CIDSports Top 25 College Football Poll after Week 2

So, how should the Top 25 sort out after Week 2 of the 2010 College Football season? Yes, we have Boise State #3 in the nation, but remember the season is very young. They are a solid program that can compete on the field with just about anyone, but they are also #3. We have a one game BCS title game, so right now, it will be up to the BCS programs to keep them out of the hunt in 2010, since the Boise State SOS doesn't give them any assistance along the way in this young season that just finished Week2.

• We have some leaders in conference play in the ACC, C-USA, MWC, SEC and Pac Ten conferences, who have all opened up a little conference play already in 2010


• The ACC Coastal Division has zero teams that are undefeated after only two weeks


• The Sun Belt isn't going to gain much fan fare in 2010, with zero teams undefeated. Middle Tennessee missed vs. Minnesota in Week 1 and Troy missed getting Oklahoma State in Week 2. No teams are undefeated.


• BYU will join the three Independents next year, but all four programs have something in common in 2010: each program is 1-1 for the season


• The Big East has two undefeated teams, but barely, in Rutgers and West Virginia to start 2010


• Only three programs in the Big 12 have been defeated in 2010: Colorado, Iowa State and Kansas all have one loss. Some Big 12 teams will open conference play in Week 3


• The Big Ten has six programs 2-0 to open the 2010 season


• East Carolina is 2-0 (2-0 C-USA East) to open the season with back to back conference games. Will the Pirates win OOC opener @ Virginia Tech in Week 3?


• Temple (2-0, 1-0 MAC East) are the only remaining team undefeated in the 13 member MAC.


• The Pac 10 has six programs 2-0 to open the 2010 season.

CIDSports Top 25 after Week 2

1. Alabama (2-0) 1 - The Crimson Tide remain undefeated and are the clear #1 in our book, being the defending BCS champions and after a 24-3 win over the former #20 Penn State (1-1) Nittany Lions. Next: @ Duke (1-1, 0-1 ACC Coastal), who lost to Wake Forest (2-0, 1-0 ACC Atlantic) in the Blue Devils ACC opener 48-54. First road game at a BCS school for Alabma, since '02. Alabama beat Duke 30-14 in last meeting.


2. Ohio State (2-0) 2 - The Buckeyes are the five time defending Big Ten champion and they took care of business in Week 2 defeating former #11 Miami-FL (1-1) 36-24 in Columbus. Next: vs. Ohio U (1-1, 0-1 MAC East) - in the Buckeyes third of four straight OOC home games. The Bobcats lost their MAC opener at home 13-20 to Toledo (1-1, 1-0 MAC West). Ohio State is 6-0 lifetime playing Ohio U, beating them 26-14 in '08.


3. Boise State (1-0) 3 was idle in Week 2. Next: The Broncos are @ Wyoming (1-1), who lost 7-34 @ #5 Texas in Week 2. Boise has defeated Wyoming four times dating back to the '02 season, winning '06 game @ Wyoming 17-10.


4. Iowa (2-0) 4 - The Hawkeyes are averaging 36 points per game, while giving up 7 points after defeating in-state rival Iowa State 35-7 in Kinnick on Saturday. Next: @ Arizona (2-0) in a rematch of last year's 27-17 win at Kinnick, but will the Hawkeyes fair as well in the Desert with a 9:30 pm Iowa time start in Tucson?


5. Texas (2-0) 5 - The Longhorns won 34-7 in the home opener over Wyoming (1-1). Next: @ Texas Tech (2-0) to open Big 12 South play. Everyone should remember the shootout in '08 when the Red Raiders won 39-33 late over the Longhorns. Last year's game in Austin was a 34-24 win for the Longhorns, but coach Mack Brown would say the game was closer than the score.


6. Florida (2-0) 6 - The Gators offense was sluggish in the season opener, but the Week 2 performance in a 38-14 win over South Florida (1-1) should help the Gator fans a little. The Gators defense sparked the win in first meeting ever vs. the Bulls. Next: @ Tennessee (1-1) in the SEC opener against a Volunteer team that couldn't hold off the #8 Oregon Ducks in the second half.


7. TCU (2-0) 7 - The Horned Frogs pounded Tennessee Tech, a FCS program, 62-7 in the home stadium opener. Next: vs. Baylor (2-0) as the Horned Frogs look to win third game over the Bears, since the TCU-Baylor match up ended with the loss of the SWC. Baylor won in Week 2 over Buffalo (1-1) 34-6, after a win over Sam Houston State, a FCS program, in Week 1.


8. Oregon (2-0) 8 - The Ducks got off to a sluggish start on the road @ Tennessee (1-1), but rolled in the second half for a 48-13 win over the Volunteers. Next: vs. Portland State, a FCS program, which the Ducks beat 55-12 in '06, when they last met in Eugene.


