Weekend Watch List: Nittany Lions perfect strangers in title hunt

The record says so, but no one is admitting in mixed company that Penn State is perfect.

Or even healthy.

Veteran observers see three, maybe four losses.

The offensive line looks shaky. The linebacking corps has been ravaged by injuries. The secondary is new.

Still, there's this window and it opens slightly this week against Iowa. They're calling it a revenge game at Beaver Stadium, which is stupid because all Daniel Murray did was his job -- kicking a 31-yard field goal to beat the Nits last season in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes haven't lost since. Their seven-game winning streak is the fourth best in the country.

They're making it a whiteout, which is also stupid. Iowa is unranked. Kirk Ferentz is 6-2 against Joe Paterno, 6-1 since 2000. That's not a rivalry, that's a caning. Such displays at Penn State are usually reserved for visits by Ohio State or Michigan.

"I don't know what revenge has to do with football," Paterno said this week. "It's not like they sneaked up on us and stuck us in the back with a knife or something."

Paterno has been stabbed before. The patriarch of, well, everything, was more or less denied four national title shots because of the old bowl system. He should be hyping the BCS, except that JoePa is a staunch playoff guy. Always has been.

However, in the old system, he'd be hoping to play No. 1 Florida at the end of the season. In the BCS, it could be a reality. He has to know -- or someone needs to explain to him -- that there are some possibilities here. National championship game possibilities. Despite the flaws shown in the three-game slog through Akron, Syracuse and Temple, there is an upside. Get past Iowa and the next-toughest game might be Nov. 7 against Ohio State at home.

And, yes, WWL is aware that game is preceded by trips to Michigan and Northwestern.

Look at last year. That Murray kick might have been the only thing separating Penn State from the national championship game. This is still the Big Ten, where you can be replacing your best receivers, breaking in a new secondary and be coming off a Rose Bowl embarrassment and be considered a conference favorite.

Is anyone else sensing a regular-season repeat of 11-1, maybe 12-0? Sounds strange, but so did Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl a couple of years ago. How did that work out?

You don't have to be the best team in America, just be in the best position. Penn State is currently ranked fourth in the coaches poll. You know, the one used in the BCS rankings? That's its highest spot after three games since 1999. Since the beginning of the season, six teams above the Nittanies in the AP poll have lost. At least one more team currently above Penn State will lose because Florida and Alabama will meet again in the SEC Championship Game if both are still unbeaten.

That's the thing about sneaking up on someone with a knife: It's a surprise. No one is talking about Penn State outside of Happy Valley. The preseason ranking (No. 8 in the coaches poll) was the highest in 10 years.

WWL isn't saying, it's just saying. Penn State just might have a shiv hidden in its sock.

The system Joe hates is the one that might reward him this year. Part of the reason the BCS exists today is because Paterno got jobbed out of those four national championship opportunities (1968, 1969, 1973, 1994). In '94 Penn State spent two weeks at No. 1, won them both, and lost out to Nebraska because the pollsters liked the also-undefeated Huskers better.

This may be the year if for no other reason than Penn State is positioned right if things start blowing up around it. Ole Miss went down Thursday night. Florida had better find a deep threat and keep Tim Tebow clean or there could be a huge upset lurking. Texas still has to play Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

All Penn State has to do is keep winning to have a shot at the word no one wants to mention.

Perfection.

Five on the clock

The Harris Poll: Let the ripping begin. One half of the human component of the BCS debuts Sunday with another cast of media guys, former players and I-thought-he-was-dead personalities casting their votes for the Top 25. The skinny: There will be no surprises. Harris will look a lot like AP and the coaches poll.

Tyrod Taylor: Virginia Tech's scatter-armed quarterback squirreled one out against Nebraska. Things won't be as easy against Miami. The 'Canes will score more than the Huskers in Blacksburg. Taylor did it last week, but can T-Mobile bring the Hokies back against bigger, faster, better Miami with his arm on Saturday?

Uh, no.

The Pac-10: Now that USC has shown itself to be vulnerable again, is anyone on the Left Coast going to step up? Cal plays Oregon in a de facto playoff to determine the next best team in the Pac-10. Or maybe the best. Both the Ducks and Bears host the Trojans this season.

The USC quarterback: It's Matt Barkley this week, but what if he struggles against Washington State? And just where the hell is Mitch Mustain in all this? Pete Carroll uncharacteristically called out Aaron Corp. Does he trust Corp enough to use him again? It's not a quarterback controversy, it's a quarterback "situation" and it is strange. Very strange.

