Player Spotlight: Geno Smith QB West Virginia

After an impressive performance against Baylor, Geno Smith is the talk of college football.  Smith is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and the Mountaineers are ranked in the top 10 and a serious contender for the Big 12 Title.  But let's take a closer look at what makes Geno Smith so talented and if this is merely a flash in the pan or does the senior QB have some staying power.

Past
Geno Smith came to West Virginia very highly touted and was even the #2 ranked QB out of high school.  Smith was a dual threat QB who was going take West Virginia back to the level that (another dual threat QB) Pat White once had them.  Smith took over as a sophomore and was just average.  Throwing for 2,763 yards completing 65% of his passes.  He did throw for 24 TDs.  As a rusher he didn't put up numbers, only going for 217 yards.  Not what you would expect out of a spread option attack.

Before the start of his junior year Dana Holgerson was brought on board, as OC at first and then moved up to HC).  Everybody knew that Smith was a good athlete and had a ton of potential.  But was Holgerson going to be able to mold him into the type of QB he wanted?

In his first year in Holgerson's air it out offense saw immediate results.  His passing yards nearly doubled and he threw 7 more TDs with the same amount of INTs.  However the offense was far from unstoppable.  Add in losses to Louisville and Syracuse and there were some questions if he'd really take off.  But Smith really didn't click in this offense till the Orange Bowl against Clemson where he threw for 407 yards and 6 TDs in the route of Clemson.  Was this the QB we thought we'd get?

Present
Smith picked right up where he left off in that Orange Bowl.  He has thrown for over 300 yards in every game this season and even through for over 600 yards this past weekend against Baylor.  He's thrown 20 TDs already and O INTs.  Yes 0 picks in 169 attempts.  That's astronomical.  Geno loves the film room and it really shows.  He has a mastery of the offense and it is evident the efficiency it runs at.  Smith has the luxury of having two very talented WRs that make his job even easier.  Both Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey not only are excellent at getting open, but they are just as deadly with the ball in their hands.  But what has been so impressive so far this season has been Smith's accuracy.  Through four games this season, Smith has completed 83% of his passes.  Now it's not like he is throwing a bunch of screen passes and slants.  Smith is throwing the ball down field and making a bunch of tough passes.

Because of Geno Smith's play, the Mountaineers are one of the favorites to win the Big 12 (in their first year in the conference  and Smith is the clear cut favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.  West Virginia doesn't have an elite defense that most National Title Contenders need, but if Smith and this offense keeps playing at this level they might be able to out score everybody.

Future
The future is bright for Geno Smith.  He could easily leave West Virginia with another BCS Bowl win, a Heisman Trophy, and maybe even a Big 12 Title ring.  But even without out any of those, NFL teams who need a franchise QB will fall in love with Smith.

Smith has about everything you want out of a possible NFL QB.  He has the height teams like (6'2).  He is on the light side weight wise (214), but should easily be able to add another 15-20 pounds without losing a step.  Smith has good mobility that will allow him to move around in the pocket and escape trouble.  Smith can make all the NFL throws with ease which will allow him to fit into any offensive scheme.  But what teams will fall in love with the most is that Geno Smith is a student of the game.  Smith loves to break down film and will have no trouble picking up an NFL playbook.  If a team needs to start him day 1, he should be able to handle it.

Smith right now is the #2 QB in this draft class, with only Matt Barkley ahead of him.  But don't be surprised if Smith moves past Barkley and ends up being the 1st QB taken in the 2013 NFL Draft.  Smith isn't a system QB, or just somebody that puts up a ton of stats.  He has real deal NFL skills, and scouts know that.

Summary
Geno Smith is the talk of college football so far this season, and he deserves every bit of it.  He has been the best player so far and it isn't even closer.  He's getting a lot of comparisons to RG3 because he's been so good so fast.  But the comparison doesn't stop there. What made RG3 separate himself was his arm strength and accuracy.  Smith has those same skills.  His 83% completion percentage with all the throws he makes down field is remarkable.  If Smith can keep this pace up, he could share a few more things with Griffin.  A Heisman Trophy and a top two selection in the NFL Draft.

NCAA Top 25 (Week 5)

1.  Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0) LW 1
Week after week it looks like it's Alabama and then everybody else.  Other teams struggle from time to time or have some question marks, while the Crimson Tide are rolling through opponents.  Other than Ole Miss getting an early 7-6 lead, it was easy working for Alabama.  QB AJ McCarron was unspectacular but he didn't need to with Alabama scoring an special teams TD and handing the ball off to two good running backs.  The defense forced 3 turnovers and this game was a lot bigger of a blowout than the score indicated.    Alabama gets the next weekend off before traveling to SEC newcomer Missouri to welcome them to the conference.


2.  Oregon Ducks (4-0) LW 2
After a lackluster 1st half against Washington State, Oregon really opened things up in the 3rd quarter in route to a 51-26 win.  Oregon was lead by RB Kenjon Barner who had 195 yards rushing and 3 TDs.  It was 2 of Barner's TDs in the 3rd that sparked the rally.  You do have to be concerned with QB Marcus Mariota throwing 2 picks, but with all the fire power on this team they are able to make up for it.  This weekend the Ducks face off against a Washington team that just came off an upset over Stanford.  Should be a good one for viewers.


3.  Georgia Bulldogs (5-0) LW 4
Yeah their defense gave up a ton of points, but Tennessee's offense is a lot better than most people think.  What was the most impressive part was that this offense continues to show that they can put up points.  Add in that LSU struggled with Towson for most of the night, clearly in my opinion the Bulldogs are the 2nd best team in the SEC.  It's too bad that these teams won't play against each other.  But we will see Georgia face off against our #5 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks.  This could be the defacto SEC West Title game.


4.  LSU Tigers (5-0) LW 3
You could easily say that the Tigers were looking past FCS Towson to their game against Florida next weekend.  However if you look back to LSU's season so far, they haven't been too impressive.  Defensively they have a ton of talent, but how do they give up 22 points to a FCS school?  This is suppose to be the best defense in the nation.  Offensively the addition of QB Zach Metteberger was suppose to be the player to put the offense over the top.  But I guess we are seeing why he didn't see the field last year over Jefferson or Lee.  His inability to move within the pocket is really going to come back to hurt him once they face off against better teams.  We'll see how good the Tigers really are when they travel to the Swamp and face off against a Florida team that is playing very well.


5.  South Carolina Gamecocks (5-0) LW 5
Gamecocks fans really have to hope that this weekends game against Kentucky was just them looking past the Wildcats to their big time showdown with Georgia.  Because Kentucky is awful and South Carolina was trailing 17-7 at halftime before they reeled off 31 straight points in the 2nd half to pull ahead.  If the Gamecocks fall behind early to the Bulldogs, it could be game over.  Luckily South Carolina was able to rely on RB Marcus Lattimore to pick them up and provide a spark that they needed to get them over the top.  Now South Carolina can solely focus on Georgia and their showdown for SEC West supremacy 

6.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-0) LW 6
After a four week stretch that took them from Ireland to defeating three Big 10 schools, the Fighting Irish have a bye week to take a breathe and get ready for the rest of their season.  So far the biggest surprise has been the play of the Irish defense.  LB Manti Te'o has been playing at a different level and that's help this defense be one of the elite in the nation.  Offensively Notre Dame was lead by QB Everette Golson, but after a couple of picks against Michigan he gave way to Tommy Rees who wasn't spectacular but did enough to win.  If Notre Dame wants to continue this momentum they are going to need to get the offense going.  Because if they do, this could be a special season.


