Campus Confidential

By Adam Abramson

I wish Auburn-Florida was relevant. But the spread is bad, Auburn is bad and that's that. Mississippi State-South Carolina is arguably the SEC game of the week because it'll be more competitive. I will say Auburn can make itself somewhat relevant with a win, but that won't happen.

As for LSU-Tulane, reader Black N Gold wants to know what I think of a seven touchdown line. I was actually talking about this last weekend when someone asked what the line was on Virginia Tech-William & Mary (no FBS-FCS lines set by Vegas, yes I said it, no I don't work for the NCAA). It's just such a crapshoot, to use a gambling term. LSU will likely win by at least 40. But what's really the difference between a 45 and 50 point lead? Never touch any line that big. I guess people like putting on a blindfold and throwing darts.

On to a few picks.

Penn State at Illinois (+3)
Coming off a loss, the Nittany Lions face another trap game. The Fighting Zooks are a tricky, very athletic club. State lost to a motivated and embarrassed Michgian defense. Illinois can't put up like the Wolverines on that side of the ball, so I think Morelli and Scott can rebound somewhat. On the flip, Juice Williams is such a wildcard for the Illini, but I think PSU's defense can neutralize him just fine. Penn State to cover, no sweat.

Clemson at Georgia Tech (+3)
The Tigers aren't getting much respect. I really like them to cover this game. For the second weekend in a row, I'm most confident about a line where Clemson is involved and they were true to me last Saturday. Davis and Spiller are going to grind on that defense all afternoon.

Kansas State at Texas (-15)
I don't care about the whole revenge factor. Texas has not been impressive at all. Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman is looking a lot better at quarterback, but he still needs to cut down on the mistakes. It's early, but if this kid keeps progressing, he can grow into an Andre Woodson in two years (they look like carbon copies with the pads on). I like the Wildcats to cover. I don't know if they can pull it off, but they'll keep it within two touchdowns.

Michigan State at Wisconsin (-7)
It's easy to look at the Badgers playing some closer ball games this year and think this has a lot of upset potential. Michigan State didn't exactly blow my hair back last week at Notre Dame, so I don't know if they can go into Madison and plant the flag in the middle of the field come game's end. I'll say Michigan State to cover, but Wisconsin a winner.

Cal at Oregon (-6)
Tricky, tricky game. The Bears have lookd sharp. The Bears have looked flat. Oregon has been sharp on offense and are 4-0 against the spread. I hate picking games like this. Two good offenses (one great offense, thusfar) and two yuck defenses. This is definitely a showcase of fun. I don't want to touch this line, but I do want to touch the over of 73. This has 45-41 written all over it. I like Oregon at home to cover. Dennis Dixon has really been a big-time weapon this season. Watch this game if you can. But I don't know if that will be possible. Coverage map for 3:30. We need a better system here. I don't want to watch Maryland-Rutgers.

Alabama at Florida State (-2)
There are some fatal flaws in Tallahasse. Nick Saban is going to outcoach the Tide to a win. Also, EJ Manuel, the Florida State verbal (stud quarterback from Norfolk, VA) has not been stellar in his final prep season. Overrated? We'll see.

By Adam Abramson

I'm pumped.

Huge game. No work. Just me and the TV. Killer way to spend a Friday night when you don't have to work, right?

Tonight is the first big night for the Big East. Raymond James Stadium is sold out. Students waited in line last Sunday for tickets and scooped them up immediately. I mean, it's the biggest game in South Florida football history.

Last week I was watching USF-North Carolina and they showed the old coaching trailer, dubbed "The Ponderosa." It was similar to my fourth grade class with Mr. Bub, in a trailer, when I lived in South Florida (the real South Florida...USF is in Tampa, which is central Florida). When it rained we would do P.E. in a trailer. I wonder if they did workouts in The Ponderosa when it rained in Tampa? I've officially entered left field. Sorry.

Anyway, the program has come a long way. That's what I'm trying to get at here. Can the Bulls take out West Virginia? I've been back and forth all week on this. Matt Grothe walked onto Mountaineer Field last year and beat a WVU team still salty about a loss in Lexington. Does Grothe have the magic again? Has WVU really shored up the defense as readers are telling me? Can South Florida slow down the masterful rushing attack of Slaton and White?

Like I said, back and forth. But the pendulum stops on the Green and Gold side. I'm taking the 7-point underdogs to win.

I'll be back with the rest of the weekend around lunch time.

Now for less important business. I want to follow up because it's been a big week of TV watching. I've handed out my grades:

House - A+
Heroes - B
Beauty and The Geek - A+
Friday Night Lights Season 1 - A+ (through four episodes)
Chuck - A+
Life - B
Kitchen Nightmare - A
Law & Order SVU - Cannot grade. I got halfway through and dozed off thinking the recorder was on. It wasn't. Got the DVR set for Sat. night encore.
The Office - on the DVR
My Name is Earl - on the DVR
Big Shots - on the DVR
Back to You - forgot to record. oops. Any encores?

