2019 College Football Reaction & Analysis: Week Four

Jim Harbaugh

After a relatively quiet Week 3 of college football action, the fourth week of the 2019 college football season was full of important matchups. Michigan-Wisconsin, Auburn-Texas A&M and Notre Dame-Georgia were all critical games that are sure to have a major impact on the Playoff chase this fall. Now that all the dust has settled, we have a much clearer indication of the true contenders this season, and who could be the final four teams playing for it all this winter.

Is it Over for Harbaugh in Ann Arbor?: I have never been one to buy into the Jim Harbaugh hot seat hype, because I've long felt that has he done a great job returning UM to relevancy, and if not for a controversial call in 2016, the Wolverines would have gone to the Playoff in his second season. However, after watching Michigan get blown out in Madison this Saturday, it's hard to imagine the Wolverines sticking with Harbaugh for much longer. The Wolverines didn't even look competitive, and their new look offense managed just 299 yards, turning the ball over four times. Sure, there is still time for UM to recover and
evolve into a Big Ten East Title threat, but their remaining schedule includes five ranked teams. With the way they played this weekend, it's hard to imagine Michigan sniffing ten wins, or pulling off an upset of Ohio State, which could ultimately doom Harbaugh at his alma mater.

Notre Dame Earns Some Respect: Bad losses on the national stage have become all too common for Notre Dame in recent memory, and a road game against Georgia looked like it could be the latest primetime loss. However, ND competed with the Bulldogs for the entire sixty minutes, with a chance to pull out the win late. It may have ruined Notre Dame's quest for a second straight undefeated regular season, but it showed that this is a team that can compete with the big boys of college football. It is one thing to keep it close with UGA when you're playing in front of your home crowd, but going into Athens is a different animal altogether. With a fairly manageable schedule remaining, the Irish look like they can run the table and finish off 11-1. Depending on who else is sitting there at the end, that could be a Playoff team if things swing right.

UCF Remains the Group of Five Favorite... For Now: For the first time since 2016, UCF lost a regular season game, as they were unable to sneak past Pittsburgh in a 35-34 loss. It was an understandable loss for the Knights; they were bound to loss sometime, and they couldn't finish off a comeback attempt after falling behind 21 early on. Despite the loss, UCF is still playing well enough to believe they are still the Group of Five favorite, and the representative in the New Year's Six. They will have to hold off teams like Memphis, Boise State and Appalachian State, but this is another team with a favorable remaining schedule and an offense still gelling under the leadership of young QB Dillon Gabriel. Playing UConn next week at home, UCF could start somewhat of a "revenge tour" that could carry them through the final few months of the season.

The Pac-12 is Not Returning to the Playoff: With Oregon, Washington and Stanford all suffering losses early on in 2019, it looked like the conference's Playoff hopes rested on one of three teams: Washington State, California or Utah. Two of those teams lost over the weekend, with the Utes bowing out to USC and Washington State unable to finish off UCLA. This now means that the Pac-12's hopes now shift solely to an undefeated Cal, or perhaps Oregon, if they're able to run the table. That is a terrible place to be in, considering the Golden Bears are a flimsy conference favorite, and the Ducks still face Washington, Arizona State and USC away from home. This is a terrible spot for a conference that has only been to the Playoff twice since its inception.

Heisman Race: Now a month into the 2019 season, the Heisman race is finally starting to really heat up. A bunch of quarterbacks top the list at the moment, but a number of running backs should be able to keep things interesting.
1. Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma
2. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin
3. Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
4. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
5. Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State

What I'm Watching Next Week

Arizona State-California (Friday, 9:30 PM CT, ESPN): Late-night Pac-12 battles are always fascinating, and this matchup between ASU-Cal is worth a watch. California is the Pac-12's last hope for a wild Playoff run, while Arizona State remains a Pac-12 South Title contender, even coming off a loss to Colorado on Saturday. Watching true freshman QB Jayden Daniels go up against this superb Cal defense is another reason to tune in.
Virginia-Notre Dame (2:30 PM CT, NBC): Any chances of Notre Dame returning to the Playoff again this season would start with an Irish win in South Bend. Notre Dame will have to find a way to contain dual threat quarterback Bryce Perkins, who is Virginia's leading passer & rusher. The Cavaliers remain a dark horse Playoff threat, as they will most likely be favored in every single game the rest of the year after this game.
USC-Washington (2:30 PM, FOX): While both Washington and USC have early-season losses, they still remain serious contenders to win their respective divisions. This seems like an especially important game for 'SC, particularly head coach Clay Helton. The Trojans still have Notre Dame, Oregon and Cal remaining on the schedule, so a loss here could doom Helton's tenure in Southern Cal.
Ohio State-Nebraska (6:30 PM, NBC): Even though Nebraska has struggled out of the gate this year, they still remain a difficult opponent to beat in Lincoln. Ohio State has to be particularly concerned with stopping Adrian Martinez, who has the skill set that has flummoxed Buckeye defenses in years past. College GameDay will be here for this one, which certainly raises the stakes between the cross-division foes.

