In today’s Fact or Fiction I look at three big recent topics in college football and decide whether the statement is indeed FACT or if it’s FICTION
1. Utah goes as Cam Rising goes
My Take: FACT
Coming into this season, Cam Rising and the Utah Utes had big expectations, including many predicting them to win the Big 12. On Saturday, as we have seen in past seasons, Cam Rising was injured. Although it was not a major injury and only kept Rising out for the second half against Baylor, it was a quick reminder that the Utes’ offense is much more productive with Rising than without. Utah failed to score in the second half once Rising went down, putting up 23 points in the first half as Rising went 8-14 for 92 yards and 2 TDs. If Utah wants to make noise this season, it will depend solely on Rising staying healthy.
2. Oregon is not who we thought they were
My Take: FICTION
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Dillion Gabriel and Oregon were a popular pick to win the Big 10 coming into the year, and after just two weeks of football, the Ducks may be frauds. After narrowly taking care of Idaho in Week One, the Ducks needed a last-second field goal to take down Boise State on Saturday. Gabriel played well and the offense was never really an issue for the Ducks, but the defensive side of the ball is where Dan Lanning‘s team is going to have to improve. The Ducks allowed RB Ashton Jeanty to run for almost 200 yards and 3 TDs, with Boise State having Oregon on the ropes late in the fourth quarter. Although there is some panic around the Ducks, it’s only been two bad weeks and it could be worse—they could be 1-1 like Notre Dame. Expect Lanning to focus on defense this week as the Ducks will not have as much room for error on the road against Oregon State this weekend. If Oregon takes down their rival on the road, then this team is right back on track.
3. Hugh Freeze and Auburn are a disappointment
My Take: FACT
Auburn wasn’t expected to be a contender in the SEC, but their performance against Cal on Saturday was a major disappointment. Hugh Freeze has entered his second year as head coach of the Auburn Tigers, and it looks like the the same old Tigers we’ve seen since Gus Malzahn’s firing. QB Payton Thorne was terrible, going 14-27 for 165 yards and 4 INTs. The Auburn defense wasn’t given any relief from the offense, but also allowed Cal QB Fernando Mendoza to throw for 233 yards and 2 TD’s. It appears as though Auburn just doesn’t even have the talent to compete against a bottom-tier ACC team. This seems like yet another season where the Tigers are well below average, and could be heading towards a last-place finish in the SEC.
