WEEK 2 CFB INFO

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Situations to Watch

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With only 12 chances to capture winning and losing streaks throughout the college season, it behooves the shrewd handicapper to identify as many emerging team trends (both good and bad) as early as possible. Which means trying to latch onto those inevitable winning and losing skeins from the beginning of the campaign. Admittedly, impressions from first-week action are sometimes deceiving...but sometimes they're not. With that in mind, following are some possible "go with" and "go against" situations we're watching closely.

Army (potential go-with)...It's a bit premature to overreact to reports that West Point might have hit the bulls-eye with new coaching hire Rich Ellerson. Then again, maybe it's not. Sources who watched Ellerson's Cal Poly teams punch above their weight were not surprised at how crisp the Black Knights of the Hudson looked in their opening-week win at Eastern Michigan. Army's option ran as efficiently as it did when Ellerson was an assistant at the academy in the '90s, with QB Trent Steelman efficiently piloting a ground attack that gobbled 300 YR in the 27-14 win vs. EMU. RBs Patrick Mealy and Kingsley Ehie (for what it's worth, Army is the only program we ever recall with more than one "Kingsley" on its al-time roster; remember Kingsley Fink, a QB for West Point in the early '70s?) combined for 179 YR as Ellerson became the first West Point HC to win his opener since Bob Sutton in 1991.


Buffalo (potential go-with)...We wonder if we're too late to the party regarding the Bulls, who surprisingly emerged last season as MAC champions for shrewd HC Turner Gill. But with QB Drew Willy graduated and top RB James Starks lost for the season with injury, few believed Buffalo could prick up where it left off a year ago. And maybe the Bulls won't get back to the MAC title game, but they looked good as ever last Saturday at the Sun Bowl vs. UTEP, out-executing the favored Miners en route to a 23-17 upset win. New starting QB Zach Maynard was efficient at the Sun Bowl, while RBs Brandon Thermilius & Mario Henry filled in admirably for Starks. Another winning season from the Bulls, and it will be even harder for the school to keep the impressive Gill in the fold.

Miami-Ohio (potential go-against)...The RedHawks really faded during the latter stages of Shane Montgomery's failed regime, sinking to non-competitive status by the time he was humanely dismissed following last season's 2-10 mess at Yager Stadium. And we're not sure new HC Mike Haywood is going to rock the "Cradle of Coaches" in the near future, either. The talent base eroded under Montgomery to the point Haywood inherited few impact performers on offense or defense. Moreover, beleaguered sr. Daniel Raudabaugh is the only experienced QB option Haywood has to lead the popgun attack. Some MAC sources have also openly questioned Haywood's desire to install a "smashmouth" offensive philosophy at Miami; although media sorts like to buy into that sort of b.s., more informed observers believe Haywood would be better served to implement a more creative and diverse attack similar to what Turner Gill has made work in Buffalo. Based upon results in the opener vs. Kentucky, Haywood doesn't have the sort of material to implement his style, and might be a couple of recruiting classes away from getting the RedHawks into position to contend again in the MAC.

New Mexico (potential go-against)...Say what you want about former HC Rocky Long, but at least his radical defensive schemes provided an identity for the Lobos, something New Mexico fans are wondering their team might lack under new HC Mike Locksley. More than a few MWC observers questioned Locksley's hiring, reckoning that he had virtually no experience west of the Mississippi River, and wondering if his recent accomplishments as the o.c. at Illinois were all that impressive. Locksley also didn't get off on the right foot in Albuquerque when getting hit with a harassment suit by a athletic department employee, then proceeded to gut the Long influence, bringing in a new d.c., Doug Mallory, who was effectively chased out of LSU last season and immediately junked Long's pet 3-3-5 for a more-traditional 4-3 look. All that "new" Mallory defense did was make Texas A&M QB Jerrod Johnson look like Colt McCoy as the Aggies rolled up 606 yards of offense in A&M's 41-6 opening night romp at College Station. Meanwhile, holdover QB Donovan Porterie looks an ill-fit for Locksley version of the spread, which was helped in Champaign-Urbana by Juice Willaims' escapability (of which the slow-footed Porterie, especially after knee problems, lacks).

New Mexico State (potential go-against)...Like Haywood at Miami-Ohio, new NMSU coach DeWayne Walker talked tough in the offseason, stressing the Aggies' new emphasis on a physical ground presence. WAC observers, however, are quick to remind that it's going to be difficult to recruit the sort of manpower to Las Cruces to make that style of offensive football work. Perhaps Walker's new, more-physical offense will eventually begin to dominate, but gaining just a tick over 3 ypc in the opener vs. Idaho's soft rush defense is an indicator of how far Walker's plan has to go before it works. By the way, NMSU lost to the Vandals, 21-6, hardly the sort of debut Aggie fans were expecting in Las Cruces.

North Texas (potential go-with)...The Mean Green has been down for so long that we hardly remember UNT's Sun Belt titles and New Orleans Bowl trips that were a regular occurrence earlier in the decade. But after a couple of desolate seasons under HC Todd Dodge (a former Texas Longhorn QB and HS coaching legend in the Metroplex at Southlake Carroll High) , UNT might be turning the corner now that HC Dodge's son Riley has emerged as the Mean Green's QB. The young Dodge, a decorated signal-caller for his dad at Carroll who shunned offers from Big XII schools to follow his papa to Denton, looked uncannily similar to another Southlake/Todd Dodge QB product, ex-Missouri and current Redskins QB Chase Daniel, in leading the Mean Green past Ball State in the opener. Riley Dodge effectively managed the game (something predecessor Giovanni Vizza couldn't do a year ago when running the UNT spread) and utilized an underrated pair of RBs in Cam Montgomery & Lance Dunbar to pace the win at Muncie. Moreover, young Dodge's ability to move the chains and clock will keep the UNT defense off the field longer than the past few seasons, when too many "3-and-outs" prevented the stop unit from getting necessary rest.

UAB (potential go-with)...Under the radar in Conference USA, the Blazers quietly covered their last three games of '08 and proceeded to pick up where they left off in the opener vs. Rice, rolling to a 44-24 win over the Owls at Legion Field. Dynamic QB Joe Webb could emerge as C-USA's most-dangerous weapon this season after passing for 221 yards and running for 194 more while accounting for 4 TDs in UAB's impressive win. Eighteen starters return from the '08 team that began to show some progress at the end of last season, and HC Neil Callaway has fortified the Blazer "D' with juco recruits. But it's the presence of the do-everything Webb that has us on a "UAB alert" this fall in C-USA.

Washington (potential go-with)...Pac-10 sources have long suspected that the Huskies were not as bad as they showed in recent campaigns under Ty Willingham, who admittedly coached in some bad luck when QB injuries effectively sabotaged each of his last three seasons in Seattle. Shrewd coast observers, however, also knew that Willingham was overrated and an ill-advised hire, and many believe there is no way that U-Dub would have gone winless last season had QB Jake Locker not been KO'd with a thumb injury in late September. With a healthy Locker and a new HC in Steve Sarkisian, a former BYU QB, Norm Chow/Pete Carroll disciple and Southern Cal offensive coordinator, things could begin to look up quickly in Seattle. An opening night competitive loss vs. visiting LSU indicates the Huskies won't be a pushover this season, and expect that long losing streak (now 15 games) to be put to the sword this week vs. Idaho.

 

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Games to Watch - Week 2

Games to Watch - Week 2

Games to Watch - Week 2

Thursday 10 Sep

Skinny


The ACC didn't start the 2009 season on a good note, evidenced by a 4-6 non-conference mark and that includes two losses to Championship Subdivision (1-AA) schools. On Thursday, the group hopes to gain some respect back when Georgia Tech (1-0) and Clemson (1-0) meet in Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets cruised past Jacksonville State 37-17 in Week 1, racking up 497 yards on offense. The tandem of RB Jonathan Dwyer (74 yards, 2 TDs) and QB Josh Nesbitt (2 total TDs) both looked sharp in the win. Clemson was helped by a defensive and special team touchdown in its 37-14 victory over Middle Tennessee State last Saturday. The offense looked shaky behind freshman QB Kyle Parker (9-of-20, 159 yards, 2 TDs) last week but fortunately the defense racked up three sacks and three interceptions, including the aforementioned pick-six score. Possible look-ahead spot here for the Yellow Jackets, who will travel to Miami next week for their second straight battle on Thursday.


Gambling Notes


The Yellow Jackets rallied for a 21-17 win against the Tigers last year in Death Valley as the school connected on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Josh Nesbitt with 5:22 left in the fourth quarter. The loss was the first for Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, who replaced Tiger coach Tommy Bowden the Monday before the game. Including last year's win, Georgia Tech has won four of five against Clemson. The 'under' has cashed in four straight between the two schools and the last two meetings in Atlanta saw a combined 16 and 19 points posted. G-Tech head coach Paul Johnson owns a 7-1 straight up and 4-1 against the spread mark at home. The Yellow Jackets opened as 4 ?-point favorites and the number is fitting, considering 10 of the last 14 have been decided by five points or less.

 

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Saturday - Notre Dame at Michigan (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)

Skinny
at
Two programs and two coaches on the so-called "hot seat" square off this Saturday, as Michigan welcomes Notre Dame. Some pundits were surprised the Fighting Irish were ranked 23rd in the preseason polls, especially after last year's 7-6 campaign. ND closed 2008 with a 49-21 rout over Hawaii and it opened this season with a 35-0 blowout over Nevada. Even though the competition hasn't been the greatest, QB Jimmy Clausen has completed 37-of-44 passes for 716 yards and nine scores in the two victories. The offense has looked good but the defense deserves some credit too. The shutout was the first for the Irish in seven years and it came against two opponents that have success lighting up the scoreboard. Michigan almost put up a bagel too in its opener, but had to settle for a dominating 31-7 home win over Western Michigan. Freshman QB Tate Forcier (179 yards, 3 TDs) looked sharp in his debut and helped the offense ring up 439 yards. The defense held the Broncos to 301 yards and intercepted future pro QB Tim Hiller twice en route to the win.

Gambling Notes

Unfortunately, there haven't been a lot of close calls in this rivalry lately. Four of the last six have been double-digit blowouts, including Notre Dame's 35-17 home win over Michigan last year. Surprisingly, the Wolverines outgained (388-260) the Irish but were done in by six turnovers, including four fumbles. The home team has won eight of the last 10 in this series. Notre Dame's last win in Ann Arbor came in 2005, when Brady Quinn quarterbacked the squad to a 17-10 triumph over the Wolverines. Michigan is catching points in this contest and while it's too early to gauge Rich Rodriguez yet, he did go 1-1 both SU and ATS as a home 'dog in 2008. Even though the Irish haven't been listed as road favorites often under head coach Charlie Weis, gamblers should be aware that ND is 8-0 SU and 5-2-1 ATS as a road 'chalk' during his tenure. The 'over' has gone 3-0 in the last three played at South Bend, but the 'under' has prevailed to a 3-0 mark in the last three in the Big House




Saturday - Southern California at Ohio State (ESPN, 8:00 p.m.)
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All eyes will be on Columbus this Saturday Night, as round two between the Buckeyes and Trojans takes place from the "Horseshoe." Most don't believe Ohio State has a shot to beat USC and after watching Jim Tressel's squad last week against Navy. The Buckeyes barely squeaked away with a 31-27 victory over the Midshipmen and while the offense (6 scores) was consistent, it was the defense that has concerns. The unit gave up 342 total yards, plus they allowed Navy to convert 8-of-12 third down conversions. The Navy triple-option attack is hard to prepare for, but OSU better shape up this week when it faces a USC attack that just rang up 342 yards on the ground in its 56-3 win over San Jose State last week. RB Joe McKnight led the charge with 145 yards and two scores, which helped take some pressure off freshman QB Matt Barkley (15-of-19, 233 yards, 1 TD). The Spartans' offense wasn't a true test for USC, but Pete Carroll's defense only gave up 121 total yards and they posted a 1-of-16 performance on third downs.



