Cincinnati (3-1) has been impressive this season despite having quarterback problems. Their only lose was to number one-ranked Oklahoma. The Bearcats lost Tony Pike to a broken arm. Before leaving with the injury, Pike completed 23 of 34 passes for 320 yards and 2 touchdowns in their 17-15 victory to in-state rival Akron. The offense will now have to depend on freshman Zack Collaros. The Bearcats will have to play a dangerous non-conference game at Marshall before taking on Rutgers.

Connecticut Huskies

Uconn is 5-0 for the second straight season. The Huskies were down 21-9 before rattling 21 unanswered points in their 26-21 victory at Louisville. Lawrence Wilson picked off a pass and ran back for a touchdown with 2:45 left to play in the game. Starting quarterback Tyler Lorenzen was injured during the game. Frazier came in and engineered two scoring drives. Donald Brown, the leading rusher in the country, was once again a workhorse carrying the ball 22 times for 140 yards. With road trips to North Carolina and Rutgers coming up, this was a much-needed victory for the Huskies. There is some concern on the defensive side of the ball after giving over 500 total yards to the Cardinals.

South Florida Bulls

South Florida (5-0) is coming off a 41-10 victory over North Carolina State. The Bulls out gained the Wolf pack 520 yards to 265. The Bulls quarterback Matt Grothe completed 20-29 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a team high 68 yards. The Bulls defense allowed just 26 yards rushing and picked off three passes. The Bulls have Pittsburgh on deck with a bye the next week. South Florida looks to be the best team in a down year for the conference.

Louisville Cardinals

The Cardinals are a bit down after letting their game against Connecticut get away from them. The Cardinals were able to move the ball all day long churning out over 500 yards. Quarterback Hunter Cantrell Played on a hurt ankle towards the end of the game and was unable to get them going offensively. Hunter did complete 17-29 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown. Not convinced Hunter is the quarterback for this team but he will have to due this season. The Cardinals have a bye week to regroup and then have two winnable games against Memphis and Middle Tennessee State.

Pittsburgh Panthers 

The Panthers beat Syracuse by finally putting together a good running game. The players are there with LeRod Stephens-Howling and LeSean McCoy. Stephen-Howling scored two touchdowns and Le Sean McCoy ran 21 times for 108 yards. The Panthers were actually down 21-13 before scoring 21 unanswered points to pull out the 34-24 victory. The Panthers are 3-1 on the season but they have several weaknesses. The Panthers might be in over their heads when they visit the Tampa to take on South Florida.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Rutgers had a huge first half over Morgan State leading 38-0 by halftime. They called off the dogs the rest of the way and ended the game with the same score. Rutgers got a much-needed win after a slow start that has them with a record of 1-3. Quarterback Mike Teel has had a tough season so far. He completed 11of 18 passes for just 188 yards and an interception. Things might get worse with West Virginia on deck and a trip to Cincinnati after that. Rutgers chances or returning to a bowl game is fading quickly.

Syracuse Orange

The Orange (1-3) is still looking for their first win of the season against a conference opponent. Quarterback Cameron Dantley got off to fast start for the Orange giving them a 24-13 lead in the second half. Dantley completed eight of 12 passes for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns. The defense let Pittsburgh hold the ball for over 38 minutes and eventually gave up the lead. The Orange will have a week off before having to hit road and take two of the two best teams in the conference in South Florida and West Virginia. Syracuse is the worst team in the conference and may end up without a win.  

West Virginia Mountaineers

The Mountaineers played a complete game beating in-state rival Marshall 27-3. Noel Divine led the way rushing 14 times for 125 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Pat White was sharp completing 17-21 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns. White did leave the game with an injury. Early reports are that White is ready to go and will play this week. The defense was in top form holding Marshall without a touchdown. Two wins are likely with Rutgers and Syracuse on deck before having a week off. 

Army Cadets

The Army cadets turned a few heads when they hung tough with the Texas A&M Aggies before losing 21-17. The cadets were able to crank out 280 rushing yards. Their downfall was their inability to the throw the ball and a costly turnover that resulted in a fumble recovery for a touchdown for the Aggies. Quarterback Chip Bowden led the way with 128 yards on 34 carries. Bowden only completed one pass for four yards. He did a great job of running the offense but will need help from others if they are to start producing some victories. The cadets have some opportunities to get a win with games coming up against Tulane, Eastern Michigan, and Buffalo.

