Week 1 College Football Recap

Game Recaps

#3 Oklahoma 23 vs #15 Houston 33 (Oklahoma -11.5)

• My pick: Oklahoma straight up (wrong), Houston against the spread (correct)
• College Gameday picks: All three members, plus Aaron Rodgers, picked Oklahoma
• If anyone still had questions about whether Houston was for real or not before this game, these people have their answer.  Houston largely dominated this game, and they earned this win. Oklahoma didn't make many mistakes (2 fumbles lost, no interceptions), quarterback Baker Mayfield was solid and looked like a Heisman contender, and the Sooner's defense was pretty good.  Their only real issue came along the offensive line, which struggled to open up holes for Oklahoma's running backs and to protect Mayfield.  Houston was just better in nearly every capacity.  Houston's quarterback Greg Ward Jr. was big in this game, and he did it almost entirely with his arm, which is great news to Houston as he was generally a running quarterback last season.  On defense, Houston was everywhere.  They often penetrated the Sooners' offensive line and swarmed the ball as a unit, gang-tackling Oklahoma's running backs of Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine, driving them back at first contact.  True freshman defensive tackle Ed Oliver lived up to his five star hype for Houston, leading their front seven.  The play of the game, and the one that inserted the tip of the dagger into Oklahoma's chances of winning. Sooners' kicker Austin Seibert attempted a 53 yard field goal that went well short and was returned by Houston's Brandon Wilson for over 100 yards for a touchdown.  This made the score 26-17.  Houston added another touchdown to make it 33-17 before Oklahoma scored, failed a two point conversion, and then couldn't recover an onside kick, to begin bringing the game to its conclusion.  With this win, Houston answered a lot of questions, shedded some critics, and made their path to the College Football Playoff a lot easier.

• Oklahoma	Houston
  QB Baker Mayfield – 24/33, 323 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs	QB Greg Ward Jr. – 23/40, 321 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
  RB Joe Mixon – 6 carries, 40 yards, 1 TD	RB Duke Catalon – 22 carries, 88 yards
  RB Samage Perine – 6 carries, 31 yards	Steven Dunbar – 7 receptions, 125 yards
  Mark Andrews – 3 receptions, 94 yards, 2 TDs

• Next week: Houston vs. FCS Lamar, Oklahoma vs. Louisiana-Monroe

#5 LSU 14 vs Wisconsin 16 (LSU -11)

• My Pick: LSU straight up (wrong), Wisconsin against the spread (correct)
• College Gameday Picks: All but Rodgers picked LSU, Lee Corso is 0-1 in headgear picks
• LSU entered this game as big favorites, but in the first half they struggled mightily to get their offense going.  Wisconsin outpaced LSU in yardage, 180-6 and went into halftime with a 6-0 lead.  With Wisconsin only scoring two field goals in three Red Zone trips, LSU should have considered themselves lucky to only be down by six at half.  With their opening drive of the 2nd half, Wisconsin drove the field and scored a TD to make it 13-0 and LSU looked to be in trouble.  That's when RB Leonard Fournette woke up, ripping off numerous 10+ yard runs. Wisconsin QB Bart Houston, in the Badgers' next drive, threw a pick six to make is 13-7.  On the ensuing Wisconsin drive, Houston was able to complete a pass that would have been good enough for a first down, but his receiver fumbled the ball to set LSU up with excellent field position.  Two plays later and LSU scored again to their first lead of the day, 14-13.  A Badger field goal with a little under four minutes to play had Wisconsin retake the lead 16-14.  After the kickoff, LSU was driving the field to potentially win the game and LSU QB Brandon Harris threw an interception with around 50 seconds remaining to seal the win for Wisconsin.

• LSU	Wisconsin
  QB Brandon Harris – 12/21, 131 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs	QB Bart Houston – 19/31, 205 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs
  RB Leonard Fournette – 23 carries, 138 yards	RB Corey Clement – 21 carries, 86 yards, 1 TD
  WR Travin Dural – 5 receptions, 50 yards, 1 TD	TE Troy Fumagalli – 7 receptions, 100 yards

• Next Week: LSU vs FCS Jacksonville State, Wisconsin vs. Akron

Penn State 33 vs Kent State 13 (PSU -19)

• My Pick: Penn State straight up (correct), Kent State against the spread (wrong)
• Despite being a huge Penn State fan, I did not watch this game.