Gambling Notes


USC opened up as a 6 ?-point road favorite, a role that Carroll (22-18 ATS) and his troops are very familiar with. Being a home underdog isn't something Ohio State is used too, especially under Tressel (1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS). OSU owns a 55-8 record at home under JT and only two of those losses (12, 11) have come by double digits. The Buckeyes are 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS in their last four games as an underdog, which includes last year's 35-3 blowout loss to USC. The Trojans controlled the line of scrimmage and the turnover battle (3-1) as well. The only bright spot in the setback was the play of then freshman Terrelle Pryor, who went 7-of-9 for 52 yards and also racked up 40 yards on the ground. If there is a conference that USC owns, then it's the Big 10. The Trojans have won and covered nine straight, and all of the victories have come by double digits. If USC does capture the road win here, it does face a possible pitfall next week on the road against Washington and former Trojan coordinator Steve Sarkisian.

 

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Other Games to Watch

Other Games to Watch

Other Games to Watch



The MAC went 3-9 in the first week of play, which included Central Michigan's 19-6 loss at Arizona. Considering the Chippewas are considered the class of the conference, they better step up against Michigan State. The Spartans helped the Big 10 go 10-1 last weekend and have a better defense than the Wildcats.


Oklahoma State diced up Houston for 699 yards on offense en route to a 56-37 victory. The Cowboys posted a solid 24-10 win over then No. 13 Georgia last week and could be in for a let-down spot against an explosive Houston attack. The Cougars and QB Casey Keenum will at the very least test an OSU defense that is still suspect even after last week's effort against the undermanned Bulldogs.


UCLA stunned Tennessee 27-24 in overtime last year in a game that they had no right to win. The Volunteers opened the Lane Kiffin era with a 63-point effort against Western Kentucky. Can they repeat that performance against the Bruins? Even though they played the Hilltoppers, the Vols' running duo of Montario Hardesty and freshman Bryce Brown has people in Knoxville smiling.


The SEC has three conference games scheduled in Week 2, including this battle. This game could be a trap, considering South Carolina stole the public's money last Thursday in a 7-3 road victory against N.C. State. And, Georgia was humbled 24-10 to Okie State on Saturday. Total players looking for a play, might want to lean to the 'under' here, which is on an 8-0 run in this series.


Florida, Alabama and Ole Miss are all ranked above LSU in the SEC, but the Tigers might be the last team standing at the end of the year. The Tigers open up conference play on Saturday against Vanderbilt, who turned a lot of heads last year with a 7-6 mark and bowl win. Will LSU's talent overwhelm the Commodores or are we looking at an early upset on the Bayou?

 

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Top 5 Trends

Top 5 Trends

Top 5 Trends

SOCAR
GEO Under is 12-0 in the last 12 meetings.
CMICH
MCHST CMICH are 9-0 ATS in their last 9 games after accumulating less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.
TROY
FLA FLA are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 games following a S.U. win.
UTAH
SJST Over is 8-0-1 in UTAH last 9 non-conference games.
DUKE
ARMY DUKE are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games in September

 

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Bonus Notes, ACC Nightmare

Bonus Notes, ACC Nightmare

Bonus Notes, ACC Nightmare

Notes from across the college football map after an interesting opening weekend of action...

Sam Bradford's shoulder injury wasn't the only news from last week's stunning BYU 14-13 upset over Oklahoma. Indeed, we couldn't help but be amused, or perhaps it was disturbed, at one particular reaction we heard after the Cougs' upset win at Jerry Jones' new football palace in Arlington, Texas last Saturday night.

Granted, now that we're living in Las Vegas, we can understand some of the pride felt here in Mountain West territory after such a monumental win by a conference team. But when we heard how Las Vegas Bowl officials, at nearby Sam Boyd Stadium to watch hometown UNLV win its opening game vs. Sacramento State, were whooping it up when hearing about BYU's landmark triumph, it frankly got our blood boiling a little bit.





The reason? We can understand the giddiness at the thought of a highly-ranked BYU participating in the upcoming Las Vegas Bowl. But it's the thought of the champion of a good football conference, like the Mountain West, having to settle for such crumbs at the college football table, and forced to look forward to facing a 5th-place team from the Pac-10 in the Las Vegas Bowl, that seems more than a bit unjust. Worse, arrogant sorts from BCS conferences (and there are no more arrogant sorts than the Pac-10 schools) act as if events such as the Las Vegas Bowl, and champions from non-BCS leagues such as the Mountain West, should be honored at the privilege of playing any of their teams in the postseason. It was a bit sad to hear the Las Vegas Bowl officials acting particularly happy a few months ago just because they has secured a distant Pac-10 also-ran for their featured postseason football game. Sorry, but a 6-6 UCLA or Stanford facing off in December against BYU, TCU, Utah, or whoever else wins the Mountain West, just doesn't seem right, especially when the MWC champ should be playing a more-worthy opponent. We think a better and more-fitting attraction would be pairing up the Mountain West and WAC champions, although each of those winners will always be dreaming about a shot at one of the BCS bowls instead of a trip to Vegas.

Of course, BYU has suddenly taken the pole position for all potential "BCS busters" after that shock win over the Sooners, and we suppose that if either the Cougs, TCU, or Utah indeed run the table this fall, any would have a good shot at cracking the BCS bowl lineup. But it won't be easy to go unbeaten, and the thought of one slip on the many banana peels on the schedule (where any from among Colorado State, Air Force, or an improved UNLV could also provide sticky going for the MWC contenders) effectively removing the Mountain West champ from BCS consideration is particularly regrettable. Just refer to a year ago, when eventual MWC champ Utah was extremely fortunate to survive a 13-10 decision over TCU at Salt Lake City, a result that if reversed would have made the Horned Frogs the league champs. But with one non-conference loss vs. Oklahoma, TCU would have been unlikely to receive a BCS bid. And the Utah team that had a chance to whip Alabama, 31-17, in the Sugar Bowl would probably have been playing in the Poinsettia or New Mexico Bowls instead while TCU happily took its invitation to the Las Vegas Bowl.

The bottom line is that the Mountain West cannot do much more to prove it belongs in the regular BCS lineup. Certainly the Mountain West is at least as formidable these days as the Big East or ACC. Last season, two MWC entries, Utah and TCU, finished in the final Top Ten rankings. The Utes embarrassed Alabama, which had played eventual national champ Florida much tougher, in the aforementioned Sugar Bowl. One of the best bowl games of last season featured 1-loss TCU beating an unbeaten WAC champ Boise State, 17-16, in the Poinsettia Bowl. In the past five seasons, Mountain West has twice produced a BCS buster, both times being an undefeated Utah (2004 & '08), and both times the Utes ended up rousing winners in their BCS bowl opportunities. Mountain West teams mostly dominated Pac-10 opposition in last year's intersectional action, including BYU rolling up a 59-0 win over UCLA. And we don't think the Big XII would argue against the Mountain West being granted the same respect as the ACC or Big East, especially after last weekend when the Sooners lost to BYU and Colorado was humbled at home by a supposedly-rebuilding Colorado State contingent.

Then again, what is the BCS anyway these days, besides the championship game? Big money, yes, but the muffled atmosphere at every BCS bowl, save the title contest, is more fitting of a minor bowl. If there were any bigger anti-climaxes last postseason than the Orange and Fiesta Bowls, and, to a degree, the Sugar (only Utah's presence added a bit of pizzazz to the festivities), we've yet to find them.

No matter, in a world of so many insufferable and egotistical characters masquerading as college head coaches, we thought the reaction of BYU's Bronco Mendenhall following the Sooner upset was quite refreshing. Mendenhall was the epitome of class, respecting the opposition and expressing concern for Bradford and acknowledging that the Sooner QB's injury had indeed altered the game (although OU, breaking in a mostly-new OL, was hardly rolling through BYU with Bradford on the field). Most of all, however, Mendenhall acted like a very pleasant chap amid the postgame hoopla and subsequent interview barrage. There are few coaches these days who behave as decently as Mendenhall, or for that matter his counterpart at blood enemy Utah, Kyle Whittingham.

Moreover, BYU should be applauded for having the guts to take on the Sooners in what was essentially a "home/neutral" game for OU at Arlington. The Cougs will also be facing Florida State in a couple of weeks in Provo. Compare that to the absolute joke of a schedule put together by a BCS/Big Ten darling, Penn State, this season. Indeed, if the Nittany Lions and Cougars both end up 12-0 this season, it would be a substantial crime if Penn State received preferential BCS treatment because of the schedule.

Let no one also accuse BYU of ducking anyone, although the Cougs, with their 65,000-seat stadium, can usually get home-and-home arrangements with the sort of high-profile opposition that would be reluctant to make similar trips to Utah or TCU (although, for what it's worth, Texas is strangely traveling to Wyoming this week, for reasons we cannot fathom other than the connections the Horns had long ago with the Cowboys after hiring Fred Akers from Wyo in 1977).

Still, the Mountain West is forced to settle for crumbs at the college football table. So, for the moment, we suppose, winning with class and dignity will have to do until the BCS makes some alterations. And if Orrin Hatch wants to give 'em some hell in Washington, more power to him!

JOHN SWOFFORD'S NIGHTMARE

The ACC has taken a lot of abuse on the gridiron the past few seasons, and for good reason. Indeed, until Virginia Tech dumped Cincinnati in last January's Orange Bowl, an ACC entry had not won a BCS game since Florida State beat the same Hokies (then a member of the Big East) in the 1999 title game. Last weekend, however, could not have been an easy one for league commissioner John Swofford and other ACC supporters to watch.

When the dust finally settled, the only win by a conference rep over a BCS-level foe was Clemson's triumph over Middle Tennessee State, which itself might warrant an asterisk because the Blue Raiders compete in the Sun Belt. The only other victories (three of 'em) by ACC teams were notched against FCS, or former Division I-AA, opposition.

But other FCS foes also inflicted damage upon the ACC. In particular, a couple of CAA entries that went on the road to score wins over the big boys. Granted, Richmond was considered formidable after winning the FCS crown last year, and if the Spiders were indeed expected to go into a supposedly-improved Duke and win, they didn't disappoint in a 24-16 triumph. More galling for the ACC was William & Mary trekking up to the bigger state school in Charlottesville and popping UVa, 26-14. Al Groh's new spread-like offense helped contribute to the mess by committing 7 turnovers vs. the Tribe, which scored arguably its biggest gridiron win since Marv Levy's 1967 team, led by future Buffalo Bills QB Dan Darragh, went to Annapolis and took down a 19th-ranked Navy squad coached by Bill Elias.

