Auburn spurns South Carolina, beating them 35-27

My thoughts:
• Cam Newton greatly improved his performance from the Clemson game: Newton rushed for 176 yards, 3 TDs and threw for 158 yards, 2 TDs. There was no indecision when the play called for a designed quarterback run; he ran for the hills and took on defenders, not once did he shy away and run out of bounds. You could tell this kid felt it that night.
• Gus Malzahn’s offense was in high gear in last Saturday night. The hurry-up offense wore down the Gamecock defense.
• Auburn freshman running back Michael Dyer started to show flashes of brilliance: 23 carries for 100 yards on the day. His highest output since Sept. 4th when they played Arkansas State (95 yards).
• The Auburn Tigers have played the most exciting football games in the SEC: Sept. 18th overtime thriller over Clemson and last week’s come from behind win over South Carolina.
• Quarterback Stephen Garcia is the most improved quarterback in the Southeastern conference. He made accurate, long throws against Auburn that were beautiful. He has good touch on this throws.
• Anyone else wondered why he tried to play Tim Tebow and coughed up the ball twice, costing his team the game?! Garcia had a phenomenal day: 15-21, 233, 3TDs, no Interceptions!!! But all that was marred by the fumbles.
• Bad move on Steve Spurrier to bench him for the freshman backup quarterback Connor Shaw, late in the fourth quarter. Shaw ended up throwing two interceptions and sealing their fate. Did Spurrier think the freshman would pull his team through in this crucial moment? Garcia should have been in there to redeem himself and win the game for his team; he deserved it.
• Sophomore wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey is a stud: 8 catches, 192 yards, 2 TDs. I might go so far as to put him up there with Alabama’s Julio Jones and Georgia’s A.J. Green, has anyone seen A.J.??
• I really did not think Auburn would be healthy enough to beat South Carolina after their tough game against Clemson.
• The Gamecocks gave up on the run too early. Freshman running back Marcus Lattimore only had 14 carries, 33 yards, 1TD. Lattimore had a measly 2.4 yards per carry average. This by far was the worst output he has had.
• Auburn has an opportunistic defense that makes plays when it counts: 2 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions.
• Auburn sophomore running back Onterio McCalebb is one fast player that teams need to account for when he is in space. Seriously how do you game plan for Newton, Dyer and McCalebb?!
• Arkansas visits The Plains on Oct. 16th . This game will be one for the ages, as they say. I hope they have enough wattage in that scoreboard because it will be working overtime.

Alabama shows why they are the No.1 team in the nation, pushing past Arkansas, 24-20

Alabama is a great team -the best team in the nation- and they showed it Saturday in Fayetteville. In the opening moments, the entire Arkansas team was fired up to be at home and get the chance to knock off the No. 1 team. If there are still any doubts about Ryan Mallett, please put them to rest. He threw for 250 yards in the first half, and finished the day with 357 yards through the air. You have to be special to do this against an Alabama defense, albeit a young and inexperienced unit. But I tip my hat to Mallett because he is the real deal. The Razorbacks picked on cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick all game long and exploited his inexperience for a few big plays by Arkansas wideout Jarius Wright (6 catches, 131 yards). In the first half, the upset alert was going off as the wheels were falling off of the Crimson Tide. Greg McElroy was not his steady self in the first half and that had to do with a couple of bad passes and a fired up Razorback team. The second half was when Alabama stuck to their bread and butter: the running game with Mark Ingram (157 yards and 2 TDs) and Trent Richardson (85 yards, no rushing TDs, 1 REC TD), perfect strategy to keep the potent Arkansas offense off the field and wear away at the Razorback defense. Nick Saban’s boys showed resolve and true grit in the face of adversity. McElroy orchestrated drives that put his team in position to win; there was a sense of been-here-done-that attitude by the Crimson Tide. There was no point where I saw this team panic being down for the majority of the game, taking the lead with 3:18 left in the game. Three interceptions by the ‘Bama defense was the key factor to thwarting the Razorbacks. Robert Lester had two interceptions on the day, one very important one, setting up Alabama to take the lead; and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick picked off the last interception to seal the game and put an end to any chances for an Arkansas comeback. I feel in my gut that the Crimson Tide faced their biggest and stiffest test they will see all season. This team will be undefeated and have a chance to be back-to-back national champions. I really believe it and you should too. Greg McElroy will continue to improve, and he’s no longer a game-manager, maybe last year he was but not anymore; he comfortable with the offense and the playmakers around him. McElroy will end up being the most efficient passer in the SEC, or out of the BCS conferences. Arkansas really needs to work on establishing a running game to become more balanced with the passing attack. It’s a lot for Mallett to carry the offense with his arm for four quarters. But this team might just get the majority of their wins in shootouts; and the defense needs to improve as well. There are still signature wins to be had against Auburn, South Carolina, and LSU. And how Mallett performs in these games will put him right in the thick of the Heisman race, but no better win would have been bigger than downing Alabama.

