The Week 2 report card is based on the performance of a team compared to the context of their performance, their league, and their ambitious, but reasonable goals. So, when we grade a team like USC, we compare them to a hypothetical Pac-10 title contender. When we grade a team like Syracuse, we compare them to a hypothetical middle of the road Big East team striving for respectability. We never assume a team should be striving for last – in order to get better than a C, you need to be taking actual steps toward improvement. So, with that in mind, I will grade all of the teams that I saw this Saturday.
Ohio – B. They certainly looked like a team that can contend in the MAC, but I honestly didn’t think they were all that outstanding. They usually looked lost on offense and relied on a backup quarterback’s scrambling to make plays. Of course, they were facing one of the better defenses in the country, and the Ohio defense looked game. Definitely a MAC contender, but not a national Cinderella, and I doubt they could compete on the home field of any other top ten team without major improvements.
Ohio St. – D+. Look, they obviously didn’t look like a team that can win the national title, or even the Big Ten. But, honestly, how far off were they? If this Ohio State team plays exactly this way through the Big Ten, aren’t they going to win at least six or seven games? Maybe more? Only Illinois, Penn State, and Wisconsin would even have a shout at the OSU team we saw on Saturday, and I think we can reasonably assume that they’ll be better than this. Right? The biggest problem this team has is that they can score ten points on any given day, and I don’t think it’s going to take a top ten defense to make it happen every time.
Notre Dame – D-. There has not been substantive improvement in South Bend. The offense looked terrible, the defense looked uninspired, and the opposition looked like a team that lost to Cal Poly. Seriously, this is a game where you must throw down the hammer and look like a real, honest-to-goodness football team. Clausen didn’t look terrible, but he also did not look good. If you can’t run on SDSU……well……
San Diego St. – D. Playing Notre Dame close used to be evidence that you can compete. Now, it’s evidence that you can’t.
Oklahoma – B. The offense is there. I would bet on the Sooners to score five touchdowns against any school in America, plus the Rams. They’ll be able to score against anybody, and only top defenses will be able to impose significant barriers. And even then, expect OU to score a lot of points. Obviously, the special teams looked poor, and this must be corrected. If that happens in a tougher matchup, well, you’ll need to cover that somewhere. I like OU to beat Texas, but I don’t want to spot the Longhorns fourteen points. The defense was shaky at times, but put pressure on the passer and blew people up. Just need to tighten up the secondary and kick coverage.
Cincinnati – I. Kind of a cop-out, but it’s tough to grade Cincy here. Their defense wasn’t as good as advertised, but the OU offense is so good that it’s really hard to grade them down for this. Their offense looked good at times, but the QB injury and the gifts on special teams really make it hard to evaluate. All we can say for sure is that they’re not a terrible team, and I see no reason that they can’t finish in the top half of the Big East.
West Virginia – D. They got straight up bullied. They lost the fight. They were physically whipped at every position and this game was never really competitive. Legitimate title contenders never get physically whipped (or at least very rarely). Maybe this sort of thing can happen to a very good team in a conference championship game, or a January bowl. Not on the road at a mid-major opponent, no matter how good they are. That can’t happen. They can still win the Big East because there are no good opponents to stop them. They’ll win the Big East, but they won’t be proud of it. And they shouldn’t be.
East Carolina – A. They’re now a sexy pick, and they should be. They’ve been able to physically compete with two good teams. They don’t play Tulsa in the regular season and will be a ten point favorite every week. I want to see these guys replicate this performance for awhile, but I think they would win the Big East, and would probably win the ACC. If they do what’s expected and play at a level near where they were, then they’ll probably go to a BCS bowl. Good for them.
Miami – B+. Yes, the offense isn’t there, but this is one of the better defenses in the country, and the pieces are there on offense. They will look much, much better against a somewhat less talented defense, and they are going to be a lot better. They also didn’t quit, which is a major improvement over last year.
Florida – B. Yes, they got a worse grade than Miami, because they deserve a worse grade. They want to win the SEC and play for a national title. Despite a Miami offense that couldn’t score or even solidly win the field position battle, Florida was in a dogfight for three plus quarters and really struggled to move the ball. Now, there are only a couple of SEC defenses capable of challenging them like Miami did (LSU, Georgia, and maybe Bama or Auburn are all I can really see), so this isn’t going to be an ongoing theme. But the offense will need to improve. The defense looked better than advertised, but again, Miami’s offense has to be considered.
Texas – A-. Their offense has really been solid, and they’ve easily handled two sneaky teams. Nice work and they’re looking good to challenge OU and Missouri for a Big XII title.
UTEP – B. They did OK against UT. They just didn’t have the horses. They’ll be fine and should go bowling.
