We’re back with another edition of Three and Out, and there are a lot
of things to dive into after a whirlwind week one to get the season
rolling. Let’s get started.
Top Performers From Week One
1. QB Shadeur Sanders (Junior) Colorado
Stats (Week One) 38-47, 510 yds, 4 TDs
In his first-ever game on the FBS level, he broke nine
records & upset the national runner-up from a year ago in TCU on
the road. Now the Buffs are ranked for the first time in years, while
he and fellow teammate Travis Hunter are firmly in the Heisman
race. I think it’s safe to say he’s adjusted just fine.
2. QB Emory Jones (Senior) Cincinnati
Stats (Week One) 19-23, 345 yds, 7 TDs (2 rushing)
After starting his career in Florida and then transferring to
Arizona State, he ultimately ended up with the Bearcats for his final
season. In his debut against EKU, he lit up the scoreboard with five
touchdowns through the air and two more on the ground. Cincinnati
can certainly make one more run in the AAC before it joins the
Big 12 next season.
3. DL Kaimon Rucker (Senior) North Carolina
Stats (Week One) 8 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2 sacks
Against their hated rival South Carolina, Rucker was a
complete menace on the field, wreaking havoc on almost every play.
While he wasn’t the only guy showing up, he was most certainly the
most disruptive. Spencer Rattler was running for his life all game.
With his explosiveness off the line and quick twitch abilities, he will
be someone to look out for all season.
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Most Exciting Matchups for Week Two
1. Nebraska at No. 22 Colorado
A year ago, this game would have been swept under the rug
and looked at as a complete afterthought. Now, with both teams
having brand new coaches in Matt Rhule (Nebraska) and Deion Sanders (Colorado), the stakes have risen. Most if it has to do with
the Buffs, as Coach Prime has become the talk of all of CFB. College
Gameday and Big Noon kickoff will be there as well, along with a list of
celebrities. All eyes will be on this one.
2. No. 11 Texas at No. 3 Alabama
The highest-ranked matchup of the weekend will be a
rematch between two blue-bloods. Last season, Alabama went into
Texas and came out with a one-point win on the road. Quinn Ewers
ended up getting injured, which hurt Texas in the end, but this year
could be different. Both teams come back loaded, but Alabama is
breaking in a new full-time starter at QB in Jalen Milroe. Look for
this game to be another one down to the wire.
3. No. 23 Texas A&M at Miami
Last season, Texas A&M came out on top with a final score
of 17-9, but it was an ugly game all around, to say the least. Both
offenses were completely inept, even with all of the talent they
possessed. This year should be a little different, though. The Aggies
brought in Bobby Petrino to run the offense, which has looked a
whole lot better, and Miami has another year under coach
Cristobal’s leadership. While I do think Texas A&M comes out on
top, this one could go either way.
Is Clemson No Longer Elite?
For the past decade-plus since 2011, Clemson has won 10 games or
more, ending up with eight conference titles and two national
championships. Simply put Dabo Swinney turned little ole Clemson
into an elite powerhouse. Whether that be with great coordinators,
generational QBs, or just elite recruiting and marketing. He did what
he had to do to get up into the upper echelon with the likes of Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, and others.
Most of the success also can be attributed to the excellent staff he
assembled. On the offensive side of the ball, he had an under-the-radar play-caller in Chad Morris leading the way, while going out and
getting defensive mastermind Brent Venables the same year in 2011.
That formula accumulated a 42-11 record working together and
numerous draft picks. In 2015, Morris took the head coaching job at
SMU. While it wasn’t seen to be a massive loss at the time, over the
years, it would eventually show.
After Morris came Jeff Scott, along with Tony Elliott, to run the
offense as co-coordinators. As long as the defense with Venables
was stout and the recruiting continued, things were status quo. Then
2020 came, and Scott would take the USF head coaching job while
Elliot would take Virginia’s right before last season. Venables
finally left for the Oklahoma job, and here we are.
With all of his long-time assistants gone, it’s all on Dabo now.
Assistants come and go, but the real problem with Dabo is his strange
resistance against NIL and the transfer portal. He went as far as
saying, “I’ll go do something else,” pertaining to professionalizing
the sport of CFB. The thing is, Dabo, that’s just the name of the game
today. In regards to the transfer portal, it may be even worse. Just
this past offseason, he lost double-digit players due to the portal, but
only brought back in one. That just won’t fly in today’s age.
With their embarrassing season-opening loss to Duke, everything
seems to be going downhill quicker than ever. They have lost
the last three games they have played going back to last season, and
it doesn’t seem to be getting much better. Clemson is still a top
program, but they are no longer with the elite. Can Dabo change?
Maybe so, but he seems like a guy who is stuck in his ways. And that, my friend, is never a good thing in an always-evolving world.
