College football week 2 is in the books. After every week fans can take away things from what happened on the field. Here are 5 things learned from college football week 2. Related: 5 Things to watch in college football week 3
Clemson and Georgia Tech matched up in a big ACC game during week 3. The Tigers had not looked good in their first two games of the season and faltered in this game, losing 24-21. Clemson ran the ball well, averaging 5.0 yards per carry, but they had trouble moving the ball consistently. The defense also struggled to step up in big moments. Haynes King won the game behind his 211 passing yards and 103 rushing yards.
The problem for the Tigers is in the present, but it extends for the future. Clemson has not been elite in the last few years and it looks like there isn’t a path back there right now. Dabo Swinney doesn’t use the transfer portal often and his current roster isn’t playing up to its potential. Lots of players will be heading to the NFL Draft and graduation, and they may not have the infrastructure to replace those players and compete at an elite level. Swinney will have a lot of questions ahead.
Georgia hadn’t played well this season, even in their wins. As they usually do, they found a different gear when they played top competition. The Bulldogs defeated Tennessee on the road in overtime to advance to 3-0. Gunner Stockton passed for 304 yards and two touchdowns. They were also able to run for 3.6 yards per carry. The defense struggled at times, but that is fixable.
With Georgia not living up to the standards of the last few years in the first few weeks, there was some concern. Now, the Bulldogs look like they could be the class of the SEC this season. It was a short period of doubt, but especially with other SEC teams struggling, the Bulldogs look like they can make a run for the SEC Championship Game.
Over the years, Texas A&M has had a lot of tough losses. That includes last season, when they lost to Notre Dame at home. It looked like things were heading that way this week, but the Aggies pulled off a late drive and a touchdown on 4th and goal from the 11 to win 41-40. It took some help from a Notre Dame botched snap, but the Aggies deserve the credit for getting the bounce of the ball to go their way.
This bodes well for the rest of Texas A&M’s schedule, as they could be real threats to make the CFP. They have a marquee win under their belts, but they also don’t have as tough as an SEC schedule as originally thought. Florida, Texas and South Carolina have struggled in different ways. A 10-2 or even a 9-3 record could get them on the cusp of the CFP.
Florida lost to USF last week, which put some real pressure on the program. Last season when this happened, Billy Napier was able to pull his team up and his name off the hot seat. That may not be the case this season, as the Gators lost to LSU 20-10. It wasn’t the Tigers’ best effort, but the Gators could not take advantage.
Quarterback DJ Lagway threw five interceptions, which not only speaks to his development, but also how the coaching staff got him prepared for this game. In a nutshell, the Gators have a coach on the hot seat, a hyped quarterback who isn’t seeing the field clearly and a lot more pressure coming their way sas the season goes on.
There have been a lot of notes about quarterbacks struggling this season. Arch Manning and DJ Lagway are the big names, but there aren’t many that are standing out. As a result, the play across the country hasn’t been great. Notre Dame, Florida and Clemson were all hyped and now have two losses. But there is more than that.
Texas was thought to be a national championship contender, but Manning’s struggles have created doubts. LSU and Ohio State have had their own struggles after notching big week 1 wins. Penn State, Oregon and Illinois aren’t tested yet. Georgia won this week, but before that, they weren’t playing well. Things could get blown wide open in the next few weeks, as it is hard to find a lot of standout teams.
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