Every week is a test in college football, and some teams passed theirs with flying colors this afternoon. Others...well, did not. Here are five things we've learned about some teams so far today:
1) Leonard Fournette is the unquestioned Heisman frontrunner
Fournette dominated again against Syracuse, racking up 244 yards and two touchdowns on just 26 carries. He now has rushed for over 200 yards in two straight games and over 140 in each of his last five, setting the standard as the best player in the country. Here's just a bit from what he did today:
2) Is it time we start noticing West Virginia?
The Mountaineers are 3-0 with all three victories coming by more than 24 points, and this year they have the country's third-best defense to go along with their potent, explosive offense. Their toughest test to date was today's win over a less-than-impressive Maryland team, but West Virginia's dominance is there. We'll see is they're for real or not next weekend when they face Oklahoma on the road.
3) Michigan's defense is the best in the country
Move over, Michigan State.
The Wolverines came into today's game with the No. 7 defense in the country, but they had their best performance of the year against BYU by limiting the Cougars to just 105 total yards. They've continued to improve with each game this season, and their play is going to make them an extremely dangerous threat in the Big Ten race. Jim Harbaugh seems to have this defense thing figured out.
4) We need to calm down about Ohio State's QB situation
After sloppy performances by both Cardale Jones and JT Barrett against Northern Illinois last week, the talk surrounding the Buckeyes all week once again centered around their quarterback battle - except it was in a negative light. Cardale Jones did his part to squash any concern there were about Ohio State's offense, passing for 288 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 32 more.
The offense wasn't totally sharp all game, but there were definite signs of improvement. Remember, this is the most talented team in the country, and both quarterbacks will be playing in the NFL in the not-so-distant future. Ohio State will be fine.
5) Utah Is Legit
Utah announced their presence in a big, big way last night. The Utes destroyed Oregon 62-20 and likely ended the Ducks' College Football Playoff hopes. At the same time, Utah is now a real threat in the Pac-12. The Utes were ranked No. 18 entering the game, but they have to make a big jump after that demolition. Utah outplayed Oregon in every facet of the game, and they deserve to be ranked in the Top 10, if not higher.
Back to the NCAA Newsfeed