SportsRatings' take on Rivals.com "What We Learned in Week 2"
Olin Buchanan
- "Garrett Gilbert no longer is Texas' quarterback": Agree
We almost jokingly suggested that maybe the McCoy-Shipley connection would be back in effect this season, and it happened on Saturday with Case McCoy and Jaxon Shipley. Gilbert had a full season to get used to the starting role and it doesn't look like he's much better so far. - "A game against Washington State no longer can be considered an easy win": Agree
We picked Washington State #60 in our pre-season top 120, so we figured they'd no longer be a doormat in the FBS. And they definitely exceeded those expectations in their first two games. But note that those are the only two games we favored them to win. The cumulative estimate was for a 5-7 year, putting them within striking distance of a bowl game. Not that Stanford and Oregon have to worry about the Cougars, but Oregon State, Colorado, and Utah should.
Tom Dienhart
- "Mark Richt is done": Disagree
As usual I disagree with Tom Dienhart. Richt is 0-2 against two top ten teams. Dienhart says that "Georgia is an average team" average as in, #60 in the FBS? More like about #30. He points out that the schedule has Mississippi State, Tennessee, Florida, Auburn and Georgia Tech left. True, and I think they should be the favorite in every game except Florida, with Mississippi State and Auburn very close. The Bulldogs should be 7-5 without a problem, and 9-3 is a real possibility. Whether that's enough to save Richt's job I don't know, but it should be after a solid decade of great success. - "Don't count out Auburn in the SEC West race": Disagree
Are you kidding me? One upset and suddenly they might win the toughest division in college football (maybe in college football history)? Auburn has NO DEFENSE. You can't win the SEC West without at least a semblance of defense. Dienhart rattles off Georgia's tough games but look at Auburn's schedule: AT South Carolina, AT Arkansas, Florida, AT LSU, Mississippi, AT Georgia, Alabama. I see two wins there, making them 3-5 in the division. They have FOUR ROAD GAMES LEFT! Three against top 25 teams, and the other against Georgia, who could beat them in Athens. Accounting for upsets our guess is Auburn goes 4-4 in the SEC, with zero chance of being in the title game. Dienhart says the team has "forgotten how to lose" but they will be reminded, again and again this year.
David Fox
- "West Virginia and USF will carry the banner for the Big East": Agree
West Virginia was our top pick in the league, and South Florida has looked pretty decent so far, though Notre Dame gifted them a win. Possibly add in Pitt; we'll see after they play Iowa in Iowa City. They could have been overlooking Maine. - "Mark Richt shouldn't be the nation's most under-pressure coach": Agree
Fox does say "Georgia fans have good reasons to grumble" no they don't. Talk about spoiled brat fans. Six 10+ win seasons in 9 years, then one losing season (still went to a bowl) and an 0-2 start against two top ten teams is no reason to grumble. He should stay regardless of what happens this year. The other coaches Fox names Neuheisal at UCLA and Swinney at Clemson haven't really been at their jobs long enough to be fired for early-season disappointment, either.
Mike Huguenin
- Saturday night's Michigan-Notre Dame game was an instant classic: Agree
- "South Carolina's secondary is going to cost the Gamecocks a game or two -- or three": Disagree
Obviously the Gamecocks' pass defense is worse than their rush defense, but I just don't see the teams on their schedule that are going to shred them with the pass while at the same time having the defense to stop their offense. Arkansas, maybe, and perhaps Florida? South Carolina looks like a 10-2 team right now, so I guess we disagree with "or three", agree with "a game" and are split on "or two."
Steve Megargee
- "Virginia Tech's defense is back": Agree
As expected it looks improved from last year even with just 5 starters returning. - "Alabama has its quarterback": Agree
Sure, why not.
I don't think Auburn did it this year. I'm more curious at this point of how Louisville holds up against NC State.
Posted by: Ray Cambridge | November 11, 2011 at 04:25 PM