Week 2 - The Call Sheet

A big game in The Big House, A Big-12 rivalry renewed and ¡El Assico!

Film Review

Let’s review the film and dissect the week that was.

USC proves a point - In what I dubbed an Indigestion Bowl, USC (and its defense in particular) stepped up in a big way to notch an impressive 27-20 against No. 13 LSU in Las Vegas.

USC quarterback Miller Moss and LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier both looked the part of good signal-callers, but it was the efforts on defense that stole the headlines.

For much of the offseason, the college football community harped on how both USC and LSU needed to make waves on defense in 2024, and they both looked much improved. I was particularly floored by how physical and hard-hitting the Trojans looked on that side of the ball—big credit to new defensive coordinator D’anton Lynn.

It was only one game, but I loved what I saw from Nussmeier in a losing effort. He finished the game with an impressive 29/38 304 yards 2 TD and 1 INT stat line. He had a great command of the offense and appeared to have a great feel for the game.

Bigger picture…LSU will probably be fine. But it’s not a great sign that LSU head coach Brian Kelly lost another early-season big nonconference game. Something’s got to give.

Panic stations for Florida State - It’s time to start panicking if you’re a Seminoles fan.

After a lackluster Week 0 loss to Georgia Tech, the prevailing thought was that FSU would get right against Boston College in Week 1. Instead, the Eagles got right up in the Seminoles’ face, punched them repeatedly and walked out of Doak S. Campbell Stadium with a gutsy road win in new head coach Bill O’Brien’s debut.

DJ Uiagalelei struggled mightily once again, completing just half of his pass attempts and finishing with a lowly 27.4 QBR. Woof. Uiagalelei was bad–and what's transpired with the offense is a huge problem–but I’ve probably been floored more by how bad the ‘Noles defense has looked.

For months, we heard how vicious and powerful this defensive line was, and for two weeks now, we’ve seen them get bullied. The Eagles ran for 263 yards, most coming inside the tackles. Not good.

This is a great win for O’Brien. And a loss that likely tosses FSU out of the College Football Playoff race.

McMillan’s masterclass - I failed to mention this on Sunday morning, but Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan had himself a freakin’ night. Arizona has a fun-as-hell offense and McMillan is a big part of that. Saturday night, that man went off for an eye-watering stat line of 10 catches, 304 yards and 4 touchdowns. What a show-stopping performance for one of the most fun wideouts in college football!

Woeful Weigman - Throughout the summer, I was pretty bullish on A&M and quarterback Conner Weigman, but man, that was a tough showing on Saturday night.

Despite him being very high on draft boards, Weigman struggled big time. Granted, Notre Dame has a great defense and a particularly strong secondary, but even so, Weigman just did not get in a flow.

Keep an eye on this moving forward. He’ll need to play much better if aTm hopes to have a strong first season under head coach Mike Elko.

How cooked is the ACC? We’re a whopping one week into the new season and the ACC is already having a howler.

FSU is already 0-2 and looks bad on both sides of the ball. Clemson got dogwalked by Georgia in Week 1, leading to more questions than answers about quarterback Cade Klubnik. And NC State struggled for three quarters against Western Carolina last Thursday night.

Is the conference doomed? Probably not.

Miami certainly looked the part against Florida on Saturday. And Louisville might be pretty strong again. But man, the conference as a whole might need Miami to go 11-1 or 12-0 to save some face.

The Ted Cruz Curse - Not to harp on this too much, but it’s amazing that this keeps happening.

Reminder: If your school wants to win a football game, do not invite Ted Cruz to cheer your team on. It will end poorly.

5-Wide

The 5 games you’re not gonna wanna miss this weekend.

No. 4 Texas vs. No. 9 Michigan

Big on big. Helmet on helmet. Brand versus brand. This is the type of non-conference matchup that dreams were made of…if the year was 2023. In 2024, I’m not so sure.

This matchup rightfully will have a gigantic feel to it. Michigan is coming off a national title and Texas was just a few plays away from playing in that very same national title game. However, nothing in college football ever stays the same and both teams look different this time around.

Texas enters this matchup 1-0 after drubbing Colorado State. The offense was humming, no big starters got hurt (that I’m aware of) and they even got some snaps for backup quarterback Arch Manning. A great day all around.

Rarely is a team tabbed as a favorite on the road against the defending national title winners, but Texas fits this bill at the time of writing. The Longhorns enter a new era by joining the SEC and despite this not being a conference game, this will be its first taste of big boy football in 2024.

I’m bullish on Texas this year. I love head coach Steve Sarkisian. I love the offensive line and weapons on the outside. And I love that Texas is seemingly carrying itself like a national power again.

I do have questions about this team, though. Can starting quarterback Quinn Ewers reach the heights the Longhorns need him to reach in 2024? Last season, he was good but not great, and in most cases to win a title, your quarterback needs to have moments of great. Secondly, can this defensive line live up to last year’s lofty standards? The defense lost a pair of refrigerators on the interior, and the defense’s ability to stop the run will surely be tested this year, starting with the game in Ann Arbor.

