Things I Think We Learned: CFB ‘22 Week Four – Chance Edition

(ED. NOTE: Hi guys, it’s Drew. I’m going to be very honest with you: I saw little-to-no football this weekend. I was working building a backyard patio from scratch with my father-in-law (who I willfully admit outworked me like a Biletnikoff Award Winner on a freshman DB) and didn’t see much. I enlisted some help though, and Matt kindly chimed in with his thoughts this week. Kind of a new spin on things. Does this mean I get to write the NFL Review? Maybe…)

We are switching it up here this week and I’ll be reviewing the College ranks. It’s probably for the best since I could write three pages on the Eagles and how my first kid’s name will be Jalen Sirianni Foles Chance. This week saw a lot of close calls and a few more upsets for a season that has no shortage of them in the first month of the season. The weather may be cooling down, but the conference play is starting to heat up. Here is what stood out in Week 4:

Have you ever seen an Auburn win more Auburny than what took place Saturday? The Mizzou running back had a clear path to the endzone for a game winning touchdown only to just DeSean Jackson it at the one-yard line and Auburn recovered to close out the win at home. The Auburn faithful cannot be too inspired by this win. The schedule picks up these next 4 weeks with LSU, UGA, MISS and Arkansas. I just don’t see Harsin making it through this stretch.

I’ll admit I was high like many others were on the Arkansas football program going into this season but after seeing them these first 4 weeks I just don’t think this is a great team. I am a fan of K.J. Jefferson but there is little else with this team that gets me excited. They barely survived a MO State team at home and then blew a 14-0 lead to a Texas A&M team that had uncertainty at QB. I honestly think Ole Miss is a bigger threat in the West. They’ll have a chance to prove me wrong with Alabama coming to town this weekend.

Speaking of A&M, credit to them for rebounding after the ugly App State loss. A win against Miami and now Arkansas at least keeps them in the race in the West. Max Johnson looks to have taken control of the QB spot(for now). I also did not know his dad was Brad Johnson, SB winning quarterback for the Bucs back in the day. Also, Kurt Warner’s son is also the starting QB at Temple. My age is beginning to show. This is not OK.

What a terrible showing for the U this weekend. Coming off a tough loss at A&M and they looked uninspired against MTSU. This program has fallen quite a bit in the last 20 years. Outside of Clemson the ACC is not a juggernaut but they just have not been able to win consistently. Ditto with Nebraska. College football is a better product when these programs are in contention.

Watch out for Rocky Top. The Tennessee Volunteers certainly look improved this year. Hendon Hooker might be the best QB (from a pure talent standpoint) in the SEC not named Bryce Young. Alabama, Kentucky, and Georgia still loom in the coming month. We’re about to learn more about this team and if they can contend with UGA in the East.

Ohio State is about to cakewalk to the playoff, aren’t they? Michigan survived a feisty but not overly talented Maryland team Saturday and Penn State didn’t exactly put Central Michigan away like a good team should. I just don’t see J.J. McCarthy and Sean Clifford outdueling C.J. Stroud this year.

It appears Notre Dame has righted the ship. At least a little bit. I thought they had no chance of out-scoring a UNC team that can light up the scoreboard, but they went on the road and walked away with a 13-point win. I still think Marcus Freeman has a chance to be a quality head coach. It’s good to see his team has not given up on the season.

The Bulldogs had their first subpar game of the season. At least to their new standard. They still beat Kent State by 17 points, but it was the first game they played where the game wasn’t over by halftime. I don’t think there is cause for concern in Athens. These types of games are hard to get yourself excited to play. Kentucky and Tennessee appear to be their biggest competition in the East, but this UGA team looks miles ahead of both. Time will tell.

The Alabama Crimson Tide disposed of Vanderbilt and their new Purdue looking uniforms with ease this past Saturday. Bryce Young has picked up from where he left off last year. He is the best player in College Football (besides Will Anderson) but it’s hard to think the Heisman Committee giving him the award again. They have rebounded from the Texas scare and appear poised to steamroll Arkansas this weekend in Fayetteville. Crazier things have happened, but the line opened at -17 for a reason and I’m taking the over.

Hard to believe the calendar strikes October this weekend for Week 5. It will be bowl season before we know it. Enjoy the football action in the meantime!   

(ANOTHER ED. NOTE: But wait, there’s more.)

WILL’S THOUGHTS (THAT ARE BETTER THAN DREW’S)

The Horri-bowl: Auburn and Mizzou are both terrible. Offense is a major concern for Auburn, and it should be, but the most alarming thing to me has been that horrendous rush defense. As for Mizzou: Remember kids, always take practice kicks….

Clemson-Wake Forest: This ain’t the same Clemson defense you’ve come to know. They had nearly 200 penalty yards and most of it came from pass interference calls. Wake is a bad 4th down play call away from pulling off the upset.