NCAA Football Simulation Dynasty (Take 2)

[kblu54]

Tennessee thrashes Cal on the road
NCAA Football News

What a statement for the SEC.

The 15th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers exuded their dominance over the host #16 California Golden Bears, scoring 32 unanswered points after the 1st quarter en route to a 35-14 road rout. Tennessee senior QB Erik Ainge shredded the Cal secondary for 325 yards and 3 TDs, while Cal's supposed high-octane offense was held to a measly 275 total yards.

Tennessee opened the scoring with a field goal, but junior QB Nate Longshore marched Cal down the field and topped off the drive with a 24-yard TD strike to WR Lavelle Hawkins. Unfortunately for Cal, their early 7-3 lead was the last time they would have the advantage.

Another Volunteer field goal cut the lead to 7-6, but Ainge put Tennessee back on top for good with a 47-yard TD pass to TE Chris Brown. Tennessee went into halftime up 13-7.

Tennessee came roaring out of the gate in the 2nd half, continuing to extend their lead while the home team Bears still struggled to find a rhythm. RB Arian Foster scored on a 6-yard run, and Ainge tossed two more TD passes to put Tennessee up 35-7 early in the 4th quarter. Cal accounted for the final score when backup QB Kevin Riley found WR DeSean Jackson on a short 2-yard TD connection.

Ainge had barely any problems through the air, completing 22-of-35 passes for 325 yards and 3 TDs. He was only picked off once. WR Austin Rogers led all receivers with 116 yards and caught a 54-yard TD pass, while Brown added 62 yards and 2 TD catches.

Foster paced the Volunteer run game with 99 yards and a score on 15 carries, and sophomore Montario Hardesty added 36 yards on 7 attempts.

For Cal, Longshore threw for only 134 yards and a TD and an interception before leaving the game with a minor injury in the 4th quarter. Riley threw for 78 yards and a TD in limited action.

Senior RB Justin Forsett suffered an injury early in the contest after gaining 15 yards on 3 carries, and Cal couldn't generate a run game behind freshman Jahvid Best. Best ran for 55 yards on only 7 carries. Hawkins led Cal with 106 yards receiving, and he and Jackson each caught a TD pass.

Box Score	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Tennessee	3	10	8	14	35
California	7	0	0	7	14

Quarter	Time	Team	Scoring Play	Score
1st	10:49	TENN	Lincoln 45 FG	TENN 3-0
1st	7:31	CAL	Hawkins 24 pass from Longshore (Kay kick)	CAL 7-3
2nd	11:20	TENN	Lincoln 19 FG	CAL 7-6
2nd	8:52	TENN	C. Brown 47 pass from Ainge (Lincoln kick)	TENN 13-7
3rd	5:05	TENN	Foster 6 run (Ainge pass to Cottam)	TENN 21-7
4th	15:00	TENN	Rogers 54 pass from Ainge (Lincoln kick)	TENN 28-7
4th	10:03	TENN	C. Brown 1 pass from Ainge (Lincoln kick)	TENN 35-7
4th	8:18	CAL	D. Jackson 2 pass from Riley (Kay kick)	TENN 35-14

Team Stats	TENN	CAL
First Downs	22	11
Total Offense	497	275
Rushes – Yards	30 - 169	21 - 63
Passing (C – A – I)	23 - 36 - 1	17 - 31 - 1
Passing Yards	328	212
Times Sacked	2	4
Third Down Conversions	6 - 11	4 - 12
Turnovers	1	2
Penalties – Yards	5 - 25	5 - 21
Time of Possession	32:52	27:08

TENNESSEE
Erik Ainge, QB	22 - 35 - 325 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Arian Foster, RB	15 att. - 99 yds, TD
Montario Hardesty, RB	7 att. - 36 yds
LaMarcus Coker, RB	3 att. - 19 yds
Austin Rogers, WR	7 rec. - 116 yds, TD
Josh Briscoe, WR	5 rec. - 92 yds
Chris Brown, TE	4 rec. - 62 yds, 2 TD
Robert Ayers, DE	6 tkls (3 TFL), 1 sack
Nick Reveiz, MLB	5 tkls (1 TFL)
Jerod Mayo, MLB	5 tkls (2 TFL), 1 sack
Dan Williams, DT	3 tkls (2 TFL), 1 sack
J.T. Mapu, DT	3 tkls (2 TFL), 1 sack

