After enduring the rigors of the first couple weeks of college, I've decided to return to the blogosphere. Sure, the time spent typing this could probably be spent for wisely, but where's the fun in that? Plus, the first weekend of college football is in the books, and I believe that's a cause for celebration and reflection, also known as some opinions and thoughts, which I think should be more widely adopted than Mark May's or any other biased former player ESPN puts in a suit.
I've hypothesized the best way to entertain my loyal fan base, yet not take up too much of my precious free time, is to give my top ten teams after each week of play. Since I'm such a creative person, I've opted for the title of "The Tenacious Ten" (Top ten is too cliché, power rankings is way over used, and tenacious is just fun to say... You earn bonus points if you just said tenacious when I said it was fun to say. Plus, the alliteration would make my English teachers very happy). Some weeks The Tenacious Ten might look a lot like the AP poll (which it does this week, but I swear on my left nut I started typing this before it was released) and others it may look like I've never watched football before. But after all, it is my blog, and if you disagree, start typing your own damn thoughts on the Internet. It's really not that hard.
1. Alabama--- Beat Virginia Tech 35-10
I know. Alabama didn't look very impressive. They barely gained 200 yards of total offense. AJ McCarron and TJ Yeldon were getting no help from their depleted offensive line. Christion Jones was single handedly responsible for 21 of their points. The thing is they still won by 25 points over a "Power Five" conference team. Tuscaloosa is still the undisputed Playboy Mansion of the college football world, and it's not going to be easy to gain entrance and compete with the Tide. Saban's bunch is not unbeatable, but with a bye week to prepare for the Battle in College Station, they will have plenty of time to improve some glaring weaknesses and take a monumental step towards the three-peat.
2. Oregon--- Beat Nicholls State 66-3
Gone is Chip Kelly, but the fastest offense in college football is still humming right along. Marcus Mariota, a Heisman candidate who backed it up in week one, looks like a much improved passer, and he displayed much more swagger as a play caller. De'Anthony Thomas looks ready to be a featured back in Eugene, and I'm not sure there's a defensive back in the country who can tackle him in the open field. The defense, always a weakness for the Ducks, also seems to be consistently improving, too. The only question is will new coach Mark Helfrich be as analytical as Kelly once the schedule gets tougher. He's going to have to because the Ducks are going to face much tougher challenges than Nicholls State in the weeks a head.
3. Ohio State--- Beat Buffalo 40-20
The first ten minutes for the Buckeyes made them look like definite National Championship contenders. They looked like they could beat Alabama by four touchdowns. They looked like they could've beaten the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars by at least double digit margin. However, the remaining fifty minutes? Not so much. Granted they were missing some starters in the secondary, but the Bucks have some weaknesses with depth at the position and need to find help ASAP. The offense is going to score points. In fact, as Kirk Herbstriet predicted, they could easily score 40 or more a game. As the underclassmen on the defensive line continue to mature and as the cavalry returns on the backend, there should be some noticeable improvement on that side of the ball.
4. Clemson--- Beat Georgia 38-35
I hate writing this, but Clemson is for real. Tajh Boyd may look like a fatass, but he can throw a football. Sammy Watkins may be a pothead, but he can flat out run. Dabo Swinney may be an uneducated redneck, but he has finally proved he can win the big games. The defense has some questions, but like Ohio State and Oregon, they should be able to make up for any weaknesses. The biggest challenge for Clemson, though is going to be Clemson. In fact, "Clemsoning", AKA "Michiganing", AKA choking, is such a real thing it's prominent on Urban Dictionary. Unfortunately, this team may be mature enough to prevent a possible letdown once ACC play. The showdown with Florida State in October
5. South Carolina---Beat North Carolina 27-10
Yes, Jadeveon Clowney didn't do anything. Yes, he's out of shape. Yes, they need to develop more offensive weapons. However, as someone at the game in the 105 DEGREE HEAT INDEX can attest to, Clowney's conditioning shouldn't be such a big deal (Also, dear Jesse Palmer. If you're going to critique the man so much, why don't you say it to his face? I'm sure it won't go over too badly for you). Either way, the defense managed to limit a very good offense to ten points and proved it's more than a one man wrecking crew. Mike Davis looks ready for a breakout season. Connor Shaw and Dylan Thompson both proved they are more than capable quarterbacks once again. A big test at Georgia this week should provide for a great game, but as the past few years have proven, it's not necessarily going to decide the SEC East. Look for a big game for Clowney, though, as he tries to bounce back from a rather underwhelming start.
