After dominating weak out-of-conference opponents, Ohio State and Ole Miss are gearing up for tougher matchups as they enter conference play. Ohio State improved to 3-0 after a 49-14 win over Marshall, while Ole Miss beat Georgia Southern 52-13. Both teams have high expectations this season and are being graded on a championship-level scale. Despite blowout wins, both teams allowed touchdowns for the first time and their starting quarterbacks threw interceptions.
In the upcoming weeks, Ohio State will face Michigan State, and Ole Miss will host Kentucky. The Buckeyes received a B- grade for their performance, with the defense needing to tighten up. Ole Miss got an A- grade, but coach Lane Kiffin’s squad seems unchallenged by their opponents so far.
Other notable performances include Miami rallying to win 50-15 over South Florida, Penn State dominating Kent State 56-0, and Clemson winning 59-35 over NC State. However, Missouri struggled to beat Vanderbilt and LSU let UCLA hang around before pulling away for a win. USC’s defense handled Michigan well in a loss, and Utah beat Oklahoma State without their starting quarterback.
As these teams continue to face tougher competition, the expectation for near-perfection will only increase as they aim for national titles. With conference play starting, the true test of their championship aspirations will begin.
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