For Argument's Sake

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From nagging questions to the latest rumors to soapbox moments, Ivan Maisel and Gene Wojciechowski continue their weekly arguments and go head-to-head to talk about the hottest topics in college football.

Will Jason Campbell avoid the Rix-Berlin Syndrome and produce as a fifth-year senior?
Ivan Auburn's quarterback has had two solid games in one more new offense. Al Borges, who has installed a West Coast offense at Auburn, is Campbell's fourth offensive coordinator in the last four years. Campbell has struggled reading defenses. LSU, with its sophistication and speed, dogged Campbell into a pathetic performance in last season's 31-7 LSU win. This isn't last year's LSU team, as it showed in the overtime victory over Oregon State, and Campbell isn't playing like last year's Campbell. It must be pointed out that Auburn opened last season against USC and Georgia Tech, and this season against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State. His exhibition season over, Campbell will be tested Saturday against as good a defensive line as there is in the country. Campbell has a veteran offensive line in front of him, which should do a much better job against LSU than it did last season. He has two first-round tailbacks behind him in Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown. All Campbell has to do is not beat Auburn, and make the occasional play to keep the LSU front honest. If he can manage that, the home Tigers might fulfill some of the expectations that they didn't come close to meeting when they went 8-5 last year.	Geno I keep telling Ivan that if you have to explain the question, it needs some work. But he doesn't listen. He just keeps telling me, "Ahm on teevee, and yur not." Anyway, the gist of the question is this: can Campbell avoid struggling as a fifth-year senior quarterback? And the answer is a definitive, unequivocal. . .probably. New Auburn offensive coordinator Al Borges didn't change the playbook terminology when he arrived. This was done to increase Campbell's comfort level and keep the transition to yet another O-coordinator (Campbell's fourth in four years) as smooth as possible. Auburn doesn't ask Campbell to win games. It asks him not to lose them. Running backs Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown are supposed to do most of the heavy lifting for the Tigers. In last week's 43-14 win against Mississippi State, Campbell graded out at 97 percent, which Borges says is among the best he's ever seen. Campbell had little trouble checking in to different plays, and his numbers (8-of-17 for 139 yards and three touchdowns) would have been better if not for six dropped passes. Equally important: no interceptions and no sacks. Mississippi State is no LSU. Hardly anybody is. Campbell completed 19-of-27 attempts against LSU in last season's 31-7 loss, but the completions were good for only 143 yards and one TD. He also was sacked four times. Unlike Rix, and to a much lesser extent, Berlin, Campbell doesn't try to do too much. At some point he'll have to win a game -- you know LSU is going to load the box and force him to make plays -- but Campbell's understanding of the Auburn offense seems to be tracking up. So nixay on Campbell needing the anti-Rix/Berlin vaccine.
Indiana, Kansas, Stanford are all 2-0 surprises. Is one of them for real?
Ivan There may not a Seabiscuit in this bunch, but all three appear to be much better than advertised. The biggest surprise may be the Hoosiers, whose 30-24 victory at Oregon isn't as stunning as it first appeared. Indiana had played a game, Oregon hadn't. The Ducks committed seven turnovers, allowing the Hoosiers to score on drives of 3, 30, 14 and 16 yards. Oregon also gave up a 98-yard kickoff. The mistakes were typical of an opening game. The number of mistakes was not typical. The win serves as gratification for Indiana coach Gerry DiNardo and Matt LoVecchio, the former Notre Dame quarterback who transferred after losing the job to Carlyle Holiday. But let's not go too crazy. Indiana managed only 198 total yards, allowed 495 and converted only 3-of-17 first downs. That doesn't spell powerhouse to me. Stanford has beaten San Jose State 43-3 and BYU 37-10. That's a great start by anyone's measure, but especially for coach Buddy Teevens, who won only six games in his first two seasons at The Farm. In fact, it reminds me of Teevens' last season at Tulane, in 1996, when the Green Wave started out 2-2. They lost their next seven and the next season, Tulane had a new coach in Tommy Bowden. This Stanford team may be for real, if only because Teevens threw a bunch of freshmen onto the field the last two seasons, and is ready to reap the benefits. Sophomore