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The Five CFB Lessons Learned Through Week 2

Photo Credit: Georgia Athletics

For the past two weeks (not counting Week 0), America has once again been graced by the enthralling presence of college football. Over the past few seasons, the sport has become somewhat predictable, with the same teams making the College Football Playoff year after year.

However, this season certainly has an air of unpredictability, partially due to the expansion of the CFP from four teams to twelve, and partially because I do not think we have ever seen this much talent encompassing the sport.

With it being only two weeks into the season, plenty of unknowns remain about how the rest of the season will unfold. So, with all these looming questions, here are five lessons college football fans have learned.

1. It’s Georgia, Texas, Ohio State… and then Everyone Else

The latest AP poll has put Georgia, Texas, and Ohio State as the three best teams in the country, and honestly, I do not think anyone else comes even remotely close. Both the Bulldogs and the Longhorns have had dominant wins over quality opponents, with the Dawgs beating Clemson and Texas beating “that team up north.” Ohio State is perhaps the most talented team in the country on both sides of the ball.

Carson Beck and Quinn Ewers are arguably 1a and 1b in terms of the best quarterbacks in the country. While OSU quarterback Will Howard may lack the same skill as those players, his life is made exponentially easier thanks to the weapons around him. While the Buckeyes will not face off against either SEC squad until the College Football Playoff, the Bulldogs and Longhorns will face off on October 19th, which will certainly give us a clearer picture as to who is the most dangerous team in the country. For now, all we can do as fans is speculate, and truth be told, any of those three are the right answer for the time being.

2. Ohio State Wide Receiver Jeremiah Smith May Be the Best in the Country, and He Is Only a Freshman

In the history of college football, I don’t think there has ever been as highly touted a prospect coming out of high school at the receiver position as Jeremiah Smith. Through two games, Smith is leading the Buckeyes in yards per game and touchdown receptions. His 211 receiving yards are also good for second in the entire Big Ten Conference, and he already has as many touchdowns as Chris Olave and Marvin Harrison Jr. scored in their true freshman seasons. Smith also became the first true freshman wide receiver to start their very first game since 1979, when Gary Williams did it. As a true freshman, he could already be a second-round pick, and his success this early in his career could possibly lead to rule changes in terms of when players can declare for the draft. As an OSU fan myself, I cannot wait to see what the next three to four years hold for Smith.

3. Tennessee Could Be a Team to Watch

With all the attention being given to Georgia, Texas, and Ohio State, it is very easy to sweep other teams having success under the rug. However, one team we absolutely cannot overlook is the Tennessee Volunteers. After walloping Chattanooga in Week 1, the Vols followed it up with another dominant victory over the 22nd ranked NC State Wolfpack. While no one on the team boasts crazy numbers by any means individually, as a team they are averaging 60 points per game so far. The Vols still have a ton of season left, with road matchups against Georgia and Oklahoma yet to play, and a home matchup against Alabama coming up as well. Even if this team can take two out of those three matchups, they could be a force to be reckoned with come December and January.

4. Florida State and DJ Uiagalelei Are Struggling

As a proud Ohio State fan whose favorite player is C.J. Stroud, seeing the player who was ranked ahead of him in high school transfer twice and still struggle is pretty surprising. Many will remember the Seminoles from last year getting seemingly snubbed out of the CFP because of the loss of their starting quarterback. Since then, they have gone 0-3, losing in the Orange Bowl to Georgia, and then dropping their first two regular season games to Georgia Tech and Boston College. A major reason for this has been their quarterback play from DJ Uiagalelei, the former Clemson and Oregon State front man. Though he has only thrown one interception on the year, he also only has one touchdown pass and has a 58% completion percentage. If Florida State wants any chance of redemption and to get back to the level they were at last year, Uiagalelei needs to step up his play.

5. The Heisman Race is Wide Open

Carson Beck, Quinn Ewers, Jalen Milroe, Cameron Ward, and Miller Moss. I could go on and on, but I truly cannot remember the last time the Heisman race was this tight. Granted, we are only two weeks into the college football season, with plenty of season left for one guy to differentiate himself, but right now, it’s a coin toss. If I had to guess, I would say right now, it would go to Jaxson Dart, star quarterback of the Ole Miss Rebels. However, this is purely off statistics. Dart has thrown for 795 yards through two games, which leads the country, with six touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also has an 87% completion percentage. Meanwhile, Dart’s fellow SEC quarterback Carson Beck has been great as well, throwing for 520 yards and seven touchdowns. As I said, there is still plenty of season left to be played, but I truly could see the Heisman going to any one of ten guys, which should result in a very exciting race.