Our Two Cents-Which team will have the quickest turnaround, Texas or Florida?

Matt Deringer Texas. Forget that the Longhorns are 3-0 and don't need a "turnaround" as much as they do an "acceleration", and look at the schedule. Sure, the first half of October is brutal - Oklahoma and at Nebraska - but after that, there's not a game they won't be at least touchdown-favorites in. The Gators, on the other hand, have to go to Alabama, play better-than-expected Kentucky and Mississippi State, host LSU and South Carolina - my pick to win the SEC East - and get rivals Georgia and Florida State. I think Urban Meyer is a better game coach than Mack Brown, but just-as-much talent in a not-as-tough conference makes Texas the pick. Matt Melon I do not think picking Texas is the easy answer to this question. I literally think both teams cannot stop tripping over themselves. Florida finds life in the second half of games, while Texas awakens in the second quarter. Both teams rely on their defenses and that is why they are undefeated. It’s true that defense does win championships, but you need to score as well. Of course, we know that Texas has perennially played cupcake teams in their nonconference games so you would think they would be lock to end up having a better season, and a quicker road to the BCS Championship game. However, Nebraska and Oklahoma are licking their chops to get a piece of this team that has no Colt McCoy or running game. And Texas finishes off with Texas A&M that gives them problems. Florida has some tricky SEC games coming up: @Alabama, LSU, Mississippi State, Georgia, and South Carolina. They are fortunate that the meat of the schedule is at home, but the brutal Southeastern conference teams won’t be as forgiving as they will bring the toughness and the big hits, every Saturday. The Gators cannot afford to start scoring in the third quarter against their SEC brethren it will be too late, and when you are pressing turnovers happen. Both teams will stumble season-long to find their legs. Pick: Florida and Texas.

Matt Deringer weighs in on Minnesota-USC

TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis is the nicest place you can watch a game this side of Stanford Stadium. ... Robert Woods' kick return for a touchdown after Minnesota went ahead 14-13 in the third quarter reversed momentum, and was the Play of the Game. ... Woods, a track star in high school, is going to be a superstar in college. ... Matt Barkley, a superstar in high school, isn't shining too bright for me in college. ... Lane Kiffin needs to quit going for two when he deems the "matchups" favor it; John McKay did OK kicking extra points; Pete Carroll only went on the most successful run in school history adding extra points; going for two, and coming up short (like USC did again Saturday) is eventually going to cost the Trojans a game. It's stupid and unnecessary. Or compensating for a lack for insecurity and unnecessary. Either way, it's unnecessary. ... Jurrell Casey could win the Nagurski Award if he came back for his senior year, which I don't think he will. ... Casey's still one of - if not the best - defensive tackles in the nation right now. ... Minnesota lost in part because Tim Brewester insisted on running at the strength of the Trojans' team, Casey and the other defensive tackles. Jim Harbaugh and Chip Kelly won't make the same mistake. ... USC's receivers and running backs are as good as any in the nation. ... USC's secondary will get by at Washington State and at home versus Jake Locker and Washington. But the pass rush needs to step up if the Trojans are going to have a chance against Stanford and Oregon and Notre Dame. ... I want to see more of Allen Bradford, Dillon Baxter and Robert Woods. ... It was good to see Ed Orgeron chew out Hebron Fangupo after a personal foul turned what would have been 3rd-and-long into a first down. If I had one criticism of Pete Carroll the last five years, it's that he missed a Bad Cop. ... OK, if I had one more criticism of Pete Carroll the last five years, it's that USC's special teams were mediocre at best. New coach John Baxter, however, is changing that. ... Imperfections aside, USC football was a lot more fun with Carroll running the show. ... USC needs to win its appeal - what the new uptight attitude around campus and practice is about, I think - to have the scholarship restrictions cut from 30 over three years to 15. The Trojans need players, period, and miss the depth they've enjoyed in recent years. Linebacker (like 2008) and offensive line (like 2005) aren't what they used to be. ... If the Trojans don't stomp Washington State, they've got problems bigger than only having 67 scholarship players or going through the motions until the season starts in earnest. ...

