Perhaps the only thing missing is Starter jackets. It just seems like 1988 all over again. You know, when Deion Sanders, Florida State and Miami all mattered at the same time.
That’s another way of saying the three institutions have remade themselves 35 years later.
Two weeks in, you can’t talk about the season without referencing a Buffalo, a war chant or swag. Fitting, then, that Colorado, Florida State and Miami all ascended (with the Hurricanes debuting) in this week’s Power Rankings.
Sanders continued his unlikely turnaround of Colorado where it appears the Buffaloes can also play defense. Nebraska was basically held to a touchdown, scoring in garbage time in the Buffs’ home opener. FSU was able to “rest” against Southern Miss after a breakout win over LSU. Speaking of breakout, Miami scored the most regular-season points against Texas A&M (48) in seven years.
And for the record, in 1988, Florida State finished No. 3 nationally after being shut out in the opener by then-No. 2 Miami. The Canes only loss that year was by one point at Notre Dame. That year, Sanders finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
All of it wasn’t able to overshadow the game of the day. Alabama lost earlier in the season than it had to this point in the Nick Saban era. The concerns should be real after Texas walked into Bryant-Denny Stadium and dominated the fourth quarter.
Might as well say it: Quinn Ewers is a Heisman candidate after the game of his life against Alabama (349 yards, three touchdowns). Three of the last five quarterbacks to beat Alabama have gone on to win the Stiff Arm, after all.
The Pac-12 finally blinked with its first three nonconference losses of the season. There are still seven Pac-12 teams in the Power Rankings, though.
We will leave you with the stat of the day: USC QB Caleb Williams has scored four touchdowns 12 times over the last two seasons. Stanford as a team has only accomplished that feat three times in that same span.
Biggest Movers
|
Rk |
Teams |
Chg |
Rcrd |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
|
Oklahoma was supposed to be the opponent Saturday, so we’ll just try to keep you interested. The victory over Ball State marks three straight 40-point wins in as many games for the first time in program history. Nineteenth consecutive win is an ongoing school record. It gets (somewhat) serious with South Carolina coming to town. | — | 3-0 |
2 |
|
How bad is the nonconference schedule? J.J. McCarthy has five touchdown passes and seven incompletions so far this season. Two interim coaches (sitting in for the suspended Jim Harbaugh) combined to give up seven points to UNLV. | — | 3-0 |
3 |
|
Quinn Ewers came of age, and Texas won one for the ages at Alabama. Steve Sarkisian has his statement win. It translated into one of the biggest victories in Texas history. Now what do Sark and the Horns do with it? The Big 12 and College Football Playoff await. | 8 | 3-0 |
4 |
|
No drama in an easy win over Southern Miss. The 66 points were the most in the Mike Norvell era and the most points for the Noles since dropping 80 on Idaho 10 years ago. | — | 3-0 |
5 |
|
Michael Penix Jr. keeps his — and the Pac-12’s — excellence going. After a win against Tulsa, Penix has five games of at least 400 yards passing at UW. Prior to that, there had been six such 400-yard games in the history of the program. | — | 3-0 |
6 |
|
A laugher over Delaware means little in the big scheme except the Nittany Lions are developing an identity. “Let them feel us. That’s it,” RB Nick Singleton said after rushing for three scores. He wasn’t so much singling out the Blue Hens but warning college football. | 3 | 3-0 |
7 |
|
Sam Hartman’s beard needs its own NIL deal. After a beatdown of NC State, Notre Dame has scored 143 points. That’s the most for the Fighting Irish in their first three games since 1943. At least 42 points in four straight games ties a school record. For Hartman, 10 TD passes in three games. | 1 | 4-0 |
8 |
|
The Buckeyes remain undefeated against teams from Ohio since 1921. What, you forgot that shameful loss to Oberlin 102 years ago? Ryan Day was able to work on the quarterback thing. Kyle McCord, Devin Brown both saw significant time against Youngstown State. | 1 | 3-0 |
9 |
|