7.  Florida State Seminoles (5-0) LW 7
In their first road test for the year, the Seminoles struggled but ultimately pulled out win the win.  But 17 straight points in the 3rd quarter opened up the game and allowed Florida State some breathing room.  QB EJ Manuel was solid again 242 yards but spread the ball to 9 different receivers.  Florida State improves to 5-0 and takes on North Carolina State next weekend.  NC State just gave up a ton of points and yards to Miami, so that's a good sign for Manuel and the Seminole offense.


8.  Kansas State Wildcats (4-0) LW 8
There is something to say about having a bye week after a big win.  Having an extra week allows the players to rest up and get all the excitement out of the way without worrying having to get back into game mode.  After KState took out Oklahoma the Wildcats can rest up and get ready to refocus for the rest of conference play.  KState has a relatively easy start with games against Kansas, Iowa and Texas Tech before ending with Texas, Baylor, and TCU.  But if the Wildcats keep playing like they against the Sooners, they should be fine.


9.  West Virginia Mountaineers (4-0) LW 11
If you went with the overs in this game you had to be a winner.  This game was amazing, unless you are a big fan of defense.  In West Virginia's debut to the Big 12 they went in with style.  Both teams traded scores throughout the first half, but it was the Mountaineers behind three straight second half TDs that took control and never looked back.  QB Geno Smith set West Virginia records for passing yards, TDs, and completions in route to 45 completions 656 yards and 8 TDs.  Not too bad for their debut.  West Virginia has a great shot to win the Big 12, mainly because with so little defense being played in the conference I don't know whose going to out score them.


10.  USC Trojans (3-1) LW 10
USC righted their ship after the Stanford loss, but it's clear that the Trojans aren't as good as we thought they were when the season began.  Injuries and depth concerns on defense have really hurt.  Plus QB Matt Barkley just hasn't been as spectacular as we thought he was going to be.  With an off weekend here, the Trojans can refocus and get their mojo back before getting into a stretch run that can still has them right in the mix for the Pac 12 Title.


11.  Florida Gators (4-0) LW 15
Florida has been playing so much better in their 2nd year under HC Will Muschamp, but we'll get to see how good they really are in a couple of weeks.  This weekend they have a bye, but it gives them an additional week to prepare for them to host the #3 ranked LSU Tigers.  LSU seems vulnerable, so it would be a great statement win for the Gators to knock them off.  They have the talent to do so, could be Muschamps signature win.


12.  Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0) LW 14
It's too bad that Ohio State is ineligible for the post season, because this could be the Big 10's best team.  The Buckeye's aren't as explosive as they have been before, but QB Braxton Miller is probably the top QB in the conference.  Against Michigan State Miller had 315 combined yards despite playing on an injured knee suffered in the 2nd half.  Defensively the Buckeyes held Michigan State's only offensive weapon RB Le'Veon Bell to only 45 yards which cuts off most of their offense.  Ohio State looks to keep their momentum going next as they play host to Nebraska who knocked them off last year in Lincoln.


13.  Clemson Tigers (4-1) LW 12
Without WR Sammie Watkins playing (again) the Tigers bounced back after their loss to Florida State with a  win at Boston College.  But it was the "other" Clemson WR that took control.  DeAndre Hopkins stepped up and caught 11 balls for 197 yards and a TD.  But the big concern continues to be their defense.  Boston College isn't going to be mistaken for a offensive juggernaut, but still put up 41 points.  Sooner rather than later the Tigers are going to drop one they shouldn't because they can't stop anybody.  That game could be this weekend as they host Georgia Tech and their triple option offense.  Which is always difficult to prepare for.


14.  Oklahoma Sooners (2-1) LW 13
Oklahoma's loss to KState not only hurt their shot at getting to the National Title Game, but it raises some real big questions about their team.  The offense and mainly QB Landry Jones just hasn't been the same since the middle of last year when Ryan Broyles went down with an injury.  You really got to wonder how much this team misses former OC Kevin Wilson (current Indiana HC).  But with an off weekend the Sooners will look to get their stuff in order and get back to their winning ways.  Texas Tech is next after the bye, but then the Red River Shootout is on the horizon.


15.  Texas Longhorns (4-0) LW 17
In a controversial game, the Longhorns were able to prevail and remain undefeated.  Despite fumbling on the go ahead TD, the Longhorns were still awarded the TD and escaped Stillwater.  But the other big story out of this game was the play of QB David Ash.  Ash has been pretty solid all year, but in this game he was the big reason why they won.  Ash threw for 304 yards and 3 TDs to propel Texas to the victory.  His play on the Longhorns final drive was clutch.  However the Longhorns can't be too excited because they have to play host to West Virginia and their high powered offense.  The winner will come down to who can score the most.


16.  Stanford Cardinal (3-1) LW 9
Stanford erased a lot of questions people had about how they would do in the post Andrew Luck era with their win over USC.  Stanford shot up the polls and looked to be a serious contender in the Pac 12.  However a lot of those questions have come back after their crushing loss to Washington.  Sure Washington is a lot better than most people think.  But there is no explanation for the Cardinal giving up 14 straight points to lose the game.  Now we're back to square one, how good really are they?  My guess, they're average.


17.  Louisville Cardinals (5-0) LW 18
The weather was the great equalizer in their game against Southern Miss.  Southern Miss was win less on the season, but a monsoon can be a great equalizer.  With standing puddles on the field there wasn't a lot of passing going on and the Cardinals used their two headed rushing attack to eek out the victory.  Senorise Perry ran for 118 yards while teammate Jeremy Wright added another 84.  Style points don't really matter in this contest, winning in these conditions is all the counts.  Louisville has the week off and probably needs it get dry.  But they'll face Pittsburgh in two weeks to start Big East conference play.


18.  TCU Horned Frogs (4-0) LW 19
After winning their first game as a member of the Big 12, the TCU Horned Frogs finished out their non-conference schedule defeating in state SMU.  In another rainy game TCU struggled to adjust and it almost cost them the game.  It could have been a big disaster when they botched a FG hold and almost had a punt blocked because the punter couldn't get a grip on the ball.  But TCU was able to prevail and gets the necessary points to extend their winning streak to 12 straight games.  Also doesn't hurt that CB Jason Verrett had two INTs.  Next up for TCU is for them to resume Big 12 play against Iowa State.  The Cyclones aren't world beaters, but they always knock a team every year.  If TCU can't get the offense going, it could be them.


19.  Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-1) LW 21
With the way this game started it looked like Nebraska was going to lay an egg and get blown out by Wisconsin for a 2nd straight year.  The Huskers fumbled on two early possessions and got down to an early 17 point defect   But the offense started taking care of the ball and the defense stepped up in run support and were able to chip away at the lead.  Nebraska forced a Monte Ball fumble on Wisconsin's last drive to seal the win and start Big 10 play off with a win.  Now all the Huskers have to do is travel to Columbus and play the Ohio State Buckeyes.  This will be a tough task for the Husker defense that struggles with mobile QBs.  Plus Braxton Miller was torching Nebraska last year before he got hurt.  A win there would be huge for the Huskers and give them an early lead in the Legends division.  But a loss would further muddy the Big 10 waters.


