Avery Johnson Faces Big Test as CFB Pressure Mounts

We saw it happen last week, for example, with Florida. One minute they’re looking like a team that could navigate a tough schedule, playing well against some pretty good competition. The next, a stunning upset loss leaves head coach Billy Napier right back on that proverbial hot seat. As one report noted, it happened in a heartbeat, and now they’re staring down a gauntlet of top-ranked opponents. It makes you wonder how teams will respond when that early cushion is gone, and the margin for error shrinks to almost nothing. This kind of unexpected twist is precisely what makes college football so unpredictable, and honestly, so fun to follow.
It’s not just Florida, though. Teams like Clemson and Georgia, preseason darlings, have shown moments where they haven’t quite looked like themselves, despite their talent. The question hovering over them, and many others, is whether they can find that championship-level gear when it truly matters. Will we see them flip the switch and start playing the dominant football we expected, or will these early stumbles prove to be more indicative of what’s to come? As we head into another exciting weekend of matchups, especially with games featuring teams like LSU and Tennessee, it’s clear that the narrative for many of these programs is still very much unwritten.
And then there are the young quarterbacks, like Avery Johnson at Kansas State, who are still finding their footing. It’s a tough ask for these guys to step into such a demanding role, especially when the team around them isn't firing on all cylinders. You see glimpses of potential, but consistency is the real challenge. As one analysis pointed out, even with a decent quarterback, if opponents are consistently making big plays against you, it’s an uphill battle. It’s going to be fascinating to see how these young talents develop and how their teams adapt as the season progresses.
So, as the leaves start to turn and the air gets crisper, what are we really looking for this weekend? Are we hoping for dominant performances from the usual suspects, or are we secretly rooting for another dose of the kind of chaos that makes college football so endearing?