The Farrell Awards: Oregon, Iowa emerging as CFB Playoff contenders
The 2021 college football season is in full swing! Here are Mike Farrell's biggest takeaways from Week 2.
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MORE: Ducks earn statement win over Ohio State | Iowa makes it six-straight over Iowa State | Arkansas exposes Texas | Aggies eke out win over Colorado
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HEISMAN HYPE
Many were critical of Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler after the Sooners struggled in the opener against Tulane but Saturday was a different story. Rattler played a weak Western Carolina and completed 20 of 26 for 243 yards and five touchdowns. Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral have the edge but Rattler is right in the picture.
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BIG STAGE BREAKOUT
Running back CJ Verdell was the main catalyst of Oregon's offense in the Ducks' big upset of Ohio State, accruing 195 total yards and three scores. The Buckeyes had trouble bringing him to the ground, and he did a great job of exploiting their weakness at linebacker.
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RISE AND SHINE
With an 11 a.m. ET kickoff against Illinois, Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong was up rolling early. Armstrong was 27-36 with 405 yards and five scores before any other games even reached halftime. Maybe the Cavaliers need more early morning kickoffs.
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IT'S TRICKY
The East Carolina Pirates went for a big trick play on their first snap from scrimmage against South Carolina, and it worked to perfection. Receiver Tyler Snead went in motion and took the handoff from quarterback Holton Ahlers, took a few steps, planted and threw a dime to Jsi Hatfield for a 75-yard touchdown to open the game. The Gamecocks fought back and won but it was an interesting start.
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SPARK PLUG
Anthony Richardson, Florida's backup quarterback, put up some huge numbers in relief of Emory Jones in the Gators' win over South Florida. Jones completed three passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns to go along with four carries for 115 yards and another score. Do we have a QB controversy brewing in Gainesville? Jones had his moments as well but Richardson seems to ignite this team.
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TOUGH GUY
On the game-winning drive, Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan dislocated his finger. No big deal, he had a trainer pop it back in and, 20 seconds later, threw the game-winning touchdown to Michael Mayer. The definition of tough.
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TURN PRO
Speaking of Mayer, he is going to be the next great tight end. He won't get drafted as high as Kyle Pitts, but he's got multiple pro bowls in his future in the NFL. Mayer has everything you want at that position and dominated the win over Toledo.
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WHO NEEDS OFFENSE?
The Iowa Hawkeyes offense did not have a lot going for them on Saturday - they were outgained by the Iowa State Cyclones 339-173, but that didn't matter. The defense came through when it mattered - forcing four turnovers, including a scoop-and-score by Jack Campbell in the third quarter which proved to be the winning touchdown.
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FIVE-STAR STUD
Zach Evans is the rare five-star from Texas who chose TCU and, after some success as a freshman, had the biggest game of his career against Cal, rushing for 190 yards and a score in a very tightly contested game. Evans, who was committed to about six different programs it seemed during the recruiting process, has found stardom near home.
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PICTURE PERFECT
With JT Daniels out due to injury, Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett took the reigns and was almost perfect for the Dawgs. He started 9-for-9 and finished 10-for-12 with 288 yards and five touchdown against UAB. A huge game for the backup.
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ROAD WARRIOR
Kenny Pickett led the Panthers into Neyland Stadium and had one of the best days of his career, finishing 27-for-36 for 285 yards and two touchdowns. He added another score on the ground for Pitt and was fantastic throughout the game.
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CAN’T STOP A NOSE BLEED
Arkansas pulled off the big upset over the 15th ranked Texas Longhorns by absolutely pounding the rock. The Razorbacks ran for 333 yards on 47 carries (7.1 yards per carry) and four touchdowns and cruised to a 41-20 victory. This is a preview of what the Longhorns can expect in the SEC.
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OPPOSITES ATTRACT
You couldn't have had more contrasting styles in this one, and it made for one heck of a good game between Western Kentucky and Army. Army ran for 339 yards and passed for 77, while WKU threw for 435 and ran for 42 in the 38-35 victory by the Cadets.
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PORTAL PERFORMANCE
Receiver Demetris Robertson is on his third team in his college career. After stints at Cal and Georgia he’s now a big part of the Auburn offense and had three touchdowns in a rout of Alabama State. He caught two scores and ran for another showing that ability he flashed as a freshman all those seasons ago at Cal.