20.  Oregon State Beavers (3-0) LW NR
I'm not ready to jump on the Oregon State bandwagon.  Yeah they're 3-0, but they really haven't beaten anybody to worthwhile.  UCLA is a little overrated, Wisconsin is down, and Arizona recently got blown (shut) out by Oregon.  They definitely aren't worth the #14 ranking they got in the AP vote.  Here is more like it for the Beavers whose 3 wins this season equals their win total from last year.  The Beavers won a hard fought game against Arizona with a TD with 1:09 left on the clock to take the final lead.  The Beavers were lead by QB Sean Mannion who threw for a career high 433 yards and 3 TDs.  Look for Oregon State's run to continue as they face off against Washington State next weekend.


21.  Michigan State Spartans (3-2) LW 16
Everybody always talks about the Spartans missing QB Kurt Cousins, but what Michigan State really misses is BJ Cunningham and Keshawn Martin more than anything.  Maxwell didn't play bad, but his receivers have struggled with drops throughout the year.  Those struggles have made it impossible for Le'Veon Bell to get any room to run.  This was evident against Ohio State whose defense suffocated the Spartans and only allowed Bell 45 rushing yards and the Spartans to only 16 points.  Michigan State needs to get things figured out on offense or their hopes of winning the Legends Division for the second straight year will fall short.


22.  Northwestern Wildcats (5-0) LW 24
Northwestern set a school record with 704 yards in their win over Indiana.  The star of the game was QB/WR/RB Kain Colter who ran for 161 yards and 4 TDs, he had another 131 yards receiving to top it off.  Colter also threw three passes but for only two yards.  Come on Kain, just kidding.  But Colter has proved to be one of the biggest weapons in the Big 10 and has a lot of coaches stressed out on how to defend him.  With the win the Wildcats improve to 5-0.  But they have to travel to Penn State this weekend and face off against the hottest team in the Big 10.  A win for the Wildcats would be huge for a team that is trying to sneak their way into winning the Legends Division.  It's a long shot, but the way Northwestern is playing you never know.


23.  Washington Huskies (3-1) LW NR
The Washington Huskies make their debut in the rankings after an impressive upset of Stanford on this previous Thursday Night.  Other than a loss at LSU (it's extremely hard to win there) the Huskies have actually been playing very well.  They are lead by QB Keith Price who you may know for that epic shoot out last year with Baylor in the Alamo Bowl.  It was Price who threw the game winning TD that helped put the Huskies on top for good against Stanford.  But things don't get any easier as Washington now travels to Oregon to face off against the #2 ranked Ducks.


24.  Baylor Bears (3-1) LW 22
It would have been very easy to drop the Bears from the rankings after their loss to West Virginia.  They did give up 70 points.  However they also scored 63 themselves and could have just as easily won that game.  But also add in that there really isn't another team knocking on the door to get into the rankings that is much better than the Bears.  Baylor gets a week off to try and patch up some holes on defense, but then get a nasty two game stretch against TCU and Texas.  After those two games we'll get to see how good this team really is.

25.  Tennessee Volunteers (3-2) LW 23
To be honest I'm not down on the Volunteers as much as most people are.  Sure they lost two games straight and probably shouldn't be ranked.  But they lost to #3 Georgia and #11 Florida.  Both of those games the Vols were able to score on their vaunted defenses.  Both of those games the Vols probably could have won and were in a position to do so.  So it's not like they lost to two Sun Belt or MAC schools.  This weekend we get to see the Vols face off against an undefeated Mississippi State team that hasn't played the same schedule as Tennessee.  The winner likely will be ranked, where the loser will not.


Dropped From the Rankings: Virginia Tech

Heisman Watch Week 5

1.  Geno Smith QB West Virginia

Last Week:  45/51 656 yards 8 TDs vs Baylor (70-63)  Next Week:  at Texas
Comments:  In what might have been the craziest game of the weekend, Geno Smith fully cemented himself as the leader in the Heisman Race.  We all knew that Smith was going to put up huge numbers against a sub par Baylor defense, but what amazed me is how good Smith was knowing that to win this game Smith was going to have to score on every drive.  And that was true seeing they won 70-63.  Smith had huge numbers, throwing for 656 and 8 TDs, but what was the most telling of how good he was the completion percentage.  88% when you throw 51 times is flat out awesome.  But I'll be very interested to see how Smith will do against Texas this next week.  They'll pose a lot more of a challenge than Baylor did.

2.  Collin Klein QB Kansas State
Last Week: Bye  Next Week: vs Kansas
Comments:  Bye weeks can go one of two ways.  The big thing is that you don't play and if guys ahead of you stumble you are in a great spot.  But you could also encounter a situation like this weekend where the guy ahead of you just flat out goes off and you don't have anything to show for it.  Collin Klein is coming off a big win against Oklahoma, but with the game that Geno Smith had without Klein playing really puts some distance between the two.  However Klein will get back into the mix next week against in state rival Kansas. Plus Klein still has an opportunity to go head to head with Smith.  That could be a fun one to watch.

3.  EJ Manuel QB Florida State
Last Week:  19/26 242 yards 1 TD at South Florida (30-17)  Next Week:  at North Carolina State
Comments:  It wasn't anything spectacular  but Florida State survived a scare in their first road game of the season and pulled out the win.  Manuel threw for 242 yards but he didn't make many mistakes and most importantly got the win.  I'm not seeing Manuel having much of a chance to win the Heisman Trophy, but as long as he keeps the Seminoles winning and puts up some good numbers he'll be a finalist.



4.  Aaron Murray QB Georgia
Last Week:  19/25 278 yards 2 TDs 1 INT vs Tennessee (51-44)  Next Week: at South Carolina
Comments:  If it wasn't for the play of Aaron Murray we could be talking about how Tennessee is still a contender for the SEC West Title.  But we aren't because Murray was huge for the Bulldogs in their win.  Murray threw for 278 yards which isn't Geno Smith esq, but it was what Georgia needed to stay perfect on the season.  Georgia has some talent with two true freshman RBs, but they don't have anymore AJ Green type WRs anymore.  That doesn't matter to Murray who distributes the ball to a lot of different receivers.  This is crucial for their success.  Right now Murray is just one of several players that are in the race, but not quite.  If Murray wants to move up into the top of this group he'll need a big game against the Gamecocks.  But a bad game and a loss could really hurt his chances.

5.  Matt Barkley QB USC

Last Week:  Bye  Next Week:  at Utah
Comments:  It's safe to say that Matt Barkley hasn't lived up to the high expectations he had going into this season.  Barkley hasn't been awful, but many people thought he'd have an Andrew Luck type of year.  Instead Barkley has been meh.  Against Stanford he really made some big mistakes towards the end of the game, while against inferior competition he was just average.  What has Barkley still in this race is the fact that other than Geno Smith and Collin Kelin there really hasn't been anybody that has put themselves into the discussion.  Add that and the fact that USC still has big games against Oregon, Notre Dame, and UCLA that with big games could really shoot his stock in the right direction.