9. Oklahoma (2-0) 18 - The Sooners have some very young and talented players and a 47-17 win over former #21 Florida State (1-1) gives the Sooners a quality win, after last year's 8-5 season. The Sooners have won four straight, since '09, including a 31-27 win over Stanford in the Sun Bowl. Next: vs. Air Force (2-0, 1-0 MWC), who defeated former #12 BYU (1-1, 0-1 MWC) 35-14 in MWC opener at home.


10. Wisconsin (2-0) 10 - The Badgers will not move up after a 27-14 win over San Jose State (0-2) in Week 2. Are the Badgers a Top 10 team in 2010? Will we know much more until the opening of the Big Ten for the Badgers @ Michigan State in Week 5? Next: vs. Arizona State (2-0) - who beat in-state FCS program Northern Arizona 41-20, but the Sun Devils were only 4-8 in '09 and just how good are they in 2010?


11. Utah (2-0, 1-0 MWC) 12 - The Utes beat UNLV 38-10 in MWC opener at home, after winning season opener over Pitt on opening day of the 2010 season. Next: @ New Mexico (0-2) in the MWC road opener. New Mexico has been beat up by Oregon in Week 1 (0-72) and vs. then #16 Texas State (17-52).


12. Nebraska (2-0) 15 - The Huskers defeated Idaho 38-17, but with wins over WKU (0-2) and Idaho (1-1) to start the season, do we really know if the defense is up to the task in the Big 12, along with new QB Taylor Martinez? Next: @ Washington (1-1) in a good road test for the Huskers against a program was 0-12 in '08 and was 5-7 in '09 under second year coach Steve Sarkisian.


13. Texas Tech (2-0) 16 - The Red Raiders won @ New Mexico 52-17 in the road opener in Week 2. New coach Tommy Tuberville will have an interesting Week 3. Next: vs. #5 Texas (2-0) in the Big 12 South opener at home. Will the Red Raiders make it two in a row in Lubbock over the Longhorns?


14. LSU (2-0, 1-0 SEC West) 17 - The Tigers opened the season as our preseason #12 team, but the offense was sluggish behind junior QB Jordan Jefferson. The Tigers won the SEC opener @ Vanderbilt (0-2, 0-1 SEC East) 27-3 to move up, but this team is still a question, after double digit win seasons in '05 to '07 under coach Les Miles. Next: vs. Mississippi State (1-1, 0-1 SEC West), who lost home SEC opener, vs. Auburn 14-17. LSU edged the Bulldogs on the road 30-26 last year.


15. Miami-FL (1-1) 11 - The Hurricane lost to a talented #2 Ohio State (2-0) 24-36 on the road. How will the Hurricane respond to the disappointment of its first loss, after the bye in Week 3? Next: @ Pittsburgh (1-1) in Week 4. The ACC didn't fair well in Week 2, with all four Top 25 teams finishing with a loss. The ACC should be wide open in 2010 and the Hurricane have a lot to play for, despite a Week 2 loss.


16. South Carolina (2-0, 1-0 SEC East) NR - The Gamecocks are off to the best start, since '07 with a solid 16-7 win over former #14 Georgia (1-1, 0-1 SEC East). However, the season is still very young. The Gamecocks in their 6Th season under Steve Spurrier. finished 6-6 in '07, his only non-bowl season. The Gamecocks have two nice wins over Southern Miss and Georgia at home. Next: vs. Furman (1-0), a FCS program, who beat Colgate 45-15 in season opener at home.


17. Arkansas (2-0) NR - The Razorbacks won 31-7 over Louisiana-Monroe in Week 2, after beating Tennessee State, a FCS program, in the season opener. Next: @ Georgia (1-1, 0-1 SEC East) in the SEC opener for the Razorback. Georgia is coming off a 7-16 loss @ South Carolina, after winning season opener vs. UL-Lafayette.


18. Auburn (2-0, 1-0 SEC West) NR - The Tigers won the SEC West opener @ Mississippi State (1-1, 0-1 SEC West) 17-14 on Thursday night, after winning 52-6 in season opener at home over Arkansas State (0-2). Next: vs. Clemson (2-0), who beat Presbyterian, a FCS program) 58-21.


19. USC (2-0) 22 - The Trojans beat Virginia (1-1) 17-14 in home opener in Week 2, after beating Hawai'i (1-1) on the road in season opener. The Trojans are on probation this season, but they will have opportunities to play spoiler in the Pac 10 this season. Next: @ Minnesota (1-1), who lost 38-41 to South Dakota, a FCS program, at home. How much will Gopher coach Tim Brewster bring up the Kansas three point loss in KU home opener against a FCS opponent only to turn around and beat a Top 25 opponent in Georgia Tech?


