Not much to get too excited about in Week 2. An early season showdown will pit USC and Ohio State in Columbus, but plenty of time for either team to falter or recover no matter what the result. LSU- Vanderbilt could be interesting seeing that LSU wasn’t exactly convincing in their opening game. Georgia-Tech- Clemson on Thursday night should be an early tell for the their respective ACC divisons.
Other than that, most teams in the T25 are either idle or have pretty easy opponents.
#1 Florida (1-0) hosting Troy (0-1).
Another scrimmage game for the Gators who dominated Charleston Southern last week. Troy is a better team than Charleston, but not by much. The Trojans have dropped eight straight against ranked opponents, and it will take a near miracle for that streak not to jump to nine. Gators by 45.
#2 Texas (1-0) At Wyoming (1-0).
Colt McCoy was 21/29 for 317 yards and 2TDs, while Jordan Shipley caught 8 passes for 180 yards against La-Monroe last week. The Longhorn running game added another 199. It just works that way. Which one will be established first is immaterial. The Cowboys’ offense sports a new, no-huddle spread that could present a challenge to the Horns’ D, but we seriously doubt it. Texas by 40.
#3 Alabama (1-0) hosts Florida International (0-0) at home.
The Tide’s offense was just good enough to beat Va Tech last week but will be much more than enough to take on Florida International. Alabama wasn’t perfect last week by any stretch, but FIU won’t provide much threat. Look for the Bama D to want a good solid game after giving up plays to VT to keep them in the game. It won’t take much. Alabama by 32.
#4 USC (1-0) At #8 Ohio State (1-0).
Ohio State will definitely need to be better defensively than they were last week against Navy The Navy OL pushed the Buckeyes around the field all day long. If it was that bad against Navy, it could be downright scary against USC. OSU will have to decide whether to put 8 in the box to stop McKnight and his fellow stable of RBs, and leave QB Matt Barkley to throw all day, or drop back and cover the pass, and see USC do another Navy. Barring major mistakes, this one could get out of hand. USC by 18.
#5 Oklahoma State hosts Houston (1-0) .
The Cowboys used a balanced offensive attack and a stingy defense to dominate the Georgia last week. But Houston amassed 538 yards of total offense last week, 447 of that was in the air. OSU has a fast defense, but last year their secondary was pretty suspect. They didn’t get much of a chance to show anything against ground-based Georgia team. This shouldn’t be close, but watch out! Cowboys by 24.
#6 Mississippi (1-0) Idle.
#7 Penn State (1-0) hosts Syracuse (0-1).
The Nittany Lions didn’t get a lot of a test of their team against a pretty mediocre QB and defense at home against Akron. They scored all their points in the first half and then cruised, in fact. That might be a bit troubling. Syracuse will be a better test. They hung in all the way to overtime before losing to a pretty good Minnesota team by a FG. Daryll Clark and company will have a tougher test this week. PSU by 14.
#8 Ohio State (1-0) hosts #4 USC (1-0).
See above analysis. USC by 18.
#9 California (1-0) hosts Eastern Washington (1-0).
California beat up Maryland in its season opener, and the Bears expect to do the same against Eastern Washington. The game will give Jahvid Best & Co. an opportunity to pad their stats before Cal’s conference schedule begins. Cal by 42.
#10. Brigham Young (1-0) At Tulane (0-1).
After upsetting Oklahoma last week, BYU’s biggest challenge in Week 2 will be avoiding the victory’s hangover. If the offense can move the ball without turnovers, the Cougars’ defense shouldn’t have problems with a Tulane offense that managed just 16.7 points per game last season. BYU by 31.
#11 Boise State (1-0) hosts Miami (OH) (0-1).
Boise State survived the toughest part of its schedule, defeating Oregon 19-8 in Week 1 in an exceptional defensive effort. Miami (Ohio) was shut out by Kentucky 42-0. It doesn’t get easier for Mike Haywood’s team, as Boise State boasts the ninth-ranked rushing defense in the country. Broncos by 32.
#12 Oklahoma (0-1) hosts Idaho State (0-1).
Sam Bradford or no Sam Bradford, this should be a laugher. Idaho State lost its first 11 games of 2008 before capping the season with a win over Sacramento State. It opened the 2009 campaign with a 50-3 loss at Arizona State last Saturday, committing five turnovers and managing 37 yards — zero in the first half. That defeat was Idaho State’s 16th straight on the road. Oklahoma, meanwhile, has the nation’s longest active home winning streak at 24. The Sooners are one home win shy of the team record, a run that ended with a season-opening loss to Notre Dame in 1953.