By Adam Abramson

Willie Williams is gone. Again.

Louisville said goodnight to the linebacker after an arrest for marijuana possession. He had nine tackles in four games this year.

Sounds like it's time for this kid to start training and hope he can land as a free agent somewhere. The Bungles could be a good fit (good fit meaning playing with guys who also seem to find trouble).

Who is more of a moron: Michael Vick or Willie Williams? I guess Vick because he lost a ton of money. But Williams has at least a dozen arrests under his belt

This is a very sad story.

One other note: Demetrius Jones has transferred from Notre Dame to an up-and-coming Cincinnati program.

Bostick watch is over. The Pitt freshman QB will start against Virginia this weekend.

By Adam Abramson

Steve Slaton, West Virginia RB
In four games he has 10 total touchdowns. So, let's do the multiply game. 30 total touchdowns before the bowl game? That's insanity and very Heisman worthy. Take away the multiplying game and he's still looking at 1,600 yards and 22 total touchdowns as a real possibility. That's still insanity and very Heisman worthy.

Tim Tebow, Florida QB
He had 166 yards rushing last week! There's only one guy in the country who averages more than that on a weekly basis (see below). And the other guys who dart around for that much don't throw for 261 yards and 2 TDs in the same game. Eventually he will do enough so that doubters will be laughed at. It's safe to say he's thriving in Urban's system.

Darren McFadden, Arkansas RB
Here's the thing: He's the early favorite in the eyes of most. He's the country's leading rusher and No. 3 in all-purpose yards and he's last year's runner up. However, he's not winning ball games for his team. I'm having a hard time on deciding where to slot him. He's a little down this week, but the more I watch, the more I'm impressed. I'll probably end up picking him as the favorite come late November, but for now it's a no. One stat I love: He's carried the ball 86 times this year and he's lost 5 yards. He doesn't get tackled behind the line of scrimmage.

Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech WR
Well, he had his best game of the year after he made the list, so it's only fair we move him up. Against Oklahoma State, before Mike Gundy's meltdown: 14 catches, 237 yards, 3 TDs. That's a season for some third receivers. This kid is a freakin' stud.

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma QB
Still rolling along with a 78% completion percentage. Here's how accurate he is: Almost 10% of his incompletions are interceptions. And he's only thrown two boo-boos. He's doing all the right things with 14 TDs and almost 1,100 yards through the first four games. But when adversity smacks him in the face, will he respond? Time will tell, but you have to like his chances.

By Adam Abramson

LSU #1, USC #2? That's really blowing your mind? Well, it's not like it's the most unbeaten path ever.

I'm not the only one who thinks USC is not the No. 1 team. And a handful of coaches do not think USC or LSU are No. 1.

Maybe I'm not so insane?

Also, Mr. Black N' Gold, I have seen West Virginia play this year. Twice. And 1-3 East Carolina has the No. 106 offense in the country. I'm not saying West Virginia is bad, I just think there are some flaws, mainly on the defensive side (virtually none on the offensive side). Yes, WVU has a Top 15 unit, but in their four wins they have not faced a Top 65 offense. Like I said, Friday will be a great test. A strong outing by WVU and I'll believe the Mountaineers are the best team in the Big East. And I'll ask Bob about ya...you from Pittsburgh?

Also, Mr. furnk, I think you're right. But I thought about this for a good bit yesterday and here's what I came up with...I think it's easier to become cohesive on offense. Many times you're forced to work with what you have with a respect to talent and athleticism. It's tougher to play to your strengths. If PSU can get more physical up front, they can ask Morelli and his tattoo to do less. We'll see. They're fading, but not out of it yet.

By Adam Abramson

Let’s answer some reader questions about the Week 4 poll.

These are paraphrases.

Rutgers over WVU? You’re insane!!!! – Black N’ Gold
Yeah, Rutgers over WVU. Here’s why. The Louisville theory. I’m not sold on WVU’s defense. I woke up on Tuesday thinking South Florida could even beat the ‘Eers this weekend, but I’m rethinking that. What I won’t rethink, assuming Rutgers keeps on winning, is that White, Slaton & Co. will beat the Scarlet Knights. The boys from Piscataway can play some defense and they’ve proven their offense is much improved from last year. WVU will run, run, run. But can they stop the run, run, pass, run, run, pass? We’ll see.

You still have a bias. And South Florida? You’re insane!!!! – Paul
Paul, I’m trying my best. I really am. I know you’re a Sun Devils guy and they’re so close. I will admit, I have not seen ASU play yet, but neither have the coaches and they vote. I will make every effort I can to watch them play against Stanford (although I feel like that might be difficult, maybe FSN?) As for South Florida, back to the Big East? Must mean they’re legit. We’ll talk South Florida football more after Friday night. As for the bias, I swear I’m working on it.