Navy Midshipmen

Many experts predicted that Navy would struggle without Paul Johnson on the sidelines. There is no doubt the Johnson will not be missed but this win keeps the Midshipmen as a solid program that can beat almost any team in the country on any given day. Navy improved to 3-2 on the season after beating Wake Forest 24-17. The Demon Deacons got a taste of their own medicine when they turned the ball over six times. Four of the turnovers came from the passes of quarterback of Riley Skinner. The last interception came at the end of the game and ended any comeback hopes. The bad news for Navy was losing starting quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada in the second quarter to a hamstring injury. The Midshipmen were still able to produce 292 yards on the ground to give their new head Coach Ken Niumatalolo his first signature win. This was the first win for Navy over a ranked opponent since 1985. Navy has their biggest game of the year up next week when they take on Air Force. The Winner of this game will have the upper hand in the Commander–in-Chief Trophy. The trophy goes to the winner of the three game series between Air Force, Navy, and Army.

 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Fighting Irish bounced back nicely from their 23-7 loss to Michigan State with a 38-21 thumping of Purdue. Notre Dame had a balanced attack that saw the game a season-high 201 yards on the ground. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen completed 20-35 for 275 and throwing three touchdowns. Coach Charlie Weiss has his players on the right track but will need to improve on defense. The defense gave up 359 yards passing. Notre Dame is 3-1 on the season with two of the victories coming against the Big-10. Stanford will be next on deck after winning on the road at Washington. Notre Dame will be ready for the Cardinals with a tough road Game to North Carolina in two weeks.

Southern Cal Trojans

The Trojans had a bye after destroying the Buckeyes on national television and now takes on their first conference opponent in Oregon State. The Trojans have been impressive with their win over Ohio State and traveling across country to demolish the Virginia Cavaliers 52-7. With the play of the rest of the conference considerably down so far this season, it looks like the Trojans should end up in the championship game with a perfect record. In both wins, the offensive and defensive lines of the Trojans have been very impressive. Trojan quarterback Mark Sanchez had all the time in the world to throw the ball while Ohio State quarterback Boekman appeared to get hit by a Trojan defender on every play. Sanchez was 17-28 for 173 yards and four touchdowns. Boekman was 14-21 for just 84 yards and two interceptions. For now, the Trojans are bye far the best team in the country.

Arizona Wildcats

The Wildcats are coming off their first conference game in which they easily defeated the Bruins 31-10. The offense was efficient with quarterback Willie Tuitama completed 16 of 29 for 222 yards for two touchdowns. Tight end Rob Gronkowski made his presence felt in his first action of the season with touchdowns of 22 and four yards. The Wildcats are 3-1 on the season and have a bye before they take on the Washington Huskies at home. The Wildcats only lose was to New Mexico by the score of 36-28. It may appear the Wildcats may have been looking ahead to playing UCLA in that spot. Even though the victory was a convincing over the Bruins, we need to keep in mind that the Bruins have multiple injuries on both sides of the ball. 

Arizona State Sun Devils

The Sun Devils started the season with high hopes and a national ranking. The Sun Devils were 13th ranked team in the country before losing UNLV 23-20 two weeks ago. Things were not much better this week as the third ranked Georgia Bulldogs cam to town. The Sun Devils were no match for the Bulldogs as they lost 27-10. Knoshown Moreno ran through ASU defense for 149 and 2 touchdowns. Sun Devil quarterback Rudy Carpenter was 23-36 for 208 yards and a touchdown. The Sun Devils have a bye this weekend and will need to toughen before the Cal bears come into town.

California Golden Bears

The Golden Bears did not play last week. California will try to rebound from their35-27 loss to Maryland. The Bears out gained the Terrapins 461 yards to 297. The Bears scored three touchdowns in the last seven minutes but cam up just short. Colorado State is up next and should be an easy win for the talented Bears. The Bears may have a flat spot here with Arizona State on deck.

Oregon Ducks

The Ducks continue to loss quarterbacks as Jeremy Masoli to a concussion in the Boise State 37-32 Loss. Freshman quarterback Darron Thomas came in off the bench to complete 13-25 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns. The Oregon secondary gave up 386 yards and too many big plays. The Ducks will have the Washington State Cougars to work on get their fundamentals. Oregon will need to get things figured out in a hurry with a trip to Los Angeles to take on the USC Trojans.