#13 TCU (0-0) At Virginia (0-1).
After losing to William & Mary in Week 1, Virginia is looking to save face (W&M isn’t Div I). The good news is that the Cavs play at home. The bad news is that they’re hosting TCU in its season opener. The Horned Frogs have won their past six games and didn’t give up a touchdown in their past two. Ouch. TCU by 21.
#14 LSU (1-0) hosts Vanderbilt (1-0) .
LSU begins its SEC schedule by playing host to Vanderbilt. LSU gave Tiger fans hope last week after showing signs of having an offense. After finishing worse than .500 in conference play last season, LSU hopes to make a statement. Vandy, on the other hand, had no offensive woes, running up 620 total yard in their season opening against Western Carolina, and their defense held them to only 115 total yards. This might be a tough game with possible upset in the making. LSU by 8.
#15 Notre Dame (1-0) At Michigan (1-0).
Both teams lived up to the hype against their less-than-stellar Week 1 opponents. The true test comes in this week. Irish QB Jimmy Clausen needs to show that he can throw 315 yards against a real defense like he did against Nevada. Michigan will need a solid offensive effort and a tighter defense. The Wolverines gave up 301 total yards against Western Michigan. Irish by 17.
#16 Utah (1-0) At San Jose State (0-1).
The nation’s longest winning streak is on the line at San Jose State, as the Utes go for victory No. 16. The Utes showed a balanced offensive last week led by Matt Asiata’s 156 yards on 36 carries. San Jose State on the other hand, was demolished by USC. Utah should have a relatively easy week. Utes by 31.
#17 North Carolina (1-0) At Connecticut (1-0).
North Carolina beat up on The Citadel in Week 1, and if the Tar Heels’ defense plays as well against UConn, it could be a long day in East Hartford. The Huskies won their opener against Ohio, but the offense was ground oriented 259 yards of the 386. If UConn has any chance at an upset, it will need an improved performance from QB Zach Frazer. Tar Heels by 20.
#18 Virginia Tech (0-1) hosts Marshall (1-0) .
The Hokies offense was pitiful against Bama last week managing only 155 total offensive yards. Herd QB Brian Anderson made a statement in Marshall’s win against Southern Illinois, completing 75 percent of his passes. Marshall may make this one competitive, but Tyrod Taylor should have an easier defense to work against. Hokies by 18.
#19 Nebraska (1-0) hosts Arkansas State (1-0) at home.
Suspect for the Cornhuskers, was the fact that they gave up 358 yards of offense against Florida Atlantic. The Red Wolves posted a 61-0 victory over Mississippi Valley State, scoring 40 points in the first half, so Nebraska may have to work at not being embarrassed. Huskers by 20.
#20 Georgia Tech (1-0) hosts Clemson (1-0) Thursday.
After a sloppy performance against Jacksonville State that included five fumbles, Georgia Tech looks to prove it has the mental toughness to compete for a division title. With C.J. Spiller back in the lineup for Clemson, the Yellow Jackets’ defense will have to contribute. Georgia Tech by 13.
#21 Kansas (1-0) At UTEP (0-1).
Todd Reesing was a one-man show going 13/20 for 208 yards (2 TDS) and carried the ball 13 times for 79 yards and 2 TDs. UTEP will just have no answer for anything that Kansas does. This one truly could get nasty. Jayhawks by 40.
#22 Cincinnati (1-0) hosts Missouri State (1-0).
With a 564 yards of total offense on the road at Rutgers, Cincy proved that they were ready to establish that they are the team to beat in the Big East. Don’t look for Missouri State to even be a speed bump here. Bearcats by 38.
#23 Georgia (0-1) hosts South Carolina (1-0).
In losing to Oklahoma State, the Bulldogs managed only 95 rushing yards on the day. That’s going to have to change really fast. SC’s defense is fast, but there isn’t much offensive punch. Look for Georgia to establish the run, and get substantially more than 95 yards in their home opener. Dawgs by 10.
#24 Miami (Fla) (1-0) Idle.
#25 Missouri (1-0) hosts Bowling Green (1-0) at home.
Missouri trounced Illinois in Week 1, and the young Tigers shouldn’t have any problems with Bowling Green. Missouri is very young, but if sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert continues to manage the game well, the Tigers should even the series with the Falcons. Tigers by 21.