Others to Watch

6. Braxton Miller QB Ohio State
7.  De'Anthony Thomas RB/WR Oregon
8.  Manti Te'o LB Notre Dame

NCAA Top 25 (Week 4)

1.  Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0) LW 1
If it wasn't for giving up a late TD, this would have been a perfect game for the Crimson Tide.  Both sides of the ball were really running on all cylinders.  AJ McCarron continues his development and is showing people he is far from just being a "game manager."  Defensively Alabama was at it's best, holding the Florida Atlantic to only 110 yards of total offense.  Pretty impressive no matter who the opponent is.  Next up for Alabama is the start of SEC conference action.  First up Ole Miss.  This should be fun!

2.  Oregon Ducks (4-0) LW 3
Don't get me wrong.  Oregon's 49-0 win over Arizona was impressive.  However I don't think Arizona was as good as some people were making them out to be.  But with their win and LSU's clunker against Auburn vaults the Ducks into the #2 ranking ahead of LSU.  Oregon scoring 49 points isn't a surprise.  Their offense is stacked and Arizona is dreadful.  But what impressed me the most was that the Ducks shut out Arizona.  This was an Arizona team under Rich Rod that averaged more than 46 points per game.  And the Ducks (whose defense isn't know for being good) shut them out.  Look for the Ducks to continue their momentum into this weekend where they face off against a Washington State team that gave Colorado their first win.  Should be another blowout.


3.  LSU Tigers (4-0) LW 2
LSU's game against Auburn is a true testimat of how tough the SEC is.  Auburn (who almost lost to Lousiana Monroe) isn't a very good team.  However they gave the Tigers a huge scare and almost upset the (previously) #2 ranked team.  Good thing LSU has such a good defense, because their offense was horrible in this game.  The big concern has to be the offense.  QB Zach Mettenberger was beginning to look pretty good, but he struggled in this game.  He only completed 55% of his passes and had 2 first half fumbles.  However the Tigers have this next weekends game against Towson to work out the cinks before they get into the heart of their SEC schedule. 

4.  Georgia Bulldogs (4-0) LW 4
Even though Vanderbilt is struggling, it's still a big accomplishment for the Bulldogs to lay the lumber to them.  Georgia started early and keep and often cruisng to an early 27-3 lead at halftime.  QB Aaron Murray continues to run this offense like a fine oiled machine.  He threw for 250 yards and 2 scores.  But the story is the defense.  Holding the Commadores to only 3 points is pretty good.  If the defense keeps playing at this level the Bulldogs should win the SEC East and have a good shot at winning the conference.  But they'll have to get past an improved Tennessee team before thier big showdown with South Carolina.


5.  South Carolina Gamecocks (4-0) LW 5
Even though there was some mismanagement of Connor Shaw, luckily he was alright and able to play in their game against Missouri.  And it's a good thing he did play, because Shaw was one of the biggest reasons that the Gamecocks were able to get an easy 21 point win.  Shaw was so good that he complete 20 straight passes in route to 249 yards and 2 TDs.  That's pretty good considering he hurt his shoulder two weeks in a row.  The Gamecock defense was also on theri game against Missouri.  Holding the Tigers high powered offense to only 10 points.  South Carolina now travels to Kentucky before their big time showdown with Georgia.  Kentucky isn't very good, but South Carolina cannot afford to look past the Wildcats because if this season is any indicator.  Anything can happen.


6.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-0) LW 12
I wasn't a big believer of Notre Dame early in this season, but their wins against Michigan State and Michigan have shown us that this Fighting Irish team is their best they've had in 10 years.  And are a serious contender.  The biggest reason is the play of their defense.  Lead by Manti Te'o the Irish defense is suffacating and has help both Michigan Schools to a total of 9 points.  Pretty good considering that Michigan's Dennard Robinson is such a dynamic player.  However their downfall could be the offense.  Surprising since HC Brian Kelly is a "offensive guru."  Notre Dame needed back up QB Tommy Rees to come in to spark the team to get the win.  When they play against Stanford and USC they'll need more than 13 points to get the win.


7.  Florida State Seminoles (4-0) LW 11
In the battle for ACC supremiscy, the Seminoles came out the winner.  Their game against Clemson was suppose to be a battle between Clemson's high powered offense vs the Seminoles stout defense.  But it was Florida State's offense that got them the victory.  EJ Manuel was the star of the game.  He threw for 380 yards and rushed for another 102 yards.  Manuel's preformance has thrust him right into the Heisman Race.  Defensively the Seminoles were far from great, but they did enough to insure the win.  Florida State has an easy schedule ahead of them.  As long as they stay focused, their only two challenges will come from Virginia Tech and Florida. 


8.  Kansas State Wildcats (4-0) LW 14
After losing to Oklahoma by 41 points last year, the Wildcats were out for revenge and to show everybody that they are for real.  They sure did that in their win over the Sooners.  QB Collin Klein was his typcial self, but it was the play of RB John Hubert that allowed the Wildcats to get the victory.  Hubert rushed for 130 yards and a score to help take some of the burdeon off Klein.  Add in a TD off a fumble recovery and it was a good game all around for KState.  KState has a bye week before facing off against in state rival Kansas.  The bye week could allow the Wildcats a chance to regroup after a big win, but they can't get too big.  However they do face off against Kansas ni their next game.  So playing an in state rival could keep their focus.  But the Wildcats are for real and have a great shot at winning the Big 12.


9.  Stanford Cardinal (3-0) LW 8
After upsettting USC, the Cardinal had a week off to rest up before continuing their Pac 12 schedule.  Their opponent this weekend is a Washington team whose only loss came at LSU.  Mobile QB Keith Price will really test how good this Cardinal defense really is.  However if Stanford plays like they did against USC, they should have no issues with Washington.  But they can't take them lighly.  Washington is very underrated.


10.  USC Trojans (3-1) LW 9
After losing to Stanford, the Trojans were happy to get back to playing and took out some of their frustrations on California.  The Trojan offense focused their efforts to the ground and it payed off with Silas Redd and Curtis McNeal both going for over 100 yards and combining for 273 yards.  This is a good sign because USC struggled to run the ball last year.  Elsewhere, QB Matt Barkley continued to play sloppy throwing 2 INTs for the second straight week. USC has a bye week this weekend to get things in order before they get into the heart of Pac 12 play.  They'll need to get the offense back in order if they want to get victories over UCLA, Oregon State, and Oregon.


11.  West Virginia Mountaineers (3-0) LW 10
It wasn't the blowout or the video game like stats we thought we'd get from West Virginia's game against Maryland.  But the biggest thing was that the Mountaineers got the victory.  QB Geno Smith didn't complete 90% of his passes, but he still played at a high level throwing 338 yards 3 TDs and 0 INTs.  WR Tavon Austin had a career day against his home state team.  He caught 13 passes (sets the WV all time receptions record) for 179 yards and 3 TDs.  After a realtively weak non conference season, the Mountaineers begin their first Big 12 season and they drew a dousy to start.  Baylor and West Virginia will be a shootout between to high powered offenses.  However the Mountaineers appear to have the better defense and the game is at home.  But this will be a fun game to watch.


