NCAAF

(1) Ohio State 70, Grambling State 0

This was just about as large of a mismatch you’ll find in college football. Thus, Ohio State was able to try some tactics it didn’t use last week versus Texas.

The early game plan for the Buckeyes was to let Julian Sayin sling it. A former five star, the sophomore’s aerial opportunities were limited in Week 1, but Ryan Day unleashed him yesterday. The results were great, as Sayin finished 18-of-19 for 306 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.

Sayin also set an Ohio State record for most consecutive completions to begin a game.

The main beneficiary of Sayin’s excellence was none other than Jeremiah Smith. The sophomore was mostly held in check by Texas, but he caught five balls for 119 yards and two scores in this win.

This will be the easiest game on Ohio State’s schedule, although next week’s home affair with Ohio should be another breeze for the top-ranked Buckeyes.

(2) Penn State 34, FIU 0

The Nittany Lions slept through the first half of this contest, leading just 10-0 at the break. If that trend continues, there’ll be reason for concern in State College, but we can brush it off for now.

After all, two of Penn State’s best defenders dominated this game. Dani Dennis-Sutton is next in line among great Penn State edge defenders, and he did nothing yesterday to dismiss that notion. Tony Rojas is another very good Penn State defender, and he ended as the Nittany Lions’ leading tackler.

Dennis-Sutton posted two tackles for loss and Rojas made 10 tackles.

The offensive side of the attack for Penn State wasn’t as crisp. Drew Allar had some off-target throws, finishing only 19-of-33 for 200 yards. The jury is still out as to whether Allar’s receiving weapons are as good as they need to be. Kyron Hudson and Trebor Pena are the two pass catchers most capable of getting the Nittany Lions over the hump.

Penn State has one final tune-up next week against Villanova before hosting Oregon. Right now, the Ducks are outplaying the Nittany Lions, but having the game at Beaver Stadium could be the deciding edge.

(3) LSU 23, Louisiana Tech 7

Speaking of not crisp, let’s direct our attention to LSU. The Tigers earned a huge victory at Clemson in Week 1, so a hangover yesterday isn’t surprising. Again, it’ll become an issue if the lackluster play continues.

It’s only right to start with the Tigers’ stop unit, because it’s the side of the ball that showed up last night. Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins are crucial pieces at linebacker, and they combined for a tackle for loss in this win. Containing DJ Lagway will be top priority for Weeks and Perkins against Florida next Saturday.

After a strong outing in Week 1, Garrett Nussmeier was less impressive in this tilt. The signal-caller went 26-of-41 for 237 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The senior should continue to lean on Aaron Anderson and Barion Brown.

(4) Georgia 28, Austin Peay 6

What was up with top-four teams — save for Ohio State — limping versus inferior competition yesterday? Georgia is probably the least of the three that I’m concerned about, but this performance likely had Kirby Smart furious.

I didn’t watch this game. (Why would I? It had a goofy 2:30 p.m. start time and featured a top-five team against an FCS team. Oh, and it was on ESPN+. Don’t worry, I have ESPN+. Every sports fan should.) From not viewing the action, my reaction to the box score is the game CJ Allen had. The junior linebacker will explode as national name this season, and he recorded seven tackles and a sack in this win. Allen gives Jalon Walker vibes.

The Bulldogs travel to Knoxville next week to face a Tennessee team that has been more explosive than Georgia so far. Smart’s program should prevail, but I could see the contest being tight into the third quarter.

(5) Miami 45, Bethune-Cookman 3

I never know whether to refer to the program Miami faced as Bethune or Bethune-Cookman. That’s my first takeaway from this game. Miami dominated as it should have.

I also didn’t watch a single play of this affair. Carson Beck finished 22-of-24 for 267 yards and two touchdowns. Based on Beck’s early-season start, it appears Mario Cristobal may’ve struck oil at quarterback in the transfer portal again. Beck almost certainly won’t get drafted No. 1 overall like Cameron Ward, but he’s reestablishing his stock.

Malachi Toney is an exciting weapon for the Hurricanes. The freshman fared well versus Notre Dame, and continued his success yesterday. Toney posted six receptions for 80 yards.

The competition offered by Bethune-Cookman (Bethune?) was obviously weak, but Rueben Bain feasted, as expected. The junior is one of the top defensive lineman in the nation, and he totaled three tackles and a sack in this victory. I’d be surprised if Bain finished the year with less than eight sacks. He had 7.5 quarterback takedowns as a freshman in 2023.

(6) Oregon 69, Oregon State 3

Ah, we’re finally back to a top-ranked team that impressed.

Dan Lanning and Mike Gundy shared a back-and-forth earlier last week, and Lanning will get the last laugh. Gundy had a point — the Ducks are flush with cash — but making an astute point means little if you fall flat on your face.

That’s exactly what the Cowboys did, and I wonder if Gundy is living on borrowed time in Stillwater. The Oklahoma State program has crashed recently and it’s been unable to recover. Gundy’s act could be running stale.

It’s probably not worth any of our times for me to discuss Oklahoma State any further, so we’ll move on to Oregon.

The Ducks, to me, were the most dominant team of the day. Oregon won’t be tested until their trip to Penn State, but they’re shining in September, something that wasn’t the case in 2024. That’s a positive sign for Lanning’s young team.

Dante Moore is unquestionably the Ducks’ pivot man. If Moore is one of the best quarterbacks in the land, Oregon is arguably the national championship favorite. If he’s merely good, then the Ducks should contend for the title. Finally, if Moore is average, then it’ll be a disappointing season in Eugene. So far, so good.

Moore went 16-of-21 for 266 yards and three touchdowns yesterday.

Bryce Boettcher was the top player defensively for the Ducks in this game, as he posted nine tackles.

(7) Texas 38, San Jose State 7

The Longhorns briefly struggled in this game, but then the explosive passing plays started. Fortunately, that was exactly what Texas needed to feel good. Progress is critical in September, and the Longhorns displayed it yesterday.

Improvement is especially paramount for Arch Manning, as the sophomore’s lack of polish was exposed at Ohio State. Yesterday afternoon was much better, as Manning went 19-of-30 for 295 yards, four touchdowns and a pick. Manning undoubtedly benefited from a lot of yards after the catch from his receivers, but his stat line was respectable — at the very worst.

Quietly, freshman Parker Livingstone might be emerging as Texas’ best wide receiver. He made some plays in Week 1, and exploded in this win. Livingstone tallied four catches for 128 yards and two scores. Ryan Wingo is likely the best talent for the Longhorns at the position, but his play hasn’t been sufficient to this point.

Michael Taaffe and Anthony Hill combined for 14 tackles, and those are probably Texas’ two best defenders.