Labor Day weekend is in the rearview mirror. It takes forever for the season to get here. It will be Halloween and then Thanksgiving before you know it. So enjoy every snap. I love the high profile season openers. Georgia had the most impressive win. Ohio State and Florida both took down top 10 opponents. The SEC is absolutely stacked, posting a 13-1 record in Week One.
1. Georgia – The defending national champion Bulldogs put on one of the most impressive performances of any team this past weekend, taking down No. 11 Oregon 49-3. Stetson Bennett had a Heisman caliber showing. Georgia hosts Samford Saturday afternoon.
2. Alabama – The Crimson Tide tuned up with Utah State, which went 11-3 last season, and now get ready for Texas in Austin. The Longhorns are trying to make a statement. Alabama is aiming for domination. Nick Saban will have the Tide on point.
3. Ohio State – The Buckeyes rallied in the second half with a pair of touchdowns to come back and beat Notre Dame in Columbus 21-10. Ohio State’s defense was really good, then the offense got its legs. Arkansas State visits the Horseshoe Saturday.
4. Clemson – We went to press prior to the Tigers game on Labor Day night against the Yellow Jackets. That game should kick off no later than 6 p.m.. Clemson’s defensive line is exceptional. Quarterback play, you can say this for so many teams, is vital for the Tigers.
5. Brigham Young – The Cougars opened up in the heat at South Florida, and were very impressive in a 50-21 win. The stage is set for a huge battle with Baylor in Provo Saturday night. This one could have major bowl implications.
6. Florida – The Gators picked up a monster 29-26 win over Utah to open up the Billy Napier era in Gainesville. Now comes another big game in The Swamp. The Gators host Kentucky Saturday night, with the winner getting an early leg up in the SEC East.
7. Texas A&M – The Aggies got off to a winning start, beating Sam Houston State in the season opener. Appalachian State comes to College Station on Saturday. The A&M faithful have great expectations for a tremendous season in 2022.
8. Notre Dame – The Fighting Irish were right there at Ohio State, leading for much of the game. But Notre Dame just couldn’t sustain enough offensively, and the Buckeyes won 21-10. In terms of the playoff, there’s no margin for error now. Marshall visits Saturday.
9. Southern Cal – The Lincoln Riley era got off to a high scoring start, as the Trojans cooked Rice 66-14. USC plays one of its big rivals – the other PAC-12 California private school – Stanford on the farm Saturday. It will be tough and physical.
10. Tennessee – The Volunteers took down Ball State 59-10 on Thursday night, buying a couple of extra days for the Johnny Majors Bowl in Steel Town. Pitt took a thriller from Tennessee last year to set the tone for a big year. The Vols want the same this season.
11. Oklahoma – The Brent Venables era got off to a winning start against UTEP 45-13. Kent State, which comes to Athens later this month, is next on the slate in Norman. Not the most challenging start for the Sooners.
12. Michigan – The Wolverines first three games could be the easiest of any major program. Michigan took down Colorado State 51-7 in the opener. Next comes Hawaii, which lost to Vandy 63-10. Then Michigan hosts UConn, which went 1-11 last year.
13. Arkansas – The Razorbacks got a nice top 25 showdown victory over Cincinnati, topping the Bearcats 31-24. Now comes the SEC opener, in a high noon showdown with South Carolina, which won its opener over Georgia State. Sam Pittman has the Hogs smiling.
14. Baylor – The Bears rolled past Albany 69-10 to open the season. Baylor is one of the favorites in the Big XII this season. Now they step into the big leagues, taking on Brigham Young in what should be a great one Saturday night in Provo.
15. Oregon – The Ducks were dominated 49-3 by Georgia in Atlanta in the season opener. Oregon will try to wipe that one from the memory banks and take on FCS powerhouse Eastern Washington. Then comes a huge game with BYU.