One-on-One: In Week 1, much-anticipated QB debuts, coaches on hot seat

Rooney: There's a lot to unpack for Week 1, but let's start with this: Do you think either of these teams capable of challenging the Alabamas and the Clemsons of the world?

Weinreb: It’s kind of astounding to think that it’s only been eight years since Auburn and Oregon met in a national championship game that revolved around one of the first utterly ridiculous forensic debates of the sports social-media era, which centered largely on ankle tape. But here we are, in 2019, and both Oregon and Auburn are kind of desperate for the sort of win that could re-establish them as A-list players. Do I think either one is capable of challenging Alabama or Clemson? No. Still, it’s solid football, so I’ll glue my eyes to the television.

I’d prefer to believe that Gus Malzahn still has something left to give at Auburn. But seven years into his tenure as head coach, it’s getting harder to justify such optimism: Auburn’s only won 10 games once in the past five years, and in a state where Nick Saban has essentially sucked out all the oxygen and no doubt hoarded it in his own carefully crafted biosphere (The Process is intense, man), this is a make-or-break year for Gus. His offense finished 79th in the country in total offense last year; Alabama finished sixth. Who’s the offensive wizard around here again?

I’m still old and irascible enough to presume that starting a freshman quarterback is a path straight to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, but in this era, it feels like the kind of calculated risk that could pay off in a big way. Bo Nix was one of the best high-school prospects in the country, Mr. Football in Alabama, and he’s the kind of dual-threat who could blow up in Malzahn’s system the way Cam Newton once did. Or, you know, he could just implode the whole Malzahn era.

Speaking of quarterbacks, I kind of feel like all of the angst over Justin Herbert’s lack of consistency for Oregon last season might be an overblown extension of NFL-scout angst. The dude threw a total of three interceptions — and 14 TD passes — after October 1 of last year. So if the Ducks play defense like they did against Michigan State— and who can ever shake the memory of a 7-6 defensive struggle in the Redbox Bowl in Santa Clara, the great sweaty armpit of the Bay Area? — they have a real shot to make a run in the Pac-12. For Auburn to do the same in the SEC, it might take another Act of Chris (Davis). It wouldn’t surprise me if Auburn wins this game — and Oregon comes far to closer to making the College Football Playoff in the end.

Weinreb: Beyond Oregon-Auburn, what games are catching your eye? And who are the teams you’re most excited to catch a glimpse of in between 12 straight hours of commercials for controversial fast-food chicken sandwiches?

Rooney: I do love a good spicy chicken sandwich, but I think I love that Chris Davis Iron Bowl moment more. It's pretty much ruined the game for me -- I hope for...nay, expect... all last-second field goal tries to end this way. While that sort of ending may not be reliable, one thing that has been is Auburn's ability to perform well against Pac-12 opponents over the last decade. Sure, it's a small sample size, and the different teams and coaches are apples to oranges, but for what it's worth: Auburn is 4-0 against Pac-12 opponents since 2006. I've come to have little faith in the ability of the teams in Larry Scott's conference to win important non-conference matchups. That said, I'm really looking forward to seeing some of Saturday's Pac-12 action. Chiefly, USC hosting Fresno State. 

The Bulldogs were one of the best teams nobody talked about last year, finishing 12-2 and winning the Mountain West in Jeff Tedford's sophomore season in charge. They've definitely lost a lot -- 13 starters, yikes -- including QB Marcus McMaryion, who threw for 3,629 yards with 25 touchdowns and only five picks. We haven't seen much of his replacement, Jorge Reyna. But sign me up for a refreshing glass of Tedford Kool-Aid. If he can take a team from 1-11 to a conference crown in two years (to say nothing of his mostly stellar years at Cal), he can handle a roster-rebuilding year. Especially when that first opponent is USC, and USC AD Lynn Swann inexplicably chose to retain head coach Clay Helton.