12.  Clemson Tigers (3-1) LW 7
Could you imagine how good Clemson could be if their defense was above average?  We may be talking about a National Championship contender.  They brought in Brent Venables (former Oklahoma DC) to be their new DC, but they haven't seen an immediate return.  The offense did their job scoring 37 points.  Which in most games will get you a win.  However the defense allowed Florida State to score 49.  That's just not going to cut it.  Luckily the Tigers don't have to face a lot of high powered offenses the rest of the season.  But if Clemson ever wants to get to the next level.  They are going to need to figure it out.


13.  Oklahoma Sooners (2-1) LW 6
Landry Jones' struggles were a big reason the Sooners lost to Kansas State.  Sure you can't place the entire blame on him, but he did make some crucial errors at the wrong time.  He had a critical fumble that KState ended up returning for a TD and then threw a INT that helped give the Wildcats the lead.  Landry was thought at one time to be a future top 10 pick in the NFL Draft, but his play since the middle of last year has left a lot to be desired.  Add in that backup QB Blake Bell's fumble at the goal line resulted in a FG instead of a TD doesn't make matters any better.  It's a shame because this Sooner defense is pretty good.  Oklahoma now has a bye this weekend for them to stew about this loss before they play Texas Tech before the Red River Shootout against Texas.  The Sooners cannot afford to look past the Red Riaders, because they've done it before and it's come back to bite them.

14.  Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0) LW 15
Ohio State gets the win over UAB to stay perfect.  However you have to wonder when or if their struggles are going to catch up to them.  In every game so far this season the Buckeyes have struggled at some point.  Their biggest struggle is slow starts.  Those are fine when you are playing UCF and UAB, but in Big 10 play teams could jump out early and take you out.  However QB Braxton Miller has sparked the Buckeyes to get the victories.  Against UAB he was just average.  He'll need to be at the top of his game this weekend against Michigan State.  The Spartan defense is one of the best in the nation and has the athletes to contain Miller.

15.  Florida Gators (4-0) LW 16
It wasn't much of a challenge for Florida in their 38 to 0 win over Kentucky.  Florida started early and never let up.  But did you know that this shut out win was the first time the Gators have shut out an SEC opponent since 2001?  That's over 10 years!  With all the crappy offenses we've seen in the SEC lately, the Gators haven't shut one out.  That's pretty remarkable.  Florida can now shift their focus towards LSU who they play in two weeks.  Having an extra week to prepare should get the Gators extra focused.

16.  Michigan State Spartans (3-1) LW 17
I know that Eastern Michigan is improving, but seriously Michigan State?  Your going to struggle against them?  I guess you were really looking ahead to the Ohio State game.  Because there is no reason that Michigan State had to score 20 straight points to sneak away with a victory.  What's even more alarming is that Le'Veon Bell got 36 carries.  This was suppose to be a game where the Spartans could rest Bell a little before the Big 10 season.  Instead they needed all 36 carries to get the win.  What's worse is that the Spartans now face an Ohio State team that has a ton of talent.  Michigan State is going to need QB Andrew Maxwell to really show up if they want to win.

17.  Texas Longhorns (3-0) LW 18
Texas enjoyed a nice weekend off in preperation for the start of Big 12 season.  Texas starts off conference play with back to back tough games against the state of Oklahoma.  Oklahoma State is up first.  This ain't your Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon Oklahoma State teams, but they still know how to score and they're going to put Texas defense to the test.  After Okie State, Texas then travels up to Dallas for the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma.  The Sooners have dominanted lately, but there coming off a loss to KState and the Longhorns now have some stability at the QB position.  Because history has told us that the team with the best QB usually wins that game.


18.  Louisville Cardinals (4-0) LW 19
Even without Teddy Bridgewater at the top of his game, the Cardinals were able to secure a victory over Florida International and get revenge from last year's defeat.  Bridgewater threw for more incompletions in this game than he had all three previous.  Add in 2 INTs and it wasn't what we've seen so far this year.  However he throw 2 TDs and rush for another one to help keep Lousiville undefeated.  Louisville now moves on to face Southern Miss who despite an 0-3 record is still a dangerous team.

19.  TCU Horned Frogs (3-0) LW 20
It was a complete game victory for the Horned Frogs.  Defensively TCU played up to their reputation.  They held Virginia to 7 points and forced 4 turnovers.  offensively QB Casey Pachall had a game.  He threw for 305 yards and 3 TDs.  WR Brandon Carter was the leading receiver and made a highlight one handed catch that put TCU ahead for good.  TCU now moves on to face in state rival SMU to finish out the non-conference schedule.  SMU should be an wasy win and give the Horned Frogs their 12 straight win.


20.  Virginia Tech Hokies (3-1) LW 21
Virginia Tech couldn't wait to get back onto the field after their horrible loss to hapless Pittsburgh.  What better way to do that then to beat up on a MAC school.  That's exactly what VaTech did in their 37-0 victory over Bowling Green.  QB Logan Thomas didn't put up eye popping numbers, but he ran and passed for 209 yards and 3 TDs.  But what is alarming is that VaTech has to rely on Thomas to help their running game.  That will be something they figure out soon because it could cost them a few games.  Especially if Thomas gets banged up.  The Hokies now travel to Cincinnati which has all the firepower to knock off the Hokies.


21.  Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-1) LW 23
When you schedule a FCS opponent your suppose to be them like Nebraska did against Idaho State 73-7.  Severly overmatched the Bengals just couldn't do much against the Huskers.  Heck Nebraska even rested QB Taylor Martinez in the 1st quarter.  The game didn't accomplish much, but it did allow the Huskers to get RB Rex Burkhead back on the field and get some reps before their game against Wisconsin.  The Big 10 is wide open this year and it may come down to whose offense is playing the best.  And right now the Huskers are the only team (besides Ohio State who is ineligible) whose offense has shown that can put up points consistantly.  Add in Wisconsin's struggles so far and this should allow the Huskers to get revenge from last year's beat down in Madison.


22.  Baylor Bears (3-0) LW 24
After knocking off Arkansas and then almost getting Auburn, the Lousiana Monroe Warhawks almost got another BCS conference team.  Baylor needed two late TDs to take then lead and then get some breathing room.  Baylor was lead by QB Nick Florence's 351 yards 4 TDs.  But the big concern with Baylor is always their defense.  If they give up 42 points to Lousiana Monroe, how many are they going to give up against West Virginia?  That game could be a track meet.


23.  Tennessee Volunteers (3-1) LW 25
Everybody was real quick to write off Tenessee after their loss to Florida.  However they almost won that game and still have looked pretty impressive so far this season.  They followed up the loss to Florida with a 21 point win over Akron.  The offense continues to score a boat load of points, but if they want to make some noise in the SEC, they'll have to play some defense.  Georgia is their next opponent and that will be tough.  However they have the firepower to do so.


24.  Northwestern Wildcats (4-0) LW NR
One of the surprise teams so far this season has to be Northwestern.  The Wildcats are 4-0 and have three wins over BCS conference schools.  It's not like Northwestern's success is a product of their schedule.  They've looked impressive in wins over Vanderbilt, Syracuse, and Boston College.  The schedule also sets up where they can be 7-0 heading into the game against Nebraska.  The same team Northwestern beat in Lincoln last year.  The Big 10 is wide open right now and with the scoring they can do, they could be a sleeper in the Lengends Division.


