The Really Big Week 1 Thing Was …
2/3rds of The Alliance just tapped out.
Oregon, UCLA, and USC didn’t lose.
Arizona State is 1-0, and so is Colorado, and so is Utah, but for all intents and purposes, the Pac-12 is all in now on the Ducks, Bruins, or Trojans to keep making more noise to make the league relevant on a big level.
There’s a problem with that, though. If Oregon loses to Ohio State this week, then that’s about it unless there’s a minor miracle from one of the LA teams. It’s hard to get too much love from a national audience when five teams in one division – Pac-12 North – lost games they shouldn’t have.
Eight of the 14 ACC teams are 1-0, but realistically, Clemson is the only one with a shot at the College Football Playoff.
The Tigers will probably roll through the rest of their slate and everything might work out just fine, but what if Ohio State is 13-0? What if Oklahoma wins the Big 12 title unscathed, and what if the SEC has at least two viable options for the CFP?
Let’s not even start with what happens if Cincinnati or UCF go 13-0.
Clemson no longer controls its own playoff destiny even if it rips through everything in its path. But it’s worse than that.
The ACC and Pac-12 need America to care about their respective conferences. There might be some buzz over parts of the Pac-12 as long as they keep winning, but will the ACC make any national noise now with Clemson, North Carolina, and Miami all combining to score 26 points in their three losses?
The Big Ten might have to do most of the Alliance’s heavy lifting.
– Irish, ACC, Smart Schools Winners & Losers
– Bama’s win: Most Overrated Thing
– Texas won a big game: Most Underrated Thing
– You’re up, Georgia: What It All Means, Week 1