I'm not convinced Helton can handle anything, from hiring staff to the real crux of his job, winning football games. You could probably get through "War and Peace" more quickly than you could a complete list of the historic woes befalling the Trojans under Helton last season, but here are some lowlights: fewest yards per game (382.6) and points per game (26.1) since 2001, finished 112th in rushing yards (this from a school once nicknamed "Tailback U"), missed bowl eligibility for first time since 2000 (5-7 record). On Saturday, I want to see if JT Daniels and the offensive line look improved under new OC Graham Harrell. If not, let's just say Helton may want to begin avoiding tarmac of any kind.

 I'm also intrigued by Oklahoma's matchup with Houston. If Jalen Hurts performs for the Sooners (and we've all seen what he's capable of), Lincoln Riley will cement his already pretty well-established legacy as the greatest "turner of quarterback transfers into Heisman-winning first-overall NFL draft picks." 

That pattern also includes back-to-back playoff berths, and considering that the Sooner defense was almost comically atrocious last year -- last in the nation in pass defense, last in the Big 12 in total defense -- it stands to reason this year's team could be more well-rounded overall. 

The big question is protection for Hurts, as the O-line was tops in the nation last year and has lost four starters. Even so, topping fourth-ranked Oklahoma will be a tall order for Houston, but the Cougars did make one of the most fascinating coaching hires of the year, luring Dana Holgorsen from a Power 5 job at West Virginia to the AAC. And Houston has an excellent quarterback in its own right in D'Eriq King (50 total touchdowns before getting injured late in the season), but is coming off a season that, defensively, wasn't very good. That was with consensus All-American DT Ed Oliver, who departed for the NFL. I'm very curious to see how both teams handle their personnel changes, how explosive their offenses can be, and whether they've made upgrades on the other side of the ball.

I'll also be flipping channels to see the inception of the Mack Brown era at UNC, whether the rise can continue for Syracuse, and to enjoy Rondale Moore highlights at Purdue. 

Rooney: What are some of the games and teams that you're willing to brave incessant targeting reviews and questionable uniform choices for?

Weinreb: Totally agree on Tedford. Here’s a guy who won games in Berkeley, a place where the football tradition centers largely on activists camping out in trees. I imagine most USC fans would be perfectly happy to swap coaches with Fresno; and if Tedford pulls off the upset, there might be an opening at USC, anyway.

As for me: I’m mildly curious if the Florida Atlantic Bleating Kiffins, coming off a subpar season, can give Ohio State any kind of a game in Ryan Day’s coaching debut. I’m also pretty jacked to watch Nebraska's Adrian Martinez run circles around South Alabama to kick off what will likely be a Heisman-contending season, and to see how Tua Tagovailoa looks in Alabama’s glorified exhibition game against Duke.

As for under-the-radar games that I think could bubble to the Twittersphere’s surface by Saturday night, keep an eye on Northwestern-Stanford. Two nerd schools with visions of grandeur. Northwestern won eight of its last 10 games last season, and Hunter Johnson is a five-star recruit who may be the best quarterback talent Pat Fitzgerald’s ever had. And Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello is sneaky good. It’s a testament to how well David Shaw has built up the Stanford program that it feels like a drought because the Cardinal haven’t been to a Rose Bowl since 2015. Winner of this one could wind up as a Pac-12/Big Ten darkhorse.

And then, of course, there’s the late-night Mike Leach special: 10 p.m. Eastern kickoff against New Mexico State, in which Leach breaks in a new quarterback, Anthony Gordon, who will no doubt shatter records soon enough. There will be points.

Also, don’t sleep on that Monday Notre Dame at Louisville game. As someone who watched Penn State get utterly outplayed by Appalachian State in last year’s opener, I’ll say this: Scott Satterfield, who jumped from App State to Louisville in the offseason, knows what he’s doing. Louisville’s a long-term rebuilding job after Bobby Petrino poisoned the well, but you never know.