Initial College Football Takeaways

Tua Tagovailoa gives Alabama’s offense a dimension that they have sorely missed under Nick Saban. The lefty’s ability to throw the ball downfield and create explosive plays provides Alabama with such offensive firepower that it is difficult to envision the Crimson Tide being in many tight games this season. Of course, this development for Alabama is a net positive, but benching Jalen Hurts, who has taken them to the National Title game the past two seasons, must be a delicate situation for all parties involved.

Penn State might not be as good as originally believed. It took the Nittany Lions overtime to defeat Appalachian State on their home field Saturday afternoon. Outside of losing Saquon Barkley, James Franklin’s team returned largely intact so the thought was they would be competitive in 2018. Its only one week, but I am not buying Penn State stock this season.

Michigan’s quarterback problems linger. Since Jim Harbaugh’s arrival in Ann Arbor, finding a quarterback capable of making quality throws has been a challenge. With Shea Patterson arriving, as a transfer from Ole Miss, many believed that would change. Against Notre Dame, Patterson was unimpressive as he went 20 of 30 for 227 yards and an interception. He has the physical tools to be sure, but that means zilch if he can’t readily perform.