Auburn downs Clemson in a heated battle, 27-24 OT

I was expecting Auburn to run Clemson out of the stadium; I was expecting QB Cam Newton to have a big day; I was expecting Gus Malzahn’s offense to shred Clemson’s defense but none of these things happened. I tip my hat to Clemson and offer a bow for a good, solid performance. Auburn, by all accounts, won the game but they were very shaky on offense and Newton is still in developmental stages. Newton is the Southeastern conference version of Terrelle Pryor, a tall kid that is a long strider. Newton and Pryor look like they are thinking too much and just not playing the game, have fun guys. Newton was 7-14, 203 yards with 2TDs and 2INTs, hardly spectacular. Newton suffers from the syndrome of relying on his physical attributes to win games. Like Pryor, he makes ill-advised throws and hopes his wideouts will bail him out and Darvin Adams (5 catches for 178 yards and 1 TD) did in this game. But against a better defense those passes would not have been completed and probably run back for six points. If you are a dual-threat quarterback and things are breaking down, run like crazy, show some suddenness, cut through defenders. At times, it looks like once the play is a designed quarterback run, Newton saunters instead of hitting the open holes with authority. Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker was impressive, completing 21-35 for 227 yards with 2 TDs and no INTs. This kid has moxie, after taking a helmet to the middle of the back, to give his team the best shot to win but it was all for naught, as he overshot a wide open WR Jaron Brown in overtime. And a penalty caused a re-kick of field goal that was missed the second time to send Auburn away with a win. I did not expect this game to have so many brutal hits and two players being carted off the field in stretchers. Clemson brought their lunch pail and went to work, giving Newton and his offensive line fits all night. This heavy-hitting game reminded me of the 2007 LSU-Florida game, where Jacob Hester pushed in the endzone for the game-defining touchdown. This game will have repercussions for both teams going forward. Clemson gets a week off to rest before facing a physical Miami team at home followed up by another physical team in North Carolina on the road. The rest of the slate does not look bad, but they will probably wear down after their away game at Boston College (Oct. 30). Auburn, who is my dark horse this season (I’m not giving up on them just yet), has to face South Carolina next at home and face the likes of Arkansas (Oct. 16), LSU (Oct. 23), Georgia (Nov. 13) and @Alabama (Nov. 26). They are fortunate that they have home games against the meat of the SEC teams but in a physical Southeastern conference they will have trouble escaping with only two losses. But who knows, this is college football and like the weather (especially in New England), things can change very quickly.

Nebraska puts an end to the hype surrounding Jake Locker, 56-21

I’m glad it’s over, at least for now: the hype surrounding Jake Locker. Todd McShay has been flying his banner for a couple of years to go so far as to deem him the No.1 overall draft pick for 2011. I personally do not see it and have never seen it in Locker. As far as good quarterbacks that will be great at the next level, in the Pac-10, the honors go to Matt Barkley and Andrew Luck. Locker has the attributes: 6-3, 230 and has a live arm. Everything a coach wants in a quarterback, but he is widely inconsistent with his throws. We all expected marked improvement, in his second year, with head coach Steve Sarkisian (who is known for grooming quarterbacks at the collegiate level). However, the hard work has not paid dividends yet. The Nebraska defense did not give him time to check down to his wide receivers and made sure the running lanes were closed. The Cornhuskers utilized their speed to thwart the entire Washington Husky offense all day, so it was not only Locker’s inadequacies that cost them the game. His offensive line could not contain the feisty Nebraska defense that have the luxury of having two defensive coordinators in theory: Bo Pelini (head coach) was behind the successful defense of the 2008 National Champions LSU Tigers and his brother (Carl), who in actuality, is the defensive coordinator; so this team thinks defense first before anything else and it shows. If you can believe it, Locker was outplayed by redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez, who was doing his best impression of Denard Robinson: he threw for 150 yards with 1 TD and ran for 137 yards with 3 TDs. If you haven’t seen him, he is really fast and decisive once the ball is snapped. Who knows maybe Locker will find his stride later in the season, but all is not lost because if he pulls off improbable wins against Stanford at home (Oct. 30) and @Oregon (Nov. 6) these would be huge wins for him and the program. But that is a big “If.” Wins against USC and Oregon State does not hold the luster of winning at Stanford and Oregon. USC is in the rebuilding mold and trying to find their identity on both sides of the ball while if Oregon State gets creamed by Boise Sate this upcoming Saturday then it does not say much for a Husky win against them. It’s is fine not getting wins but your star quarterback and highly touted needs to do better than completing only 20% of his passes, how about above 50% and an average of 200 yards with no interceptions?! As any football fan knows, some collegiate players have an awesome college career and flop in the NFL and vice versa. So Locker might go down as a disappointment at the college level but might show the potential all the media types have been trying to shove done our throats at the next level. But as it stands now, he is going to have to show me more, and he can certainly fall in line with Jacory Harris and Terrelle Pryor as quarterbacks that do not deserve the hype, nor are they Heisman candidates.

