OK. I’ll eat crow.

LSU is far and away a better team than I gave them credit for. More specifically, LSU’s offense is on a completely different level than I expected. Even more specifically, quarterback Joe Burrow has put up Heisman Trophy-winning numbers so far this season, and it’s currently sitting atop my list for candidates who most deserve the award.

Burrow was 31-of-39 for 471 yards (sheesh!) and four touchdowns with one interception. Mama mia, those are some thick numbers. Then, not one, not two, but three different Tiger wide receivers had 120 or more receiving yards. That is bonkers, folks.

The downside to LSU’s high-flying offense is it doesn’t appear the run game is a massive threat like the old Tigers offenses are. Then again, why give it to a running back when your quarterback is slinging it around like he did last Saturday night?

Here’s my new, kneejerk reaction to LSU’s primetime coming out party: The Tigers will win the SEC West. They will beat Auburn, they will beat Alabama and they will beat Texas A&M, and meet Georgia in the SEC Championship game. I was impressed with how calm and composed LSU looked through every single minute its game against Texas. Play calling was aggressive. Players executed under pressure. Those points alone will continue to take them a long, long way.

A few other notes from last Saturday’s slate of games:

My, oh my, Maryland (2-0)! Welcome to the show, you turtle boys! The Terrapins took No. 21 ranked Syracuse behind the woodshed in a 63-20 beat down. Suddenly this doesn’t look like such an easy win for some Big 10 East teams.

You’re up next, USC (2-0). We all thought it was going to be a train wreck of a season for coach Clay Helton and his Trojans after first string quarterback J.T. Daniels tore his ACL. Enter true freshman QB Kedon Slovis and his insane state line against Stanford Saturday night: 28-of-33 for 377 yards and no interceptions, a school record. USC is suddenly a contender in the Pac 12 South, I think. They still have Washington, Notre Dame, Colorado and Oregon on the schedule ahead, though.

Tennessee… I just… I can’t… how did…? Moving on…

Who would’ve thought a Mack Brown-coached North Carolina team would be 2-0 with wins over South Carolina and Miami. What in the world? It just goes to show what an experienced coach can do to a program in a short time span. Other than Clemson On Sept. 28, do the Tarheels have a realistic shot at winning out? If Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Duke and Virginia don’t buckle their chin straps, they honestly might.