Week 1 Recap: The TFFE Top 25

HEY! New feature, because hey why not, and also because writing out those previews actually gave me knowledge of the UCF and Louisiana-Lafayettes of the world. In a nod to my Finance background, I'll just throw a status note at the end of each recap for each team: STOCK UP, STOCK NEUTRAL, or STOCK DOWN. Should be self-explanatory, I hope. Unless you don't speak English, in which case, why are you reading this blog?

#1 LSU 45, Mississippi State 0
The offense had a rough go of it early, but the LSU defense made that #1 ranking look smart, picking off ineffective MSU QB Mike Henig 5 times and just generally making him almost cry. Things early on saw LSU OC Gary Crowton having Matt Flynn run a whole bunch of times, which better be a red herring for Virginia Tech as rumored. I mean, he can run for a white boy, but having him do so repeatedly is an...interesting strategy. Still, the offense can afford to get its shit together, as, again, that LSU D absolutely obliterated everything in its sight, between the 5 interceptions and holding MSU's running game to 10 yards. It's hard to tell what this means for Mississippi State, especially since I personally gave them an outside shot at bowl eligibility. They looked like they didn't belong in the SEC here, but that LSU defense is a beast, and MSU will have a few games under their belt when they have upset bids against Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kentucky.
LSU: STOCK NEUTRAL
Mississippi State: STOCK NEUTRAL

#2 USC 38, Idaho 10
Not quite the dominating performance of shock and awe expected, especially compared to last year's rape and pillage of Arkansas. John David Booty had a fine game (21/32, 306, 3/1 TD/INT) and WR Vidal Hazelton had a great catch, but all in all, this was pretty much just an unnotable, workmanlike beating, rather than an all-out destruction. The talent still keeps them as a deserving #2, but this showed the Trojans are vulnerable. Or just getting warmed up before dropping 60 on Nebraska. For Idaho, redshirt frosh RB Deonte Jackson had 99 yards, which is a plus, but things still aren't much better than "the favorite against Utah State and Louisiana Tech."
USC: STOCK NEUTRAL
Idaho: STOCK NEUTRAL

#3 West Virginia 62, Western Michigan 24
I still say WMU's probably the best team in the MAC, but West Virginia does not care. The WVU smorgasboard of rushing established itself as expected, but the most impressive line of the game is Pat White's passing (10/18, 192 yards, 2 TD) against an elite Western Michigan secondary. Also of concern for the Broncos was how poorly their own rushing attack fared, gaining only 32 yards. A very rough loss for WMU, but I don't think it means much yet; if Indiana QB Kellen Lewis lights up the secondary next week, then there's a major cause for concern.
West Virginia: STOCK NEUTRAL
Western Michigan: STOCK NEUTRAL

#4 Oklahoma 79, North Texas 10
Well, even I didn't expect that. New OU QB Sam Bradford went 21/23(!) for 363 and 3 TD, and fellow redshirt frosh RB DeMarco Murray lived up to the hype by scoring 5 touchdowns. On the other side of things, I realize this is the OU D, but North Texas RB Jamario Thomas had a horribly disappointing game, leading the Mean Green with 4 yards rushing. The OU offense humming along this well is a positive sign, and UNT pretty much wound up not being much worse than expected.
Oklahoma: STOCK UP
North Texas: STOCK NEUTRAL

Appalachian State 34, #5 Michigan 32
Still weird. The Wolverines could make a case for statistically having won this, but still, the fact that a case needs to be MADE. This isn't 2006 Maryland, this is 2007 Michigan. Chad Henne had a shitfest compared to expectations, narrowly completing over half his passes, and I feel absolutely horrible for Mike Hart, who ran for 8.2 yards a carry en route to 188 yards and 3 touchdowns. DC Ron English's star has fallen, since even if it is a rebuilding defense, the talent should be able to carry it against APPALACHIAN STATE. But no, mobile QBs and passing down the middle just once again give Michigan fits. And once again, Lloyd Carr with expectations is a recipe for disaster. Michigan still has the talent to go 11-1, but the coaching to go 6-6, so who knows how things will shake out. Before the season, I figured this would be Carr's last, so the most interesting part of this to me is what this means past this season -- I figured English or another assistant would get the promotion, but sure as hell not now. Maybe they'll go with Rich Rodriguez, just to stick it to WVU in another sport. God, what horrible coaching.
Michigan: STOCK DOWN

#6 Texas 21, Arkansas State 13
Huh? I expected Corey Leonard to be one of the Sun Belt's best QBs, and that the Texas secondary would be their weakness, but I didn't expect Leonard to throw for 259 yards, even if he did have an unproductive 0/1 TD/INT ratio. Colt McCoy had a similar night, but threw for a 2/2 ratio; one'd like to think he should be held to a higher standard. Really, it just looks like a flat effort - McCoy had a meh night, RB Jamaal Charles ran for over 100, but the defense allowed Arkansas State to get away with a lot. Despite the disappointment, Texas's outlook hasn't really changed - the secondary better get its act together fast, if not against TCU, then especially by the Oklahoma game.
Texas: STOCK NEUTRAL
Arkansas State: STOCK NEUTRAL