quarterback Trent Edwards appears to be another in the long line of impressive Cardinal passers. But Stanford as a whole doesn't look as good to me as Kansas does. The Jayhawks started fast last season, faded down the stretch but hung on long enough to secure a bowl bid. Kansas had 15 starters return, 15 starters who got a taste of success last season and two extra weeks of practice before the bowl game. The results were obvious -- a 21-3 defeat of Tulsa and a 63-14 rout of Toledo, in which the Jayhawks scored 42 points in the first 18 minutes of the game. Can you tell anything from that? Yes, Toledo is a huge favorite for Biggest Disappointment of 2004. After that, it's too early. But in a weakened Big 12 North, Kansas has a shorter path to the finish line than do Indiana or Stanford.	Geno These three programs were a combined 12-25 last season. Now they already have six wins, including the Al Michaels victory IU pulled off at Oregon last Saturday. I'm not sure I want to board any of these trains just yet, but if I had to buy a ticket it would be for the Jayhawk Express. KU won six games last year, played (and lost) in a bowl, and appears to have the most momentum of the three programs. They face an 0-2 Northwestern team that gives up lots of points, then get Texas Tech, then play a Nebraska team in transition, so a 5-0 start isn't out of the question. After that. . . good luck: Kansas State (though, the Wildcats have some issues these days, especially on the offensive line), then at Oklahoma. Seven wins would be a stretch, but not a total shock.
Who has ticked off more of their programs' fans: Michigan's Lloyd Carr or Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer?
Ivan The Michigan coach and the Tennessee coach won national championships in 1997 and 1998, respectively, and neither one decided to run for governor. Both coaches are suffering from the malady of familiarity. The answer to the question is Carr, because he has lost most recently. After Michigan's 28-20 loss at Notre Dame, Michigan fans are railing about Carr's conservative play-calling, the Wolverines' fifth consecutive loss in their road opener, and poor special teams play. After the Notre Dame game, last season's trip to the Rose Bowl may as well have been a generation ago. Carr's explanation of his choices on offense is simple. He's playing freshman quarterback Chad Henne. "It's an incredible challenge for a kid who's never been in a college game," Carr said, discussing the quick decisions a quarterback must make in the face of a blitz. "It's a challenge for a fifth-year senior. There's no magic. There's no silver bullet. It's hard work and time. We have to give him things he can do and allow him to develop in such a way to play to the strengths of our team. Right now, the strength of our team is defense." The Volunteer fans haven't found anything to grumble about yet, what with Tennessee having played once, a 42-17 defeat of UNLV. But 13 losses in the last four seasons, topped off with consecutive Peach Bowl humiliations, have strained the one-time storybook romance. Depending on two freshman quarterbacks in an SEC East showdown with Florida is a big gamble by Fulmer. If the Vols lose at home, Fulmer will hear about it.	Geno Can I answer this after Tennessee's game against Florida? For the moment, I'm going with Carr, but only because of the Wolverines' recent loss to unranked Notre Dame. Otherwise, it's probably a toss up. Former Texas Tech coach Spike Dykes used to say that a coach loses 10 percent of his support each season. If that's the case, then Carr is headed toward zero (this is his 10th year) and Fulmer is in negative integers (this is his 13th season). At Michigan you have to beat Ohio State. Carr has done this six out nine times. But he's lost two out of the last three to the Buckeyes, and also lost two of his last three bowl games. Meanwhile, since winning a national championship in 1998, Fulmer has lost four of his last five bowl games -- the last two in depressing, UT-phoned-it-in fashion. But he's beaten archrival Alabama eight out of the last nine meetings, but 3-8 against Florida. What does it all mean? That Michigan and Tennessee fans are more spoiled than trust fund babies. Fulmer is 114-28. He's won more than 80 percent of his games. That normally gets you a statue with your name on it in front of the stadium. Carr is 87-27, which doesn't exactly suck. Do they have their coaching flaws? Sure. Fulmer's teams have tanked it in non-marquee bowls, and Carr sometimes takes the CIA secrecy thing, and I'm-a-Michigan-Man act a little too far. But here's a bet: they'd be unemployed for exactly zero seconds before other athletic directors called with job offers and begged them to "tick off" their fans the same way.

