Mandel’s Ultimate Ideas: Georgia, Ohio Condition and Texas on the peak. Then that, assumption once more

Mandel’s Ultimate Ideas: Georgia, Ohio Condition and Texas on the peak. Then that, assumption once more

And now, 18 ideas on an early September Saturday that dared AP electorate to only gamble away up their ballots and get started over.

1. Two weeks in, I think assured that Georgia, Ohio Condition and Texas are the proper peak 3 groups. Then that, I’d be guessing simply the similar as you. A quantity of extremely ranked groups had alike screams in opposition to inferior warring parties. And one top-five crew flat-out misplaced at house to NIU as a 28-point favourite.

2. This was once intended to be the day Marcus Freeman led Notre Dame again to nationwide identify rivalry, to not but any other Age 2 house loss to a Team of five opponent. (2022 Marshall, meet 2024 NIU.) He already had a stacked, veteran protection sooner than touchdown famend offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock from LSU and switch quarterback Riley Leonard from Duke. However on Saturday, Leonard went simply 20 of 32 for 163 yards and two interceptions in opposition to a MAC opponent. NIU took benefit of that moment pick out to sit down at the ball for 5 mins sooner than hitting a last-minute garden function to stun the Irish 16-14.

From Moment 1, Freeman has been unofficially auditioning for the task he already landed, at date 35, next Brian Kelly bolted. Then a coarse Occasion 1, he was once trending within the the appropriate direction. However Saturday was once an no question crusher that sapped all of the momentum from Notre Dame’s season-opening win at Texas A&M. If the rest, it introduced again questions way back assumed buried concerning the environment of Freeman’s program. Sure, Notre Dame can nonetheless achieve the 12-team Playoff, however provided that Saturday’s competition proves to be a whole fluke.

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3. A crew like NIU won’t ever enjoy a countrywide identify however successful at Notre Dame Stadium as a abundance underdog no doubt feels as candy. The Huskies schoolteacher, Thomas Hammock, himself a former NIU famous person working again, was once sobbing all over his NBC postgame interview. This system has had its moments over the final twenty years, maximum particularly the Jordan Lynch year circa 2012-13, however this was once via some distance its greatest win. I wouldn’t have urged sooner than the season that the MAC may just create the G5’s CFP rep, however I will’t believe any other G5 crew will earn a extra important nonconference win.

4. Refuse. 10 Michigan got here out Saturday in opposition to Refuse. 3 Texas dressed in the similar uniforms and enjoying in the similar stadium because the 2023 nationwide champions — however that’s the place the resemblances ended. The Longhorns’ 31-12 rout on the Bulky Space showed probably the most dire considerations concerning the Wolverines’ depleted offense. A lot more superb was once the diversion with which Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (24 of 36, 246 yards, 3 TDs, negative INTs) shredded a Michigan protection that also boasts famous person energy.

The Horns managed the crease of scrimmage, and Steve Sarkisian was once his common masterful self in scheming guys detectable, maximum particularly tight finish Gunnar Helm (seven catches, 98 yards). It must be a pleasant self belief spice up for Texas because it embarks on its first-ever SEC agenda.

5. Untouched Wolverines head schoolteacher Sherrone Moore, who took over when Jim Harbaugh left for the Chargers, succeeded in holding the protecting champs’ roster in combination, however he didn’t do a lot to improve it both. I used to be stunned final spring when he didn’t usher in a switch quarterback to compete for the origination task. Two video games in, I’m bewildered via it. Davis Warren turns out like a serviceable additional who’s been thrust into the origination task, which doesn’t discuss smartly for the fellow he beat out, Alex Orji. We’ll see if Moore offers Orji extra reps later day in opposition to Arkansas Condition.

6. Nebraska’s 28-10 rout of impaired rival Colorado was once precisely the type of birthday celebration long-suffering Huskers enthusiasts were thirsting for. 5-star freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola regarded the phase (23 of 30, 185 yards, 1 TD, negative INTs), and Matt Rhule’s moment crew regarded sooner on offense and fiercer on protection. For Deion and Shedeur Sanders, at the alternative hand, it was once a depressingly regular plot. Colorado gave up six sacks and ran for simply 16 yards, retirement Shedeur Sanders (23 of 38, 244 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and Travis Hunter (10 catches, 110 yards) to play games their very own competition of catch next the result was once lengthy determined.