Speaking of tests, if last Saturday was an exam, Michigan’s quarterbacks did not make the grade. All offseason, this was a hot topic of conversation. Can Alex Orji or someone else in that quarterback room be good enough for Michigan to compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff? If the Fresno State game was any indication, the answer is no.

I believe that Michigan desperately wanted Orji to be the guy. I envisioned a power run scheme quarterback offense with a guy who occasionally made timely throws. That could probably get the Wolverines to nine or 10 wins.

But he was so bad on Saturday, and looked so out of his depth passing the ball, that I’m convinced he wasn’t good in fall camp and they don’t trust him. Which has led to Michigan turning to backup Davis Warren. Warren was better than Orji but still wasn’t convincing. This has problem written all over it for new Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore.

As wild as this might’ve sounded last year, I love Texas in this matchup. The crowd will be rowdy, but the Longhorns should have enough on offense to score points on a good Michigan defense. And I just don’t trust the Michigan offense at all. If Texas can limit the run game, it could be a long day for the Wolverines.

No. 15 Tennessee vs. No. 24 NC State

If you didn’t know, you soon will. Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is the next big thing in college football.

It’s going to be a real treat when the more casual side of the sport tunes in for this matchup on Saturday and has a visceral ‘holy crap’ type of reaction to just how good he is. We will be there.

I must admit, I’ve had my eyes on this matchup all offseason. Not just because it should be fun or that it’s interesting, but because I think the winner of this game will springboard into the College Football Playoff participant conversation.

Styles make fights and this particular matchup presents a fun stylistic clash. Tennessee’s go-go spray and pray-style offense is up against NC State’s 3-3-5 stack defense. Tennessee’s offense is largely predicated on tempo, spacing and timing, two things that the Wolfpack defense will hope to disrupt. NC State’s defense thrives when they can slant, stunt and bring blitzers from different spots on the field.

Keep an eye on this space. If NC State can disrupt Iamaleava’s timing and can muster just enough on offense, the Wolfpack have a chance. If Iamaleava has a clean pocket and can stay in rhythm, it could be night-night.

If things go right for Iamaleava and Tennessee in this matchup, dare I say, it might start feeling like ‘98. If things break right for NC State, the Wolfpack will immediately jump into the upper echelon of the ACC alongside Miami. Big stakes all around.

Last week against Western Carolina, NC State did a poor job of getting off the field on defense, and it let WCU hang around for three quarters. If the Wolfpack does that on Saturday, the Vols will expose them. Keep an eye on the third downs here.

On the other side, NC State has some fun weapons and an encouraging offense of its own. It doesn’t post the gaudy numbers that a Heupel offense puts up, but it should be much improved compared to last year. Look out for the Grayson McCall-Kevin Concepcion connection. Both will likely need to have a huge game to keep up with the Vols’ offense. I’m keeping an eye on NC State’s tempo. I suspect the Wolfpack will play slower than normal to keep Iamaleava and that offense on the sideline.

This game will likely get quite points-y, so the over could be a good shout.

Colorado vs. Nebraska

Lights, camera, action. This pair of old Big 12 rivals take centerstage on Saturday with a host of fun narratives attached to this matchup.

Deion Sanders vs. Matt Rhule - Two coaches, two polar opposite approaches to program-building. Sanders has turned Colorado into a transfer portal-heavy, very loud program. Stardust and flashing lights lead the way for the Buffaloes. For Matt Rhule and Nebraska, it’s been a more rationed approach, a slower build with a focus on fundamentals and quiet confidence. It’s a beautiful dichotomy.

Shedeur Sanders vs. Dylan Railoa - Sanders has established himself as a rising star quarterback. Bright moments and growing pains were staples of his 2023 season. One game into this year and Sanders looks the part. In Week 1, he diced the NDSU defense apart and he looks better than last season. It’s a fun development.

On the other sideline, the Dylan Raiola hype train is moving full steam ahead. He looked largely cool, calm and confident in Week 1 against UTEP, and it doesn’t feel like a stretch to say he looks like the most gifted thrower of the football in Nebraska football history. He’s that smooth.

I’m looking forward to this one.

A rivalry renewed - To some, this might not feel like a rivalry, but believe me it certainly is. There’s no love lost between these two programs. I expect this game to be all sorts of spicy. And I can almost guarantee a Shiloh Sanders 15-yard penalty wedged in there somewhere.

My big questions with this matchup are: A) Can Colorado contain Nebraska in the run game? B) Can Colorado run the ball and take some pressure off Shedeur Sanders?

If Nebraska can control the LOS and time of possession, things will get difficult for Colorado up against a good Nebraska pash rush. If Colorado can manage to find a run game, Sanders can likely ping enough passes around the field to give the Buffaloes a chance.