Myles Brand for a Day

Ivan We're all aware of how the corporate tail can wag the college football dog, but one look at Georgia quarterback David Greene's jersey makes you wonder if the line will ever really be drawn. On the top right of Greene's jersey is an NCAA logo. On the left is a Nike swoosh. Below the swoosh there's a "C", which denotes that Greene is captain. There's barely room for the No. 14. If Greene would gain about 40 pounds and grow a blond mullet, he'd be a dead ringer for John Daly, who has more logos on his shirt than a NASCAR driver. The NCAA can make all the rules about this that they want, but when they turn around and have their logo put on everyone's jersey, who's kidding whom?

Geno It isn't exactly a nationwide mandate, but 48.01 percent of the 2,860 readers who took part in a USA TODAY poll said their No. 1 proposed change in sports would be the creation of a Division I-A playoff system. Unfortunately for those readers, about 99.9 percent of the mover and shaker college presidents are against such a system. If I'm Myles, I quit pretending most of America understands why every other sport in the NCAA, including every division of football except I-A, has a playoff system. At the very least, I start lobbying for a stand-alone, plus-one championship game after the bowls, not this mind-boggling "piggyback" arrangement now in place.

Rumor of the Week

Ivan There was a suggestion earlier this week that California, which has Sept. 25 off, would try to find an opponent to play next week in the wake of the postponement of its game at Southern Mississippi on Thursday night because of Hurricane Ivan. Bears coach Jeff Tedford shot the idea down -- who could Cal play? -- but the problem remains. California has played two games and, thanks to the hurricane, has two Saturdays in a row off. That's a long break after such a good start. The storm surge Thursday may just wash out a season. The Bears' game at Southern Mississippi, scheduled for Thursday night, likely will be played the first week in December. The schools looked into playing Saturday, but Cal coach Jeff Tedford said the team couldn't overcome logistical problems. "There are no hotels available in Hattiesburg for the weekend," Tedford said. "The bus companies are swamped trying to evacuate old people out of the old folks' homes. And you don't know what the aftermath of the storm will be. We tried all day Monday to get something going." Now Tedford must deal with a two-week break. Cal doesn't play again until a trip to Oregon State on Oct. 2. In the very long meantime, Tedford said he would use the two-and-a-half-weeks ahead as if they were last December, when the Bears prepared for their 52-49 Insight Bowl upset of Virginia Tech. "We're going to treat it kind of like a bowl game," Tedford said. "We have more maturity and leadership this year. If this had happened last year, I would be concerned about it. I really kind of think these guys will practice hard. They have been through bowl preparations. I was pleased with how they prepared for the bowl game." Still, the postponement looks like advantage, Golden Eagles. You have to believe that the last thing Cal will be focused on, two weeks after the traditional season-ending Big Game against Stanford, is a nonconference, non-BCS opponent 2,000 miles away. There's also the 1998 UCLA team, which had a game at postponed from September to December by Hurricane Georges. The Bruin team that won its first 10 games and was ranked third in the country didn't show up at the Orange Bowl. UCLA lost, 49-45.

Geno Mack Brown is going to bolt Texas and return to North Carolina as, ta-da, athletic director. This one is making the rounds in Austin, but more so in Chapel Hill. According to those close to Brown, this rumor has zero legs. Brown isn't going anywhere, especially if the Longhorns figure out a way to beat Oklahoma in early October.