Shaq Vs. ... His name is Shaquelle Evans and he is just one of the options for Charlie Weis after the devastating season-ending injury to receiver Michael Floyd. Evans, a freshman from Inglewood, Calif., named after Shaquille O'Neal (give or take a vowel), is a speed guy who might be used to stretch the field.

Junior Duval Kamara will compete with senior Robby Parris for Floyd's touches as well. Together they have 99 catches for 1,036 yards in their careers. The loss of Floyd, though, cannot be understated as ND heads into the Purdue game. Floyd had as many career touchdown receptions (12) in 14 games as former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown did in 43 games.

Scouting the nation

Psyched up in Seattle: After spending his week walking on Lake Washington, U-Dub's coach/rock star/savior Steve Sarkisian moves to the next chapter in his life. A roadie at Stanford.

Kiffeyer/Meyfin: Now that SEC commissioner Mike Slive has told the boys to play nice, maybe we can get back to football.

The SEC schedule kicks off in full with these questions yet to be answered:

Is the SEC West the toughest "conference" in the country? It was until Thursday night. It went in with three teams ranked in the top seven (Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss). Now it seems like everything is on the table in the nation's best "conference." Watch out for cannibalism. LSU has to travel to improving Mississippi State and a rock star is being born in Fayetteville. Read on.

Is Ryan Mallett all that? Absolutely. A rocket arm attached to a brain being coached by Bobby Petrino, Arkansas' quarterback looks like the league's best pro prospect at the position.

If 'Bama lets him have the ball often enough, Mallett will get his numbers (358.5 yards, three touchdowns per game). But Arkansas won't see the ball enough against Jim McElwain's ball control 'Bama offense.

Arkansas has surrendered two sacks in 80 pass attempts. 'Bama has 10 sacks.

Remember when they used to rip the Big 12 for having no defense? Check yourself, SEC. Your league currently leads the country, scoring 35 points per game. There are four SEC teams in top 10 in offense, "only" two in the top 10 in defense.

It's OK to be entertaining.

Is Urban Meyer right when he says his receivers are not up to Florida standards? Absolutely. A combination of the flu and injuries have left the Gators dangerously thin going to Kentucky. It was bad enough losing all-everything Percy Harvin and deep threat Louis Murphy. Now the depleted Gators are facing preseason All-American cornerback Trevard Lindley, who is tied for second nationally in passes defended.

You better believe Brandon James is going to be a bigger part of the offense. With 72 receiving yards this season, James is 24 yards short of a career high in that category. He needs 15 yards to become SEC career leader in combined kickoff and punt return yardage.

Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, (Bleep) U: WWL would like to be able to report that it's all about a battle of unbeatens with Southern Miss coming to Kansas.

Sadly, it's a battle of beatens, as in the KU basketball and football teams beatin' each other up. Twice within a 15-hour period, players from both squads clashed quite publicly and violently over what, no one really knows.

CBSSports.com college basketball writer Gary Parrish has opined on the incidents. It's obvious the two teams wearing the same colors hate each other. Maybe it has something to do with who rules the campus. KU hoops is a national power in possession of the hearts and minds of every Jayhawk. Apparently KU football wants a piece of the action.

This pub might be the breakthrough KU football needs. It is one of the most anonymous programs in the country. Todd Reesing should be on every Heisman list. Receiver Dezmon Briscoe, an All-American prospect, might go the rest of the season without being able to speak to the media. (Briscoe was suspended for missing class this year and his name was mentioned on the latest clash.)

Hot Cougars (the football kind): If Case Keenum contends for the Heisman, it will be strictly because of his play. Let's say Houston's quarterback is not, well, colorful.

Bland would be a better word. A recent conference call was a sleepy walk through the life of Keenum, who "learned another huge lesson," when former coach Art Briles left.

"Family," Keenum said, "comes first."

Case Keenum returns to the field to face Texas Tech after a bye. (Getty Images)

It's good that there are fans actually wearing Houston jerseys on campus,

"It's cool to have some team spirit."

Keenum, it seems, was not tutored by one of the high-powered and highly-paid quarterback gurus growing up.

"I don't know about any gurus," he said. "My dad was a coach, sometimes the only one at the Coach Keenum clinic."

Yawn. Keenum gets it that "your real résumé is what you put on film." The overachiever received one scholarship offer out of high school and was told if only he were two inches taller ...

