The biggest flaw of every top 25 college football team

As the Big Ten awaits the start of its season, the Gophers find themselves in the same position as other programs around the country when it comes to which players will stay or go . Receiver/returner Demetrius Douglas (34 career receptions, one touchdown) is the latest Gopher to opt out of the season. In Douglas' case, he's actually leaving the team and retiring from football. Coach P.J. Fleck said he would not be surprised if more of his players opted out, especially as COVID-19 continues to plague the college game.

The Cyclones are 2-1 despite allowing an average of 31.6 points on the season. Now, a big reason for Iowa State's defensive issues is the fact it's allowed 853 yards through the air. That includes 699 passing yards over the last two contests. The Cyclones have also allowed seven passing touchdowns already on the season, so this is obviously an area that needs to see improvement.

OK, this is pretty much the case for every team in the country. But, the Ragin' Cajuns are part of a Sun Belt Conference that's been turned upside down by the coronavirus. Postponements, cancellations, what have you. Now, Hurricane Delta has also become enough of a concern that their game against Coastal Carolina this week has been rescheduled. Even with a lack of rhythm and routine, Louisiana still managed to start 3-0. Credit is certainly due.

Is coach Tom Herman on the hot seat yet? If not, he might be after after the Longhorns allowed 89 yards in splitting their last two games. This was a similar issue for Texas last season -- early on. However, the club got better as the 2019 campaign went on. Will that be the case again in 2020? Only if Texas can keep from allowing nearly 450 yards per game, which has been the case of late.

This issue with the Aggies predates coach Jimbo Fisher's time in College Station. After falling 52-24 at then-No. 2 Alabama, Texas A&M has now dropped eight consecutive road contests against teams ranked in The Associated Press Top 25. The Aggies still have to face Tennessee and Auburn on the road this season, and barring any unforeseen struggles, both teams should still be ranked.

We don't know what Michigan's season will look like in 2020. What we do know is that the program's biggest game on a condensed slate remains the regular-season finale against rival Ohio State. Wolverines fans are tired about hearing of their team's futility against the Ohio State: eight straight losses in the series and just one win over the last 16 meetings. We're assuming that trend won't change in 2020.

Sitting at 2-0, things are off to a good start for Virginia Tech. However, it gets interesting this weekend with a trip to No. 8 North Carolina. But, we're looking further down the road, particularly the final four games of the regular season. During that stretch, the Hokies host Miami, Fla., visit Pittsburgh, then welcome Clemson and rival Virginia. All but one of those teams is ranked at the moment, and Pitt just fell out of the Top 25. Talk about a grueling stretch.

We won't go into the fact SMU's student section needs a little schooling. What we can focus on is that the Mustangs are currently dealing with injuries to two key performers. Running back TJ McDaniel (297 rushing yards) injured his ankle during last weekend's 30-27 win over then-No. 25 Memphis. In the same game, leading receiver Reggie Roberson (22 receptions, 474 yards, five touchdowns) hurt his knee. Mustangs coach Sonny Dykes said the injuries could be "long term." Can the Mustangs overcome this kind of adversity?

Defensive issues might be somewhat of a theme on this list. In terms of the Tigers, they did not look good in allowing 623 passing yards in that 44-34 loss to Mississippi State. The same Bulldogs team that managed only 14 points in a loss to Arkansas in its follow-up. A 41-7 win over Vanderbilt last weekend helped LSU in terms of self-confidence, but from a defensive standpoint, we just don't know what to expect yet.

Jack Coan (3,278 career yards, 23 TDs, eight INTs) was looking to build on a rather successful 2019 season. However, following recent foot surgery his status for the condensed 2020 campaign is uncertain . Backup Graham Mertz, who has played in two career games, could be the next man up. This is not the way the Badgers expected to enter the season.

As an independent during the COVID-19 era of college football, you play who you play. BYU is 3-0, with Navy being the biggest name on its schedule thus far. Houston, Boise State and San Diego State still appear on the Cougars' schedule, so the potential for a serious challenge or two is there. Is BYU really good enough to compete with teams like Boise and SDSU? Looks like we'll see.

The Volunteers' progression under coach Jeremy Pruitt has obviously been noteworthy: 5-7, 8-5 and now 2-0 to start 2020. However, Pruitt knows for the Vols to really be taken seriously, they need to start taking down some of the big boys in the SEC. Tennessee travels to No. 3 Georgia this weekend. The Vols have lost 33 straight games against teams ranked inside the top 10 of The AP Poll since beating then-No. 10 Georgia on Oct. 7, 2006.