Soapbox Moment

Ivan There must be some way for the NCAA to recognize former student-athletes who are serving in Iraq or, God forbid, suffer the fate of 1st Lt. Ron Winchester, a former Navy left offensive tackle who died earlier this month in Iraq. The United States Naval Academy held a memorial service for Winchester on Wednesday. The current left tackle on the Navy offense, Tyson Stahl, knew Winchester. Tyson's brother Hoot started at the opposite tackle from Winchester for Navy three years ago. Hoot is currently serving in Iraq. After practice Wednesday, and after the memorial service, Tyson Stahl sounded like someone who has been doing a lot of thinking. "There's one part of you that tries to be stoic about it," he said, "knowing the nature of what we're going into when we graduate. The emotion was definitely there." Stahl and the Navy learned of Winchester's death on the day of the season opener against Duke. Stahl's teammates asked him to lead them out on the field, carrying a flag that flew over a U.S. base in Iraq. "That flag's got a little bit more meaning," Stahl said. "Our equipment guy came up to me and told me, 'The guys want you to carry the flag.' My eyes watered up. There's so much pride associated with that. Honestly, that might have been one of the high points of my time here at the Academy."

Geno Chris Weinke owns a Heisman Trophy and the unofficial Florida State record for Most Stadium Steps Run After A Game. Weinke's six picks in the 1998 loss against North Carolina State remain the leader in FSU's Turnovers From Hell clubhouse and he won't soon forget the defeat, or the trips up and down the Doak Campbell Stadium aisles. Chris Rix knows the feeling. As part of his post-Miami-loss pennance, Rix recently had to run those same steps, thanks to his two interceptions and two fumbles -- all of them critical in a game eventually decided by six points in overtime. If he keeps goofing up, Russell Athletic might approach him about starring in its next stadium steps commercial. Once again Rix is the centerpiece of another FSU quarterback controversy. This is what happens when you're a fifth-year senior and commit four turnovers, complete just 12-of-28 passes for 108 yards, fail to lead your offense to a single touchdown, and extend a Seminoles winless streak against Miami to six. It doesn't help that against Miami, Rix is 0-5 with just 9 INTs, 5 TDs, a 42.8 completion percentage (59-of-138) and 744 yards. And that's not even counting all the fumbles. Rix isn't the only reason FSU is 0-1 and already gagging for air in the national championship race. Miami coaches were smart enough to take advantage of FSU fatigue, injuries, questionable decision making, a Homer Simpson-moment in the kicking game, and, of course, Rix. It wasn't Rix's fault he was without two, then three starting offensive linemen. It wasn't his fault FSU's weary defense couldn't hold off the Hurricanes at the end of regulation, and again in OT. But it is Rix's fault that he continues to make the same kind of mistakes in the same kind of games. To pretend otherwise would be silly. You see moments when Rix can awe you with his athletic ability. His diving scramble for a first down late in the game was time capsule stuff. And the lug also took his share of pops from a Miami defense that has its share of future Sunday players. But then come the mistakes, another loss, and the inevitable debate about Rix's status. Rix will start Saturday against UAB, but all bets are off after the first snap. FSU coach Bobby Bowden has stood by Rix for so long that Tammy Wynette ought to write a song about it. The problem is Bowden doesn't have many options. Adrian McPherson is kicking butt in the arena leagues. FSU backup Wyatt Sexton, a redshirt sophomore, has a good arm, is a coach's son (Billy Sexton is an FSU assistant), but has little experience. After that, freshmen. Despite the Miami loss, the Seminoles could still run the schedule table. Games against Clemson, Virginia and Florida are at Tallahassee. That leaves toughies on the road against Maryland, Wake Forest and North Carolina State. But first things first. See what Rix does against UAB. Can he earn back the trust of a team already questioning his ability to lead? Can he reduce the mistakes? Can he quit with the stadium stairs? The answers begin to arrive Saturday.

