Without a preseason, the college football's opening weekend gives us our first look at teams, and we learn a thing or two in the process about how good (or how bad) we thought a team or a player were in the preseason. Here are five things we've learned so far today:
1) Penn State still has a long way to go
A lot of people were expecting big things out of Penn State this year after their bowl ban was lifted and could land better recruits, but it's become very clear that they still have a long way to go if they want to get back to the top of the Big Ten. They lost to Temple for the first time since 1941, and the problems that plagued them last year - mainly their poor offensive line play - still haven't been fixed, as they gave up 10 sacks.
2) Stanford's offense is horrendous
The Cardinal were the first top 25 team to lose this season, falling 16-6 to the Northwestern Wildcats. Their offense gained just 240 yards and turned the ball over twice while only converting on three third downs. Stanford was a favorite to win the Pac-12 before the season largely due to the expected improvement of quarterback Kevin Hogan, but it's clear their offense has taken a step back - not forward.
3) Northwestern will be a contender in the Big Ten West
The Wildcats did their part to limit Stanford, and they look like they can compete with Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Minnesota at the top of the Big Ten West division this year. The defense looks sharp, star running back Justin Jackson ran for 134 yards and looked like a potential Heisman candidate, and redshirt freshman QB Clayton Thorson showed his passing ability along with his athleticism. They look like they're going to be a really tough team to beat, especially at home.
4) Jose Rosen is the real deal
The true freshman had a record-breaking day in his first career start, completing 28/35 passes for 351 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover. Rosen came in with a ton of hype - he was compared to a young Peyton Manning - but he looked every bit the part against Virginia.
5) Auburn's defense is scary good
Will Muschamp has quickly made his mark on the Tigers defense as they severely limited Louisville's offense, forcing two turnovers - one of which was a fumble they returned for a touchdown. We know Gus Malzahn will have the offense playing at a high level all season, and this new, improved, aggressive defense will make them a legitimate national title contender.
Follow our NCAA page for all the latest College Football news and rumors!
Back to the NCAA Newsfeed