LSU over USC? You’re insane!!!! – Faw Bills
Yup. You’re the guy who said South Carolina would beat LSU and you still want to hate on LSU? Did you not see the fake field goal?

You were wrong about Oklahoma. We told you. YOU ARE INSANE. – The entire state of Oklahoma (& Justin)
I know. I know. I’m insane. But crow is so tasty.

I’m video editing all Wednesday morning, but I’ll hit you with the Heisman watch when I have 45 seconds to breathe. To bed, TO BED I SAID.

By Adam Abramson

I'm in the back for the day, working the 9-5 gig. I'll provide some more later, but here's the Top 25.

25. Arkansas
24. Hawaii
23. Michigan State
22. Alabama
21. Virginia Tech
20. Georgia
19. Missouri
18. South Florida
17. Purdue
16. South Carolina
15. Penn State
14. Ohio State
13. Kentucky
12. Clemson
11. Wisconsin
10. Texas
9. Boston College
8. Cal
7. West Virginia
6. Oregon
5. Rutgers
4. Florida
3. Oklahoma
2. Southern California
1. LSU

By Adam Abramson

Another educational weekend for us college football fanatics. Arkansas and Penn State aren't clutch. Notre Dame and Syracuse show signs of life. Louisville and Nebraska march towards the brink of collapse. And Andre Woodson is clutch. Friday night is South Florida-West Virginia. I'm already excited. But we'll discuss this at length later.

Before we get into the weekend, I just want to say covering an NFL game is much different than covering a college game. Sunday was my first chance to do this at FedEx Field for the Giants-Redskins. Given the task of writing two sidebars was a blast because NFLers are much more open than the college kids.

1. The best quarterbacks come from the Bluegrass State

2. Notre Dame can actually play offense

3. Syracuse can actually play offense

4. 22 men are stronger than 2

We're only halfway there.

By Adam Abramson

Everyone needs a hero. Why not Bob?

Learn more about him here

For starters...great hair. Pretty good guy, too.

By Adam Abramson

Fact: The Miami Hurricanes read Campus Confidential yesterday and used it as motivation. (OK, not fact)

Fact: You'll have a problem when you have a three-headed rushing attack and one of the heads doesn't get a single touch in the first 30 minutes of a football game.

I figured the Aggies would have a tough time playing defense against Miami's athletes, but I didn't figure Dennis Franchione and his staff would be completely out coached. Right now all of the Big XII is smiling because they've been saying it all along. Texas A&M was a complete mess last night.

How do you not get Jorvorskie Lane the ball? I mean, it's not like the coach forgot he was around, he's impossible to miss. He had seven touchdowns in the first three games and left Miami with just two carries. That's embarrassing.

Definite props to Miami. They were definitely playing with an extra bounce in the step and the defense was flying to the ball while playing very disciplined. With a little time, I am liking Randy Shannon's chances in Coral Gables. The recruiting class he's putting together this year is insane. He has 17 verbal commitments, 15 are from Florida. Five are from the nation's top prep program, Miami Northwestern High.

Heck, if I saw Sebastian the Ibis crankin Soulja Boy on the field, I'd sign right up (see video, and remember the Barney video I posted about three weeks ago). It was also featured as the Campus Craze on the telecast.

But enough about last night. There's five great games to watch this Saturday.

No. 12 South Carolina at No. 2 LSU (-19)
South Carolina was able to use its defense to top Georgia between the hedges, but it ain't gonna happen in Death Valley. If I'm Les Miles, I'm sitting Matt Flynn with that ankle sprain for one more week. He's definitely earned his bones to be the starter, but Ryan Perriloux should play against a good defense (Flynn proved he can handle the challenge against LSU). Let Flynn rest and get him geared up for the rest of the season. There's a lot of points to cover and the Gamecocks haven't been letting up that many points this season. 34-16 is not a cover, so I'll say LSU to win, but not cover.

North Carolina at No. 23 South Florida (-13)
Exciting times in Tampa. The Bucs beat division rival New Orleans this week and the Bulls are playing their first game as a ranked squad. The game is on at noon on ESPN. Just watch it and keep an eye on Mike Ford, the USF running back. North Carolina isn't working with a lot at this point outside of quarterback T.J. Yates, so I'm not confident in the Tar Heels covering the points.

No. 10 Penn State at Michigan (+3)
I'm nervous if I am a Penn Stater (that goes for you, Mike). These are the kind of games that you flip on the TV and hold your breath for 200 minutes. Michigan is sure to play with a little extra bounce in its step, but one glaring fact remains: the Wolverines still can't play defense. Well, the Nittany Lgions can play offense. I like Penn State to cover, but it'll be close for a while. If Anthony Morelli tanks, someone bless this young man because I don't know if he'll be forgiven.

