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Get ready for another big week in the Pac-10. The league already has wins at Alabama and against Wisconsin, and this week gets to take roundhouse shots at teams knocking at the door of the Top 10 -- Michigan and Kansas State. And both of those teams have to travel west. Washington is up first, hoping that the Husky Stadium noise does to Wolverines QB John Navarre what it did to Miami's Ken Dorsey last season -- turn him into a chucklehead. Navarre already has one West Coast defeat on his resume, at UCLA last year. The noise in the L.A. Coliseum isn't nearly as loud -- it's too dang big, usually too dang empty and USC has been too dang average. But, with loads of talented skill players, this is the Trojans' big chance to dispatch Kansas State, notch another classy win for the Pac-10 and rise back to the Top 25. |
Games of Sept. 7-8 Best game No. 11 Michigan at No. 15 Washington Best matchup Nebraska's kicking team vs. Notre Dame's return team Heisman climber David Carr, Fresno State Upset of the week UNLV over No. 16 Northwestern. This week's scoreboard |
Saturday's games
| RUTGERS (1-0) at No. 1 MIAMI (1-0) 4 p.m. ET, Orange Bowl, Miami | ||
| Greg Schiano gave up his defensive coordinator's job at Miami (and a shot at the national title) in order to rebuild Rutgers and pal around with famous alum James Gandolfini. But not even the Sopranos star can stop the Knights from being kneecapped by the nation's new No. 1 team. | ||
| Player to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| In a deep backfield, Miami junior Clinton Portis is the home-run threat, averaging more than 6 yards a carry in his career. | Miami left tackle Bryant McKinnie for the Heisman? We're buying it. We're soooo buying it. | The highest Heisman finish for an offensive linemen since 1973 is fourth (Ohio State's Orlando Pace in 1996). |
| Bottom line: Schiano's Jersey mob no match for Miami muscle. Miami, 42-7. | ||
| LOUISIANA-MONROE (0-1) at No. 2 FLORIDA (1-0) 6 p.m. ET, Florida Field, Gainesville | ||
| All quiet on the quarterback front, where Rex Grossman threw for a career-high 375 yards last week against Marshall. All that's left is for him to skate through this one and be controversy-free heading into next week's SEC Game of the Year -- Tennessee at Florida. | ||
| Player to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| RB Earnest Graham is the man to lead Florida's ground game out of the doldrums, scoring three TDs vs. Marshall. | Florida's weekly press release states: Louisiana-Monroe enters this week's game unranked by both AP and the coaches. Uh ... thanks for the clarification. | It's not so bad that La.-Monroe lost to Sam Houston State last week, it's that it was the Indians' sixth loss to the I-AA school in seven tries. |
| Bottom line: Gators starters stay in locker room at halftime, watching Vols game film. Florida, 54-3. | ||
| NORTH TEXAS (0-1) at No. 3 OKLAHOMA (2-0) 7:30 p.m. ET, Memorial Stadium, Norman | ||
| When North Texas has the ball, it will be the fourth-best offense in the stadium. You've got the Oklahoma offense, Oklahoma's second-string offense ... and then the Oklahoma defense, which has scored three touchdowns in two games. The Mean Green will do well to top the 130 yards it gained against TCU last week. | ||
| Player to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| Little guy Quentin Griffin (5-foot-6) is hard to find and hard to tackle; he had 201 rushing yards last week. | You say Hybl, we still say Heupel. But new Sooners QB Nate Hybl did show signs of improvement last week, so let's not call the whole thing off. | Three members of Oklahoma's secondary are on the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award -- Roy Williams, Derrick Strait, Brandon Everage. |
| Bottom line: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Oklahoma 41-0. | ||
| NORTH CAROLINA (0-2) at No. 4 TEXAS (1-0) noon ET, ABC, Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin | ||
| The Heels have had a perpetual cloud over them since coach Mack Brown bolted for Texas after the 1997 season. While North Carolina has lost its way (a 16-20 record in three-plus seasons), Brown has the Horns on a national championship track. | ||
| Player to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| Texas CB Quentin Jammer has big-play potential against erratic Heels QB Ronald Curry or freshman Darian Durant. | Curry said in the summer that he was giving up his senior season as UNC's basketball point guard. Can he get a do-over on that one? | The Tar Heels are winless in their past nine games against ranked teams, dating to the 1997 season. |
| Bottom line: Horns step on the Heels (playing third straight road game). Texas, 38-14. | ||
| No. 17 NOTRE DAME (0-0) at No. 5 NEBRASKA (2-0) 8 p.m. ET, ABC, Memorial Stadium, Lincoln | ||
| Bad news for Notre Dame is that the Nebraska bandwagon is relatively empty, leaving the Huskers with something to prove. Word from the Cornhuskers' two wins is that they don't run the ball very powerfully and Eric Crouch is still a lousy passer ... so NU actually fell a spot in the AP Poll this week. | ||
