StandingO

The beautiful chaos that is college football has begun. With week one officially behind us, here is a list of things that stood out.

Positive Impressions

A Week One big time matchup has plagued LSU in their recent years. Brian Kelly and the Tigers were finally able to climb the mountain and reach the other side with an impressive win on the road over Clemson in “Death Valley”. Garrett Nussmeier looked like the more composed and NFL ready quarterback compared to his draft counterpart on the other side in Cade Klubnik. With a revamped LSU defense that has sideline to sideline speed and ball hawk skills, this Tigers team looks like it has a real chance to ride this high and find itself in the SEC championship game in December.  Also to note, it was fun to watch LSU’s linebackers running around with their hair on fire, especially Whit Weeks. He had a hell of a game chasing down Klubnik. 

I was skeptical of how good Joey Aguilar was at QB, especially for a late window transfer jumping right into the SEC. It was only week one, but man did Aguilar look like he was a perfect fit for the Vols and what they are hoping to do with their offense. His pocket mobility mixed with his ability to throw on the run and the deep ball has translated well. The Tennessee offense looks like it’s it for another year of being a dominant force that will lead the way for this team.

Michigan looked good. More specifically, Bryce Underwood looked good for his first collegiate game as a true Freshman. Tasked with taking over the historic program, the 18 year old showed poise and composure and absolutely did not look like a true Freshman. I am assuming there will still be some growing pains along the way facing stiffer competition, but Michigan definitely has a good building block to grow behind with Underwood. He showed a unique ability to throw on the run through different windows while showcasing different arm slots throughout. Will he get too cute at times? Maybe. But it’s nice to know he has those special tools in the toolbox.

Cause for Concern

The victory bells were not ringing in Chapel Hill. A tumultuous start to the Bill Belichick era for the Tar Heels in front of what looked like a modern day 90’s Lakers game of celebs in the stands. When you go all in on gutting an entire roster and working through the transfer portal I think we all knew it would take some time to adjust and find their rhythm. The questions as always going to be in Belichick would be able to speed up that process with this magic. In a week one blowout the Tar Heels looked far from organized and on the same page. There will be some tough practices ahead for this team but the vibes are not great currently. 

Going from one legendary coach to another, this one touches on the lack of one of the sideline. Since Saban has left the program, Alabama has not looked even remotely close to their powerhouse norm. And what we saw in week one gives major cause for concern if this team will even be able to compete in the SEC this year. There was a lack of effort, lack of tenacity, and lack of execution that we all have come to be used to seeing in the Crimson Tide. I don’t think DeBoer is a bad coach, but there seems to be a lack of buy-in from the players. 

The Texas A&M defensive front took a big hit this offseason as 3 starters from last year’s team were taken in the first two rounds of the NFL draft. That has left a massive void in talent that is needing to be filled. In their season opener, it was apparent that that area is still a work in process. Robert Henry Jr. ran for 177 yards with the majority of that total coming straight up the gut of the defense. The Aggies are going to need to address that issue before SEC play comes around or they will have no shot of reaching their potential.