8 Things I Saw in Week 1

John Crimella shares his opinions and observations from Week 1 of the college football season

Week 1 is almost in the books, so here are 8 opinions about things I saw in Week 1.

1. Georgia was dominant. Clemson was lacking.

Not much else to say about the Bulldogs other than Carson Beck looked real good.

For Clemson, it’s time for the university to realize they have to make a choice. Head coach Dabo Swinney has consistently turned his nose up at the transfer portal but it’s evident that there is a clear lack of talent separating Clemson from the higher echelon they used to be in. They may be able to hang with the teams in the ACC but they will not go any further than that until they change their ways.

2. Miami looked for real!

Can Ward was as advertised. Or was it they were playing a pathetic Florida team? I think it was more of the Hurricanes being just that good honestly.

Miami looked different, liked they had truly taken that next step.

Cam Ward was good for what he needed to be and with that first game out of the way, the question becomes can he and the team work on getting better? But after one weekend, they looked like the class of the ACC.

3. Notre Dame slogged through a terrific defensive slug fest.

Quarterback Riley Leonard stayed the course and was just a bit better than his counterpart Connor Weigman from Texas A&M.

Neither team should hang their heads as both have tremendous upside but with obvious issues to fix.

For Notre Dame this game was especially important, as the rest of their schedule is basically cream puffs, and they may not know exactly who they are heading into the playoffs, where they should wind up unless they pull a standard Notre Dame let down this year.

4. Penn State looked better.

It’s amazing what can happen on all facets of the offense if you let the QB throw down field every now and then.

Quarterback Drew Allar looked improved and calm. And the running game was impressive.

If James Franklin can just stay out of their way, the Nittany Lions seem like the team to challenge Ohio State for the Big Ten title this year.

5. Other teams I liked:

Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, Missouri, Ohio State, and Utah all come to mind, as they came out and did what they were supposed to against lesser opponents, i.e. put your foot on their throats from the start and don’t let them get any ideas.

6. Teams that did not impress:

Oregon, Michigan, NC State, Boise State, Arizona. Oregon jumps off the page here as they struggled mightily with Idaho even though quarterback Dillon Gabriel was putting up video game passing numbers.

Michigan didn’t do much of anything until late into the third quarter. NC State was lucky to walk away with a victory. Boise State, despite a superhuman effort from running back and early Heisman front runner Ashton Jeanty (267 yards and 6 TDs) could not pull away from Georgia Southern.

7. Favorite Team of the Week: Iowa Hawkeyes

Come on, they scored 40. 40! They beat the OVER by themselves! If you can’t love that you don’t understand college football or Tailgatores Setup.

8. Worst Team of the Week: Florida Gators

How bad was it…?

Yeah that about sums it up.

I have been a proponent for Billy Napier. I have wanted to believe what they’ve been telling us: this is the best team we’ve had, they’re ready, etc, etc.

Just words.

Meaningless words.

What I saw was a team that had no heart, no fire, no drive, and no desire to win.

Maybe Miami was just that good, but I saw the same things that have held the Gators back for the last three years. It’s time to move on. From Napier and athletic director Scott Strickland too.

This may be the earliest in-season firing of an SEC head coach ever because Napier may not even make it out of September.

The Bull Gator boosters now have to make a choice.

They have to find a competent, SEC-ready coach to bring in.

Doubtful Nick Saban would want to return.

It’s time to turn to the man that can Make Florida Relevant Again (MFRA). He’s recruited well where he is and used the portal brilliantly. It’s time to call Lane Kiffin and have a deal in place for the end of the season.

If Florida ever wants to try and regain what they once were, sometimes you have to sell your soul.

Two games left to go this holiday weekend. Hope they cap off a thrilling Week 1!