Lace Code readers, we are so back!!!

There are certain times of the year that just feel right.

For me, college football Saturdays are one of them.

So when noon rolled around on Saturday and I was sitting on my couch watching college football again, I was happy as hell.

Was Week Zero packed with blockbuster games?

No.

But honestly, I did not care.

Football was back.

Week Zero is always more of a warmup for what is coming, and with Labor Day weekend and Week 1 right around the corner, the real fun is about to begin.

This season is especially interesting because the expanded playoff has changed what a loss means.

A loss used to potentially end your championship hopes.

Now?

It might just mean your road to the first-round bye becomes a little harder.

That does not mean losses do not matter. They absolutely do.

But college football has changed.

And I am ready to see how it plays out.

UNC Survives TCU in Ireland

The season officially got underway with TCU and UNC in Ireland, with the Tar Heels coming away with a 15-10 win.

It was a defensive battle, but there were some interesting storylines.

Jaden Craig was one of them.

The Harvard transfer came into the season with some late-round NFL Draft buzz and chose TCU with the hope of improving his stock.

His first game did not exactly help that cause.

Craig finished 20-of-32 for 175 yards without a touchdown or interception.

Now, I am not going to completely judge a quarterback based on one game, especially when that game requires traveling to Ireland for the first game of the season.

But it was certainly not the debut he wanted.

TCU’s running game gave them something to lean on, with Jeremy Payne rushing for 142 yards on 25 carries.

UNC found its offense through Billy Edwards Jr., who threw for 232 yards, while Ohio State transfer Jelani Thurman immediately made an impact with four catches for 94 yards.

That is a name I am keeping an eye on.

Virginia May Be a Problem

If there was one result from Week Zero that made me stop and pay attention, it was Virginia.

The Cavaliers did not just beat NC State.

They destroyed them.

34-8.

Tony Elliott deserves credit here.

Virginia gave him time to build after three rough seasons, and that patience appears to be starting to pay off.

CJ Bailey entered the season with plenty of hype and some first-round NFL Draft projections.

Then he went 12-of-23 for 84 yards.

That is not going to get it done.

Virginia controlled the line of scrimmage, running for more than 250 yards as a team.

Beau Pribula did not need to be spectacular. He just needed to be efficient.

He was.

Nine-of-11 for 155 yards and two touchdowns.

Sometimes football is simple.

Run the ball.

Play defense.

Do not turn it over.

Virginia did exactly that.

I am not saying Virginia is going to the College Football Playoff.

But I am saying some ACC teams better be ready.

USC Looks the Part

USC took care of business against San Jose State, and that is exactly what you wanted to see.

Jayden Maiava completed 25 of 29 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns.

Trent Mosley also looked good, catching seven passes for 118 yards and a touchdown.

Luke Weaver gave San Jose State a solid performance, but USC had too much talent.

This was not the upset we saw when Appalachian State shocked Michigan.

And that is okay.

Sometimes the better team is supposed to win.

USC did what they needed to do.

Is Stanford a Sleeper?

This is where Week Zero gets fun.

Stanford beat Hawai’i 37-27, and I am curious to see where this team goes.

Davis Warren threw for 310 yards and a touchdown.

Micah Ford ran for 99 yards and three touchdowns.

Stanford played clean football, and that matters.

Hawai’i’s biggest issue was their inability to run the ball.

46 yards on 22 carries.

That is not enough.

Micah Alejado threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns, but if Stanford—or anyone else—can make you one-dimensional, things become much harder.

Stanford has not won nine games since 2018.

I am not saying they are going to win nine this year.

But I do think they could surprise some people.

FSU Still Has Questions

Florida State beating New Mexico State 34-17 was expected.

What I am interested in is what happens next.

Mike Norvell has to be feeling some pressure.

After going 13-1, FSU fell all the way to 2-10 and then 5-7.

That is a massive drop.

The running game gave me some optimism.

Osumane Kromah ran for 115 yards and a touchdown, and Florida State finished with 217 rushing yards.

The red zone was another positive.

They went 6-for-6.

Considering how much they struggled there last year, that is something to build on.

But the defense still needs work.

They allowed New Mexico State to convert some important third downs, and better teams will make them pay for that.

And they do not have much time to figure it out.

No. 19 SMU is next.

Memphis vs. UNLV Was a Fight

Memphis and UNLV gave us one of the more entertaining games of the weekend.

Memphis won 27-21, but both quarterbacks gave us something to talk about.

Jackson Arnold looked comfortable, finishing with 291 passing yards and three total touchdowns.

Marcus Stokes answered with 223 passing yards and two touchdowns.

But when the game got tight, Memphis’ defense stepped up.

Six sacks.

That is how you close out a game.

One of those sacks helped force a turnover on downs with just over six minutes remaining.

That was the kind of play that wins football games.

And Now We Wait for Week 1

That is Week Zero.

A little football.

A little chaos.

A few surprises.

And a whole lot of reasons to be excited about what is coming.

Week 1 is where things really start getting serious.

The games get bigger.

The stadiums get louder.

The rankings start to matter.

And fanbases everywhere start convincing themselves that this is the year.

Including me.

My Chants have West Virginia on Saturday, and I would love nothing more than to see Coastal pull off the upset.

I am especially excited to see what the Ryan Beard era looks like.

There is a long way to go.

A lot will change between now and December.

Some teams will see their playoff dreams disappear before October.

Others will come out of nowhere and become the story of the season.

That is college football.

That is why we love it.

Week Zero is over.

Now the real madness begins.

Lace Code is tapped in all season long.

Let’s fucking go

– Jett Garden