25.  Michigan Wolverines (2-2) LW 13
Michigan was everybody's darling to start the season.  With Dennard Robinson back, Greg Mattison's defense, and Brady Hoke's personality the Wolverines were going win the Big 10 and be a contender for the National Championship.  Their dominating loss to Alabama in the first game was a huge blow, but their latest loss against Notre Dame was even more damning.  We all knew that there were questions about their defense, but the loss to Notre Dame raises questions about their ability to score.  Notre Dame has a good defense, but Michigan should be able to score at least a TD.  Michigan now moves on to face a Purdue team that is underrated.

Dropped From the Rankings:  UCLA

Heisman Watch (Week 4)

1.  Geno Smith QB West Virginia

Last Week:  30/43 338 3 TDs vs Maryland (31-21)  Next Week:  vs Baylor
Comments: It wasn't the video game numbers that Geno Smith has been putting up lately, but Smith was still spectacular in West Virginia's win over Maryland.  His 338 yards helped shred the Terrapin defense and help the Mountaineers improve their record to 3-0.  Smith continues to play at a high level and is clearly the front runner to win the award.  Right now there really isn't a close #2.  But it won't get any easier for West Virginia.  Big 12 conference play starts this weekend and Smith won't have to face any elite defenses, but they are still a lot better than anything he has seen so far.  But if he keeps up this pace he'll be fine.

2.  Collin Klein QB Kansas State
Last Week: 13/21 149 0 TDs, 79 yards rushing 1 TD vs O (24-19)  Next Week: vs Kansas
Comments:  In typical Collin Klein fashion, it wasn't pretty but the Wildcats and Klein got the job done.  Klein's stats where not amazing, but he did have a combined 228 yards, but the big thing was getting the victory over top 10 rated Oklahoma.  The win vaults KState up the rankings and showcases Klein to the national stage.  The win also avenges the Wildcats 41 point loss to the Sooners last year.  Things do get easier for Klein and the Wildcats this week as they face off against in state rival Kansas.  The Jayhawks are awful this year and should allow Klein to put up some gaudy numbers.

3.  Le'Veon Bell RB Michigan State
Last Week:  36 carries 253 yards 1 TD vs Eastern Michigan (23-7) Next Week:  vs Ohio State

Comments:  The Spartans struggled against lowly MAC Eastern Michigan, but it wasn't at any fault to Le'Veon Bell.  Despite an inability to put Eastern Michigan out of the game early, Bell was at his best rushing for 253 yards and a touchdown.  This performance is just what Bell needed to stay in the hunt for the Heisman.  He has a long ways to go to get back to being one of the favorites, but their game against Ohio State this week could give him that national boost that he needs.  And the way Ohio State's defense has been playing, Bell has as good of a chance as anybody.



4.  EJ Manuel QB Florida State
Last Week:  27/35 380 2 TDs vs Clemson (49-37)  Next Week:  at South Florida
Comments:   With Florida State needing to seize the opportunity against Clemson, the senior QB stepped up.  Manuel threw for 380 yards and rushed for 102.  The Seminoles needed every bit of those yards to out score the Tigers high flying offense.  Not only did Manuel throw for a bunch of yards, but he was just as lethal with his feet.  Manuel was a dark horse candidate to win the award, but after the Seminoles big victory over Clemson and Manuel's performance, he is now thrust into contention.  Especially with the race so wide open.  Florida State has an easy schedule ahead of them with only Virginia Tech and Florida being possible ranked teams.  If the Seminoles can get through the season unscathed, Manuel has a great opportunity to make some noise in the Heisman Race.

5.  Matt Barkley QB USC

Last Week:  22/34 192 2 TDs 2 INTs, 102 yards rushing vs California (27-9)  Next Week:  at Utah
Comments:  Looking to bounce back from their big loss to Stanford, Barkley was able to lead the Trojans to victory, but he didn't look good doing so.  With the emphasis put on the run game it came at the cost of Matt Barkley.  Not only did Barkley throw for less than 200 yards, but he threw 2 picks also.  Those aren't terrible numbers, but it's not like he was very efficient.  Barkley still has an outside shot at winning the Heisman Trophy, but his national perception isn't the greatest.  He'll have to clean his game up and elevate his passing numbers.

Others to Watch

6.  Jonathan Franklin RB UCLA
7.  De'Anthony Thomas RB/WR Oregon
8.  Braxton Miller QB Ohio State

NCAA Top 25 (Week 3)

1.  Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0) LW 2
It's easy to say now, but even if USC were to have beaten Stanford Alabama would have moved up into the #1 spot.  Even though they lost so many elite players off their team, they have dominated.  Just look at the Arkansas game.  Alabama was favored, but nobody would have guessed that they would roll to a 52-0 win.  The way that the Crimson Tide are playing they should roll into the LSU game undefeated and face a familiar situation as they did last year.

2.  LSU Tigers (3-0) LW 3
It was what it was suppose to be against Idaho.  A complete butt kicking.  Idaho never stood a chance in this one.  LSU jumped on them early and besides a 14 point 2nd quarter the Vandals didn't have much to show for it (except a check to come play there).  QB Zach Mettenberger continues to improve, completing 77% of his passes and throwing for 222 yards and 2 TDs.  As he continues to get better, the Tigers chances of getting back to the National Title game keep rising.  Their game against Auburn this weekend shouldn't be too tough, but at least tells us more of how good this team is.

3.  Oregon Ducks (3-0) LW 4
Oregon is finally done with their weak non-conference schedule which did nothing more than glorified scrimmages.  The Ducks have to hope that all these games against WAC, Sun Belt, and FCS schools where nothing more than dress rehearsals for the Pac 12 season.  All three games were blow outs with the offense putting up video game numbers.  But there has to be some concern that the defense, which is suppose to be the best Chip Kelly has had, has give up more than 20 points twice.  That could become problematic with their match up this weekend against Arizona whose offense is running on all cylinders under Rich Rod.  It could be a track meet between these two teams.

4.  Georgia Bulldogs (3-0) LW 5
To say Georgia dominated is an understatement.  Not only did Georgia win by 36, but they amassed over 700 yards of offense against FAU.  They must have felt bad for the Owls to only put up 56 points in the win.  But the game gave the Bulldogs a chance to get ready for a stretch run that will be pretty tough.  Vanderbilt is their next opponent who will give them everything they have.  That is followed up by Tennessee and South Carolina.  Georgia cannot afford a slip up, because they have a shot at a really good season.

5.  South Carolina Gamecocks (3-0) LW 6
The Gamecocks got the big win many expected by defeating UAB 49-6, however they may have been the true losers here.  Instead of sitting QB Connor Shaw against an easy win, they forced the issue and it came back to bite them.  Shaw left the game in the 2nd quarter after re injuring his shoulder.  I have no idea why they would play him in this game with the SEC starting soon.  Especially after backup Dylan Thompson played so well last weekend.  Now Shaw is likely out next week against Missouri and could be even rustier against Georgia in three weeks which could decide the SEC East.  I hope it was worth it.