20. Houston (2-0, 1-0 C-USA West) 25 - The Cougars revenged last year's conference opening loss @ UTEP with a 54-24 win at home over the Miners on Friday night. Next: @ UCLA (0-2) in the Rose Bowl, in a game that will be important for the Cougars in the national polls.


21. Arizona (2-0) 23 - The Wildcats didn't finish well in the Holiday Bowl vs. Nebraska last season. The Wildcats beat The Citadel (1-1), a FCS program, 52-6 in the home opener in Week 2. Next: vs. #4 Iowa (2-0) looking for first Week 3 win in seven years under Mike Stoops over a FBS program. The Wildcats beat Stephen F. Austin in '06, but have not defeated a FBS program in Week 3 in the Stoops era.


22. Stanford (2-0) NR - The Cardinal won @ UCLA (0-2) 35-0 in a game that asks as much about the Bruins, as it does on the overall strength of the Cardinal. The Cardinal won 52-17 over Sacramento State, a FCS program, in Week 1. Next: vs. Wake Forest (2-0, 1-0 ACC Atlantic), who won conference opener over Duke (1-1, 0-1 ACC Coastal) 54-48 in Week 2. The Cardinal lost @ Wake 17-24 last year.


23. Penn State (1-1) 20 - The Nittany Lions lost @ #1 Alabama 3-24 and are a young team lead by true freshman Rob Bolden at QB. This is a team that will continue to grow as the season progresses. Next: vs. Kent State (1-1), who lost 13-26 @ Boston College (2-0) in Week 2.


24. Michigan (2-0) NR - The Wolverines won @ Notre Dame 28-24 as QB Denard Robinson rolled up 502 total yards to continue his offensive juggernaut. Michigan beat UConn (1-1)in Week 1 to open the 2010 season! Next: vs. UMass (2-0, 1-0 CAA), a FCS program, that beat William & Mary and Holy Cross to open 2010 season.


25. West Virginia (2-0) 24 - The Mountaineers were nearly upset @ Marshall (0-2) on Friday night, but pulled out a 24-21 win in OT to move to 10-0 lifetime in the in-state rivalry. Next: vs. Maryland (2-0), who defeated Morgan State (1-1) 62-3, after win over Navy in Week 1.

Out of the Top 25 - What is wrong with #9 Virginia Tech (0-2), #6 in our preseason rankings - knocked out of the Top 25 with a loss to FCS James Madison (2-0) 16-21? The Hokies defense was knocked up by #3 Boise State in Week 1 and now the Hokies are 0-2.
#13 BYU falls out of the Top 25 with a 14-35 loss in MWC opener @ Air Force (2-0)
Should #14 Georgia be rated? They were 8-5 in '09, including 44-20 win over Texas A&M, but have freshman QB and fell @ South Carolina (2-0) 7-16 in the SEC East opener.
#19 Georgia Tech lost @ Kansas (1-1) in road opener 25-28 to fall out of the Top 25.
#21 Florida State lost @ former #18 Oklahoma (2-0) 17-47 to fall out of the Top 25

Week 3 will have some very interesting games. The match up of #4 Iowa @ #21 Arizona should be a good game in Tucson. Coach Mike Stoops will be facing his alma mater again, after last year's Week 3 game in Iowa City.

• #5 Texas @ #13 Texas Tech in the Big 12 South opener


• #6 Florida @ Tennessee in a SEC East opener


• Baylor @ #7 TCU in an in-state match up of Big 12 vs. MWC


• Air Force @ Oklahoma in a MWC vs. Big 12 game


• #12 Nebraska @ Washington in a Big 12 vs. Pac 10 game


• Notre Dame @ Michigan State - this game could move the Spartans into the Top 25

peace

Week 2: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

#4 Iowa beats Iowa State 35-7 for Cy-Hawk Trophy!

It's only Week 2 that has concluded, so there is plenty we don't know right now about certain teams, likely conference races and who is truly worthy for the BCS in 2010. Figuring out a decent Top 25 is still a crap shoot, but Week 2 has provided us some very interesting moments.

