4-Down Territory: Cupcakes for Some & Meaty Matchups for Other

Villanova Alum Pope Leo Follows the Blocking

First Down: Still Serving Cupcakes: Villanova (1-0) at #2 Penn State (2-0) 3:30 FS1: The last two times Villanova played Big Ten teams they committed to stopping the run and did a good job. The problem is that they gave up a boatload of yards through the air. That will be welcome news for PSU QB Drew Allar who could benefit from a clean sharp game. Penn State's defense and special teams have given 6 possessions that started in opponents' territory--including 4 inside the 20-yard line. For the year PSU is +5 in turnover margin. If that continues not even prayers from Villanova alum Pope Leo will be able to save the Wildcats. Villanova will need the same kind of blocking that Pope Leo’s team uses to create the daylight needed for his Popemobile……Western Michigan (0-2) at #9 Illinois (2-0) 7:00 FS1: WMU’s defense did a nice job slowing down Michigan State’s offense in week one. Illinois has a number of weapons and experienced talent that will cause the Broncos major headaches. The Illini went to Duke and pulled away for a good win. But they did not get the dominant run game they would like. But are they for real? That answer is still at least a week away when they play Indiana……..William & Mary (1-1) at Virginia (1-1) Noon ACC Network: We mention this game simply because it truly should have a Thomas Jefferson Trophy. The former President was a William & Mary graduate who went on the found the University of Virginia……Central Michigan (1-1) at #23 Michigan (1-1) Noon The Big Ten Network: Overreaction of the week after UM’s loss at Oklahoma is that freshman QB Bryce Underwood is not as good as advertised. He has great days ahead of him and this is a good week to let him chuck it around the yard.

Second Down: More Like Big Spicy Cinnamon Rolls than Cupcakes: #13 Oklahoma (2-0) at Temple (2-0) Noon ESPN2: Oklahoma QB John Mateer helped beat Michigan with his massive contributions running the ball. But the bigger story may be the emerging defense that harassed Michigan all game with varying looks and up-field push that disrupted the run game. Temple has rolled up UMass and Howard and their defense shows up with a lot of confidence…….UTEP (1-1) at #7 Texas (1-1) 4:15 SEC Network: The last time UTEP traveled to an SEC school was at the end of last year where they lost 56-0 at Tennessee. Texas beat San Jose State last week to bounce back from the season-opening loss at Ohio State. The defense was excellent once again and despite the 38-7 win, the coaches and players were critical of their performance and intensity on offense. That attitude is how you build a culture that can meet expectations. Look for Texas to be even sharper this week…..Ohio (1-1) at #1 Ohio State 7:00 Peacock: This is not a team that the Buckeyes can sleepwalk their way to a win against. Ohio took Rutgers to the wire before falling 34-31 and last weekend they beat West Virginia. The Buckeye offense showed more explosive plays last weekend and QB Julian Sayin got to throw it downfield more often. The attitude in Columbus has become one less focused on offensive statistical numbers and one where the emphasis is on simply doing what is needed to win the game. That philosophy sounds like the return of (Jim) Tressel ball.

