Football Whisperer's Week 2 College Football Review

Texas 24 Ohio State 23

Texas fight … the phrase has never been more appropriate because Saturday night, the Longhorns fought. For all the world it looked like Ohio State would run away with the game, but without those fluke turnovers and a bad decision by Raleek Brown at the end of the first half, Texas was right there … but time wasn’t on their side. The way Manning took control and led his team out of a 20-point hole … that win cemented his legacy and might be a harbinger of bigger things to come. Don’t get too high, Austin, because in two weeks … you go to Knoxville to meet that other orange team.

What Stood Out: The play of those Longhorn defensive backs should be a cause for concern for Texas fans the world over. True, they were up against a generational talent in Jeremiah Smith, but my lord, the way he had his way with that secondary tells me Muschamp still has a lot of work to do in that back four.

Oklahoma State 39 Oregon 31

Unreal is the first word that came to mind after watching the Cowboys best the Ducks. How was the second one that hit me. From the first whistle to the last, the Cowboys dominated. This wasn’t one of those upsets where the favored team outgained the opponent by an ungodly amount. No, this was a win, a historic win for Oklahoma State that should be celebrated and might be just the thing that program needs to get them back to a place where they’re playing good football.

What Stood Out: The lack of heart by that Oregon team in general. They’ve always been labeled as soft, a moniker no football team ever wants to be associated with. The sad thing is they didn’t do anything to dismiss that label, and with USC and UCLA looming, this loss could ruin what was projected to be a special season in Eugene.

Mississippi State 38 Minnesota 13

This was supposed to be a showdown between two future NFL first-round quarterbacks, Drake Lindsey and Kamario Taylor … but only one showed up. Lindsey played, but Kamario Taylor showed up and showed why scouts have begun flocking to his games, spellbound by his immense talents. He’s big, he’s fast, he can run, he has a rifle for an arm … and Saturday afternoon in front of a stunned Golden Gopher crowd, he was the headliner in what was supposed to be a two-man show … that other guy just didn’t show up.

What Stood Out: PJ Fleck and Minnesota were a nice story for a few years, but the rumblings about his job performance and why it might be time to look elsewhere have begun. Here’s hoping he hangs on, but in this world of immediate gratification and what have you done for me lately … it could be tough.

Michigan 17 Oklahoma 10

The locals were ready to run Bryce Underwood out of town, and that might still be an option in their minds given the anemic performance of their offense under his leadership. He might still be living on the hot seat, but for one afternoon, things cooled … a little. Underwood still hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations he arrived in Ann Arbor with, but given the coaching circumstances and scandal he dealt with during his freshman year, I say don’t give up on the kid … even if a legacy recruit is sitting behind him.

What Stood Out: John Mateer and that Oklahoma offense made Michigan look like the 1999 St. Louis Rams “Greatest Show on Turf” offense. Mateer lacked accuracy; he had no running game to lean on, and none of his receivers showed up … sounds like last year’s team.

Florida 52 Campbell 3

The score was never in question. What I keep coming back to is how much more disciplined these Florida Gators look under Sumrall. Talent will never be a challenge at Florida as the state plays some of the best high school football in the nation. Now that the Gators appear to be a viable destination again, more and more of those players will look to stay home as opposed to shipping off to make their dreams of playing major college football a reality.

What Stood Out: The Gators in blue helmets and orange jerseys won the best-dressed award. The combination was clean, distinctive, and when you’re out there playing great football, the way the game was meant to be played, good uniforms become great. Keep that combo, Gators … love them!

LSU 45 Louisiana Tech 14

LSU did something they rarely do … they wore their purple jerseys. Yes, they wore their purple jerseys at home no less as they drubbed Louisiana Tech. The Tigers started sluggishly, but finally woke up, especially Sam Leavitt. Leavitt has shown a level of athleticism that the LSU coaches say caught them by surprise, but with the freakish athletes he’s about to face in the SEC … he’ll need every wiggle, waggle, juke, and shake he can find.

What Stood Out: The slow start undoubtedly had a lot to do with their next opponent … Ole Miss. Lane travels back to Oxford this coming weekend for what promises to be one of the wildest scenes in recent college football history.

A Few Extra Points

Love Texas A&M, just don’t love their energy … they had a little too much struggle with Arizona State for me. Digging the job James Franklin continues to do at Virginia Tech, but they might be the second-best team in that state because Virginia looks for real. SMU goes to Louisville this weekend and a win moves the Mustangs into Top Ten territory. Alabama got tested early, but the way they pulled away late tells me the Tide still rolls.