The Good in Week 2

1. #1 Alabama 24, #20 Penn State 3 in Tuscaloosa


2. #2 Ohio State 36, #11 Miami-FL 24 in Columbus


3. #3 Boise State (1-0) idle


4. South Carolina (2-0) beat #14 Georgia (1-1) 17-6 to give coach Steve Spurrier a big win, only the second win ('07 last) over Georgia in past nine seasons


5. The Denard Robinson show (502 total offense for sophomore QB) for Michigan (2-0) continues as coach Rich Rodriguez enjoys some fun as the Wolverines win 28-24 @ Notre Dame (1-1)


6. Kansas (1-1) coach Turner Gill picks up his first win as Jayhawks head coach with 28-25 victory over #19 Georgia Tech (1-1)


7. #18 Oklahoma (2-0) looks strong at home in beating #21 Florida State (1-1) 47-17 in Week 2, after unimpressive Week 1 victory


8. FCS victories over FBS programs continue in Week 2 with four more victories, after two big victories in Week 1 over BCS programs


9. The State of Iowa remains the "Hawkeye State" for another year when #4 Iowa (2-0) defeated Iowa State (1-1) 35-7 on a super weather day at Kinnick Stadium


10. In FCS play, Northern Iowa (1-0) defeated North Dakota State (1-1) 16-9 to open the 2010 College Football season and play in the Missouri Valley Football Conference

The Bad

1. The ACC takes a fall in Week 2 as everyone in the Top 25 falls in OOC play: #11 Miami-FL (@ # 2 Ohio State), #9 Virginia Tech (vs. James Madison), #19 Georgia Tech (@ Kansas) and #21 Florida State (@ #18 Oklahoma)


2. Ball State (1-1), the Iowa Hawkeyes opponent in Week 4 falls 23-27 to Liberty (2-0), a FCS program, in Week 2


3. Akron (0-2) joined Ball State as the second MAC program to fall to a FCS program, when Zips lost 27-28 to Gardner-Webb


4. After Week 2, no teams in the Coastal Division of the ACC, the Sun Belt or all three Independents have an undefeated program remaining in the FBS standings


5. Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker misses Cy-Hawk game, due to hospitalization brought on by complications to diabetes (missed game @ ASU in '04)

The Ugly

1. Virginia Tech (0-2) fall out of the Top 25, after losing 16-21 to James Madison, a FCS program, in the Hokies home opener in Week 2


2. Minnesota (1-1) gets derailed from another Dakota school in the coach Tim Brewster era, as South Dakota, a newer FCS program takes out the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis.

peace

It's 9/11: College Football and time for reflection

In Iowa City, it will the 58Th meeting in the Cy-Hawk series, as Iowa State visits #4 Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. It should be an outstanding game between in-state rivals from the Big 12 and Big Ten conferences, respectively. The game will be on ABC in the surrounding areas and ESPN2 for the rest of the nation.

Remembering 9/11

"September 11 should be a day of prayer for rebuilding and restoring relationships, and for reaching out to find ways to work and live together in this world."

Saturday, September 11Th

• Duke at Wake Forest, 11:00 a.m., Raycom (HD) *3 / ESPN-GP *2


• Florida Atlantic vs. Michigan State (Detroit), 11:00 a.m., ESPNU (HD)


• #14 Georgia at South Carolina, 11:00 a.m., ESPN2 (HD)


• #19 Georgia Tech at Kansas, 11:00 a.m., FSN (HD)


• Hawaii at Army, 11:00 a.m., CBSC (HD)


• Illinois State at Northwestern, 11:00 a.m., BTN (HD)


• Indiana State at Cincinnati, 11:00 a.m., FSOH / ESPN-GP *2


• Idaho at #15 Nebraska, 11:00 a.m., PPV


• San Jose State at #10 Wisconsin, 11:00 a.m., ESPN (HD)


• South Dakota at Minnesota, 11:00 a.m., BTN (HD)


• Texas Southern at Connecticut, 11:00 a.m., SNY / ERTV (cable) / ESPN-GP


• Western Illinois at Purdue, 11:00 a.m., BTN (HD) DirecTV: 612 (SD)


• South Florida at #6 Florida, 11:21 a.m., SEC Network / ESPN-GP


• Eastern Michigan at Miami (Ohio), 1:00 p.m., STO / ESPN-GP *2 / Cable (OH, MI)


• Arkansas State at Louisiana-Lafayette, 2:30 p.m., ESPN-GP *2 / (CSS & CST) (cable)


• Colorado at California, 2:30 p.m., FSN (HD) / CSNB


• #21 Florida State at #18 Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m., ABC / ESPN2 *7


• Georgia Southern at Navy, 2:30 p.m., CBSC (HD)


• Eastern Kentucky at Louisville, 2:30 p.m., ESPN-GP / SNY (j.i.p.) / ERTV (cable)


• Iowa State at #4 Iowa, 2:30 p.m., ABC / ESPN2 *7


• Kent State at Boston College, 2:30 p.m., ESPNU (HD)


• Michigan at Notre Dame, 2:30 p.m., NBC (HD)


• #11 Miami (Floirda) at #2 Ohio State, 2:40 p.m., ESPN (HD) / ESPN 3D


• #13 BYU at Air Force, 3:00 p.m., Versus (HD)


