TTM: Week 2 Rapid-Fire Takeaways

Texas is legit. (Great analysis!) Michigan may be challenged offensively, but that Wolverine defense is still brawny and Texas kinda did whatever they wanted. For the first time in a long time, the ‘Horns look to have a deep and physical unit along the offensive line, and Quinn Ewers is in full control of that system right now. Extremely dangerous team there in Austin, and we very much look forward to watching them work their way through their first SEC schedule, which peaks in mid-October with back-to-back heavyweight bouts against Oklahoma and Georgia.

Michigan’s a bit of a rebuild. I know Wolverine fans don’t want to hear that, but they’re going to have to be patient with Sharrone Moore as he works to build this thing back to 2023 levels, especially on offense, where he’s gotta start by finding himself a quarterback. Michigan’s defense is solid and they’ll likely win plenty of games this year on the strength of that unit and a physical rushing attack—those ingredients tend to play in the Big Ten—but the 2024 Wolverines look to have a hard cap on their potential due to that quarterback situation and a seeming lack of playmakers on the outside. A September 21 home date with USC offers Moore an opportunity to re-establish upward momentum within his program.

Alabama looks…different. That’s not to say they look bad or that they won’t grow throughout the season—they almost certainly will—but I haven’t seen an Alabama offensive line get bullied like that in…10 years? I think DeBoer’s still learning this team—that’s natural two games into a coach’s tenure—but he better figure out what he wants this offense to be. Does he want to throw it all over the yard? Can the offensive line block it up for them to do that? Or does he bite the bullet and run Jalen Milroe 10 to 15 times a game? (The latter’s what our ‘Bama friends would like to see, and I bet it’s what we see at Wisconsin on Saturday.) One thing we know for damn sure: That strategic decision better be made before the ‘Dawgs come calling in late September…

Notre Dame’s got a cupcake problem. Yes, Marcus Freeman’s teams have beaten 7 ranked opponents in his young tenure, but, after Saturday’s stunning home loss to four-touchdown underdog Northern Illinois, his Irish have also now lost home games to Marshall, Stanford, and Northern Illinois, and Notre Dame were at least two-touchdown favorites in all of those games. It would seem that although Freeman is succeeding—at least by the recruiting rankings—in stocking Noah’s Ark with a greater depth of high-end talent, his teams are making a habit of not showing up in games where they’re prohibitive favorites. The Northern Illinois loss must be especially painful for Irish fans, as Notre Dame had just bagged a big road win at Texas A&M, and now face an extremely manageable schedule the rest of the way (i.e., Notre Dame fans spent the past week dreaming of an undefeated season).

Oregon’s lucky to be 2-0. Boise State probably outplayed the Ducks in Autzen late Saturday night, as Oregon needed a punt return and a kick return for touchdown to outlast the Broncos. Ashton Jeanty, a beast of a running back for Boise State who you’ll be drafting in your NFL fantasy league next year, ate in the run game, and the Broncos got after Oregon’s highly touted offensive line, limiting the Ducks’ rushing attack and pressuring Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throughout. Simply put: Oregon’s going to have to be better, particularly in the trenches, if they want to make the kind of noise they believe they can make this season. A grudge match with jilted ex Oregon State awaits this weekend.

Tennessee’s dangerous. Nico Iamagonnablowupmymoonshinestill didn’t play all that well, yet the ‘Vols absolutely brutalized NC State—a team who will probably win 8ish games this season—on a neutral field. Tennessee’s defensive front suffocated the Wolfpack from the jump, harassing quarterback Grayson McCall into three turnovers, including an 87-yard pick six that blew the game open in the second quarter. Tennessee outgained NC State 460 to 143 (!!!) on the evening, and the result should serve as a warning shot to the rest of the SEC: Tennessee’s going to be a tough out—and perhaps even more than that—if Nico continues to grow throughout the season, and if the Vol defense has taken the step forward it appears it may have.