USC?

In case you missed it - and if you're lucky, you did - USC was out-hit by Virginia and out-gunned by Hawaii the first two weeks of the season, scoring just 16 more points than the ACC and WAC also-rans. Worse still, the Trojans were out-gained by a total of 75 yards and 17 first downs, with better opposition and the inevitable injuries - to a roster of 67 scholarship players - still to come. So, where does that leave USC? Five-and-oh following trips to Minnesota - worst in the Big Ten - and Washington State - worst in the Pac-10 and just about any other conference - and a home date with Washington - Jake Locker or not, the Huskies haven't won on the road since 2007.

Stanford and Oregon, both in October, will face a different USC team than the one that it took all eight quarters to get wins its first two games. And that's good, because these Trojans have no chance of beating either.

To make any run at the Pac-10 title, USC first needs to get better in three areas:

Tackling. Whether it's not tackling in practice - Lane Kiffin thinks limiting the risk of injuries is worth the tradeoff - or talents like linebacker Malcolm Smith not living up to the hype coming out of high school, the Trojans have missed more tackles than they've made so far this season. USC got better against Virginia, but that's damning with faint praise: Hawaii rolled up 588 yards of offense.

Blocking. Maybe it's talents like center Kris O'Dowd not living up to the hype coming out of high school, but my theory is it's not tackling in practice. With the edge off, running backs don't have to go 100 percent, leaving offensive linemen to sort out assignments and technique, instead of fighting for extra yards. That lack of intensity was evident against Virginia, which pulled Marc Tyler down from 154 yards in 17 carries (9.1 per) at Hawaii to 67 on 18 (3.7 per) last Saturday night.

Passing. With the running game inconsistent and the back seven on defense a far cry from most of the Pete Carroll Era, the Trojans need Matt Barkley more than ever. Don't let the sophomore's 20 of 35 for two touchdowns against Virginia fool you: he overthrew receivers and missed passes that would have put the game away in the second half.

Alabama is more than deserving of the No.1 spot in the nation

Wow, is all I can say about Alabama. I must say that I actually thought Greg McElroy would be the Achilles heel of this team. However, I’m wrong about that. McElroy might be the most efficient passer of the SEC, forget about Ryan Mallett and John Brantley and Cam Newton. They can put up those gaudy numbers, but McElroy will spread the ball around to his receivers and he as the best running back tandem in Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson. Against Penn State, McElroy stood tall in the pocket, checked down to his 1st and 2nd receivers and let the ball fly or broke the pocket for a run. He is more confident in his second year with his playmakers. The only problem might be the young secondary, but with good coaching they might not be that vulnerable as everyone thinks. During the offseason, I was adamant that the Crimson Tide could not repeat as national title winners, but it is looking to me that they have the best shot out of anyone to reach the title game and win. Before I drink their Kool-Aid, I will let them take a bite of their conference pie, first. However, the way things are now, they will be a dominant force in the Southeastern Conference. September 25th @Arkansas and October 9th @South Carolina will be pivotal games. If Alabama beats both teams then they will play for the national title, no bones about it. I can realistically see a rematch for the SEC title game between the Crimson Tide and South Carolina, unless the Gamecocks implode down the stretch and Florida sneaks in through the back door. I’m starting to believe that Florida has legit problems on offense and with Chris Rainey being dismissed from the team, they could be in trouble. In my mind, Alabama is a more complete team than last season, and they are serving notice to everyone in the nation that they are going back to Glendale to take another crystal trophy home with them.

Top 10

Teams are still coming together, but everybody's got a Top 10 list, so why not us? (Coincidentally, the No. 1 reason not to do something: just because your friends are doing it.) Taking into account what they returned from last year - or didn't, in the case of Florida - and how they've fared the first two weeks of this season, I offer For The Love Of Saturdays' Top 10. This list is fluid, as college football's an emotion-driven game, and intangibles like home field, Homecoming, letdowns, lookaheads, rivalries and revenge mean as much - if not more sometimes - than matchups and series history. But having calculated these numbers based on the final scores and box scores for every Div. I-A team in the nation each week since 2002, I like to think my time isn't totally for naught. # Team (Power Rating) 1. Alabama (91) 2. Ohio State (91) 3. Oregon (90) 4. Oklahoma (89) 5. Michigan (86) 6. Stanford (86) 7. TCU (86) 8. South Carolina (85) 9. Florida (84) 10. Texas (83) Top 5 Not Top 10: Nebraska (83), Iowa (83), Miami (83), LSU (81), Auburn (81)

Chris Rainey's future in Gainesville is doubtful

Reports out of Florida is that running back turned wideout Chris Rainey has been arrested for aggravated stalking. He sent a threatening text message to an on-and-off again girlfriend that read,"Time to die." In a season where the Florida Gators are trying to find their identity on offense and have been stalling out of the gate, he will be missed. We will continue to follow this story as it develops.