No. 21 Kentucky at Arkansas (-7)
My heart goes out to the Wildcats. I'm sure nobody was pulling for the Razorbacks last week more than Kentucky (although the thrillers were on at the same time). Rich Brooks' boys are walking into the belly of the beast because Arkansas is rather ticked. Kentucky has been rather susceptible against the run this year which means Darren McFadden is primed to snap off another 200 yard game and work his way back into Campus Confidential's Heisman watch. I like Arkansas to cover, but I also like Andre Woodson to have another big game. Arkansas' pass defense just looked pathetic at times against Alabama.

No. 22 Georgia at No. 16 Alabama (-3.5)
If the underdog Bulldogs decide they want to play offense, they'll win this game no problem. The question is, will they want to play offense? The Tide is high after what will go down as one of the top five games of the year and that emotion can be a powerful thing for a 6 p.m. kickoff (will it be 5 Tuscaloosa? I'm pretty sure). I'm having a hard time picking a winner in this one. It's only Week 4 but Georgia really has its back against the wall with an SEC loss under its belt. Georgia is once again starting two true freshman on the offensive line and Mark Richt has said publicly they should not be playing. Can I just not pick? I guess that's not possible. I'm going with Georgia. Don't prove me wrong again, Nick Saban.

Two locks for you. First, Clemson will destroy N.C. State. James Davis and C.J. Spiller should both clip 100 yards because the Wolfpack are atrocious against the run. Clemson giving just seven is a gift.

The other is Southern Cal hosting Washington State. With all of the athletes the Trojans have, there's no shame in putting up 60 points. USC is giving up 25 points but will win by at least 28. John David Booty is looking for a 5-TD game.

Happy watching.

By Adam Abramson

This week has been madness and I haven't been able to line up a player interview. I'm working day side on some video stuff, so I won't be posting a full entry today.

I do want to talk for a second about tonight's game, though. It's Miami's second game in three weeks against the Big 12 and we all know how the Canes fared the first time around. Tonight, hosting Texas A&M, Randy Shannon's bunch is favored by 3.

I have to go against the grain and take the Aggies there, for multiple reasons. First, Miami looked horrible against Oklahoma. The Sooners are fast proving they're the class of the Big XII, but I believed in Texas A&M before the season and I'm sticking to my guns. Second, aTm's rushing attack should wear down on that Miami defense, a unit that's not what it was the last two years (a top 10 unit). Third, guilty by association. I am not comfortable taking an ACC team against a bigger school from a BCS conference.

The Aggies are a perfect 20-for-20 inside the red zone this year and not surprisingly feature the No. 5 rushing attack in the country. Defense was a question coming into this year and remains one, but Miami's offense did not blow my hair back with Kyle Wright making his first start of the season against FIU last week (after Texas native Kirby Freeman was benched).

If Wright can craft an impressive outing, it will be his first step in salvaging his legacy at Miami that really has no shot at being good unless Miami wins the ACC this year (Wright came in as one of the most touted quarterbacks Miami has ever had). But he has a lot more to prove after tonight, assuming he does something. Again, Texas A&M isn't exactly stout in defending anyone.

If for nothing else, watch for these four guys: Calais Campbell (Miami defensive end), Kenny Phillips (Miami safety), Stephen McGee (A&M quarterback) and Jorvorskie Lane (A&M brusing back).

Texas A&M 26, Miami 20

I'll be back tomorrow with the rest.

By Adam Abramson

It's fall TV time and I'm working on what the DVR recorder will pick up. Here's what is certain, in order:

The Office
House
Heroes
Law & Order SVU
Beauty and The Geek
My Name is Earl

Shows I might pick up:
Friday Night Lights (would by Season 1 on DVD and knock it out before 10/5)
Chuck
Big Shots
30 Rock

Any suggestions? Anything I'm missing? Anything you want to make fun of me for? Make sure you've seen it before you make fun of me (I'm mostly referring to Beauty & The Geek).

For a complete listing of network lineup, click here.

As far as Heisman goes, I guess that's why you showed up. We're missing some familiar names this week (two quarterbacks and a running back). They are not necessarily in the dog house forever. Let's dive in.

Tim Teblow, Florida QB
The No. 1 thing we learned this weekend is that Florida is for real, again. Tebow is an improvement at quarterback on an offense that is lethal. Tebow is No. 2 in the country in passer rating at 228.8. He's thrown eight touchdowns and just one pick in 61 attempts. Oh, he's also rushed for five scores and is averaging 64 yards a game on the ground (throwing for 279 yards a game). These numbers are unreal. If he keeps this up, he can be the second two-time Heisman winner. He's a sophomore!

Steve Slaton, West Virginia RB
He has monster numbers, and they're saving him up. He's getting 22 touches a game, but he could easily be getting 30. Slaton better get in a rhythm this weekend against East Carolina because South Florida is on the schedule. And a strong game against the Bulls will be on the minds of the voters come November (welcome to college football 2007).