Sure, much of the focus regarding Auburn's offense revolves its quarterback. The question to some pundits, is if the sophomore can improve faster than we've seen. He threw three touchdowns against Kentucky and none versus Georgia. He's completing just 55.2 percent of his passes through two games after posting a 57.6 percentage as a freshman. Tigers coaches are doing what they can to make things more simple for Nix, but at the moment, is he anything more than a game-manager?

Oregon is favored to the claim the Pac-12 title during this condensed season for the conference. The Ducks certainly have the talent (OL Penei Sewell, RB CJ Verdell) to do so, but do they have the mindset to keep from getting too caught up in themselves? We'd like to think Mario Cristobal's program is too focused and prepared to allow any egos to get the best of its collective self.

The Bearcats are 3-0 and feeling pretty good about themselves. This is a potentially deep team, and quarterback Desmond Ridder is leading the way. However, Ridder has endured some bumps, especially through the last two games in which he's thrown four touchdowns and four interceptions. He was picked off three times during a 28-7 win over South Florida last weekend. Perhaps it's a matter of Ridder needing to just settle down or work on technique. Either way, as the schedule gets tougher, the Bearcats need their signal-caller to be better. 

Oklahoma State has had plenty of talent over the years, but one consistent factor to the program's continued underachievement is its coach. He's won more than 130 games and a Big 12 title with the Cowboys, but in addition to some questionable antics off the field, Gundy's last three teams have not finished better than third in the league. The Cowboys are 3-0 this season, but had trouble beating Tulsa and were less than dominant against West Virginia.

Micah Parsons is still one of the nation's best linebackers (191 total tackles in two seasons) even though he won't be playing in 2020 after remaining committed to his decision on opting out. So, how much does that hinder the Nittany Lions being without their best player overall? In 26 games over the past two seasons, Penn State held eight teams to seven points or fewer and 11 to 10 or less. That kind of dominance had a lot to do with Parsons.

Led by quarterback Sam Howell (520 passing yards, three TDs, three INTs), Carolina has totaled 57 points while starting 2-0. However, coach Mack Brown said this week that he thinks his offense is putting too much pressure on itself as a whole. Howell was picked off twice during a season-opening win over Syracuse and the Tar Heels have committed 19 penalties in two games. Perhaps a case of trying to "do too much." Brown's been around a while, so it's wise to listen to what he believes.

We're not saying the Hurricanes don't have any. Instead, it's about keeping it as the ACC schedule gets tougher. That will certainly be the case this weekend against No. 1 Clemson. From what we've seen of Miami thus far, is that it's been collectively balance and is playing with confidence. The key will be if they can maintain that type of focus. If not, one bad moment or result and things can go south in a hurry.

The Buckeyes have a Heisman Trophy candidate in Justin Fields (3,273 passing yards, 41 TDs, three INTs, 10 rushing TDs) and after all their collective whining to play football this fall, are motivated to challenge for a national championship. That's expected, but keep in mind, fellow contenders Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Notre Dame are already playing and in game shape. By December, those teams will be seasoned for a lack of a better term. How much catching up Ohio State has to do remains to be seen. 

Another squad that's been hampered by the coronavirus. The Irish have already had one game postponed due to COVID-19. Will there be anymore? For Notre Dame's sake, of course, no. The Irish are 2-0, but will return to action this weekend for the first time since Sept. 19. Notre Dame might be a serious national championship contender but it needs to find a rhythm both on and off the field. That means taking care of its collective self, first.

The Gators are 2-0, but they've also allowed 59 points against Mississippi and South Carolina. One early reported area of concern that's been pronounced has been Florida's poor tackling. Is it a matter of technique, being out of position or just plain laziness? We're sure the Gators' staff is looking at all three and expecting improvement for this weekend's clash at Texas A&M.

The Bulldogs have outscored their first two opponents 64-16. That's part of the good news. The bad. Georgia did so despite being flagged for 20 penalties that were accepted. A total of 12 of those penalties came during a 37-10 win over Arkansas to open the season. Now, it's early and teams are shaking off the rust. But in the ultra-competitive world of the SEC, teams like Georgia can't afford to hurt themselves.

It's two games into the season, so are we kind of nitpicking at Nick Saban's team? Perhaps, but the focus on the Crimson Tide here is on their running game. Najee Harris rushed for 1,224 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, but he has 141 and five TDs in 2020. Now, Alabama has been up in both games and played a lot of people, but it's also averaging 3.4 yards per carry through those two contests. Something to keep an eye on going forward.

At this point, it seems the only team that can beat Clemson is Clemson itself. Now, that would be a fun fantasy matchup. We know the Tigers are the best team in the country, Better than Alabama, Georgia and perhaps Ohio State, which, as already mentioned, will be playing for behind in terms of the national title race. As long as the Tigers don't implode and completely breakdown, they are certainly riding high and on path to a national championship.