| Player to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| Here's a big chance for ND QB Matt LoVecchio to prove that he can do more than not fumble and not throw interceptions. Say it with us: Big plays win big games. | Nebraska is a two-TD favorite, and if not for ND's two TDs on kick returns last year at South Bend, it might be a three-TD spread this time. | Lay it all out there, fellas, this is your only chance in months to gain national respect. Neither team faces another ranked opponent for 6-7 weeks. |
| Bottom line: After two glorified scrimmages (TCU, Troy State), Big Red is ready to roll. NU, 34-13. | ||
| ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM (1-0) at No. 6 FLORIDA STATE (1-0) 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2, Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee | ||
| UAB coach Watson Brown only wishes his players would get suspended for getting a FSU-style "buddy discount." Instead, UAB needs this three-hour respite from its vast troubles that include nearly half the team (and the university itself) being sued for allegedly sexually exploiting a 15-year-old girl in the dorms. A sad, sordid story, no matter what comes out of it. | ||
| Player to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| With a running game that is perplexingly inadequate at times, FSU needs to keep seeing big things from Nick Maddox (86 yards on eight carries vs. Duke). | Writing about a football game involving a bunch of guys with these allegations gives us the creeps. | Will Bobby Bowden pass Joe Paterno before JoePa passes the Bear? The standings: Bryant, 323 victories; Paterno, 322; Bowden 316. |
| Bottom line: Make that No. 317 for Papa B. FSU, 48-14. | ||
| UTAH (1-0) at No. 7 OREGON (1-0) 3:30 p.m. ET, Autzen Stadium, Eugene | ||
| We're not gonna mention any of that Heisman hype about the Oregon passer, who enjoys walks on campus in the rain when he's not playing piano for school kids, dressing up like a silly fan for basketball games, making cookies for his grandma, playing catch with neighbor kids or changing his uncle's oil. | ||
| Player to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| Oregon LB Wesley Mallard needs to get the Oregon defense going with more plays in the backfield. The Ducks were splendid down field plays, but did not show much pressure against Wisconsin. | Not that long ago, these were similarly positioned programs -- in the '90s, the Utes took two out of three from UO. But that was before the Ducks became monsters that have won 17 of their past 19 games. | The Oregon home winning streak is now 21, which is the second longest in Pac-10 history, five shy of Cal's mark set from 1919 to 1923. They can tie it this year by sweeping through the Dec. 1 Oregon State game. |
| Bottom line: Playing at home should allow Oregon to avoid emotional letdown. Ducks, 34-13. | ||
| No. 8 TENNESSEE (1-0) at ARKANSAS (1-0) 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2, Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville | ||
| In a stadium that has been expanded by more than 20,000 seats to 72,000, the largest crowd to ever watch a football game in Arkansas will be looking for Razorback retribution for last season's 62-20 Vols' laugher. What they're likely to get is a healthy dose of crowd-quieting UT defense. | ||
| Player to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| No more break-in time for Vols freshman WR Kelly Washington. He's got to be the go-to guy now that Donte' Stallworth is out for 5-6 weeks because of wrist surgery. | Never doubt the SEC's magnetism. Two California kids (Tennessee QB Casey Clausen and Arkansas QB Ryan Sorahan) square off in the land of the Hog calls. | The teams allowed a combined 19 points in their openers -- UNLV got 10 against Arkansas; Syracuse had nine vs. the Vols. |
| Bottom line: A tough day at the beach for Clausen ... but still a win. Tennessee, 24-13. | ||
| WESTERN MICHIGAN (1-0) at No. 9 VIRGINIA TECH (1-0) noon ET, ESPN2, Lane Stadium, Blacksburg | ||
| The Hokies better not be too worried about losing running back Lee Suggs to a knee injury, because here's one of those MAC teams that like to line up, hit you in the mouth and knock you all the way to the fourth quarter. It's a nice test to see what QB Grant Noel can do against someone pretty good. | ||
| Player to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| Junior Keith Burnell is the new starter in the Tech backfield, but all eyes are on true freshman Kevin Jones, a super recruit the Hokies snuck out of Pennsylvania (sorry, JoePa). | With the Hokies' depth in the backfield, don't be in a rush to hand the Big East title to Miami. The 'Canes still have to go through Blacksburg, on Dec. 1, to get it. | Western Michigan's Jeff Welsh set a school record last week with five touchdown passes, completing 19 of 26 passes for 330 yards against Illinois State. |
| Bottom line: Broncos keep it close in the first half, maybe more. Virginia Tech, 27-14. | ||