Oregon State Beavers

The Beavers did not play. The Beavers had a week off after beating Hawaii 45-7. They needed a good win with Trojans on deck. The Beavers were crushed 45-14 by Penn State and may face the same result against the number one team in the country. 

UCLA Bruins

The Bruins are battling injury problems on both sides of the ball. The Wildcats of Arizona came into Los Angeles and easily won 31-10. The 59-0 whipping they took from BYU the previous week may have been on the mind of the Bruins. The Bruins did have a solid effort from running back Chane Moline who rushed for 11 for 72 yards. UCLA’s offense will have to get a rerunning game going if they want a chance to knock off the tough Fresno State Bulldogs.

Stanford Cardinals

Stanford is the sports book favorite team this week after punching a touchdown with just nine seconds left and San Jose State with no time outs to stop the clock. The Cardinals were down by 10 points early and woke up to score 23 unanswered points. Toby Gerhardt rushed for 148 yards on 22 carries and 1 touchdown. Stanford will be traveling to Washington and will need to continue to produce the pressure on the quarterback that they had in the second half against San Jose State. With Notre Dame up in two weeks both games are winnable but the Cardinals will need to put two halves of football together.

Washington Huskies

The Huskies will are back to the drawing board Oklahoma blew them out 55-14. Quarterback John Locker gave solid effort completing 16 of 24 passes for 146 yards. He also rushed for 44 yards and a touchdown. The Huskies at least have a beatable opponent in Stanford. The Cardinals have been up and down this year and have Notre Dame up in two weeks. Look for a big effort out of the Huskies here.

Washington State Cougars

The Cougars finally got a much needed win when they rolled Portland State 48-9 last week. Prior to last weeks game, The Cougars lost their first three games by 39 points per game. The Cougars are the worst team in the conference and have to take on the Oregon Ducks next. After losing 45-17 to Baylor, the Cougars are going to need really improve if they are to win a conference game.

The Iowa Hawkeyes come into this game with a record of 3-0. They have one of the best defenses in the country not having allowed a touchdown in their first 12 quarters. The Hawkeyes’ defense has the #1 ranked in points allowed, 2.7 points per game. There are stiffing the run for just 88 yards per contest and 165 yards on the air. Iowa has recorded eight sacks and will playing against a Pittsburgh offense line that is suspect, six sacks allowed, when they drop back to protect the quarterback. The Panthers will try to get their star running back LeSean McCoy going to take pressure off the passing game. The Iowa offense strength is running the ball. Shawn Green is leading the way with 359 yards on 6.5 yards per carry on the ground. As a team, Iowa is averaging 201.3 yards rushing per game. The Pittsburgh defense will benefit from Iowa’s inability to throw the football. The Hawkeyes’ rotate Richard Stanzi and Jake Christensen at quarterback. In their 17-5 victory over in-state rival Iowa State, they combined to complete 9 of 19 passes for 122 yards and two interceptions. Look for both teams to take a conservative approach to this game keeping the ball on the ground chewing up the game clock. Take the under.

Air Force Falcons

The Falcons have shown that last year was not a fluke when they ended with a record of 9-4 under the direction of first year coach Troy Calhoun. With only eight starters back, most believed the Falcons were looking at a rebuilding season.  Air Force jumped out a 31-7 advantage over the Houston last week but had to hold on for dear life as the Cougars’ Quarterback Case Keenum threaded the secondary for 362 yards. The Falcons are second leading rushing team in the country with 358 rushing yards per game. With Utah on deck, one of the teams will have to lose and Air Force will need a huge effort to upset the Utes again.

BYU Cougars

BYU remains the best team in the conference to many after destroying the UCLA Bruins 59-0. Quarterback Max Hall completed 30-41 passes for 338 yards and seven touchdowns. The defense limited UCLA to 239 total yards. BYU has an easy schedule with Wyoming and Utah State on deck and have a chance to run the table and get to one of the BCS bowls.

Utah Utes

Utah is coming off a 58-10 blowout of Utah State. The Utes out gained the Aggies 446 yards to 116. The last visit to Colorado Springs ended in a 17-14 victory for the Utes. Utah will not be looking past the Falcons, as they will be out for revenge after losing to Air Force last season 20-12. Utah’s quarterback Brian Johnson should have a big day a against an Air Forced defense that vulnerable to the pass. Over the first three games of the season, Utah is surrendering just 68 rushing yards per game. The run defense will try to stop the Falcon running game.

