09 September, 2017
Saturday will provide four matchups between ranked teams, including three games between teams ranked in the top 14.
Alabama is one of those teams, which CBS Sports now projects as Clemson's opponent in a College Football Playoff semifinal on January 1 in the Sugar Bowl. As you have come to expect out of this series, the run game is key to emerging with a victory and this will be the first big test of the Cardinal in that area without Christian McCaffrey. Sure he was a high-profile player on a high-profile team, but his stats the last few years told the story of someone who has regressed as a quarterback. If the Buckeyes want to win this game, quarterback J.T. Barrett can not get off to another slow start like he did against Indiana. At 2-4, it wasn't a good week, with some really tough beats as IN fell apart and three defensive touchdowns, including one IN the final two minutes, doomed the Michigan-Florida Under. QB J.T. Barrett is flanked by some quality offensive tackles but both guys will have their hands full on Saturday night. Both teams are much different than they were during the matchup that happened in Norman a year ago. This Saturday against Oklahoma would be a good place to do exactly that.
Ohio State and quarterback J.T. Barrett, pictured at Memorial Stadium on August 31, 2017 in Bloomington, Indiana, are betting favorites against Oklahoma in Week 2 of the college football season. Mayfield will scramble around and make plays. I have little doubt that the Sooners will score on Ohio State. Buckeyes win in a shootout.
If Baker Mayfield has enough time to make plays, the Sooners certainly have a chance at avenging last year's loss and pulling off the upset in the Horseshoe.
No. 3 Clemson vs. Its strength is on the ground, though, as Auburn features a running back duo that combined to rush for over 2,100 yards last season. A loss puts Auburn behind in the SEC West, and you can forget about challenging Alabama - for now. A lot of that hype rests on the shoulders of transfer quarterback Jarrett Stidham. Trying to get past that will not be easy for Auburn but Gus Malzahn's offense does have a new wrinkle when trying to run the ball in Stidham's arm loosening up the front and his ability to scamper for a first down. The tall task of replacing Deshaun Watson has fallen to junior Kelly Bryant, who will have solid receivers Deon Cain and Hunter Renfrow at his disposal. The playoff system doesn't allow for 30 to 50 percent of teams to get in like professional North American leagues, the season isn't nine months long like the best soccer leagues in the world, and it doesn't have an expansive, weeks-long, end-of-season tournament to decide a champion like other American college sports. Combine that with a terrific one-two punch in the backfield and Tigers vs. Tigers is going to be a fun one in Death Valley.
Alex: Stanford has had the Trojans' number lately, winning their last three matchups.
Stanford-USC: The common consensus is that Sam Darnold is the best college quarterback in the nation right now. Indiana State hasn't won its first away game in a season since topping Ball State 34-6 in a neutral-site contest in Indianapolis on October 6, 1984, then winning its first true road game of that season by defeating Louisville 44-21 the next week. The conference went 11-2 in Week One. USC probably has more overall talent.
Stanford is well-coached and well-equipped to pull one out on the road. With Christian McCaffrey being a headache for National Football League defenses, the Cardinals now have another star in the making.
Freshman J.K. Dobbins went off in his collegiate debut last week, rushing for 181 yards on 29 carries. The Trojans are looking to have a bounce back win. Take the Razorbacks in a close one at home. USC wins by at least 10. A plot twist for this game is that Georgia starting quarterback Jacob Eason has been injured, paving the way for backup Jake Fromm to be the starter in this game.
Murray was just the second true freshman middle linebacker ever to start for Oklahoma last week.
Even though its beginning is more substantive than any other sport, the first week of college football gives us far more questions than answers.