#7 Louisville 73, Murray State 10
If there were any concerns about the offense making a transition, they should be quenched, even if this is only Murray State. Brian Brohm did not get injured, and had a 4/0 TD/INT ratio on 76.2% passing. There's not much to tell from such a whooping on an overmatched opponent - Louisville is who we thought they were.
Louisville: STOCK NEUTRAL

#8 South Carolina 28, Louisiana-Lafayette 14
Not as close as the Texas game, but about as uninspiring. It looks like the Gamecocks QBs did fine enough, as both Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher had completion rates over 70% and combined for a 2/1 ratio. Still, the Ragin' Cajuns optiontastic offense gave the SC D fits, gaining 252 yards on the ground. The stats are good enough where I'm not too nervous about Carolina, but ULL could give the rest of the Sun Belt more trouble than expected.
South Carolina: STOCK NEUTRAL
Louisiana-Lafayette: STOCK UP

#24 Clemson 24, #9 Florida State 18
I was having some pretty horrible headaches during the game, so what I saw was hit or miss. Still, even though Clemson had a 24-3 lead at the half, I didn't think it was near that overwhelming - more just breaking one or two big plays rather than completely outplaying FSU at every turn. Things somewhat normalized in the second half as FSU came together, especially along the offensive line, and the Noles easily could've made it all the way back. As for what this means, well, in the big picture, both teams are still contenders for the ACC title, especially given VT's struggles. For Clemson, the offensive line didn't look all too great, especially in the second half, but Cullen Harper looks to be a good enough QB to not hold the team back. Also, that James Davis touchdown run in the first was absolutely insane - it was pretty much driven home that either Clemson RB can run with pretty much anyone. On FSU's side, the offensive line was also a concern, and it really looks like this coaching transition is going to take longer than I, Phil Steele, and others may have figured. FSU's actual poll ranking of 19 seems to be closer to the level that these two teams are, and that might be how it is for the ACC as a whole - another year of the top teams topping out in the 15-20 range, only this year the names will be more familiar.
Florida State: STOCK DOWN
Clemson: STOCK UP

#10 Virginia Tech 17, East Carolina 7
Ugh. The Tech offense was a mess. Branden Ore only averaged 3 yards a carry, and Sean Glennon got sacked 4 times en route to putting up the world's most uninspiring 67% passing, 245 yard, 1 TD/1 INT performance. And while ECU's 261 yards isn't overly impressive, it's not a good sign that Pirates QB Patrick Pinkney, forced into action due to suspensions, put up some wholly decent numbers, throwing for 115 on 56%. Very uninspiring stuff - while the LSU game probably makes this a moot point either way, this knocks VT down a notch from "national title contender" to just "ACC title contender." I mean, ECU's a very good C-USA offense, but jeez. As for the Pirates, this has to be considered a step up - I mean, if they can more or less stop VT, they can stop, say, Memphis.
Virginia Tech: STOCK DOWN
East Carolina: STOCK UP

#11 Penn State 59, Florida International 0
Pretty much the same as the Louisville game, although Anthony Morelli (23/38, 295, 3 TD) is less proven than Brohm. Again, not much to tell either way here, though the inexperienced front seven holding FIU to negative 3 yards and getting 7 sacks has to be taken as a positive. Yep.
Penn State: STOCK NEUTRAL
Florida International: STOCK NEUTRAL

#12 Alabama 52, Western Carolina 6
Again, not much to tell from a win over a I-AA. Things went about as expected - QB John Parker Wilson had a decent night and a number of running backs gained a bunch of yardage and touchdowns. Yep. Alabama is in fact better than Western Carolina.
Alabama: STOCK NEUTRAL

#13 Texas A&M 38, Montana State 7
Ehhhh. Montana State's been a Big 12-killer, and while A&M got the win, it was much closer than the score. MSU actually outgained the Aggies, and normally reliable A&M QB Stephen McGee didn't look too hot passing, going for only 112 on a 50% completion rate. Still, he could afford not to, as he ran for 121 yards and 2 TD on an astounding 13.4 yards per carry. The much-ballyhooed A&M RB duo of Mike Goodson and Jorvorskie Lane was fine, going for 65 and 40 respectively and a touchdown each. Montana State's success against the A&M D takes my perception of them down a notch, but the Aggies should still be a solid team.
Texas A&M: STOCK DOWN

#14 Ohio State 38, Youngstown State 6
Another win over a I-AA team that's as decisive as you'd expect, but not with any eye-popping performances. Things are just rolling along.
Ohio State: STOCK NEUTRAL

#15 Wisconsin 42, Washington State 21
Wazzou was up to their usual no-defense, all-offense ways, and even with that in mind, the big news has to be the performance of Wisconsin QB Tyler Donovan, who had 284 yards and 3 TD on 65.5% passing. So, without much dropoff at the QB position, Wisconsin should pretty much be the same level team as last year. Which...means they beat up on teams like this. So, we pretty much know nothing when it comes to how they'll do against the OSUs and Penn States and even the Michigans of the world later on.
Wisconsin: STOCK NEUTRAL
Washington State: STOCK NEUTRAL