CALIFORNIA
Nate Longshore, QB	13 - 23 - 134 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Kevin Riley, QB	4 - 8 - 78 yds, 1 TD
Jahvid Best, RB	7 att. - 55 yds
Justin Forsett, RB	3 att. - 15 yds
Lavelle Hawkins, WR	6 rec. - 106 yds, TD
Craig Stevens, TE	3 rec. - 16 yds
DeSean Jackson, WR	3 rec. - 7 yds, TD
Zack Follett, OLB	8 tkls
Rulon Davis, DE	8 tkls
Worrell Williams, MLB	7 tkls (2 TFL), 1 sack
Mika Kane, DT	5 tkls
Tyson Alualu, DE	5 tkls (2 TFL), 1 sack
Syd'Quan Thompson, CB	3 tkls, INT

[kblu54]

#1 USC 51, Idaho 10

QB John David Booty shreds the Vandals' defense to open his Heisman campaign in emphatic fashion.

USC:	John David Booty, QB	20 - 35 - 351 yds, 3 TD
IDAHO:	Deonte Jackson, RB	19 att. - 70 yds, TD

#2 Michigan 70, Appalachian State 3

The Wolverines drop 52 points in the 1st half.

MICH:

Brandon Minor/Mike Hart, RB

266 rush yds, 5 TDs combined

#3 LSU 45, Mississippi State 3

LSU's balanced offense builds a 31-0 halftime lead, and the defense holds the Bulldogs to only 166 total yards in an SEC rout.

LSU:	Jacob Hester, FB	21 att. - 128 yds, 2 TD
MSU:	Offense	Only 166 yards, 4 turnovers

#4 Florida 62, Western Kentucky 6

Sophomore QB Tim Tebow, in his 1st career start, and the Gators pile on 41 points after halftime.

UF:

Tim Tebow, QB

202 pass yds, 90 rush yds, 4 TDs (1 rush)

#5 Texas 35, Arkansas State 3

Sophomore QB Colt McCoy accounts for all 5 Longhorn scores in the rout.

TEX:	Colt McCoy, QB	326 pass yds, 36 rush yds, 5 TDs (2 rush)
ASU:	Alex Carrington, DE	9 tkls (2 TFL), 1 sack

#6 West Virginia 31, Western Michigan 17

Junior RB Steve Slaton runs wild in the 2nd half to boost the Mountaineers.

WVU:	Steve Slaton, RB	24 att. - 138 yds, 3 TD
WMU:	Nick Varcadipane, DT	12 tkls (5 TFL), 2 sacks, FF

#7 Wisconsin 38, Washington State 34

Senior QB Tyler Donovan tosses 3 of his 4 TD passes to junior TE Travis Beckum in the 2nd half to rally the Badgers back from 34-14 down.

WIS:	Travis Beckum, TE	9 rec. - 62 yds, 4 TDs
WSU:	Alex Brink, QB	21 - 37 - 290 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT

#8 Oklahoma 52, North Texas 10

Redshirt freshman QB Sam Bradford accounts for 5 TDs in his 1st career start.

OKLA:	Sam Bradford, QB	17 - 23 - 237 yds, 5 TD (1 rush)
UNT:	Offense	Only 183 yards, 6 turnovers

#9 Virginia Tech 24, ECU 7

The Hokies' defense knocks 2 ECU quarterbacks out of the game, and Tech's balanced offense leads them in a solid win.

VT:	Sean Glennon, QB	22 - 36 - 294 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
ECU:	Jamar Bryant, WR	9 rec. - 51 yds, TD

#10 Arkansas 38, Troy 0

The Razorbacks, who pride themselves on the run game, got 4 TD passes from junior QB Casey Dick in a shutout win.

