The Palm Tree POV

PalmTree POV: Week 1 swung like a palm in a gust. Here’s your breezy Week 2 check-in: the injuries that actually move lines, the trade chatter that’s worth your time, and a quick Power Board so you know who’s surfing at the top.

Injuries That Change Sundays

49ers: Brock Purdy is a long shot for Sunday (toe + shoulder), and the team is preparing for Mac Jones to start. George Kittle hit short-term IR (min. four games). Jauan Jennings is day-to-day. Translation: point-guard plan, YAC, red-zone targets tilt to WRs/RBs.

Chiefs: Xavier Worthy dislocated his shoulder in Week 1—no surgery, no IR. KC must manufacture a horizontal threat; expect more motion and some Travis-at-X looks.

Falcons: Drake London’s shoulder sprain looks manageable—if active, their condensed-splits + PA intermediate game stays intact.

Packers: Christian Watson on reserve/PUP (ACL) at least four games; team extended him one year. Short term: Jayden Reed + Romeo Doubs + TE usage.

Fantasy Ripples

• SF: With Kittle out/Purdy iffy, Ricky Pearsall schemed touches rise; red-zone looks to RB/WR crossers.
• KC: More two-TE + motion; Kelce short-area volume holds.
• ATL: If London limited, Bijan/checkdowns + TE sit routes bump.
• GB: Reed steady slot volume; Doubs boundary finisher while Watson rehabs.

Trade Buzz (Real vs. Noise)

Front offices are canvassing. There’s chatter around Tyreek Hill, but Miami isn’t engaging right now—due diligence season. Tangible move: Kendrick Bourne back to San Francisco on a one-year deal to bolster depth.

Power Board (Week 2 Snapshot)

1. Bills — comeback chops + explosives.
2. Eagles — trenches travel.
3. Ravens — one-point classic doesn’t dent ceiling.
4. Packers — fast D, efficient O.
5. Chiefs — shaky opener, sturdy structure.

Movers: Lions slide after Lambeau; Rams sneak toward top-10 on late stops.

Quick Takes I’m Planting in the Sand

• 49ers can tread water with YAC-centric plan; Saints test third-down creation sans Kittle.
• Chiefs must fake the horizontal until Worthy heals.
• Falcons with functional London = different spacing problem—watch the first scripted 15.
• Packers are fine with Reed/Doubs; the defense is the headliner.

PalmTree POV: Week 2 felt like the ocean flipping—calm one second, riptide the next. We got two-minute heroics in primetime, a handful of “wait, who’s the QB now?” moments, and a power picture that already shifted under our feet. Paddle out.

The Injury Surf Report

Bengals: Joe Burrow suffered a significant turf-toe injury and is headed for surgery, out roughly three months. Cincy’s 2–0, but it’s Jake Browning’s boat to steady for a while.

Commanders: Jayden Daniels came out of Thursday night with a knee sprain. Day-to-day is the label; his burst is their cheat code.

Vikings: J.J. McCarthy has a high-ankle sprain and is unlikely for Week 3. That’s weeks, not days.

Jets: Justin Fields exited with a concussion in a 30–10 loss to Buffalo. Team’s prepping a Tyrod Taylor contingency.

Chargers: Khalil Mack left MNF with a nasty elbow injury and went for imaging. L.A. still closed out the Raiders.

Side splash: Sean McVay says he tore his plantar fascia during the Rams’ win. Even the coaches made the injury report this week.

Trending Ripples

Baker’s late-game moxie: Tampa Bay is 2–0 after another last-minute drive. Rachaad White punched home the winner, but it was Baker’s fourth-and-10 scramble that lit the fuse.

Chiefs start 0–2: Lost the opener to the Chargers in São Paulo, then fell 20–17 to the Eagles at Arrowhead. The offense looks human, the margins are thin, and the “tush-push” discourse is back on your timelines.

West vibes: Out in the NFC West, the Rams, 49ers, and Cardinals are all 2–0, which is not how most September bingo cards were filled out.

Power Board (after Week 2)

1. Eagles — Grown-up football in a street fight. The trenches travel.
2. Bills — Nose bloodied, run game loud. That’s a new lever, and it’s scary.
3. 49ers — Mac Jones kept the machine humming; Shanahan’s sequencing still a cheat code.
4. Packers — Fast defense, efficient offense, clean operation. January DNA.
5. Chargers — 2–0 with structure; Mack’s elbow is the wobble to watch.
6. Rams — Organized, explosive enough, and annoying to tackle. Passing the smell test.
7. Buccaneers — Baker time, two weeks running; defense makes one score feel like two.
8. Bengals — 2–0 but recalculating. Browning’s job: keep the boat upright till Burrow’s back.
9. Cardinals — Scrappy and 2–0; finish games and the narrative flips fast.
10. Ravens — One-possession weirdness aside, the ceiling is right there.
11. Lions — Offense hums; situational D is the lever.
12. Seahawks — Arrow up after a physical win; speed shows on tape.

