Let us recap Week 1, shall we?
Game of the week: No. 24 Boise State Broncos at No. 13 Michigan State Spartans
Final score: Spartans 17, Broncos 13.
Pregame rant: Since stunning Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, the Broncos have been giant killers. They’ve recently had signature victories against Texas Christian (2010 Fiesta Bowl), Virginia Tech (2010 opener) and Georgia (2011 opener).
What do all four of those wins have in common? They were on a neutral field. With quarterback Kellen Moore now gone, can’t wait to see how Boise State does in East Lansing against the Spartans, who were 7-0 at home last season.
Post-game commentary: This game shows just how important a quarterback is to a mid-major. Last season, Moore wins that game for the Broncos. Junior Joe Southwick was just 15-of-31 for 169 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.
Le'Veon Bell looked like a man amongst boys in running for 210 yards and two TDs against Boise State./AP Photo.
Michigan State had the game’s best player in Le’Veon Bell, who ran for 210 yards and two touchdowns on 44 carries. Would have been interesting to see how Michigan State would have played if it was behind late because its quarterback, junior Andrew Maxwell, threw three interceptions.
Ohio at Penn State
Final score: Bobcats 24, Nittany Lions 14
Pregame rant: This could be the most anticipated game Penn State has played since the 1987 national title game against Miami.
Not only are the NCAA sanctions and the Jerry Sandusky scandal casting a shadow, this will be the first time since 1965 Penn State has started a season without the late Joe Paterno as head coach.
First-year Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien hopes better days are ahead sooner rather than later./AP Photo.
This is all before the coin flip, but we all want to see what the Nittany Lions look like with names on the back of their jerseys and Bill O’Brien leading the way.
Post-game commentary: Ohio pulled off a 10-point upset win, but I must continue to remind myself Penn State is not a very good team. Saw with my own two eyes Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
The Nittany Lions have no one who jumps out and makes you say, “Hey, that guy is a playmaker” or “Wow, that kid can fly.” As for Ohio, junior quarterback Tyler Tettleton can get it done. He was the difference. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in the second half after the Bobcats trailed 14-3 at the break.
No. 8 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (Cowboys Stadium)
Nico Johnson and the Alabama defense roughed up Denard Robinson and the Michigan Wolverines all night long./AP Photo.
Final score: Tide 41, Wolverines 14
Pregame rant: The Wolverines can really establish they’re back with a win against the defending national champions on the national stage in the world’s largest dome structure.
It won’t be easy because the Crimson Tide are loaded, but if Denard Robinson brings his “A” game, this will be an instant classic. Book it.
Post-game commentary: Robinson didn’t bring his “A” game, but Alabama had a lot to do with that. The Crimson returned one Robinson INT for a score and more importantly, just manhandled the Wolverines upfront.
Michigan ran for just 69 yards on 29 carries, which is 2.4 yards a rush. The SEC teams are typically going to be faster, but when they’re more physical as Alabama was over Michigan, it spells doom for the opposition.
North Texas Mean Green at No. 3 LSU Tigers
Final score: Tigers 41, Mean Green 14
Pregame rant: This one will get ugly.
Post-game commentary: Check the final score above.
Hawaii Rainbows at No. 1 USC Trojans
Final score: Trojans 49, Rainbows 10
Pregame rant: This one will get uglier.
Post-game commentary: Again, check the final score above
Arkansas State Red Wolves at No. 5 Oregon Ducks
Final score: Ducks 57, Red Wolves 34
Pregame rant: This one will get Medusa.
Post-game commentary: It was 50-3 Oregon midway through the second quarter. Yep, it was that ugly.
Sheldon Robinson (34) was critical of Georgia's style of play. The Bulldogs will take that personal./AP Photo.
Here are three games worth watching in Week 2.
Game of the week: No. 7 Georgia Bulldogs (1-0) at Missouri Tigers (1-0), Saturday, 7:45 p.m., ESPN2.
Pregame rant: Sheldon Richardson set it off by describing Georgia as playing “old-man football” following the Bulldogs’ 45-23 win against Buffalo.
“I watched that game. I turned it off, too,” said Richardson in a story by the Columbia Tribune. “It’s like watching Big Ten football. It’s old-man football.”
That’s big words, big fella.
Hope the Tigers don’t play Wisconsin, Michigan State or Michigan in a bowl game, that’s way to down the line. For now, Missouri must face Georgia, which may have gotten the extra motivation it needs to give the Tigers a rudely welcome to the SEC.
However, if Missouri can pull off the upset, that will send a powerful message to the SEC that it’s for real.
No. 16 Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0) at UCLA Bruins (1-0), Saturday, 7:30 p.m, FSN
Philly Brown and the Buckeyes made Urban Meyer's head coaching debut at Ohio State a victorious one./AP Photo
Pregame rant: It’s homecoming for Nebraska junior quarterback Taylor Martinez, who is from Corona, Calif., which is less than 50 miles from Los Angeles.
After throwing for a career-high five touchdowns in Nebraska’s 49-24 opening win against Southern Miss, Martinez is looking to show the Bruins why they should have offered him a scholarship.
Central Florida Knights (1-0) at No. 14 Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0), Saturday, noon, ESPN2.
Pregame rant: Both teams scored 56 points in their opening wins against Mid-American Conference schools.
The Knights rocked Akron, 56-14 while the Buckeyes routed Miami (Ohio), 56-10, in the coaching debut for Urban Meyer at Ohio State.
Don’t expect the Buckeyes to give up that many against UCF, but if they don’t come to play, they could easily fall to the Knights.
Snooze on these, though.
Orange quarterback Ryan Nassib may find himself on the turf more often against No. 2-ranked Southern California./AP Photo.
No. 2 USC Trojans (1-0) vs. Syracuse Orange (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.), Saturday, ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.
Pregame rant: Although Syracuse showed some serious fight in its 42-41 loss to Northwestern as Ryan Nassib threw for 470 yards (for the game) and four touchdowns (all in the second half), it still lost to a second-tier Big Ten school.
Now the Orange must deal with leading Heisman Trophy candidate Matt Barkley and the Trojans, who have just as many NFL caliber players at anyone in the nation including Alabama and LSU. The rout will be on Saturday.
No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks (1-0) at Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (0-1), Saturday, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Pregame rant: Can we just get to the Alabama-Arkansas showdown next week, please?
Savannah State Tigers (0-1) at No. 6 Florida State Seminoles (1-0), Saturday, 6 p.m., ESPN3
Last week, Oklahoma State ravaged Savannah State, 84-0, in a game could have been even worse.
Unfortunately, the Tigers will get the same treatment against the Seminoles when they visit Tallahassee, Fla.
ESPN is reporting Savannah State will get $860,000 total for playing at Oklahoma State and Florida State. Better put some of that money aside for medical expenses to treat all the injured players the Tigers are going to have as a result of playing the Cowboys and Seminoles.