2019 College Football Reaction & Analysis: Week Two

Chip Kelly, UCLA

While we didn't have five straight days of college football like in Week One, the second weekend of the 2019 college football season still brought plenty of fireworks. We saw our first Top 10 battle of the year, even more upsets across the land, and a number of head coaches see their hot seat get even warmer. Here is what I took to be the most important moments of the Saturday, and what I'm looking forward to this upcoming Saturday.

LSU and Their Offense is Legit: Much of the talk surrounding LSU and their offense over the off-season centered around their new commitment to opening things up and passing the ball more. After overcoming a legitimate Playoff contender in Texas, it has become clear that this new offensive strategy is working. Quarterback Joe Burrow was good enough to play his way into the Heisman conversation, shredding a quality Texas secondary to the tune of 471 yards and four touchdowns. He did it by spreading it around to a talented receiver group that includes veteran Justin Jefferson and budding stars Ja'Marr Chase & Terrace Marshall Jr. The question now shifts to whether this unit will be able to continue its current streak. The Tigers' offense had some moments early on in 2018 but struggled in two of their three losses, including not even scoring a point against Alabama. That 'Bama game still awaits in early November, but a number of road blocks before that will give us a clearer picture going forward.

Hot Seat Head Coaches: It was not a great Saturday for second-year head coaches across the college football landscape. This was especially true for a trio who are already feeling their seats get very warm: Jeremy Pruitt at Tennessee, Willie Taggart at Florida State and Chip Kelly at UCLA. Pruitt followed up a stunning home loss to Georgia State by surrendering a comfortable lead against road underdog BYU. Taggart followed up the Boise loss by going down to the wire against Louisiana-Monroe, with a missed extra point helping the Seminoles escape. Then there was Kelly, whose UCLA squad lost their second straight to a Group of Five opponent, struggling once again offensively against San Diego State. All three may be able to survive because they are still so early in their tenure but these are proud programs losing to teams they have no business losing to. Pruitt in particular looks to be in hot water, as the Volunteers have been the complete opposite of the dark horse SEC East contender some thought they could be in 2019.

Is Clemson Ever Going to Play a Close Game Again?: A feisty Texas A&M team that lost by just two points in 2018 looked like an extremely difficult early non-conference game for the reigning National Champion Clemson Tigers. That ended up not being the case, as the Tigers won comfortably, 24-10, with a late touchdown by A&M making things appear closer than they actually were. For all the questions Clemson's defense had going into the season, they looked superb in this one, shutting down Kellen Mond, who threw for 430 yards in this matchup last fall. Brent Venables continues to prove time and time again that he is the best D-Coordinator in collegiate football and worth every single penny of his 2 million dollar price tag. Only helping the Tigers is the fact that their toughest competition in the ACC Atlantic, Syracuse, lost by 43 over the weekend.

Don't Overlook USC: No preseason college football hot seat list was complete without the presence of Clay Helton at USC. Helton was coming off the worst season at 'SC in two decades, and a tough schedule with a young roster didn't make the 2019 season look much better. Yet, even after the loss of QB J.T. Daniels for the rest of the season, the Trojans pulled off an upset victory late Saturday over Stanford. It was a very big win for Helton but also a coming out party for true frosh Kedon Slovis, who tossed for 377 yards and three scores in his first USC start. Could an unheralded youngster at QB like Slovis really be the one to save Helton's job? The Trojan defense still needs plenty of work, but there is significant momentum for this team as it begins a brutal late September-early October stretch that includes Utah, Washington and Notre Dame. If things go right, this could still certainly be a team ready to contend for a Pac-12 South Title.

It Isn't Time to Panic at Michigan... Not Yet: Last season, a tough and hard-nosed Army team came agonizingly close to upsetting Kyler Murray and Oklahoma before the Sooners pulled things out late. Oklahoma recovered to win the Big 12 and earn their third Playoff berth, while Murray of course went on to win the Heisman. This Saturday, Michigan got the Army treatment, forced to battle the Knights into overtime to secure a close victory. Naturally, people have jumped on the Wolverines and Jim Harbaugh for such a close win against an inferior opponent at home. Yet, those same people seemed awfully quiet when OU did the same thing last season. Sure, Michigan's new look offense looked extremely underwhelming in the win, but this Army defense is experienced and well-coached. This could end up actually being a resume booster in the long run for Michigan if they're able to learn from it, as Army has proven themselves as a very quality Group of Five foe.

