Part of the fun of watching the college football season play out is realizing all we did not know after months of predicting and prognosticating
Nothing wrong with being wrong and two weeks into the season, there are a lot of folks who seem to be wrong about Auburn.
The Tigers, coming off an 8-5 season, were a trendy pick to surge to the top of the Southeastern Conference. With a new coordinator (Will Muschamp) to fix the defense and a new high-ceiling quarterback (Jeremy Johnson) to run the offense, Gus Malzahn’s team seemed primed to push Alabama.
Voters bought in with a No. 6 preseason ranking.
Auburn is 2-0, but has looked nothing like a team that could make a national championship run in beating Louisville (which then turned around and lost at home to Houston) and Jacksonville State of the FCS.
There is plenty of time for Auburn to turn around its season. Win at LSU on Saturday and Auburn will be back on track, but for now the Tigers are making the Heat Check look dumb.
(Note: Too hot is ranked too high; too cold is ranked too low; just right is voters nailed it).
No. 1 OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes snoozed their way through a shutout against Hawaii. Next a couple of Mid-American Conference contenders (Northern Illinois and Western Michigan) come to Columbus. And as Arkansas coach Bret Bielema can attest, #MACtion can be a handful.
Heat check: Just right.
No. 2 ALABAMA
With Ole Miss coming to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Saturday, we’ll get a much clearer picture of the Crimson Tide’s quarterback situation. So far Jake Coker has been fine.
Heat check: The Tide has given no good reason to doubt it so this week: Just right.
No. 3 TCU
Forget the game against an FCS team. The Horned Frogs lost three defensive starters last week.
Heat check: Too hot.
No. 4 MICHIGAN STATE
The Spartans entered the season looking for playmakers to emerge. RBs LJ Scott and Madre London, along with WR Aaron Burbridge have stepped up.
Heat check: Too cold. Move the Spartans up at least one spot.
No. 5 BAYLOR
QB Seth Russell has thrown four interceptions in two games. Just like Auburn with Johnson, the expected smooth transition at quarterback for the Bears has been less than that.
Heat check: A tentative just right.
No. 6 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Two 50-plus point games against two overmatched opponents. We knew USC would be good. How good? We still don’t know.
Heat check: Too hot, with a chance to change that against Stanford.
No. 7 GEORGIA
Bulldogs QBs completed 13 of 25 passes for 141 yards in a win over Vanderbilt. We know RB Nick Chubb and the ground game are great, but at some point the passing game is going to need to make some plays.
Heat check: Just right.
No. 8 NOTRE DAME
DeShone Kizer’s brilliant debut against Virginia aside, can the Fighting Irish reach their playoff contender potential without injured QB Malik Zaire? The answer could come this week at home against No. 15 Georgia Tech.
Heat check: Just right. Let’s see what happens.
No. 9 FLORIDA STATE
RB Dalvin Cook could make a Heisman Trophy run. He might have to keep the Seminoles ranked this highly.
Heat check: Too hot.
No. 10 UCLA
QB Josh Rosen was so-so in the follow-up to sizzling first start, but the Bruins’ defense was dominant against UNLV without injured DT Eddie Vanderdoes.
Heat check: Too cold.
No. 11 CLEMSON
QB Deshaun Watson’s Heisman Trophy campaign can start Thursday night with a nationally televised game against Louisville.
Heat check. Just right.
No. 12 OREGON
Oregon looked early as if it might get knocked around by Michigan State, but ended up being just a couple of plays from winning on the road with a banged up quarterback. Voters were too harsh, docking the Ducks five spots in the latest rankings.
Heat check: Too cold.
No. 13 LSU
Another SEC team trying to figure it out at quarterback and relying on a brilliant running back. Leonard Fournette is spectacular but 5.0 yards per pass, what the Tigers’ averaged in a win at Mississippi State, will not get it done.
Heat check: Tough road win is worthy of just right.
No. 14 GEORGIA TECH
The Yellow Jackets have scored 134 points in two games against weak opposition.
Heat check: Too hot. Let’s see how they do against Notre Dame.
No. 15 MISSISSIPPI
The Rebels have scored 149 points in two games against better competition than Georgia Tech’s.
Heat check: Too hot. Let’s see how they do against Alabama.
No. 16 OKLAHOMA
Maybe the question should be: Do SEC teams get fired up to prove themselves against the Sooners?
Heat check: Sure Tennessee was a little overrated, but the Vols are good and the Sooners are still too cold.
No. 17 TEXAS A&M
Don’t devalue the Aggies’ victory against Arizona State because the Sun Devils were sluggish against an FCS opponent.
Heat check: Too cold.
No. 18 AUBURN
Maybe all that time the Tigers spent thinking about LSU last week — clearly they weren’t concentrating on Jacksonville State — will pay off when they go to Baton Rouge.
Heat check: Too hot. Voters should have dropped Auburn out and made the Tigers prove themselves.
No. 19 BYU
Tanner Mangum-mania goes to the Rose Bowl, where the comeback Cougars will try to write the next chapter of the best story of the first two weeks of the season against UCLA.
Heat check: Two minor miracles away from 0-2. But two wins against quality opponents. Just right.
No. 20 ARIZONA
Wildcats were better in Week 2 than Week 1. Isn’t that what every coach wants?
Heat check: Just right.
No. 21 UTAH
Often-injured QB Travis Wilson is ailing again, with Utes heading into a tough stretch of schedule.
Heat check. Without Wilson, the Utes are too hot.
No. 22 MISSOURI
A close win against a non-Power Five team? It may not be impressive, but the Tigers usually take care of business.
Heat check: Too hot.
No. 23 NORTHWESTERN
The Wildcats play Duke next and the winner will be 3-0 and possibly ranked.
Heat check: Northwestern’s first appearance in the rankings since 2013 seems premature. Too hot.
No. 24 WISCONSIN
The Badgers got healthy against Miami, Ohio.
Heat check: Fringe of the rankings seems just right.
No. 25 OKLAHOMA STATE
Somebody has to be No. 25.
Heat check: But probably not the Cowboys. Too hot. How about West Virginia?
