Nine things we learned in college football week three
- It’s time to start taking unbeaten teams seriously
While several still remain untested, the sheer fact that you’ve won your first three or four games to start the season means that you are at least a good team. For now, your undefeated FBS teams are the following: (AAC) Navy, Houston, Memphis; (ACC) Louisville, Clemson, Wake Forest, Miami (FL); (Big 12) West Virginia, Baylor; (Big Ten) Michigan, Maryland, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Minnesota; (MAC) Western Michigan, Toledo; (MWC) Boise State, Air Force, San Diego State; (PAC 12) Washington, Stanford, Utah, Arizona State; (SEC) Tennesse, Texas A&M, Alabama. In all, 27 out 128 teams remain unbeaten after four weeks. Several of the unbeatens have yet to be truly tested, but with many of these teams set to face each other in the coming weeks, those tests are sure to come.
- Notre Dame is the biggest disappointment
Unless you’re in Cameron Indoor Stadium, losing to Duke is just sad. And that’s just what Notre Dame did on Saturday, falling 38-35 to move to 1-3 on the season. After losses to Texas, Michigan State, and now Duke, Notre Dame fired their beleaguered defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder and promoted Greg Hudson to fill the vacancy. The Fighting Irish started the season as a popular prediction to make it into the Playoff but have now lost five of six games dating to last season.
- Army is your most pleasant surprise
There are better teams than Army, yes; their loss this week to Buffalo proves that. But Army is still 3-1 on the season. Keep in mind that apart from a 7-6 record in 2010, the Black Knights haven’t had a winning season since 1996. With eight games left on the schedule, it’s well within reach for Army to reach bowl eligibility. Is this team good enough to buck the 14-year skid to Navy? Possibly. At the very least, though, it’s nice to see Army experiencing some success.
- LSU is tired of playing second fiddle
While most schools would be fine with a coach who led the school to a winning record in 11 straight seasons to go along with one national championship and an appearance in another, LSU isn’t. While the Tigers have been a model of consistency over Les Miles’ tenure, they have also consistently taken a back seat to Nick Saban and Alabama. Combined with a lack of adjustments and an overall lack of offense, the school and coach parted ways after LSU’s 18-13 loss to Auburn on Saturday. Defensive line coach Ed Orgeron will take over in his absence. There is hope, however, The last time Ed Orgeron was was an interim coach, he led USC to a 6-2 record in relief of Lane Kiffin.
- The Mountain West could be heading for a major championship showdown
Of course, both these teams still have to beat the Aggies, but both San Diego State and Boise State are undefeated AND ranked with Mountain West conference play set to begin. They’re in opposite divisions and thanks to the schedule, the two will avoid each other until a possible championship matchup in December. With the possibility that the two could remain undefeated, that matchup could be for the right to play in a New Year’s Six Bowl. There’s a lot of football to be played before then, but the possibility is tantalizing.
- I know what you’re doing on Friday night
‘PAC-12 After Dark’ will be spiced up this week, with a Friday night showdown between #7 Stanford and #10 Washington. The winner will have the inside track to the PAC-12 North division title and a spot in the PAC-12 championship game. On a grander scale, a spot in the Playoff is very much at stake.
- Tennessee keeps pulling off Houdini acts
We thought that the Volunteers escaping Week 1 with a win over Appalachian State would be their best escape of the season. Then we were treated with Saturday’s game against Florida. After falling behind 21-0 before halftime, the Vols stormed back in the second half to win 38-28, their first win against Florida since 2004. Tennessee will need every bit of those escaping skills, though, with their next three games all against ranked opponents, including a home game against #1 Alabama on October 15.
- Tulane and Louisiana-Lafayette had themselves a game
While it is difficult to keep up with all the teams from the MAC, Sun Belt, Conf-USA and others, if you kept up with Tulane and UL-Lafeyette, you were more than compensated. The two teams competed in a 4OT marathon on Saturday, with Tulane eventually winning 41-39. In a week that was rather barren of pressure and excitement, the Green Wave and Ragin’ Cajuns had plenty to spare.
- The real season is about to begin
In college football, having a quality out-of-conference schedule is akin to having your resume show you’re fluent in multiple languages. It’ll differentiate you from other candidates, but unless you have the degree, experience, and other necessary skills for the job, you’re probably not gonna be selected. In college football, that’s the equivalent of conference play. The weeks that follow are going to be what makes or breaks a team’s Playoff and championship hopes. A team can rebound from early season losses, as we’ve seen in seasons past. But we’ve yet to see a team in the Playoff who has failed to win their conference championship. From here on out, it’s win or go home.