Just A Thought

Ivan USC sports information director Tim Tessalone said that his office had received some e-mails about the "F-Trojan helmet-C-K the BCS" T-shirt Matt Leinart wore for his interview televised at halftime of the Florida State-Miami game on Friday night. Here's what I love about college football: half the e-mails, Tessalone said, were from people who wanted to know how to buy the T-shirt. Excuse me for not getting worked up over this one. Of course Leinart should not have worn it. You can make the case that he knew what he was doing. He says he didn't. He's a national figure, but he's also a 21-year-old, and I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that he is not yet wise in the wiles of TV cameras. That's why colleges have sports information offices. "We blew this one," said Tessalone, who had an assistant assigned to the interview. It was not cool. It was also not intentional, Leinart said in an apology he posted on MattLeinartblog.com. No, this was not a Bosworthian message, such as the one former Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth wore condemning the NCAA during a Sooner game a couple of decades ago. Leinart got caught in his daily transition from college kid to media figure. Bet it doesn't happen again.

Geno Kids. Can't live with them, can't grab them by the ear lobe, pull them to the ground, and say, "Now let's review the thought process during your recent decision to wear a T-shirt on national television that read, (Rhymes with Kruk) the BCS." USC quarterback Matt Leinart wore the equivalent of a Muck Fichigan T-shirt while doing an ABC halftime show interview. I've seen worse; I just haven't seen them worn by a Heisman candidate on national TV. No permanent damage was done. No young USC fans are undergoing therapy for four-letter word exposure. No reprimands have been issued, though Leinart and a USC p.r. assistant were educated about proper TV attire. Leinart is a smart guy, which explains his Sept. 14 posting on mattleinertblog.com: "Apologies to those out there offended by the T-shirt I wore for that ABC interview. It was one of those things where I really wasn't thinking about the impact it could have. I just have to do better at realizing that I am under the microscope and that a lot of people are looking to me as a role model. The way that message came across -- that's not what I'm about or what USC is about. Like any 21-year old college kid -- like anyone really -- I can sometimes act without thinking. So, sorry about that." And speaking of apologies. . . Here's hoping Marshall coach Bob Pruett stores all future references to Mandingo warriors in an Al Gore-like lockbox and throws away the key.

Whatever Happened To. . .

Ivan . . .Team, Team, Team. Cedric Benson said on GameNight on ESPN Radio this week that he would rather win the Heisman than beat Oklahoma. Easy joke: What do you expect a Texas tailback to say? Reality: Benson gave an honest answer. "If I could win the game entirely by myself," Benson said, "offense, defense, punt return, kickoff, kicking field goals, everything, then I would take the win over OU. For me personally, the hard work I've been through, growing up as a kid and the dreams I've had, I'd love nothing more than the Heisman." It's a team game, and winning any game is a team accomplishment. The Heisman is an individual award. I don't have a problem with what Benson said. However, if Texas beats Oklahoma, Benson will have a lot better chance of winning the Heisman. I bet even he knows that.

Geno . . . those Tyrone Willingham bashers? I've said it before, I'll say it again: Willingham is the perfect coach for Notre Dame. No way is Willingham's team going to challenge for a national title this season, but that isn't the point. I'm a Willingham honk because he provides Notre Dame with something its alums often lack: a calm, patient, big-picture outlook. He never makes excuses. He never aims a finger in another direction. And name the last time you heard him say a peep about Notre Dame's killer schedules, or use the Paul Hornung Theorem to explain recent Irish struggles. There is an integrity and consistency about Willingham that I can't help but respect. Sure, 16-11 isn't what anyone, including Willingham, had in mind after two-plus seasons. But there's the rub: it's only been two-plus seasons, not four. Anyone who thinks Willingham is overmatched hasn't been paying attention. He took Stanford to the Rose Bowl in 1999, which is like teaching a chihuahua how to speak German. He squeezed 10 wins out of offensively challenged 2002 Notre Dame team. He just beat the No. 7 team in the country. Maybe it's time to cut the guy more than a week's worth of slack.

