The week ahead
ECJ Top 10 CFB
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Oregon
- Iowa
- Penn State
- Notre Dame
- Cincinnati
- Texas AM
- Ohio State
- Clemson
Cougar recap
Losing Keenan Pilli really hurts this cougars defense that has really played out of it’s mind good through the first three weeks. The Cougs are the number 15 team in the nation for a reason. They’re extremely well coached and a team that keeps beating P5 opponents.
USF provides a unique test this week. In the past this is the type of let down game, Kalani Sitake usually loses. It’s up to him to make a statement and beat down on bad USF team before traveling to Logan to play an over achieving and offensively explosive Utah State team.
Jaren Hall is by no means a perfect QB. He did enough though against Arizona State. The team has some real weapons offensively. The sky is the limit if the Cougars can win against these two G5 powers. Would it shock me if this is considered a top ten team in the nation in a month? No, absolutely not, I would argue they are that right now. I’m taking this team in a head to head against Cincy, the QB is notably better.
Ute recap
Cam Rising is the guy. Charlie Brewer leaving tells us some different things. One, the program needs to stop going after transfer QB’s, especially because of the pipeline talent they have. The best Utah QB’s of the past five to six years have been in house guys who have developed in Andy Ludwigs system. That’s just a fact.
The issue for Utah, is that they might just be a bad offense outside of the QB anyways. The offensive line is a mess, even if they rebound, you can’t tell me this team stands a chance blocking up Oregon’s SEC level defensive line. Ultimately, dreaming for the Pac-12 title feels like a stretch with this team. Either Kyle Whittingham was just lying or he misevaluated the talent of his offensive line when he hyped them up in the off season, I would lean toward the latter.
You can’t be worried about the defense, they’ll do their part, although allowing 30 plus points to SDSU is not a great look.
Charlie Brewer got a raw deal, a starting QB should not be EXPECTED, to run for their lives on one of every three plays. It shows tremendous maturity that he didn’t create drama, stepped aside and left the program. There are no excuses now, this is the Rising show. 12 is far to big of a number for the Utes to be getting against Washington State, they’ll win, but it will be close.
If they lose, the panic within the Salt Lake valley will be unfathomable. Losing Saturday, is a real possibility, it could happen.
Aggie recap
I think emotionally, I am in love with Blake Anderson. From the folksy accent, to the fact he basically just runs the air raid but with verticality. Plus the fact he’s an offensively aggressive analytics-driven head coach. The Aggies are by far the most fun team to watch within the state of Utah. It’s a shootout every week, and they are winning them.
If they beat Boise in Logan, which I think happens, the national media is going to start taking note, this is a bowl team, that has beat a power five team. It is a team with two, capable starting QB’s and a bevy of weapons including Devin Thompkins a wideout that should be getting legitimate NFL buzz.
On defense Justin Rice might be the best linebacker the Aggies have seen since the Vigil brothers and Bobby freaking Wagner. I would be absolutely shocked if this guy doesn’t go day 2 of the NFL draft. The Aggies ceiling should be a bowl against a power five team. If they can go 2-0 against Boise and BYU this should be a nationally ranked team. There is a real chance that this is the second best team in the state right now. If you aren’t watching, you’re missing out.
NFL Gamepass notes
- Teddy Bridgewater is the best QB the Broncos have had since 2015 Peyton Manning. He’s attempted the most throws of 20 plus yards in the league. The national media won’t give the Broncos any props until they hang with the Ravens in two weeks time, that’s completely fair, but the Broncos have the bones of a playoff team.
- Bradley Chubb is an injury liability and frankly, shouldn’t be extended by the Broncos. Also as colleague Joe Rowles pointed out on Twitter (@JoRo_NFL) the Broncos really screwed the pooch by pushing him and reaggravating the injury. Fangio has had Von Miller and Chubb together, for all of five games.
- Despite the praise for Teddy, the Broncos still have the fourth best QB within the division. Derek Carr is playing the best I have ever seen him play. The command he has of the Gruden offense in year four is scary. He’s starting to get Henry Ruggs involved as a deep threat and spreading the ball incredibly well each week.
- The Raiders defense, specifically their linebackers are getting to the ball, that didn’t happen last year. Could they implode in late October, as is tradition? Of course but for right now you have to view them as a playoff contender, IT IS EARLY.
- IT IS EARLY
- The Cardinal’s offense is not perfect. The Vikings wrecked that offensive line. If you make Kyler Murray scramble on every play, eventually he’s going to get hurt. Cards need to get that fixed.
- At what point do we just admit Derrick Henry is the best running back of the last ten years? After he goes for nearly 2,000 yards for the third straight year?
- The Seahawk’s defensive line, getting pressure this year, that’s new.
- The Dolphins are just a nightmare right now. Tua hurt, Will Fuller disappears with a mysterious personal matter. Myles Gaskin has not been good. The offensive line looks absolutely terrible. The Brian Flores experiment always gets the Dolphins to play way above their talent level, that has not happened yet. If Tua isn’t it, man this team is in some deep deep trouble.
- Why are the Vikings a team that exists? Everyone’s hyping one Kirk Cousins game. Color me unimpressed, snooze fest.
- Big Ben physically is unable to move anymore, it’s sad, but also very funny.
- Everyone’s fawning over the Ravens, but they have beat the Chiefs one time in five tries. If they meet up in the playoffs again, I’ll gladly still take the Chiefs. I’ve come to peace with something recently. Lamar will never be a good enough thrower of the football for my liking, that said, he’s uniquely talented and because of what he provides as an offensive weapon is still probably a top five QB.
- On that note.
Through two weeks the top five QB’s in the NFL
- Tom Brady
- Patrick Mahomes
- Kyler Murray
- Aaron Rodgers
- Lamar Jackson
One NFL pick
Raiders -4, hate the board this week.