Week 1 of the college football season is in the books and what a week it was! We had upsets, scoring shootouts, defensive duels, and more than a few blowouts. Here’s what we learned from the first week of the college football season.
1. Miami Looks Better Than Advertised
We expected the game between No. 19 Miami and Florida to be a rare week one anxiety bowl, and it fit that billing relatively well… for about the first 20 minutes of play… then Cam Ward got hot.
If the Heisman was given out after week one, Ward would win by a country mile. While he did throw an early pick, once he found his rhythm, the Hurricanes were off and running. To call his performance “dominant” might be a major understatement. He picked the Gator defense apart like it wasn’t even there, averaging 11 yards per attempt.
It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to say that the U is truly a force to be reckoned with. The Hurricanes’ statement win against an in-state rival makes you wonder: “Who in the ACC can stop Miami?
2. Florida State is Screwed
We saw it in Ireland. We saw it again on their home turf. The Florida State Seminoles are in complete freefall.
To make matters worse, it isn’t just one unit that looks anemic: the problem is everywhere.
Let’s start with the most glaring issue: DJ Uiagalelei. The redshirt senior started the season with a solid performance against Georgia Tech, but it certainly wasn’t anything spectacular. Against Boston College, his play in the first half was nothing short of disastrous. During a red-zone possession at the end of the second quarter, he airmailed three consecutive throws to the endzone, forcing the Noles to settle for a field goal.
It didn’t get any better after the break. The Seminoles’ first possession of the second half concluded with a pick on 4th & 5 returned 57 yards to the Florida State seven.
On defense, the Seminoles let Boston College walk all over them and run the clock down to nothing. In the first quarter, BC held the ball for all but 51 seconds of game time. The much-vaunted FSU defensive line struggled to get pressure on Thomas Castellanos or contain the Eagles’ rushing attack. Not even having an extra man on the field could stop the Eagles from running straight down the throat of the FSU defense.
At this point, it is almost impossible for FSU to find a path to the playoff outside of winning the ACC. The alarms are sounding loudly in Tallahassee and it doesn’t appear they will be quieting down anytime soon.
3. The Nico Iamaliava Hype Train is Now Boarding
When we saw a then-freshman Nico Iamaliava in the Citrus Bowl last January, it became obvious to all involved that he had some true potential to be another one of the great Tennessee quarterbacks.
Even though the Vols had an FCS opponent on tap in Knoxville this week, Iamaliava was incredibly impressive. He was pulled by Josh Heupel at the end of the first half, but the statement had already been made. By that point, he had completed 22 of 28 throws for 314 yards and three passing touchdowns.
His confidence, athleticism, and decision-making skills are already in the upper echelons of the college game. NC State will likely supply the first true challenge of his college career in Charlotte. However, if he can show up against the Wolfpack, it could set the stage for an exciting season in Knoxville.
4. So Long, Clemson. We Hardly Knew You.
The Clemson Tigers mini-dynasty is officially over and, like most empires, it died with a whimper.
Dabo Swinney’s refusal to dip into the transfer portal has cost his squad dearly and it showed against Georgia on Saturday. Cade Klubnik was off the mark from the get-go, averaging just 4.9 yards per attempt and throwing an interception late in the fourth quarter. The Tigers mustered just 187 yards of offense against the mighty Georgia defensive unit.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that Dabo Swinney may not be the right man to lead Clemson into the new era of college football. While their ACC schedule isn’t the most difficult, it certainly feels like any chance of truly proving Tyler from Spartanburg wrong has gone out the window.
5. USC has Blown the Big Ten Wide Open
In my week 1 preview, I said that the USC-LSU game would be an ugly one. Thankfully, I was very wrong.
Credit where credit is due: LSU played a heck of a game in their own right, but USC was truly stellar.
This is not the USC of last year. The Trojans knew exactly what problems they needed to solve and attacked them head-on over the offseason. While the offense is USC’s best unit, the defense did something that it couldn’t even fathom last year: inspire confidence.
While the Trojans’ schedule will test them, it certainly feels like, under new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, USC can fight on to a College Football Playoff berth.
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