Elsewhere, perhaps the highlight of the night was Virginia Tech hanging in there vs. Alabama before finally succumbing in Atlanta, 34-24. Maryland, which beat Cal 35-27 last season, was humiliated by a 52-13 count in the return match at Berkeley. Wake Forest, which won at Baylor in last season's opener, lost to the same Bears, at Winston-Salem, no less, by a 24-21 count. NC State, favored at home vs. South Carolina, was bottled up by the Gamecocks all night in a 7-3 defeat last Thursday. Granted, Miami and Florida State put on quite a show Monday night in Tallahassee, but both made a season's worth of mistakes, and neither appears to have the sort of defense that can threaten other BCS heavyweights.

There are still some unblemished teams left in the ACC, and two of them, Clemson and Georgia Tech, meet Thursday night in Atlanta. Overall, however, it was an ugly week for the ACC. And there's no guarantee things get much better this week, even against FCS opposition. James Madison, a solid entry, invades College Park to face Maryland, but before dismissing the Dukes, remember that they're a CAA team. Just like Richmond and William & Mary, which also went into ACC country and emerged with wins last week.

Not as if John Swofford needed any reminding.

 

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LVSC Rankings - Week 2

LVSC Rankings - Week 2

LVSC Rankings - Week 2

One week of the college football season is in the books and we?ve already had a huge upset, as BYU knocked off Oklahoma 14-13 as a 22-point underdog last Saturday from Dallas, Texas. The Cougars? victory helped them jump from No. 20 in the AP preseason poll all the way up to the ninth spot.




Are Bronco Mendenhall and the kids from Provo deserving of the high ranking? Brian believes they are but he?s aware that we?re still in September. ?BYU has always been known for its offense but its defense might be sporting the team?s best unit this year. Even with Oklahoma losing QB Sam Bradford, you have to be impressed with the Cougars limiting the Sooners to just 265 total yards. This team is on the rise and has all of its toughest remaining games at home. I?m still ok with LVSC still being a little skeptical (14th) about Bronco s bunch, which gets another big test later this month when FSU comes to Provo,?

Las Vegas Sports Consultants, the company that provides the majority of odds to all casinos in Nevada, didn?t have BYU on its board before last week?s victory. The Cougars are getting respect now by the oddsmakers. LVSC has pushed the team up to the 14th position, which is the second highest ranking for a Mountain West school in this week?s poll. TCU (11) is still considered the team to beat in the MWC and Utah (17) isn?t an easy out either.

Oklahoma (10) did take a hit by losing Bradford in last week?s game and probably for a couple more contests too. Plus, the club lost All-American tight end Jermaine Gresham (knee) for the season. The Sooners dropped eight spots in the LVSC rankings and might fall further if the losses and injuries continue to pile up.

Despite Oklahoma?s setback, the Big 12 went 10-2 as a conference in Week 1 and still represents the most schools in the oddsmakers rankings with seven. Texas (3), Oklahoma State (12) and Nebraska (13) are in the top tier with the Sooners while Kansas (25), Texas Tech (28) and Missouri (30) have turned heads as well.

For the second straight week, the SEC boasts the top team in Florida, and the conference has Alabama (4) and Mississippi (6) ranked in the top 10 as well. The Gators and Rebels weren?t tested in Week 1, but the Crimson Tide performed well by defeating Virginia Tech 34-24 in their first battle.

SEC expert, like what he saw out of Nick Saban?s squad. ?There?s no doubt in my mind that this is a top-five team. My only question about this team was the quarterback, Greg McElroy, who is a junior but had only played during mop-up duty while backing up John Parker Wilson. I was impressed not only with his arm and how tall he stands in the pocket, but he didn?t shy away from the moment at crunch time. With ?Bama trailing early in the fourth quarter, he was composed and made some big throws when it mattered most. After watching McElroy?s performance, I?m even more bullish on the Crimson Tide and I already had it going 11-1 during the regular season. Everybody knew Saban would have a nasty defense and we now know that his offense is capable of putting up a bunch of points,?

Below is complete breakdown of this week?s LVSC Rankings.

LVSC College Football Rankings - Week 2
Rank Team Rating Last Week
1 Florida 121.5 1
2 Southern Cal 119.4 3
3 Texas 117.7 4
4 Alabama 112.5 6
5 Penn State 111.3 8
6 Mississippi 110.9 7
7 California 110.8 9
8 Ohio State 110.6 5
9 Notre Dame 110.2 11
10 Oklahoma 110.1 2
11 Texas Christian 109.0 10
12 Oklahoma State 108.8 12
13 Nebraska 108.1 18
14 LSU 107.9 13
14 Brigham Young 107.9 NR
16 Boise State 107.1 20
17 Iowa 106.5 14
18 Oregon 106.2 15
19 Clemson 106.1 23
20 Miami 105.7 24
21 Georgia 105.6 19
22 Virginia Tech 105.3 17
22 Georgia Tech 105.3 25
24 Illinois 105.1 16
25 Kansas 105.0 22
25 Cincinnati 105.0 NR
27 South Florida 104.8 29
28 Utah 104.6 NR
28 Texas Tech 104.6 25
30 Michigan State 104.5 NR
30 Missouri 104.5 NR
30 North Carolina 104.5 28
Dropped out of Top 30: Pittsburgh (29), Rutgers (27) & Florida State (21).
Next 10: Pittsburgh, Arizona, Florida State, Tennessee, Stanford, Arkansas, West Virginia, South Carolina, UCLA & Oregon State.

 

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Big Ten faces big questions this weekend

Big Ten faces big questions this weekend

Big Ten faces big questions this weekend

From Marengo, Iowa, to Mechanicsburg, Pa., summer has begun its decline into fall. A chill permeates the night air as thoughts turn to beer, brats and Big Ten football.

This past Saturday, a different kind of chill swept through the upper Midwest. It was the icy feeling that the Big Ten would once again stink it up worse than an Iowa hog farm.

League teams went 2-5 against the spread, and two of the four teams that played Division I-AA opponents escaped by the narrowest of margins.

Now that a week of games against creampuff opponents has passed, the picture has become sharper. There are indications that this season could turn ugly quickly for the Big Ten.

And come Saturday, the red warning flags from last weekend may begin flapping frantically. For starters, when was the last time traditional powers Ohio State and Michigan have been home underdogs on the same weekend? Also, Minnesota and Wisconsin play host to capable opponents and Purdue and Iowa are on the road, never a good spot for Big Ten teams in nonconference play.

This will be a make-or-break Saturday for the Big Ten. Here?s a look at some of the key games and why league teams are likely to take it on the chin a la Byron Hout:

USC at Ohio State: The Trojans opened as 4.5-point favorites, but the number has been rapidly climbing and is settling in around 7. Last year, the Buckeyes were 10.5-point underdogs and were blown out at the L.A. Coliseum, 35-3.

USC lost a ton of talent on its defensive front seven and has a freshman quarterback playing his first road game. Generally this is a recipe for disaster, but the pointspread indicates the lack of faith the public has in the Buckeyes in big games.

Seriously, if Terrelle Pryor can?t beat the Trojans with his running, he?s certainly not going to do it with his passing against arguably the best defensive backfield in college football.

Notre Dame at Michigan: A week ago, the Wolverine program, coming off a 3-9 season, appeared ready to implode. Rich Rod was accused of having his players practice day and night and on top of that, word leaked that the coach was being sued over a real estate venture gone bad.

Now, for some unexplained reason, there is newfound respect for Michigan. The Fighting Irish opened as a 5-point favorite but the line has dropped to 3.5. Notre Dame has plenty of firepower on offense, and now it appears to have a defense. Something is not right here.

Air Force at Minnesota: The Golden Gophers play their first game in TCF Bank Stadium. Given the way Minnesota played in its opener at Syracuse, the only people making deposits Saturday will be the ones taking the Falcons and the points.

Fresno State at Wisconsin: Pat Hill is likely out at the end of the season and Bret Bielema?s posterior will be firmly planted on the hot seat. Hopefully for Bielema, the Badgers aren?t caught looking ahead to next week?s game against Wofford.

Purdue at Oregon: OK, the Boilermakers rolled up 535 yards and 52 points in dismantling Toledo, but they also gave up 493 yards. This is not a good spot for Purdue, facing an angry Duck team at Autzen Stadium.

Iowa at Iowa State: The Hawkeyes are favored by 6.5. Iowa hasn?t covered in the last five games against the Cyclones and the visitor has lost the last five games in the series. Any questions?

Western Michigan at Indiana: We?re throwing this one out there because the Hoosiers were so wretched in squeaking past something called Eastern Kentucky. Seriously, if you?re going to take Indiana in any game this season and give points, please seek help immediately.

Central Michigan at Michigan State: The Spartans play at Notre Dame next week and in the past two seasons under Mark Dantonio, have failed to cover the spread in the game before playing the Fighting Irish.

Syracuse at Penn State: Last week in this space, I mentioned five teams to worry about because of a low number of combined starts by their returning offensive linemen: Oregon (20), West Virginia (25), Oklahoma (29), Penn State (39) and Alabama (50). Yes, there is reason for concern in Happy Valley.

Eastern Michigan at Northwestern: The Wildcats were mentioned in my debut Covers column as being one of six undervalued and unappreciated teams entering the season. That?s considerable pressure I?ve put on Northwestern, but being the fine academic university that it is, I believe the Wildcats will make me proud.

Illinois State at Illinois: Thankfully, no line, so everybody who continues to drink the Ron Zook Kool-Aid can take the week off.

 

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Beyond the BCS: Who impressed, who crapped the bed

Beyond the BCS: Who impressed, who crapped the bed

Beyond the BCS: Who impressed, who crapped the bed

Who impressed?

Colorado State: Bettors would be wise to take notice of Rams? coach Steve Fairchild. He?s a rising star, and it showed against rival Colorado Sunday.

Colorado State?s offense, featuring the most experienced offensive line in the nation, was balanced (208 passing, 168 rushing) and was a step ahead of the Buffaloes defense throughout the first half.

The Rams? defense shut down what is expected to be a good Buffalo rushing attack. Colorado averaged just 1.4 yards per carry and finished with 29 yards rushing.

Dating back to last November, the Rams are 6-1 against the spread (ATS).

CSU gets basically a week off by hosting Weber State on Saturday. The Rams then host Nevada before heading into the MWC play.

Buffalo: The buzz surrounding the Bulls quieted significantly after star running back James Starks was lost for the season during preseason practice. But the defending MAC champs keep finding ways to win games for coach Turner Gill.

Buffalo won at UTEP Saturday as a 12-point underdog.

The Miners, with senior quarterback Trevor Vittatoe back, were picked as one of the favorites in Conference USA, while the Bulls were expected to take a step back from last season?s bowl season.

That doesn?t appear to be the case.

Like solid, well-coached teams do, Buffalo took advantage of several of UTEP?s mistakes. Running backs Brandon Thermilus and Mario Henry combined to rushed for 134 yards, and first-year starting quarterback Zach Maynard looked poised, completing 12 of 19 passes for 159 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions.

