College football outlook 9/8/10

No doubt who is No. 1. Alabama is loaded and has fewer questions than any team in the country. No. 2 is a fairly easy choice as Ohio State is loaded on defense and has a quarterback ready to blossom in Terrelle Pryor. Sorting out the rest isn’t easy. Where do small conference powers Boise State and TCU belong when compared to perennial championship contenders Texas, Oklahoma and Florida, especially after their impressive opening game victories? A few answers come this week as three matchups involve top-25 teams — Georgia Tech at UNC, FSU at OU and Miami at Ohio State.

1. Alabama (1-0) » Status of RB Ingram, DE Dareus uncertain for Penn St. game

2. Ohio State (1-0) » DE Heyward, LB Homan will present problems for Miami

3. Texas (1-0) » New look Horns — 46 rushes, 24 passes in win over Rice

4. Boise State (1-0) » Like it or not, they’re now in discussion for BCS title game

5. TCU (1-0) » QB Dalton now has more wins (30) than Slingin’ Sammy

6. Oregon (1-0) » Had a school-record 720 yards in 72-0 rout of New Mexico

7. Iowa (1-0) » Hawks have not allowed Iowa St. a TD in last two meetings

8. Florida (1-0) » Brantley (17-25, 113 yards) stuck with short stuff in debut

9. Miami (1-0) » DE Allen Bailey will try to corral Pryor in the Horseshoe

10. Nebraska (1-0) » Is DT Crick (6-6, 285) the Huskers’ 2010 version of Suh?

11. Wisconsin (1-0) » Solid start for Clay (17-123, 2 TD) in his Heisman pursuit

12. Virginia Tech (0-1) » Now 0-22 against top-5 teams away from Lane Stadium

13. Oklahoma (1-0) » QB Jones shaky in OU’s unimpressive opener vs. Utah St.

14. Penn State (1-0) » JoePa needs five wins for 400, it won’t be easy at Bama

15. LSU (1-0) » Peterson’s 257 return yards were the difference vs. UNC

16. Georgia Tech (1-0) » Nesbitt closing in on ACC career rushing record for QBs

17. Florida State (1-0) » Samford was easy debut for Jimbo, now comes No. 13 OU

18. Arkansas (1-0) » QB Mallett had a 225.8 efficiency rating vs. Tennessee Tech

19. Georgia (1-0) » A rugged Sept.: at South Carolina, vs. Arkansas, at Miss. St.

20. Oregon State (0-1) » In debut against TCU, QB Katz struggled (9-25, 159 yards)

21. Utah (1-0) » Run defense, QB Wynn (21-36, 282 yards) were key vs. Pitt

22. West Virginia (1-0) » Balt. product Austin (5 catches, 90 yards) making impact

23. Notre Dame (1-0) » In first start, QB Crist (19-26, 205 yards, TD) was efficient

24. N, Carolina (0-1) » Can Heels’ staunch defense slow Georgia Tech’s option?

25. USC (1-0) » QB Barkley rescued Trojans with five TD passes in Hawaii

HEATING UP

Utah » Stuffing Pitt’s Dion Lewis (25 carries, 75 yards) was a masterstroke.

Also » Notre Dame, TCU, Boise State

COOLING DOWN

Cincinnati » Shut out for the last 41 minutes at Fresno St. How much do the Bearcats miss Brian Kelly?

Also » Navy, Virginia Tech, Mississippi

TOP 25 GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 9 Miami at No. 2 Ohio State

Two dynamic Heisman Trophy-candidate quarterbacks battle in the Horseshoe on Saturday afternoon. The Canes’ Jacory Harris (4,757 career yards passing, 39 touchdowns) and the Buckeyes’ Terrelle Pryor (3,652 yards, 33 touchdowns) were two of the top prizes of the 2008 recruiting class — Harris as a drop-back QB, Pryor as a dual-threat. The last time the teams met was the 2002 BCS Championship Game (2003 Fiesta Bowl), won in double overtime by Maurice Clarett and the Buckeyes..

