Sunday 7: Family feuds might cost SEC in national picture

• The Southern-fried family feud has begun: We'll have, at best, only one undefeated team in the SEC this season. What else is new, right? Florida struggled at Ole Miss. SEC feel-good du jour (South Carolina) looked helpless at LSU (but doesn't everyone?). Georgia lost at home to South Carolina, then won at Alabama.

LSU kept on truckin' (football vernacular for beating the snot out of people). Meanwhile, the SEC story of the month is Kentucky. All-American-to-be Andre Woodson led a fourth-quarter comeback against Louisville and Arkansas.

LSU, Florida and Kentucky are the only undefeated squads in the league. They all play each other by Oct. 20. That's six days after the first BCS standings will be released. With all these brother-on-brother beat-ups, will the SEC still be in the national championship race?

• Defending Big East champion Louisville (snicker) showed there is a way to lose (at home) to one of the most inept teams in I-A. Commit four turnovers, 12 penalties and allow two sacks.

The 38-35 loss to Syracuse might be the second most-shocking upset of the season. The Orange had scored 32 points in three games before getting 38 Saturday. Before Saturday, Greg Robinson had one Big East win in three seasons. Before Saturday, the Big East had four BCS bowl contenders. Now it has three.

Kentucky was one thing, but Syracuse? Hey, Louisville, Conference USA might have an opening.

• Last week was training camp. Saturday marked the first offensive touchdown (against Michigan State). At Notre Dame, you take your progress where you can get it. Wake up the alumni, ND (0-4) is off to its worst start in history. Next loss: at Purdue.

• Cupcakes go home: With the widespread beginning of conference play this week, we can say goodbye to an agonizing parade of non-conference patsies and blowouts.

While college's exhibition season had its moments, there were only four non-conference games between ranked teams in the first four weeks. And in those games, the higher-ranked team won each time.

• What does Wofford have that Michigan or Lenoir-Rhyne don't? The ability to beat Appalachian State. The Mountaineers drop out of the Power Poll and their sappy love story is officially over. As reported in Saturday's blog, App State coach Jerry Moore can now continue his pursuit of a new job.

Louisville's home loss to Syracuse may be the second most-shocking upset this season. (Getty Images)

• Give me Michael Hart. Anytime. Anywhere. As the Wolverines sank slowly in the West, one guy didn't quit. Michigan's senior tailback, on his way to becoming the school's all-time rushing leader, muscled his way to 153 yards on 44 carries in a 14-9 win over Penn State.

Forty-four carries? That's a good month for Steve Slaton.

In the end, Hart might be too small and too banged-up to be a serviceable NFL back, but he is not going to let this season drain away.

Michigan (2-2) should be favored in its next six games before ending the regular season against Wisconsin and Ohio State.

From chumps to (Big Ten) champs?

• Shuffle the Heisman deck. Yes, it's disgustingly early, but some early favorites have faded. Meanwhile, Dennis Dixon anyone? The Oregon quarterback went 12-for-12 in the third quarter against Stanford and kept the Pac-10's highest-scoring offense in gear.

Matt Ryan is Graham Harrell with a defense. Boston College's quarterback lifted himself into Heisman contention during a 37-17 victory over Army. Win next week, and BC would be 5-0 for the first time since 1954.

Who is Graham Harrell? The latest system quarterback at Texas Tech, who threw for 646 yards against Oklahoma State, fourth most in major-college history. Predictably, the Red Raiders sealed the 49-45 loss when Harrell's potential game-winning pass bounced off the pads of Jeremy Crabtree. Crabtree had caught 14 other passes.

Note to Heisman candidates: All those stats are nice, but it helps to win once in a while.