Buffalo opened as an 11-point home underdog for Saturday?s game against Pittsburgh.

BYU?s defense: Don?t overlook the fact that Cougars held Oklahoma?s offense to just seven points before Sam Bradford?s injury.

The BYU front often pressured Bradford without the aid of additional blitzers, although it was linebacker Coleby Clawson, who delivered the knockout blow to the Heisman trophy winner.

The Cougars took advantage of the Sooners? new offensive line and shut down their running game. Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma?s pair of 1,000-yard rushers, combined for just 117 yards.

BYU needs to be careful this week. With a big home game against Florida State next week, it would be easy to overlook Saturday?s game at Tulane, although it might not matter. The Cougars opened as 17.5-point favorites over the Green Wave.

Who looked awful?

Miami (OH): The RedHawks were blasted 42-0 by what is not expected to be a great Kentucky team, even by the Wildcats? modest standards.

But Rich Brooks? unproven squad certainly looked great against the RedHawks.

In new coach Michael Haywood?s first game, Miami managed just 188 total yards, went 2 of 15 on third downs and turned it over twice.

The defense was shredded through the air and on the ground. Kentucky rushed for 245 yards and passed for 243.

The defeat was the worst season-opening loss for the RedHawks since 1931 and prompted Haywood to already shake up his starting lineup, which featured four freshmen against Kentucky.

Now, Miami heads to the blue turf of Boise State as 36-point underdogs.

Troy: The Trojans allowed Bowling Green to score 31 unanswered points in Thursday?s opening loss.

Entering the game as a seven-point favorite, Troy was supposed to show that it was the class of the Sun Belt. But it had no answer for new Falcon coach Dave Clawson?s passing attack, which looked impressive racking up 339 yards through the air.

Along with a pass defense, Troy also needs to find some balance on offense, after rushing for only 41 yards on 21 carries against Bowling Green. Wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan was the leading rusher with 30 yards.

Things don?t get any easier for the Trojans, who are 37-point underdogs at No. 1 Florida Saturday.

Nevada: For a WAC team opening the season in South Bend, Nevada received some respect from oddsmakers, who posted them as 14-point underdogs. Other than Boise State, every other WAC team is getting at least 20-plus in that situation against the Irish.
But that respect didn?t prove to be worth much for the Wolf Pack, who were blasted 35-0 by Jimmy Clausen and Notre Dame.

With 10 returning offensive starters, it seemed likely the Irish would be able to put up some points. But it was way too easy. Clausen was not sacked and was knocked down less than four times.

Meanwhile, the Wolf Pack?s potent offense had trouble staying on the field. Nevada was 2-11 on third downs. Notre Dame owned more than a seven-minute advantage in time of possession.

The Wolf Pack also turned it over three times.

Nevada has a week off, before continuing its tough opening stretch at Colorado State next Saturday and returning home to host Missouri.

 

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The week that was in the world of betting

The week that was in the world of betting

The week that was in the world of betting

Well, the first week of football has passed and the total movers had a party. On Thursday, North Texas under 58 and Oregon under 66 got there and on Friday Tulsa under 63 helped to start out a big with for the sharp bettors. The public on Thursday was also all over Oregon moneyline and plus the points to make a good night for the house.

Saturday rolled around with Penn State under 59, Michigan under 55, Notre Dame under 63, Oklahoma State under 61, Illinois under 63, Idaho under 53, Kentucky -15, Texas A&M 14, Army +3.5, Idaho +3, and UCLA under 49 were winners for the movers; and the losers were Ohio State under 48, Rice under 60, Louisiana Tech +13.5, and Minnesota over 46.5.

Busy, busy day. On Saturday the house did OK with Oklahoma, Minnesota, and Illinois losing and got mildly beat up on Idaho plus, Texas A&M minus, USC minus, Notre Dame minus, and Michigan. Luckily for the house, it was not a "heavy" action weekend by the public.

All in all a good week for the books if they jumped ship quick on the sharp total action (which if they know what they're doing they should), and on Sunday the public had a small party on Mississippi and over but are giving it back on Colorado -11 and over 50.

We will talk to you next week. Good luck to all players!

 

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Pac-10 Conference News and Notes

Pac-10 Conference News and Notes

Pac-10 Conference News and Notes

ARIZONA: The Wildcats opened their 2009 campaign with a strong defensive effort against Central Michigan, fighting their way to a 19-6 victory. Arizona limited CMU to just 182 total yards, while also forcing two turnovers. Not to be out-shined however, the offensive unit churned out 448 total yards. Nic Grigsby rumbled for 118 yards and one touchdown in the win, while quarterback Matt Scott added 83 yards on nine attempts. Scott also threw for 202 yards on 19-of-30 passing. The busiest player on the field was kicker Alex Zandejas, who connected on four field goals. Expect the Wildcats to continue their strong play when they host Northern Arizona this upcoming Saturday.

ARIZONA STATE: The Sun Devils put forth an all-around effort in their season- opener, rolling over Idaho State, 50-3. ASU held the Bengals to just 37 total yards, and forced five turnovers in the win, four of which were interceptions. Three of those picks were by Mike Nixon, and one of those INTs were returned for a 34-yard score. Nixon, who also blocked a punt in the contest, became the first Sun Devil to record three interceptions in a game in 20 years. Offensively the Sun Devils churned out 199 yards on the ground, but used a few different weapons. Shaun DeWitty led the way with 52 yards, while Ryan Bass added 45 yards and one score. Jarrell Woods joined the fun with 42 yards and one TD, while Dimitri Nance scampered for 31 yards, while also finding the end zone once. The Sun Devils will not be in action this week, but will return to the field on September 19th when they host the UL-Monroe Warhawks.

CALIFORNIA: Jahvid Best only carried the ball 10 times in the opener for California, but that is all the sensational tailback needed to lead the Golden Bears to a convincing, 52-13 win over Maryland. On his third carry of the season the junior back scampered for a 73-yard touchdown, giving the Golden Bears a lead they would never relinquish. Best finished with 137 yards and two scores in the contest, while Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson added 54 yards on nine carries, and Shane Vereen tallied 48 yards and one TD on 10 attempts. Not to be out done was quarterback Kevin Riley, who threw for 298 yards and four scores on 17-of-26 passing. Cal will once again be home next week when the team hosts Eastern Washington.

OREGON: The Ducks scored just eight points in a loss to Boise State in their opener, but the bigger loss will be LeGarrette Blount, who has been suspended for the remainder of the season after punching Boise State defensive end Byron Hout in the face after the contest. On top of his display, the senior running back also had a forgettable performance on the field, carrying the ball eight times for negative five yards. As a team the Ducks finished with just 31 rushing yards and 152 total yards in the contest. Jeremiah Masoli was not much better under center for Oregon, as the signal caller threw for just 121 yards on 14-of-27 passing. Obviously it was a terrible debut for coach Chip Kelly, but he will look to bounce back next week when Oregon hosts Purdue.

OREGON STATE: The Beavers had little trouble in their season-opener, as they road their tailback Jacquizz Rodgers to a 34-7 victory over Portland State. Rodgers had a terrific 2009 debut, rushing for 103 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. Sean Canfield and Ryan Katz both spent time under center, but Canfield was the more impressive of the two, throwing for 158 yards and one score on 8-of-11 passing. The strong offensive play overshadowed the team's lackluster effort against the pass, as Oregon State surrendered 274 yards through the air. OSU will have a tougher matchup this upcoming Saturday against UNLV on the road.

STANFORD: The Cardinal ran right through Washington State in their opener, defeating the Cougars, 39-13. Stanford torched WSU for 481 total yards, including 288 yards on the ground. Toby Gerhart led the ground attack with 121 yards and two touchdowns, while Jeremy Stewart added 57 yards and one score. Andrew Luck had a solid debut under center for the Cardinal, as the quarterback managed the game well and finished with 193 yards and one touchdown. The Cardinal will remain on the road for their matchup next week, but the competition will be much tougher as Stanford travels to Winston-Salem to take on ACC foe Wake Forest.

UCLA: After allowing 14 first quarter points, the UCLA defense regrouped and held San Diego State scoreless the rest of the way en route to a 33-14 victory. The Bruins collected three interceptions in the victory, and also had a blocked field goal returned 70 yards by Alterraun Verner. Offensively the Bruins were led by Derrick Coleman, who rushed for 69 yards and one score. Kevin Prince was a tad inconsistent in his debut, but the signal caller managed the game well enough for UCLA to grab a win. The redshirt freshman completed 18-of-29 attempts for 176 yards and one score, but was also intercepted twice and sacked three times. It will get a bit tougher for UCLA next week, as the team will travel to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers.

USC: The Trojans were baffled after 15 minutes of play against San Jose State, as the Spartans ended the first quarter with a 3-0 lead. However, Pete Carroll's team remembered who they were and responded with 56 points, while holding SJSU scoreless throughout the rest of the contest. The Trojans hammered out a whopping 620 total yards, and the majority of the team's success came on the ground, as USC rumbled for 342 yards and six touchdowns. Joe McKnight led the way on the ground, rushing for 145 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Marc Taylor added 72 yards and one TD, while Allen Bradford posted 53 rushing yards and one score. The other two rushing TDs came from Stafon Johnson, who finished with only 27 yards on six carries. The bigger surprise was the poise and confidence of true freshman quarterback Matt Barkley, who completed 15-of-19 passes for 233 yards and one touchdown. Things might not go as smoothly for the Trojans next week as they travel to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes.

WASHINGTON: The Huskies were an embarrassment in 2008, losing all 12 of their matchups. The 2009 campaign began with a similar result, as Washington was defeated by LSU, 31-23. It is rare that a loss can be seen as a positive sign, but in Steve Sarkisian's debut at Washington, the Huskies put forth a solid effort against the Tigers. The Huskies racked up an impressive 478 total yards against a tough SEC opponent, and that includes 321 yards through the air. Jake Locker, who missed most of last year with an injury, was impressive in his return to the field, completing 25-of-45 passes, while also tossing two touchdowns. Locker also rushed for 51 yards in the loss, but it was Chris Polk that led the ground game with 90 yards on 21 carries. Things should get easier for Washington next week, as the Huskies host the Idaho Vandals.

WASHINGTON STATE: The Cougars opened the 2009 campaign with a rough, 39-13 setback to the Stanford Cardinal. Washington State was abused by Stanford's ground game, as the Cougars surrendered 288 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. On the offensive side of the football, the Cougars were a tad inconsistent, especially on the ground, as WSU churned out just 102 rushing yards on 3.0 ypc. Overall, the Cougars tallied 349 yards. The passing attack was effective at times, even though Kevin Lopina and Marshall Lobbestael both spent time under center. Lopina had a stronger showing, completing 10-of-16 passes for 122 yards and one score. As for Lobbestael, he finished with only 78 yards on 8-of-13 passing, and was sacked three times. The Cougars will try to find the win column for the first time in 2009 next Saturday when they take on Hawaii in Seattle.

 

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ACC and Big Ten ATS Disasters

ACC and Big Ten ATS Disasters

ACC and Big Ten ATS Disasters



For the second straight year, the ACC posted miserable straight-up and against the spread records in the opening week of the season. Last year, the league finished 2-4 both SU and ATS, including key losses by Clemson (at Alabama) and Virginia Tech (vs. East Carolina).