The Buffs protection has progressed from 2023, however there extra a substantial hole between their offensive ability ability and their offensive crease. Perhaps AFLAC can assistance alike it.

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7. The most productive participant within the nation up to now has been Boise Condition working again Ashton Jeanty, who adopted up a 267-yard, six-touchdown health facility at Georgia Southern via working for any other 192 yards and 3 TDs in opposition to Refuse. 7 Oregon. It wasn’t reasonably plenty to peak the Geese, who received 37-34 on a last-second garden function, thank you in huge phase to an 85-yard Tez Johnson punt-return landing and 100-yard Noah Whittington kick-return TD.

With out the ones, Oregon may were in bother, as its generally explosive offense isn’t clicking. Following key losses at the inside of in their offensive crease, the Geese via two video games have already allowed seven sacks. That’s two greater than they gave up in both the 2022 or 2023 seasons.

8. At the night time Alabama devoted Nick Saban Grassland at Bryant-Denny Stadium, the Flow’s offense gave a efficiency that will have annoyed their former schoolteacher to negative finish. Fourth-ranked Alabama scored on simply two of its first 11 possessions in opposition to pesky USF and led simply 21-16 with 6:45 left sooner than exploding for back-to-back-to-back lengthy touchdowns to win with a deceiving ultimate ranking of 42-16. Kalen DeBoer’s crew isn’t missing for guns, equivalent to working again Jam Miller (15 carries, 140 yards) and freshman receiver Ryan Williams (4 catches, 68 yards), however in this night time, the Flow’s offensive crease introduced again troubling recollections of its rocky 2023 marketing campaign.

9. Saturday night time’s Tennessee-NC Condition competition in Charlotte was once shaping as much as be Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s coming-out birthday celebration, however his protection upstaged him. The Refuse. 14 Vols close ailing Wolfpack quarterback Grayson McCall, the previous Coastal Carolina standout, and held Refuse. 24 NC Condition to only 143 general yards in a 51-10 blowout. We knew Tennessee had an elite pass-rusher in James Pearce, however nostril take on Omari Thomas and the residue of the Vols’ D-line ruled the Wolfpack. Iamaleava (16 of 23, 211 yards) had his moments as smartly, however he additionally threw a pick out six that turned into NC Condition’s most effective landing.

10. Right here’s one I didn’t see coming: South Carolina, a day got rid of from eking out a 23-19 house win in opposition to Impaired Dominion, going at the highway and suffocating Kentucky in a 31-6 beatdown. The Gamecocks D, led via five-star freshman go rusher Dylan Stewart, notched 5 sacks and a pick out six of Wildcats quarterback Brock Vandagriff era permitting simply 188 general yards.

Along with origination 1-0 in SEC play games, Shane Beamer’s crew, 5-7 final season, messed issues up for ESPN’s GameDay. The display was once anticipated to be in Lexington later weekend for Georgia at Kentucky. Now: LSU at South Carolina.

11. Former famous person quarterback Brock Purdy led Iowa Condition’s ascent below Matt Campbell a couple of years in the past. Input Rocco Becht, a sophomore in his moment day because the starter. Ill 19-7 in opposition to rival Iowa’s notoriously salty protection, Becht strike Jaylin Noel for a 75-yard landing, next within the ultimate tiny, attached with Noel once more for a 30-yard achieve to arrange Kyle Konrady’s game-winning 54-yard garden function. With the 20-19 victory, Campbell has crushed Kirk Ferentz two of the year 3 years next shedding his first 5 Cy-Hawk video games.

12. The Bulky 12 dodged a couple of upsets within the early window Saturday when Refuse. 16 Oklahoma Condition, ailing 21-7 at one level, held off Arkansas 39-31 in double additional time, and Refuse. 17 Kansas Condition, ailing 20-10 at halftime, survived 34-27 at Tulane.