Now at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, life is good for Keenum as the Cougars prepare to host Texas Tech. Houston is ranked for the first time in eight years. The last time there was this much hype about the Cougars, Andre Ware was winning the Heisman and David Klingler was rewriting the NCAA record book.

"I do enjoy representing for guys who only had one scholarship offer or weren't considered the top recruit," Keenum said. "Just to show it's not about how tall you are, or how big you are."

Keenum is officially a dark-horse Heisman candidate. The Houston quarterback's star hasn't faded even though the Cougars had a bye week prior to the showdown with Tech.

A BCS bowl might actually be a more attainable goal. If the Cougars get past the Red Raiders they could be looking at a 12-0 season. The two toughest games left are at Mississippi State and at Tulsa.

Going South (Florida): The saddest scene of last week was the way Matt Grothe's career likely ended. The Big East's all-time total offense leader blew out an ACL against Charleston Southern.

The Big East and South Florida lost a huge asset, a player who could mean the difference in the Bulls getting to a bowl this season. The injury shows the fleeting nature of stardom. Grothe, a senior, probably played his final game.

He will continue to travel with the team and will help coach the quarterbacks as the Bulls travel to Florida State.

"I was telling the guys you can't call me Matt or Grothe anymore. It's Coach Grothe now," he said. "Hopefully I'll be coaching one day, so this is good experience now for a little bit."

What the hell is Indiana doing at 3-0? OK, its wins are over Eastern Kentucky, Western Michigan and Akron. The Hoosiers are off to their best start since ... 2007. Where have you been, college football fan? This is the third time in five years Indiana has been 3-0 to start the season.

You're way ahead if you've already asked, "So what have they done after that?" The answer is not much. After starting 3-0 in '05 Indiana finished 1-6 under Terry Hoeppner. In 2007, it beat Indiana State, Western Michigan and Akron, then finished 4-6. That season did end in a bowl, IU's first in 14 years.

At least Bill Lynch should keep the wolves, if not the Wolverines, away for a while. Indiana hasn't won at Michigan since 1967. That was Michigan's last losing season, until 2008.

Elsewhere, losing thy name is Indiana: Ball State's Stan Parrish has a personal winless streak of 30 games (0-29-1) that goes back to 1987. The Cardinals go to Auburn. Division I-AA Indiana State has lost 30 in a row and 54 of its last 55. Only four players on the roster have ever won a game. The Sycamores lost the opener to an NAIA school, Quincy College, after leading 17-0.

So, yes, Virginia, things could be worse.

Etc.:

• Take it for what it's worth at this early date. The top five in the collegebcs.com BCS standings: 1, Alabama; 2, LSU; 3, Texas; 4, Florida; 5, California. Hmm, Alabama-LSU. That would be a rematch of the Nov. 7 game in Tuscaloosa

• Do the voting coaches even watch TV? USC's three first-place votes from last week went to Florida, which this week has all 59. No love for Texas or Alabama?

• If they ever climb back into the championship race, the Sooners (bye this week) might be hurt by having lost to a BYU team that lost at home to unranked Florida State

• Washington and Washington State had not won on the same day (until Saturday) since Sept. 8, 2007. What are the odds of the Washington double happening this week? Less than zero. Washington is at Stanford, while Washington State is a 43-point underdog at USC. Wait, 40-point underdog, at USC? Sounds familiar.

• After Miami, the toughest first-month schedule might belong to Georgia (hosting Arizona State). Following dates against Oklahoma State, South Carolina and Arkansas, the Dawgs face ASU, currently sporting the nation's No. 1 defense. And don't forget Georgia Tech at the end of the season. Since the schedule expanded to 12 games in 2006, Georgia is the first SEC team to play three non-conference games against BCS schools

• That's entertainment: Houston, which leads the nation in scoring, is hosting Texas Tech, which leads the nation in passing

• LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson (facing Mississippi State) has yet to throw for 200 yards in a game. That's 10 career games, five starts

• Would you believe Illinois has won three of the last four and seven of the last 10 at Ohio State?

• North Carolina Central is driving 3½ miles to play at Duke this week. The schools have never met.

• Bowling Green's Freddie Barnes has 42 catches going into a showdown with Boise State. That total is more than 28 teams.

• Clemson's C.J. Spiller could become the first ACC player to surpass 2,500 rushing yards, 1,000 receiving yards and 1,500 kickoff return yards. He needs 66, 14 and 29 yards in those categories against Boston College.

• Another ACC mystery of the universe: The league was second only to the SEC in players who made opening-day NFL rosters, 288-259.