Film Notes I’m Planting in the Sand

• Tampa Bay’s closing menu is repeatable—angle screens to backs, isolation outs to Evans, and Baker’s legs as the emergency exit.
• San Francisco in the red zone is back to the hits: motion for leverage, then the crosser into daylight.
• Buffalo’s run identity changes the math. If they can salt wins without airing it out, January looks different.
• Chargers’ D communicated at every handoff/crosser. If they patch edge rush without Mack, that unit graduates from “promising” to “problem.”

The September Math

Two weeks in, nobody’s hanging a banner. But the teams with clean mechanics—efficient first-down offense, red-zone answers, and special teams that don’t set fires—are already separating. The rest are chasing health and identity. It’s a marathon, but today’s details are tomorrow’s seeds.

Through two weeks, the 2–0 crowd includes: Eagles, Bills, 49ers, Packers, Rams, Chargers, Cardinals, Bengals, Buccaneers, Colts. That’s a sturdy pier to launch from; Week 3 will test who can surf in heavier water.

PalmTree POV: The league finally hit that sweet, salty balance—no undefeated teams left, and the tide is moving fast. Week 5 gave us signature wins, stomach-drop losses, and enough injury news to scramble fantasy lineups from Honolulu to Hialeah. Let’s ride the rip current.

Headliners: Statement Sundays

Jacksonville outlasted Kansas City in a thriller, the kind of finish that flips national panels and locker-room belief. Elsewhere, Detroit and Philadelphia flexed line-of-scrimmage control, while Buffalo looked winter-ready when it leaned on a grown-up run plan. October football is about repeatable answers—those three have them.

Injury Gravity (Team & Fantasy Ripples)

• Colts K Spencer Shrader (ACL/MCL, IR): A points machine sidelined for the year; Indy signed Michael Badgley. Real-world impact on close-game calculus; fantasy streamers pivot accordingly.
• Chargers OLB Khalil Mack (elbow, IR): L.A. loses an edge hammer for multiple weeks. Expect more simulated pressure and games up front until he’s back.
• Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy (high ankle): Missed a third straight start. Offense skews quick-game and YAC until he’s right.
• Commanders QB Jayden Daniels (knee): Cleared and back in Week 5—restores the scramble/option stress that unlocks their chunk plays.
• Jets QB Justin Fields (concussion → cleared): Playing again; volatility stays baked in (sacks vs. late-game fireworks).

PalmTree Power Board (Top 10 vibe check after Week 5)

1. Lions — Physical, balanced, efficient. The tape matches the record.
2. Eagles — Trench bullies with explosives in reserve.
3. Bills — Run identity + defense trending sticky. January DNA.
4. Buccaneers — Crunch-time Baker + stingy D = credible ceiling.
5. Colts — Multiple dominant wins; roster speed everywhere.
6. 49ers — Red-zone sequencing remains a clinic.
7. Packers — Fast defense, low-error offense. Grown-up football.
8. Rams — Organized and annoying to tackle, weekly.
9. Jaguars — Arrow up after KC; defense tilting fields late.
10. Seahawks — Speed pops; if run fits hold, they climb.

Film Notes I’m Planting in the Sand

• Detroit wins early downs with duo/gap, setting up play-action dig city.
• San Francisco still steals leverage with motion; crossers are free money.
• Buffalo looks calmer with a patient ground game; everything else gets easier.
• Green Bay closes from depth—third-and-6 feels like third-and-9.

Fantasy Fast Break

• Colts: No Shrader lowers ceiling for fringe starters in low-total games; Badgley streams if you chase volume.
• Chargers: Mack out nudges shootout odds; WR/RB receiving bumps in catch-up scripts.
• Commanders: Daniels’ return boosts RB/TE efficiency via scramble rules.
• Vikings: PPR stability for WRs; deep shots limited until McCarthy’s ankle turns.
• Jets: Fields volatility = RB floor via checkdowns; WR ceilings tied to pressure answers.

Bottom Line

No unbeatens, no hiding. The clean teams—first-down efficiency, special teams that don’t start fires—are separating. Everyone else is chasing health and identity. October is where pretenders stop flashing and contenders start finishing.

PalmTree POV: Week 1 swung like a palm in a gust. Here’s your breezy Week 2 check-in: the injuries that actually move lines, the trade chatter that’s worth your time, and a quick Power Board so you know who’s surfing at the top.

Injuries That Change Sundays

49ers: Brock Purdy is a long shot for Sunday (toe + shoulder), and the team is preparing for Mac Jones to start. George Kittle hit short-term IR (min. four games). Jauan Jennings is day-to-day. Translation: point-guard plan, YAC, red-zone targets tilt to WRs/RBs.

Chiefs: Xavier Worthy dislocated his shoulder in Week 1—no surgery, no IR. KC must manufacture a horizontal threat; expect more motion and some Travis-at-X looks.

Falcons: Drake London’s shoulder sprain looks manageable—if active, their condensed-splits + PA intermediate game stays intact.

Packers: Christian Watson on reserve/PUP (ACL) at least four games; team extended him one year. Short term: Jayden Reed + Romeo Doubs + TE usage.

