This isn’t a hot take but I’ve always maintained that it’s impossible to know a team’s real identity in college football until a month into the season.
Preseason pollsters set the table and tone with guesses, as to how good respective teams are without having seen anything. Sure, preseason polls are the norm in every collegiate sport.
But much like college hoops with the transfer portal playing such a major role from season-to-season now, it’s impossible to really know who’s legit and who isn’t. Recruiting rankings help, head coaches and the guys calling the plays are a factor, but we’re all grasping at straws through the first few weeks of play.
I haven’t seen a lot so far, but here’s what I’ve learned in the first month of college football…
THE MAGNOLIA STATE
The two teams with arguably the two best wins in the country both reside in the Magnolia State. Ole Miss and Mississippi State are both undefeated at 3-0 overall (and 1-0 in the SEC).
Rightfully so, the Rebels are ranked in the Associated Press’ top 5 this week after building a big lead and then surviving LSU’s second-half comeback to send Lane Kiffin and his feelings back to Baton Rouge with a 32-24 loss. Coupled with Ole Miss’ 41-38 win over No. 24 Louisville in the season opener, there isn’t a team with two quality wins that can match what the Rebels have done thus far.
And it certainly doesn’t hurt having the best quarterback in the country. While Oregon’s Dante Moore was the preseason pick, there’s a reason why Trinidad Chambliss is now the Heisman favorite with what he’s done on the field and two big wins to back up his campaign. Ole Miss will need every bit of Chambliss over the next four weeks with three games against Top-25 teams, including road games at No. 21 Florida and top-ranked Texas.
Much like their hated rivals, MSU is sitting on a pair of outstanding wins, both of which were on the road. After bludgeoning Louisiana-Monroe 62-13 in Starkville, the Bulldogs went to Minneapolis and destroyed Minnesota and the Gophers’ row boat 38-13 and then backed it up with a 41-34 comeback win at South Carolina last weekend.
Trailing 16-0, MSU quarterback Kamario Taylor (another early Heisman frontrunner) outscored the Gamecocks 41-7 over a 24-minuite span in the second half to pickup its second impressive road win of the early season.
If I was an AP voter, MSU would reside in my top 10.
DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPS
How good is defending champ Indiana? Answer: We don’t know and likely won’t until mid-October.
The Indiana Hoosiers won’t be tested until halfway through the season when they face Ohio State and Michigan in back-to-back weeks next month. IU has outscored its three cupcake opponents 145-16 to begin the season, pitching defensive shutouts in nine-consecutive quarters.
A home game against Northwestern and road games at Rutgers and Nebraska won’t tell us anything, except we might learn more about the Huskers on Saturday, October 10.
WATCHING LANE LOSE IS FUN
It’s hard for a game to live up to nine months of hype but that’s exactly what happened in Saturday’s LSU-Ole Miss primetime matchup. While the Rebels’ fast start and LSU’s comeback was captivating, the best part was watching Lane Kiffin come up short in his return to Oxford.
In my time on this Earth, I’ve never seen a conference or the SEC for that matter, unite so powerfully and strongly as the fan bases have in rooting against LSU. You name the school and their fans are ALL pulling for Kiffin to lose. And then lose so more. Can you blame them?
BOO BIRDS IN THE PALMETTO STATE
Regarding our local teams, Clemson can thank Saturday’s lightening delay for possibly saving their season in Week 3.
With boo birds “raining” down, the Tigers reversed course and were a different team after the fourth quarter delay, finding a way to get it done late. And that’s just how this season might have to be for Clemson, winning ugly with freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds’ on-the-job training.
Head coach Dabo Swinney was given a pass when starter Christopher Vizzina left the Georgia Southern game with an injury, allowing him to pivot to Reynolds without having to outright bench the veteran who had waited his turn.
Down in Columbia, nothing would surprise me more than to watch the Gamecocks go to Tuscaloosa this weekend and take a close game with Alabama down to the wire. The last two seasons have been nailbiters down to the very end in a pair of games that USC should have won.
Bama has been a slow starting team this season and the Gamecocks will need to jump out to a lead in hopes that their porous defense can keep the Tide out of the end zone long enough to survive this time.
If not, the “Fire Shane” chants will only continue in Columbia.
Furman’s backs are against the wall now, likely needing to win out in order to make the FCS Playoffs. Sitting at 2-2 overall after Saturday’s 20-17 home loss to No. 18 South Carolina State, the Paladins have nothing but SoCon games remaining after a road trip to Richmond this weekend.
Another loss might put Furman’s postseason hopes on life support, while two losses would all but end that dream, especially after losing starting quarterback Jake Garcia to a shoulder injury last week.
ACC HEARTACHE
Was Saturday’s inexplicable loss at Vanderbilt on the game’s final play enough to finally make NC State want to show head coach Dave Doeren the door? The Wolfpack are now 1-2 overall and a bowl game is no longer a forgone conclusion in Raleigh.
Has the Doeren era has run its course?
PROTECT COLLEGE SPORTS ACT
We need the Protect College Sports Act of 2026 (S.4668) to pass. It’s not THE answer nor is it perfect. But anything is better than what we have right now and that’s nothing.
GATOR BAIT
I’m wondering the exact same thing as Florida head coach Jon Sumrall. How are the Gators favored against visiting Ole Miss this weekend?
The only reason I can think of is Florida’s offense is one of the best in the SEC at running the football, led by the nation’s second-leading rusher in junior Jadan Baugh (averaging 152.6 yards per game). On the flip side, the Rebels are giving up a league-worst 159 yards per game on the ground.
Something to keep an eye on if the Gators’ revival under Sumrall continues on Saturday afternoon.
NO LONGER GAME OF THE WEEK
The downfall of the CBS feature 3:30 p.m., Big Ten game continues this weekend with No. 17 Iowa at No. 18 Michigan. The over/under is currently 38.5, but I’m shocked it’s not closer to 28 points.
Color me surprised if the winner scores more than 14 points in this game.
Remember, we are only 39 days until the start of the college basketball season.
–photo above courtesy of South Carolina Athletics