By Mark Pszonak
If you’re a college football fan, you always have preconceived notions about what is going to happen before the season begins. And no matter how much you think you know, you’ll be right on some and wrong on others. While it is only September 3rd today, I already realize that I may have been wrong about three teams:
Oregon
Oregon’s 24-14 victory over Idaho was not what anyone expected, and that might include the Vandals. Idaho is a very solid FCS program, but no matter how solid they are there is no reason for them to hold the Ducks to 24 points. The main reason the Idaho defense was able to succeed was the disappointing play of Oregon’s offensive line, which has raised some immediate red flags. The Ducks still managed to total almost 500 yards of offense but was also inconsistent due to the offensive line. Considering Oregon had one of the top lines in the country last season and returned three starters, this wasn’t supposed to be a concern. They allowed three sacks against Idaho after giving up five during the entire 2023 season. Let that sink in for a second. Run blocking wasn’t much better as the Ducks only averaged 2.9 yards per carry. For a team that has National Championship aspirations, they need to figure out the offensive line quickly.
NC State
This one can still go either way, especially since the ACC is shaping up to be a pillow fight again, but NC State’s performance against Western Carolina didn’t give me a great deal of confidence. The Catamounts aren’t a bad team (preseason FCS Top 25), but I didn’t expect them to be winning 21-17 after the 3rd quarter. The Wolfpack did wake up in the 4th with 21 unanswered points, but it still raised some concerns. Transfer quarterback Grayson McCall played well statistically (26 of 40 for 318 yards and 3 TD) but threw an interception that resulted in a touchdown and looked uncomfortable at times. He needs to play like the stable veteran that he is. Luckily for McCall, the Wolfpack do have numerous legitimate weapons on offense with Kevin Concepcion, Noah Rogers, Jordan Waters and Wesley Grimes, but they need to look more cohesive quickly with Tennessee next on the schedule.
Maryland
With Taulia Tagovailoa gone, after what seemed like a 20-year career at Maryland, I fully expected the Terps to struggle offensively this season. And yes, while it was only against UConn, which looked completely lost, Maryland’s offense was extremely efficient and explosive behind quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. who completed 20 of 27 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. Edwards has weapons around him with wide receivers Tai Felton and Kaden Prather and running back Roman Hemby, so if he can play at a level even close to how he did against the Huskies, the Terps will suddenly become a team-to-watch in the Big Ten.
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