• UNLV at #12 Utah, 3:00 p.m., MTN (HD)


• Arkansas vs. Louisiana-Monroe (Little Rock), 6:00 p.m., FSS (HD) / SUN / ESPN-GP *2


• Buffalo at Baylor, 6:00 p.m., DirecTV - 617 / FCS Central (cable)


• #17 LSU at Vanderbilt, 6:00 p.m., ESPNU (HD)


• McNeese State at Missouri, 6:00 p.m., PPV


• Montana State at Washington State, 6:00 p.m., FSNWa / FCS Pacific (cable)


• #9 Oregon at Tennessee, 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 (HD)


• #20 Penn State at #1 Alabama, 6:00 p.m., ESPN (HD)


• Syracuse at Washington, 6:00 p.m., FSNW / FCS Atlantic (cable)


• Wyoming at #5 Texas, 6:00 p.m.,FSN (HD)


• North Carolina State at Central Florida, 6:30 p.m., CBSC (HD)


• Southern Illinois at Illinois, 6:30 p.m.,BTN (HD)


• Western Kentucky at Kentucky, 6:30 p.m., ESPN-GP *2 / CSS (cable)


• Rutgers at Florida International, 7:00 p.m., SNY / ESPN-GP *2 / ERTV (cable)


• San Diego State at New Mexico State, 7:00 p.m., ALT2 / ESPN-GP


• #16 Texas Tech at New Mexico, 7:00 p.m., MTN (HD)


• Northern Arizona at Arizona State, 8:00 p.m., FSAZ+ / FCS Atlantic (cable)


• Ole Miss at Tulane, 8:00 p.m., ESPN-CL (ESPN2 following OU at UT)


• The Citadel at #23 Arizona, 9:00 p.m., DirecTV - 623 / FCS Pacific (cable)


• Colorado State at Nevada, 9:30 p.m., ESPNU (HD)


• Stanford at UCLA, 9:30 p.m., ESPN (HD)


• Virginia at #22 USC, 9:30 p.m., FSN (HD)

Games not selected for nationally available networks.

• Austin Peay at Middle Tennessee, 6:00 p.m.


• Bowling Green at Tulsa, 6:00 p.m.


• Gardner-Webb at Akron, 11:00 a.m.


• Idaho State at Utah State, 7:00 p.m.


• James Madison at #9 Virginia Tech, 12:30 p.m., espn3.com


• Liberty at Ball State, 6:00 p.m.


• Louisiana Tech at Texas A&M, 6:00 p.m.


• Memphis at East Carolina, 11:00 a.m., (CSS / WITN) (cable)


• Missouri State at Kansas State, 6:10 p.m.


• Morgan State at Maryland, 5:00 p.m., espn3.com


• New Hampshire at Pittsburgh, 12:00 p.m., espn3.com


• Nicholls State at Western Michigan, 6:00 p.m.


• North Dakota State at Northern Iowa, 6:30 p.m., (KWWL / KCWI) (Iowa Cable)


• North Dakota at Northern Illinois, 6:00 p.m.


• Prairie View at Southern Miss, 6:00 p.m.


• Presbyterian at Clemson, 2:30 p.m., espn3.com


• Rice at North Texas, 6:00 p.m.


• Tennessee Tech at #7 TCU, 6:00 p.m.


• Toledo at Ohio, 6:00 p.m.


• Troy at Oklahoma State, 6:00 p.m.


• UAB at SMU, 7:00 p.m.

Thus far, there have been some exciting games in Week 1 and on Thursday of Week 2. Some great match ups in Week 2 and it should be interesting taking inventory at the end of the second week.

peace

Week 2 of College Football and plenty of Prep Football Firday night

On Thursday night, the two FBS games went down the final seconds in the SEC and the MAC opener went into OT. Auburn beat Mississippi State in SEC road opener, while Temple pulled out victory to go 2-0 for the first time, since 1981, when they defeated Central Michigan in the MAC opener at home.

Will Friday night be more of the same of exciting competitive football?

Friday, September 10th

• West Virginia at Marshall, 6:00 p.m., ESPN (HD)


• UTEP at Houston, 9:15 p.m., ESPN (HD)

High School Spotlight:

Catch the live action via Iowa Prep Sports ...

Kennedy vs. Washington @ Kingston Stadium at 7:15 p.m.

Two players to watch:

#4 Christian French for Kennedy and #3 Alex Carr for Washington.

peace

NFL Kickoffs tonight with Minnesota vs. New Orleans

As a Green Bay Packer fan, we have our favorite, but we typically enjoy both the Vikings and Bears from time to time, since we know so many fans of both teams.

Video: NFL: Week 1 Preview - The Associated Press

College Football is first and foremost, but by Super Bowl time, the NFL will get our attention!