Is Terrelle Pryor the answer to Ohio State's national title dreams?

Terrelle Pryor needs to be more decisive and consistent with his week-in and week-out performance on Saturdays. Last Saturday’s performance was subpar at best. Sure Jacory Harris, of the Hurricanes, threw four interceptions but Pryor was lucky he did not incur the same amount; there were too many passes that Pryor threw up in the air, hoping his wide receivers would pull down. It looked terrible and something needs to change, if they are going to go on to Glendale to play in the national title game. The best pass all day and probably will be all season for Pryor was when he hit wideout Devier Posey on the sideline with a beautiful throw that fell perfectly over his right shoulder into his hands. We know Pryor can make throws like that and others, but why does he make those boneheaded ones? I sense that there is not enough urgency in Pryor’s game; he needs to develop a mean streak, get fired up, stop worrying about fans booing someone (former hometown Lebron James) go and beat up your opponent. I miss the days of the Troy Smith era; the offense was magical, and Smith had that killer instinct, that swagger, that will to win, that moxie, and decisiveness. He did not second guess or hesitate, he went for it. We need these qualities in Pryor; he needs to know that he has the full support of his team. It bothers me to see a 6’6 kid that clocks in around 233 pounds running gingerly for yardage and not steamroll defenders. Man up, Pryor, you want to win the Heisman and the national title? Then let loose, you are holding back. I know you want to be a quarterback at the next level, and you are trying to make sure you go through your progressions before taking off and run but do what is best for you, what is natural, what your gut tells you during games. Ohio State has national title aspirations but they have away games @Wisconsin (Oct. 16), @Iowa (Nov. 20), and Michigan (Nov. 27) at home. These three teams can sock the Buckeyes in the mouth and hand them losses that will all but end their dreams. The offense needs to get better, the defense I’m not worried about. Pryor, the unquestioned leader of this team, is going to need to improve or he will put his team in bad situations. If you want to be an elite player, you got to want it. Are you ready for prime time, Terrelle?!

Oklahoma outclasses the Seminoles, 44-17

Oklahoma’s performance, Week one, against Utah State was an aberration. There I said it. Landry Jones was a poised, veteran-like quarterback yesterday against the Jimbo Fisher-led Florida State Seminoles, throwing for 380 yards with four touchdowns sprinkled in for emphasis. He is poised for big things but does he need time to make it work, meaning good O-line play is the key. It’s hard to say how he will look going forward in the upcoming weeks. But I really do not see a threat on their schedule, except for the perennial game against Texas in the Red Rivalry game on October 2nd. There will be another game where Bob Stoops’ team will stub their toe and look subpar. There has to be high hopes in Norman for the performance yesterday; the defense looked especially stout against the run, and the pass defense flooded the zones and played good coverage. I doubt this team will be the 2008 Oklahoma team that hung 50 points or more on their opponents but they can be just as good, keeping the offense simple with swing passes and letting their skill players take advantage of mismatches and using their speed. It looked too easy for Jones yesterday, finding wide receiver Ryan Broyles for 124 yards and 1 TD. Running back Demarco Murray did his part gaining 51 yards on the ground (2 TDs) and 52 yards through the air; the key is to keep him healthy, he has struggled throughout his career to remain healthy. Putting Murray in space allows another dimension to the offense since he catches the ball well out of the backfield. We will see down the road how good a win this was, and that is all based on the production of the Seminoles. Obviously if they stumble to the finish line with six or seven wins then this win does not look good. My gut tells me that the Sooners should look out for away games @Baylor and @Oklahoma State to finish the season. I don’t think anyone will be surprised if they go undefeated but the nation is waiting to see if Stoops can win the big one, and if their Week 2 performance continues then punch their ticket for Glendale and the crystal trophy envelop by Stoops and his players.