This season, the Crimson Tide got the best of the ACC once again as the Hokies failed to cover a generous 6.5-point spread. As a whole, the league went 1-4 both SU and ATS, as Clemson was the only club to win and cover.

In fact, two squads, North Carolina State (vs. South Carolina) and Wake Forest (vs. Baylor) lost as home favorites. Perhaps even more distressing was the pair of losses to FCS schools, as Virginia and Duke lost by a combined 20 points to William & Mary and Richmond, respectively.

How did the conference rebound from last year's troubling opening week? Well, Wake Forest was able to defeat Ole Miss but failed to cover, Maryland was upset at Middle Tennessee, Duke lost to Northwestern and Miami pushed vs. Florida, losing by 23.

This season, there are six games to follow and the results could be just as sad.

North Carolina is favored at Connecticut, a team that went on the road and won its opener. Wake Forest hosts Stanford after losing at home to Baylor. Virginia must face TCU and Duke goes on the road against Army.

In addition, Boston College might have a tough time covering vs. Kent State while Virginia Tech hopes to rebound from its loss to Alabama as the Hokies take on Marshall.

The Big Ten was the other conference that struggled mightily last Saturday with a 2-5 ATS record. Penn State, Ohio State, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota, despite four straight up victories, were all unsuccessful ATS.

A similar scenario took place in '08 when the Big Ten covered only one of six opening week games. However, unlike the ACC, the league rebounded in week two with a 5-3 ATS mark. This year, 10 of the 11 teams have lined games, but don't expect similar results as the conference is faced with a plethora of difficult opponents.

Ohio State must take on Southern Cal while Michigan hosts Notre Dame. Moreover, there are some upstart clubs that other Big Ten members must hold off, including Air Force (at Minnesota), Iowa State (Iowa), Central Michigan (at Michigan State) and Fresno State (at Wisconsin), and even though LeGarrette Blount has been suspended, Oregon could still have its way with Purdue.


BCS VS. FCS

There were 21 week one matchups last season between BCS teams and FCS schools and only two games were decided by seven points or less. Arkansas got past Western Illinois, 28-24, and Maryland defeated Delaware, 14-7.

This year, five of the 22 contests were decided by a touchdown or less, including a pair of losses by Virginia and Duke. Iowa was another team that could have easily lost, needing two blocked field goals in the closing seconds to hold off Northern Iowa. The other close contests were Kansas State by four over Massachusetts and Indiana by six over Eastern Kentucky.

The reason I bring these games to your attention is the fact that Arkansas and Maryland both failed to cover their next game in '08. In addition, the Michigan Wolverines, who lost to Appalachian State in week one two years ago, were abused by Oregon the following week, 39-7.

Keep a close eye on Virginia, Duke, Iowa, Kansas State and Indiana in week two.


WEEK ONE OBSERVATIONS

Miami-Ohio won two games in '08, and if Daniel Raudabaugh remains at quarterback, don't look for much improvement. The senior looked lost against Kentucky, a team without five of its top seven tacklers from a season ago. Raudabaugh completed 13-of-34 passes for 126 yards and two interceptions and the RedHawks gained just 188 total yards while the defense allowed 488.

Ball State was not going to be the same team that won 12 games last year but the problem areas were expected to be on offense. Who would have thought the defense would allow 512 yards to North Texas? The Cardinals host New Hampshire this Saturday but don't expect things to get any easier on September 19 at Army.

Tough beat for those who wagered on Penn State minus 29.5-points over Akron. Not only did the Nittany Lions hold a 31-0 lead at the half (holding the Zips to seven total yards) but they also had the ball on Akron's five-yard line with a 24-point advantage just as the game clock expired.

Lost in Oregon State's 34-7 win over Portland State was the fact the Beavers allowed 188 first-half yards and 351 for the game. The Vikings, if you forget, lost to Washington State last year, gaining just 246 total yards in their 48-9 defeat.

Speaking of the Cougars, they picked up more yards vs. Stanford (351) than in any FBS game last season. Hawaii comes to Seattle this Saturday after getting past Central Arkansas with a late touchdown, 25-20, and Washington State has revenge on its mind since Hawaii won last year's battle by two touchdowns just one week after the Cougars' big win over rival Washington.

Staying in the Pac-10, the Huskies could have snapped their 14-game losing streak on Saturday night, but missed opportunities cost them against LSU. The Tigers walked off with a 31-23 win despite getting outgained by over 150 yards.

LSU is now 1-7 in its last eight games against the spread while failing to cover its last 10 home SEC games. Vanderbilt comes to Tiger Stadium this Saturday.

Finally, North Carolina destroyed The Citadel, 40-6 but, as expected, the passing game left a lot to be desired with numerous dropped passes by the inexperienced receivers. The offense also turned the ball over four times.


WEEK TWO TOP 10

1) Florida, 109; 2) USC, 105; 3) Texas, 103; 4) Oklahoma, 102; 5) California, 100; 6) Ole Miss, 98.5; 7) Alabama, 97; 8) Oklahoma State, 96.5; 9) Notre Dame, 96; 10) Georgia, 95.

 

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Florida still No. 1; BYU vaults 11 places in new poll

Florida still No. 1; BYU vaults 11 places in new poll

Florida still No. 1; BYU vaults 11 places in new poll

Florida and Texas remained the top two teams in the latest Associated Press college football poll, released Tuesday, but BYU vaulted into the top 10 after its impressive victory over Oklahoma on Saturday.

Florida kept its place atop the poll after a 62-3 rout of Charleston Southern in its opener on Saturday, but the defending national champs lost two first- place votes from a nationwide media panel.

The Gators received 56 first-place votes, two fewer than the preseason poll, and a total of 1,493 points. Texas held its two first-place votes and 1,424 points to keep the second slot.

Southern California and Alabama each moved up one spot to third and fourth, respectively, thanks in part to Oklahoma's 14-13 loss to BYU. The Sooners had been ranked third, but fell to 13th after the setback, and during the game also lost quarterback Sam Bradford to a shoulder injury that will likely keep the reigning Heisman Trophy winner sidelined for a couple of weeks.

The Trojans dominated San Jose State, 56-3, this past Saturday, while Alabama toppled Virginia Tech, 34-24. The Crimson Tide picked up a pair of first-place votes for their effort.

Oklahoma State, after a 24-10 win over Georgia, moved up four spots to fifth, while Ole Miss jumped a pair of places into sixth after Sunday's 45-14 thumping of Memphis.

Penn State opened the season with a 31-7 victory over Akron and moved up two spots to seventh, while Ohio State dropped two spots to eighth after a narrow 31-27 win over Navy. The Buckeyes will host Southern California this Saturday in the marquee matchup of the week.

BYU, meanwhile, moved up 11 spots from 20th to ninth after its impressive win. while California climbed two spaces to 10th following a 52-13 rout of Maryland on Saturday.

The second 10 consists of LSU, Boise State, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, TCU, Utah, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Miami-Florida.

Virginia Tech's loss to Alabama dropped the Hokies seven places in this week's poll, while Notre Dame's 35-0 whitewash of Nevada moved the Irish up five places from 23rd with a visit to the Big House at Michigan set for this Saturday.

Miami-Florida moved into the poll after being unranked last week following Monday's dramatic 38-34 win at Florida State. The Seminoles were ranked 18th, but fell out of this week's rankings.

Georgia, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Kansas and Missouri are the last five teams ranked this week.

Cincinnati and Missouri are new to this week's poll after impressive wins over the holiday weekend. The Bearcats pummeled Rutgers, 47-15, on Monday in Piscataway to open defense of their Big East title, while the Tigers crushed Illinois, 37-9, on Saturday in St. Louis.

In addition to Florida State, Iowa and Oregon both dropped out this week. Iowa, which was ranked 22nd, managed to pull out a 17-16 win over FCS power Northern Iowa, escaping only with two blocked field goals in the final seconds. Oregon had been ranked 16th before a 19-8 loss at Boise State that also featured the ugliest moment of this year's young season when running back LeGarrette Blount punched Boise State defensive end Byron Hout in the face after the game.

The only matchup of top-25 teams this week is the big one between USC and Ohio State at the Horseshoe.

 

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Week One Headlines

Week One Headlines

Week One Headlines



The first week of college football certainly didn't disappoint. There were the usual storylines concerning national powers destroying lesser competition. There was also the WAC and Mountain West showing plenty of fight, and an Oregon Duck who showed too much. Finally, the week was capped off by a classic grudge match between arch rivals in the Sunshine State. Here are the top headlines from week one:

BLOUNT FORCE TRAUMA: Oregon running back LaGarrette Blount was frustrated all night by the Boise State defense and as a result was a little ill-tempered when Bronco defensive end Byron Hout bumped him at the end of the game with a taunting gesture as well as words. Blount then delivered a straight right hand that dropped Hout. What was a disappointing loss in the season-opener turned into an ugly display as a result, embarrassing both Blount and the Oregon program. The Ducks decided to suspend Blount from the team for the remainder of the year, thus ending his career in Eugene. While I certainly don't condone Blount's violent action and the tirade as he was escorted off the field, Hout is not without blame as his lack of sportsmanship certainly fueled the fire.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE MID-MAJOR:While the WAC and Boise State started things off with a big win over a solid Pac-10 opponent, it was nothing compared to BYU representing the Mountain West and earning the huge upset over third-ranked Oklahoma. We already knew that OU had some question marks along the offensive line and those materialized in the game, as Heisman winner Sam Bradford left in the second quarter after being driven into the turf in Arlington. It's not as if Bradford was lighting up BYU before that, but without him, the Sooners were a rudderless ship on offense and unable to get the kind of production and efficiency that they are used to. The result was a stunning loss, all but ending OU's national title hopes. BYU gets Florida State later this month and will play a couple more probable ranked foes in-conference in TCU and Utah during the second half of the season. It may get real interesting in terms of the BCS should the Cougars run the table.

SUPERPOWER STRUGGLES: Third-ranked Oklahoma certainly could blame its upset loss on the injury that will sideline Bradford for the next couple of weeks. Can the Sooners survive without Bradford under center?

-Seventh-ranked Virginia Tech stood strong for three quarters against fifth- ranked Alabama, before getting worn down by the Tide's size and overall team speed and likewise, 13th-ranked Georgia simply couldn't get past a superior Oklahoma State team.

-Sixth-ranked Ohio State may have gotten a victory this past weekend, but the Buckeyes may have the most question marks, as they needed an interception return on a two-point conversion late to earn the win over Navy. Jim Tressel will need answers in a hurry if they Buckeyes are to avoid a second straight rout at the hands of the Trojans.

IRISH EYES ARE SMILING: Charlie Weis is certainly on the hot seat in South Bend, but he may be feeling a bit more comfortable in that chair, as the Irish looked sharp on both sides of the ball in the season-opening shutout of Nevada (35-0), marking the team's first shutout since 2002. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen was nearly flawless in his 2009 debut, completing 15-of-18 passes, for a whopping 315 yards and four TDs, with no interceptions. The defense did its part as well, forcing the Wolf Pack into three turnovers and allowing a mere 154 passing yards. Of course, it is a "what have you done for me lately" mentality in South Bend, so any good feeling could disappear in a hurry if the Irish don't get the job done against Michigan in Ann Arbor this weekend.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Wideout Michael Floyd had a huge game for Notre Dame, catching just four balls, but they went for 189 yards, with three TDs. While Clausen was impressive, there were other QBs across the country with impressive debuts as well.