Fantasy Ripples

• SF: With Kittle out/Purdy iffy, Ricky Pearsall schemed touches rise; red-zone looks to RB/WR crossers.
• KC: More two-TE + motion; Kelce short-area volume holds.
• ATL: If London limited, Bijan/checkdowns + TE sit routes bump.
• GB: Reed steady slot volume; Doubs boundary finisher while Watson rehabs.

Trade Buzz (Real vs. Noise)

Front offices are canvassing. There’s chatter around Tyreek Hill, but Miami isn’t engaging right now—due diligence season. Tangible move: Kendrick Bourne back to San Francisco on a one-year deal to bolster depth.

Power Board (Week 2 Snapshot)

1. Bills — comeback chops + explosives.
2. Eagles — trenches travel.
3. Ravens — one-point classic doesn’t dent ceiling.
4. Packers — fast D, efficient O.
5. Chiefs — shaky opener, sturdy structure.

Movers: Lions slide after Lambeau; Rams sneak toward top-10 on late stops.

Quick Takes I’m Planting in the Sand

• 49ers can tread water with YAC-centric plan; Saints test third-down creation sans Kittle.
• Chiefs must fake the horizontal until Worthy heals.
• Falcons with functional London = different spacing problem—watch the first scripted 15.
• Packers are fine with Reed/Doubs; the defense is the headliner.

Bookmark this spot—injury notes and the Board will refresh as the week settles. Easy breezy 🌴

PalmTree POV: Week 2 delivered chaos, controversy, and a Coug comeback. Let’s run it down.

The biggest “what just happened” moment came in the final minutes of Florida vs USF, when a Florida defender spit on a USF player—turning a 4th down stop into a first down. That boneheaded move flipped the game, and USF capitalized, punching in the go-ahead score. They move to 2–0, and honestly? With that performance and some key losses ahead of them, USF deserves to crack the Top 25.

Marquee teams held their ground, but not without sweat. Georgia looked beatable for the first half. Michigan lost to a feisty Oklahoma team. Ohio State and Texas looked the most complete—balanced, efficient, and deep on both sides of the ball.

And in Pullman? WSU showed out for homecoming. The Cougs knocked off San Diego State in a win that felt steady and composed. SDSU joins the Pac-12 next year, but this one was all crimson and gray. Jimmy Rogers, in just his second game as head coach, had the team looking locked in on both sides of the ball. There’s still the classic Coug weirdness lurking—but this time, they didn’t Coug it. That alone is progress.

Bottom line: The SEC is still catching its breath. The ACC keeps climbing. And Wazzu? Quietly making noise.

College Football • Week 2

PalmTree POV: Two weeks in and the board already shifted. The ACC stacked résumé wins (Florida State, Miami, Georgia Tech punching above the logo), while the SEC took a couple dents on big stages. Nobody gets crowned in September—but positioning matters, especially with the new bracket.

Quick refresher — 12-team CFP (2025 “straight seeding”)

• Top 4 teams in the final CFP rankings get first-round byes (conference title not required).
• Five highest-ranked conference champions are automatic qualifiers; seven at-large teams fill the field.
• First round on campus: 5 vs 12, 6 vs 11, 7 vs 10, 8 vs 9 at the higher seed.
• Quarterfinals & semifinals at New Year’s Six bowls; championship at a neutral site.

Positioning right now (vibes + résumé)

Bye-trackers: If the season froze today, the cleanest bye lanes look like Florida State (ACC), a Big Ten bully (Ohio State or Michigan), a steadied SEC champ, and a Big 12 winner that survives conference turbulence.

Home-game sweet spot: Seeds 5–8 are gold—host a campus game, dodge the top dog until quarters. Think Miami, Oklahoma, and a dialed-in Georgia if they keep stacking wins.

Overranked (poke the bear)

• Alabama — brand weight & defense travel, but the passing rhythm isn’t weekly-proof yet.
• Texas — front seven legit; offense clunky vs elite speed. Poll love feels predictive, not earned.
• Clemson — top-tier D, but the explosive plays aren’t there. Top-10 number, top-15 tape.

Underranked (buy the dip)

• Florida State — trench maturity + QB legs; that’s a bye-seed profile.
• Miami — complementary ball (edge rush + situational throws). Feels more top-10 than fringe.
• Georgia Tech — explosives + late-game poise; the resume is louder than the logo.
• Washington State — 2–0 is 2–0; clean up the self-inflicted stuff and campus-host chatter isn’t crazy.

Bottom line: With straight seeding, September is about accumulating proof. Win your league and you’re chasing a bye; miss it and the best life is a December home game. Keep the receipts—November tiebreakers love teams who scheduled brave and finished tight games.

PalmTree POV: Three Saturdays in, the board’s taking shape. The Big Ten’s wearing the crown at the very top, the ACC has a real pulse, and the SEC looks deep but not invincible. Let’s surf the whole Top 25 and where the current rips are pulling.

