Week 2 Precap

It was an eventful week 1 in college football, and things haven't even hotted up yet. Things aren't quite as thrilling this week as last week, with one major primetime showdown between two top 10 teams, and a few games that might actually be good.

Clemson - Georgia Tech

This game intrigues me, and not just because it is the Thursday night game. Nope, it intrigues me because I want to see how and what these teams do. Georgia Tech is in their second year of the triple option and Clemson is in their second year of Dabo Swinney. Neither team faced much of anybody in their first week, but neither team really impressed either. Clemson was such an overwhelming disappointment last year that I want to see how they rebound once they have had time to gather themselves and restore their focus on something other than how everything is falling apart. Georgia Tech, on the other hand, is a fashionable choice to take the ACC crown this year, and I want to see them in action against a conference foe that was undoubtedly spending a lot of time watching them on film in the offseason. I'm anxious to see what happens in this game. But at this point, Georgia Tech is the clear choice for anyone who picks these games.

Notre Dame - Michigan

The problem with figuring out anything about these two teams is that both of them schwacked two mid-majors from Western Who-Gives-A-Crap. We know nothing about either Nevada or Western Michigan and, as much as they did pour on the points, they weren't like the 62-3 beatdowns administered by other top teams. Thus, neither Notre Dame nor Michigan seems like they are so good that they can score points without trying. But then again, Nevada and/or Western Michigan may be better than that score might indicate; or they may be worse, it's hard to tell. All we do know is that both Notre Dame and Michigan bullied two mystery opponents in week one.

Look, I'd love to give you some analysis or prediction of this game, but both teams are unknown quantities right now. They looked good in their openers, but both teams are facing a bigger test in their second game. But we don't have any idea how much bigger. And, honestly, we won't know much of anything about either team after this game, unless one team lays down an unlikely, unholy beatdown. But just because we don't know anything and won't learn anything, that doesn't mean I can't wait to watch it!

UConn - North Carolina

This is a big test for two teams who are looking to assert themselves in their respective conferences. UNC could use a win to validate their ranking and the ACC. UConn has been a good but unremarkable team for the last few years and they could use a springboard game to put themselves into the national discussion. I don't know anything about either team, but I think both teams will know a lot more about themselves after this game. And I think it will be a closely fought game that you should catch if you have the chance.

East Carolina - West Virginia

Neither team put together a big game in their opener, and the only real reason I have this game on here is the fact that East Carolina shocked West Virginia last year. I think they will do it again this year, because West Virginia seems to still be struggling to find themselves after Rich Rodriguez broke up with them.

Iowa - Iowa State

Last weekend, Iowa barely squeaked out the chance to call this the game for the Iowa state championship. It almost became a battle for state runner-up. When a team needs a miracle in the final seconds to beat an FCS team at home, and they are following that game by going on the road to face their big in-state rival, I think we can fairly assume that the big in-state rival would like their chances, even if they are Iowa State. I'll put my mouth (but not my money) on Iowa State.

Texas - Wyoming

Can someone please explain why Texas is playing at Wyoming? Maybe I'm missing something, but I just don't see how this game came about. And do I really need to say who I'm picking in this game?

Purdue - Oregon

After the Ducks laid an egg against Boise State (do you really care whether the pun is intended?), they get to stay home for a chance for redemption against America's second-favorite whipping boy, a Big Ten team. The only better situation for them would be an ACC team, but you can't have everything you wish for. Anyway, Purdue put together a good game in the opener and may not be the patsy that was expected by the Boilermakers' foes. I would think this game should be interesting, but it begins at 10:15 EDT, which means that Purdue is starting the game at about the time they are normally supposed to be home for the night. My gut is screaming at me on this game, but it doesn't seem too eager to tell me what it is all worked up about. So I'm going with Oregon to rebound with a solid win.

Houston - Oklahoma State

I'm going with Oklahoma State to win this one. But I do think that Houston, which many people are picking to win Conference USA, is going to make them work for it. I expect this one to stay very tight early, as Houston will be eager to prove itself, and Oklahoma State will have something of a victory hangover. I think the Cowboys open it up in the late third or early fourth quarter for what will seem like an unimpressive two-score win.