-UAB's Joe Webb was a one-man wrecking crew in a win over Rice, throwing for 221 yards on 12-of-15 passing, while adding an eye-popping 194 yards on the ground, with two touchdowns.

-Penn State's Darryl Clark went into this season with a completely new receiving corps, but that didn't prevent him from throwing for 353 yards and three TDs against Akron.

-Houston's Case Keenum got off to a fast start as well, completing 23-of-30 passes, for 359 yards and four scores in a rout of Northwestern State.

-Miami's Jacory Harris threw for a career-high 396 yards in leading the Hurricanes to a rousing victory over Florida State, in just his third career start.

-Running backs who hit the ground running (literally) include USC's Joe McKnight, who averaged over 10 yards per carry against San Jose State. McKnight amassed 145 yards and two TDs, on just 14 carries, the most impressive of which was a 54-yard scamper in the third quarter.

-Purdue's Ralph Bolden abused Toledo to the tune of 234 yards and two TDs.

-Finally, it may not have shown in terms of stats, but the fact that Alabama's Brandon Deaderick played against Virginia Tech after being shot in the arm in a robbery attempt just a few days prior, has to land the big defensive end on this list.

SNEAK PEEK: There isn't a college football fan anywhere in the nation that won't be glued to the television Saturday night, when the USC Trojans and Ohio State Buckeyes take the field in Columbus. That same demographic will also be checking out Notre Dame at Michigan, as half will want to see if Notre Dame is as good as it looked in week one, while the other half hope the Irish aren't.

 

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MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL: BYU upset of Sooners puts BCS bid on table

MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL: BYU upset of Sooners puts BCS bid on table

MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL: BYU upset of Sooners puts BCS bid on table

It's early, but No. 9 Cougars are entitled to dream big


If the spotlight on Brigham Young was intense entering last season, it's nothing compared to the laser beam pointing at the Cougars now.

The talk in 2008 was that BYU was a candidate to break into a Bowl Championship Series game. Now the buzz is about a chance for the national title, something considered unthinkable for a team from a conference without an automatic BCS bid.

But the Cougars put themselves in that spot by upsetting then-No. 3 Oklahoma 14-13 on Saturday at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. BYU zoomed to No. 9 in The Associated Press poll, gaining 11 spots, and to No. 12 in the coaches poll, rising 12 spots.

Coach Bronco Mendenhall didn't directly address BYU's chances of winning the national title, but said he hopes a non-BCS team -- read: a Mountain West Conference team -- soon would get the opportunity.

"I think that's what we're all hoping for, we're all fighting for," Mendenhall said. "I think it's what the public wants. I know it's what (President Obama) would like.

"Whether we're the team or another team is the team, I'm not sure is the point. But eventually it has to get to that point, and the sooner the better."

The danger for the Cougars is repeating what happened last season. After a 6-0 start, they lost at TCU, then lost again in the regular-season finale at Utah before losing the Las Vegas Bowl to Arizona to finish 10-3.

After that letdown, Mendenhall wants his players to stay more even-keeled, but that isn't going to be easy in light of Saturday's victory. About 2,000 fans showed up to meet the Cougars' plane when it arrived at 1:45 a.m. Sunday.

BYU plays at Tulane this week.

"Every place these kids are going, they're being told how wonderful they are," Mendenhall said. "And they are, they played a fantastic game, and they're great kids. But at some point they'll realize we are preparing for another football game, and the longer they dwell on those things, the worse our chances are."

? REACTION AROUND MWC -- BYU's victory was especially good timing in light of the strong offseason push for BCS inclusion by Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson.

His campaign was prompted by Utah's 31-17 victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl to go 13-0. The Utes, though, did not have a realistic shot at playing for the national championship.

While Thompson wasn't immediately successful, perhaps he pushed the issue forward enough to help BYU or any other conference school.

"We've had a lot of people speaking on our platform in the offseason," Texas Christian coach Gary Patterson said. "The biggest thing for us as coaches is to go out there and back it up."

Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said the Cougars not only backed it up against Oklahoma, but it was no fluke.

"I thought BYU was the bigger football team, and they played bigger," Calhoun said of the Cougars' willingness to go right at the Sooners.

? QUICK RETURN -- So much for any concerns UNLV wide receiver Rodelin Anthony wouldn't play against Oregon State. Anthony (sprained right foot) practiced Tuesday.

Linebacker/end Jason Beauchamp (sprained right ankle) didn't practice. His status won't be known until at least Thursday.

? OVERSHADOWED -- Just about any other week, Colorado State's 23-17 victory at big brother Colorado would have received major attention.

"Utah, BYU and TCU constantly beat BCS opponents," Rams coach Steve Fairchild said. "We certainly aren't there yet. It's our aim to bring the program up to that level."

? A THIRD WIN? -- After BYU and Colorado State beat Big 12 Conference schools, now Wyoming gets its chance when No. 2 Texas visits Laramie on Saturday.

But Cowboys coach Dave Christensen, previously the offensive coordinator at Missouri of the Big 12, brushed aside the idea of any additional pressure.

"I don't think it will have any bearing on us," he said. "We've got a game this week with Texas. It doesn't matter what conference they're from."

 

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No. 7 Penn State readies for old rival Syracuse

No. 7 Penn State readies for old rival Syracuse

No. 7 Penn State readies for old rival Syracuse

By GENARO C. ARMAS
AP Sports Writer




STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Old rivals Syracuse and Penn State can generate headlines when they meet that have nothing to do with football.

Penn State's beloved Nittany Lion shrine has been vandalized three times before Syracuse visits to Happy Valley - once by coach Joe Paterno's wife, no less, in 1966 in a scheme to provoke once-quiet Nittany Lion crowds.

Walking on the hard artificial turf of the Carrier Dome during last year's win over the Orange made Paterno's hip injury worse - an ailment that eventually led to surgery.

And now, this week, the rebuilding Orange (0-1) travel to Happy Valley with starting quarterback Greg Paulus, who once played point guard for one of the most storied basketball programs in the nation at Duke.

The Paulus hoopla has almost made Penn State (1-0) a footnote heading into Saturday's game at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions jumped two spots to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 poll released Tuesday.

"I can't tell you why that program deteriorated. I think we all remember that Syracuse was not only one of the great programs in the East, but in the country," the 82-year-old Paterno said Tuesday. "I think they've got the right combination now."

Paulus and first-year Syracuse coach Doug Marrone are part of that Orange mix looking to revive a program that has stumbled to the Big East basement.

Syracuse has played Penn State 69 times, more than any other Orange opponent. Penn State is 41-23-5 against Syracuse since the first meeting in 1922.

Paterno's favorite moment? A game in 1954 or 1955, he recalled, when Nittany Lions running back Lenny Moore dueled with Syracuse great Jim Brown.

Then there was a time when another standout Orange running back, Floyd Little, burned Penn State on special teams.

"I still remember Floyd Little running by me three times for three punt returns," said Paterno before smiling and mimicking a wave. "He waved to me."

But the Nittany Lions have been the ones smiling since Paterno took over as head coach in 1966, going 22-4 against the Orange since then.

It was in Paterno's first year as coach that his wife, Sue, and a friend secretly splashed water-soluble orange paint on the Nittany Lion statue the week of the Syracuse game. Sue Paterno thought she would get into trouble until Syracuse fans later that week doused the shrine with oil-based paint, which was tougher to remove.

Twelve years later, the ear of the lion statue was broken off "in a raid by Syracuse students" the week of the game, according to Penn State's media notes.

On Saturday, Marrone wouldn't mind creating the headlines on the Beaver Stadium turf. A win over Penn State would require a David and Goliath-type upset effort.

"He's from Brooklyn. I'm from the Bronx," Marrone said. "I hope I can have the same type of success, or a little of the success, that coach Paterno has had."

Penn State once recruited Marrone, who eventually decided to play college ball at Syracuse, though Paterno couldn't recall the particulars of his recruitment.

One characteristic did stand out, though, to JoePa.

"Oh boy, he is Italian, isn't he," joked Paterno, who is of Italian descent himself.

The reporter didn't know, but someone told Paterno that Marrone hailed from the Bronx, which like Brooklyn, is a borough of New York City.

"What do you mean you couldn't tell me? That's the second most important thing to me," Paterno quipped. Being "from the Bronx doesn't hold much water with me."

Saturday's game is the second of a home-and-home series between the two schools, and there are no immediate plans for the rivalry to continue. Penn State routed Syracuse, 55-13 at the Carrier Dome in 2008.

 

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Caught Looking - Week 2

Caught Looking - Week 2

Caught Looking - Week 2

If you take one thing out of the opening weekend of the college football season it?s that the teams had to work out some of the kinks. Unfortunately for teams like Oklahoma and (to a lesser extent) Ohio State those hiccups were prelude to an upset or pretty close to one.

There is a trio of clubs that could be caught not paying attention to the current task at hand. Let?s take a gander at them.

Children of the Corn?

Year 2 of the Bo Pelini era at Nebraska got off on the right foot with a cracking start by dumping the Owls as a 24 ?-point home favorite, 49-3. Roy Helu Jr. appeared to be more rolling stone than running back as he racked up three touchdowns and 152 rushing yards on 16 carries. The Cornhuskers? defense came up big as well in holding Florida Atlantic to just four drives in which they moved the ball a total of at least 40 yards.

The majority of betting shops have expected more of the same from the ?Huskers this week after listing them as 23 ?-point home faves against Arkansas State.

At first blush, you?d say that the Red Wolves don?t stand a chance. That?s a perfectly understandable thing to believe of another of the lowly schools of the Sun Belt Conference.


Arkansas State is coming off of an impressive 61-0 pillaging of Mississippi Valley State to open its schedule. The Wolves just ran down the Delta Devils? throat, logging 53 total carries for 358 total rushing yards. Reggie Arnold accounted for 126 of those yards on the ground, with four touchdowns.

The Red Wolves? rushing attack could help tire Nebraska down defensively. That?s not a good thing considering that Nebraska will no doubt be thinking of a trip out east to face the Hokies the following weekend.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the Cornhuskers have not covered two straight games when listed as at least 20-point favorites since the beginning of the 2006 campaign. It?s an awful high number for bettors to back in a look ahead spot.

Breaking in the New Digs?

Minnesota could be considered a darkhorse team in the Big Ten with Adam Weber under center, Erick Decker as the No. 1 wide out and Duane Bennett handling the rushing duties. The Golden Gophers needed all three players to come out on top against Syracuse to open the year with a 23-20 overtime win. Not a pretty win, but a win nonetheless.

Most sportsbooks aren?t putting much stock in the Gophers this week by making them as fairly standard four-point home favorites against Air Force.

You can?t fault the ?books for doing what they did here with Minnesota. This team got outplayed by the Orange for a fair amount of its last game. Plus, this is the first game for the Golden Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium. There will no doubt be a few kinks to be worked out for Tim Brewster?s team since they?ve played their home games at the Metrodome. It will be interesting to see how they adjust to play in the open air atmosphere for home dates now after playing in controlled environments for so long.