It should be a great 2010 College Football season and we expect no less from the NFL.

peace

Ranking the Big Ten and Beyond heading into Week 2

The Big Ten went 9-2 in Week 1 in OOC play. Here's how we would rank the Big Ten, heading into Week 2 of the 2010 College Football season.

1. #2 Ohio State (1-0) - the defending Big Ten champions will host #11 Miami-FL (1-0) in the Horseshoe in one of many top games of Week 2. The game will showcase junior QB Terrelle Pryor for the Buckeyes vs. junior QB Jacory Harris for the Hurricane. Buckeyes won opener 45-7 over Marshall.
2. #4 Iowa (1-0) - the darkhorse of the Big Ten will host in-state rival, Iowa State (1-0) in the Cy-Hawk Trophy game, which resumed in 1977. Iowa leads the series 38-17. Iowa won opener 37-7 over Eastern Illinois, a sharp contrast from last year's 17-16 win over Northern Iowa for Hawkeyes. Look for fans on both sides to hit the tailgates heavy before kickoff in this one.
3. #10 Wisconsin (1-0) - the Badgers hit the road in Week 1 and brought back a win over UNLV 41-21. The Badgers open in Madison in Week 2 vs. San Jose State (0-1), another opportunity to unload a trio of running backs in Clay - Ball - White on the Spartans from the WAC.
4. #20 Penn State (1-0) - Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions will hit the road and travel to #1 Alabama (1-0), in a game that will likely provide some wonderful reflection for the head coach in his 45Th season. It will be a tough test for a true freshman QB Rob Bolden, so early in his career. The Nittany Lions will have to reload quickly and a 9-0 win in Tuscaloosa, like the last one in '90 is highly unlikely. The Nittany Lions won the opener over Youngstown State 44-14.
5. Michigan State (1-0) - the Spartans could very well be the sleeper in the conference in '10. The Spartans travel to Detroit for a game in Ford Field vs. Florida Atlantic (1-0). The Spartans won the opener 38-14 over Western Michigan.
6. Michigan (1-0) - Wow, when you have no running back, coach Rich Rodriguez has the answer for the Wolverines... start sophomore QB Denard Robinson, who lead the offense to a 30-10 victory over UConn in the season opener in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines will travel to South Bend for a rivalry game @ Notre Dame (1-0) in Week 2.
7. Northwestern (1-0) - the Wildcats pulled out a 23-21 road win @ Vanderbilt to take the first Big Ten-SEC match up of the season. The Wildcats have a lot of rebuilding to accomplish, but a nice win none the less. The home opener in Week 2 will be vs. Illinois State (1-0), who beat the Mules of Central Missouri State in Redbirds' opener.
8. Minnesota (1-0) - it was nice to see the Golden Gophers senior Jon Hoese play well, despite the news at home of his father's failing health. Hoese brought back memories of former Gopher FB David Puk of the mid 1980s, who was from Cedar Rapids. The Golden Gophers picked up a solid road win 24-17 @ Middle Tennessee in Week 1. The Golden Gophers open at home in Week 2 vs. South Dakota (0-1), who lost 7-38 @ Central Florida in the Coyotes opener.
9. Purdue (0-1) - the Boilermakers looked very undisciplined in the 12-23 road loss @ Notre Dame in Week 1. Junior Miami-FL transfer Robert Marve at QB brings some talent, but will he develop the consistency needed to win in the Big Ten, against teams they should? In Week 2, the Boilermakers will host Western Illinois (1-0) in Ross-Aid Stadium.
10. Illinois (0-1) - the Illinois-Missouri game was very positive for the Fighting Illini at halftime, but redshirt freshman QB Nathan Scheelhaase had a tough second half. The Illini fell to Missouri for the sixth straight time in St. Louis 13-23, after leading 13-3 at halftime.
11. Indiana (1-0) - The Hooisers take 16 days off, with a bye between Week 1 and Week 3. Not the ideal way to start a season. The Hoosiers took down Towson in the opener 51-17. In Week 3, the Hoosiers will travel on the road to face a Sun Belt opponent @ Western Kentucky (0-1). When is the last time two Big Ten programs traveled to Sun Belt programs for an OOC game. Only Minnesota and IU.

What about other conference teams?

The SEC - 1. #1 Alabama (1-0), 2. #6 Florida (1-0), 3. #14 Georgia (1-0), 4. #17 LSU (1-0), 5. Arkansas (1-0), 6. South Carolina (1-0), 7. Auburn (1-0), 8. Tennessee (1-0), 9. Kentucky (1-0), 10. Mississippi State (1-0), 11. Vanderbilt (0-1), Mississippi (0-1). SEC Week 2 games, which include three conference openers, plus South Florida @ #6 Florida is an interesting Big East-SEC match up for the first time ever in this series.