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma QB
Just another day at the office against Utah State for the freshman. 19-26, 255 yards and 3 TDs. Stud wide receiver Malcolm Kelly is absolutely loving this kid. He's still completing 80% of his passes. Let me put this in perspective, only one passer finished the season with a completion percentage higher than 70 (Colt Brennan). Troy Smith completed 65%. Now, there's a lot of football to be played but Heisman winner Troy Smith completed under 70% of his passes through the first three games last year. It's impressive.

Ray Rice, Rutgers RB
I wish he would have had 20 touches against Norfolk State. His state line could have read: 20 carries, 300 yards, 6 TDs. Rice has a little break until Sept. 29 when he and the Scarlet Knights host Maryland. When the sun set on Sept. 29 last year, he had 141 carries through five games. This Sept. 29, he'll have about 99 through four games. Gotta keep those legs in good shape.

Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech WR
You better get to know this freshman. He's a vital part of Texas Tech's aerial assault and has eight TDs in dawn of the season. It's a shame he won't get much love. Rice's Jarrett Dillard had 21 touchdowns last season and didn't even get a sniff. But he can look at this as a foundation year. He can force voters to notice him if he puts up 15-20 TDs this year and next and all of a sudden you have a consistent performer at a BCS school. The scary thing? It's his first year playing wide receiver. He was a quarterback when he was a prep start in Dallas.

By Adam Abramson

Sometimes it's too easy.

This picture, sent to me by a loyal reader, comes from Mr. Irrelevant. It's not Photoshopped.

The man on the left is Johnny Dingle, a senior defensive end from Miami who is pretty solid. On the right is former North Babylon standout linebacker/running back Scooter Berry (2005 graduate). He played with Jason Gwaltney (we can see whose West Virginia career turned out better). He's now a defensive linemen who has seven tackles (2.5 for a loss) in the early season.

I could insert a good joke here, but I'm thinking of the children, so I'll refrain.

Update: A reader pointed out that Gwaltney and Berry are actually brothers and kindly provided an update on Jason: He's now training for the combines. Thanks for the info.

By Adam Abramson

Here's how I would have ranked them.

25. Hawaii
24. Arkansas
23. Virginia Tech
22. Texas A&M
21. Louisville
20. Alabama
19. South Florida
18. Nebraska
17. Kentucky
16. Purdue
15. Ohio State
14. South Carolina
13. Wisconsin
12. Clemson
11. Boston College
10. West Virginia
9. Texas
8. Cal
7. Oregon
6. Penn State
5. Rutgers
4. Florida
3. Oklahoma
2. Southern California
1. LSU




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New Jersey. Staten Island. If someone throws either of those two-word combos in my direction today, I might punch them in the face. I'm still salty about sitting in three hours of traffic when there was no accident or construction. I made it to D.C. in 4 hours 10 minutes Friday night. About seven hours to get home.

I'm done venting. On Friday I said we would learn a lot from the weekend, so what knowledge was dropped on us?

1. Houston Nutt doesn't get it done in the clutch enough. Every year Arkansas loses a game (usually a few) by not coming up big enough in the fourth quarter. Darren McFadden and Felix Jones put the entire team on their shoulders and regain a seemingly insurmountable lead. Then what happens? About 300 consecutive underneath routes and Alabama marches right into the end zone. Is it that difficult to make an adjustment in the middle of a drive? The legend of Nick Saban has begun.

2. Confirmation: Louisville cannot play defense. The Cardinals also won't play for a national title. Isn't it fun to watch two very talented quarterbacks, though? Andre Woodson is the real deal. I have to admit, the show ended at 11 p.m., just after Louisville scored the go-ahead. I left the radio studio and when I woke up this morning, Kentucky had won. I had to rewatch the end on ESPNU (or Classic...too many networks to keep track of). But get this: a mid-tier SEC team knocked off one of the Big East bad boys. Shows the depth of the SEC.

3. Karl Dorrell should be out of a job. A 44-6 loss to an unbeaten Utah is unacceptable. I don't care if he rallies the troops to beat USC or Cal, UCLA will not be elite if it drops ball games like this. He's having a really, really hard time taking his program to the next level.

4. Notre Dame should rethink how good Jimmy Claussen will be. True freshman, bad offensive line, and he's looked terrible. Now, on the flip, Tyrod Taylor at Virginia Tech. True freshman, bad offensive line, and he's looked good. I know Notre Dame played Michigan and Virginia Tech played Ohio, but the two looked completely opposite. Claussen was flat out horrible. There's plenty of time for him to grow, and I am not saying he'll always be horrible. But I think it's a big stretch to say he's the next Joe Montana at this point.

5. Oklahoma is making me look dumber and dumber each Saturday. Another impressive outing by Sam Bradford. Texas wasn't Texas against UCF and Nebraska was roasted. OU is looking better and better as the Big XII favorite.