The last time the Volunteers had three scoreless trips to the red zone in a game was against Georgia two years ago. Then it happened again Saturday against Austin Peay. Tennessee led the country in red zone touchdown success rate last season (79%), go figure. If the Vols looked disinterested at times, that will change with Florida up this week. | — | 2-1 |
10 |
|
The USC offense is so good that Traveler, the horse mascot, took the day off after running the sidelines after the Trojans’ sixth first-half touchdown. He was as tired as Stanford’s defense. | — | 3-0 |
11 |
|
This is what a complete team looks like: The Ducks went on the road, came from behind and made a defensive statement. Texas Tech’s Tyler Shough — a former Duck — might have been the difference in his team’s 38-30 loss. Shough committed all four of his team’s turnovers. Can’t wait for the Colorado game in a couple of weeks. | 1 | 3-0 |
12 |
|
CU finished off the first blowout of the Deion Sanders era, beating Nebraska by 22. Hey, at least the Huskies didn’t endure another one-possession loss. Shedeur Sanders has 903 yards passing in the first two games of the season. That’s a school record. | 4 | 3-0 |
13 |
|
No Cam Rising again, no problem. The Utes scored twice in the final 2 minutes to win at Baylor. In a controversial ending, Baylor was throwing into the end zone to tie the game. Some think it was pass interference as time expired. | 1 | 3-0 |
14 |
|
A get-well game over Grambling (72-10). Jayden Daniels threw five touchdown passes. It’s about to get real in the next three weeks with trips to Mississippi State and Ole Miss sandwiched around a home game with Arkansas. | 1 | 2-1 |
15 |
|
That thud you heard late Saturday was the sky falling in Tuscaloosa. There is a lot of soul searching to do after the Crimson Tide’s first nonconference loss since Nick Saban’s first year in 2007. The entire state of Alabama on Line 1, Paaawwl. | 9 | 2-1 |
16 |
|
This Will Howard can play. Kansas State’s quarterback accounted for five scores against Troy, reigning Sun Belt champions. That ended what had been the nation’s second-longest winning streak (12 games). Texas Tech lost. The Wildcats don’t play Texas. Why can’t they go back-to-back in the Big 12? | 1 | 2-1 |
17 |
|
In an easy win over UC Davis, D.J. Uiagalelei was able to rest at halftime. Still, through two games, Clemson’s former QB has eight total touchdowns. Silas Bolden also returned a punt for a score. | 1 | 3-0 |
18 |
|
Jaxson Dart was named the full-time starter last week and played like it. “We didn’t flinch,” Dart said of a 37-20 over Tulane. Dart played without his No. 1 receiver, Tre Harris, for most of the game as the Rebels went on a 30-3 run after the middle of the second quarter. | 6 | 3-0 |
19 |
|
Give the Blue Devils credit for scheduling diversity. They went from beating Clemson to a laugher over the Patriot League’s Lafayette. | — | 3-0 |
20 |
|
What is it about Appalachian State against … everybody. For the eighth consecutive time against a Power Five team, the Mountaineers played a game decided by seven points or less. For the second straight year against App State, the Tar Heels survived in overtime. Drake Maye’s Heisman Trophy campaign took a hit (208 yards passing). | — | 3-0 |
21 |
|
Tyler Van Dyke’s five touchdown passes tied for the most against Texas A&M in the last 20 years. That’s roughly the last time the Hurricanes mattered. Too harsh? Better to concentrate on Mario Cristobal’s signature win — so far — for the Canes. | NR | 3-0 |
22 |
|
Cade Klubnik was booed as the Tigers fell behind Charleston Southern early. Klubs responded with a career-high 315 yards passing. Nothing like loyalty, eh, Tiger fans? | 1 | 2-1 |
23 |
|
The last time the Bruins met San Diego State back in 2019, the Aztecs posted one of their biggest wins. It signals progress that UCLA did not stumble this time in a dominant 25-point win. Super freshman Dante Moore threw for three scores. | 2 | 3-0 |
24 |
|
The Jayhawks might have played their most complete game against a quality opponent under Lance Leipold. In a 34-23 destruction of Illinois on Friday, Jalon Daniels made his season debut with 277 yards passing. The defense chipped in with six sacks and nine tackles for loss. | NR | 3-0 |
25 |
|
A 73 burger over Arkansas State raised eyebrows in Week 1. A complete win over SMU with Dillon Gabriel throwing four touchdowns should raise hopes. Roadies against Tulsa and Cincinnati are next. | NR | 3-0 |
Out: Wisconsin, Tulane, Texas A&M
