Well, here we are. Heading into week 3 we’re starting to get clarity on who teams are and aren’t. The narratives will start to shift from new coaches and new players to the core of the schedule. Now we will discover who has depth, who has heart, and who will make it to the playoff.
San Diego State
Saturday’s loss to North Carolina left State fans desperate for a scapegoat when there was none. We were the better team. We were coached better. And we had the ball on the 4 yard line with the chance to beat a ranked team on the road.
And, as Coach Long said at yesterday’s Coaches’ Lunch, sometimes your quarterback makes a bad pass and the other team makes a great play.
Even with the loss I liked what I saw. We are a team that is continuing to develop. When I thought about the loss I couldn’t help but realize we’re 1-2 dynamic players from making that next step and consistently competing with– and beating– P5 opponents. When our star wide receiver went down with a broken collarbone, the talent level dropped significantly enough where that back-up WR got beat on the key play and we lost the game. But a key transfer or signing a local 4-star wide receiver? Well, we win that game.
Notre Dame
I kind of wish we’d run up the score a little more. We didn’t just beat Michigan, we completely humiliated them. The Irish gave Michigan their worse loss in history and the first shutout since 1984. You know it’s bad when the hashtag #firehoke had thousands of posts starting at halftime. Look, I don’t like Michigan generally and I think Hoke was good for SDSU but I’m not a fan of how he left State… so I can’t wait to see him get fired. That said, good luck to Michigan the rest of the way. For ND’s sake I hope they win ’em all.
Is Notre Dame set to run the table? No. Their schedule is just too grueling down the road to conceive of winning them all. Ahead they have Stanford, Florida State, Arizona State, Louisville, and USC. If they run the table… we won’t need a playoff. Just give them the rings. But they aren’t that elite team they were in 2012. They are good. And I think they could have been elite if not for the players suspended. Get them back and we have a shot. But without them I’m not seeing it.
Results
Week two was BRUTAL for my picks.
Week two: 3-10
Season total: 3-10
Week Three Predictions
Note: I’m trying to pick games that matter and skipping ranked teams against lesser programs.
Purdue vs. Notre Dame – Irish (this game is always closer than it should be)
Houston at BYU – Cougars
Ohio at Marshall – Ohio
Boise State at UCONN – Broncos
Louisville at Virginia – Louisville
Georgia at South Carolina – Cocks
Iowa State at Iowa – Iowa
Illinois at Washington – Huskies
NIU at UNLV – Rebels
Tennessee at Oklahoma – Non-Boomer Sooners
UCLA vs Texas – UCLA
Arizona State at Colorado – ASU
Nevada at Arizona – Reno
Who is your top pick of the week?
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