Forde-Yard Dash: Who got it done in Week 1 and who needs to improve (quickly)
Ed Oliver (16), Houston. Tom Herman’s first recruiting coup in H-Town paid immediate dividends. The freakishly athletic, 290-pound defensive lineman was all over the place, recording five solo tackles, two assists and two sacks. He’s a five-star guy who turned down, among others, the team he disrupted Saturday, Oklahoma.
Top dog is, rather obviously, Alabama (21). Not because of last year, but because of the seal clubbing administered to USC. Because The Dash is not a slave to preseason rankings or brand names, Houston (22) is No. 2. Give the third spot to Florida State (23), which was all sorts of sloppy and spotted the Rebels a 22-point lead before roaring back and winning by double digits. And fourth is Clemson (24), which went on the road in the SEC at night and came away with a close victory over Auburn.