Congratulations to No. 7 Notre Dame, which not only won a difficult road game at No. 20 Texas A&M, 23-13, but has already clinched a spot in the College Football Playoff.
How, you say, does that happen after one game? Well, first it’s clear they’ve got a solid defense and have updated their quarterback position with Duke transfer Riley Leonard. He’s athletic but not flashy, a small risk taker who is actually disciplined. In other words, just what the Irish need. And he’s making over $1 million this year in NIL endorsements. Think he’d get that as Duke’s quarterback if he’d stayed? Forgettaboutit!
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He was also Mr. Clutch, leading the Irish to a late game-winning touchdown with the score tied at 13. But the other reason the Irish have clinched their spot is the horrendous weakness of their remaining schedule. Army, Navy, Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois and Stanford? Seriously? How about Florida State and Clemson, who had horrible losses and appear to be extremely overrated. Only the final game against USC appears to be a game where the Irish will not be prohibitive favorites. And to boot, only three of their remaining 11 games are on the road. Finally, there’s no 13th game against a quality opponent because, of course, the Irish are not in a conference.
But with their reputation, the Irish could actually lose two games and still qualify, so for all these reasons, they are unofficially a 99% guarantee to be in the CFP at this juncture. That’s what the “computer” says here. Before you accuse me of being anti-Irish, please remember two things: First, I like this team a lot, strong defense, good coaching — a team loaded with character; and second, I’ve been married to an Irish woman for 37 years. That says it all.
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Early-season yawns
How impressive was No. 1 Georgia in defeating Clemson, 34-3? They are setting the standard. But other than that, LSU was the only “heavyweight” SEC team to play a quality opponent in USC, losing 27-20 on a late TD. The “heavyweights,” including the newer ones (Oklahoma and Texas), played their usual September glorified scrimmages. What a disgrace. Florida is already in trouble after losing at home to Miami, 41-17, in an uninspiring performance. It says here that if coach Bill Napier doesn’t turn it around quickly, he will not survive as coach. Saturdays may matter more in the South but only when the fall season rolls around because most of the “elite” schools schedule weak opponents in September. And let’s say it again — they only play eight league games. Ridiculous.
Good decisions, bad decisions
The ACC is and has always been a “weak” Power Five, now Power Two league, especially since FSU (with the exception of last year) and Clemson came back to the pack. Both have sued the ACC to leave the conference before 2036, the year they may exit voluntarily without penalty. But where do they go? The Big Ten or SEC? I don’t see it not with the direction each program is going. FSU guessed wrong on transfer quarterback in DJ Uiagalelei, who has looked indecisive, lacking confidence in two losses. But the entire team has been dominated where it counts most, which is in the trenches on the line of scrimmage. Dabo Swinney’s reluctance to utilize the transfer portal will forever prevent the Tigers from returning to the national stage. The only place for them to land is the Big 12 and that’s a lateral move, both competitively and economically. The lesson — be careful what you wish for.
In contrast, Miami chose the right transfer quarterback in Cam Ward, whose athletic ability and passing shattered the Florida Gator defense, throwing for 385 yards and three scores. It’s early but the Hurricanes showed they are aggressive and have talent on both sides of the ball and might be a team to watch for as a surprising contender.
Big 12-UConn courtship is over
You may have heard the Big 12 had discussions with UConn about joining the league. UConn has been unable or unwilling to embrace big-time college football. They tried it once (Big East and AAC) and failed miserably and while the Big 12 would extend its reach to the East Coast, nobody outside of the state of Connecticut follows the football team. Now the basketball team is another story, and for their domination to continue, they need to play the same rivalry schools they have built over three decades. Building a national football program is much more challenging and more expensive than building a national basketball program. On Thursday, it was announced that the discussions have paused. It will never happen for many reasons.
‘Prime Time’ comes to Nebraska
There’s a freshman quarterback starting for Nebraska you probably haven’t heard about. He’s a five-star recruit who decommitted from Georgia in the last week of the signing period to commit to the Huskers. His name is Dylan Raiola. His debut was a success, 19 for 27, 238 yards and two scores in a 40-7 victory over UTEP. Colorado and Coach Prime come to Lincoln with perhaps the best quarterback in the country in his son, Shedeur Sanders. Naturally this game is in “prime time.” Two unranked teams who have a long history of playing each other with Colorado embarrassing Nebraska, 36-14, last year in Boulder, so revenge is also a motivating factor for the Huskers. The most intriguing game on the schedule with an electric environment from the get-go. We chose this game ahead of all the others to see the 397th straight Memorial Stadium sellout that began on Nov. 3, 1962. One thing is clear: Raiola has the skill and the tools but does he lack development and enough around him to succeed this early? We’ll see it live to find out.
This week’s picks
No. 3 Texas (-7) at No. 10 Michigan. The most telling statistic in this game is that Michigan returns just four starters from last year’s championship team while Texas returns 15. They include an All-America candidate, quarterback Quinn Ewers, who was 20-27 for 260 yards in their mop-up, 52-0, exhibition win over Colorado State. Michigan played walk-on senior Davis Warren, who was just 15-25 for 118 yards in their 30-10 victory against Fresno State. The Wolverines needed a late 85 yard pick-six return by Will Johnson to close the game out. The Longhorns have speed, power and experience. Michigan has the home field advantage and a decent defense, but just don’t match up well. They’ll need to constantly pressure Ewers and win the turnover battle to have any chance. Texas just has too much firepower and expect them to win decisively.
No. 15 Tennessee (-10) at No. 24 N.C. State. Why is any team in the ACC ranked, with the exception of Miami. It’s a proven weak link. Two teams still trying to find their identity. The kind of game the Wolfpack never win. The Vols cruised over their interstate “rival” Tennessee-Chattanooga in another “game” that shouldn’t be scheduled, 69-3. NC State needed 21 unanswered fourth-quarter points to defeat their interstate “rival,” West Carolina. They were 32 point favorites. So, what gives? Just guessing here that the Vols’ NIL “payroll” is much higher than the Wolfpack. Vols roll!
Last week: 1-2 against the spread.
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: After 1 win, Notre Dame has punched ticket to College Football Playoff
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