NCAA Football Takeaways Week 2

After picking up a close win in Week 1 over then-No.17 TCU, Colorado entered Week 2 as a -2.5 point favorite over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The Buffaloes shucked the Cornhuskers easily, winning by 22 points.

This week, Colorado will square up against the Colorado State Rams, with the Buffaloes as 23.5 point favorites.

Not much of a contest, but should be fun to watch if you like blowouts.

Looking ahead, the true test for Colorado comes in the following two weeks, when they take on No. 13 Oregon and No. 5 USC.

Regardless of the outcome of those two games, those matchups will probably receive the largest handle of any College Football game on every sportsbook.

With quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter providing entertainment on the field, and coach Deion Sanders providing entertainment on the sideline, Colorado is becoming America’s team.

‘Sanders and Company’ are a growing threat to win the Pac-12 and they currently stand at +10000 on BetRivers to take down the conference.

Anyone that believes the Buffaloes can win the whole thing, the best odds for a National Championship are +13000 at BetRivers.

They are no longer the 1-11 rough Buffs.

What else have we learned after Week 2 of this College Football season?

ACC Is Getting Stronger

The Clemson Tigers have dominated the Atlantic Coast Conference for quite some time, but after being dominated in a 28-7 season opening loss to the Duke Blue Devils, things are getting interesting in the ACC.

The Florida State Seminoles have climbed to No. 3 in the AP Poll rankings and look like a legitimate title contender, especially after knocking off the LSU Tigers in their opening contest.

The Seminoles will start their in-conference competition this week, facing off against Boston College. The ‘Noles are -27.5 point favorites.

The best odds for the Seminoles to win the ACC Conference is +170 at BetRivers.

The Miami Hurricanes bested the then-No. 23 Texas A&M Aggies in Week 2, vaulting into the AP Poll rankings themselves, currently at No. 22.

Canes’ quarterback Tyler Van Dyke put on a Heisman-level performance, collecting 374 passing yards and five touchdowns.

Van Dyke’s odds to win the Heisman Trophy currently sit at +4000 at FanDuel sportsbook.

Miami’s best odds for winning the conference stand at +2000 at Bet365.

The North Carolina Tar Heels survived a close call with their in-state foes, Appalachian State, winning 40-34 in two overtimes.

As long as Drake Maye is under center, the Tar Heels are going to be a point of frustration for these ACC defenses.

The aforementioned Duke Blue Devils have even found their way into the AP Poll rankings, currently sitting at No. 21.

Duke quarterback Riley Leonard wears a wristband emblazoned with the words ‘You Suck’. One must do whatever they can to stay humble in times of wild success.

Duke crushed Clemson and they still sit at +4000 at Bet365 to win the ACC. Clemson still favored to win the conference, is +150 at BetRivers.

On the slate for Week 3, the undefeated Louisville Cardinals are -9.5 point favorites against the Big Ten’s Indiana Hoosiers, undefeated Duke is a -19.5 point favorite to the Big Ten’s Northwestern Wildcats, undefeated UNC is a -7 point favorite against the Big Ten’s Minnesota Golden Gophers, and even the undefeated Syracuse Orange are -2.5 point favorites over the Big Ten’s Purdue Boilermakers.

Is the ACC better than the Big Ten right now? Maybe.

The ACC certainly looks like a deeper pool of competition, whereas the Big Ten is top heavy with Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State.

While the ACC is pondering future conference realignment, it appears that the talent may be realigning now.

Alabama Is Under Construction

The Alabama Crimson Tide has questions on offense.

The Crimson Tide looked alright after their Week 1 drubbing of Middle Tennessee State, winning 56-7, but when stiffer competition came to town, they crumbled.

In their Week 2 loss to the Texas Longhorns, Alabama entered the redzone just once, converted only five of 14 third down opportunities, lost the turnover battle (two to zero), and committed 10 penalties.

That’s not exactly the results of a championship-caliber unit.

Now, the Crimson Tide’s odds to make the College Football Playoff stand at +600. The National Championship appears to be slowly drifting away for Alabama, with the best odds set at +3300 at BetMGM.

Bama is putting their offense in the hands of Jalen Milroe, a sophomore dual-threat quarterback, from Texas.

Milroe struggled mightily on the ground, picking up just 44 yards on 15 carries. Milroe made some mistakes in the passing game as well, completing just 14 of his 27 pass attempts and throwing two interceptions.

How long is the leash on Milroe’s starting gig? Maybe redshirt freshman quarterback Ty Simpson makes an appearance this week against the South Florida Bulls?

It’s more than just the quarterback problems in Tuscaloosa.

Under Nick Saban, Bama has had nine different offensive coordinators under his tutelage. 30-year old Tommy Rees is the newest member of that group.

If Rees can’t get this offense clicking soon, there may be a tenth man joining Saban’s list in 2024.

If the Tide doesn’t roll, heads will roll.