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College Football Roundup: What We Know So Far

Shane Birkenfeld

· 4 min read

The first weeks of the 2024-25 College Football Season have been nothing short of entertaining. With big upsets, breakout players, and early Heisman candidates, the FBS and even FCS are in for big years.

Local:

Pitt vs Kent State: Eli Holstein's Debut

Freshman QB Eli Holstein showed out in his first-ever game. Winning ACC Rookie of the Week, Holstein threw for 336 yards and 3 touchdowns. Another notable performance came from newcomer Desmond Reid, who racked up 156 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, and a career 78-yard punt return TD. On the other hand, Pitt’s defense has room to improve after letting up 24 points to a team coming off a 1-11 start.

WVU vs Penn State: Battle of the Old Ironsides

The one thing that both teams can agree on is that they equally hate Pitt. That's about all they have in common. Penn State went into Morgantown and won this game in a demanding fashion. Nittany Lions RB Nick Singleton could have the breakout season everyone was expecting. Realistically, the Mountaineers anticipated a loss to Penn State,  but they must figure things out to compete in the new, weaker Big-12 that doesn’t include Oklahoma and Texas.

National:

Colorado:  A nailbiter win against top FCS school NDSU

“Perfect Timing” for Deion. After an underwhelming end to last season, the Buffs look to improve. Luckily for head coach Deion Sanders, his son Shadeur is already looking to have a Heisman campaign. He threw for 445 yards and 4 touchdowns (1 interception) in the opener against North Dakota State. Shadeur found Jimmy Horn and two-way star Travis Hunter for 330 of those yards.

Florida State: An embarrassing 0-2 to start conference play

It was an utter embarrassment for the Noles, losing two in-conference games in upset fashion to start the year. Mike Norvell's time in Tallahassee might be in jeopardy, but he is not entirely to blame. Former Clemson and Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei has struggled, throwing just 1 touchdown in the losses. While Georgia Tech (now ranked #23) and Boston College are teams to look out for, Florida State continues embarrassing themselves after last season's 63-3 loss to Georgia in the Orange Bowl.

Notre Dame vs Texas A&M: College Gameday

ESPN College Gameday highlighted a classic, high-seeded, grind-it-out matchup between two teams that could each use a huge win to start the season. Unfortunately for Texas A&M, the offense couldn’t accomplish anything against Notre Dame’s stout defense. Sophomore Quarterback Connor Weigman completed just 40% of his passes for only 100 yards and threw 2 picks. Though Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard was nothing special either, the Fighting Irish’s run game and defense were enough to get a ranked win on the road.

Miami vs Florida: Florida Cup

In the Sunshine State, The Florida Cup was a blowout this time around. Billy Napier’s Gators continue to struggle, thanks to Graham Mertz’s continued struggles from Wisconsin. Conversely, did Mario Cristobal finally figure things out in Dade County? Cam Ward made effortless throws, and the ranked Canes ran away with a rivalry win.

Clemson vs Georgia: Battle of the Dynasties

It might be time to accept that the Clemson dynasty might be over unless Dabo Swinney gets with the times and takes advantage of the transfer portal. Carson Beck got the job done with the help of Georgia’s elite defense. Georgia was expected to win this game, but Clemson could've at least put up a fight.

USC vs LSU: Game of the Week

With both teams now without their former first-round pick quarterbacks, this game wasn’t the shootout it previously would have been. USC’s Miller Moss could have an NFL future, and LSU’s Nussmeier didn’t look bad either. USC getting a top-15 win on the road is undoubtedly massive, but losing to USC is not something to look back on for LSU.

Shane Birkenfeld

About Shane Birkenfeld

Shane Birkenfeld is a senior at Allderdice and a fourth-year writer for the Foreword. He is involved in multiple sports at Allderdice, including golf and the co-op hockey team with Carrick. When not writing, he likes to hang out with his friends.

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