UNLV Rebels

The Rebels are coming off one of the biggest wins in school history when they beat the then 13^th ranked Arizona State Sun Devils 23-20 in overtime. Quarterback Omar Clayton was 19-31 for 190 yards and two touchdowns. Clayton has demonstrated that he is the Rebels’ team leader and that he can bring carry the team on his back against a top team. The Rebels are 2-1 and will be the host to Iowa State. The Rebels arguably have the best receiving corps in the conference led by Randy Wolfe. This could be a flat spot for the Rebels as they have in-state rival Nevada coming up next week.

Colorado State- Did Not Play

The Colorado State Rams barely beat Sacramento State and were thumped by Colorado in the season opener. The Rams were suppose to be a good running team but have yet to move the ball on the ground averaging 95 yards per game on 3.3 yards per carry. The Rams should be able to run the ball on a Houston Cougar defense that is allowing 264 yards of rushing per game. Look fort this next game to be a high scoring one.

Wyoming Cowboys

The Cowboys did beat North Dakota State but were not impressive in doing so. Quarterback Dax Crum continues to struggle for the Cowboys as he completed 11 of 19 passes for just 90 yards. However, he was able to rally the team from being down 13-0 and pull out the win 16-13. The Cowboys only gained 266 yards of total offense. Running back Devin Moore did pick up 145 yards on 21 carries. The Cowboys might be in for a long game against BYU after giving up 215 passing yards to the Bisons.

San Diego State Aztecs

The Aztecs were the only team in the conference not to win their game. The San Jose Spartans routed the Aztecs 35-10. Not much went well for the Aztecs, as quarterback Ryan Lindley was just 10-29 for 140 yards. San Diego State was only able to convert one of their 12 third down opportunities. The running game was only able to generate six yards. The offense will need to improve if they are to keep their porous defense off the field. However, there is good news. The Aztecs have the week off and then play Idaho at home. This may be their best chance to get a victory the way the season has started.

There will be nothing better to watch than Ohio State traveling to Los Angeles and take on the USC Trojans. Both of these programs have been stellar over the last decade participating in five out of the last six championship games. The Buckeyes come in without the services of Beanie Wells at running back and is a double-digit underdog on the road against USC. That number has me watching the game as a fan and not taking part in any betting action. Both teams will come ready to play as a fan and not a bettor. One thing is certain; the winner in this game will have the inside track to getting back into the BCS Championship game. Do not miss this early season showdown between two of the top programs in the country.

The Eagles are coming off a straight up loss to the Georgia Tech and their first year coach Paul Johnson. The Eagles were able to force three first half fumbles but were not able to capitalize. Chris Crane, a fifth-year senior at quarterback, struggled for the second straight game. Crane was 18-35 for 142 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Although Boston College shutout Kent State, Crane threw for just 106 yards but ran for two touchdowns. The Eagle’s offense sputtered late in the game versus Georgia Tech and ended up with a rare loss at home. The good news for the Eagles is that that have a bye next week. The next three games are winnable games against CFU, Rhode Island, and ACC foe NC State. Boston College will then have their second bye before they have to take on the meat of their schedule.

Clemson

Clemson had a much easier opponent in Citadel then Alabama and crushed them by the score of 42-17. However, that does not make up for the black eye they received from getting trounced 34-10 by the Crimson tide in the season opener. The Tiger offense was effective against the Bulldogs generating 525 of total yards. Cullen Harper was sharp hitting 14 of 18 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown. James Davis led the way with 107 yards on the ground on just 13 carries. The offense is just a few plays from being a confident unit. The defense needs some work. The Tigers gave up 239 yards on the ground to the Crimson Tide while letting the Citadel throw for 338 yards. The good news is that The Tigers have NC State next week and need a solid win to get their confidence back.

Florida State

The Seminoles showed no mercy as they rolled Western Carolina b y the score of 69-0. Quarterback Christian Ponder completed 11 of 17 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. The Seminole defense gave up 168 total yards in the shutout. It will be a few weeks before we can get a good read on where the Seminoles are with Chattanooga on the schedule next. The following week we will see where the Seminoles stand when they play their third straight home game against Wake Forest to open conference play.