6. Boston College can play defense without Brian Toal. The Eagles' win over Georgia Tech was huge. Those might be the two best teams in a weak ACC and Boston College looked very solid. The Eagles haven't had it easy out of the gate and are a comfortable 2-0 in the conference and definitely deserve their Top 15 ranking. Nobody, including Tashard Choice on Saturday night, is running on Boston College's No. 4 rushing defense. Also, 11 takeovers. Gonna win a lot of ball games if you're taking the ball away at that pace. What's Tom O'Brien thinking right now?

7. Purdue is going to blow up the Big 10 race this year. That offense is dangerous. Curtis Painter is quietly putting together a impressive resume. His 13 touchdowns are second in the land and the only guy beating him has one more TD and 42 more attempts. Oh, he also hasn't thrown a pick yet. We'll see what happens when the Boilermakers hit the meat of their schedule, but I'm willing to guess they'll burn a team here and there this season en route to a 10-win season, like Campus Confidential predicted in the preseason.

8. Tim Tebow can throw. Did you see how Florida manhandled Tennessee? I did and it was ugly. Florida has a lot of talent. I cannot wait for Oct. 6. The saddest part is that I have a ticket to that game but I can't make it because of work on Friday (baseball playoffs). Anyone wanna cover for me? I think LSU has enough, if not more, speed than Florida, so I think the Tigers will take care of business. But we'll cross that bridge in a few weeks.

9. Southern California doesn't like to be forgotten about. I'm sure if the Trojans had it their way, they wouldn't take a weekend off. They only gained 10 points in the polls this week, but they looked strong in Lincoln. The Huskers had a mighty energy about them and it did very little. Southern Cal can really run the ball. At one point they crossed the 50 and I said "I bet they're inside the five in two plays." First is a run down to the 20. Next is a run inside the 5. I'm going to think long and hard about who I rank No. 1 on Tuesday morning.

10. The radio is fun. If you have XM, humor me by tuning in to Channel 144 on Saturday night. I need a lot of work, but I don't think I said anything that made me sound unintelligent. If I do, just come on here and make fun of me. And, because I want to have the last word, the New Jersey Turnpike sucks.
    

By Adam Abramson

Steve Slaton, Pat White and Noel Devine kicked off a fun weekend ahead.

Devine had a ton of hype coming out of high school. I didn't think his out-of-this-world high school highlights would translate to the next level in the same fashion. Southwest Florida doesn't have the greatest football and he's rather small. But some of the cuts he made on Thursday night in College Park are legit. He's the epitome of a scat back. By the way, they never showed a good replay, but I thought that was a touchdown.

I was glad to see Jordan Steffey play a decent game. The fumbled snap made me wince quite a bit, but he settled in and played a half-decent ball game. He's been through a lot the last three years, so playing in front of the country and throwing a touchdown has to feel pretty darn good.

There aren't a plethora of great games this weekend, but there are a few good ones. We're going to learn a lot this weekend. Let's have a gander.

Notre Dame at Michigan

Both 0-2. Change is a beautiful thing. It only seems like yesterday that the powerhouses met in South Bend. Mario Manningham catches the TD and crashes into the band in the corner of the end zone. Those days are long gone, though. Two new quarterbacks this year. Michigan's defense is long gone (why did I think they'd survive losing that much talent, I'll never know). All the talk behind Michigan freshman Ryan Mallet is that he's as good, if not better, than Notre Dame freshman Jimmy Claussen. I don't think you can base everything on this weekend, but it definitely has plenty of intrigue. The Wolverines are favored a touchdown and I think they'll clear it with Mike Hart. Notre Dame just can't block, or stop anyone. SPEAK UP, LOU HOLTZ.

Southern Cal at Nebraska

The last time Sam Keller faced Southern California, I was sitting in an Applebee's in Huntington, W.Va. I had just covered Virginia Tech-WVU, when Marcus Vick torched the Mountaineers and flicked off the fans (before Michael did in Atlanta, actually). Actually, the first half was spent driving on the highway in West Vriginia. We made to Applebee's for the second-half collapse, where Keller was throwing to USC as much as Arizona State, and when he found Derek Hagans, it was a drop.

Will revenge be sweet? He's got weapons in Maurice Purify and Marlon Lucky. But Nebraska has just looked really sluggish. The line is 10.5 and I think it's going to be close to that. USC could be pumped after all the talk that LSU should be ranked higher than them, but I don't know how much motivation that provides. I like Nebraska to cover, but lose a close one. 32-24 Trojans.

Florida State at Colorado

I'm going to continue to believe in Florida State's offense. It will show up. Colorado hasn't blown my hair back in a long time, so I like the Seminoles to cover the measly 3.5 they're giving.

