Mon Sep 8 12:35:40 2008

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Week Two Headlines

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Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The college football season is now two weeks old, and there is certainly plenty to talk about already. With that in mind, here are the top stories following a furious weekend of action:

PIRATE MANIA

Well, it didn't take long to come up with the feel-good story of the young season. Skip Holtz and East Carolina are dominating the headlines thus far and with good reason. The team won eight games a year ago and was still flying a bit under the radar to begin the 2008 campaign. That was to be expected, with what looked to be a murderous start to the schedule. However, following a stunning win over Virginia Tech and a dominant performance against eighth- ranked West Virginia, is there any reason to doubt the Pirates now? This is the best team in Conference USA and certainly worthy of its current ranking in the top-25, its first since 1999. The Pirates did a remarkable job against the dangerous Pat White, holding West Virginia's All-American signal-caller to 97 yards rushing and a mere 72 yards passing in the game. The victory was the third straight (dating back to last year's bowl win over Boise State) victory over a ranked opponent. The Pirates begin their run at a conference title this week against Tulane.

STILL A LONG WAY TO GO

Following the worst season in history for Notre Dame, what was to be expected in 2008? The Irish won just three games a year ago and Charlie Weis certainly has to be feeling the pressure this season to improve significantly. Well, that pressure hasn't subsided with a season-opening win against San Diego State this past weekend. The Irish trailed in the game before scoring a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns, and never really looked to be in a rhythm all game long offensively (deja vu). That is not good news considering that San Diego State is not a strong team and hasn't been for quite some time. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen has matured a bit under center for the Irish, but the overall talent level on both sides of the ball is what is really concerning. Who would have thought that this week's showdown with a struggling Michigan squad would be an afterthought on the college football radar? Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

NOT AS FAR AS ORIGINALLY THOUGHT

While Notre Dame is still a long way from returning to glory, the Miami Hurricanes may be closer than you think. Sure the 'Canes dropped a 26-3 decision to Florida in Gainesville this week, but Randy Shannon's team hung tough with a legitimate national title contender for three quarters before talent won out in the end. It was obviously a loss, but one that Miami can build from and actually be proud of. This is a much better team than I thought it was before the season began. The Hurricanes are idle this week and we will see just how they bounce back from the loss to the Gators in two weeks when they take on Texas A&M in College Station.

WHAT A SHAME

Let's get this out right from the start. Washington QB Jake Locker's celebratory toss of the football after scoring a touchdown late against BYU was not taunting by any stretch of the imagination. It is an emotional game, and the kid made a great play to put his team in a position to tie things up against a top-25 opponent. For the officials to call it unsportsmanlike and penalize the Huskies, turning what would have been a game-tying extra-point into a much harder 35-yarder, was a travesty. Of course, nothing comes out of it if UW is able to convert, but of course, the Huskies did not, as BYU blocked the kick and escaped Seattle with a tainted victory.

UNDER THE RADAR PLAYER OF THE WEEK

I am not a Penn State fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I did watch the Nittany Lions handle what was supposed to be a decent Oregon State team this past weekend in Happy Valley. The play of quarterback Daryll Clark really stood out to me. The inexperienced signal-caller earned the starting nod this season for Joe Paterno's team and has not disappointed. He was dominant in every facet of the game against the Beavers, setting career-highs with 215 yards passing and two TDs and 64 yards rushing and a third score. A question mark of sorts coming into the season, Clark seems to be gaining confidence with each snap. That isn't a good thing for the rest of the Big Ten.

SNEEK PEEK

This week's schedule is chock-full of what could be defining moments for several teams, none more relevant than the showdown between top-ranked USC and fifth-ranked Ohio State in Los Angeles. The Buckeyes are clearly not 100- percent and even if they were, I'm not sure they would have had what it takes to win in the Coliseum. Pete Carroll's team is once again a star-studded team with plenty of playmakers on both sides of the football. Sanchez's knee looked fine at Virginia in the season-opener and getting a week off can only aid in the healing process. It is clear that the eyes of the college football world will be fixated on this marquee matchup.

Other games of note that will garner plenty of attention include Friday's top-25 showdown between Kansas and South Florida, UCLA at 16th-ranked BYU, 10th-ranked Wisconsin at 21st-ranked Fresno State, Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech and for all the wrong reasons, Michigan at Notre Dame.