What I'm Watching Next Week

Washington State-Houston (Friday, 8:15 PM CT, ESPN): Sure, Washington State versus Houston probably isn't going to decide the National Championship race but if you're watching for pure entertainment value, this one is well worth it. These two teams have explosive offenses that love to chuck the ball all over the field, and will see Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen square off with his former boss: Mike Leach. It wouldn't be surprising to see 100-plus points in this Friday night duel.
Iowa-Iowa State (3 PM CT, FS1): The Cy-Hawk rivalry is one of the most underrated rivalries in college football, and the arrival of College GameDay will raise the stakes. The Hawkeyes have looked good early, and have now won four straight against ISU. However, the Cyclones' program continues to rise, and Matt Campbell is going to take down the Hawks at some point.
Arizona State-Michigan State (3 PM CT, FOX): An upset over Michigan State was the highlight of Herm Edwards' debut season with the Sun Devils. Can he pull it off once again in 2019, with a true freshman going up against a vaunted MSU defense. Playing in East Lansing should give the Spartans a further advantage.
Clemson-Syracuse (6:30 PM CT, ABC): This matchup become a lot less interesting with Syracuse's 43-point loss on Saturday, but it should still be worth watching. The Orange have been Clemson's toughest threat in the ACC the last two seasons and they play host to the Tigers during their homecoming, which could keep things intriguing.

2019 College Football Reaction & Analysis: Week One

Derrick Brown, Auburn

Even though Week 0 brought us the official start of the 2019 college football season, things really didn't get rolling until this past Thursday, leading a five-night college football premiere. Although Week 1 only had one ranked matchup, Auburn vs. Oregon, it still had a number of national implications. I decided to break down what I thought to be the most consequential moments of the first football weekend of the year, along with what we can look forward to going in the near future.

Florida State & Tennessee's Rough Starts: No Florida State or Tennessee fan wants to relive this past Saturday, when both proud programs suffered brutal losses to a pair of Group of Five schools. The Seminoles opened up the game with 31 first half points before posting a goose egg in the second, allowing Boise State to mount a thrilling late comeback. Although Boise is a respectable foe, the loss dropped head coach Willie Taggart to 5-8 in Tallahassee without much promise for an improved 2019. Tennessee got it even more embarrassing, with a loss to Sun Belt opponent Georgia State, who went 2-10 in 2018. Not only was it a stunning upset it was especially disheartening for the Vols to see them beat soundly along the trenches. Despite being smaller and slower than the Volunteers, Georgia State pounded them for the better part of sixty minutes. It's hard to see Tennessee finding a way to fix that in the midst of a brutal SEC East slate of games. Another second-year head coach much like Taggart, Jeremy Pruitt felt his seat get quite a bit hotter after this one.

The SEC's Disappointing Opener: Beyond watching just Tennessee get shocked, the SEC struggled in other parts of the country as well. Ole Miss looked completely overmatched by Memphis on the road and managed just ten points in a losing effort. Missouri was also upset, falling on the road to Wyoming. Even the teams that did win on Saturday displayed some serious question marks. Arkansas still is going to be an SEC West bottom feeder, Mississippi State does have some major issues to address on their defense, and Kentucky could be in for an expected rebuild. For a conference that clearly prides itself on being bigger and better than everywhere else, the SEC did not live up to it this weekend. LSU's matchup in primetime with Texas on Saturday will be huge for restoring some of the conference's reputation.

What To Think of Auburn & Oregon: The big game on Saturday was undoubtedly between the Pac-12 favorite Oregon Ducks and the sneaky Auburn Tigers. It was an entertaining game that really seemed to capture the energy of the first Saturday, ending with a surprise twist. Auburn and true freshman QB Bo Nix had a marvelous late comeback victory, possibly quashing Oregon's Playoff hopes before they ever really got started. For Auburn, this seemed to be an important momentum builder and a resume boost, but not a groundbreaking victory. Nix was okay, not good but not bad, in his first collegiate start but showed he will have his limits. The defense played clutch down the stretch, but its struggles in the first half showed there is ground to cover there. I was actually more impressed by the Ducks, who really seemed to come out with the confidence and energy. They asserted themselves as a clear Pac-12 favorite, with the talent up and down their roster to compete sixty minutes with anyone.

