ACC: I'd consider this week a positive overall for the ACC. The conferences two main giants came away with wins against challenging opponents. However, the big victory for the conference is that with the exception of Virginia, the conferences other teams avoided the ugly early season upsets that have plagued it in the past.
Big 12: On one hand, the conference may have gotten Texas back to help give it a perception boost. On the other hand, the conferences only preseason playoff contender Oklahoma was knocked off before supper time Saturday. TCU struggled with South Dakota State defensively which could be something that haunts TCU in a conference where almost everyone scores points. Then again, if there is a conference where you can get by giving up 40 on a regular basis, it is the Big 12. Most everyone else did what they were supposed to do. Coming into the year Oklahoma and TCU would be considered by some to be the two best teams in the conference and neither were impressive. This week was probably an overall bad week for the perception of the conference.
Big 10: The Big 10 needed two things in the opening weekend. The first was to avoid upsets and for the most part, everyone that played an underdog opponent took care of business. The second was Wisconsin needed to play a respectable game against #5 LSU. As much as I hate Wisconsin, the did the Big 10 a big time favor by not only playing a respectable game, but they actually won. This could be huge teams like Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and of course Iowa. I'd say overall, Week 1 was a positive for the Big 10.
Pac 12: The biggest loser of the Power 5 conferences by far. I give the Pac 12 credit because their teams seem to not only schedule other Power 5 conference teams at a higher frequency than other teams, but they'll also play those Power 5 teams on the road. This unfortunately did not end well for Oregon State and once a potential playoff dark horse UCLA. But damage wasn't only limited to the road as Arizona lost at home to BYU and Washington State lost at home to Eastern Washington. Then USC took the final 3 quarters off against the worst team you could choose to take quarters off against when they played Alabama.
SEC: It was a mixed bag for the SEC. Alabama looks like the most impressive team in the country emerging from Week 1, Georgia scored a win behind a healthy Nic Chubb against a ranked UNC team, and Texas A&M took down one of the preseason big dogs from the Pac 12. However, LSU looks like the same team they've been the last 2 years which isn't compliment, Mississippi State inspired my favorite moment of the weekend when a father told his kids that there was no need to watch any more football the rest of the year, and Southern Miss beat Kentucky in Lexington. And then there was the flat performance by Tennessee on national TV which could best be described as escaping a lose at home against Appalachian State. Also, despite decisively winning the game statistically, Florida had a much tougher time with UMass than Florida ever should on the score board. Ole Miss lost a heartbreaker considering the were up 28-6, but the 2nd half version of Florida State looked like the 2nd most impressive team in the country this weekend. I'm not going to punish Ole Miss for losing to a team they were supposed to lose against in what was in some ways a road game. What ironically saves this weekend from being an overall loss by the SEC was a loss by Auburn. With no time left, a ball was in the air that could have won the game against the #2 team in the country. I'm not saying Auburn was merely hoping for a moral victory going into that game, but considering Auburn was widely thought of as a bottom half of the SEC team coming into the season, they did outplay expectations. I'd draw the line down the middle for the SEC this weekend.
Big 12: On one hand, the conference may have gotten Texas back to help give it a perception boost. On the other hand, the conferences only preseason playoff contender Oklahoma was knocked off before supper time Saturday. TCU struggled with South Dakota State defensively which could be something that haunts TCU in a conference where almost everyone scores points. Then again, if there is a conference where you can get by giving up 40 on a regular basis, it is the Big 12. Most everyone else did what they were supposed to do. Coming into the year Oklahoma and TCU would be considered by some to be the two best teams in the conference and neither were impressive. This week was probably an overall bad week for the perception of the conference.
Big 10: The Big 10 needed two things in the opening weekend. The first was to avoid upsets and for the most part, everyone that played an underdog opponent took care of business. The second was Wisconsin needed to play a respectable game against #5 LSU. As much as I hate Wisconsin, the did the Big 10 a big time favor by not only playing a respectable game, but they actually won. This could be huge teams like Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and of course Iowa. I'd say overall, Week 1 was a positive for the Big 10.
Pac 12: The biggest loser of the Power 5 conferences by far. I give the Pac 12 credit because their teams seem to not only schedule other Power 5 conference teams at a higher frequency than other teams, but they'll also play those Power 5 teams on the road. This unfortunately did not end well for Oregon State and once a potential playoff dark horse UCLA. But damage wasn't only limited to the road as Arizona lost at home to BYU and Washington State lost at home to Eastern Washington. Then USC took the final 3 quarters off against the worst team you could choose to take quarters off against when they played Alabama.
SEC: It was a mixed bag for the SEC. Alabama looks like the most impressive team in the country emerging from Week 1, Georgia scored a win behind a healthy Nic Chubb against a ranked UNC team, and Texas A&M took down one of the preseason big dogs from the Pac 12. However, LSU looks like the same team they've been the last 2 years which isn't compliment, Mississippi State inspired my favorite moment of the weekend when a father told his kids that there was no need to watch any more football the rest of the year, and Southern Miss beat Kentucky in Lexington. And then there was the flat performance by Tennessee on national TV which could best be described as escaping a lose at home against Appalachian State. Also, despite decisively winning the game statistically, Florida had a much tougher time with UMass than Florida ever should on the score board. Ole Miss lost a heartbreaker considering the were up 28-6, but the 2nd half version of Florida State looked like the 2nd most impressive team in the country this weekend. I'm not going to punish Ole Miss for losing to a team they were supposed to lose against in what was in some ways a road game. What ironically saves this weekend from being an overall loss by the SEC was a loss by Auburn. With no time left, a ball was in the air that could have won the game against the #2 team in the country. I'm not saying Auburn was merely hoping for a moral victory going into that game, but considering Auburn was widely thought of as a bottom half of the SEC team coming into the season, they did outplay expectations. I'd draw the line down the middle for the SEC this weekend.
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