Week 2 Commentary for 2007
This week should be interesting...
OU hosts Miami for the first meeting between the two teams since the 1988 National Championship Orange Bowl that pitted #1 OU against #2 Miami (Switzer vs. Johnson). Although both teams dominated their competition last week (OU beat UNT 79-10 and Miami beat Marshall 31-3), only OU is ranked this time. Miami's 7-6 record may be the biggest factor in them not being ranked, but Coach Randy Shannon looks to right the Hurricanes rather quickly with a bevy of talent and a hard-nosed approach to competition. Although it is unclear how good these two teams truly are, it should be an exciting game. Can the Hurricanes rekindle their prior dominance or will the Sooner Schooner run roughshod over the U in Norman?
Va Tech visits LSU for what should be a classic defensive battle. Both teams are loaded and ranked in the top 10. The Tigers smacked down Mississippi State last week 45-0 and the Hokies (in a game that was colored by a pre-game homage to the victims of the massacre) beat the ECU Pirates 17-7. LSU is looking for a crystal football, but will Beamer ball prove to be too tough a test?
Oregon travels to Michigan in the first game post-apocalypse. After the Wolverines lost in the Big House to "lowly" (FCS back-to-back champion) Appalachian State, everybody and their brother was calling for Lloyd Carr's job. Oregon pulled an upset in Autzen over Meechigan a few years ago that knocked them out of the top 10. This will be the true test for the Wolverines as they try to rebound. Can they find the motivation to overcome their funk, or will the Mighty Ducks pull off upset #2 against the Big Blue?
The TCU Horned Frogs travel down to Austin in a battle that once figured heavily in the race for the Southwest Conference. Now the Longhorns, who barely pulled off a win over the Arkansas State Indians last week, are looking to make a statement. But TCU is not a team to be taken lightly. They blanked Baylor 27-0 without standout Defensive End Tommy Blake. Coach Gary Patterson has built a Tier-II dynasty in Dallas, and could boost his team up with another win over a Big XII Powerhouse (the Horned Frogs beat Oklahoma in Norman in the 2005 Season opener). Will Texas and Sophomore QB Colt McCoy show TCU what a BCS powerhouse can do, or will the Frogs hop into the upper half of the Top-25?
South Carolina and Steve Spurrier travel down to Athens for a game against Mark Richt's Georgia Bulldogs. UGA manhandled Oklahoma State last week 35-10, while the Gamecocks just barely pushed Louisiana-Lafayette out of Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC. The Ragin' Cajuns gave 2nd String QB Chris Smelley and 3rd String QB Tommy Beecher a run for their respective money. UGA, on the other hand, put the O-State Cowboys away early in the second half, behind the passing of Sophomore QB Matt Stafford (18/24, 234 Yds, 2 TDs). The UGA Defense was solid, sacking Cowboy QB Bobby Reid 5 times. Will the return of Gamecock starting QB Blake Mitchell be enough, or will the Bulldogs eat SC for lunch?
All these questions and more will be answered this weekend, sports fans. Stay tuned. |
