4-Down Territory: In Early Season Action You Never Know Which Games Will Really Matter When December Rolls Around

After blockbuster week one match ups, week two offers less big game excitement. But often there are overlooked games that become far more relevant later. Exhibit A: Last year in week 2 unranked Arizona State won 30-23 over Mississippi State behind 262 rushing yards by a guy named Skattebo. Ten games later they won the Big XII and then gave Texas all they wanted in the College Football Playoff.

First Down: HBCU Week: This week a number of HBCU schools take on ranked opponents. It is a good reminder of the importance these schools had for Black athletes in many parts of the country before integration. The legacy of HBCU Coaching legends like Eddie Robinson at Grambling or Jake Gaither at Florida A&M extended far beyond wins and losses. They represented hope and a chance for athletes who were denied opportunities at segregated state schools in the South. Comedian Shane Gillis put it well when he said “We landed a man on the moon before Alabama had a Black player on the team”…..Grambling (1-0) at #1 Ohio State (1-0) 3:30 Big Ten Network: Ohio State’s defense was dominant against Texas while the offense was careful. This may be a week to open up the attack for QB Julian Sayin……Bethune Cookman (0-1) at #5 Miami (1-0) 7:00 ACC Network: Bethune makes a second trip from their home in Daytona Beach to South Florida, Last week it was a big loss to FIU, this week it is against #5 Miami. The ‘Canes made a game-winning drive behind QB Carson Beck to beat Notre Dame. They should not need late game heroics this week…….South Carolina State (1-0) at #10 South Carolina (1-0) 7:00 SEC Network: SC State beat Wofford 16-15 to start the season. South Carolina looks like they may be a contender in a wide-open SEC. If the Gamecocks play the way they’re capable, at least it will be a short bus trip back to Orangeburg for the visitors.

Second Down: Tune-Up Games: FIU (1-0) at #2 Penn State (1-0) 12:00 Big Ten Network: FIU likes to blitz and challenge your WRs. Penn State got the ball to their new WRs last week, but the throws beyond 15 yards downfield were sparse. Expect that to change this week. Penn State’s running back duo combined for just 62 yards on 16 carries vs Nevada. Expect PSU to try and get them going early as well. As for the PSU defense, FIU likes a balanced attack and racked up multiple rushing TDs against Bethune Cookman last week. But this PSU defense is much more disruptive and created 3 turnovers that yielded great field position and scoring opportunities. Expect that to continue this week……..San Jose State (0-1) at #7 Texas (0-1) 12:00 ABC: The Texas defense lived up to its hype against Ohio State last week. The secondary is really good and at times freshman CB Graceson Littleton found himself tasked with covering OSU all-star WR Jeremiah Smith. Littleton played well in that role. On offense QB Arch Manning had a slow start and missed some open guys. It is easy to forget that he was making just his third start overall and his first ever on the road. Arch will have great days ahead of him and they should start Saturday…….La Tech (1-0) at #3 LSU (1-0) 7:30 ESPN+: The Tigers look like they may be the class of the SEC. With a veteran QB, a defense that played better at Clemson than we saw them play in any big game last year and the confidence that comes from that win….look out for the Bayou Bengals.

Third Down: Games That May Matter A Lot Later: Iowa (1-0) at #16 Iowa State (1-0) 12:00 FOX: After a 14-7 game last week for Fox Big Noon, the football gods have thrown them the Cy/Hawk Trophy game. The last six games in this rivalry (4 won by Iowa) the winning team has averaged just 18 points. Last year was a relative shootout in this series with the Hawkeyes winning 20-19. Iowa State is off to a great start with a win over a ranked opponent and a dominating 55-7 win over South Dakota. Iowa transfer QB Mark Gronowski was a big run/pass threat at South Dakota State last year. After a relatively quiet debut in their win over Albany, Iowa fans know he will have to be a major factor to win this road game………USF (1-0) at #13 Florida (1-0) 4:15 SEC Network: USF took it to #25 Boise State last week and that should get the attention of Gator fans and more importantly the Gator players. After a rout at Texas last year left them with a 4-5 record, the Gators responded with wins over LSU, Ole Miss, FSU and Tulane to finish with great momentum that has bred optimism for 2025. This game is a first step towards proving whether that optimism is warranted. For USF this is a chance to jump into the national consciousness and national rankings……#20 Ole Miss (1-0) at Kentucky (1-0) 3:30 ABC: Last year Ole Miss was ranked 6^th and considered a playoff lock before Kentucky came into Oxford and won 20-17. The Wildcats won the game playing great situational defense, holding Ole Miss to 1/10 on third downs, getting a key turnover and holding the ball for almost 40 minutes of the game. That game cost Ole Miss a shot at the playoffs. Ole MIss Sophomore QB Austin Simmons racked up big numbers last week but did have two INTs in the 63-7 win over Georgia State. He’ll need to clean that up this week.

Fourth Down: The Best of the Week: Oklahoma State (1-0) at #6 Oregon (1-0) 3:30 CBS: The back and forth between OSU Coach Mike Gundy and Oregon Coach Dan Lanning may have provided the best sparks of the week. Gundy made some reference to money that Oregon has to spend on their roster. On the field for the Ducks, they have speed and playmakers aplenty on offense. The straw that stirs the drink will have to be new starting QB Donte Moore who has the arm and legs to excel. The Cowboys’ closed out 2024 by losing 9 straight. Last week the offense struggled to make big plays against UT-Martin. They face a speedy, disruptive defense and a loud home crowd when they head to Eugene…….#12 Arizona State (1-0) at Mississippi State (1-0) 7:30 ABC: Mississippi State is coming off a 2-10 season and a season opener against Southern Miss that was a struggle for the first half before they pulled away to win 34-17. ASU QB Sam Leavitt picked up where he left off last season and had an impressive week 1 showing against Northern Arizona. Look for Mississippi State to come after him and try to shut the pass game down as they did last season at ASU……..#15 Michigan (1-0) at #18 Oklahoma (1-0) 7:30 ABC: Michigan Freshman QB Bryce Underwood has the tools to be an outstanding QB. That much was apparent last week. Michigan also re-established their power run game. On defense they were stout against the run. But that was all against New Mexico in the Big House. This game at Oklahoma is an important game for the Big Ten as they look to establish their claim at superiority over the SEC. Oklahoma struggled against ranked opponents going 1-4 in their 6-7 season last year. Oklahoma Coach Brent Venables compared Underwood to former Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence (he saw him in practice every day during his time as defensive coordinator in Clemson). But Venables will certainly make a commitment to playing great defense. That unit fell short of his standards last year. This is a great game to see which of these two programs can get back into the playoff hunt after seasons that were far below expectations.