ARK:	Casey Dick, QB	21 - 34 - 211 yds, 4 TD
TROY:	Offense	Only 186 yards, 3 turnovers

#11 Louisville 34, Murray State 3

Senior QB Brian Brohm begins his Heisman campaign with 263 yards passing and 4 TDs.

UL:

Brian Brohm, QB

24 - 36 - 263 yds, 4 TD

#12 Ohio State 48, Youngstown State 7

Junior QB Todd Boeckman and the Buckeyes' offense roll up over 600 yards in a blowout of an FCS member.

OSU:

Todd Boeckman, QB

13 - 22 - 213 yds, 4 TD (1 rush)

Kansas State 24, #13 Auburn 3

Defense and RB James Johnson's 3 TDs help the Wildcats upset the Tigers.

KSU:	James Johnson, RB	14 att. - 90 yds, 3 TD
AUB:	Offense	Only 197 yards

#14 Nebraska 35, Nevada 10

Senior QB Sam Keller's 5 TD passes help the Huskers overcome an early 10-point deficit.

NEB:	Sam Keller, QB	24 - 36 - 289 yds, 5 TD, 1 INT
NEV:	Colin Kaepernick, QB	132 pass yds, 40 rush yds, TD pass, 2 INT

#17 Penn State 29, FIU 10

Defense and plenty of field goals lift Penn State in methodical win.

PSU:	Deon Butler, WR	11 rec. - 109 yds
FIU:	Offense	Only 132 yards, 3 turnovers

#18 Georgia 56, Oklahoma State 14

Redshirt freshman RB Knowshon Moreno shreds the Cowboys for 184 yards and 5 TDs in his 1st career start.

UGA:	Knowshon Moreno/Thomas Brown, RB	261 rush yds, 7 TDs combined
OSU:	Zac Robinson, QB	13 - 21 - 169 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT

#19 UCLA 28, Stanford 21

The Bruins rally back from a 21-0 deficit to escape with a Pac-10 victory.

UCLA:	Khalil Bell, RB	17 att. - 88 yds, 2 TD
STAN:	Mark Bradford, WR	3 rec. - 49 yds, TD

#20 Rutgers 49, Buffalo 17

Junior QB Mike Teel overcomes 4 picks with 5 TD passes to lead the Knights to a big win.

RUTG:	Mike Teel, QB	19 - 33 - 265 yds, 5 TD, 4 INT
BUFF:	Naaman Roosevelt, WR	3 rec. - 11 yds, TD

#21 Florida State 32, Clemson 13

The Seminoles use the strength of their defense and 6 field goals to win an early ACC contest.

FSU:	Drew Weatherford, QB	20 - 38 - 253 yds, 1 TD
CLEM:	Cullen Harper, QB	17 - 35 - 185 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT

#22 TCU 45, Baylor 21

Baylor goes up 21-0 early, but redshirt freshman QB Andy Dalton rallies the Frogs to victory with 5 TDs.

TCU:	Andy Dalton, QB	328 pass yds, 71 rush yds, 5 TD (1 rush)
BAY:	Michael Machen, QB	15 - 40 - 234 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT

#23 Boise State 35, Weber State 7

The Broncos use a balanced offensive attack to rout a FCS member.

BOISE:

Ian Johnson, RB

17 att. - 124 yds, TD

#24 Texas A&M 51, Montana State 10

The Aggies bury their FCS opponent behind a balanced gameplan on offense.

TAMU:

Mike Goodson, RB

127 total yds, 3 TD (1 rec)

#25 Boston College 44, Wake Forest 27

Senior QB Matt Ryan's 4 TD passes help the Eagles win an ACC shootout.