Heisman Hype

Ivan Geno will announce this week that he's withdrawing his support for the Darren Sproles campaign to endorse someone with a better chance of winning. You can reach Geno at 1-800-NADER-04. I think Geno will return his guy Chris Leak to the list. If you're a Florida quarterback and you win at Neyland Stadium, you are a Heisman candidate. Leak is going to make Geno look smart. (Geno's real picks: USC QB Matt Leinart, Oklahoma QB Jason White, Texas RB Cedric Benson, Purdue QB Kyle Orton, Miami CB Antrel Rolle.)

Geno I don't know what Purdue's Kyle Orton has to do to get Ivan's attention (Wax and buff his Dodge Dart? Learn a Southern drawl? Memorize the Stanford fight song?), but he better be on Maisel's short list this week. The guy is so money he doesn't even know it (Orton, not Ivan). Otherwise, I figure Ivan will go with the usual suspects: Georgia QB David Greene, Texas RB Cedric Benson, USC QB Matt Leinart, Oklahoma QB Jason White, and his new MWC favorite, Utah QB Alex Smith. (Ivan's real picks: Texas RB Cedric Benson, USC QB Matt Leinart, Oklahoma QB Jason White, Purdue QB Kyle Orton, Utah QB Alex Smith.)

Top 10

Ivan 1. Oklahoma -- You have to think Oregon will play better this week than it did when it lost to home against Indiana. 2. USC -- Was that really Matt Leinart taking off and running last week against Colorado State? Has he found his inner Vick? 3. Georgia -- All right, everybody exhale. David Greene got the bad half out of his system and led the Dawgs past South Carolina. 4. Texas -- The 'Horns didn't look pretty in Fayetteville, but they got the job done. That's a step in the right direction. 5. LSU -- The LSU defensive line against the Auburn offensive line may be the best matchup of the week. 6. Miami -- Either the 'Canes offense improves, or the ACC race gets a lot more interesting. What a defense, though. 7. Utah -- The toughest test for the Utes will be ignoring everyone saying how good they are. 8. Ohio State -- That's 13 victories in the last two-plus seasons by seven points or fewer. 9. Florida State -- Either the 'Noles offense improves, or (see Miami). 10. Cal -- Two weeks in a row, thanks to Hurricane Ivan. How do you keep sharp through that?

Geno 1. Oklahoma -- OU coaches will look past Oregon's inexplicable loss to Indiana, and instead concentrate on the Ducks' 178 rushing yards and 317 passing yards. 2. USC -- Trojans offensive coordinator Norm Chow returns to BYU, the place where he made his bones. USC, which should have a much better understanding of BYU's blitz package than a year ago, won't let Chow leave without a game ball. 3. LSU -- The Tigers struggled on a wet field in the season opener against Oregon State. What happens when they face Auburn at Jordan-Hare in similar or worse conditions? 4. Georgia -- Mark Richt says he's going to find playing time for backup quarterback D.J. Shockley. One question: why? 5. Miami -- Nice scheduling by Louisiana Tech: at Miami this week, at Tennessee the following week, then Fresno State at home, then back on the road to Auburn. 6. Texas -- What Longhorns RB Cedric Benson meant to say is that he'd rather win a Heisman than beat Rice next week. 7. Ohio State -- A 1:1 touchdown pass to interception ratio isn't exactly what Buckeyes coaches want out of QB Jason Zwick. Otherwise, the post-Craig Krenzel Era is going fine. 8. Florida State -- The Chris Rix Watch is back on. 9. Florida -- The Gators face Tennessee at Knoxville and then don't hit the road until Oct. 23 game against Mississippi State. 10. California -- After bailing out on their game at Southern Miss, Cal isn't scheduled to play again until Oct. 2 at Oregon State.

