CFB: Week 3 Takeaways
As expected, week 3 of college football brought plenty of exciting moments and a few near upsets. Major programs such as Georgia, Texas, Alabama and Florida State had nervy periods against lesser opposition, some more than others. To top it off Billy Napier’s, Florida Gators snapped back, taking down SEC rival Tennessee in the swamp.
Here’s our major takeaways from another action-packed week.
Saban gets it wrong at Quarterback
The quarterback situation has been muddy in Tuscaloosa for a good while now. It got even murkier on Saturday when Nick Saban announced that Tyler Buchner was replacing early-season starter Jalen Milroe. What ensued was Alabama giving their head coach an even bigger headache.
Buchner appeared out of his depth, eventually giving way to third-stringer Ty Simpson. Simpson pulled the Crimson Tide together but not in a Braveheart rallying cry style. It was more like a passenger being guided by Air Control on how to crash land a Boeing 747 safely.
It left me feeling that Saban had got it wrong. Milroe made some glaring errors against Texas but offers the most upside of the three options. The porous offensive line effectively dictates the need for a mobile QB, which Milroe is. He also has a strong arm, if somewhat scattergun.
The USF game offered an opportunity for Milroe to rebuild his confidence and tune up ahead of in-conference games. Saban has announced that Milroe will start against Ole Miss but he comes in cold and likely feels spurned having been made to ride the bench for a week.
Even worse for Alabama, is that coaching the Rebels is former Nick Saban understudy Lane Kiffin. If anybody knows what gameplan the ‘GOAT’ will turn to in a crisis, it’s Kiffin.
Is Colorado walking into a PAC-12 buzzsaw?
Nothing was more entertaining than watching Colorado and Colorado State go toe-to-toe late on Saturday night. But, when the hangover kicked on Sunday, it’s difficult not to be left with some nagging doubts about the Buffs behaviour the night before.
After I gave the Colorado defense some love last week, they were systematically taken to pieces by a tight end called Dallin Holker. He was so unknown that even Senior Bowl organiser Jim Nagy had to add him to his scouting list:
Just texted to @seniorbowl DFO: Please make a board tag for this guy. pic.twitter.com/LbKGqQ5k7y
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) September 17, 2023
Next up for Deion and co. is the Oregon Ducks. Colorado will return to their favoured underdog status, a narrative Sanders prefers to operate under. This one feels like motivational techniques can only do so much, though.
Oregon have been dominant in games against Portland State and Hawaii, while also taking down a talented Texas Tech outfit. Quarterback Bo Nix has been impressive, and Brandon Dorlus is likely a massive headache for the Colorado offensive line.
Part of me feels like the feel-good vibes surrounding Deion are about to end abruptly. As much as I hope for another ding-dong battle, I think the Ducks bring them back to earth.
Nabers and Daniels catch NFL scouts’ eyes
It always felt like this LSU team was too talented to continue the poor form they showed against Florida State. Their first SEC game of the year proved to be just the tonic they needed to rebound. They brutally took down Mississippi State 41-14.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels was unerring in his accuracy, completing 30 of his 34 passing attempts for 361 yards and two touchdowns. He also displayed his ability on the ground, with 64 rushing yards and a further two touchdowns.
His favourite target on the day was none other than Malik Nabers. He was explosive in his route running and impossible for the Bulldogs’ defenders to cover. His 239 receiving yards came at 18.4 yards per catch, along with two scores.
The 2024 receiving draft class feels stacked, and Nabers is a major part. Keon Coleman has propelled himself into round 1 consideration, but I have Nabers graded similarly. When you add in Emeka Egbuka and Rome Odunze, the future looks bright for the position.
