CFB Mailbag: Playoffs? Come On, Notre Dame Fans. Eventful Trip To Nebraska, Tennessee Defense, College Gameday

Another weekend of college football is in the books, and you all certainly had a number of questions about where we stand just two weeks into the season. 

After the chaos at Notre Dame, along with Texas beating up on Michigan and Nebraska shutting down the Colorado offense, there were enough storylines to go around. But, I was certainly surprised by some of the questions you all presented in this week's mailbag, as the mailbox started filling up on Sunday night. 

So, I had to pick and choose which questions to address this week, and I appreciate everyone sending in their thoughts from this past weekend. I think I'm going to end up writing a weekly post on just the statements that I received from you all, which have been pretty funny, I might add. 

Hey Trey. Hope you had a great time in Lincoln over the weekend. So what was your takeaway from the trip to Nebraska? As a lifelong fan it was great to see all the craziness on gameday and to see my cornhuskers beat up on Deion and Colorado. Thanks

Thomas - Lincoln, Nebraska

Thomas, appreciate the question. I have to say, Lincoln is a fantastic place to watch a college football game. First off, the downtown area is amazing, and so close to the stadium I might add. I did not know when I booked my hotel (The Cornhusker) that the team stayed there the night before every home game. So you can imagine how surprised I was when the buses started rolling in that Friday afternoon. The send-off party is very cool, (You Should Go) and the fans were very welcoming. As a reporter, we rarely have time to soak in the atmosphere, but I made sure I'd have the time to enjoy the pregame festivities and be able to write about it. 

Look, if you haven't been able to experience a game at Memorial Stadium, I highly recommend it. I don’t know if it's the rejuvenation of the fan base under Matt Rhule, or the fact Colorado was the opponent, but that place was hopping three hours before kickoff with the student section. I was told to make sure I was around at the end of the third quarter for the light show, and it did not disappoint. The whole experience was fantastic, and I certainly look forward to coming back soon. I would've enjoyed a better game, from a reporter's perspective, but I'll certainly take the environment. College Football is better when Nebraska is good, and I think Matt Rhule has this program headed in the right direction, especially with Dylan Raiola at QB, and that defense. 

Why in the world do you think Tennessee actually proved something to college football fans by beating up on a bad NC State team? It seems like you are giving them to much credit right now. 

William - Anniston, Alabama

First off, it's ‘too’ much credit. I had to, since we get it all the time on social media. I don't control the rankings, William. NC State came into this game in the top-25, coming off a win over Western Carolina, in a game they actually should've lost. When I look at Tennessee, I see a team that has drastically improved on defense compared to Josh Heupel's first season. I've used this expression before, but the Vols defensive line finally has an ‘F-U- guy walking off the bus, and solid depth. I think it’s easy to look at Tennessee and gush over its offense with Nico Iamaleava, the group of receivers, Dylan Sampson and the offensive line, but there's something bigger going on. 

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 07: Will Brooks #35 of the Tennessee Volunteers intercepts a pass from Grayson McCall #2 of the NC State Wolfpack and returns it for a touchdown during the first half of the Duke's Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium on September 07, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Heck, maybe I'm wrong and this unit gets torched at Oklahoma in two weeks. But with guys like James Pearce, Omari Thomas and Bryson Eason along the front seven, with a nice looking linebacker room and a secondary that I thought would hamper them at first, this group looks solid over the first two games. Let I remind you that a lot of teams wanted Grayson McCall as their quarterback last season, and Tennessee held the NC State offense to 143 total yards. 

So, after beating the 24th best team, according to rankings, 51-10, I think Tennessee deserves the credit they are getting, and has a quarterback who looks to have a bright future ahead. Stop acting like I've picked them to play for a national title after two games. 

Where in the world do we go now as Notre Dame fans after losing to freaking Northern Illinois? Are the playoffs done for us? Thanks Trey

Anthony - Chicago

Anthony, all I can say is I hope you took down a few alcoholic beverages after that loss to Northern Illinois. After winning at Texas A&M, no matter how they got it done, I thought the Irish had a really nice path to the College Football Playoff, especially with that schedule, and what I thought Riley Leonard could do with the offense. Now I wonder how the committee would look at the Fighting Irish if they ended the regular season with only one loss, or if they caught one more L in a close way to USC in the season finale. 

That certainly did not look like a playoff caliber football team, and I don’t think this season is going to end up the way most were expecting in South Bend. There are some big problems on offense, especially when your out-gained 388-286. Unfortunately for Notre Dame fans, this game will be replayed all season long on different networks, and rightfully so. A monumental loss should come with monumental repercussions, and Marcus Freeman is going to need a lot of help if this team were to even run the table. 

Trey, why in the world is College Gameday going to South Carolina for the LSU game? That's a pretty weird destination, with LSU already having a loss. 

Tim - New Orleans

Well Tim, you can thank the Gamecocks for this one. College Gameday was planning to be in Lexington, Kentucky this weekend, but after South Carolina destroyed the Wildcats, the company decided to switch things up and follow the winner of the game. So, with the LSU vs. South Carolina game being played on ESPN, the decision was made to follow the Gamecocks back home. 

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - SEPTEMBER 07: Head coach Shane Beamer of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates with players during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field on September 7, 2024 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Now, this is not the best weekend in terms of ranked matchups, and they weren't going to Wisconsin vs. Alabama, given that they will most certainly be in Tuscaloosa for the Georgia game in three weeks. There are a number of rivalry games this weekend, like the ‘Civil War’ between Oregon and Oregon State, along with others. Heck, if they wanted, Boston College versus Missouri in a Top-25 game could've been another option. But, given that ESPN has a pretty big home in Charlotte, North Carolina, it made things easier for the production crew by traveling down the road to Columbia. 

Alright, that's going to do it for this week. But, don't hesitate to reach out with any questions you might have during the week, as we prepare for another weekend of college football. If the previous few weeks have taught us anything, we should expect the unexpected on Saturday.