College Football Catchup
The college football season is absolutely flying by (we’re already in week 4) and there have already been a couple of surprises and massive scorelines! Colorado has emerged as a true contender with Deion Sanders at the helm, while the Florida State Seminoles are also enjoying something of a resurgence. For football fans not as au fait with college football as the rest of us, continue reading and allow us to catch you up on the biggest stories from the college football season so far!
Perhaps the most enthralling narrative over the last couple of weeks is what’s been going on in Boulder. The Buffaloes are 3-0 with a new Coach, an upgraded roster and a hell of a swagger. Prime Time has arrived in the Rockies and he brought two potential Heisman candidates with him in Shedeur Sanders & Travis Hunter. The tandem of Sanders and Hunter have been difference makers over the first three fixtures, with Hunter crucially being ruled out of the next three due to injury. While costly, it’s not entirely surprising as the standout athlete had been playing over 80% of all snaps on both sides of the ball. The loss of Hunter will probably be particularly noticeable in the joust with USC. It seems unlikely as a result that they’re able to maintain their recent run of good form.
It would be remiss of us not to mention Notre Dame’s 4-0 unbeaten run to open the season, wouldn’t it? Sam Hartman has taken ownership of the Offense and has hit gold 13 times already this season. The Irish have a wealth of weapons on both sides of the ball, and while they appeared sluggish in their last outing against Central Michigan, they still dominated on a scoreline of 41-17. The first real test comes this Saturday night. Ohio State rolls into South Bend as the 6th ranked team in America, setting up a top ten primetime matchup that will see College Gameday on location and broadcasting live to set the tone. Notre Dame has struggled against bigger programs in recent years, but this team just feels different and if they can knock off the Buckeyes then playoff glory should await come January.
Speaking of teams struggling, what the hell is going on in Tuscaloosa? The Alabama Crimson Tide are a shadow of the powerhouse they once were. After losing a thriller at home to the Texas Longhorns (who are so back by the way) Nick Saban benched Jalen Milroe in favour of erstwhile Notre Dame transfer Tyler Bucher. That move backfired and Milroe has now been reinstated. Alabama seem to have lost their edge, and the same can be said of other SEC behemoths such as Georgia. The two time national champions haven’t exactly been stretched much so far, boasting 2 double digit victories over Group of 5 weaklings and sleepwalking to a 24-14 win over South Carolina. They probably won’t be tested until much later in the season either.
It’s all a bit strange in SEC land at the minute, and one could argue that the ACC is actually, currently, a stronger conference. Aside from a close call against Boston College, Florida State should be a shoe in for their championship game and an automatic playoff bid. Don’t count out UNC or Duke just yet either, who are looking like real contenders now that Dabo’s days are numbered at Clemson.
Whatever happens over the next few weeks and months, it’s sure to be truly captivating. At this early stage, Georgia are the only team almost guaranteed to be in the playoffs in a few short months. Outside of that it’s still way too early to call. We’ll keep you abreast as the season progresses so make sure you keep an eye out for more college football updates! And follow us on all social platforms – @gaelicgridiron