Ken Schreiber’s 5 things learned from Week 1 of college football

Week 1 of the college football season, long known for its noncompetitive, glorified exhibition games, was like a sonic boom. Here’s what we learned from the opening week.

Notre Dame is a contender

First, we learned Notre Dame is no fluke. The Irish have an elite defense and only needed to convert some key third-down plays to defeat Ohio State. They may have lost, 21-10, but they acquitted themselves very well. The difference with Ohio State is their defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who came from Oklahoma State.

While others drop teams in the top-25 polls after a loss, I thought the Irish were the best team outside of the top three and belong at No. 4. No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Ohio State are still the gold standard.

RI football:URI football opens season with dominant performance in NY; Bryant falls in OT in Miami

FSU quarterback Jordan Travis is a player to watch

We also learned Florida State may have found its quarterback in Jordan Travis, who showed an ability to escape pressure and make positive plays. 

The Seminoles tried everything in their power to give the game away, first by fumbling on the LSU 1-yard line with 80 seconds left, and then watching LSU drive 99 yards for a touchdown on the last play. They breathed a sigh of relief when the extra point was blocked and walked off with a 24-23 victory. It was an inauspicious debut for LSU coach Brian Kelly.  They showed resolve coming back in the final 4:07 down two touchdowns, but there was visible frustration on the faces of the Tigers’ players before the comeback. The inference is that Kelly better win or his players will rebel.