By: Chad Wilson – Editor – GridironStuds Blog
Twitter: @GridironStuds

Each year week two of the college football season has the effect of adjusting one’s glasses after week one’s events.  2018 is no different.  Some fan bases were ready to dump out their whole program after the opening week while others were buying tickets for the college football playoffs.  Many this week were forced to adjust their plans.  Here’s what week two showed me.

Fear for the Spear

The Florida State Seminoles were all the talk after week one when they were handled by Virginia Tech in prime time on Labor Day.  Despite the putrid performance,  the prevailing thought going into week two was that Florida St. was going to do onto other as they have had done onto them when Samford came to town.  By halftime,  viewers of the game were checking to see if perhaps Stan was misspelled as Sam as the Seminoles were once again getting dominated.  Watching the contest,  Florida St. appears to lack discipline.  I am sure the rival fan bases on Twitter want to chalk it all up to the current coaching staff because that’s a whole lot more fun than saying it’s a holdover from the Jimbo era but it’s still too early to tell.  What I do know is that it’s going to be a long season for the Noles if the fundamentals and some self control don’t GPS their way to Tallahassee. Blown coverages, missed blocks, tackles and assignments will only leave you punch drunk against the likes of Syracuse, Louisville, Miami and Clemson coming up on the schedule. The positive for Florida St. for me continues to be Deondre Francois.  I continue to be impressed by his poise, mechanics, accuracy and overall skill in these pair of bad team performances.  The negative for Florida St. is that they now must take this show on the road and the scenes have not been hitting right.

Cardinal Ways in the Pac-12

While some programs are finding ways to get kids in with highly questionable athletics so that they can compete on the field,  Stanford has found ways to turn away potential athletes due to academics.  Despite their M.O. they are finding ways to stay atop one of college football’s toughest conferences.  The Stanford model, I am sure,  is part of many ongoing studies across America at both the high school and college level.  What I saw when I cut on the tape was what you always expect to see in a Stanford win and that’s domination at the point of attack.  I was in attendance when Bryce Love went off on USC’s defense last year.  This year’s performance was not as spectacular but what was impressive was the Wall of China Stanford set up on pass plays. The Pinesol fresh pocket that K.J. Costello set up in all game allowed for timely passing and extended drives.  On the flip side, no such efforts were made by USC as Stanford limited USC’s ground game and the young QB J.T. Daniels’ effectiveness.  I am not sure if I’ve ever seen a battle before between two QBs with first names so bad that they both opted for initials instead. Getting back to serious matters, USC is young and clearly lacking the signature marquee running back that we have come to expect in Scarlett and Gold. The 2018 Trojans don’t appear to be able to uphold the wishes of the fanbase and will only make for unrest come November.  There’s too much smog in LA to fly banners over the Colosseum like they do in Miami Gardens, FL but dressing up as empty seats on Saturday is a tactic not above the residents of the City of Angels. Helton needs time.

All He Needed Was to Change the Colors

Over this last three seasons at Florida St.,  Jimbo Fisher was losing his grip in the Clemson series.  The decline in his success vs. Clemson seemed to run similar to his overall deteriorating success with the Seminoles program.  After last season,  he made his abrupt departure and wagon ride to College Station where he was once again greeted with Dabo on the menu.  While a Clemson win was a bit of a forgone conclusion in this contest,  Texas A&M made it every bit the edge of your seat thriller. One could even say that Texas A&M won this game were it not for player haters dressed as referees.  What is evident is that Jimbo can still dial up some play calling and has a wonderful set of WRs and quarterback to work with.  Write down the name Kendrick Rogers.  The sophomore A&M wideout was a full on beast and will turn heads this season.  Clemson,  like most winning programs,  was great in the trenches and has some playmaking WRs themselves.  Because of what they bring to the table,  I think Texas A&M has as good a chance of upsetting Bama as anyone (if there is anyone).  Where Bama might be a tad weak,  A&M is strong.  The game is in Tuscaloosa though,  so let me put away the liquor.

A Dash of Cold Water to the Face in Gainesville

Florida Gator fans got a headache laughing at their Big 3 state of Florida brethren Miami and Florida St. last week.  Further tickling their belly was a Tennessee blowout loss to West Virginia.  This Saturday night provided the ominous blue and red lights in the rear view mirror of a dope smoking driver,  also known as a blown high.  I had a high top fade and thought British Knights sneakers were cool the last time Kentucky defeated Florida on a football field.  Saturday Night, the Wildcats capped off what was a dismal night for me personally (more on that later) when they upended the Gators 27-16 in the Swamp. The problems were clear.  Florida was defeated at the line of scrimmage.  While Florida fans were envisioning a return to the Urban Meyer days after hog tying Charleston Southern in week one,  they were ignoring the inability to dominate on the offensive line against the FCS foe.  That trouble reared it’s ugly head against this SEC combatant.  However,  the more troublesome sight was Florida’s defensive line getting moved out of the way by Kentucky like an expired department store display by an employee.  Kentucky fulfilled what many upsets are made of.  They held the ball and scored while limiting the opponent’s ability to do the same. Gator fans should not panic but that’s like telling a baby not to take a dump in a diaper.  It’s going to take some time for the program to adopt the physical nature that Mullen wants to impose.  Colorado St. should allow for some tear drying ahead of another real test in Knoxville in two weeks.