The Big 12 - 1. #5 Texas (1-0), 2. #15 Nebraska (1-0), 3. #16 Texas Tech (1-0), 4. #18 Oklahoma (1-0), 5. Missouri (1-0), 6. Texas A&M (1-0), 7. Kansas State (1-0), 8. Oklahoma State (1-0), 9. Iowa State (1-0), 10. Colorado (1-0), 11. Baylor (1-0), Kansas (0-1). Big 12 Week 2 games, which includes an outstanding OOC match up with #21 Florida State @ #18 Oklahoma.

The ACC - 1. #9 Virginia Tech (0-1), 2. #11 Miami-FL (1-0), 3. #19 Georgia Tech (1-0), 4. #21 Florida State (1-0), 5. Boston College (1-0), 6. Maryland (1-0), 7. North Carolina (0-1), 8. Clemson (1-0), 9. Wake Forest (1-0), 10. North Carolina State (1-0), 11. Virginia (1-0), 12. Duke (1-0). ACC Week 2 games, which includes ACC-Big 12 match up of #19 Georgia Tech @ Kansas, where the Jayhawks suffered an upset loss in coach Turner Gill's debut vs. FCS opponent, North Dakota State.

The Pac 10 - 1. #9 Oregon (1-0), 2. #22 USC (1-0), 3. #23 Arizona (1-0), 4. Oregon State (0-1), 5. Stanford (1-0), 6. California (1-0), 7. Arizona State, 8. Washington (0-1), 9. UCLA (0-1), 10. Washington State (0-1). Pac 10 Week 2 games, which includes the Pac 10 opener of Stanford @ UCLA.

The Big East - 1. #24 West Virginia (1-0), 2. Pittsburgh (0-1), 3. Cincinnati (0-1), 4. UConn (0-1), 5. South Florida (1-0), 6. Rutgers (1-0), 7. Syracuse (1-0), 8. Louisville (0-1). Big East Week 2 games, which includes #24 West Virginia @ Marshall for an in-state rivalry game facing Big East vs. C-USA foes. WVU is 9-0 in the "Friends of the Coal Bowl" Trophy game.

The MWC - 1. #7 TCU (1-0), 2. #12 Utah (1-0), 3. #13 BYU (1-0), 4. Air Force (1-0), 5. San Diego State (1-0), 6. Wyoming (1-0), 7. UNLV (0-1), 8. Colorado State (0-1), 9. New Mexico (0-1). MWC Week 2 games, which include two conference openers, plus Wyoming @ #5 Texas, which didn't turn out well in '09.

The C-USA - 1. #25 Houston (1-0), 2. East Carolina (1-0, 1-0 C-USA), 3. Central Florida (1-0), 4. SMU (0-1), 5. Tulsa (0-1, 0-1 C-USA), 6. Southern Miss (0-1), 7. UTEP (1-0), 8. UAB (0-1), 9. Marshall (0-1), 10. Rice (0-1), 11. Tulane (1-0), 12. Memphis (1-0). C-USA Week 2 games, which includes four conference games, including UTEP @ #25 Houston.

The WAC - 1. #3 Boise State (1-0), 2. Fresno State (1-0), 3. Nevada (1-0), 4. Idaho (1-0), 5. Louisiana Tech (1-0), 6. Hawai'i (0-1), 7. Utah State (0-1), 8. New Mexico State (0-0), 9. San Jose State (0-1). WAC Week 2 games, with Idaho @ #15 Nebraska and San Jose State and of course top non-BCS rated team, Boise State is idle in Week 2. The Broncos have won 15 straight game, since the 2008 season bowl loss to TCU 16-17 in the Poinsettia Bowl.

The MAC - 1. Central Michigan (1-0), 2. Ohio U (1-0), 3. Temple (1-0), 4. Kent State (1-0), 5. Northern Illinois (0-1), 6. Western Michigan (0-1), 7. Bowling Green (0-1), 8. Buffalo (1-0), 9. Ball State (1-0), 10. Toledo (0-1), 11. Akron (0-1), 12. Miami-OH (0-1), 13. Eastern Michigan (0-1). MAC Game 2 games, which includes three conference openers, plus Kent State @ Boston College in a non-BCS-BCS match up for the MAC.

The Sun Belt - 1. Troy (0-1), 2. Middle Tennessee (0-1), 3. Florida Atlantic (1-0), 4. North Texas (0-1), 5. Arkansas State (0-1), 6. UL-Lafayette (0-1), 7. Florida International (0-0), 8. UL-Monroe (0-0), 9. Western Kentucky (0-1). Sun Belt Week 2 games, including four BCS games with UL-Monroe @ Arkansas and Troy @ Oklahoma State. One conference match up occurs in Week 1, as well in the Sun Belt.