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DO IT ALL
North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell struggled in the opening loss to Virginia Tech and he was determined to show that he’s still elite this weekend against Georgia State. Howell not only passed for 352 yards and three touchdowns but he ran for 104 yards and two more score despite not being known as a dual-threat.
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WORKHORSE
What would the Kentucky offense look like without running back Chris Rodriguez? In the win over Missouri he had 206 yards and three scores on 27 carries and wins this week’s WORKHORSE award for his efforts.
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1-2 PUNCH
Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins combined for over 325 rushing yards and four touchdowns for Michigan in a huge win over the Washington Huskies. Washington couldn't stop them at all. Things are not looking good for the Huskies right now, while thing are looking up for the Wolverines thanks to their power offense and a solid defense.
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SKIN OF THEIR TEETH
The Texas A&M Aggies struggled mightily at Colorado, especially after they lost quarterback Haynes King to injury. Isaiah Spiller had to save them at the last minute in what should have been an easy victory.
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SKIN OF THEIR TEETH, PART 2
The Miami Hurricanes seemed to be suffering from a post-Crimson Tide hangover, because they came out sloppy against Appalachian State and needed a late field goal to squeak by the Mountaineers. Manny Diaz is under some serious scrutiny already as the program isn’t moving forward that much and a loss would have led to many disgruntled fans calling for his head.
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BRUTAL BEAT
If you haven’t seen the way Florida State lost to Jacksonville State on the final play of the game (not even a Hail Mary) you should check it out. It’s arguably one of the worst losses I’ve seen in years and shows complete ineptness in the Seminoles' defensive backfield.
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GETTING HOT IN HERE
OK Clay Helton, I thought you’d win 10 games this season and, obviously, you still can but we all know that won’t happen. A blowout loss to a very average Stanford just sealed your fate. You won’t be the USC coach next season.
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GETTING HOT IN HERE PART TWO
Coming off a 1-10 season, there was some hope at Syracuse after a convincing 29-9 victory last weekend at Ohio. However, after a lethargic, mistake-filled 17-7 home loss to Rutgers on Saturday, that hope has faded. It further faded when Ohio lost at home to Duquesne, an FCS program that is far from a powerhouse. Dino Babers was hoping to get his name off the hot seat this season, but now one has to wonder how hot it will get as the losses likely pile up.
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TAGOVAILOA TWO
Is Taulia Tagovailoa in the midst of a breakout season at Maryland? The younger brother of Tua showed glimpses during the 2020 season, but now looks ready to take that next step. Through two games, home wins against West Virginia and Howard, he has completed 76 percent of his passes for 606 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions.
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LIMBO
While Oregon’s win at Ohio State was immeasurable for the conference, the remaining results from Saturday left more questions than answered. Washington’s offense looked inept at Michigan, Utah lost at home to hated in-state rival BYU, Arizona was clubbed at home by San Diego State and Colorado missed a golden opportunity by losing to Texas A&M. Oh and…
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FIGHT OFF
After Oregon’s win, the next biggest conference win was by Stanford. The problem for the conference is that it came at USC, and in convincing fashion. Just as with Texas, many thought this was going to be a turn-around season for the Trojans, but their performance on Saturday night proved that the program will likely have to wait a bit longer to become nationally relevant.
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TOP 10?
Yes, Notre Dame is 2-0, but how many Irish fans can be truly excited about the remainder of the season after nail-biting victories against Florida State and Toledo? With some upcoming tricky games looming against teams like Purdue, Wisconsin, Cincinnati and Virginia Tech in the next four weeks, plenty will be discovered about the Irish pretty quickly this season.
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BIG TEN BOSS
With Ohio State taking the loss at home to Oregon, is Iowa the team to beat in the Big Ten? Prior to their victory at rival Iowa State yesterday, the Hawkeyes had also won eight consecutive conference games going back to last season, including seven by double-digits. And with Ohio State not on the schedule, Penn State at home and a weak Big Ten West Division, Iowa is staring an at undefeated season going into the Big Ten Championship Game with a playoff berth likely on the line.
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DON’T BE CAVALIER
While Virginia Tech has drawn most of the attention in the ACC as a potential surprise, across the state, Virginia is showing potential to do the same. A quick 2-0 start, a dismantling of Illinois yesterday, and the play of quarterback Brennan Armstrong has Charlottesville excited.