Did the Big Ten West Picture Get Any Clearer?: The Big Ten West enters 2019 as college football's most wacky and intriguing division. There probably isn't a Playoff team in it, but it might be the only division in FBS where everybody seems like a pretty realistic contender (with the possible exception of Illinois). If we wanted more clarity, Week One did not provide that, although there are some important things to touch on. Purdue was absolutely stunned by Nevada on the road, making it very possible they could go winless in the non-conference, making bowl eligibility a likely fantasy. Minnesota looked sluggish against South Dakota State, but came out with a close win and gave the fans some excitement with the play of budding sophomore Rashod Bateman. Meanwhile,  their arch-rival Wisconsin looked the opposite, crushing South Florida 49-0 in Tampa. If the Badgers continue to move the ball the way they did against USF, they seem to be the favorite in the division going forward.

Not a Good Day For Retreads: Kevin Sumlin and Charlie Strong are two examples of coaches who struggled at big-name jobs but seemed to be landing in good spots in their new locations, Strong at South Florida and Sumlin at Arizona. Yet, lackluster performances by their teams in their openers seem to be putting both in a precarious spot. Strong won ten games to open his USF stint, but has gone just .500 over the next 14. The fact that he has now lost seven in a row after starting 2018 7-0 has left things very dark in Tampa, at a school that has shown they can win. Sumlin, on the other hand, never really got off to a hot start with Arizona. The Wildcats looked awfully dysfunctional for much of a 5-7 2018 and again looked shaky in a loss to Hawaii. Defense looks like it is once again dooming Sumlin, as the Wildcats couldn't contain their Group of Five foe, allowing 45 points.

UCF Still the Group of Five Team To Beat: While a number of Group of Five teams won big openers (looking at you Cincinnati, Boise, Wyoming, Georgia State), UCF still appears to be the favorite to be the GO5 representative in the New Year's Six. Even breaking in transfer Brandon Wimbush at quarterback, the Knights looked to be in midseason form, dropping 62 in their victory over Florida A&M, including 48 in the first half. Sure, Florida A&M isn't exactly a super strong opening opponent, but it still has to be reassuring for UCF to watch Wimbush look so comfortable running their offense and making plays. The defense, much maligned a year ago, was also terrific, holding FAMU to just 81 total yards. Improved defensive play will be crucial in holding off the other extremely dangerous teams in the AAC, namely Memphis, Houston and Cincy.

Worth Watching: It didn't get as much eyeballs as other Week One performances, but the way Michigan State's defense played on their Friday opener was historical. Their opponent, Tulsa, managed just 80 yards over the course of four quarters, finding no gaps in a suffocating Spartans' unit. Tulsa struggled to move the ball so much, they recorded -73 rushing yards, something not seen since Mississippi State held Florida to -78 two decades ago. While their offense will still need to take steps forward, MSU's defense looked so good its hard to imagine them not contending in the Big Ten East. They are deep, experienced and well-rounded, and bound to keep up with the alphas in the division, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.

Heisman Watch: Picking the Heisman after just one weekend of college football is more confirmation bias than anything else, but I decided to take a shot at a Top 5 anyways. Here is where things stand incredibly early:
1. Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma
2. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
3. Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson
4. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin
5. Sam Ehlinger, QB, Texas

What I'm Watching Next Week:

LSU-Texas (6:30 PM CT, ABC): It doesn't get much better than two power programs battling it out in the non-conference. LSU enters this one as the slight favorite over Texas, but the Longhorns have proven they can beat SEC heavyweights, overpowering UGA in last winter's Sugar Bowl. Both offenses looked elite in the first week, but LSU's overpowering defense seems to give them the edge.
Army-Michigan (11 AM CT, FOX): How does Don Brown and the Michigan defense handle the triple-option? Army was a preseason darling (ranked 20 in my CFB Preview) but didn't looked great in their opener against Rice. Michigan is a whole different animal, although crafty QB Kelvin Hopkins Jr. could at least keep things interesting.
Clemson-Texas A&M (2:30 PM, ABC): Prior to the LSU-Texas duel, Clemson and A&M give us quite the primer. A&M came within a field goal of upsetting the eventual National Champs last fall, but hope to finish the job in 2019. The Aggies looked terrific in an opening victory over Texas State, while Clemson will hope for improved play from Heisman candidate Trevor Lawrence, who was a little underwhelming in the first week.
Miami-UNC (7 PM CT, ACC Network): Mack Brown's first game back at North Carolina was a surprising success, as the Tar Heels were able to overcome South Carolina in a 24-20 upset. How do they follow that up against one of the Coastal Division favorites? The Hurricanes are hoping to play more polished after a bye this past Saturday, and for improved health for a beat-up secondary.