6.  Oklahoma Sooners (2-0) LW 7
Oklahoma enjoyed a weekend off before their match up against #14 Kansas State.  The game against KState will be a true test to see how good both teams are.  Has Oklahoma improved from their struggles last year that had them finishing out of the top 2 spots in the conference?  Are they back to the juggernaut and regular BCS Bowl team we are use to?  What Oklahoma team are we going to see?  The team that struggled at UTEP?  Or the team that rolled over Florida A&M?  Because Kansas State is no slouch, especially if Colin Klein gets going.  We'll have to watch to find out.

7.  Clemson Tigers (3-0) LW 8
Not that Furman stood much of a chance, but the Clemson Tigers avoided a trap game in anticipation of their huge game against Florida State.  What's even better is that stud sophomore WR Sammie Watkins returned from his two game suspension and got his feet wet before facing off against the Seminole defense.  QB Tajh Boyd continued his steller play throwing for 310 yards and 2 TDs.  They'll need a big game from Boyd if they want their chance at a possible National Championship.

8.  Stanford Cardinal (3-0) LW 21
Stanford makes a huge jump here moving up 13 spots from 21 to 8.  The biggest reason is that the Cardinal had to prove that they were still the real deal after losing Andrew Luck and company.  Their narrow win over San Jose State in week 1 didn't help things out.  But they proved the doubters wrong with their big upset victory over our previous #1 USC.  Stanford's defense was especially impressive shutting down the potent Trojan offense that had so many weapons.  Stanford has the week off, which is probably a good thing after this big win.  But they still have some big games coming up and their next game, against Washington, isn't a push over.

9.  USC Trojans (2-1) LW 1
The big talk going into this season was USC possibly winning the National Title in their first year off suspension.  QB Matt Barkley was returning and the addition of Silas Redd was going to put them over the top.  However there was always questions about their run defense and that was exactly what was exposed against Stanford.  The Trojans allowed the Cardinal to rush for 202 yards which was the difference in the wni.  Add in a couple of miscues by QB Matt Barkley in the final drive and there is no wonder why they dropped the game.  But this isn't the end for the Trojans.  They still have games against 4 ranked opponents and as long as they take care of business they still have a shot to win the Pac 12 and just maybe sneak back into the National Championship picture.

10.  West Virginia Mountaineers (2-0) LW 13
It hasn't necessarily been the fact that they've beaten any "big names" that has caused the Mountaineers from rising up the rankings, but more of how they've beaten the two teams they've played.  Both games so far have been complete blowouts and the Mountaineer offense is running on all cylinders.  Add in that there isn't a lot of defense played in the Big 12 and West Virginia is going to be tough to beat.  This weekend should be no different.  They play host to a poor Maryland program that has struggled under head coach Randy Edsall.  It should be another easy win for the Mountaineers.

11.  Florida State Seminoles (3-0) LW 14
There isn't a lot to say about their win over Wake Forrest.  They were suppose to blow out a bad team.  I've yet to fully trust this Florida State team.  Many voters and "experts" have proclaimed them back and have a top 5 ranking in both the Coaches Poll and AP.  However the Seminoles haven't shown me anything yet.  Yeah they've won a few games by a wide margin, but they haven't played anybody yet (Suppose to play West Virginia last week).  Remember this is still the program that lost four games last year.  We'll find out how good they really are this weekend against Clemson.  A win there would be huge because their remaining schedule isn't very daunting (Only Virginia Tech and Florida will be ranked when they play). 

12.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0) LW NR
Much like Florida Sate I'm not too quick to call Notre Dame back.  Beating Navy and Purdue are nothing to get excited about.  However their win against Michigan State was.  The Fighting Irish was able to shut down the Michigan State offense and not allow a single TD.  Everybody talks about how good of an offensive mind HC Brian Kelly is, but it's the Irish defense that is the bread and butter of this team.  If the Irish keep playing like they have, they should find their way back to a BCS game.  However they have a tough test this weekend against Michigan.  Dennard Robinson will give them fits, if they can shut him down like Alabama did, then we might be talking about the Irish in the top 10 for the first time in a while.

13.  Michigan Wolverines (2-1) LW 12
The nice thing about the non-conference games is that if you suffer a bad loss at the beginning of the season, you can get your confidence back back quickly.  That's exactly what Michigan has done this year.  This weekend they got to run up the score on UMass and get the team pumped up for a top 15 match up with the surging Notre Dame Fighting Irish.  This is exactly what the Wolverines need to show everybody that their game against Alabama was a fluke.  But they'll have to face off against a very strong Notre Dame defense that is going to pose a lot of problems for QB Dennard Robinson.

14.  Kansas State Wildcats (3-0) LW 15
You can't help but wonder if the Wildcats were looking past North Texas to their game against Oklahoma.  That could explain the dud that they put up.  If it wasn't for QB Colin Klein we could be talking about KState suffering a big time loss right before the start of conference play.  Instead we have another clutch performance from Klein that has thrust him right in the middle of the Heisman Race.  If KState wants to beat Oklahoma they are going to have to have a big game from their defense (mainly Arthur Brown) and have some offensive players not named Klein step up. 

15.  Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0) LW 11
Maybe this whole transition to Urban Meyer isn't going to happen overnight after all.  Sure they're 3-0 and Braxton Miller is looking like the perfect Urban Meyer QB.  But there is still a reason for concern.  Mainly the fact that a bad Cal team took Ohio State to the wire and gave them a real scare.  The defense was suppose to be the strong suit with a ton of talent.  Instead they give up 28 points to Cal.  What's going to happen when they face off against offenses like Michigan or Nebraska?  Luckily they have time to figure that out before conference starts.  Their game against UAB should be nothing but a blowout. 

16.  Florida Gators (3-0) LW 16
The Florida Gators are starting to really hit a stride under new HC Will Muschamp.  After welcoming Texas A&M into the conference, the Gators had the task of facing off against a surging Tennessee team.  For most of the game it looked like Tennessee was going to get the win, but the Gators exploded for 24 straight points and pulled away with the win.  RB Mike Gillislee continues to be the star of the team giving the Gators a consistent runner which has done wonders to help QB Jeff Driskel become more acclimated to the offense.  With Kentucky being their opponent this weekend it should give them a easy win before the meat of the SEC comes.

17.  Michigan State Spartans (2-1) LW 9
They had their chance to really make an early impact on the season.  Sitting at #9 a win over Notre Dame would have jolted the Spartans closer to the top 5 and we may have heard some talk about them being a National Title contender.  But then they went out and layed an egg against Notre Dame.  Actually more like they got dominated by Notre Dame.  The Irish exposed QB Andrew Maxwell and the Spartans inability to throw the ball.  That lead to them stacking the box against Le'Veon Bell and taking the Spartan offense out of the game.  However on the bright side, the Spartans are still the favorites in the Big 10 and still have the best shot of getting to the Rose Bowl.

18.  Texas Longhorns (3-0) LW 17
Texas scored early and often in their 66-31 route of Mississippi.  Ole Miss isn't a good team, but this win gave the Longhorns some road experience before they start Big 12 conference play.  QB David Ash continues to shine.  Against the Rebels Ash threw for 326 yards and 4 TDS on 19/23 passing.  Now Texas can enjoy a nice weekend off before their 1st game of conference play against Oklahoma State. But they'll need to sure up their defense, because if they gave up 31 points to Mississippi Okie State will put up double that.