Third Down: Meatier Fare on the Menu: #4 Oregon (2-0) at Northwestern (1-1) 12:00 FOX: Oregon’s travel plans are generally getting to their destination later on Friday and then getting up and going on game day. Those logistics will face a new challenge as Big Noon Saturday presents the Ducks with a 9 a.m. kickoff west coast time. Against Oklahoma State, Oregon’s offense was electric, scoring 41 points, racing up 473 yards on just 36 plays at HALFTIME. (They won 69-3 even after taking all the starters out in the 3^rd quarter). The offense has elite speed and talent at WR, RB and TE and a physical o-line. Northwestern’s best chance to slow them down may be to run the ball and run the clock. At times Oklahoma State was able to run the ball, but they did not stay with that methodical approach consistently through the game because they fell behind so early. Preventing a fast start by Oregon will be key for Northwestern…….#12 Clemson (1-1) at Georgia Tech (2-0) Noon ESPN: How good is Clemson? After a tough home loss to LSU & a comeback win from a deep hole against Troy there are questions. The Clemson defense kept them in the game by getting 3 turnovers, but the Tiger offense gave up 2 turnovers. To have the kind of season that was expected the Tiger run game will have to get consistency and some big plays. The big-play passes downfield were largely absent against Troy as well. The availability of Tech QB Haynes King will be something to watch. He had a monster game against Colorado but did not play last week. If he can go on Saturday that gives the Ramblin’ Wreck a big boost. Nothing would surprise me in this game……USC (2-0) at Purdue (2-0) 3:30 CBS: Will USC return to form this fall? USC put up massive numbers against two massively overmatched opponents. A road trip to Purdue will be a good test to see how this season may trend as the year goes. Purdue has two wins over overmatched teams as well. And Ross-Ade Stadium can be a tricky place to play…..Pitt (2-0) at West Virginia (1-1) 3:30 ESPN: Traditionally Pat Narduzzi’s teams have started with the run game on offense and pass rush on defense. It’s hard to gauge after just two games but there has been an emphasis on featuring Pitt QB Eli Holstein who has played well. If ever there was a match made in NIL heaven it would be Holstein and the Pennsylvania Dairy Farmers. WVU is looking to rebound after a trap game loss at Ohio U last weekend. Losing RB Jahiem White and WR Jaden Bray will not help their cause. WVU Coach Rich Rodriguez knows the intensity of this rivalry and has a proven track record of being innovative in big games. Watch for fake punts or trick plays…….Arkansas (2-0) at #17 Ole Miss (2-0) 7:00 ESPN: Ole Miss survived their trip to Kentucky and as a reward gets to host the Razorbacks. The fact that Ole Miss has been on the road and been tested gives them an edge from the mental side on this one. Arkansas has put more effort into their pass game on offense than in years past. But pass protection will be vital against the aggressive Ole Miss defense.

Fourth Down: Prime Rib: Wisconsin (2-0) at #19 Alabama Noon ABC: Like many early season matchups, this is a mystery game. Wisconsin has not been overly impressive through two wins, while Alabama got pushed around at times by FSU and then dominated an overmatched opponent. This is a high-pressure game for the Tide. Wisconsin has played well on defense through two weeks, but the Alabama attack presents some real challenges. Tide QB Ty Simpson looked very sharp last weekend, and he will need to stay that way. Alabama WR Ryan Williams is one of the very best in the country. His return from concussion protocol will be something to watch…….Florida (1-1) at #3 LSU (2-0) 7:30 ABC: The USF loss was a massive loss for a Gator team that has 7 games against teams ranked 17^th or higher left on their schedule (it includes 5 top ten opponents –including 3 straight starting this week). LSU’s commitment to an improved run game on offense has yet to yield results. That lack of balance has been a problem in the red zone and forced them to settle for 3 field goals last week. The LSU defense has been much better than last year. If Florida can keep forcing LSU to settle for field goals instead of TDs they have a chance to pull the upset…..#18 USF (2-0) at #5 Miami (2-0) 4:20 The CW: If you can find The CW on your cable system you could be in for a real treat. USF is looking for a 3^rd-straight win over a ranked opponent to start the season. In their two upsets USF has enjoyed a +4 turnover margin, but interestingly none of them have led to any points. That means that USF has truly earned their scores. What is important for USF in this game will be to even up the dramatic time of possession imbalance that occurred in the first two games. Miami coach Mario Cristobal likes the power run game and to control the pace of the game. If they can do that, they can break USF’s magical season-opening run….#6 Georgia (2-0) at #15 Tennessee (2-0) 3:30 ABC: This is a very big early season game in the SEC. The theme here is about the new QBs as both teams had their starters transfer elsewhere during the offseason. New UGA QB Gunner Stockton has been solid if not spectacular through two games. But it appears that may be partially due to Coach Kirby Smart’s desire to re-invigorate the run game. Through two weeks they’ve achieved a very balanced attack. Tennessee has a substantial win in the season opener against Syracuse. New UT QB Joey Aguilar has also had a good start tossing 5 TDs without an INT. Neither QB has faced much pressure thus far, so look for both defenses speed up the decision making with pressure and blitzes……#16 Texas A&M (2-0) at #8 Notre Dame (1-1) 7:30 NBC: Notre Dame wants to run the football and last week UTSA was able to rack up 200 yards against the A&M defense. If the Irish can get the run game going it will be a tough night for A&M. Freshman ND QB CJ Carr really grew into his role on the road at Miami in week one leading a clutch late game-tying drive and bringing the Irish back from a 14-point deficit before Miami won the game. A&M QB Marcel Reed is a true run/pass threat which does present some threats to the ND defense which may limit some of the man coverage that Notre Dame loves. In hoping to become a playoff team again, this is an important game for the Irish as their schedule is truly front-loaded.