PLAYER TO WATCH

Robert Bolden, Penn State, QB

How about this for a pressure test for the first true freshman to start at quarterback for Joe Paterno — at No. 1 Alabama on Saturday? In his debut against Youngstown State, Bolden completed 20-of-29 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Nittany Lions to a 44-14 victory. The strong-armed Bolden (6-3, 220) didn’t participate in spring practice, but was impressive enough this summer to get the nod over sophomores Matt McGloin and Kevin Newsome and highly touted freshman Paul Jones..

STORYLINES


1. Non-AQs » Non-automatic BCS qualifiers Boise State and Texas Christian could make everything simple, if only they would lose. But both opened with wins over ranked BCS teams, rekindling debate (already) about their fitness to play in a BCS title game. The most stunning aspect of Boise States’s 33-30 victory over Virginia Tech was that the Broncos limited the Hokies to 2.9 yards per rush. TCU had similar success against Oregon State in a 30-21 win, outgaining the Beavers, 453-255, and frustrating Heisman candidate Jacquizz Rodgers (18 carries, 75 yards). Both Boise State and TCU might have already played the toughest game on their schedule.

2. Troubled programs » What are we to make of the first week play from Southern California and North Carolina? No. 25 USC, which has been slapped with sanctions and undergone a painful coaching change, got past Hawaii, 49-36, but Lane Kiffin’s defense, coached by father Monte Kiffin, yielded 588 yards. Meanwhile No. 24 UNC, under investigation and almost certainly facing sanctions and a head coaching change, nearly rallied to beat LSU on Saturday despite the self-imposed suspension of 13 players, including five defensive starters. The ongoing controversy with coach Butch Davis’s team — most of it centered on academic cheating — will linger throughout the year.

3. Bush whacked » Reggie Bush could become the first winner in the 75-year history of the Heisman Trophy to be stripped of the award. There are conflicting reports what the Heisman Trust will conclude in its investigation, which the NCAA found that Bush received improper benefits. At the insistence of USC president C.L. Max Nikias, the school returned its copy of the Heisman in July after the NCAA levied sanctions against the football program. Bush was a landslide winner in 2005, receiving 784 first-place votes to 79 votes for Texas quarterback Vince Young.

AREA INTELLIGENCE

MARYLAND

Saturday night at Byrd Stadium, the Terps (1-0) will play I-AA Morgan State (1-0) for the first time in history. Morgan State, a winner Saturday over Bowie State, 14-7, was 6-5 in 2009 — the Baltimore school’s third winning season in 31 years, all under seven-year head coach Donald Hill-Eley.

NAVY

The Midshipmen (0-1) will host I-AA Georgia Southern (1-0), coached by former Navy assistant Jeff Monken, who won his debut Saturday 48-3 over Savannah State. Monken, who spent six years at Navy, is a disciple of former Navy coach Paul Johnson, who guided Southern to two FCS national titles.

VIRGINIA TECH

Coming off a deflating 33-30 loss to Boise State, the Hokies have just five days to prepare for I-AA James Madison (1-0) in an I-81 battle. The Dukes dominated Morehead State 48-7 on Saturday. By the time visiting Morehead got its initial first down, it trailed 34-0 in the third quarter.

VIRGINIA

A 34-13 victory over I-AA Richmond on Saturday was an uplifting debut for the Cavaliers’ first-year coach Mike London. But he and Virginia have an altogether different challenge Saturday at USC (1-0), a perennial I-A powerhouse, which opened with a 49-36 victory Thursday at Hawaii.

HOWARD

The Bison outgained No. 25 (FCS) Holy Cross, 308-282, and dominated time of possession, 36 minutes to 24, but turnovers were their undoing in a 38-7 road loss. Howard tries to rebound in its home and MEAC opener against Hampton (0-1), a 33-0 loser at Central Michigan on Thursday.