Three Games Worth TiVo-ing

Ivan LSU at Auburn This game would have been worth watching without the aftereffects of Hurricane Ivan. The winner will be the team to beat in the SEC West. LSU has the best defensive line and secondary in the division and one of the best in the nation. Auburn has one of the top offensive lines in the SEC blocking for the best pair of tailbacks south of the University of Minnesota. The Hurricane affects the game in sundry ways. The field will be soggier. It's impossible to say what each team will endure in discomfort and worse from the storm Thursday and Friday. LSU must go on the road and play before a large, loud, hostile crowd with a pair of relatively untested quarterbacks, which, to me, is the difference in this game. Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell must play one of the best games of his long, embattled career. The Pick: Auburn. Florida at Tennessee It's no longer the 1990s, when the winner got a leg up in the SEC East. Now the game will produce only the most likely contender to the divisional top Dawg, Georgia. Both teams have only played once, and against lesser competition. Florida has a new offensive coordinator, Larry Fedora, whose philosophy is expected to be more aggressive than that of his predecessor, Ed Zaunbrecher. He remained conservative in light of the lack of experience last season of quarterback Chris Leak, a freshman in 2003. The remnants of the storm are expected to soak Neyland Stadium. This rivalry has a history of rainy days and nights. Tennessee depends more on the run, and running backs Cedric Houston and Gerald Riggs. Jr. are sturdy enough to run even when they are wet to the bone. Florida quarterback Chris Leak is mature beyond his sophomore status. But if Leak isn't affected by the conditions, he's not human. How quickly Leaf can ratchet himself beyond his nerves and focus on the game will be paramount. Florida will win, because I can't put my chips down on freshmen in a game of this magnitude. The Pick: Florida. Maryland at West Virginia Maryland beat West Virginia last season, 34-7. In the Gator Bowl, with West Virginia having the momentum and the incentive of payback, Maryland won 41-7. Rich Rodriguez has coached the Mountaineers for three seasons. In those three years, West Virginia has beaten Syracuse by 33 points, Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh by 21. They lost to Miami last season by two points. In other words, Rodriguez has rebuilt the Mountaineers into a regional power looking to go national. Except against Maryland. In four games over the three seasons of Rodriguez and Terrapins coach Ralph Friedgen, Maryland has outscored West Virginia, 155-51. "We thought we had great practices before the bowl game," Rodriguez said. "We went out there and laid an egg. There's a lot of talent on this team that hasn't ever beaten them. Every year is a new year. This year's team hasn't played them yet. If we give it our best shot and don't win, at least we'll sleep better. I didn't sleep well after the bowl game." Similarly, Friedgen points out that most of this young Maryland team watched the Gator Bowls from the sideline. Rodriguez didn't hang up signs in the weight room to motivate his players over the winter. He didn't print up T-shirts with slogans on them. He left that for the fans, and reminded his team this week that this game, as big as it may be, only counts for one win or loss. West Virginia has more experienced talent, and the home crowd, This should be the year that the Mountaineers make the climb. The Pick: West Virginia. (Last week: 2-1. Season: 4-2)

Geno Maryland at West Virginia We must protect our Davy Crockett hats! That's the West Virginia Under Armor thought of the day. Maryland beat the Mountaineers twice last year by a combined, 75-14. Kay-Jay Harris' status is the key. The pick: West Virginia. Florida at Tennessee Everything is new at Tennessee. New quarterbacks. New Smokey. New optimism. The Vols beat the Gators last year at Gainesville, but Florida won at UT a season earlier in the rain. And it's supposed to pour Saturday night. The pick: Tennessee. Ohio State at North Carolina State New quarterbacks Justin Zwick (OSU) and Jay Davis (NC State) will have a hard time topping last season's triple-overtime game won by the Buckeyes. Ohio State is fresh off another squeaker, this time a three-point win against Marshall. Now they travel to Raleigh without star defensive back Dustin Fox (broken arm) in the lineup. The pick: Ohio State. (Last week: 1-2. Season: 4-2)

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