SAN ANTONIO — We’re through three weeks of the college football season, and we have happenings! And the Florida State thing? That was just a joke for my week one column, but the 0-3 Seminoles really do need help. Like, now! Seriously!
But enough about that. Let’s through some of the teams around the Great State of Texas and where they're sitting in mid-September.
UTSA
Well, so much for that strong September start, at least for the first part of the month.
They can still finish with a 2-2 mark for the month if they can handle Houston Christian at the Dome this weekend and next week at East Carolina. Easier said than done, but I'm feeling like the odds are in their favor to get it done.
And what choice do they have at this point? They’ve been gashed two straight weeks between the Bobcats and the Longhorns and need that get right game, which is hypothetically gonna come in the form of HCU this weekend, thankfully. Jeff Traylor said after his team’s 56-7 loss at Texas on Saturday night (28-7 at the half!) that his bunch is gonna get better, he just doesn’t know when.
So does he mean sometime next season? No, he doesn’t. He means in the immediate. He was very complimentary of UTSA’s effort against the newly top-ranked Longhorns. My thought was just: Play better this past week. Play good enough even though you weren’t going to win, but at the very least feel good about the next slate of games as conference play opens up one week from Saturday.
It really didn’t look that way, but then again, Texas sits atop the AP Top 25 (now) for many reasons. The ‘Runners are gonna win plenty of games this season. Will it be good enough for the CFP? That seems very unlikely at this point, but definitely good enough for another bowl season, I’d predict.
Texas
The emotions must have been all over the map between Saturday and Sunday.
Quinn Ewers injured!
Arch Manning plays great! (Good enough that he suddenly now has Heisman odds. He really does.)
Georgia ALMOST lost to Kentucky!
Texas leapfrogs the ‘Dogs to the No. 1 spot!
Ewers injury not as bad as initially thought!
I think that was it? Poor UTSA (see above) were the fellas that have launched Arch Manning Inc’s said Heisman Trophy campaign. The point spread actually moved late in the week, from -35 to -36.
The Roadrunners got no respect off the disaster at the hands of Texas State. And even after the Ewers injury, I didn’t think the ‘Horns would cover that more-than-five-touchdown number, but they most certainly did. And now the upcoming schedule for Texas is fortunate, with Louisiana-Monroe followed by one of the SEC cellar-dwellers in Mississippi State. They should win both of those even with Arch likely under center as the starter. You’d assume they’ll be 5-0 heading into their bye week before the Red River game on Oct. 12, which they’re pinpointing for Ewers' definite return.
But maybe "Sooner"? (No pun intended there). Stay tuned.
Texas State
Oh to have that Thursday night fourth quarter back! Two critical late-game turnovers against Arizona State doomed their opportunity at the late rally.
And consider this! Had the ‘Cats knocked off ASU and then subsequently, and still to be determined, run the table in their conference slate, Texas State might have been in the CFP. This stuff is razor-thin with the margins these days. They’re still gonna have a great season, and while going undefeated in their league is not anywhere near a given, they’ll have as good an opportunity as anyone.
Their offense can get some things done. Just ask UTSA. The Bobcats are on an early season bye this weekend before traveling to NRG Stadium to face Sam Houston in two weeks.
Texas A&M
The Aggies staked claim to a 20-0 nothing halftime lead in The Swamp and that was that, opening SEC play with an impressive 33-20 win over the Gators to improve to 2-1.
Starting QB Conner Weigman didn’t play in Gainesville with a shoulder injury flare-up that he suffered in the season-opener against Notre Dame, as reported by local and national media. Backup QB Marcel Reed was efficient, doing damage both on the ground and through the air. The Aggies defense also registered a pick-6 in the 13-point road win.
Head coach Mike Elko will update the world early this week, I’d guess, on the QB1 latest. And now, four of their next five are at home, including the next three straight (the Arkansas game on Sept. 28 is at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. The neutral site game is listed as a home matchup.)
Opportunity knocks, is what we can call that. The home stretch starts with Bowling Green this weekend who scared the heck out of Penn State two weeks ago in Happy Valley, losing by only seven.
Texas Tech
Some people were loving the North Texas Mean Green and their plus-10 ahead of the 11 a.m. kickoff window in Lubbock over the weekend.
It didn’t go well at all for UNT as the Red Raiders put to momentary rest all their suspect play the first two weeks against Abilene Christian and Washington State. The Red Raiders (2-1) scored five second-quarter TDs and led 49-7 at the half, putting the game in the books before the third quarter even kicked off. Lubbock lunch and brunch joints might have seen an early afternoon crowd rush they might not have expected.
Now TTU gets the Arizona schools with Cincinnati sandwiched in the middle to open conference play before more of the familiar Big 12 opponents show up on the schedule. Head coach Joe McGuire wants the road to the conference championship to go through West Texas. It’ll be interesting to see what they put together in the next two months.
Other observations...
Baylor handled Air Force, 31-3, and had no trouble improving to 2-1. Three of their next four are on the road, including trips to Boulder, Ames and Lubbock. If they’re legit, we’re about to find out.
TCU played the fourth quarter at home Saturday night like an NBA team, with a very comfy lead. That didn't work out. UCF rallied with 15 in the final 15 to stun the Frogs, 35-34, dropping the boys in purple to 2-1.
The Houston Cougars are in the win column after beating up Rice, 33-7, for their first win of the year. The Owls are 1-2 as well. Both of those teams better get it going much sooner rather than later.