Top Shelf (1–5)

1. Ohio State — Still the pace car: defense travels, explosives show up on demand.

2. Penn State — Grown-man fronts and clean quarterbacking; nothing fluky about it.

3. LSU — The Tigers look balanced in September, which usually means scary by Halloween.

4. Miami — That 49–12 USF steamroll looked like a program finding cruise control.

5. Georgia — Escaped Knoxville in OT; the ceiling’s intact, the margin for error isn’t.

Right on the Wake (6–10)

6. Oregon — Won big on the road and still slid; voters want perfection, not comfort wins.

7. Florida State — Trench maturity + QB legs = November problem for everyone else.

8. Texas — Beat UTEP but drifted a spot; the passing game keeps taking coffee breaks. Arch watch: the arm talent’s real, the week-to-week consistency isn’t yet.

9. Illinois — Businesslike and bullyish; the defense looks like an old Big Ten mixtape.

10. Texas A&M — Walked into South Bend and stole a thriller; first real statement of the Elko era.

The Host-Game Zone (11–18)

11. Oklahoma — Points allowed through three games are tiny; that travels.

12. Iowa State — Quietly stacking wins with grown-up situational football.

13. Ole Miss — Three straight over Arkansas for the first time since the early ’90s; spicy.

14. Alabama — Stabilized after Week 1 wobble; Athens later this month will read the truth.

15. Tennessee — Took Georgia to OT; not a happy loss, but an identity one.

16. Utah — Annual 3–0 start tax: nobody enjoys playing these dudes.

17. Texas Tech — Up again after another 45-piece. Bigger picture: the Red Raiders reportedly built one of the priciest NIL rosters ever—north of $28M this year—and it looks like money well spent. Underrated now, noisy soon.

18. Georgia Tech — Beat Clemson on a 55-yard walk-off; that’s a program-pulse kind of kick.

New Faces & Watch-List (19–25)

19. Indiana — 73–0 is rude in any language; Hoosiers suddenly have a bully streak.

20. Vanderbilt — First 3–0 since 2017; defense turning stops into tempo.

21. Michigan — Not vintage, but the floor stayed high while the offense warms up.

22. Auburn — Defense gives them a road map; Norman next will grade the map.

23. Missouri — Efficient, low-drama wins—no one’s cheering, everyone’s noticing.

24. Notre Dame — Back-to-back losses and somehow still ranked. The helmet carries weight; the finish needs to, too. PalmTree takes have range, but this one’s steady: the Irish are habitually over-credit-scored until they earn the receipts.

25. USC — Edged back into the poll; talent’s not the question—consistency is.

Positioning with the 12-Team Bracket

The bye race (top-four seeds) runs through league titles, sure—but this season’s **straight seeding** rewards clean résumés even more. Right now the byes look most reachable for Ohio State, Penn State, LSU, and one of Miami/Georgia. Seeds 5–8 are the sweet spot: host a campus game, delay the monsters until the quarters; that lane fits Oregon, Florida State, Texas, and the Aggies if the trajectory holds.

Three Quick Spicy Takes

• Notre Dame will keep a number next to its name… for now. Two September slips and a special-teams wobble say the rope’s shorter than usual.
• Texas Tech is the sleeping subwoofer of the Top 25. The NIL investment and Week-to-Week points say volume is coming.
• Arch Manning isn’t broken—just not week-to-week surgical yet. If the cold spells shrink by October, Texas flips from “uneasy 8” to “bye-threat.”

PalmTree POV: September just found the fast lane. We’ve got a ranked fistfight in Salt Lake, an old-school Big Ten mood game in Lincoln, a border grudge in Miami—and the Apple Cup on deck in Pullman. Buckle in.

Spotlight #1 — No. 17 Texas Tech at No. 16 Utah (Sat 9:00 a.m. PT, FOX)

Texas Tech’s mega-build heads on the road to face Utah’s body-blow defense at Rice-Eccles. Books opened with the Utes as a field-goal favorite (~Utah −3.5), a nod to altitude, September discipline, and that front seven. But Tech’s passing game stretches the field horizontally and vertically—exactly the kind of stress that can turn Utah’s third-and-mediums into third-and-longs.

About that NIL buzz: The Red Raiders are widely reported as one of the **most expensive NIL-backed rosters to date**, with public estimates ranging from the high-20s (millions) to north of **$50M**, rivaling the sport’s biggest spenders. Translation: the roster talent is real, and the noise should start sounding like volume.

PalmTree lean: Utah’s defense makes everything muddy, but Tech’s explosives give them the upset path. If the Red Raiders avoid the early false-start avalanche and hit one deep shot per half, they can flip this—and start making the kind of noise the bankroll promised.

Spotlight #2 — No. 22 Auburn at No. 11 Oklahoma (Sat 12:30 p.m. PT, ABC)

Points feel inevitable. Oklahoma’s balance is the tell: when the Sooners run efficiently on early downs, the play-action windows get cartoon-big. Auburn’s defense brings edge speed and red-zone pride; the question is whether the Tigers can keep pace when possessions shorten. Books hover around a touchdown to OU, and that feels right unless Auburn steals an extra series with a takeaway.

Spotlight #3 — No. 21 Michigan at Nebraska (Sat 12:30 p.m. PT, CBS)

A throwback mood game. Nebraska’s tackling and special teams have been grown-up through three weeks; Michigan is favored by a whisper on the road. If the Wolverines stay ahead of the sticks, their defense can squeeze this into a fourth-quarter chokehold. If not, Lincoln gets loud and weird.

