Credit: Newsweek
Week Three in College Football: Who's Real and Who's Not
Published: Monday, September 16, 2024
by Kyle Ferreira
The college football season is in full force, and week three continued that momentum.
Like every week, it’s unpredictable. However, fans will recognize if their teams have what it takes to win something major. Is it premature to determine if it’s over for some programs this early in the season? Probably, but just look at Florida State…
Alabama, for example, is the real deal. It was never “Could the Crimson Tide continue to be great?”, but rather, “Could they live up to the standards set by Nick Saban?”. Through his first three games as the Tide’s head man, coach Kalen DeBoer has proved he’s up to the task.
But while Bama did beat USF handily last week in Tuscaloosa, the 42-16 score didn’t justify anything. Entering the fourth quarter, Bama was ahead just 14-13, making a close game out of a matchup they were favored to win by a heavy margin. While they soon pulled it together and scored 28, the Tide weren’t looking too hot until that quarter.
Looking at the Wisconsin Badgers, they’re most likely regretting their decision for a home-and-home series with the Tide. Their first matchup in Madison ended in a 42-10 loss a few days ago. Bama quarterback Jalen Milroe is in people’s nightmares (if he wasn’t already), especially for opposing squads. With 196 passing yards, 76 yards on the ground, deadly accurate at 70%, and five total touchdowns, there’s no stopping Milroe or Bama. As the Tide improves to 3-0, they’ll have time to reset and prepare for their biggest test so far, going up against Georgia on September 28th.
Speaking of Georgia, even after a close win against Kentucky in Lexington, they’re still a favorite to win the national championship. The same thing has happened to them within the past few seasons, going on the road to an SEC opponent early. They will also have a BYE before their game against Alabama, but their game at Texas is not far away.
Heading over to the Pacific Northwest, a battle between two former conference foes took place in Oregon and Washington. Oregon State took on Oregon in Corvallis, while Washington State faced Washington, at the Seattle Seahawks’ home of Lumen Field. The Cougars beat the Huskies, but the Ducks seem to be relieved after their initial interesting start to the season.
Up until this matchup, Dan Lanning and his Ducks squad had not played to their full potential, and many questioned if they would get back on track. Now, it’s safe to say they proved the doubters wrong. Quarterback Dillion Gabriel was nearly flawless, completing 83% of his passes and had three touchdowns, in arguably his best performance as a Duck.
Oregon is back on track and still a real contender. Additionally, the PAC-12 is still real with the additions of Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, and Fresno State coming in 2026. But there must be a team that fails to live up to expectations…
Ok, the obvious answer was hinted at earlier with Florida State, and rather than continue beating a dead horse, hello Kansas and West Virginia! Everyone (including me) loved what the Jayhawks were doing under HC Lance Leipoid and expected another huge season. Through week 3, Kansas are 1-2, were upset on the road vs Illinois, and lost to an underrated UNLV squad. The loss of former offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to Penn State has had a major effect on a program that’s been on the rise. It’s still possible for them to rally back, but one more loss would pretty much abolish any hope they have of winning anything. Their next game is Saturday vs… West Virginia.
Alright, the West Virginia Mountaineers shocked many college football fanatics in 2023, going 9-4 with a bowl win in Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Some analysts (mainly Pat McAfee) believed this was the team to rise in the new Big 12. But at 1-2, losing the Backyard Brawl to rivals Pittsburgh, and potentially three straight matchups vs ranked teams after the Kansas game… yikes.
One last thing from Week 3. Is it about QB Arch Manning dazzling for Texas or Tennessee averaging 63.6 Pts/G? How about Fort Lewis (D2) ending their 40-game losing streak to Arizona Christian and getting their first win since 2019. Truly extraordinary to say the least.
Kyle Ferreira can be reached at kyle.ferreira@student.shu.eduPosted in: sports,