Overreactions tend to increase in the first week.
Overreacting to the players. Overreacting to the coach. Overreacting about the team.
Perhaps the biggest one revolved around Clemson.
That ugly loss against Georgia was what led me to fire the Tigers. Hammer Dabo Swinney evaded the transport portal. Discount them as candidates for pedestrian-first ACC.
Perhaps there was also some recency bias after Clemson failed to win by double digits last year for the first time since 2010.
Six weeks later, it was time to revisit Clemson. Swinney's team hasn't lost since then, defeating its next five opponents by a cumulative score of 174-41.
At least they look like ACC contenders.
Quarterback Cade Klubnik began living up to his high school rankings as a junior, throwing 17 touchdown passes and just one interception in five games. Their defense is stifling and their offense is strong, ranking fifth in the nation in points per game (45.0 points). Running back Phil Mafa was dynamic, rushing for 100 yards in four games.
After defeating Wake Forest 49-14 on Saturday, Clemson is 4-0 in league play and leads the ACC. It looked like the Clemson of old, pummeling overmatched opponents and leaving no doubts.
It's worth noting that these five wins came against teams with a combined record of 10 wins and 21 losses. All five opponents have losing records. The schedule is also getting tougher. Clemson still has a game remaining on the road against undefeated Pittsburgh on Nov. 16, a showdown that could have implications for the ACC Championship Game.
The only other undefeated teams in the conference are SMU and Miami. Neither is on Clemson's schedule.
I'm not ready to name the Tigers as favorites just yet. We need to look more against better competition. Similarly, this team is clearly a team we buried too early.
We weren't ready to play an opponent like Georgia in Week 1. Most teams probably weren't ready either.
Just as many of us overreacted when USC pulled off an impressive Week 1 win against LSU, believing the Trojans were poised to turn a corner this year. They clearly weren't, going 2-3 since that win, but one bad result made too much of a difference. From Clemson. Especially in this new era of expanded 12-team playoffs, one loss won't ruin your season.
The past six weeks have shown us that. Clemson is a legitimate contender in the ACC. That could also affect the prospects for the national championship.
Speaking of USC…Lincoln Riley's Trojans suffered their eighth loss in 13 games since blowing a 14-point halftime lead against Penn State at home on Saturday. This year, they have lost three games by a total of 13 points, all with USC leading in the fourth quarter, essentially keeping them out of the playoffs.
Riley's clock management this time was a mess. With 1:27 remaining in the tied game, USC had possession at Penn State's own 49-yard line. Somehow, overtime started just three plays before Miller Moss' interception with five seconds left.
Riley took three timeouts but chose not to use them. It was similar to how the clock was handled during the Sept. 21 loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor.
With a three-point lead and a chance to wind down the clock with about five minutes left in the game, Riley instead called for passing plays on second and third down, but both fell incomplete. This gave Michigan enough time to drive down the field for the game-clinching touchdown.
Now, Riley is introducing me to Texas A&M Vibe Jimbo Fisher. He was supposed to be a successful coach and bring back a big brand, but he mostly failed.
It seems likely that they will have single-digit wins for the second consecutive season. These are the first two of Riley's career, not counting the 2020 coronavirus-shortened campaign.
The main storyline going into the season was how title contender Texas would deal with a tough SEC. But the so far undefeated Longhorns appear to be up to the task. The rest of the meeting is not.
Although Alabama lost to Vanderbilt last Saturday, they were very fortunate to be able to overcome a 21.5 point deficit at home this week against South Carolina. Tennessee suffered a heartbreaking loss to Arkansas and barely broke Florida above .500.
On Saturday, Georgia defeated Mississippi State, which had just one win, but it wasn't an impressive result. Preseason contender Ole Miss is 1-2 in league play. This supposed superconference has looked pretty mediocre in recent weeks.