Spotlight #4 — Florida at No. 4 Miami (Sat 4:30 p.m. PT, ABC)

GameDay rolled into Coral Gables because this one has stakes and swagger. Miami’s offense is efficient enough to make seven points feel like ten; Florida’s path is a trench game and a couple of explosives over aggressive leverage.

Prime-time curveball — No. 9 Illinois at No. 19 Indiana (Sat 4:30 p.m. PT, NBC)

Not a preseason headliner, very much a September decider. Illinois brings bully ball; Indiana counters with pace and a suddenly nasty defense. Home field makes this a coin flip.

Apple Cup Eve — Washington vs Washington State (Sat 4:30 p.m. PT, CBS)

New-era Apple Cup, same electricity. It’s Pullman in late September with a national window—lean into the chaos. Washington wants space and speed; WSU’s best life is controlled possessions and tackling in space. Whatever you do, bring earplugs; Gesa Field is going to howl.

Quick Hits (for your scroll)

• Lines to know (as of Friday): Utah ~−3.5 vs Texas Tech; Oklahoma ~−6.5 vs Auburn; Michigan ~−2.5 at Nebraska; Miami ~−7.5 vs Florida.
• GameDay: Miami gets the cameras and the conch shell—expect a South Beach soundtrack and some headset steam.
• Style fights: Tech’s vertical shots vs Utah’s leverage; OU tempo vs Auburn edges; Michigan bully downs vs Lincoln noise.

Parting Wave

Week 4 is where preseason myths go to meet field conditions. If Texas Tech really is the sport’s loudest roster build, this is the night the speakers rattle. If Utah drags them into the mud and wins on third down, well—that’s why Rice-Eccles keeps a scoreboard and not a spreadsheet.

PalmTree POV: Week 4 turned the rankings board into a wave pool—big splashes at the top, riptides in the middle, and a couple of brands getting tugged under. Let’s surf the movement, the statement wins, and the moment everyone’s talking about: the end-zone stare-down in burnt orange.

Who Rose, Who Sank (and Why It Matters)

Miami to No. 2: The ‘Canes didn’t just beat Florida—they put the Gators in a scoring box and tossed the key into Biscayne Bay. Pollsters rewarded resume + defense, bumping Miami behind only Ohio State. January seeds start getting planted now, and Miami just tilled the soil.

Oklahoma’s top-10 reentry: The Sooners white-knuckled a 24–17 win over Auburn with a late safety—more grit than glamour, but it travels. The jump into single digits says voters believe in the edges and the pass rush.

Indiana’s slingshot, Illinois’ floor drop: The Hoosiers detonated a ranked Illinois by 53, catapulting into the teens just outside the top ten, while the Illini performed the week’s steepest slide. That’s not noise; that’s a re-rating.

Texas Tech keeps receipts: Road, altitude, Rice-Eccles… didn’t matter. A 34–10 statement over Utah vaulted the Red Raiders into the low teens and shoved the Utes out of the poll. The roster that’s been loudly built is now loudly playing.

Clemson… again

The Tigers took another one on the chin—this time at home to Syracuse—dropping to 1–3 in the worst September of the Swinney era. The tape looked like a team pressing: penalties at bad times, momentum plays surrendered, and a visitor that refused to blink. Clemson moved the ball, but the moments belonged to the Orange. There’s time to steady, but the margin is thin.

Trend Watch: Teams With Volume

• Miami: Efficient offense plus a top-shelf defense is a January scent. The climb to No. 2 wasn’t charity; it was earned against Power opposition.
• Oklahoma: Sack party vs. Auburn. When the front wins first down, the Sooners look like a playoff seed impersonating a September team.
• Indiana: Tempo, explosives, and suddenly scary. The calendar gets mean quickly—but styles like this don’t go out of season.
• Texas Tech: First 4–0 since 2013, and they just dropped a lopsided road W on a ranked defense. The “can they do it in a fistfight?” box just got a checkmark.
• Washington: Apple Cup wasn’t a rivalry; it was a reclamation. The Huskies hit cruise and never looked back.

Arch, the Stare-Down, and the Line Between Swagger & Silly

Yes, Arch Manning stood over a defender after a rushing TD and gave the end zone a stare that lit up the internet. He wasn’t flagged, but he did admit Mom wasn’t thrilled—and honestly, that’s the right compass. The context: he’d been booed in Austin a week earlier after a brutal passing stretch, then responded with a near-perfect night against Sam Houston (five total TDs).

PalmTree read: compete hot, act cool. The taunt was minor-league stuff compared to, say, the UAB defender who literally stomped on Tennessee’s kicker’s foot—an easy-penalty moment that had even neutral fans cringing. But if you flash that energy, you invite receipts. SEC play will test whether Arch’s swagger is fuel or a fuse.

Week 4’s Defining Results (Story > Score)

Miami 26, Florida 7: That’s a talent gap on defense and a maturity gap on offense. It looks repeatable.

