On College Football: Everyone Got Exposed

We thought Week 3 would be about exposure. Nailed the subject. Underestimated the order of magnitude. The nation’s top six entering the weekend underwhelmed. The polls are a power vacuum. Even our indomitable, consensus No. 1 farts, has warts, and looks vulnerable.

Colin Cowherd saw Ohio State running through the SEC. Reality saw Ohio State grappling past a MAC team on a pick six. Superior quarterback play, you say? 4.7 yards/attempt, three interceptions and a 2/13 3rd down conversion rate from Barrett/Jones. The Buckeyes have not put together four effective quarters combined, through three games. Thus far, there’s more than a faint whiff of 2014 Florida State.

Tom Herman leaving has affected the play-calling. Another Heisman contender looming can’t be helping either QB get comfortable. It’s hard for any champion to find the same dedication and focus a year later. That will be a particular issue for Ohio State, facing Lilliputians until mid-November.

Alabama threw away a game at home against Ole Miss. The Tide turned the ball over five times. Three Rebels touchdowns came on drives of 31 yards or fewer. This happened. Not the sort of execution that gets you a neck rub in the Nick Saban Series van. Beginning of the Tide unraveling? Or a blip of a loss en route to the playoff? A few weeks from now it will all have been self-evident.

[RELATED: GALLERY: Sad Alabama Fans From The Ole Miss Loss]

TCU labored against Chad Morris’ SMU. The Horned Frogs’ defense, undergoing the opposite injury fortune from last season, conceded 10.7 yards/attempt to the Mustangs’ Matt Davis. This was a five-point game in the 4th quarter. TCU’s major claim to exaltation right now is a six-point win against a not very good Minnesota.

USC was upset 41-31 by Stanford, their first real opponent. Kevin Hogan looked like good Kevin Hogan. The Trojans were a little soft in the middle on defense. Is this USC still having depth issues and fading late? Is it Steve Sarkisian and Co. not making the requisite in-game adjustments? Maybe a little both? It’s been a manifest pattern.

The two teams that come out looking alright? Michigan State is now up to No. 2 in the polls and earning multiple No. 1 votes. Of course, if you dive deeper into their 14-point win over Air Force, the Spartans pulled away on a fumble return for a TD, gave up 7.13 yards/play on defense, and rushed for just 77 yards on 42 carries. The Spartans have exhibited one positive: Connor Cook passing.

We also have Baylor. The Bears did not play. Some would argue they have not played yet. But, people liked them preseason. That’s the important thing.

SWIPE RIGHT

Swagger Kliff: Kliff Kingsbury is back among the living. His Red Raiders beat Arkansas. Clad in a dapper, postgame suit, he hoisted Bret Bielema by his own arrogant petard. Will he get his revenge against Gary Patterson in Lubbock next weekend? A couple TBL sages have their guns up.

Jerrod Heard: Either Texas has a quarterback, or it came up against Cal’s defense. The defeat was heartbreaking. But, freshman Jerrod Heard posting 364 yards through the air (11.7 yards/att) and rushing for 163 yards and 3 TD on 24 carries should encourage. The defense (105th in yards/play allowed, 127th in opponent 3rd down conversions) is another matter.

That Penn State Offense: Penn State crushed the Rutgers disarray 28-3. Saquon Barkley and Akeel Lynch combined for 315 yards and 3 TD on 31 carries. All world quarterback Christian Hackenberg…was not sacked for 60 minutes. With SDSU, Army and Indiana on tap at home, the Nittany Lions should still be heading to a bowl game. Onward and upward.

SWIPE LEFT

Auburn: LSU won the SEC West Tiger matchup 45-21. The score was closer than the game looked. Gus Malzahn drives in the 1st half: Punt, INT, Punt, Punt, Punt. How’d that Will Muschamp defense do handling Leonard Fournette after talking a big game? Not so great. Auburn is still ranked in the Coaches Poll because…

UCF: George O’Leary’s Knights fell 16-15 to Furman, their second defeat by less than a field goal. A paladin should vanquish a mere knight, but still. Through three games UCF ranks dead last in FBS (128th) averaging 3.71 yards/play on offense. Fans can follow the team Twitter account to be reminded of the halcyon days.

Georgia Tech Statistics: The Yellowjackets met a legitimate defense. It did not go well for them. GT averaged just 4.74 yards/play, converted 3/15 third downs. Excise the one Broderick Snoddy run and the padded on touchdowns after Notre Dame ended the game. It wasn’t pretty.

FANS OF THE WEEK

COACH DANCE OF THE WEEK

" Oh god. Dabo is dancing. pic.twitter.com/nffAEw39TW — Troy Machir (@TroyMachir) September 18, 2015 "

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[USAT]