• Penn State	Kent State
  QB Trace McSorley – 16/31, 209 yards, 2 TDs	QB Mylik Mitchell – 6/12, 65 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs QB Justin Agner – 8/15,  64 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs
  RB Saquon Barkley – 22 carries, 105 yards, 1 TD	RB Justin Rankin – 13 carries, 82 yards
  WR Chris Godwin – 7 receptions, 67 yards, 1 TD	Nick Holley – 4 receptions, 45 yards

• Next Week: Penn State @ Pittsburgh, Kent State vs North Carolina A&T

#16 UCLA 24 @ Texas A&M 31 in OT (A&M -3)

• My Pick: I picked A&M both straight up and I took the points (both correct)
• College Gameday Picks: All picked UCLA
• I didn't get an opportunity to watch this game

• UCLA	Texas A&M
  QB Josh Rosen – 26/46, 343 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs	QB Trevor Knight – 22/42, 239 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
  RB Soso Jamabo – 23 carries, 91 yards RB Bolu Olorunfunmi – 7 carries, 48 yards, 1 TD	RB Trayveon Williams – 15 carries, 94 yards QB Trevor Knight – 9 carries, 31 yards, 2 TDs
  Kenneth Walker III – 6 receptions, 115 yards, 1 TD	Josh Reynolds – 4 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD

• Next Week: UCLA vs. UNLV, A&M vs. FCS Prairie View

#18 Georgia 33 vs #22 North Carolina 24 (GA -2.5)

• My Pick: I picked Georgia both straight up to win and to clear the spread (both correct)
• College Gameday Picks: 2 picked UNC, while Aaron Rodgers picked Georgia
• I didn't watch this game except for bits and pieces during the third quarter

• Georgia	UNC
  QB Jacob Eason – 8/12, 131 yards, 1 TD	QB Mitch Trubisky – 24/40, 156 yards, 1 rushing TD
  RB Nick Chubb – 32 carries, 222 yards, 2 TDs	RB T.J. Logan – 6 carries, 80 yards, 1 TD
  Isaiah McKenzie – 6 receptions, 122 yards, 1 TD	Ryan Switzer – 7 receptions, 52 yards

• Next Week: Georgia vs. FCS Nicholls State, UNC at Illinois

#1 Alabama 52 vs #20 USC 6 (Bama -11.5)

• My Pick: I picked Alabama straight up (correct) and USC against the spread (wrong)
• College Gameday Picks: All three picked Alabama
• I was unable to watch this game at the beginning and was more interested in the Clemson game after this game started looking like a blowout

• USC	Alabama
  QB Max Browne – 14/29, 101 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT	Jalen Hurts – 6/11, 118 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT Blake Barnett – 5/6, 100 yards, 1 TD
  Ronald Jones II – 7 carries, 46 yards	Damien Harris – 9 carries, 138 yards
  Darreus Rogers – 2 receptions, 45 yards	ArDarius Stewart – 4 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TDs

• Next Week: USC vs. Utah State, Alabama vs. Western Kentucky

#2 Clemson 19 @ Auburn 13 (Clemson -7.5)

• My Pick: I picked Clemson both straight up (correct) and went with the points (wrong)
• College Gameday Picks: Everyone but Lee Corso picked Clemson
• I watched some of this game and from what I saw Auburn did an amazing job of shutting down Clemson's high-powered offense.  Clemson's offense did look much more in sync, however, than they did on offense, just because of the presence of WR Mike Williams, whom QB DeShaun Watson has great chemistry with.  Auburn's offense struggled as much as Clemson's did though and were never really able to capitalize on their defense's successes.  Clemson will definitely need to play better than this in ACC play if they desire to get back to the College Football Playoff.

• Clemson	Auburn
  Deshaun Watson – 19/34, 248 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 11 carries, 21 yards	Sean White – 10/21, 140 yards, 1 INT Jeremy Johnson – 4/6, 38 yards, 1 INT
  Wayne Gallman – 30 carries, 123 yards, 1 TD	Kerryon Johnson – 23 carries, 94 yards, 1 TD
  Mike Williams – 9 receptions, 174 yards	Marcus Davis – 5 receptions, 56 yards

• Next Week: Clemson vs. Troy, Auburn vs. Arkansas State

#10 Notre Dame 47 @ Texas 50 2OT (ND -3.5)

• My Pick: I picked Notre Dame against the spread and to win straight up (both wrong)
• College Gameday Picks: All but Lee Corso picked Texas to pull off the upset
• I caught this game beginning in the second half and what a game it was.  I openly admit I hate Notre Dame so I was glad to see the Longhorns win this one.  However, Notre Dame played a great game and their playoff hopes are probably still alive after this one, and they should have their quarterback question answered as DeShone Kizer was spectacular.  As for Texas, they are back and look to have the makings of a great team started.