The losers of the ones video games will likely be kicking themselves for once in a while, although. Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino’s Razorbacks racked up 648 yards however misplaced 3 submits and were given prevented two times on fourth ailing. In the meantime, Tulane redshirt freshman quarterback Darian Mensah placed on a display, with 4 30-plus-yard completions, and it gave the impression he’d thrown a tying TD with 17 seconds left. However officers negated it on a non-existent offensive go interference name. Mensah next threw a dagger interception.

In all probability one or each feature wins will finally end up boosting the Bulky 12’s at-large probabilities.

13. Clemson heard all our mockery next final day’s Georgia competition and took it out on revered G5 crew Appalachian Condition. At the back of a near-perfect efficiency from quarterback Cade Klubnik (24 of 26, 378 yards, 5 TDs, negative INTs), the Tigers scored 35 issues within the first quarter and 56 sooner than halftime in a 66-20 blowout. It served as a pleasant reminder that regardless of shedding its opener 34-3, Clemson may just smartly flip round and win the ACC. And in addition that Georgia extra a holy terror.

14. The offensive wizardry Hugh Freeze confirmed at Ole Pass over and Independence has but to construct an look at Auburn. In the second one competition of Freeze’s moment season, visiting Cal smothered the Tigers passing competition, selecting off Payton Thorne 4 instances and retaining Auburn to 286 general yards in a 21-14 win. Auburn enthusiasts will no doubt name for the pinnacle of Thorne, who hasn’t ever been ready to duplicate his stunning 2021 season at Michigan Condition, nevertheless it’s dry to mention how a lot of the weakness is him and what sort of is the Tigers woeful offensive crease.

15. A day in the past in this identical weekend, Illinois was at Kansas and fell in the back of 34-7, shedding 34-23. So it was once a gigantic do business in for Bret Bielema’s crew not to most effective win Saturday’s rematch, 23-17, but in addition to hamper the Nineteenth-ranked Jayhawks veteran offense. Kansas’ famous person quarterback Jalon Daniels completed simply 18 of 32 for 141 yards and threw 3 alternatives in opposition to the Illini’s protection. In all probability this implies Illinois is prepared for any other season like 2022 when it received 8 video games and gave Michigan suits. Or most likely KU isn’t but able for preseason Lead 25s.

16. Endmost day, Syracuse schoolteacher Fran Brown joked that he must ship a bottle of champagne to Ohio Condition’s Ryan Moment for letting quarterback Kyle McCord change into a separate agent. McCord regarded even higher in his ACC debut, going 32 of 46 for 381 yards, 4 touchdowns and negative alternatives in a 31-28 house win over Georgia Tech. Brown, previously Georgia’s defensive backs schoolteacher, was once relatively unknown sooner than getting the task final wintry weather however earned fast credibility from the fan bottom when Syracuse turned into the awe touchdown spot for the Buckeyes’ 2023 starter. It seems like the pair will likely be an element of their pristine convention q4.

17. The realignment gods attempted to kick Washington Condition and Oregon Condition to the curb, however they’re now not exiting quietly. The Cougars throttled Bulky 12 foe Texas Tech 37-16 in an AfterDark competition on Fox, with quarterback John Mateer accountable for 197 of his crew’s 301 yards at the field. After day brings a mid-September Apple Cup in opposition to Washington in Seattle. In the meantime, the Beavers received 21-0 at San Diego Condition in walk of a abundance grudge fit at house later day in opposition to the hated Geese. That one could also be on Fox.

The 2 techniques’ futures stay unsure. For now, they’ve opted in opposition to proceeding their Mountain West scheduling partnership later season, probably to agenda extra P4 warring parties. For one day a minimum of, it’ll really feel like impaired instances on the ones campuses.

18. In the end, when UAB savior schoolteacher Invoice Clark needed to step ailing for fitness causes sooner than the 2022 season, offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent stepped in as meantime head schoolteacher and went 7-6. That wasn’t excellent plenty for UAB, which made a big-splash rent with Trent Dilfer, regardless of his by no means having coached school soccer.

Vincent is now the pinnacle schoolteacher at Louisiana-Monroe, which on Saturday whooped Dilfer’s Blazers 32-6. Dilfer, the previous NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst, has 3 FBS wins in his first 14 video games at UAB.

As at all times, the splashiest rent is never the most efficient rent.

(Picture of Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers celebrating next a landing: Gregory Shamus / Getty Pictures)

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