Denard Robinson tap dances his way past the Fighting Irish, 28-24

Denard Robinson is special, a diamond in the ruff, the most svelte dancer, twirling and gliding and ripping through wind currents to the endzone. Rich Rodriguez has something special with this kid, a more physically-gifted and stronger player than his former quarterback Pat White. Its Rodriguez third year at Michigan and this might be his only saving grace as his record stands 10-16. There is no denying Rodriguez is the king of the spread-option attack as evidenced by his tenure in West Virginia, but he has had a bumpy ride in Ann Harbor amongst all the NCAA violations, players leaving and calling him out, and his poor conference record, 3-13. However, yesterday’s win has saved his job for now, has allowed the Michigan faithful to have hope, to be giddy over a dual-threat quarterback, hopeful for a defense that will get better, hopeful for a bowl bid this season. Don’t get me wrong, Michigan beat Notre Dame, but the game could have gone either way. The Fighting Irish certainly could have left the field with a victory in-hand but it was The Denard Robinson show and he came through all game, but especially when the game was on the line. The Wolverines have a lot to work on even though they pulled ahead of Notre Dame in South Bend. Their defensive secondary was shaky, the run defense was OK, but they need to cut down on the penalties and find a kicker that can make field goals. If Michigan converted points that were left on the field, the margin of victory would have been larger than the score indicated. Not only did Robinson do it with his feet (28 carries for 258 yards, 2TD), he did it through the air with 20-24, 244 yards, 1TD. He gained an average of 9.2 yards per carry, a staggering figure. But let’s not act like schoolgirls over him and his production yesterday. How can he survive if he is asked to carry the ball 28 times per game this season? He cannot hold up, especially playing against Wisconsin, Penn State and Ohio State. And although he ran roughshod over the Irish, I doubt he will be allowed to do the same against the Nittany Lions and the Buckeyes. And he risks injury every time he tucks the ball, and if I was Rodriguez, I would cringe anytime a defender came low or in for a tackle. What needs to happen is that they need to develop a ground game to not allow Robinson to be a one-man team. The key in football is to have your X-factor(s) healthy down the stretch for that key game or series of games. Everyone clamored over Tate Forcier last year but that soon dissolved, I’m not saying that is going to happen with Robinson but you never know. After yesterday’s performance, the amount of pressure on his shoulders is immense. Remember in West Virginia , Pat White had running back Steve Slaton to take the pressure off of him, and that is what is needed for Michigan to be successful to save one of or the most dynamic player on their team. Road wins against Penn State (Oct. 30) and Ohio State (Nov. 27) could go a long way and extend the life expectancy of RichRod and his staff, but also a home win against Iowa (Oct. 16) would certainly have the Wolverines on everyone’s radar. But this is wishful thinking on my part, but you have to believe that this won’t be the last big game that Robinson has and it sets up nicely for one more big win against another rival. Right now, Robinson is the most dynamic quarterback in the Big Ten and probably will be the most talked about over his conference-mate Terrelle Pryor this season.

Life after Tebow...not what we expected

It was uninspiring, hard to watch, unfathomable: Florida’s offense last Saturday against Miami (OH). No one would have guessed that they would fumble eight times, 14 botched snaps, a measly 26 yards of total offense going into the fourth quarter, 212 total yards for the day. Thank God for defense. The defense had four interceptions on the day that helped the offense immensely and also had key stops that allowed for good field position for an inept offense. QB John Brantley has looked good all spring and everyone was expecting another high-octane offense from this Urban Meyer team, but that was not the case. Michael Pouncey (center) accepted responsibility for the miscues that happened: “It just kept slipping out of my hands, so I moved my hands up further on the ball so I can just grab it better and throw it back there,” he commented after the game. Going forward, he said that him and Brantley have been working on the snaps and feel confident going into this week’s game against USF. I’m sure Saturday’s production was not a good thing for Meyer’s health, but I’m this plays right into what he wants. Nobody is talking about the Gators; everyone is giving press to Boise State and other high-profile Week 2 games, no one is talking about Florida but that is fine with Meyer. If you think, what you saw on Saturday will continue then you are out of touch. Meyer will have the offense (especially) and defense humming for the next game and their conference slate that includes games against Alabama, Georgia, LSU to name a few. You can bet if they have the same amount of miscues against one of those teams, they would lose no question about it. There are a lot of expectations on the Gators to continue to have success without Tebow and this team will be just fine. Every year, they have a top five recruiting class and Meyer loves recruiting speedy players. Meyer’s goal is to get to the SEC championship and play for the national title, so for now, he is not concerned about his team. If these woes continue into late October then there will be a cause for concern. However, you get this sneaky feeling that Florida will have one big game that will have the nation talking about them and this team will ride that momentum to finish the season.