T6. Texas A&M--- Beat Rice 52-31
You may not like JFF, but you have to respect the man's accomplishments: Heisman trophy; Putting the Aggie football program back on the map; Running an under-the-table autograph scheme with thousands of dollars; Making the NCAA look like the fraud it is and being the catalyst that will likely lead to its demise. All of that from a current college sophomore and twenty year old? That's impressive no matter your opinion on whether he's guilty or not. He proved against Rice he is going to have another fantastic year, but A&M's biggest problem is going to be defense. They were missing half of their starters, but play like that will lead to total decimation at the hands of Alabama, LSU, etc. Also, if Johnny's "I am Sasha Fierce" diva side keeps flashing from time to time, it could be just another unnecessary obstacle Kevin Sumlin has to deal with.
T6. Stanford--- Bye
The Cardinal didn't play, so they fell a few spots, which I'll admit isn't very fair. Here's a prediction though that'll show just how good I expect Stanford to be this year: Kevin Hogan will be a Heisman finalist and an eventual top 10 pick in the draft a few years from now. The man embodies all of the qualities of Andrew Luck, but he's not quite nearly as nerdy as the graduated, architecture major. Stanford's defense will be the stalwart again, and David Shaw has proven he can coach just as well as former coach John Harbaugh. Granted they haven't played a single down yet, but I expect big things in Palo Alto this fall.
8. Louisville--- Beat Ohio 49-7
Teddy Bridgewater is the BEST player in college football, and if you watched the game on ESPN this past Sunday, you'd know color commentator Matt Millen would agree (That was the creepiest TV obsession I've heard since the whole Brent Musburger-Kate Upton incident). Anyways, you did read that last sentence right. The BEST player in college football. In fact, I wouldn't hesitate to draft him over Jadeveon Clowney if I was an NFL executive (Good thing I'm not. That pick would probably not be too popular for many people and organizations). Ohio is a top tier team in the MAC, but they got embarrassed by the Cardinals. Charlie Strong is proving he can be an elite coach game by game, and the tenacity displayed by him is matched, if not exceeded, by the team. Unfortunately for Louisville, they're going to have to go undefeated to make the BCS Championship (Louisville should go undefeated more than any team in the country in my opinion), and even then, that might not be enough.
9. LSU--- Beat TCU 37-27
In the other marquee game of the weekend, LSU showed that they have the potential to challenge and dethrone Bama in the SEC West. Zach Mettenberger, whose ability to play football used to be as erratic and unpredictable as a game of Russian roulette, has suddenly developed into an effective game manager who can make plays with his arm. Cam Cameron (His parents must've hated him. And if they didn't then they deserve the award for worst parents of the year) looks to have been a great addition to the staff, as I can't remember a game where LSU looked as potent on offensive as they did Saturday night. They have a tough scheduled, but Les Miles' team is going to be tough to beat.
10. Georgia--- Lost to Clemson 38-35
I don't care if they lost Saturday. Any team with Aaron Murray, Todd Gurley, and Keith Marshall on the roster is a top ten team. The questions about their defense proved to have merit to them, as Clemson ran up and down the field with very little resistance. It's obvious the football gods don't like Georgia right now either, as their best wide receiver, Malcolm Mitchell, is done for the season, and they have to regroup for the other top ten team in the state of South Carolina. Georgia's going to have to show up, and with the motivation from last week's defeat and last year's embarrassment in Columbia, they should. Whether that'll be enough to power them to win, though remains to be seen.
Next team up: Florida State--- Beat Pittsburgh 41-13
There was a ton of hype living up to the collegiate debut of Jameis Winston, and the man didn't disappoint. First off, we have to focus on the best part about Jameis: His name. Not Jamison, not James, not Jake, but Jameis. Kudos to whoever came up with that nickname, and double kudos for whoever thought of the slogan "Famous Jameis" first (His parents and friends must've loved him unlike the very poorly named Cam Cameron). The Seminoles finally made their return to the BCS last year, and with Jameis at the helm, they should have a great chance of making it back this year. Here's hoping Famous Jameis keeps his stellar play up, so the showdown with Clemson in mid October can be everything it looks like it will be as of right now.
J. Nave
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