CFB: Week 2 Preview
Rankings:
1. Clemson (1-0)
2. Alabama (1-0)
3. Ohio State (1-0)
4. Oklahoma (1-0)
5. Georgia (1-0)
6. Michigan (1-0)
7. LSU (1-0)
8. Texas (1-0)
9. Notre Dame (1-0)
10. Florida (1-0)
No. 1 Clemson got their season started with a blowout against ACC foe Georgia Tech, 52-14, behind 205 yards from star running back Travis Etienne. Heisman favorite Trevor Lawrence threw two interceptions, but besides that, it was about as perfect of a start to the season as you could have. The same can be said for Alabama, Ohio State, and Georgia. All three teams won by 20+ points and looked like they have playoff potential. Oklahoma, Michigan, and Notre Dame struggled on defense at times, but were able to take care of business in the end. No. 7 LSU looked great on offense as QB Joe Burrow threw for 278 yards and five touchdowns in the first half alone. No. 8 Texas defeated Louisiana Tech behind four scores from Sam Ehlinger. No. 10 Florida was idle after beating Miami (FL) the week before.
Week 2 Picks:
Texas A&M @ No. 1 Clemson
Cincinnati @ No. 3 Ohio State
No. 7 LSU @ No. 8 Texas
Stanford @ USC Southern Miss @ Mississippi State
Caleb Henderson: 4-1
Charles Post: 4-1
Chinedum Wejinya: 3-2
Tyler Taylor: 5-0
Texas A&M travels to take on the defending champions and after last years close loss, the Aggies believe they can pull off the upset this time around. Kellen Mond is the player to watch for the Aggies. Cincinnati and former Ohio State head coach Luke Fickell head into Columbus to take on Justin Fields and the Buckeyes. Both teams are currently 1-0. In the biggest game of the week, LSU heads to Austin for a date with Texas. The Tigers' catalyst is their defense, which is arguably the best in the country, led by safety Grant Delpit. In the Pac-12, both Stanford and USC are starting back-up quarterbacks after Week 1 injuries to their starters. Finally, in the SEC, Mississippi State will look to go 2-0 as they host upset-minded Southern Miss. We're picking Clemson, Ohio State, Texas, USC, and Mississippi State.
Heisman Standings:
1. Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama)
2. Trevor Lawrence (Clemson)
3. Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma)
4. Justin Fields (Ohio State)
5. Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin)
Tua Tagovailoa was near perfect in his junior season debut against Duke, hitting on 83.9% of his passes for 336 yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions, and 10.8 yards per pass attempt. After almost winning the Heisman last year, Tua becomes the favorite once again. Just behind, though, is sophomore phenom Trevor Lawrence, who struggled a bit in the opener but still finished with 192 total yards, two passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown. He did throw a pair of picks though. Jalen Hurts is just behind Lawrence after having probably the best statistical week of any candidate, totaling 508 yards and six touchdowns on a 87% completion rate. Justin Fields had a very good debut as well, going for four scores. Jonathan Taylor is the lone running back, rushing for 135 yards and two touchdowns.
Photo Credit: Fox Sports.