South Carolina - Georgia

I'm picking Georgia in this game. But I don't have a good handle on either team right now, so it will be interesting to see how these teams do in comparison to each other. Obviously, this game will go a long way toward showing just what the pecking order will be in the SEC East. I will also be interested to see if Georgia can get through an entire game without losing an offensive lineman for the first time since 2007.

Vanderbilt - LSU

Following the Washington game, I have a lot of new doubts about LSU... a team I doubted even in the preseason. I always say that we don't know much of anything about teams at this point in the season, but I do know that a team that went 0-12 last year absolutely and assuredly does not have top-25 caliber players all over the field. Unless there is something seriously hidden behind the scoreboard (like, say, God coming down from heaven and proclaiming that Washington will keep it close in a losing effort), that was not a good effort by the Tigers. And now they have a conference game against a team that is also far from good, but did at least slog out a bowl bid last season. I really don't know what to expect here, but I recommend keeping this one on your radar.

USC - Ohio State

I'm an Ohio State fan, and I have made no secret of that. I think it is best to be up front about that fact, since it does tend to color my intrepretation of what I see when I look at anything related to Ohio State. It is also to be understood that I am a pessimist, so that should also be considered when reading my analyses of Ohio State. It is for these reasons that, last year, I refused to make picks on Ohio State games.

With that said, you'd have to be a drooling imbecile to pick Ohio State to win this game.

I'd love to give you some buildup for this game, but I don't much see the point. This is exactly the sort of game that Ohio State has made a habit of losing badly over the last 3 years, and this is exactly the sort of game in which USC has made a habit of blowing out the other team over the last 6 years.

USC plays an aggressive, balanced style of football with players that are, at the very least, solid at every position. They are very fundamentally sound, so they do not make physical mistakes. They are smart and well-coached, so they do not make mental mistakes. On offense, they will find a weakness in the other team and they are not afraid to hammer at that weakness for as many points as they feel like scoring that day. They will play sound defense that allows for few mistakes by the other team, and they will fully capitalize on any mistake they can take advantage of. They will be ready to play this game because they take enormous pride in their ability to slap the crap out of big-name teams.

Contrariwise, Ohio State clearly doesn't work on tackling in practice, because they are lousy at it and have been for years. They are soft in the middle of their defense, so they are vulnerable to the power game. They tend to play a lot of zone coverage and wait for the quarterback to make mistakes, which works against everyone except a team with a very good quarterback and very good receivers -- like even the worst USC teams since 2003. On offense, if they find out that they can overpower the other team up front, they don't. They haven't picked up a blitz in about 6 years. And they consistently kill promising drives with false start and delay of game penalties in the red zone.

And if you are only interested in what we have seen this year, let's take a look at the evidence we have been given by each team's performance in their opener. Ohio State almost blew a 15-point 4th quarter lead against a service academy. USC blew out their opening patsy 56-3. Ohio State gave up 9 completions and an 85-yard touchdown pass to a team that threw the ball 13 times in the entire game. As for USC, I don't remember the number of completions they allowed, but I do know they gave up two fewer touchdown passes and two fewer rushing touchdowns than Ohio State.

If past performance is any indication of future returns, allow me to explain how this game is going to play out. On either their first or second drive, Ohio State will use the power running game to score, with Boom Herron or Brandon Saine gaining 5-6 yards with every carry up the middle. Following this successful drive, that running back will get about 3 carries throughout the rest of the game. For their part, USC will follow the Ohio State score by scoring a touchdown on their subsequent drive. Ohio State will start passing the ball, and they will move the ball inside the 20. Ohio State will then commit false start penalties that move the ball back beyond the 20. The subsequent field goal will be blocked or missed. USC will then score on every other drive in the first half, while Ohio State registers only one more first down before halftime. In the second half, Ohio State will give up at least four sacks as they are prevented from even crossed the 50, while USC treats the second half like a scrimmage where they can work on a few problem spots and weaknesses that the coaching staff saw in practice... and the Trojans still put up another 14 points.

If anyone can come up with a convincing reason why this isn't how the game will play out, I'd love to hear it. That will at least make me feel better until midway through the first quarter.