Lots of banter-worthy stuff this week. Here are the five story lines I think will be the most compelling:
1. Showdown at the Coliseum: Ohio State's visit to USC has already gotten a ton of hype, and really, it's nothing compared to what you'll hear over the next 96 hours. I went to USC's practice Monday, and most of the Trojan players I spoke with dismissed the "class" comment by
Ray Small. "We don't have much to say about that …
We respect their program,"
Mark Sanchez said.
Taylor Mays, the 225-pound safety, appeared a bit more animated. "I'll see him Saturday," Mays said after being asked if he was excited to see the Buckeyes receiver.
Then Mays broke into a grin before adding, "He's also a punt returner, and I am on the punt team."
2. The Celebration Penalty: Upon further review, it is still a bad call flagging
Jake Locker for flipping the ball into the air. And the subject is going to keep people fired up for quite a while. My take is that the NCAA has screwed up by blurring the line between celebration and taunting in the spirit of sportsmanship. If the folks who passed this rule presided over the PGA, they probably would've docked Tiger Woods two strokes for too many fist pumps.
"I think we all know that was not the right call," Washington coach Ty Willingham said Monday. "One of the major plays that we always talk about that exists in football is holding. And you've heard that holding happens on every play. Our officials use discretion there. The rulebooks are written for them to use discretion. It's an opportunity to use discretion, and the proper judgment was not used. That was not an act of taunting or unsportsmanlike act at all. Therefore, it should have been viewed in its totality, and not just isolated as the letter of the law."
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who has his own history with Pac-10 officials, took the high road when asked about
The Call.
I don't think any of this is going to have a good impact on U-Dub on Saturday. I see a parallel to another snake-bit program. Last season Ole Miss was convinced that officials blew the call at the end of the Alabama game. As much as the coaching staff had tried to move past it, discussion of the call lingered around the team for days. The Rebels went out the next Saturday against Arkansas and had their worst performance of the year. I think a team that has had more success probably could handle it and bounce back. I don't think that's Washington.
3. The first real hurdle for Knowshon: Heisman candidate
Knowshon Moreno was spectacular last week, especially on his run that has generated more than 100,000 hits on
YouTube, but now Georgia gets its first tough test as the Dawgs go to South Carolina to face a very salty Gamecock D.
Last year, Carolina came to Athens and held the Dawgs to 12 points and kept them out of the end zone in a 16-12 win. And
this Gamecock D is supposed to be better than that bunch. They lead the SEC in total D and are the runaway leaders in pass defense, holding opponents to a 39 percent completion mark and just 70 pass yards per game. No doubt, Carolina's rugged front is a big reason for that, but so are the suspect passing games of its first two opponents: NC State and Vandy.
Bad news for Carolina is that its best offensive player, WR
Kenny McKinley, is "
very doubtful" for Saturday, according to Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier.
Key guy to watch as Carolina tries to contain Moreno: MLB Jasper Brinkley. According to Joseph Person, the Gamecocks' star was credited with a career-low one tackle versus Vandy, and had several missed tackles.
"I don't think it's rust," said Brinkley, who missed most of last season following knee surgery. "It's just not playing with the right technique and the right leverage."
Traditionally, the Palmetto State has been good to UGA from a recruiting standpoint. As
Marc Weiszer points out, three of Georgia's top draft picks in the last five NFL drafts hail from South Carolina: DE Marcus Howard (fifth round, Colts, 2008); cornerback Tim Jennings (second round, Colts, 2006); and tight end Ben Watson (first round, Patriots,
2004). Freshman receiver
A.J. Green from Summerville, S.C., could develop into an elite NFL prospect in the future.
4. Bulls and Bears: The most underrated good game this weekend is Friday night when Bear Mark Mangino's Kansas team comes to USF. The Bulls, who are coming off an emotional win over UCF, are carrying the mantle for the beleaguered Big East. USF might have to go without standout RB Mike Ford and WR Ben Williams (nursing ankle injuries), according to
Brett McMurphy.
5. Big Ten Showdown, Take II: It's not Michigan's visit to Notre Dame, but instead Wisconsin's trip to play Fresno State. A loss would do more damage to the Big Ten's rep nationally. And,
as Jeff Potrykus writes, the Badgers' recent history in road games is not good: "Last year we weren't able to close out four games," coach Bret Bielema said, "and all four of those games were on the road."
Three of UW's four losses last season were true road games. The fourth loss was at a neutral site, to Tennessee in the Outback Bowl, but you understand Bielema's point.
A win for Fresno would really accelerate the BCS Buster talk around the Bulldogs, who might end up jockeying against ECU and the winner of BYU and Utah.
RANDOM STUFF
• There has been a settlement reached in that Internet hoax smearing the Oklahoma QBs,
reports Randy Ellis.
The fan, James W. Conradt, publicly apologized and agreed to pay OPUBCO an undisclosed sum as part of a settlement that was filed Monday in Oklahoma City federal court.
• Mizzou gets another weapon as speedy WR
Danario Alexander is back from an ACL injury and ready to play this weekend against Nevada,
writes Mike DeArmond.
Alexander will suit up and should get in Saturday's game against Nevada -- remarkable, considering it was suggested that Alexander's anticipated return would be Oct. 4 against Nebraska.
Tiger FS William Moore is also expected back from a sprained foot.
• A moped injury has cost Clemson its best pass protector. Starting LT Chris Hairston is definitely out for Saturday's game and might be on the shelf longer after suffering a knee injury in a moped accident Saturday night,
reports Larry Williams.
"I know there's a law against a boy that big trying to ride a moped," OL coach Brad Scott said. Scott now might start three freshmen on the O-line for the first time at the school since 1943.
Clemson, though, comes into this weekend's game against NC State having won four in a row over the Pack.
• No doubt Greg Robinson is on the hot seat at Syracuse.
Bud Poliquin throws out some names as possible successors. Among the ones who caught my eye were Buffalo's Turner Gill and former SU assistant Kevin Rogers.
One name not there but worth remembering is New Orleans Saints OC Doug Marrone, a Syracuse player in the mid-80s.
• The Gronk might be back this week for Arizona. According to Ryan Finley,
Rob Gronkowski, Zona's terrific tight end, practiced Monday, the first step in what coaches hope will be a return from strep throat, and possibly mononucleosis, which caused him to miss the first two weeks.
• For the second straight week, Frank Beamer is muzzling his QBs, writes
Randy King:
"While we're figuring out this quarterback situation, I'm not going to talk about it anymore," Beamer said. "I've asked them not to do interviews this week. I don't think we need to be talking. I think we need to turn all our attention toward Georgia Tech, a team that presents problems."
• Surprisingly,
Evan Royster has been Penn State's big-play back thus far,
writes Sam Ross Jr. Royster has averaged a gaudy 8.2 yards per carry for the 2-0 Nittany Lions. He's scored six rushing touchdowns, the first Penn State player to do that in the opening two games of a season.
Stephfon Green is averaging 5.1 yards a carry and has two touchdowns. Royster's longest run is 34 yards; Green's is 22.
"He's so patient in our zone scheme. It looks like he just walks into the end zone a lot of times with his runs," center A.Q. Shipley said of Royster. "He does such a great job just reading the blocks, finding the gaps and hitting the holes."
Bruce Feldman