The Independents - 1. Notre Dame (1-0), 2. Navy (0-1), 3. Army (1-0). Week 2 games, include Hawai'i traveling to Army for a West Coast-East Coast match up.

Top 10 Winners of Week 1

1. Boise State over Virginia Tech
2. TCU over Oregon State
3. Utah over Pittsburgh
4. Maryland over Navy
5. BYU over Washington
6. Northwestern over Vanderbilt
7. Minnesota over Middle Tennessee
8. Troy over Bowling Green
9. Jacksonville State over Ole Miss
10. North Dakota State over Kansas

Week 2 Games, starting with Thursday, September 9Th

• Central Michigan at Temple, 6:00 p.m., ESPNU (HD)
• Auburn at Mississippi State, 6:30 p.m., ESPN (HD)
  

peace

Cy-Hawk Trophy Game this Saturday at Kinnick: Iowa vs. Iowa State

"It's been a great series. It's been one of those series where both teams
have been very competitive. They have had some excellent football teams; I think
they have an excellent football team this year, so we are going to have to be at
our best."

- Iowa's Kirk Ferentz



Complete Coach Ferentz Transcript (Sept. 7) - pdf
Iowa head coach addresses the media for the upcoming Iowa-Iowa State game...

The University of Iowa beat Iowa State 35-3 in last year's game in Ames. The Cyclones turned the ball over seven times (five interceptions, two fumbles) in last season's game. Some interesting stats from last year's game...

• Iowa gave up 190 yards rushing, with a 5.6 average per carry


• Iowa ran for 191 yards themselves and averaged 5.5 yards per carry


• Iowa won the turnover margin with a +4


• Iowa had more than 123 yards offense than Iowa State last year

The 2010 game at Kinnick Stadium should be a good match up. The keys to the game:

• Controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, for example the Iowa D-Line vs. ISU O-Line


• Turnover margin - last year's game was a perfect example, much like the '03 win for Iowa


• Special teams - in 2007 game ISU didn't score a TD, but won on 5 field goals (15-13)


• Big Plays 15+ yards


• Consistency - who improves the most from Week 1 to Week 2


• Iowa has held Iowa State to 14 quarters without allowing a touchdown in this series

Both Iowa and Iowa State appear healthy entering the 2010 match up. Iowa State is coming into the game with a two game winning streak, having won the Insight Bowl in 2009 over Minnesota 14-13 and the opening season win 27-10 over Northern Illinois last Thursday.

The University of Iowa enters the game with a three game win steak with wins over Minnesota 12-0, vs. Georgia Tech 24-14 in the Orange Bowl last year and the opening season game at Kinnick over Eastern Illinois 37-7. Game notes - pdf for Week 2 game vs. Iowa State.

Iowa State returns 8 offensive and 4 defensive starters from last year, along with junior PK Grant Mahoney from Marion and the Cyclones return specialist. The Cyclones did lose the punting services of Mike Brandtner to graduation. Coach Paul Rhoads enters his second season in Ames as head coach. He had previously been on former Cyclone head coach Dan McCarney's staff, but left for Pitt, then Auburn to become a defensive coordinator. Players to watch:

• Senior QB #4 Austen Arnaud and reserve sophomore QB #11 Jerome Tiller


• Senior RB #33 Alexander Robinson - ran for over 100 yards vs. Iowa in '09


• Senior WR #83 Jake Williams is the top returning receiver for the Cyclones from '09


• Other WRs that will contribute are junior #8 Darius Darks, junior #7 Darius Reynolds and junior #2 Sedrick Williams


• Senior TE #88 Collin Franklin brings experience and steps up as the #1 TE for Cyclones


• Four returning starters back on the O-Line lead by senior C #63 Ben Lamaak from Cedar Rapids and junior LT #72 Kelechi Osemele


• Senior SS #1 David Sims is the top returning tackler and will be back from suspension


• Junior CB #23 Leonard Johnson is another returning starter, along with senior undersized DE #29 Rashawn Parker and senior DT #85 Bailey Johnson, who played NG in '09

#4 Iowa should beat Iowa State on Saturday. But, we have seen Iowa State pull the upset over Iowa. ISU upset Iowa in '07, the Cyclones last win, 15-13 in Ames. ISU's last win in Iowa City was one of the most exciting games in the series, that resumed in 1977, when ISU beat Iowa 36-31 in the 2002 game at Kinnick.

This is the 58Th meeting in the series and Iowa leads the series 38-19. Our Pick: #4 Iowa Hawkeyes 30, Iowa State 17 on Saturday at Kinnick. It will take a solid game in all three phases of the game: offense, defense and special teams.

peace