Ohio State at Washington

Great benchmark for the Buckeyes. Can they contain Jake Locker (great quarterback name)? The Huskies knocked off Boise State last week, but this is a different animal coming to town. Ohio State run the ball as well as the Broncos and they play tougher defense. I think Ohio State covers the four it's giving.

Boston College at Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets can run the ball. Will that translate into tempo control and keep the ball out of Matt Ryan's hands long enough? Yes. Georgia Tech can play enough defense to keep Boston College on its toes. I think this will be a back-and-forth game with the Jackets covering the touchdown they're giving. Watch GT back Tashard Choice. The kid can play.

Louisville at Kentucky

It's time to take Kentucky seriously if it pulls off this one. I slept on UK last year in the bowl game and they torched Clemson, so I'm not letting that happen again. I'm hopping on the Andre Woodson bandwagon and riding the upset this weekend. This one is going to be another shootout, but this is no MTSU.

Tennessee at Florida

Both teams are a little dinged up. Florida has the speed. Tennessee has the strength. But what do they say? Speed kills. Tennessee's offense hasn't been dynamic enough to run with a big dog like Florida. Tim Tebow to Percy Harvin all day will wear down the Vols, allowing the Gators to cover the 8 they're giving.

Arkansas at Alabama

The No. 16 team in the country steps into Tuscaloose with the No. 1 rushing attack in the country through the first two weeks. That's not really a surprise, considering who mans that backfield. I understand Arkansas lacks on defense, but Alabama won't make you scream when they have the ball. Yet the Tide is a 3-point favorite.

Take this line and do what Darren McFadden is going to do with it, run, run, run. If Alabama somehow pulls this off, eternal props to Nick Saban. But I just don't see Arkansas having trouble with this one.

I'm cutting it off here. Colt Brennan will throw for another six touchdowns this week. Should be fun.

By Adam Abramson

I'm not touching the line in the Maryland-West Virginia game. 16.5 is just too much for an unpredictable Maryland team. I'll go with West Virginia to cover because the offense is so powerful, but if Maryland established the run, then the line is up for grabs. WVU will win, and I'll go with the cover because it's no fun if I don't pick.

As for TCU, they're giving Air Force 8 and I like this line. The game is in Colorado Springs, but TCU should have no issues shutting down the Air Force attack. Plus, the Horned Frogs are probably a little salty about the loss to Texas. I like this line.

Enjoy the games.

By Adam Abramson

When Rutgers was ready to face Louisville on the national stage last year, I referred to it as the "Battle of the New Powerhouses."

We knew about the Louisville quarterback, Brian Brohm, but we were just learning about the other stud showcased in the game, Ray Rice.

Rice finished with jaw-dropping numbers in 2006 and is torching opponents in the same fashion this season. His 175-yard outing against Navy in Week 2 made him Rutgers' all-time rushing leader. He's two games into his junior season.

But there's another all-time rushing record that might come into play next season: The NCAA career rushing record. Ron Dayne is the owner with 6,397. Rice still has a healthy 3,000 yards to go, but if he keeps shredding opponents, it's not out of the question.

When you watch film of Rice, you notice it's as if he's constantly looking 10 yards down the field and makes immediate cuts as if he has feelers. He has amazing vision.

Campus Confidential spoke with Ray Rice:

Campus Confidential: Can you explain how it's been with the hype around Rutgers this year?
Ray Rice: It's been pretty interesting. I definitely think our team is responding well to it, you know, because the last thing [the guys need] is hype and you go out there and not play your best game. I think our team is just responding in a good way.

CC: What are your personal goals for this season?
RR: Obviously, to be consistent. Anything I can do to help my team win, definitely. I haven't really set a mark on how many yards I want, but I always want to achieve over a thousand yards and I'll just go from there but I definitely just want to do anything I can to help my team win.

CC: You're definitely off to a good start. What's your favorite part about the college experience?
RR: Just the environment. You only [experience] college once and I think you have to enjoy every moment of it. I think being around my teammates and the whole idea of going out and practicing all week, preparing and going out there on Saturday and giving it your best is the best part of college for me.

CC: Take me through a Ray Rice run for a big gain from the huddle to when you get tackled or score a TD.
RR: The best feeling is you know your number is getting called. You're in the huddle and my quarterback comes in and tells me 'It's your turn, now, let's make a play.' On the goalline it's even better when you know your number's getting called. As I get closer and closer to it or if I pop one, it's just thumbs up after I get tackled for a big gain or touchdown.

CC: What are your non-football interests?
RR: My family. Just my social life. And school.

CC: State your case for Big East football.
RR: I think we definitely have a tough conference and the Big East has come a long way. I think we won our bowl games, all the teams that were in a bowl, and we're picking right up where we left off.

Click the link for the rest.