Boise State is less than perfect, beating Virginia Tech, 33-30

Let’s get this straight from the beginning, I’m not a Boise State fan, nor do I think they should play for the national title if they go undefeated. The Broncos have a knack for the exciting and glamorous wins. It has to be high tension and drama; otherwise it does not count in Boise’s book. Sure they beat Virginia Tech in Maryland (a glorified home game for the Hokies), but VA Tech does not win the big games, does not play well from behind, and the quarterback position has not evolved from the dual-threat athlete behind center since Michael Vick played there. I love you Frank (Beamer) but you need to do something about your offense, how about a facelift? Tryout a pocket passer for a change, you know the ones like Andrew Luck of Stanford, Matt Barkley of USC or Christian Ponder of Florida State. Virginia Tech is known for their defense and Butch Davis, the defensive coordinator, has done a wonderful job for so many years. However, it’s hard to do wonders with so many starters on defense, being gobbled up by that pesky giant, the NFL. On this night, Boise State was the better team, heck maybe they would of beat them eight out ten times. It’s a simple game plan, run the ball down their throats. That is all Virginia Tech had to do and why were they passing the ball with a little over two minutes left on a third down play? Run the ball and eat more time off the clock. Who knows, running back Ryan Matthews could have ran for six yards and then you guys could have went for it on the fourth down and converted. Game over. Now we are subjected to the sickening love fest that the media will heap on the Broncos, this will last until the end of the season if they go undefeated. The Broncos have to lookout for Oregon State (Sept. 25th) whose skill players might match or be slightly faster than theirs. We all know the Rodgers brothers have tons of speed and are very elusive, and this could cause a problem for a Boise defense. I will give credit where credit is due and Boise played an OK game and made it count when it mattered. But they should not play in the national title, if they go undefeated. The strength of schedule does not hold up to the BCS conferences. They want legitimacy then schedule a SEC team or Big 12 team but the argument will be, nobody wants to play them, right?! I doubt it. Also if they eke out wins against Wyoming, New Mexico State, San Jose State, and Louisiana Tech then they should not be selected for the BCS title game over a one loss team from a BCS conference. The only prayer they have is to slaughter teams on their schedule by at least three touchdowns to make the voters believe they deserve to play with the big boys in the big dance. However, college football has a lot of twists and turns in each season and you never know what wacky scenario will play out.

LSU barely hangs on to beat UNC, 30-24

I don’t know what to say about LSU’s win. I think the most impressive thing is the tenacity of UNC with 13 players not playing because of NCAA violations, seven defensive starters out; and there secondary had all new faces for this game. As many football pundits will tell you, you cannot win if you turn the ball over, whether in the pros or the collegiate level. However, LSU did. They hung on to a prayer and were rewarded, just barely. Everyone glued to the television sets saw how dominant The Tigers were in the first half. Jordan Jefferson looked very efficient, Russell Shepard displayed how dangerous he is going to be this year (wherever he lines up), and Patrick Peterson was phenomenal with 257 all-purpose yards. I did not know how special Peterson is but now I know, and he can flat out fly. At halftime, the score read 30-10 LSU but the second half was a different game and different team. The Tigers only generated 78 yards of offense in the second half, yikes!! This is a major problem and it’s only going to get tougher for them when they play their conference games. If you cannot beat a depleted team in UNC, what does that say for your team going forward against the likes of Florida, Auburn, Alabama and Arkansas?! Turn the ball over against these teams and you will pay. I like what I saw from Steven Ridley in the spring game, but you have to secure the ball. Two fumbles in the same game. After the first fumble in the third quarter, he would have been benched for the rest of the game. Maybe LSU thought they had the game all wrapped up going into the second half and all they had to do was coast and not take care of the ball but they were sorely mistaken. I tip my hat to T.J. Yates who passes for 412 yards with 3 touchdowns and no picks but he does have a fumble to his name though, a super effort by the entire team. Les Miles has to figure out how to keep his team motivated and focuses when they are leading big. Jefferson is not an elite quarterback, nor will he ever be, but he has weapons and can play when he makes the right decisions. That boneheaded pass, he threw up before halftime that was picked off, was so ill-advised. Its one thing to struggle against a team at full strength, and everyone has heard about how tough UNC’s defense was going into this season. But to barely hold on against a team down thirteen players is not good. Let’s hope the Mad Hatter can turn his team around in the right direction after this performance.