BC:	Ryan Purvis, TE	7 rec. - 224 yds, 3 TD
WAKE:	Kevin Marion, WR	6 rec. - 210 yds, TD

[kblu54]

New Top 25 Coaches Poll
(Note: 1st place votes in [])

Rank	Last Week	Team	Record
1	1	USC [32]	(1-0)
2	2	Michigan [22]	(1-0)
3	3	LSU [2]	(1-0)
4	4	Florida [4]	(1-0)
5	5	Texas [1]	(1-0)
6	6	West Virginia	(1-0)
7	7	Wisconsin	(1-0)
8	8	Oklahoma	(1-0)
9	9	Virginia Tech	(1-0)
10	10	Arkansas	(1-0)
11	11	Louisville	(1-0)
12	12	Ohio State	(1-0)
13	14	Nebraska	(1-0)
14	15	Tennessee	(1-0)
15	17	Penn State	(1-0)
16	18	Georgia	(1-0)
17	19	UCLA	(1-0)
18	20	Rutgers	(1-0)
19	21	Florida State	(1-0)
20	22	TCU	(1-0)
21	23	Boise State	(1-0)
22	16	California	(0-1)
23	24	Texas A&M	(1-0)
24	13	Auburn	(0-1)
25	25	Boston College	(1-0)

Also Receiving Votes: Hawai'i, Notre Dame, USF, Miami, South Carolina, Kansas State, Georgia Tech, Alabama

Dropped: None

Heisman Watch

Rank	Player	Change	Season Stats
1	Darren McFadden, RB - Arkansas	>>>	5 att. - 44 yds
2	John David Booty, QB - USC	>>>	20 - 35 - 351 yds, 3 TD
3	Brian Brohm, QB - Louisville	>>>	24 - 36 - 263 yds, 4 TD
4	Colt Brennan, QB - Hawai'i	>>>	Bye last week
5	Colt McCoy, QB - Texas	^^^	20 - 31 - 326 yds; 12 att. - 36 yds, 5 total TD

National Players of the Week

Offense:
Knowshon Moreno, RB - Georgia
18 att. - 184 yds, 5 TD; 2 rec. - 21 yds

Defense:
Antonio Steele, OLB - Illinois
5 tkls (1 TFL), INT, 2 FF, TD

Notable Week 1 Injuries

Player	School	Injury	Length
Chevin Pace, SS	Akron	MCL sprain	Out 1 week
Mike Pollack, C	Arizona State	Torn hamstring	Out 11 weeks
Kevin Woods, FS	Arkansas	Ruptured disk	Out for season
Jamie Silva, SS	Boston College	Broken wrist	Out for season
Justin Forsett, RB	California	Pulled groin	Out 3 weeks
C.J. Spiller, RB/KR	Clemson	Broken finger	Out 2 weeks
Edwin Harrison, OT	Colorado	Knee bruise	Out 2 weeks
Jacky Claude, OG	Florida State	Pulled hamstring	Out 2 weeks
Mohamed Massaquoi, WR	Georgia	Strained back	Out 6 weeks
Kade Weston, DT	Georgia	Broken jaw	Out 4 weeks
Sebastian Vollmer, OT	Houston	Strained shoulder	Out 1 week
Andy Brodell, WR	Iowa	Torn bicep	Out 8 weeks
Carlos Feliciano, DT	Maryland	Knee cartilage tear	Out 10 weeks
Martin Hankins, QB	Memphis	Torn groin	Out 5 weeks
Austin Panter, MLB	Michigan	Broken wrist	Out for season
Rocco Cironi, OT	Michigan State	Strained back	Out 10 weeks
Pete Clifford, OT	Michigan State	Torn shoulder muscle	Out 4 weeks
Jeff Deliz, OLB	Navy	Abdominal tear	Out 2 weeks
Luke Lathan, C	N.C. State	Sprained elbow	Out 2 weeks
Jim Cordle, C	Ohio State	Knee bursitis	Out 1 week
Reggie Smith, SS	Oklahoma	Turf toe	Out 3 weeks
Shay Hodge, WR	Ole Miss	Torn hamstring	Out 4 weeks
Aaron Berry, CB	Pittsburgh	Dislocated elbow	Out 11 weeks
Marvin McCall, C	Syracuse	Broken ankle	Out 7 weeks
Adam Ulatoski, OT	Texas	Partially torn PCL	Out 10 weeks
Trae Williams, CB	USF	Hip bursitis	Out 2 weeks
Earl Bennett, WR	Vanderbilt	Broken tibia	Out 7 weeks
Sam Wheeler, TE	Virginia Tech	Ruptured disk	Out for season
Selvish Capers, OT	West Virginia	Torn tricep	Out 11 weeks
Jack Ikegwuonu, CB	Wisconsin	Strained back	Out 5 weeks
Matt Shaughnessy, DE	Wisconsin	Mild concussion	Out 2 weeks