By Adam Abramson

Ray Rice, Rutgers
I wonder how many times Ray Rice has woken up with a grin from ear to ear this week with Norfolk State on the schedule. Although, don’t expect 300 yards and 7 touchdowns this week. Against Navy he had 37 carries, so I wouldn’t expect anything more than 20-25 against the Spartans. He already has six touchdowns and is averaging 220 all purpose yards a game. That’s kind of good.

Colt Brennan, Hawaii
All this talk about a system quarterback may be true, but it has nothing to do with the Heisman. He has 10 touchdowns in six quarters of work (and a rushing touchdown) and almost 1,000 yards. He’s a stat monster, and as long as he keeps piling them up, he’ll be high up on this list.

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
Here’s me eating crow again. Sam Bradford has completed 83% of his passes this year. Read that again. When I was a sophomore in college (he’s a r-Fr.) I wasn’t completing 83% of my homework assignments. His 8 touchdowns and 0 INTs are also very nice. He’s leading a team that everyone thought would rely on the run.

Brian Brohm, Louisville
If there’s such thing as a quarterback home run hitter, it’s Brian Brohm. He’s good for 18.9 yards per completion. That’s silly. Start him on the 10 yard line and he’ll have you in the end zone in five passes. If history means anything, he won’t have an outstanding game against in-state foe Kentucky this weekend. It could be a bad weekend for the Cardinals, unless Brohm puts everyone on his shoulders.

DeSean Jackson, Cal
Again, someone please get him the ball. If he scores a non-receiving touchdown in every game this year, they’ll rename the Heisman after him. The Jackson. When this guy runs, it looks like he’s floating. Nine catches in two games is keeping him from being higher on this list, but if he and Nate Longshore start hooking up on offense, he will become the most dangerous player in college football.

adam.abramson@newsday.comBy Adam Abramson

Above is a picture from the LSU-VT game the other night.

The "0" I'm making is symbolic of how many points Virginia Tech has at this point in the game.

I'll be back later in the afternoon with my Heisman watch. I'm also supposed to get Ray Rice on the hooks, so if you have a good question you want me to ask, get it to me before 4 p.m.

By Adam Abramson

Here's how I would have ranked them. Click the little link below the rankings for some reasoning.

25. Virginia Tech
24. Hawaii
23. Texas A&M
22. South Florida
21. Tennessee
20. Ohio State
19. UCLA
18. Clemson
17. Nebraska
16. Boston College
15. South Carolina
14. Louisville
13. Arkansas
12. Georgia Tech
11. Oregon
10. Wisconsin
9. Cal
8. Penn State
7. West Virginia
6. Texas
5. Rutgers
4. Florida
3. Oklahoma
2. Southern California
1. LSU

By Adam Abramson

"This team's going to be ready to go, there's no doubt in my mind. I'm not going to lose. We're not going to lose," Mike Hart told the Detroit Free Press after losing to Oregon on Saturday. "It is what it is. Obviously, I talk. I talk a lot, everyone knows that. I mean what I say. It came out in there because I feel like we're being doubted. I feel like it's something we need."

A win over a completely overhauled, 0-2 Notre Dame team learning on the fly is no big feat, Mike. Way to light the fire, I suppose.

I'm supposed to talk to Ray Rice today and I'll have a top 25 tomorrow. So sit tight.

By Adam Abramson

A couple of times every fall we get those Heart Attack Saturdays. This was installment one for 2007.

Texas, Wisconsin, Hawaii, UCLA, California, Texas A&M and Nebraska all played games waaaay to close for comfort.

Boise State, Virginia Tech, Georgia and Auburn said goodnight to grandeur dreams of a national championship. Not that any had a huge shot before Saturday, it's just official now.

Is parity taking a strong football on college football now? Is the talent pool deep enough where you have to take 70 teams very seriously? I'll look more into this.

What 10 things did we learn this weekend?

By Adam Abramson

I promise this will be the last week of me cutting my previews short. It's a shame, because this week is jacked full of great games.

I have to leave for the airport in about 5 hours and need to grab a few Zs before I go back to the Big Easy.

By the way, the over/under in that Louisville game was like 64. The over on that was a lock. Wish I had known that about 5 hours before the game kicked off.

I think it's safe to say that the Virginia Tech-LSU game is the headliner for the weekend, but like I said, the slate is chock full of great games. Let's rip through the good ones.

I will say this, I think Notre Dame will not roll over and die like it did against Georgia Tech. Colleague Erik Boland and I talked about the legend of Jimmy Claussen beginning this weekend if he can somehow put together a win in Happy Valley. Erik will be in State College for the game, which has a pretty healthy spread at 17.5. Notre Dame will cover, but I don't know if the Irish will win.

By Adam Abramson

Louisville just kicked off against Middle Tennessee State and scored in 18 seconds.

The Cardinals are defending a 19-game home winning streak in which it averages 50 POINTS A GAME (I double checked).

On the first play of the game, Brian Brohm hit Gary Barnidge for 81 yards and a score. So, if that trend continues, what would happen?