Maryland

The Terrapins were one of the biggest upsets of the weekend going down to the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee State by the score of 24-14. Quarterback Joe Craddock led the Blue Raiders on an opening drive of 80 yards in 10 plays that resulted in a touchdown. Maryland never got going offensively after that, as they were limited to 118 yards and just three first downs in the first half. The Blue Raiders were able to hold the ball for over 39 minutes of the game. The only bright spot for the Terrapins has been the rushing of Da’Rel Scott. Scott has rushed for 320 yards in just two games. Maryland’s only win was a 14-7 win over Delaware. It does not look like Maryland will be getting their second win of the season with the high scoring California Bears coming to town next week.

NC State

Playing an FCS school, William and Mary, is what NC State needed after getting shutout by South Carolina 34-0 in the season opener. It was not pretty as the Wolf pack offense sputtered and could not get the offense going for 29 minutes of the game. Daniel Evans was ineffective in the first half and replaced by back-up Harrison Beck. Beck responded by throwing for 246 yards. However, NC State was only able to rush for 67 yards in 34-24 victory. NC State will be hard pressed to get another win anytime soon with Clemson, East Carolina and South Florida on deck.

Wake Forest

The Demon Deacons are off to another great start beating Ole Miss by the score of 30-28. The Deacons drove 57 yards in less than a minute to give kicker Sam Swank the opportunity to hit a 41-yard field goal to win the game. Swank also nailed field goals of 21 and 27 yards. Quarterback Riley Skinner had to go to the air often completing 32 of 42 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns. Wake Forest has a bye on deck before facing Florida State in their conference opener. The Deacons will need to work on their running game over the next two weeks as they rushed for just 81 yards on 31 carries against a depleted Ole Miss defensive line.

Duke

Too bad moral victories do not count in the standings. Nevertheless, they do for the Blue Devils. Duke fell to Northwestern 24-20 in a hard fought battle that saw then out gain the wildcats 472 to 328 yards. Duke looked to have the winning touchdown before a holding penalty nullified the score. The Blue Devils are 1-1 after thumping James Madison 42-7 in their opener. Duke was impressive in holding Northwestern to 77 yards rushing on 27 carries. Thaddeus Lewis did his part by throwing for 256 yards, rushing for 38, and scoring a touchdown. Look for the Blue Devils to give Navy a run for their money and possibly pull the upset next week.

Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets won their first big game in the Paul Johnson era by pulling the upset on the road beating Boston College 19-16 in their conference opener. Georgia Tech ripped off 162 yards against one of the better run defenses in the country. The Yellow Jackets are 2-0 on the season and look very impressive despite being the youngest team in the conference. The defense limited the Eagles to 262 yards and surrendering just 258 yards in the opener to Jacksonville State. Johnson did wonders at Navy and now has some talent to coach. Watch out for the Yellow Jackets.

Miami

Miami was thumped 26-3 by the Florida Gators in their first real game of the season. However, the young Hurricanes hit the Gators hard and kept the game closer than the score indicated. The offense came back down to earth after beating Charleston Southern 52-7. The Gators scored two late touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away. With the ACC down this year, The Hurricanes still have a chance at winning the conference if they can get some offense going.

North Carolina

There is some concern after the Tar Heels had to come back in week 1 to beat McNeese Sate after trailing 21-20 in the fourth quarter. Brandon Tate saved the day by setting a school record of 397 all-purpose yards. The Tar Heels had an open date and will meet Rutgers next week. There are high expectations for North Carolina this season under the second year guidance of Butch Davis. The defense will need to gel quickly if they are to be a factor in the conference.

Virginia

Some believe that The Cavaliers might be the worst team in the ACC. They might be right as far as offense goes. Virginia did not play well in beating Richmond 16-0. The Cavaliers only scored 3 points in the first three quarters against the Spider defense. One of the touchdowns was an interception returned for a touchdown. Peter Lalich is not getting it done completing 21 of 39 passes for 204 yards and 2 interceptions. Connecticut is up next with Duke waiting for them in two weeks. The Cavaliers may not have the offense to keep up with Duke. This could be a long year for Virginia.

Virginia Tech

The Hokies needed their defense to help them get their offense going in beating Furman 24-7. Coach Fred Beamer decided to pull the red shirt off Sophomore Tyrod Taylor. That might have been a good idea as he led the team in rushing with 112 yards on 14 carries. Taylor also completed four of five passes for 26 yards to give the offense some spark. The defense was extremely tough holding Furman to just 34 yards of rushing. The Hokies start conference play against the vastly improved Yellow Jackets or Georgia Tech. Tech will need to be able to throw the ball if they want to win next week.