There's no other season like college football, and this year is proving to be no different. As the first two weeks have gotten the football season into high gear, here are the thoughts running deep in my head as we head into Saturday's action.
USF is carrying the weight of an entire conference. How bad has the Big East been so far this year? West Virginia was quickly thrown out of the top 10, Rutgers is missing Ray Rice in a big way, UConn struggled to put away Temple — yes, Temple in overtime — and Syracuse has just been a disaster. The hopes of this BCS conference ride on USF, who squeaked by UCF in a great showdown in Orlando. The Bulls welcome Kansas in this weekend, and while a victory over the Jayhawks is possible, a defeat to KU could really signal a punishing blow that says the Big East should, at least this year, forfeit their BCS slot and give it to...
...East Carolina, the hottest team going. The Pirates might crash the BCS party anyway, but their wins over Virginia Tech and West Virginia have sent a clear message to the football world. Skip Holtz is the early frontrunner for National Coach of the Year, and an undefeated regular season is definitely a possibility for the folks in Greenville. Granted, fads come and go, but if the Big East would like to become a stronger conference, they should give up this 16-team basketball monstrosity, get some non-football programs out, and bring ECU into their league. With a large student base (25,990) in a populated state, ECU would be a solid fit in the Big East.
Meanwhile, the celebration penalties still need work ... lots of work. To call Jake Locker's toss in the air as "unsportsmanlike" is very lame, be it NCAA rule or not. Toss the ball in the stands? Throw the flag. Sign the ball or do anything that T.O. or Chad Johnson has done before? Throw the flag. But toss it in the air after leading a team through an incredible, last-minute drive? Please. The Pac-10 should be ashamed of themselves for that one.
Before the season began, I had my turnaround team of the year as Iowa State, given the returning starters, having a solid coach in Gene Chizik, and dropping Oklahoma and Texas from their schedule. So far, the Cyclones are a solid 2-0 with two relatively easy wins. So far, so good. This Saturday is a showdown with Iowa, and if ISU beats the Hawkeyes, they should be 4-0 when Kansas rolls into Ames. The Cyclones won just three games last year.
Charlie Weis came out this week and said that saying "to hell with Michigan" is actually a compliment to the Wolverines, since Bo Schembechler said "to hell With Notre Dame" during his tenure in Ann Arbor. Hmmm ... does anyone actually buy this? If you do, I have swampland in Kansas that is up for sale.
I haven't thought of USC/Ohio State until now ... amazing, isn't it? I guess I'm just not wrapped up yet with this game. USC trounced a Virginia team that struggled to put away Richmond, while Ohio State, playing without Beanie Wells, struggled with Ohio. Wells comes back for this game, but if he's not 100%, then USC has to win convincingly or else we'll hear for months the cry of "what if" from Buckeye fans. I just hope, whoever wins, the arguing afterwards stays to a minimum.
If you want an upset special, I've got two in mind. I like UCLA over BYU, even in the hostile environment of Provo. Nothing special; I just think BYU dodged one bullet too many already with the Washington game. I'd also keep an eye on Fresno State, a team who lives for shocking the big boys, taking on Wisconsin. That could be the darkhorse for the best game this weekend.
Finally, before Texas A&M bails the ship, and people start leaping on the Arkansas State bandwagon, let me remind you of a piece of the past.
USL (now UL-Lafayette) beat Texas A&M in 1996. The Cajun program hasn't skyrocketed this year, nor as the Aggie program sunk to cellar-dweller status. One upset is big, but it certainly doesn't mean the complete rise or fall of a program.
Enjoy your Saturday, everyone!
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