Storylines to watch for this weekend in college football
Friday, September 25, 2009
There's already been one major upset and we have even reached Friday night. But that doesn't mean there isn't a lot to look forward to this weekend. Intriguing storylines across the country highlight the schedule.
Run for the Roses starts. A lot of attention has been paid to the matchup of Iowa and Penn State, however the game is just one of the openers in Big Ten play. The race for the conference title is wide open and we'll see how the contenders stack up. Ohio State faces Illinois and Michigan hosts Indiana while Michigan State must win at Wisconsin to avoid a third consecutive loss.
No looking ahead for Cal. With a trip to Oregon this week, the Golden Bears won't be tempted to focus too much on next Saturday's showdown with Southern California. This is a vital game for Cal if it wants to reach the Rose Bowl for the first time in 51 years. USC's loss to Washington means the Golden Bears can have the opportunity to damage the Trojans' title hopes in Berkley. But they have to get by the resurgent Ducks first.
More BCS hurdles. Last week saw Utah and Brigham Young knocked out of major bowl contention with losses. This Saturday, a pair of teams from Texas try to keep their hopes alive when TCU travels to Clemson and Houston hosts Texas Tech. If both the Horned Frogs and Cougars can survive, the path to an unbeaten record appears manageable.
How good is the Alabama defense? The Crimson Tide handled Virginia Tech's offense, but the Hokies don't have the firepower of Arkansas. Quarterback Ryan Mallett appears very comfortable in Bobby Petrino's offense that is averaging 538 yards per game. This has the feel of dangerous game for Alabama, especially if wide receiver Julio Jones can't play.
Irish need a breather. Notre Dame is already playing with little margin for error as Charlie Weis tries to save his job. The Irish head to longtime rival Purdue, which lost last week at home to Northern Illinois. This appears to be a game that Notre Dame should be able win comfortably. A lot depends on how limited quarterback Jimmy Clausen is with turf toe and whether the Irish defense can finally stop someone.
Real Florida must stand up. Was it the flu? Was it injuries? Or was it Tennessee? The less-than-impressive win against the Volunteers has left Florida faithful with many questions. The Gators appear vulnerable and must travel to face a dangerous Kentucky team that has a lot more offensive firepower than Tennessee. A close game here would only create more questions.
Real Virginia Tech must stand up. A great last minute can't erase the disappointing play of both side of the ball against Nebraska. The offensive issues are obvious. The defense, however, is not on par to previous units. Frank Beamer must get both and his vaunted special teams all playing well to handle Miami (Fla.), which has had one of the best starts of any team in the country.
Can Cincinnati deal with success? The Bearcats won the Big East and played in the Orange Bowl last year. Fresh off their impressive win at Oregon State, they're up to No. 15 in the poll and could be thinking about more than just a BCS bowl in January. Focus is needed this week with Fresno State coming to town. The Bulldogs almost won at Wisconsin and gave a good test to Boise State.
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