Around the Country: Week 2

The B1G is on the nation’s center stage this week with 3 marquee matchups.  The only problem for fans is that all 3 games will be on at the same time. Not only does this mean that a certain fan base will have to miss two of the best non-conference contests, but also that the first 6.5 hours of football feature little to no excitement.  On top of the 2 B1G games (ND vs Michigan will get a more detailed preview), I was able to find 2 others that peak my interest.

USC @ Stanford 3:30 ABC

Even though both teams are ranked in the mid-teens, a win here could spring board a top 10 season.  USC is absolutely loaded with top end talent, but there are still questions about their overall depth. Stanford has built their very own powerhouse program, and the roster should be much more comfortable with the scheme at this point in the season than the young Trojans.  The Cardinal have to replace a lot up the middle of their defense, and I think USC will be able to take advantage with their superior skill players. While I do think Stanford is still a top tier program, I don’t think they will be able to keep up with the high flying Trojans.

MSU @ Oregon 6:30 FOX

This is a classic matchup of speed vs ball control, finesse vs power, West coast vs Midwest.  We didn’t learn too much from either team’s opening game, but the winner on Saturday will be a heavy favorite to be a part of the first college football playoff. Michigan State is trying to replace a lot of production on defense, and while the Spartans should still be very good I think it is nearly impossible for them to match last year’s output. Oregon on the other hand is trying to replace a lot of production on offense. The Ducks have been able to reload instead of rebuild in past years, but they seem to be lacking their normal elite level skill position players outside of Mariota. Oregon has struggled against talented power teams over the past couple of years, and it will be very interesting to see if that stereotype has changed this year. I think Oregon will be very aggressive on defense, and try to get a lot of pressure on Cook. This should set up a few big plays for the Spartans. On the other side of the ball, I don’t know if MSU has enough speed on the back end to be successful in their hyper-aggressive quarters defense to restrict Oregon’s sideline-to-sideline spread attack.  This game should be higher scoring than MSU would prefer, which makes me favor the Ducks. However, ESPN will have you believe that everyone in the B1G footprint will/should be cheering for the Spartans (as seen on their front page)

B1G Opportunity In Eugene

Everyone in Big Ten country is pulling for Michigan State this week against Oregon.

I just cannot willingly cheer for an outcome that would put MSU even more in the national spotlight.

East Carolina @ South Carolina 7:00 ESPNU

I know, I know, this game is not on the same level of magnitude as the other 3 highlighted, but I do think it can be a close game. South Carolina just got embarrassed at home in their opener, and just like that all of the talk about SEC East favorites or national title contender has been thrown out the window. The Gamecock defense brought a plastic knife to a gun fight, and Texas A&M was able to do anything they wanted all night.  On top of the disappointing outcome, South Carolina has to face Georgia next week. The Dawgs are now the heavy favorite in the SEC East.  I think the Old Ball Coach will have his hands full to stop the letdown.

Virginia Tech @ Ohio State 8:00 ESPN

I know the Hokies aren’t ranked heading into Columbus this week, but the Buckeyes barely looked like a ranked team last week when they squeaked by Navy.  It could be very dangerous to be a quarterback in this game as both defenses look to dominate and control the field position battle. I think Bud Foster will have the Hokies’ D firing on all cylinders which will confuse the inexperienced offensive line and force the Buckeye freshman quarterback into more mistakes than last week.  Look for a defensive or special teams touchdown to change momentum and determine the outcome.

Even though the B1G will be featured this week, I don’t think they will find much success. Will the outcomes hurt the conference’s national perception more?  Frankly, I’m not sure 3 wins would even help much at this point.