoma?

Kyler Murray had five total touchdowns and 375 total yards, and if felt like this week was a downgrade from last. He’s a consistent threat both by running the ball and through the air. To make a long answer short, Murray is doing great and it doesn’t seem like he’ll be slowing down anytime soon. Led by his strong play, Oklahoma is a legitimate National Title contender and a team people need to look out for. Hopefully Oklahoma can find a way to overcome Rodney Anderson’s injury as he looks to miss the remainder of the season. Anderson has missed significant time in three out of the last four seasons due to injury. Hopefully Anderson can persevere and have a great pro career as it appears he will enter the draft after the season.

8. Can Scott Frost right the ship for Nebraska?

Nebraska fell short against Colorado on Saturday. Scott Frost gained notoriety for his quick turnaround at UCF. It’s likely that turning around a P5 program, especially one that’s in a higher end P5 conference, will just take more time. Losing Adrian Martinez in the fourth quarter definitely made things more challenging (Andrew Bunch put in a valiant effort). What is an immediate fix needed is a lack of penalties which cost the Cornhuskers this game. Frost still has my vote of confidence, but time needs to be given. Side note, there were two funny non football things about this game. First, the announcers didn’t hold back when it came to throwing shade at Tristan Gebbia for transferring, and also when they showed a ground level suite right by the field showing that game on a TV. Why would they show the game the suite is right next to, on a TV? I guess I’m weird for being bothered by this, but it just seems like it’d be better to have another game on since playing the game you’re at is pointless.

Here are some random thoughts I had during week two.

1. Announcers seem to have the most conservative play calling preferences ever. Seriously how opposed to fun are these announcers? I will go for it on 4th and 1 at midfield or go for two when down two if I please and I could go for the announcers not judging these totally rational decisions.

2. What’s the rule about hitting someone in a standing dog pile? When the whistle blows and the runner isn’t down, when is it no longer just a player stopping momentum and when is it a penalty? Do you guys know because I have no idea, and once I think I do, a call in the game I’m watching goes against it.

3. I still don’t quite understand targeting either. Obviously we want people intentionally out to injure opposing players to be ejected. Obviously we want players to not lead with their heads, I just don’t think targeting is the right rule for it. Every hit looks intentional when slowed down. I also just feel bad seeing players getting kicked out of games when I don’t think they’re trying to hurt other players. But one thing we can all agree on is that Liberty’s punter getting ejected for targeting is something we didn’t expect going into this week.

4. The Memphis and Navy game was secretly pretty exciting. Malcolm Perry had a very impressive touchdown run. Navy came in clutch and pulled out a win, increasing my respect for the triple option. Also Memphis had some of the worst jerseys I’ve ever seen.

5. Kansas winning on the road for the first time since 2009 was great. It’s just hard not to feel happy for anything good Kansas does (except beating Texas).

6. CeeDee Lamb made the best catch I’ve seen in a while. It’s ridiculous that it didn’t count. First off, it was in bounds, and second off if a catch is that impressive, it should just be counted.

7. One of my favorite things to see on broadcasts are when they cut to a coach in the press box with just a blank look on their face or just a ridiculous looking concentration face. It will never fail to make me chuckle.

8. Ole Miss is one of the most lopsided teams in the country. They gave up 41 points and 629 yards to an FCS school. It was just counteracted by them scoring 76 points. SEC play will be interesting for them.

9. The Wildcat formation is awesome. I love watching a running back or receiver just take a direct snap and go. It was something I enjoyed seeing with Laviska Shenault (that dude had a herculean performance also) and Colorado. Benny Snell also ran it for Kentucky. It was brilliant with both people. I wish it could be used more prevalently. Also I want to see more passing out of it just because I think it’s cool to see.

10. Eastern Michigan (a national powerhouse in my NCAA 14 dynasty with them) Upset Purdue 20-19. There were some very good individual performances for Purdue but they couldn’t come out with a win. Purdue needs one of their quarterbacks to establish themselves as the starter and they also need to stop shooting themselves in the foot with dumb personal fouls late in the game or it could be a long year (also they need to not have weird fumbles).

11. Colorado State scored 25 straight points en route to a 34-27 win over Arkansas. This game was won with a late touchdown run by Izzy Matthews. While it was won on a running play into the end zone, just about every other big play by Colorado State was through the air. KJ Carta-Samuels threw for 389 yards.

12. In one of the more marquee games of the weekend, Stanford beat USC by a score of 17-3. JT Daniels looked like a true freshman in this game. Obviously he is a true freshman and it’s hard to blame him for the loss. What can be blamed is Tee Martin’s poor play calling (it’s time to question his job), USC’s inability to contain Bryce Love, and the fact that Colby Parkinson’s touchdown catch may or may not have been in bounds (I don’t know for sure but it looked out to me).

13. Hawaii looks to be the real deal this year after their third game. Their offense was firing on all cylinders behind the arm of Cole McDonald (Cole McDonald had an arm ei-ro-o, get it guys?), the ruining ability of Freddie Holly III, and John Ursua’s pass catching. To me, college football is a bit more fun when Hawaii is good. It’s fun to see a team from Hawaii, a place nearly everyone loves, succeed, and it’s fun to watch their games late at night. There’s just something about Hawaii that’s very likable to me. It’s also probably their jerseys, especially the white ones with the rainbow sleeve, which need to be brought back as well as the ones with the American flag on the shoulders and number outline. With all that said, let’s hold out hope Hawaii can slip in as the G5 representative in the NY6 bowls (maybe even pull a UCF by going undefeated and claiming a national title).

14. Duke is a team that I’m starting to suspect might be secretly decent. They play Baylor and Virginia Tech in the next three weeks, so those will be interesting measuring stick games. We’ll see where it goes, but they’ve looked nice so far.

15. Wisconsin has pranced to easy victories in their first two games, but what’s stuck out more to me is how good Jonathan Taylor is. Taylor has rushed for 398 yards in two games. I don’t care if they were against Western Kentucky and New Mexico, that’s a super impressive stat line. If Taylor played for a bigger mane school, he’d be a Heisman front runner, but alas is life in a notoriously gritty, non flashy school.

16. In a story I thought would get more coverage, Jalen Hurd, the former Tennessee running back, had 136 receiving yards for Baylor in a 37-20 win against UTSA. His conversion from running back is looking more and more like a risk that’s paid off.

17. Khalil Tate is being wasted. Kevin Sumlin, for some reason thinks Tate is a pocket passer. Kevin Sumlin and Noel Mazzone are garbage. How is Noel Mazzone still an offensive coordinator? I guess Khalil Tate kinda forced this upon himself by not wanting to play for Ken Niumatalolo and the triple option, but there has to be a middle ground. It’s just sad to watch this very talented quarterback be used incorrectly.

18. Oregon State seems to have a rejuvenated offense led by Jermar Johnson’s 228 rushing yards. The Jonathan Smith era has things looking up for the Beavers. Their defense still needs some work though.

19. My goodness did Iowa and Iowa State play an ugly game. There were no real winners there. Hopefully Kyle Kempt can return to action soon.

20. Colorado looks like they have an actually good team. Laviska Shenault is an absolute beast. Steven Montez is stepping up at quarterback. Because I’m feeling gutsy, I think Colorado will finish no worse than second in the Pac 12 South.

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