[kblu54]

ACC Week 1 Results

#9 Virginia Tech 24, ECU 7
Notre Dame 24, Georgia Tech 17
#21 Florida State 32, Clemson 13
Miami 34, Marshall 7
Connecticut 24, Duke 16
#25 Boston College 44, Wake Forest 27
North Carolina 31, James Madison 14
UCF 28, N.C. State 17
Wyoming 30, Virginia 17
Maryland 41, Villanova 7

ACC Players of the Week

Offense:
Ryan Purvis, TE - Boston College
7 rec. - 224 yds, 3 TD

Defense:
Vince Hall, MLB - Virginia Tech
2 tkls, 2 INT, TD

Big Ten Week 1 Results

#2 Michigan 70, Appalachian State 3
#12 Ohio State 48, Youngstown State 7
Illinois 56, Missouri 28
Northwestern 45, Northeastern 7
Indiana 49, Indiana State 0
Michigan State 36, UAB 21
Minnesota 30, Bowling Green 10
Iowa 28, Northern Illinois 10
#17 Penn State 29, FIU 10
#7 Wisconsin 38, Washington State 34
Toledo 38, Purdue 25

Big Ten Players of the Week

Offense:
Javon Ringer, RB - Michigan State
35 att. - 213 yds, 4 TD

Defense:
Antonio Steele, OLB - Illinois
5 tkls (1 TFL), INT, 2 FF, TD

Big 12 Week 1 Results

#8 Oklahoma 52, North Texas 10
#5 Texas 35, Arkansas State 3
Kent State 36, Iowa State 17
Illinois 56, Missouri 28
#18 Georgia 56, Oklahoma State 14
#14 Nebraska 35, Nevada 10
Kansas State 24, #13 Auburn 3
Central Michigan 24, Kansas 20
Texas Tech 31, SMU 10
#22 TCU 45, Baylor 21
#24 Texas A&M 51, Montana State 0
Colorado State 29, Colorado 21

Big 12 Players of the Week

Offense:
Colt McCoy, QB - Texas
20 - 31 - 326 yds; 12 att. - 36 yds, 5 total TD

Defense:
Nic Harris, FS - Oklahoma
2 tkls (2 TFL), 1 sack, 2 INT, FF

Big East Week 1 Results

#6 West Virginia 31, Western Michigan 17
Cincinnati 35, SE Missouri State 7
#20 Rutgers 49, Buffalo 17
#11 Louisville 34, Murray State 3
Syracuse 28, Washington 25
Pittsburgh 17, Eastern Michigan 3
USF 27, Elon 3
Connecticut 24, Duke 16

Big East Players of the Week

Offense:
Steve Slaton, RB - West Virginia
24 att. - 138 yds, 3 TD; 3 rec. - 19 yds

Defense:
Adam Gunn, OLB - Pittsburgh
6 tkls (2 TFL), 1 sack, INT

[kblu54]

Conference USA Week 1 Results

#9 Virginia Tech 24, ECU 7
Tulsa 41, UL-Monroe 7
Southern Miss 47, Tennessee-Martin 0
Nicholls State 10, Rice 7
Miami 34, Marshall 7
Michigan State 36, UAB 21
Ole Miss 41, Memphis 27
UCF 28, N.C. State 17
UTEP 41, New Mexico 19
Texas Tech 31, SMU 10
Oregon 37, Houston 20

