Mr. CFB: Florida, LSU, and South Carolina Have Some Work To Do
So what did we learn about SEC football on Week1?
1—It’s going to be a long week in Baton Rouge: It’s one thing to get beat. But it’s another thing entirely for a top 10 team to get its butt kicked for an entire half, which is what Florida State did in beating LSU 45-24 in Orlando.
LSU got bullied and you rarely see that. A lot of people have picked LSU to win its second straight SEC West title and that could still happen. It’s just one game. But the WAY LSU lost was disconcerning and has to be a wakeup call.
Now don’t get me wrong. Florida State had the superior team and its quarterback, Jordan Travis, was magnificent. LSU looked like a team that was saying “Don’t you know who we are?”
“We thought we were the two-time defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs…..We were mistaken.” Said LSU Coach Brian Kelly.
LSU hosts Grambling before going to Mississippi State on Sept. 16.
Remember that LSU lost to FSU to open the season a year ago and came back to win the SEC West.
2—One word for the Georgia fans—at least some of them: Relax.
The two-time defending national champions have a new offensive coordinator (Mike Bobo), a new quarterback (Carson Beck) and a running back group that is banged up.
Still, after a slow start, Georgia rolled up 559 yards of total offense in a 48-7 win over Tennessee-Martin.
Beck, who took over for Stetson Bennett completed 21 of 31 passes for 294 yards.
But at times during there were folks on social media who wanted to fire Bobo.
Really?
You’ve won two straight national championships and are favored to win a third. Please.
3—Jalen MIlroe showed up and showed out. After getting elite quarterback play for so long, it’s fair to say that Alabama fans and the media were skeptical about Jalen Milroe, who took over for Bryce Young, the Heisman Trophy winner.
All Milroe did was throw touchdown passes of 47, 48, and 29 yards in a 56-7 win over a pretty good Middle Tennessee State team. He completed 13 of 18 passes for 194 yards. He ran for 48 yards on seven carriers.
“I think he is more confident, doing a good job in the passing game,” said Alabama Coach Nick Saban.
My point: If Milroe is comfortable in the passing game, starting this Saturday against Texas, the Crimson Tide is going to be hard to handle.
All summer I have had both Georgia and Alabama in my Final Four. After what we saw this weekend, that is very possible.
4—I really don’t know what to say about the Florida Gators.
Florida went to Utah and lost 24-11 in a game that was not really that close. The Utes were without their starting quarterback, Cameron Rising but it didn’t matter. The Utes held the Gators to 13 yards rushing.. Graham Mertz, the transfer quarterback from Wisconsin, threw for over 300 yards. And that was a bad thing.
That is not how this offense was built.
This offense needs to figure out somethings against McNeese State this week because Tennessee comes to Gainesville on Sept. 16.
5—If the Gamecocks don’t find some kind of a running game and improve their pass protection, it is not going to be a pretty season in Columbia.
In the offseason North Carolina Coach Mack Brown huddled with defensive coordinator Gene Chizik and made up their minds to fix the defense, which was 12th in the ACC against the run and dead last in sacks (17).
On Saturday the Tar Heels held South Carolina to minus-2 yards rushing in a 31-17 win in Charlotte. North Carolina also had nine quarterback sacks.
South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said there is a lot to fix between now and a trip to Georgia on Sept. 16. The Gamecocks host Furman this week.
“The whole offensive line is sliding to someone who is a threat and we’re still getting hit,” said Beamer.
Translation: South Carolina knew what was coming from the Tar Heels and still couldn't block them.