Oklahoma 24, Auburn 17: A safety as the dagger—on brand for a team winning with fronts first.

Indiana 63, Illinois 10: When you rewrite record books, voters rewrite your ranking. Statement, underlined.

Texas Tech 34, Utah 10: Backup QB sparks it, defense closes it. Four-and-oh with road credibility sells everywhere.

Washington 59, Washington State 24: Rivalry pressure cooked into precision. That’s program posture, not a one-off.

Syracuse 34, Clemson 21: Aggressive decisions early, turnovers forced late. Road win with bite.

Stock Notes Heading to Week 5

• Rising: Miami (defense travels), Oklahoma (pass rush), Indiana (explosives), Texas Tech (complete win profile).
• Holding: Oregon, LSU, Georgia—composed, waiting for bigger proofs next weekend.
• Falling: Illinois (reset needed), Utah (out of the poll), Clemson (searching for a pulse).

Bottom Line

September lies with a straight face, but Week 4 delivered some truth serum. The teams with third-down plans and special teams that don’t light matches are already separating. File it, fold it, and carry it into conference play—this is where resumes become roots.

PalmTree POV: Sun’s out, alarms blaring. Washington State just ate 59 in consecutive weeks—first at North Texas, then in the Apple Cup. When you hire a defense-first head coach and your defense springs a leak like this, it’s not just a bad day at the beach. It’s a rip current.

Two Saturdays, 118 Points

The numbers aren’t polite. In Denton, the Cougs were undone by turnovers and short fields; in Pullman a week later, Washington scored early, scored late, and basically scored at will. The offense flashed in spots, but the story was the same: missed tackles, busts in space, and third downs that felt automatic for the other guys. That’s how a season’s mood flips from “new chapter” to “uh-oh” in 120 minutes of football.

Jimmy Rogers’ Jump: FCS King to Pac-12 Reality

Rogers arrived with legitimate hardware—rings and receipts from a defensive powerhouse—plus a staff he trusts. The plan made sense on paper: import the physical DNA, simplify the fits, win with alignment and tackling. Four games in, the execution isn’t matching the brochure. That happens with scheme changes and portal churn, but the worry is the profile: light boxes getting moved, edges set late, perimeter leverage lost. If your calling card is defense, the tape has to testify.

Wulff Vibes (and What’s Different)

Cougar fans of a certain vintage don’t need a history lesson. Paul Wulff’s first year was a weekly truck pull against ranked grown-ups—four separate 60-burgers and a season that re-wrote the wrong kind of records. The echo now is the feeling: games gone by halftime, moral victories measured in first downs. The differences? This roster has more transfer-era flexibility, and the head coach arrives with a recent championship pedigree. But early trends—big margins, defensive identity still in customs—are stirring that old queasiness.

Is a Year-1 Pink Slip a Thing?

Historically? Rare. It happens, and not just at small programs—when the fit clearly isn’t there, schools have cut bait fast. But it’s usually the product of a total collapse or off-field shock. That’s why the next month matters: a clear defensive rally (even without a perfect win-loss line) cools the temperature; more track-meets-against-ourselves keeps it boiling.

What “Competent” Looks Like—Right Now

• Trim the explosives: Force long drives. Make opponents stack first downs, not highlights.
• Simplify the edges: Set force/contain first, chase second. The fastest way to calm a defense is clean perimeter rules.
• Offense as bodyguard: Pace with purpose. Live in 2nd-and-manageable, lean on the easy throws, steal a possession each half.
• Portal honesty: If a spot room can’t survive conference play, admit it early and accelerate fixes post-season.

Program Posture Check

Washington State can’t afford a long wander. The conference map is redrawn; every decision is amplified. If this staff can flip the defensive film by Halloween—tackling up, explosives down, third-down fight—then the early bruises become context. If not, the comparisons you’re whispering turn into the search you’re suggesting.

Bottom Line

It’s fair to remember Wulff and still give Rogers a chance. It’s also fair to demand proof now. Back-to-back 59s are more than a bad vibe; they’re a diagnosis. Either the next month shows a plan taking root—or WSU’s leadership, fresh from a track record of making big calls, will have one to make.

PalmTree POV: September finally dropped its truth bombs. Oregon won a top-10 street fight in double OT, Alabama ended a dynasty streak in Athens, and the AP board reshuffled like a deck at last call. Let’s ride the wave—top to bottom—before October’s currents pull everything again.

The Headline Wave — Ducks fly to No. 2

Oregon walked into Happy Valley and left with the kind of win you keep in a glass case: a double-overtime takedown of Penn State. The Ducks got big-boy stops when it mattered and leaned on playmakers late—enough to jump to No. 2 behind Ohio State (which handled its road test at Washington). Credibility, stamped.

Top 10 Vibe Check

1) Ohio State — 2) Oregon — 3) Miami — 4) Ole Miss — 5) Oklahoma — 6) Texas A&M — 7) Penn State — 8) Indiana — 9) Texas — 10) Alabama.