*Source: GameonPaper.com

In Week 1, Colorado ranked in the 23rd percentile in EPA/Rush, which is a measure of how well a team performs relative to expectation. This means the Buffaloes severely underperformed on the majority of its rush plays. CU will likely need to do much better to establish a consistent run game against Nebraska.

Also, keep an eye out for Nebraska running a ton of drag routes and utilizing mesh concepts. NDSU bludgeoned CU with mesh when the Buffaloes were in man coverage and I suspect Nebraska will try to do a lot of the same.

Boise State vs. No. 3 Oregon

In Week 1, Boise State and Oregon had wildly differing games.

Boise State went the defense optional route, instead choosing to lean on superstar running back Ashton Jeanty to do all the heavy lifting. Jeanty went mad, finishing with a 20-rush, 267-yard and 6 touchdown performance in a 56-45 win over Georgia Southern. Jaw-dropping stuff.

Oregon’s game was vastly different. Many expected the Ducks to roll FCS-Idaho, but things got lemonbooty into the fourth quarter. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel played fine, but despite a huge yardage discrepancy, the Ducks just barely won 24-14.

*Source: GameonPaper.com

Perhaps the strangest aspect of Oregon-Idaho was the lack of explosiveness from the Oregon offense. We’ve come to know the Ducks as a team that gashes defenses in the air and on the ground, but through one game it did none of that. A 3% (fourth percentile) Explosive Play Rate is just not good at all. Does this mean the offensive line is not as good as we thought? Let’s keep an eye on this space.

On Saturday, I suspect Oregon will sell out to stop Jeanty and make Boise State do something else to score points. And I bet Boise State will take a bend-but-don’t-break approach to mimicking Idaho’s ability to limit big plays.

Let’s not overthink this, though. Oregon should get right and look a lot more like what we’ve come to expect from Oregon.

Also, who remembers that time in 2009 when Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount sucker-punched that Boise State player after the game? Fun times!

Iowa State vs. No. 25 Iowa

Happy ¡El Assico! to all who celebrate!

What a delightfully stupid game that I look forward to each season.

What do I care about with this matchup? I want to find out just how assy Iowa’s offense truly is. The Hawkeyes scored 40 (yes, 40!) points against Illinois State on Saturday, which certainly turned some heads. But the joke is on you because I will not allow a forty-point showing against an FCS team to truly change my mind. I need to see it to believe it. We only have a one-game sample size but things don’t look great if you ask me!

*Source: GameonPaper.com

For Iowa State, my eyes are on quarterback Rocco Becht. How good can he be? And how good does he need to be to win games like this? For head coach Iowa State coach Matt Campbell’s sake, he needs to be good. I think Iowa State can be frisky in the Big 12 this year. We shall see.

FWIW, this might be a great opportunity to take the under depending on the number. Four out of the last five years these teams have combined for less than 40 points. Do with that information what you will.

Games I’m Keeping An Eye On 👀

USF vs. No. 5 Alabama

Last year, USF gave Nick Saban and Alabama a ton of fits. I don’t suspect that will happen again to that degree, but I want to watch this one. USF is no slouch and could put some points up behind a fun quarterback run game with Byrum Brown.

No. 22 Kansas vs. Illinois

Kansas quarterback Jaylon Daniels is box office material. Any game he plays in is worth watching. This could be a fun one.

Mississippi State vs. Arizona State

This is a monster game for both programs. Mississippi State has a brutal schedule and needs to win out in nonconference games. And ASU has no gimmes, so this is big for the Sun Devils, too.

A late-night game in the desert…I’m smelling lots and lots of points.

The Brent Musburger Gambling Guide

My official locks of the week. (Lines are locked in at the time of writing)

Overall: +1 units

Temple vs. -13 Navy - Temple is woeful.

Colorado vs. Nebraska UNDER 57.5 - Defense will play a bigger role in this game than most people think.

-7.5 Tennessee vs. NC State - I hate to go against my beloved Wolfpack but Tennessee looks primed for a big offensive night.

Akron vs. -23 Rutgers - I like the Scarlet Knights by a big margin.

+17 Appalachian State vs. Clemson - Gimme the points.

What I’m Reading This Season

SID Sports - Don’t forget to subscribe to Griffin Olah’s SID Sports newsletter. As a former Divison I sports information director, Olah has a great grasp of the sport and I really enjoy his work.

2201 Kimball Ave | Cameron Morgan - 2201 Kimball Ave is essential reading for all followers of Kansas State football. As a lifelong K-State fan and former player, Cameron brings a unique and thoughtful approach to the analysis of the Wildcats' football team. His newsletters are rational and insightful and I genuinely learn something new with every newsletter.

Split Zone Duo | Alex Kirshner, Richard Johnson and Steven Godfrey - SZD is essential reading and following for CFB ball knowers. Godfrey, Richard and Alex are the Holy Trinity for college football analysis and insight. Each member brings a unique flavor to the conversation, which makes for insightful and downright hilarious banter about the sport we all love. If I had someone ask me where to start for smarter college football coverage, this SZD is where I'd send them.