Conference USA Players of the Week

Offense:
Paul Smith, QB - Tulsa
18 - 26 - 307 yds, 4 TD; 3 att. - 21 yds

Defense:
Joe Henderson, OLB - UAB
5 tkls (2 TFL), 1 sack, 2 INT, TD

Independents Week 1 Results

Notre Dame 24, Georgia Tech 17
Navy 32, Temple 27
Akron 27, Army 21

Independents Players of the Week

Offense:
Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, QB - Navy
10 - 14 - 121 yds; 16 att. - 101 yds, 3 total TD

Defense:
Wyatt Middleton, FS - Navy
2 INT, TD

MAC Week 1 Results

#6 West Virginia 31, Western Michigan 17
#20 Rutgers 49, Buffalo 17
Kent State 36, Iowa State 17
Miami (OH) 35, Ball State 25
Navy 32, Temple 27
Pittsburgh 17, Eastern Michigan 3
Akron 27, Army 21
Minnesota 30, Bowling Green 10
Iowa 28, Northern Illinois 10
Ohio 56, FCS East 9
Central Michigan 24, Kansas 20
Toledo 38, Purdue 25

MAC Players of the Week

Offense:
Jalen Parmele, RB - Toledo
26 att. - 169 yds, 3 TD; 4 rec. - 46 yds, TD

Defense:
Danny Sadler, CB - Kent State
2 tkls, 2 INT, TD

Mountain West Week 1 Results

Utah 48, Oregon State 21
Utah State 42, UNLV 28
UTEP 41, New Mexico 19
South Carolina State 42, Air Force 29
Wyoming 30, Virginia 17
BYU 33, Arizona 28
#22 TCU 45, Baylor 21
Colorado State 29, Colorado 21

Mountain West Players of the Week

Offense:
Darrell Mack, RB - Utah
20 att. - 180 yds, 3 TD

Defense:
Robert Johnson, FS - Utah
1 tkl, 2 INT, FF, FR

[kblu54]

Pac-10 Week 1 Results

#1 USC 51, Idaho 10
Utah 48, Oregon State 21
Syracuse 28, Washington 25
#19 UCLA 28, Stanford 21
#7 Wisconsin 38, Washington State 34
BYU 33, Arizona 28
Oregon 37, Houston 20
#15 Tennessee 35, #16 California 14
Arizona State 42, San Jose State

Pac-10 Players of the Week

Offense:
Dennis Dixon, QB - Oregon
15 - 25 - 342 yds, 4 TD; 6 att. - 28 yds

Defense:
Marvin Johnson, SS - Oregon
1 tkl, INT, TD

SEC Week 1 Results

#3 LSU 45, Mississippi State 3
#4 Florida 62, Western Kentucky 6
Alabama 58, Western Carolina 7
Vanderbilt 34, Richmond 7
#18 Georgia 56, Oklahoma State 14
South Carolina 52, UL-Lafayette 7
Ole Miss 41, Memphis 27
Kansas State 24, #13 Auburn 3
#10 Arkansas 38, Troy 0
Kentucky 73, Missouri State 3
#15 Tennessee 35, #16 California 14

SEC Players of the Week

Offense:
Knowshon Moreno, RB - Georgia
18 att. - 184 yds, 5 TD; 2 rec. - 21 yds

Defense:
Ali Highsmith, OLB - LSU
2 INT, TD

Sun Belt Week 1 Results

#8 Oklahoma 52, North Texas 10
#5 Texas 35, Arkansas State 3
Tulsa 41, UL-Monroe 7
Florida Atlantic 27, Middle Tennessee State 6
South Carolina 52, UL-Lafayette 7
#10 Arkansas 38, Troy 0
#17 Penn State 29, FIU 10

Sun Belt Players of the Week

Offense:
Charles Pierre, RB - Florida Atlantic
16 att. - 90 yds, TD; 3 rec. - 63 yds