• Notre Dame	Texas
  QB DeShone Kizer – 15/24, 215 yards, 5 passing TDS, 13 carries, 77 yards, 1 rushing TD	Shane Buechele – 16/26 – 280 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 5 carries, 33 yards, 1 rushing TD
  Tarean Folston – 18 carries, 88 yards	D’Onta Foreman – 24 carries, 131 yards, 1 TD QB Tyrone Swoopes – 13 carries, 53 yards, 3 TDs
  Equanimeous St. Brown – 5 receptions, 75 yards, 2 TDs	John Burt – 6 receptions, 111 yards, 1 TD

• Next Week: Notre Dame vs. Nevada, Texas vs. UTEP

#11 Ole Miss 34 vs #4 Florida State 45 (FSU-4.5)

• My Pick: I picked FSU both straight up and went with the points (both correct)
• College Gameday Picks: All four guys went with Florida State
• I joined this game after halftime when Ole Miss was leading pretty big.  Florida State came storming back in the second half and Ole Miss really didn't stand a chance to hold on for the win.  QB Chad Kelly made too many mistakes, and Ole Miss' offensive line just looked overmatched, something they will probably encounter a lot in SEC play.  As for Florida State, they look like a bonafide national championship contender.  QB Deondre Francois was stellar, looking like a seasoned veteran in his progressions and taking off when he needed to.  Heisman contender RB Dalvin Cook also looked the part in the backfield, but may find himself struggling for Heisman votes and could be overlooked by his QB.
• 
  

  Ole Miss	Florida State
  QB Chad Kelly – 21/39, 313 yards, 4 TDs, 3 INTs	QB Deondre Francois – 33/52, 419 yards, 2 TDs, 9 carries, 59 rushing yards
  Akeem Judd – 8 carries, 44 yards, 1 TD	Dalvin Cook – 23 carries, 91 yards, 7 receptions, 101 receiving yards
  Evan Engram – 9 receptions, 121 yards, 1 TD	Jesus Wilson – 9 receptions, 125 yards

• Next Week: Ole Miss vs. FCS Wofford, FSU vs. FCS Charleston Southern

My picks record this week:

• Against the spread: 5-4
• Straight up: 6-3

AP Top 25 Results

Rank	Team	Opponent	Result
1	Alabama Crimson Tide	Vs. #20 USC Trojans (Arlington, TX)	W 52-6
2	Clemson Tigers	@ Auburn Tigers	W 19-13
3	Oklahoma Sooners	Vs. #15 Houston Cougars (neutral site)	L 33-23
4	Florida State Seminoles	Vs #11 Ole Miss Rebels (Orlando, FL)	W 45-34
5	LSU Tigers	Vs Wisconsin Badgers (Green Bay, WI)	L 16-14
6	Ohio State Buckeyes	Vs Bowling Green Falcons	W 77-10
7	Michigan Wolverines	Vs Hawaii Rainbow Warriors	W 63-3
8	Stanford Cardinal	Kansas State Wildcats	W 26-13
9	Tennessee Volunteers	Vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers	W 20-13 (OT)
10	Notre Dame	@ Texas Longhorns	L 50-47
11	Ole Miss Rebels	Vs #4 FSU Seminoles (Orlando, FL)	L 45-34
12	Michigan State Spartans	Vs Furman Paladins	W 28-13
13	TCU Horned Frogs	Vs South Dakota State Jackrabbits	W 59-41
14	Washington Huskies	Vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights	W 48-13
15	Houston Cougars	Vs #3 Oklahoma Sooners (neutral site)	W 33-23
16	UCLA Bruins	@ Texas A&M Aggies	L 31-24 (OT)
17	Iowa Hawkeyes	Vs Miami Redhawks	W 45-21
18	Georgia Bulldogs	Vs. #22 UNC Tar Heels (Atlanta, GA)	W 33-24
19	Louisville Cardinals	Vs. Charlotte 49ers	W 70-14
20	USC Trojans	Vs. #1 Alabama Crimson Tide	L 52-6
21	Oklahoma State	Vs SE Louisiana Lions	W 61-7
22	UNC Tar Heels	Vs #18 Georgia Bulldogs (Atlanta, GA)	L 33-24
23	Baylor Bears	Northwestern State Demons	W 55-7
24	Oregon Ducks	Vs UC Davis Aggies	W 53-28
25	Florida Gators	Vs. UMass Minutemen	W 24-7

Heisman Update

• I started with the initial list that I came up with during the preseason and added to it as I saw players who really stuck out.  I place a large emphasis on the player's team winning their game and the opponent that the team was playing.