#16 Florida 49, Western Kentucky 3
WKU is transitioning to I-A, so holding them to 204 yards has to be good news for such a young defense. And the offense did pretty great too, gaining 510 yards, mostly thanks to QB Tim Tebow's 13/17, 300 yard, 3 TD performance. This, in fact, went better than Michigan-Appalachian State.
Florida: STOCK NEUTRAL

#17 Oregon 48, Houston 27
Absolutely shootout-tastic, as Houston outgained the Ducks 545-473, but had 4 turnovers to Oregon's 0. Oregon QB Dennis Dixon was a one-man wrecking machine, throwing for 134 and 2 TD on 60% passing while running for another 141, but the line of the night belongs to Houston RB Anthony Alridge. After averaging over 10 yards per carry in limited action last year, Alridge proved that not be a fluke, averaging 9.3 yards per carry en route to 205 yards. If the upper tier of the Pac 10 past USC wasn't as weak as it is, I might knock Oregon down a peg, but as it stands it looks like they can at least beat any team on their schedule via shootout. And with Alridge continuing last year's success and Houston's dual QBs not completely embarrassing themselves, this was a good game for both teams.
Oregon: STOCK UP
Houston: STOCK UP

#18 Georgia 35, Oklahoma State 14
OK State's performance may have been the most disappointing of any team, Michigan included, as the vaunted Cowboys offense only put up 266 yards. Really, the Cowboys as a whole should be ashamed of themselves, as the veteran secondary was also horribly disappointing. UGA didn't really even need to run, as soph QB Matthew Stafford completed 75% of his passes en route to 234 yards and 2 touchdowns. Georgia seems ready to play quicker than I expected, and again, OK State's performance here was just a shitfest.
Georgia: STOCK UP
Oklahoma State: STOCK DOWN

#19 Miami 31, Marshall 3
The Miami defense was dominant as usual, holding the Herd to only 51 rushing and then getting 3 interceptions out of the Marshall passing game. New QB Kirby Freeman was less than inspiring, throwing for 81, a pick and a TD on only 43% passing, but the running game bailed him out, led by Javarris James's 99 yards and 2 scores and superfrosh Graig Cooper's 116 yards. Marshall QB Bernard Morris was at least able to complete 61.5% of his passes, and the Herd was known to have no running game, so things are fairly stable with them too.
Miami: STOCK NEUTRAL
Marshall: STOCK NEUTRAL

#20 South Florida 28, Elon 13
Meh. Fine but uninspiring. Matt Grothe was the one-man show on the USF offense, throwing for 238 and 2 TD on 59% passing. USF was able to get 6 sacks too, but still, I have kind of a 50/50 feeling on this one. USF could still manage to upset WVU or Louisville, but you imagine this is the type of game they would win handily if they were ready to take the next step. And yes, I know they've already beaten WVU and Louisville the last two years.
South Florida: STOCK NEUTRAL

#21 Missouri 40, Illinois 34
Shootouttastic and mostly through the air, as each team had roughly 430 total yards, but less than 120 rushing. Illini QB Juice Williams was knocked out early, so he was hard to get a read on, but Mizzou QB Chase Daniel had a great game, going for 359 and 3 TD with a 68.5 completion percentage. Illinois was MUCH better than last year's 2-10 record, so there's nothing for Mizzou to be ashamed about, and at the same time, Illinois has to be happy with even a close loss.
Missouri: STOCK NEUTRAL
Illinois: STOCK NEUTRAL

#22 Hawaii 63, Northern Colorado 6
Colt Brennan's insane line in his one half of action: 34/40, 416 yards, 6 TD. And nothing more really needs to be said.
Hawaii: STOCK NEUTRAL

#23 Nebraska 52, Nevada 10
The Huskers offense went wild, especially on the ground, as Marlon Lucky ran for 233 and 3 TD. Such a performance from a player who hasn't lived up to his talent has to be encouraging, but there's more bad news for Nevada than good for the Huskers. Wolf Pack QB Nick Graziano only went 8/24 for 109 and a pick, and the running game may have done even less. This looks to be a much worse rebuilding year than expected for Nevada.
Nebraska: STOCK NEUTRAL
Nevada: STOCK DOWN

#25 Arizona State 45, San Jose State 3
Dang. ASU SMASH, 520 yards to 115. Really just a perfect game all around. The defense stopped SJSU dead, QB Rudy Carpenter threw for 197 and 2 TD on 70% passing, and RB Ryan Torain ran for 123 and 3 scores. Just excellent in every facet, especially seeing as SJSU was a very good team last year, especially their secondary. Still, there's the caveat that Arizona State is typically a beast at home anyway, but still, an extremely encouraging performance.
Arizona State: STOCK UP
San Jose State: STOCK DOWN