The Falcons pose a threat to Minnesota since they possess a much stronger running game than the Orange. Last week, the Air Force racked up 474 yards on the ground versus Nicholls State.

This is a great test for the Gophers? front seven considering they?ll be facing Jahvid Best and California next week. All Brewster can hope for is that Minnesota keeps focused on this week?s opponent.

Trouble on Rocky Top?

Lane Kiffin finally got a chance to back up all the talking he did during the summer as his Volunteers made mincemeat of Western Kentucky as 31-point home favorites, 63-7. We shouldn?t read too much into this win since this is the Hilltoppers? first year as full fledged members of the Football Bowl Subdivision. Jonathan Crompton definitely likes Tennessee?s new offensive gameplan, completing 21 of 28 passes for 233 yards and five scores.

Now the Vols are ready for a spot of revenge with UCLA coming into Knoxville. UT got caught with its pants down when Rick Neuheisel?s side stole a 27-24 overtime victory as seven-point home pups last year.

The sportsbooks are expecting Tennessee to come up big here by making them an 8 ?-point home ?chalk.?

While that number sounds about right, you know that this team is salivating for its meeting with the Gators in Gainesville the following Saturday. It?s entirely possible that this team could be looking ahead for that game. You should also know that the Volunteers are just 2-2 straight up against Pac-10 schools recently. Even worse is the fact that they are 1-3 against the spread.

 

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Gardner: Here?s to Week 2

Gardner: Here?s to Week 2

Gardner: Here?s to Week 2
September 9, 2009

That first weekend of college football betting is in the books and let me ask you this, was that not crazy? The Miami-Florida State thriller on Labor Day night will surely go down as a classic. And don?t even get me started on Oregon and running back LeGarrette Blount?s big blunder last Thursday on the blue turf in Boise. (Did anybody else see those big puffs of smoke on the field? Those would be Oregon?s dreams of a BSC championship.)

Moving right along?

Over at Bodog Sportsbook we saw big action on LSU against Washington, but the Huskies looked like a new team under first-year coach Steve Sarkisian and they easily covered. It?ll be interesting to see if Udub can keep posting those big points.

USC certainly appeared in better early-season shape than their counterparts this week, Ohio State. QB Matt Barkley looked good for USC, while the Buckeyes were on the cusp of a possible upset to Navy despite having all summer to prepare for that option offense. Maybe OSU was looking ahead to this week?s big game with Southern Cal, one that could punt the loser right out of the national championship race.


We saw a lot of action on Illinois against Missouri, but not so much coming from the Illini as a team. QB Juice Williams looked completely unprepared in a 37-9 loss.

Illinois wasn?t the only Big Ten team that didn?t exactly shine this past weekend. Iowa was extremely fortunate to escape a loss to I-AA Northern Iowa. Minnesota, a bowl team last year, should have lost at Syracuse. Bettors were not convinced that former Duke basketball player Greg Paulus was going to make a smooth transition at QB for the Orange, but they covered. Paulus? mistake in OT cost them a potential victory, however.

Meanwhile, we expect huge action this weekend on Michigan-Notre Dame. The Wolverines probably had the best showing of any Big Ten team, clobbering a good Western Michigan team. Rich Rodriguez turned West Virginia around in his second year there, and so far he appears to be turning this year?s bettors into believers.

Notre Dame?s 35-0 win over Nevada was indeed impressive, leaving little doubt that the spread was not going to be covered, let alone smothered. I expect Notre Dame-Michigan to perhaps even outdraw USC-Ohio State in total handle this weekend.

And then there?s Oklahoma. We saw plenty of action on BYU to cover the 22 points against OU, and that was assured when Sam Bradford went down with a shoulder injury that could keep him out for a month and keep the Sooners out of the chase for the national championship ? if he?s out for an entire month. All of a sudden BYU has become the chic ?outsider? team.

 

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Public Enemies

Public Enemies

Public Enemies



A huge part of handicapping is trying to find where the public is betting, and the times to go against it. This article is not aimed at who are the biggest public plays, but teams that made such large impacts the week before to the betting masses. All season long, I'll keep bettors alerted on the teams to maybe take a second look at before taking a game because, "It looks too easy." Here are three games to watch out for this week.

Louisiana Tech at Navy (-7 ?) - 3:30 PM EST

The Midshipmen made plenty of headlines this past week by losing at Ohio State, 31-27. Navy covered as 23-point road underdogs, but had a chance to tie the game in the final minutes and failed on a two-point conversion. Navy owns one of the top rushing games in the nation, thanks to the triple-option offense. The Midshipmen rushed for 186 yards, but surprisingly threw for 156 yards. Last season, Navy tallied triple-digits in passing in just two games, a loss at Duke and a win over Temple.

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The Bulldogs were run all over by Auburn in a 37-13 setback. Louisiana Tech allowed 301 rushing yards to the Tigers, while giving up 5.8 yards a carry. Last season, the Bulldogs did a nice job shutting down the run, with opposing offenses amassing an average of 104 yards a game. Derek Dooley's squad is 3-8 ATS since 2007 as a road underdog, and 5-22 ATS as an away 'dog since 2004.

Bowling Green at Missouri (-18) - 7:00 PM EST

Both these teams are coming off outright underdog victories in the opening week. Missouri surprised Illinois in St. Louis, 37-9, as the Tigers put up 442 yards. There were plenty of questions surrounding Gary Pinkel's offense, following the loss of QB Chase Daniel and WR Jeremy Maclin to the NFL. However, sophomore QB Blaine Gabbert torched the Illini defense for 319 yards and three touchdown tosses. Mizzou is just 13-13 ATS since 2004 as a home favorite, but 6-3 ATS in that role against non-conference opponents.

The Falcons shocked last season's Sun Belt champion Troy, 31-14. The Trojans built an early 14-0 lead, before Bowling Green scored 31 unanswered points the rest of the way. The Falcons didn't do much on the ground (50 yards), but QB Tyler Sheehan picked apart the Troy defense by throwing for 339 yards and a touchdown. Bowling Green has been a solid play on the road the last three seasons, going 9-4 ATS when getting points on the highway.

BYU (-17 ?) at Tulane - 10:15 PM EST

The Cougars shocked many people with their upset over previously third-ranked Oklahoma on Saturday, 14-13. BYU won outright as 23-point underdogs, but were also helped out by the injury to OU's Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Sam Bradford. BYU outgained Oklahoma by nearly 100 yards (357-265), but the Cougars turned the ball over four times.

The Green Wave was embarrassed by conference-rival Tulsa in their opener last Friday, 37-13. Tulane amassed 325 yards through the air, but rushed for only 39 yards. Tulane's rush defense was scorched by the Golden Hurricane ground attack, with Tulsa racking up 201 yards on the ground.

Tulsa closed as a 14-point road favorite, and with BYU giving three to four more points, one has to wonder if that number is too low, and if the Cougars should be laying closer to three touchdowns? Tulane owned one of the worst rush defenses last season, but BYU ran for 28 yards on 33 carries against Oklahoma. Advantage, Tulane? Perhaps it's something else to factor in when handicapping this game.

 

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News and Notes - Week 2

News and Notes - Week 2

News and Notes - Week 2
September 9, 2009
By Phil Steele
Northcoast Sports
Week 2
NEWS AND NOTES

In a newly renovated home stadium Indiana drew 36,759, their largest home crowd since 1997. While the Hoosiers led at one point 19-7, they were clinging to a 19-13 lead when EK fumbled with 11:49 left on 2nd & gl from the 5. EK's final drive got to the Indy 40 but their Hail Mary pass was batted down...

Iowa St ended a 10 game losing streak with a 34-17 win over North Dakota St. At the half, NDSt actually had a 233-221 yd edge but fumbled into the EZ for a TB on 2nd & gl from the 3 and trailed 17-10. Clinging to a 27-17 lead ISt got a 42 yd TD pass with 9:58 left to ice it...

A stunner in the first week was Troy, who had been perceived as one of the top non-BCS teams losing by 17 at Bowling Green. Troy jumped out to a 14-0 lead but while BG converted on all three 4th down conversions, Troy was SOD at the BG17, missed a 36 yd FG, was int'd at the BG29 and with 2:14 left, down by 10 on 4th & 6 was int'd and ret'd 64 yards for a TD...

Temple had a 225-118 yd edge at the half vs Villanova but was int'd at the 18 and missed a 35 yd FG. They led 24-14 in the 4Q and up 24-17, but fumbled at the Villanova 35 with 5:53 left. VU got a 12pl drive for a TD then after an int got the 32 yard game-winning FG for the upset...


Another outright upset winner was N Texas stunning Ball St. BSt had their 14 game regular season winning streak end and NT got their first non-conf road victory since 1999. NT could have won much bigger than the 20-10 final as they had a 512-309 yd edge and won despite missing a 47 yd FG, being int'd in the EZ from the 2, settling for a 24 yd FG, missing a 47 yd FG, fumbling at their own 35 (set up Ball St's only TD) and ending the game at the BSt9 taking a knee...

Kent St was not all that impressive vs Coastal Carolina with 2 safeties and they only led 2-0 at half. They did finish with a 344-185 yd edge and RB Jarvis rushed for 141 yards, had 30 yards in receptions and had 94 yards in returns...

Utah extended the nation's longest win streak to 15 with a 35-17 win over their rival Utah St. New QB Terrance Cain hit 20 of 30 for 286 yards and 2 of his first 6 passes went for TD's including a short slant pass that went 65 yards...

While Hawaii had a 415-270 yd edge vs C Arkansas, they trailed most of the game and forced a punt with 2:26 left. UH got a 66 yd pass to the 8 and an 8 yd TD pass with 1:22 left to escape with a 25-20 win...

Northwestern was more impressive than the final score as they scored TD's on their first 4 poss and led 30-0. NW was SOD at the Towson 4 with 3:00 left and failed to cover the 34 point spread, 47-14...

Tennessee had an 18-1 FD edge and 297-24 yd edge at the half. They still only led 35-7 after 3Q's but scored 4 TD's in the 4Q and ended the game at the WKU 6...

Liberty traded scores with W Virginia in the 1Q and it was 10-10. WV finally iced it mid-4Q with a TD 2pl after an int and Liberty went 70/12pl for a garbage TD with :58 left...

Purdue has moved to a more run oriented offense and Ralph Bolden rushed for 234 yards. Purdue K Carson Wiggs set a school record with a 59 yd FG. Toledo QB Aaron Opelt threw 69 times for 423 yards but PU led 45-14 in the 3Q in their 52-21 win...

Georgia Tech had a big game vs Clemson on deck and got their first PR for a TD (58 yds) with :55 left 1H to lead 31-7. They played their backups most of the 2H and GT missed a 42 yd FG with 2:59 left and JSt got a 75/11pl drive for a garbage TD with :45 left. GT had a 312-107 yd edge at half...

Mississippi St had 45 points, their largest total since 2002 but did have TD drives of 24 (after fmbl'd snap by P), 15 (after int), 34 (after fmbl) and got a 43 yd IR TD as they benefitted from a 5-2 turnover edge...

