Around CFB: LSU proves fool's gold in Starkville beatdown

BYU has an impressive football history. The Cougars won the 1984 national championship. They won 23 conference titles before opting for independence. They’ve appeared in 35 bowl games. They’ve finished ranked among the nation’s top 25 in 18 seasons.

That history explains – at least to some degree – why No. 13 LSU’s stock (though not necessarily its ranking) rose when the Tigers opened the season with a 27-0 victory over BYU. At the time, that looked like a solid victory over a solid opponent. Sure, BYU struggled in an opening win over Portland State, but a lot of teams aren’t sharp in their first game.

But now we know BYU (1-3) just isn’t very good, especially on offense. 
We also know that LSU (2-1) was overvalued. The Tigers, who had moved up to No. 13, fell to No. 25 in the national polls after a 37-7 spanking at the hands of Mississippi State.

LSU is hardly alone among preseason teams that were overvalued. Stanford opened at No. 14 and is now out of the top 25 after suffering consecutive losses to USC and San Diego State. Kansas State, West Virginia, Texas and Tennessee are now unranked after starting the season among the top 25. Every September, highly-ranked teams are exposed as highly over-rated.

This appears to be the case for LSU, which did very little well against Mississippi State.

LSU rushed for just 133 yards, allowed 465 and committed nine penalties for 117 yards to fall to Mississippi State for just the second time in the last 18 games against the Bulldogs.

“Maybe we're not as good in some spots as we thought we were because we played some lesser teams," LSU coach Ed Orgeron told reporters after the game. "We got hammered on the front on both sides of the line.”

The Tigers have to hope they can regroup and beat Syracuse this week. Suddenly, that doesn’t seem assured. LSU was thought to be a serious challenger to Alabama in the SEC West Division race.

That didn’t appear to be the case in that debacle in Starkville. Instead, Mississippi State might be Alabama’s chief threat.

That is, if beating LSU means anything.

Heisman leaders

Here are the weekly Heisman ratings based on how I’d vote if the ballot was due this week:

1. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma, QB: Mayfield followed up the Sooners’ big victory over Ohio State by throwing for 331 yards and four touchdowns in a blowout victory over Tulane. He’s passed for 1,046 yards and 10 touchdowns with no interceptions thus far.

2. Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State, QB: Though caliber of competition is questionable, Rudolph has turned in three amazing performances. In last week’s victory over Pitt, he passed for 423 yards — in the first half. He finished with 497 passing yards and five touchdowns in about 2 1/2 quarters of work. Rudolph has thrown for 1,135 yards and 11 touchdowns with one interception.

3. Lamar Jackson, Louisville, QB: Last week he struggled against Clemson, which looks to have the nation’s best defense. Jackson passed for 317 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another 64. True, two touchdowns came after the outcome had long been decided, but that’s still solid production. Jackson has passed for 1,088 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s rushed for 303 yards and three scores.

4. Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State, QB: His stats aren’t as impressive as others', but Fitzgerald’s play has been outstanding. He passed for 180 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 88 and two touchdowns in a 37-7 victory over LSU. Fitzgerald has passed for 543 yards and seven touchdowns and has rushed for 240 yards and five touchdowns.

5. Sam Darnold, USC, QB: Admittedly, he didn’t seem to have a strong outing in a double-overtime victory over Texas. But when it was over, he had thrown for 397 yards and three touchdowns. On the season, he’s thrown for 1,002 yards and seven touchdowns and has led the Trojans to a 3-0 start.

Predicted College Football Playoff Participants

(After week 3)

1. Clemson: The Tiger defense is so good it made Lamar Jackson look ordinary.

2. Alabama: Once again, Alabama is the class on the SEC. But that doesn’t appear to mean as much as it once did.

3. Oklahoma: The win over Ohio State ensures the Sooners are included. A late clash with Oklahoma State may determine if they remain included.

4. Penn State: Each week the Nits look more and more like the best team in the Big Ten.

Week Three notes

• Don’t overreact to one performance, but if Texas’ defense plays as well the rest of the season as it did against USC, the Longhorns indeed will be significantly improved. I’d put them fourth in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and TCU.

• Last week Missouri coach Barry Odom fired his defensive coordinator after a 31-13 loss to South Carolina. I wonder if offensive coordinator Josh Heupel is feeling paranoid after a 35-3 loss to Purdue.

• Cal is typically a second-tier resident in the Pac-12. Except, the Bears are 3-0 with victories over ACC and SEC opponents. If this keeps up, coach Justin Wilcox may emerge as the next “hot” candidate for high-profile jobs. But no team may face a tougher four-game stretch than Cal. The next four opponents are No. 5 USC, No. 24 Oregon, No. 7 Washington and No. 18 Washington State. Those teams are a combined 12-0.

• Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly’s job is said to be in jeopardy. Yet, the Irish are 2-1 with a one-point loss to Georgia. If the Irish win at Michigan State on Saturday, Kelly might get off the hot seat. At least, for a while.

• Clemson’s offense isn’t as good as in last year’s championship season. However, the Tigers are better on defense. They’ve already posted 15 sacks and have allowed just 30 points despite facing Louisville.

• Losing receiver Deebo Samuel to a broken leg might be devastating for South Carolina. The Gamecocks have scored 11 touchdowns this season. Samuel has accounted for six.

• The best bet for a non-Power Five team to appear in a major bowl game is San Diego State. The Aztecs are unbeaten and defeated Arizona State and Stanford in consecutive weeks.

• By the way, Arizona State’s Todd Graham could be the first coach to open the season on the sidelines and be fired. The Sun Devils are 1-2 with their victory by a mere six points over New Mexico State. The next two games are against Oregon and Stanford. After an open date, they play Washington, Utah and USC. Graham could be 1-7. If he makes it that long.

• Nebraska coach Mike Riley might give Graham a run, though. Riley is truly one of the nicest guys in the coaching profession, but losing to Northern Illinois is unacceptable in Lincoln. The Huskers have “get well” games against Rutgers and Illinois coming up. They’d better get well or Riley may be told to get out.

• Auburn backup quarterback Sean White was dismissed from the team following an arrest for public intoxication. Players at other programs have gotten slaps on the wrist for worse. I can’t help but wonder if Auburn coach Gus Malzahn would have doled out the same punishment if White was still the starter and if he was good.