| No. 10 GEORGIA TECH (2-0) at NAVY (0-1) noon ET, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium | ||
| The Yellow Jackets get one more look under the hood before test driving their 2001 season in an ACC face-off at Florida State next week. The only thing leaking oil so far is the running game, which is sputtering at a 3-yards per attempt pace (and one of those games was against The Citadel). | ||
| Players to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| Stepping up for Kelly Campbell, who was held out because of an ankle injury, Jonathan Smith caught seven passes for 108 yards last week. | Too bad Smith doesn't play for Oregon State. We'd love to see Jonathan Smith catch a pass from Jonathan Smith. | The Midshipmen lost to the Jackets last season 40-13, but consider that it might have been closer than it appeared: The Middies out-gained Tech 364-305. |
| Bottom line: Can't we just skip ahead to the Florida State game? Georgia Tech, 44-7. | ||
| No. 11 MICHIGAN (1-0) at No. 15 WASHINGTON (0-0) 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC, Husky Stadium, Seattle | ||
| The Maize and Blue vs. the Snarlin' Dawgs of Montlake in a fine matchup of teams that don't yet know very much about themselves, much less each other. Usually, we'd call it a "possible Rose Bowl preview," but with young teams and the Roses as the national title game, we'll save the hype for '02. | ||
| Player to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| The combination of UW's strong D-line and Michigan's young O-line makes us wonder: Which 2 or 3 guys will block Larry Tripplett on every play? | UM's John Navarre has shown little in his handful of starts and UW's Cody Pickett has shown nothing in his no starts. One QB will make his mark. | Washington heads into the game 23-1 with Keith Gilbertson as offensive coordinator (1991 and 2000), and has averaged 37 points a game. |
| Bottom line: Well-balanced teams that know how to win, so go with homies. UW, 23-20. | ||
| No. 12 KANSAS STATE (0-0) at SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (1-0) 6:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Net, Los Angeles Coliseum | ||
| After diving out of the way of such games for the past decade, Kansas State coach Bill Snyder has decided his program is finally ready for an almost-primetime non-conference challenge to go with the Big 12 tussles. And now USC hopes to make him regret it as a weak moment. | ||
| Player to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| Kansas State QB Ell Roberson has been pressed for the starting job by JC transfer Marc Dunn, and it's time to show he deserves the job. | The Wildcats' defense has only three returning starters, but Ben Leber and Terry Pierce could be the best pair of linebackers the Trojans face in 2001. | Since the '96 Rose Bowl, USC is 32-29, and 4-11 against ranked teams. But does anybody anywhere have a better-looking QB and faster RB than Carson Palmer and Sultan McCullough? |
| Bottom line: Here's USC's chance to make a big, national statement. K-State, 25-23. | ||
| UTAH STATE (0-1) at No. 13 LSU (1-0) 8 p.m. ET, Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge | ||
| This is stop No. 2 on the Aggies' Tour of America, a 15,408-mile odyssey that will see them play six road games in far-flung places, none more hazardous than this trek to Baton Rouge. That's the kind of football life you have when you're stuck without a conference ... and Utah State is exactly the kind of softie an SEC team likes to schedule early. | ||
| Player to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| LSU's Domanick Davis played defensive back, tailback and returned kicks last week -- and did it all well. | Last year, Utah State's Emmett White was the top all-purpose guy in the nation -- 238.91 yards per game. Yeah, but let's see him play defense like Davis does. | Rohan Davey looks ready for SEC play next week: He has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 15-1, dating back to the 1999 season. |
| Bottom line: Hey, Aggies, might we suggest the jambalaya? LSU, 34-7. | ||
| No. 14 UCLA (1-0) at KANSAS (1-0) 12:30 p.m. ET, Memorial Stadium, Lawrence | ||
| Remember back in the old days when UCLA didn't like to play road conference games east of, say, the 405 freeway? Well, nowadays the Bruins love to go anywhere to get it on with some mid-to-lower-level team like Kansas or Alabama. | ||
| Player to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| UCLA sophomore Tab Perry caught 5 passes for 113 yards in his first start, and the Bruins wonder what the fuss was about in replacing NFL first-rounder Freddie Mitchell. | Is this the all-time "emotional valley" game for UCLA, or what? After winning at Alabama, the Bruins open their home and Pac-10 slate next week against ASU, followed by Ohio State. | Kansas stumbled through a mistake-filled, four-turnover game last week, but won, 24-10. OK, so it was against SW Missouri State, but to overcome four TOs and beat air is hard. |
| Bottom line: This time, it's UCLA that overcomes four turnovers to win. Bruins, 24-13. | ||