South Carolina gives Southern Mississippi a beatdown, 41-13

South Carolina fans should not be happy with the win against Southern Mississippi. I know Gamecocks' fans have been waiting to see Stephen Garcia live up to his expectations since 2007. With Steve Spurrier calling him out and knowing that there is competition at his position, with the acquisition of freshman quarterback Collin Shaw, we saw a level of maturity not seen before by Garcia. He looked confident, well-prepared and tough with few runs where he looked like Tim Tebow, bowling over defenders. Garcia has arrived but please temper your expectations for the Gamecocks. Spurrier hasn’t had a prolific offense since taking over at the helm; the glory days of his Florida teams are a distant memory now. It baffles me how an offensive-mastermind cannot get his offense clicking and cannot find a quarterback to lead him to the big dance. One must look at their competition in this Thursday night beatdown. By all accounts it’s Southern Mississippi, a Conference USA team that because of its tradition and location cannot get the elite players that Auburn,Mississippi State,and Ole Miss gets instate; it's not there fault, its the luck of the draw. You don’t hear kids saying they rather go to Southern Miss. over any SEC team. Why would they pass up the opportunity to play in the SEC conference? The SEC is the heavyweight champion of college football: a gazillion dollar television deal, superior talent, guaranteed a first look for the NFL draft over other conferences, and excellent coaching. Everyone knows that Conference USA is no ACC, Big East, Pac 10, etc. However who would of known that Southern Miss. are two-time Division II national champions (1958 and 1962), 7-time conference champions, and they sport 65 consecutive winning seasons. But on the flip side of that, Southern Miss. was 80th in total defense (giving up an average of 392.46 per game, last season) and their pass defense was 109th in the nation (giving up an average of 261.62 yards through the air) of out of 120 teams. So even though, South Carolina hung 41 points on them, I'm sure Alabama, Florida, Arkansas would have done the same and many other teams from BCS conferences as well. I’m not buying the resurgence of the Gamecocks offense and you should not too. I want to see them against Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas and Tennessee. All that matters to me is how they do in their conference games and this will be the true test for Garcia and this offense. Let’s not worry about the defense because they are usually a stingy bunch. If you want to jump on the bandwagon then so be it, history says it all: Spurrier only has one eight-win season in his five years at South Carolina. If the Gamecocks get nine or ten wins, I will give them their due but now I’m not impressed, move on people.

Relief in The Grove, Masoli is eligible to play

After denying his initial request to play this season, the NCAA ruled in Masoli's favor, allowing him to suit up and play for Houston Nutt. Now all Masoli has to do is redeem himself on and off the field in Mississippi and prove to the NCAA that he can be a good citizen.

Pitt stumbles out of the gate, loses to Utah, 27-24

What I saw: Pitt looked like a team that was not prepared for the season opener and they also looked like a team that should not have been ranked #15 in the nation. Another reason why I hate preseason polls and they really serve no purpose but to put rank teams higher than their worth because of last season’s success. Kyle Willingham had his team prepared and sophomore quarterback Jordan Wynn (283 yards, 3TD and 1int) looked the part of a senior quarterback, with his command of the offense and efficient passing. Running back Dion Lewis is a stud but on Thursday night, the Utah defense only allowed him 75 yards on the ground with a dismal 3.0 yards per carry average. This was not vintage Lewis, who as a freshman last season ran for 1,799 yards and 17 touchdowns. And Jonathan Baldwin pulled in four catches for 71 yards, not nearly enough for a star wide receiver. However, credit goes the Utes’ defense that gave up a couple of big pass plays, but the run defense held their own and allowed their offense to do enough to win the game. Going Forward: Dave Wannstedt and his staff need to open up the playbook for sophomore quarterback Tino Sunseri. They limited him far too much in this game. I understand that they want him to get comfortable as a starter, but they need to strike fear in their opponents. Non-conference and conference opponents know that Lewis and Baldwin are the most dynamic players on the team, and they will adjust their game plan to shut down these players. If Sunseri is allowed to pass more, he can find uncovered wideouts and get those sneaky yards while opposing teams are covering Baldwin. Pitt’s performance was flat and they looked uninterested. It’s fine to look flat if you played six games of the season and injuries are mounting and players are wearing done but it’s only the first game of the season! Their highly touted defense looked like they were going through the motions and did not have that ferocious bite we saw last year. But give credit to Utah’s offensive line that gave Wynn time to check down his receivers. If Pitt wants to compete with UCONN, West Virginia, South Florida, and Cincinnati they are going to have to change up their game plan. Give Sunseri screen passes, dump offs to his running backs, and also utilize the tight end; one does not need to throw long passes to make the offense work, find other outlets and mix it up. Lewis and Baldwin were the best kept secrets last season but that is over, teams are game planning for these impact players so Pitt will have to find other players to involve in the offense. I'm aware that sophomore receiver Mike Shanahan caught four catches for 51 yards and three other wide receivers were involved but they need more and they need to limit the turnovers. I really feel Pitt is a team that needs three or four games to get in a groove, and get it right. But their third game is against the Miami Hurricanes, a perennial athletic team. Pitt might suffer their second loss of the season. They can stretch their legs and figure things out in their next game against New Hampshire but their schedule does not allow them too much wiggle room in hitting their stride: @Notre Dame on Oct. 9th, @UCONN on Nov. 11th, @South Florida on Nov. 20th, home against West Virginia on Nov. 26th and finish the season @Cincinnati on December 4th. The Big East is shaping up to be a competitive division and the last remaining weeks will probably determine who will pull ahead in this heated race.