Air Force scored on 9 of their first 10 drives of the game vs Nicholls St in their 72-0 rout with a 576-151 yd edge...

While Rice lost by 20, their rebuilt offense moved the ball well with 391 yards. They had a 23 yd FG blk'd on 4th & 2 from the 2, were int'd at the 1, settled for a 29 yd FG and were SOD at the 16...

Rich Rodriguez came in under a lot of pressure from Michigan but the Wolverines dominated rolling up a 31-0 lead in the 1H and at one point had a 289-24 yd edge. They did give up a 74 yd TD pass in the 3Q and UM was SOD at the WM10 with :38 left in the 31-7 win...

New Mexico failed to score a TD for the 4th straight opener and Texas A&M dominated the game 41-6 with a 606-231 yd edge...

N Iowa is a good FCS team (#4) but had a 151-105 yd edge at the half vs Iowa and led 13-3 early in the 3Q. Iowa led 17-16 when NI drove 69/11pl and a 40 yd FG was blk'd with :02 left but since the kick was on FD and NI recovered without the ball crossing the line of scrimmage, they got a 2nd opportunity for the win but the 2nd 41 yd FG was blk'd again and Iowa escaped...

Kansas St overcame 3 TO's and a blocked punt for a TD as they had a 407-212 yd edge vs Massachusetts and led 21-3 at the half...

Syracuse QB Greg Paulus hit 19 of 31 for 167 yds and SU led almost the entire 2H but Minnesota got a 26 yd FG with :57 left to force OT and won it there...

Wyoming had a 2 QB race all of Aug between Robert Benjamin and Karsten Sween. Versus Weber St, Coach Christensen alternated the two, but it was Benjamin (8-14-87) and frosh Austyn Carta-Samuels (8-17-101) who shared. They did lead a very good Weber St team 29-15 when Weber got a TD with :38 left for only a 7 point win...

Kevin Prince became just the 2nd UCLA frosh QB to start an opener. SDSt scored a TD on its first 2 poss vs the Bruins gaining 147 yds but would have just 130 yards the rest of the game. The Aztecs had 3 shots at the cover but they were SOD at the UCLA40, int'd at the UCLA7 and int'd at the 20 all in the 4Q. Another key play was a 70 yd blk'd FG for a TD which was basically a 10 point swing...

Auburn's Gus Malzahn's 2nd try as an SEC OC worked out pretty well vs LA Tech. Auburn piled up 556 yards with 301 rush and 255 passing in their 37-13 win over LT...

UTEP got a game-winning TD pass with :14 left and the crowd celebrated and the announcers talked about what a great comeback win it was for UTEP. Unfortunately, holding was called on the play, plus UTEP celebrated the TD and was called for unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that moved the ball past the 40 and lost by 6. UTEP had a 24-18 FD edge and 372-309 yd edge...

Vanderbilt had 2 runners top 100 yards for the first time since 2002 as frosh Warren Norman (110, 6.1) and frosh Zac Stacy (130, 6.5) both accomplished that vs overmatched W Carolina...

Cal moved its game time back to 10:00 pm EST for Maryland's cross-country trip after the Terps moved the starting time up to 9:00 am PT last year. As expected, Cal dominated with 244 yards rushing and led 31-6 at the half. RB Jahvid Best rushed for 137 yards on just 10 carries sitting out most of the 2H and Cal got revenge for last year's upset loss...

UC Davis had not been shutout since 1990, a streak of 212 games but was playing before its largest crowd ever as 31,250 watched Fresno St dominate them 51-0...

Rich Ellerson became the first Army coach to win his first game in 18 years. He stepped into a great situation as Army made the move to the wishbone last year. E Michigan, which changed their offense, putting the QB under center, had different results. QB Andy Schmitt who had 1,000 yards passing in the final 2 games (500 ypg) threw for just 183 and EM managed 223 yds offense trailing 13-0 at the half at home vs the Cadets...

A tough start to the season for Idaho St. Arizona St demolished them with a 407-37 yd edge in their game. Next up for ISt, how about an Oklahoma team off a loss...

Things were not completely bad for the state of Idaho as Boise beat Oregon and Idaho got their first win in an opening game since 1999 and their first road win since 2006. They led New Mexico St 21-0 at the half...

Things did not look good for SMU as they trailed Stephen F Austin 23-14 after 3Q's but they got a 53 yd FG and 2 TD's, the first on a 4th & 1 QB sneak by Mitchell with 7:47 left, 24-23 and the 2nd on a 48 yd TD run. SFA missed a 39 yd FG with 2:13 left and then SMU put it away with a 48 yd TD run to escape 31-23...

Washington had one of the better performances of the week for a team. Against a Top 10 team at home, UW had a 478-321 yd edge but came up short on the scoreboard 31-23. UW had an impressive 25-17 FD edge and Locker hit 25-45-321 yds and rushed for 51 for the Huskies. UW did get a 9 yd TD pass on the final play of the game...

UCF trailed 24-21 when they got a TD pass in the 4Q to get past Samford. Samford had a 286-282 yd edge...

Nebraska won their 24th consecutive opener, the longest streak in the nation as they rolled over Florida Atl 49-3. QB Zac Lee hit 15-22-213 in his Husker debut and Roy Helu rushed for 152 yards...

For the 2nd straight year Arkansas St pounded an FCS foe, this time 61-0. They had a 496-69 yd edge...

Arizona's defense held a potent C Michigan offense to just 182 total yards. Arizona, meanwhile, rolled up over 200 yards both rushing and passing. With those type of numbers, it's surprising the Wildcats only won 19-6. Arizona did have a QB battle coming out of Aug and it was expected both QB's would play but Matt Scott engineered the team the entire game hitting 19 of 30 for 202 yards while rushing for 83. Scott almost doubled Dan LeFevour's production as LeFevour had just 108 yards passing.

TOUGH DAY FOR THE ACC

Baylor snapped a 9-game road losing streak beating Wake Forest on the road. BU led 24-7 in the 3Q and held on for a 24-21 win...

William & Mary had a 16-12 FD and 309-268 yd edges vs Virginia and also took advantage of 7 Cav turnovers as UVA rotated 3 QB's. UVA led 14-13 at the half but W&M clinched it with a 50 yd IR TD with 2:39 left...

Duke did have a 369-283 yard edge over the defending FCS National Champ Richmond, but Richmond blk'd a punt for TD and the FCS got its 2nd win over an ACC team this week, 24-16. Duke QB Lewis hit 34-55-359 but Richmond had 1 blk'd PR for a TD which helped them.

BIG SHOES TO FILL

We wondered who would take Donald Brown's place at RB at Connecticut but Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon may have answered the question. The 2 combined for 44 attempts and 257 yards rushing as each topped 100 yards vs a good Ohio defense.

MISLEADING FINALS AND BACKDOOR COVERS

Alabama had 22-11 FD and 498-155 yd edges but only led by 3 mid-4Q in their 10 point win over Virg Tech...

Wisconsin appeared on their way to a rout leading N Illinois 28-6 after 3Q's but for the 2nd straight year allowed a MAC team the backdoor cover. NI got not 1 but 2 TD's in the 4Q and actually only lost by 8. The 2nd TD came with 2:47 left and pulled them within 1 score...

ULM was actually within 21-10 of Texas in the 2Q before the Longhorns rolled to the 59-20 win. Texas led 52-10 early 4Q.

NOT PUTTING OPPONENTS AWAY

On paper, Boise St had a tough outing vs Oregon only winning 19-8. That does not tell the story of the game. At the half BSt had a 13-0 FD edge and 185-13 yd edge but missed a couple of short FG's, one coming after a 1st & gl at the 1 and they only led 13-0. It was 19-0 when the Ducks got their first FD of the game with 7:07 left in the 3Q and BSt turned it over on 3 of their next 4 poss but their D held strong and they finished with a 361-152 yd edge and 28 of the Ducks yards came on the final 3 plays of the game...

Penn St dominated Akron with a 17-0 FD edge and 345-9 yd edge at the half but missed a chipshot FG, settled for another short FG and were int'd at the 4 and "only" led 31-0. After a Penn St fumble, Akron got its only TD on a 40 yd pass on the next play. Penn St also missed a 49 yd FG and at the end of the game, their final play came up short at the Akron 8 yd line on a pass...

Appalachian St was without their star QB Armanti Edwards and E Carolina appeared on their way to a rout as they led 24-0 early 2Q, scoring on their first 3 drives of the game. It was 27-7 at the half but EC allowed App St to get back in it behind 3rd string QB Cadet, who led ASt on 55, 38 and 24 yd drives for 2 TD's and a FG to make it 29-24 with 4:24 left. ASt forced a punt with 1:28 left and got to midfield but their 4th down pass was incomplete...

Navy played a great game vs Ohio St. They did trail 29-14 when the Buckeyes were SOD at the Navy 15 with 6:27 left. A FG would have put the Buckeyes up by 3 scores. Navy got an 85 yd TD pass and then after an int, got a 29 yd TD run with 2:23 left. The 2 pt conv would have tied it but OSU not only int'd but they ret'd it for 2 to win the game by 4.

KEY INJURIES

Illinois WR Arrelious Benn was inj'd on the first series vs Missouri and RB's Jason Ford and Daniel Dufrene were both on the sidelines as well. Missouri had a 442-325 yd edge in their 37-9 win...

Clemson RB CJ Spiller got a 96 yd KR for to open the Middle Tennessee game but had just 12 yards on 4 carries after inj himself on a 50 yd PR in the 2Q. He did not play in the 2H...

Of course, the most talked about injury of the week and probably the most important was Sam Bradford of Oklahoma. The game was tied at 7 when he was injured. OU had a 4th & gl at the 1 early 4Q up by 3 but a delay penalty forced a 22 yd FG leaving BYU in the game and BYU drove 78/16pl for a TD with 3:03 left while OU missed a 54 yd FG on the game's final play. The Cougars now have a legitimate shot at playing in the National Title game if they are able to run the table as they have 3 ranked teams left on the schedule in Florida St, Utah and TCU...

Southern Miss WR DeAndre Brown did not play vs Alcorn St a while he is still recovering from last year's injury. SM did have 38-9 FD and 631-171 yd edges in a 52-0 rout of Alcorn St.

ONE PLAY AWAY

Sometimes one play determines a game. South Carolina did have 16-11 FD and 256-133 yd edges vs NCSt but an NCSt fumble at their own 14 set up SC's TD "drive." SC did bobble a snap on a 40 yd FG and missed 29 yarder or the Gamecocks could have led by more. With the Wolfpack trailing 7-3 they had a 2nd & 10 and dropped a 32 yd TD pass and were SOD 2 plays later.

POINTS LEFT OFF THE BOARD

The Friday night Tulsa/Tulane game could have been a lot higher scoring. Tulane had 364 yards offense but just 13 points. Tulane had a 1st & gl at the 14 but settled for a 31 yd FG which was blk'd. They then went on a 13pl drive but punted from the 37. Tulane also settled for a 27 yd FG but only had 3 points in the 1H. Tulsa settled for 22 and 24 yd FG's. Tulane had a 1st & gl at the 4 but was SOD at the 2. Tulsa fmbl'd into the EZ for a TB from the 2. Tulane had a TD called back and settled for a 29 yd FG and then was int'd at the 14.