Read those last two again. The Tide blasted back into the top ten after a statement in Athens, while Texas kept things steady in a weekend where “steady” counted as style points. Miami slipped a spot during a bye (poll math is cold). Ole Miss threw an anvil through the ceiling with a nine-spot leap after beating LSU. Penn State is still very real—but the loss nudged them into the chaser’s lane.

Biggest Shock to the System — Alabama at Georgia

In the SEC’s loudest backyard, Alabama snapped Georgia’s long home win streak and reintroduced itself as a playoff adult. The formula felt familiar: trench leverage, timely explosives, and a fourth quarter that suffocated hope. Georgia drops outside the top ten—rare air for the Dawgs in recent years—but still dangerous with everything left to fix on film.

Stock Up (bring sunscreen)

• Oregon: Road grit + late-game answers. If the Ducks keep this mix of defense early and explosives late, January will put out a chair for them.
• Ole Miss: Nine-spot jump after denting LSU’s plans. The offense is spicy; the defense looked tough enough when the script tightened.
• Alabama: A week ago: “Are they back?” This week: “Oh—they’re back.” The front seven and situational throws traveled.
• Indiana: Tempo and explosives are scaling. Pollsters rewarded the results; now October asks if it’s sustainable.
• Virginia (new to the 25): Playing adult football—clean, resilient, opportunistic. Not a cameo if the defense keeps cashing in.

Stock Down (shade required)

• Georgia: First time out of the top ten in ages—late-down problems and too many high-leverage losses in space.
• LSU: Ole Miss made them chase. Still a nightmare opponent, but the margin for error just tightened.
• Florida State: Upset at Virginia sent the ‘Noles sliding. Talent’s there; consistency isn’t.
• USC & TCU: Exit stage left from the poll. September offers no extensions.

11–25 in a Breath

Middle-class matters: A&M’s defense looks weekly; Penn State’s built for a rebound; Indiana’s rise has teeth; Texas stays within striking distance. Downboard, Alabama’s re-entry rearranges January math, Virginia and Arizona State jump in, and a couple of brand names go missing.

PalmTree Takeaways

• Defense travels: Oregon and Alabama just proved it in hostile stadiums. That’s coin you can spend in November.
• Poll math is ruthless: Byes don’t protect you; resumes do. Miami slides one spot without playing—fair or not, that’s the market.
• Playoff picture widens: With multiple top-10 teams losing, seeds 1–8 feel fluid. October’s first two Saturdays are the sorting hat.

Bottom Line

Week 5 was the first true separation Sunday—on a Saturday. Oregon’s win travels. Alabama’s message was loud. Ole Miss put a flare over the SEC. The board is tighter at the top and meaner in the middle. Hydrate, breathe, and meet me back here next week—same palm, bigger waves.

PalmTree POV: The leaves turned and the poll did too. Week 6 served up upsets, tight-rope escapes, and a Top-25 reshuffle that will echo through October. The short of it: some bluebloods blinked, Miami keeps turning heads, and Texas Tech is crashing the velvet rope.

Poll Shock: Heavyweights Tumble

Penn State and Texas both fell out of the AP Top 25—same week, same thud. That’s rare company historically and a jolt to their playoff math. Texas’ slide comes with a side of quarterback scrutiny; Penn State’s is a “prove it on the field” verdict after missed opportunities.

Risers With Teeth

• Miami: Climbing into the national top tier—AP puts the ‘Canes at the sharp end, and several power rankings shove them all the way to No. 1. It’s not smoke when you stack ranked wins.
• Alabama: Methodical rise under Kalen DeBoer—back-to-back pressure games answered with physical control.
• Texas Tech: Highest ranking since 2008, and the tape backs the number: organized on offense, opportunistic on D.

Trend Lines to Trust

• QB Play Matters (duh—but real): Teams stabilizing the pocket are stabilizing their season. The ones swapping signal-callers weekly are leaking wins.
• Defense Travels: October road wins are coming from units that tackle in space and live on third-and-long.
• Explosives Decide It: The teams generating non-gimmick 20+ gains are the ones climbing the bracket boards.

Controversy Corner (aka Engagement Fuel)

Overrated: Programs clinging to preseason shine without the down-to-down efficiency to match—poll inertia won’t last two more Saturdays.

Underrated: The tech in Tech (Lubbock edition). Keep an eye on how they handle November attrition; the profile says they’re for real.

PalmTree Short List: Playoff Posture (today)

• Locks? None. But Miami, Alabama, and a handful of usual suspects are playing like January alumni.
• Work to do: Brands with shiny helmets and leaky third-down defense.
• Chaos agents: The teams with top-10 explosives and top-30 Havoc—schedule landmines for contenders.

Bottom Line

Week 6 tightened the bracket and widened the debate. If you’re building a case, stack ranked wins and win the explosives battle. Everyone else? Enjoy the scenery, because the poll stairs are moving under your feet.

PalmTree POV: In Mississippi, against a legit top-five, WSU hung tough until the fourth—and in the process, found something real. If I’m honest, maybe I didn’t show enough patience with Jimmy Rogers. This looked like a program settling into who it wants to be.