Defense:
Corey Small, CB - Florida Atlantic
3 tkls (1 TFL), FF, FR

WAC Week 1 Results

#1 USC 51, Idaho 10
#23 Boise State 35, Weber State 7
New Mexico State 35, Southeastern 16
Utah State 42, UNLV 28
#14 Nebraska 35, Nevada 10
Louisiana Tech 42, FCS Midwest 20
Arizona State 42, San Jose State 21
Fresno State 56, Sacramento State 14

WAC Players of the Week

Offense:
Chase Holbrook, QB - New Mexico State
31 - 46 - 384 yds, 5 TD

Defense:
Jason Shirley, DT - Fresno State
9 tkls (6 TFL), 3 sacks, FF

[kblu54]

1) LSU, Virginia Tech set for big battle between Top 10 teams

There are some big games on the slate this week, but none of them are bigger than Week 2's Game of the Week between #9 Virginia Tech and #3 LSU. Both squads posted very convincing season-opening victories last week, but now they get to prove their mettle against a powerhouse opponent.

2) Several notable contests could have BCS implications already

Some games could shift the balance of power across the nation this week and alter the BCS course early in the season. Games like Notre Dame @ #15 Penn State, #20 TCU @ #5 Texas, Oregon @ #2 Michigan and Miami @ #8 Oklahoma are possible "BCS busters" for the ranked squads, while they could be "BCS boosters" for their opponents.

3) Injuries

There was a lot of notable injuries last week, including several to Top 25-ranked squads. #25 Boston College lost senior SS Jamie Silva for the season, #5 Texas lost sophomore OT Adam Ulatoski for 10 weeks and #6 West Virginia lost sophomore OT Selvish Capers for 11 weeks, to name a few. How these teams overcome these injuries may prove to be the difference between title contenders and pretenders.

4) Beating up on the little guys

Several highly-ranked squads will face some pretty weak opponents this week. #12 Ohio State and #4 Florida, who both blew out FCS opponents in Week 1, will take on weaklings like Akron and Troy, respectively. There's nothing like scheduling a weak non-conference schedule to keep yourself undefeated.

5) Big unranked contests

Just because two teams aren't ranked doesn't mean their games aren't important. Watch out for games like Oregon State @ Cincinnati, Syracuse @ Iowa, Missouri @ Ole Miss, North Carolina @ ECU and Colorado @ Arizona State to be nailbiters.

[kblu54]

Week 2 Top 25 Schedule
(Note: Gold = Game of the Week, Bold = National broadcast)
(Note: All times EST)

Middle Tennessee State @ Louisville	Thurs. 7:00 pm
Navy @ #18 Rutgers	Fri. 8:30 pm
Notre Dame @ #15 Penn State	Sat. 12:30 pm
#20 TCU @ #5 Texas	Sat. 12:30 pm
#22 California @ Colorado State	Sat. 12:30 pm
N.C. State @ #25 Boston College	Sat. 12:30 pm
#6 West Virginia @ Marshall	Sat. 3:30 pm
Oregon @ #2 Michigan	Sat. 3:30 pm
UAB @ #19 Florida State	Sat. 3:30 pm
Akron @ #12 Ohio State	Sat. 3:30 pm
#21 Boise State @ Washington	Sat. 3:30 pm
South Carolina @ #16 Georgia	Sat. 3:30 pm
#13 Nebraska @ Wake Forest	Sat. 3:30 pm
Southern Miss @ #14 Tennessee	Sat. 3:30 pm
Troy @ #4 Florida	Sat. 6:00 pm
BYU @ #17 UCLA	Sat. 6:30 pm
USF @ #24 Auburn	Sat. 7:00 pm
Fresno State @ #23 Texas A&M	Sat. 7:00 pm
#9 Virginia Tech @ #3 LSU	Sat. 7:30 pm
Miami @ #8 Oklahoma	Sat. 8:30 pm
#7 Wisconsin @ UNLV	Sat. 10:00 pm