The Beast is Forming in the East

Yes,  I know that Georgia played in the National Championship game and almost won it last season.  However,  many felt that Kirby Smart had inherited a very talented and experienced team.  Some thought / hoped that it would take some time to get the young program back up to speed and get to the championship again. Start biting your nails.  The Georgia team I saw vs. South Carolina on Saturday looked like Alabama East Campus.  The formula is the same:  Big on the offensive line with flawless execution.  Destructive on the defensive front with the intent of ruining every offensive play like whack vocals over a dope soundtrack. Finally, competent quarterback play combined with multiple running backs who are allergic to laying on the turf and you have confetti fever in January.  Georgia won on both sides of the line of scrimmage all game long.  South Carolina could not tackle the Georgia running backs or wide receivers for that matter.  The Bulldogs’ wide receiver Mecole Hardman is the explosive playmaker that keeps opposing teams’ safeties from being too nosey about the UGA run game.  It’s all adding up for a disaster for SEC East opponents as Kirby has not even matured his sprawling field of recruited 5 stars yet.  If I were into emojis I would post multiple face palm ones right here.  Kirby’s going to get some coaches in the SEC East a Ryder truck and Century 21 sponsorship.

Other things of Note

I told you Michigan fans not to worry. Michigan sprayed the right guard and got the stink off of that Notre Dame performance nicely.  Granted it was a directional school to the rescue but the Wolverines showed the fans that the offense does work and that the defense can keep people out of the end zone.

Chip Kelly may hope that the NCAA says his ban has not expired and get him out of the mess he’s in over in Westwood.  Oklahoma damn near hung half a hundy on the man with the master plan in their 49-21 route of the Cubs. With Saturday’s loss in Norman,  Chip Kelly has tasted the sweet wine of winning only once in his last 18 games.  If this Fresno St. game this Saturday doesn’t produce a bottle of spirits then there’s no telling when the cork will be popped in this comeback event.

In more trouble in the Pac-12 than Chip is Kevin Sumlin.  It’s not just that he’s 0-2 in Tucson, it’s that he seems to be too far away from winning.  Yes, I know that getting competent quarterback play after Rich Rodriguez is similar to getting laughs on stage after following Kevin Hart but give me a D for defense Wildcat fans. Houston is not supposed to puncture you for 31 by the half and 551 total yards when you are a proud member of the Pac-12.  Sumlin has a get right quick game vs. Southern Utah this Saturday followed by a date with a jilted lover at Oregon St. in two weeks.  Let’s hope that Arizona can dust up these two opponents.

Several cactus away in Tempe,  ole Herman Edwards was playing to win the game and that he did vs. Michigan St.  Two games into his college football coaching debut and Herm has a livestock head to hang up on the wall.  Good old fashion defense,  mixed in with that new era hurry up offense funk and Edwards might have a hit record at Arizona St.  We’ll keep listening to the rest of the cassette tape to see if he has a grammy on deck.

I see you Mississippi St……….

Did some Ole Miss defensive players get red cards or placed in a penalty box in the first half?  Were they playing with 11 men out there?

Finally,  Saturday Night,  I experienced what no parent ever wants to experience watching their child play football.  Two plays into the defensive series of the Florida vs. Kentucky game,  my son went down holding his knee.  The same way you can spot your child from across the field just by the way they walk, jog or carry themselves is the same way you know when an injury is serious.  Instantly I knew Marco Wilson’s season was over.  It’s a sobering experience that we’ve been through before.  In the days since,  I’ve had a chance to reflect on a number of things.  I know this will fall on deaf ears because fans cannot help themselves but the truth of the matter is that these young men you see playing every Saturday are putting their bodies on the line to entertain you.  It takes a tremendous amount of time, effort and struggle to get prepared to give you their best when the lights come on.  It’s even more mentally draining when a serious injury occurs and all that hard work is instantly rendered useless.  The mountain that has to be climbed to get back to action would be too tall for most of us to consider climbing.  As you experience the ups and downs of your teams’ performance each week,  bear in mind what it takes for those young men to don your favorite team’s colors and attempt to make you happy.  Before you tweet,  consider the human effort involved to accomplish what you witness every Saturday.  I appreciate all the support that has been shown to Marco, myself and my family by those of you who reached out both privately and publicly.  It’s an ACL,  it’s not life threatening.  He’ll be back,  he’s one of the most mentally strong people I know.