What Looked Different

• Intentional physicality: Set edges, tackled through contact, and didn’t flinch in SEC trench heat.
• Rhythm on offense: A clear run-action + quick-game identity—on time, on schedule, fewer hero-ball snaps.
• Situational poise: Thoughtful third-down calls; took shots when the box was loaded, used outlets when coverage bailed.

Where It Turned

Early fourth quarter: a short field here, a missed tackle there, and one protection leak. That thin margin is the difference on the road versus a top-tier roster. But for three quarters, the plan traveled—and that matters.

Identity Snapshot

• Defense: Fast flow, disciplined fits, cap explosives, make them stack plays.
• Offense: Earned tempo, not forced; stress the flats and seams off the run look; keep the QB in rhythm.
• Special Teams: Field position as a weapon—directional punts and clean coverage tilted series length.

About That Patience

Rogers’ imprint is showing: cleaner operation, complementary ball, and a group that didn’t blink in a hostile spot. If the fourth-quarter details tighten up, this becomes a November problem for opponents.

What’s Next (Action Items)

• Win first down on both sides; keep the call sheet balanced.
• Stay explosive without turnovers—shot plays off run-action when the safeties creep.
• Repeat the tackling standard; keep YAC under control.

Bottom Line

Not a moral victory—an identity one. If WSU stacks this version of itself, the scoreboard will catch up fast.

PalmTree POV: Week 8 hit like a riptide—ranked teams tumbled, résumés popped, and the coaching carousel spun at full speed. Ohio State remains No. 1, but just about everyone else swapped seats. The vibe? Unstable air aloft, fast surf below.

Big Movers, Bigger Statements

Ohio State looked like a program with its feet in wet cement—in a good way—blanking Wisconsin 34–0. Clinical, cold, convincing.

Georgia shrugged off the noise and erased a multi-score deficit to beat Ole Miss 43–35. Championship programs don’t panic; they pace.

Notre Dame outlasted USC 34–24 in a grind that felt like January air—thin and mean.

Vanderbilt made the week’s loudest “we’re real” noise—upsetting LSU 31–24 and rocketing into the top 10.

Georgia Tech handled Duke 27–18 and joined the big-boy table as a climber that travels.

Arizona State clipped previously unbeaten Texas Tech 26–22. Still dangerous, still fun—but November just got tighter.

Stock Notes (Beach Towel Edition)

• Up: Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, Oregon (56–10 over Rutgers).
• Steady: Ohio State, Alabama, Texas (Bama bullied Tennessee 37–20).
• Down: Ole Miss, Miami — defensive wobble late and a nick from Louisville.
• Reality Check: Texas Tech — the profile still plays; margin shrinks.

Carousel Watch: Pink Slips & Pivot Points

• Florida fired Billy Napier (22–23).
• Penn State moved on from James Franklin (buyout significant).
• Oregon State dismissed Trent Bray; Robb Akey interim.
• UCLA relieved DeShaun Foster; Tim Skipper interim.
• Virginia Tech fired Brent Pry; Philip Montgomery interim.
• Colorado State let go of Jay Norvell.

Shaping the Bracket (12-Team Lens)

Seeds 5–8 are the sweet spot—host a campus game and dodge the No. 1 until quarters. Ohio State is the pace car; Alabama/Georgia are building November helmets; Vandy/GT can claim that 5–8 lane if they stack Ws.

Three Things I’m Planting in the Sand

1. Defense still travels. Shutouts and second-half clamps will decide January.
2. Depth beats buzz. Notre Dame/Texas won with answers, not fireworks.
3. The carousel cuts both ways. A few ADs will look smart by Thanksgiving; a few won’t.

Bottom line: Week 8 was a stress test. Teams with identities got clearer; the splash-only crews got exposed.

There’s a certain kind of delusion that only big brands in college football can pull off.

Penn State fired James Franklin — a coach with:
• Six 10-win seasons
• A Big Ten title
• A College Football Playoff semifinal berth
• Second-most wins in school history

Realistically, probably the best version of Penn State you can be in the modern era.

But the Nittany Lions convinced themselves they were above that.
“We can do better.”

Except the coaching market didn’t exactly validate that ego.

Kalani Sitake politely declined.
Jeff Brohm stayed put.
Matt Rhule signed an extension.
Eli Drinkwitz and Clark Lea also said no thanks.

Penn State didn’t choose Matt Campbell — they landed on him.

Campbell is a good coach. He built Iowa State into its most competitive era ever.

But here’s the kicker:
Within five hours of Campbell leaving for Penn State...

Iowa State hired Washington State’s Jimmy Rogers.

So now the real question:

Did Penn State upgrade?
Or did they fire a good coach, get publicly rejected,
and wind up roughly where they started?

Sometimes athletic departments think they’re still living in the Joe Paterno era — when in reality,
nobody fears Penn State anymore.

It feels less like a power move and more like a visible humbling.

And as a WSU guy watching my coach get poached in the crossfire?
Yeah — I noticed.

Congratulations, Big Ten heavyweights.
You might’ve gotten louder.
Iowa State got smarter.
And the coaching carousel keeps spinning.
But Penn State’s aura just took a dent.