Week 4; What We Learned.

Week 4 Recap; What We Learned.

 

   This is the part of the season that starts to make things interesting. Weeks 4 through 6 can be the most telling of a team's character. It happens to be when conference play starts, and when teams are figuring out their identities on both the offense and defense. We can take away a lot from this past week and the next couple weeks..... So drink it in, all of it. Don't leave out a single detail. 

    Alabama vs Florida 

  

What do we know about Florida? Have they improved? Well, I think the jury is still out on that one. The Gators played tough with Alabama early on, but I am not sure that was because Florida was playing that well. Alabama's careless turnovers helped the Gators keep things close. And when the Tide got rolling, it was game over for the Gators. On the other side of this battle, I think we got what we expected from Alabama. Their defense played solid, maybe because of the Gators' offensive struggles..... The offense is coming together, and I would say that Lane Kiffin and Nick Saban are getting along.... for now. As for BOTH teams, we still just aren't sure what they have, but Alabama is coming together.

    LSU Falls to Mississippi State

Really? I knew LSU wasn't a Top Ten team in pre-season. Mississippi State, are they a Top Ten team? No, but they played well, and they belong in the Top Twenty-Five at this point of the season. LSU just isn't ready for a run this season. As I pointed out earlier, weeks four through six will tell us a lot about a team. The season isn't over for LSU. They can still get some key wins down the road to get back in the SEC West hunt. At this point, however, it seems highly unlikely. And for Mississippi State, they will get their chance to further prove themselves in the SEC West.

   Auburn survives Kansas State

This should've been a tune-up game for Auburn. It didn't turn out that way. Were the Tigers overlooking Kansas State? That may be what some Auburn fans think, but I hope fans and media take notice to this game. Auburn made the plays when they had to make them, but Kansas State is left kicking themselves. There were more than enough chances for Kansas State to put away the Auburn Tigers. Was Auburn exposed? Or was it the road game atmosphere mixed with the mistake of not taking Kansas State seriously?...... Or could it actually be that Auburn or Kansas State aren't who we thought they were to start the season? Again, time will tell.

     Florida State beats Clemson (Without Winston)

This may be the biggest headline of the weekend. Florida State was without Jameis Winston due to suspension for an incident from early last week. What do I keep saying in this week's recap? We learn more about a team in weeks four through six than we do most of the season. This game is a testament to that. Clemson played a very solid game, and had their chances...... But Florida State's defense came up big in big time situations. The Noles' defense is starting to take shape. Let me address some of the critics out there.... Remember when Georgia beat a VERY GOOD Clemson team just a few weeks earlier? Georgia gave up 21 points to the Tigers. Florida State? Only 17. Florida State's defense took a huge step forward. Their defense is starting to look like that defense we saw a year ago. The offense will take shape over the next few weeks. In fact, we saw an offense that was battered most of the game keep fighting, even without Jameis Winston. "Florida State got lucky!" Well, it's like every coach who has ever won or played for a National Championship, "sometimes even the great teams need a little luck." And what do great teams do when their backs are against the walls? They find a way to win. Florida State did that against Clemson. They did it without their best player on offense, and they did it without their best defensive lineman for most of the game. We learned a lot about FSU. They aren't done yet.

   Later this week, CollegeFootball2Day will tackle your Fan Questions/Comments/Predictions. Be sure to visit www.collegefootball2day.com  Submit any thing College Football there and have it featured in one of CF2D's video segments.