Rank	Name	This Week	Season’s Numbers
1	ND QB Deshone Kizer	(L 50-47 @ TEX 2OT) – 15/24, 215 yds, 5 passing TDs, 13 carries, 77 rushing yds, 1 TD	15/24, 215 yds, 5 passing TDs, 13 carries, 77 rushing yds, 1 TD
2	GA RB Nick Chubb	(W 33-24 vs UNC) – 32 carries, 222 yds, 2 TDs	32 carries, 222 yds, 2 TDs
3	FSU QB Deondre Francois	(W 45-34 vs Ole Miss) – 33/52, 419 yds, 2 TDs, 9 carries, 59 rushing yds	33/52, 419 yds, 2 TDs, 9 carries, 59 rushing yds
4	HOU QB Greg Ward, Jr	(W 33-23 vs OK) – 23/40, 321 yds, 2 TDs	23/40, 321 yds, 2 TDs
5	OSU QB J.T. Barrett	(W 77-10 vs. BG) – 21/31,, 349 yds, 6 TDs, 1 INT, 6 carries, 30 yds, 1 TD	(21/31,, 349 yds, 6 TDs, 1 INT, 6 carries, 30 yds, 1 TD
6	LOU QB Lamar Jackson	(W 70-14 vs. Charlotte) – 17/23, 286 yds, 6 TDs, 11 carries, 119 rushing yds, 2 TDs	17/23, 286 yds, 6 TDs, 11 carries, 119 rushing yds, 2 TDs
7	Stanford RB Christian McCafferey	(W 26-13 vs KState) – 22 carries, 126 yds, 2 TDs, 7 receptions, 40 rec yds, 44 return yards	22 carries, 126 yds, 2 TDs, 7 receptions, 40 rec yds, 44 return yards
8	FSU RB Dalvin Cook	(W 45-34 vs. Ole Miss) – 23 carries, 91 yds, 7 receptions, 101 rec yds	23 carries, 91 yds, 7 receptions, 101 rec yds
9	OK QB Baker Mayfield	(L 33-23 vs. Hou) – 24/33, 323 yds, 2 TDs	24/33, 323 yds, 2 TDs
10	ORE RB Royce Freeman	(W 53-28 vs. UC Davis) – 11 carries, 82 yds, 2 TDs	11 carries, 82 yds, 2 TDs
11	LSU RB Leonard Fournette	(L 16-14 vs. WIS) – 23 carries, 138 yds, 3 receptions, 38 rec yds	23 carries, 138 yds, 3 receptions, 38 rec yds

New AP Top 25

Rank	School	Prev. Rank	This Week’s Game
1	Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0)	1	Vs Western Kentucky (1-0)
2	Clemson Tigers (1-0)	2	Vs Troy (1-0)
3	Florida State Seminoles (1-0)	4	Vs Charleston Southern (1-1)
4	Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0)	6	Vs Tulsa (1-0)
5	Michigan Wolverines (1-0)	7	Vs UCF (1-0)
6	Houston Cougars (1-0)	15	Vs Larmar (0-1)
7	Stanford Cardinals	8	BYE
8	Washington Huskies (1-0)	14	Vs Idaho (1-0)
9	Georgia Bulldogs (1-0)	18	Vs Nicholls (0-0)
10	Wisconsin Badgers (1-0)	NR	Vs Akron (1-0)
11	Texas Longhorns (1-0)	NR	Vs UTEP (1-0)
12	Michigan State Spartans    (1-0)	12	BYE
13	Louisville Cardinals (1-0)	19	@ Syracuse (1-0)
14	Oklahoma Sooners (0-1)	3	Vs Louisiana Monroe (1-0)
15	TCU Horned Frogs (1-0)	13	Vs Arkansas (1-0)
16	Iowa Hawkeyes (1-0)	17	Vs Iowa State (0-1)
17	Tennessee Volunteers (1-0)	9	Vs Virginia Tech (1-0)
18	Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-1)	10	Vs Nevada (1-0)
19	Ole Miss Rebels (0-1)	11	Vs Wofford (1-0)
20	Texas A&M Aggies (1-0)	NR	Vs Prairie View A&M (1-0)
21	LSU Tigers (0-1)	5	Vs Jacksonville State (1-0)
22	Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-0)	21	Vs Central Michigan (1-0)
23	Baylor Bears (1-0)	23	Vs SMU (1-0)
24	Oregon (1-0)	24	Vs Virginia (0-1)
25	Miami (FL) Hurricanes (1-0)	NR	Vs Florida Atlantic (1-0)

Dropped From Rankings:

• UCLA (16)
• USC (20)
• North Carolina (22)
• Florida (25)

*all schedules, statistics, and rankings come from espn.com*