| No. 19 FRESNO STATE (2-0) at No. 23 WISCONSIN (1-1) noon ET, ESPN, Camp Randall Stadium, Madison | ||
| Brimming with attitude, Fresno State hits hard enough to break up kidney stones and will swagger into Camp Randall. Wisconsin, coming off a hard-fought loss at Oregon (where it's no crime to lose), gives no quarter and will be ready in one of the week's most power-packed clashes. | ||
| Player to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| After playing in the shadow of Jamar Fletcher, Wisconsin's "other" corner, Mike Echols, will be put to test by Fresno State's deep passes. | Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones loves rookie QB Quincy Carter, but don't you think he'd trade his ranch to have Fresno State QB David Carr start against Tampa Bay this Sunday? | Lee Evans is only the second player in Barry Alvarez's 12 seasons at Wisconsin to have consecutive games with more than 100 receiving yards (Chris Chambers is the other). |
| Bottom line: BCS officials rest easy. Fresno State won't crash their party. Wisconsin, 28-24. | ||
| WOFFORD (0-0) at No. 20 CLEMSON (1-0) 1 p.m. ET, Memorial Stadium, Clemson | ||
| With a defense that was better than expected and an offense that wasn't, Clemson snuck by Central Florida 21-13 last week. At issue is whether is the Tigers can find enough receivers to cover for the loss of Rod Gardner (NFL) and Kevin Youngblood (injury). True freshman Roscoe Crosby is one answer; junior Jackie Robinson needs to be another. | ||
| Player to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| Hold that ball, Tiger! Clemson's Travis Zachery fumbled twice in last week's victory, errors that won't be so easy to overcome in ACC play. | With apologies to Clemson quarterback Woody Dantzler, Wofford might face a better player next week in Georgia Southern running back Adrian Peterson. | In a perfect world, Tommy Bowden would have met his old team, Tulane, this week. But the Green Wave backed out earlier this year. |
| Bottom line: Ranked No. 24 in I-AA, Terriers are barking up wrong division. Clemson, 40-10. | ||
| No. 21 SOUTH CAROLINA (1-0) at No. 25 GEORGIA (1-0) 7:45 p.m. ET, ESPN, Sanford Stadium, Athens | ||
| South Carolina used last year's game against Georgia as a coming-out party, stunning the ninth-ranked Bulldogs to end an 18-game SEC losing streak. This time, it's the Dawgs who hope to turn the occasion into new coach Mark Richt's coming-out party on a big ol' national stage. | ||
| Players to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| Georgia DE Charles Grant and DB Tim Wansley return from a one-game suspension. They're both difference-makers. | With excellent protection, David Greene completed 21 of 29 passes in his Georgia debut. Can his security blanket keep out Gamecocks' OLB Kalimba Edwards? | Sophomore RB Musa Smith rushed for 158 yards last week against Arkansas State, the most by a Georgia back since the 1997 season. |
| Bottom line: Last year, USC fans tore down goal posts. Now, it's just another 'W.' Gamecocks, 24-21. | ||
| No. 22 OREGON STATE (0-1) at NEW MEXICO STATE (0-2) 9 p.m. ET, Aggie Memorial Stadium, Las Cruces | ||
| And they thought a trip to Fresno was bad? Road trips to Las Cruces are things you simply don't do as a ranked team -- unless, of course, you spent 30 years being terrible and had to search far and wide for a road game you thought you could win. | ||
| Player to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| Oregon State's Ken Simonton had just 42 yards rushing in the loss to Fresno State and will want more against NMSU -- although the Aggies have allowed just 3.6 yards per rush in their two games. | With Montana State and a bye coming up, OSU better put together a complete game in this one or spend a depressing next three weeks leading to the Pac-10 opener against UCLA. | Although Oregon State dropped from 10th to 22nd in the AP Poll, the Beavers are the highest-ranked team ever to visit Aggie Memorial Stadium. |
| Bottom line: These Beavers are better when they're bitter. OSU, 41-10. | ||
| AKRON (1-0) at No. 24 OHIO STATE (0-0) 12:10 p.m. ET, Ohio Stadium, Columbus | ||
| The Jim Tressel Era begins as Ohio State gets its first of two tune-up games (San Diego State visits next week) before traveling to UCLA on Sept. 22 preceding conference play. It's a much-needed gradual ramp-up for OSU, which could have the rare opportunity to emerge as a Big Ten darkhorse. | ||
| Players to watch | Random thought | Fast fact |
| OSU's brand-new wideouts Michael Jenkins and Chris Vance. Watch to see if they can get open ... and just as important, if scatter-armed Steve Bellisari can get them the ball. | The Bucks should put this one away early. Any chance at a miracle finish would find the Zips surprisingly confident -- Kevin Kerr has a habit of kicking buzzer-beater field goals. | With the Horseshoe expanded to 101,568 seats (up 6,000) and the game not on free TV, more people than ever before are expected to see a football game in Ohio. |
| Bottom line: That new 30-by-90 video screen will show plenty of highlights. OSU, 40-7. | ||
