4-Down Territory: And Away We Go......

It’s Week 1…..we know that games were played last week, but for some reason the college football powers that be insist on calling last week “Week Zero.” But given that there are 18 teams in the Big 10, 16 teams in the Big 12 and Stanford and Cal are now in the Atlantic Coast Conference I guess having a "Week Zero" is low on the list of transgressions against common sense.

But the consequences of week zero were all too real for #10 Florida State. The lesson to be learned from Georgia Tech’s win….beware in the early season of teams with a strong run game, a strong returning offensive line and a veteran quarterback.

Let’s get into the games this weekend with a guide to the most intriguing games in each broadcast window.

First Down: The Noon Window: #14 Clemson vs #1 Georgia (In Atlanta) 12:00 ABC: This is a tricky one if you’re a purist hoping the ACC will stay intact. Sure, it’s good for the league if Clemson beats an SEC team….but Clemson is part of a two-team ACC insurgency that threatens your future. Georgia has returning QB Carson Beck at the helm. Not only was he able to throw for 3900+ yards, but the guy avoided sacks (just 11) and INTs (just 6) on roughly 440 called passes. He will have to replace some of his top targets but at Georgia talent is never an issue. The core of Clemson’s offense returns but there are some big shoes to fill on defense……..#8 Penn State at West Virginia 12:00 FOX: This is a long, if mostly one-sided rivalry that has not been played in Morgantown since 1992. Penn State returns their QB and top 2 running backs but has some holes to fill on the o-line and needs to find a game-breaking WR. WVU has most of what was a really good o-line back and returns their QB and top 2 running backs as well. The difference is that WVU QB Garrett Greene ran for nearly 800 yards to present a dangerous option for any opposing defense. WVU’s variable fronts on defense present a lot of pass rush possibilities. Last year 18 different players recorded sacks and QB pressures on a unit that led the Big 12 in sacks. PSU has been a stalwart in rushing the passer. At Indiana, new defensive coordinator Tom Allen showed ways to creatively coordinate linebackers in the blitz schemes. If WVU plays the game with the same attitude and confidence that Georgia Tech found last week against FSU, this could go into the 4th quarter as anybody’s game.

Second Down: The Mid-Afternoon Window: #19 Miami at Florida 3:30 ABC: You hate to say that week 1 is a must-win for a team, but that may very well be the case for both of these teams. Last we saw Miami they were in Yankee Stadium getting run through by Rutgers. They’ve been aggressive in the transfer portal hoping to finally win the ACC. For Florida the schedule is brutal, even to the point that playing the 19th-ranked team in the country seems like a lighter game. Florida’s schedule against ranked teams after #19 Miami? #20 Texas A&M (week 3), at #15 Tennessee (week 6), #1 Georgia (week 8 in Jacksonville), at #4 Texas (week 9), #13 LSU week 10), #6 Ole Miss (week 11) and at #10 FSU (week 12). Coach Billy Napier’s team could be much better than last year’s team but it may not show up in the win-loss column…….Colorado State at #4 Texas 3:30 ESPN: Confidence in Austin is soaring after a playoff appearance last year. The Longhorns also have a chip on their shoulder as they step into an SEC that is anxious to prove that Texas isn't there yet. Opening with Colorado State will help get some of the transfers comfortable on their new roster. Texas QB Quinn Ewers has a completely rebuilt receiving corps (the top 5 in receptions last year all went to the NFL) and some dangerous new running backs who will replace Jonathan Brooks who is also in the NFL. Often teams with a returning QB coming off great seasons are ranked highly even if they have major rebuilds. Is Texas one of those teams? They’ve got this game to figure things out before a week 2 trip to Michigan.

Third Down: Prime Time Saturday Night: Western Kentucky at #5 Alabama 7:00 ESPN: This one is notable because it begins the post-Saban era in Tuscaloosa. The Tide knew who they wanted, they went and got him. Why? While DeBoer was a left fielder in college, this pick was not out of left field. He’s racked up a 104-12 record as a head coach (37-9 at the NCAA FBS level) and had a 17-2 record in the NAIA playoffs and a 2-1 record in bowls and playoff games at the FBS level…….UCLA at Hawaii 7:30 CBS: This game kicks off perhaps the most expansive travel schedule any Power-5 (now 4) team has ever undertaken. The Bruins play road games in four time zones at Hawaii, LSU, Penn State, Rutgers, Nebraska and Washington. They will fly in excess of 23,000 roundtrip miles almost a complete circle of the earth’s equator……Fresno State at #9 Michigan 7:30 NBC: More off-field/ off-season drama for Michigan. A new quarterback, a rebuilt roster but high expectations remain. Turmoil seemed to fuel the Wolverines last year but that was a senior-laden team. A fast start to build confidence in the post-Harbaugh era will be vital before Texas comes to town next week……#7 Notre Dame at #20 Texas A&M 7:30 ABC: Defensively, Notre Dame should be strong. They have a smart team that can do a lot of creative things to give opponents’ problems. A&M’s QB Conner Weigman played just four games last season due to injuries and he’ll need to be at his best. The expectations in South Bend for Coach Marcus Freeman are playoffs-or-bust. QB Riley Leonard (a Duke transfer) will start for the Irish. He’s facing Coach Mike Elko who came to A&M from Duke where he did a great job.

Fourth Down: The Long Weekend: #23 USC vs #13 LSU in Las Vegas Sunday night 7:30 ABC: These teams replace two of the top QBs in the draft from a year ago but they both got a head start in their bowl games last year. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier went 31 for 45 for 395 yards & 3 TDs in their win over Wisconsin. Meanwhile USC’s Miller Moss lit up #15 Louisville going 22 for 33 for 372 yards & 6 TDs. Both of these teams underachieved last year mostly due to defensive deficiencies. USC Coach Lincoln Riley made an aggressive move luring UCLA defensive coordinator (and former Penn State player) D’Anton Lynn to run the show. UCLA was a Top 20 defense that thrived on disruption, racking up 43 sacks and grabbing 24 turnovers. USC is playing the Big Ten’s most aggressive non-conference schedule with games against #13 LSU and #7 Notre Dame. But their Big Ten schedule is manageable as they avoid both Ohio State and Oregon…….Boston College at #10 Florida State Monday Night 7:30 ESPN: This game lost some luster after FSU lost to Georgia Tech. Under new coach Bill O’Brien BC will present a balanced attack and will try to establish a physical run game. That was a problem for FSU’s defense last week.