19.  Louisville Cardinals (3-0) LW 18
It looked like Louisville was going to cruise to an easy win over North Carolina.  At halftime it was 36-7.  However the Cardinal offense stalled and the North Carolina offense caught fire.  It took a deflected pass in the endzone to help preserve the victory and help the Cardinals stay perfect on the season.  A close call, but something the Cardinals don't want to repeat anymore.  But the good news is that Bridgewater continues to be so efficient.  Another game another solid performance.  23/28 (82%) for 279 yards and 3 TDs.  Add in 114 yards rushing from Jeremy Wright and it was a good day.  Now if the defense would have held up their end of it.  Next week the Cardinals look to avenge a loss to the FIU Panthers from last year. 

20.  TCU Horned Frogs (2-0) LW 20
Conventional wisdom would suggest that when a new team to a conference makes their debut, they would bring everything they got.  Especially when that team is coming from a lower conference and wanting to show that they are the real deal.  So when TCU drew Kansas as their 2st opponent in the Big 12 everybody was assuming we would see a blow out.  Instead we saw an uninspired performance and only a 14 point victory over a Kansas team that is flat out awful.  If TCU wants to have a good first year, they are going to need to step it up.

21.  Virginia Tech Hokies (2-1) LW 10
After Pittsburgh lost to Youngstown State and Cincinnati (in blowout fashion) it seemed that the highly ranked Hokies would breeze past the Panthers.  Well the Hokies must have thought that too and Pittsburgh caught them.  Oh boy did they catch them.  Pitt got on VaTech early and never let up.  Jumping out to a 14 points lead, the Hokies who have started out slow never could catch up.  This loss ends the Hokies shot as a dark horse candidate for a National Championship and it also ruins QB Logan Thomas' shot at the Heisman.  But at least it wasn't a conference game (yet) and the Hokies still are right in the thick of things with Clemson.

22.  UCLA Bruins (3-0) LW 23
The combination of QB Brett Hundley and RB Jonathan Franklin have struck again.  Both players were dynamic in their 37-6 win over Houston.  The win avenges the Bruins loss to the Cougars last year.  Hundley was the star of the game.  The redshirt freshman QB continues to shine throwing for 320 yards and 2 TDs.  With their easy schedule the Bruins should continue to roll and will probably come close to the top 10 before their showdown with Arizona on November 3rd.  But they can't look past Oregon State who knocked off Wisconsin two weeks ago.

23.  Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-1) LW 25
After the debacle that was their defense against UCLA, the Huskers bounced back to take care of things against a dangerous Arkansas State team.  Even with head coach Bo Pelini being taken to the hospital (for precautionary reasons) at halftime, the Huskers made quick work and cruised to a 42-13 victory.  This was a much need victory in the sense that it got the Huskers back on the field and has the momentum going the right way.  But the Big 10 season could get long if the Huskers revert back to their poor tackling ways.

24.  Baylor Bears (2-0) LW 22
Baylor was one of the many schools who took their bye week this wee after only two weeks into the season.  Sometimes it just works that way, but you would think teams would better manage their off weeks to better utilize them, rather than just having them randomly.  But maybe they did that because the Bears face off against one of the peskiest teams in college football.  Lousiana Monroe comes to down just off of beating Arkansas and almost beating Auburn.  Baylor better be on top of things, or they could suffer the same fate as the Razorbacks.  But the thing the Bears have going for them is their explosive offense.  Something that Arkansas and Auburn don't have this year.

25.  Tennessee Volunteers (2-1) LW 19
It looked like the Volunteers were finally going to knock off their long time rival Florida and continue this great start to the year, but they just couldn't hold onto the lead and gave up 24 straight points to let the game slip through their fingers.  If Tennessee can learn from this game they still have a shot to have a great season, but if they stay too down on this game they could really go south.  Luckily they face off against Akron this weekend and can get back on track before their game against Georgia.

Dropped From the Rankings:  Arkansas Razorbacks

Heisman Watch (Week 3)

1.  Geno Smith QB West Virginia

Last Week:  34/39 411 yards 5 TDs vs James Madison (42-12) Next Week:  vs Maryland
Comments: We were beginnnig to see a trend in Heisman Winners.  The trophy was going to the top player on one of the teams in the National Title game.  Last year that trend was broken by RG3 mainly because he had such a great season compared to everybody else.  Could we see that this year with Geno Smith?  I don't see West Virvinia making it to the Nationa Championship, but it's going to be hard to think of anybody else playing as good as Smith.  Against James Madison Smith was flawless.  He completed 87% of his passes (88% on the season) and threw for 411 yards and 5 TDs.  That is just flat remarkable.  I don't see an end in sight.  Next week they play Maryland who is bad, and then the Big 12 isn't known for lock down defeneses.  With all the turmoil in college football, could we see Smith running away with this?

2.  Matt Barkley QB USC

Last Week:  20/41 254 yards O TDs 2 INTs vs Stanford (14-21)  Next Week:  vs California
Comments:  It was a bad day for Barkley and the Trojans.  In their first real test of the season they failed to get enough offense to get the victory.  Even though he had 254 yards Barkley struggled and made some poor decisons that cost them the victory.  Mainly him taking 2 sacks on the final drive and throwing the final pass out of bounds.  Add in his 2 INTs and it's not a grea day for the Heisman favorite.  Now Barkley's chances of winning the award are not gone.  But he'll have to have a steller rest of the season including a couple of big wins against Oregon, Arizona, and Notre Dame.  Otherwise it's going to be tough sailing.

3.  Colin Klein QB Kansas State
Last Week: 15/20 230 2 TDs 1 INT, 85 yards rushing 1 TD vs North Texas (35-21)  Next Week: @ Oklahoma
Comments:  The rest of the KState team may have looked sloppy against North Texas, but Colin Klein just keeps rolling.  Klein had a combined 315 yards and 3 TDs and was a clutch when the Wildcats needed him the most.  However if Klein wants a realistic shot of winning the Heisman, he's going to need a huge game this next week against top 10 ranked Oklahoma.  A big game here and a win could thrust Klein right up there with Geno Smith as the new favorites.  A dud for a game could end his chances.

4.  Le'Veon Bell RB Michigan State
Last Week:  19 carries for 77 yards, 20 yards receiving vs Notre Dame (3-20) Next Week:  vs Eastern Michigan

Comments:  The stage was set for Bell to really get his Heisman chances rolling.  However being blown out by Notre Dame has put a damper on his momentum.  However it's not really all his fault.  Without any semblance of a passing attack, Notre Dame was able to load up the box and put their focus onto Bell.  Le'Veon did get 77 yards, but wasn't able to find the endzone.  But the bright side is that even after the loss, Michigan State is still one of the top teams in the Big 10 and he'll have plenty more opprotunities to get some of the voters back on his side.

5.  Dennard Robinson QB Michigan
Last Week:  16/24 291 yards passing 3 TDs 1 INT, 106 yards rushing 1 TD vs UMass (63-13)  Next Week:  @ Notre Dame
Comments:  Robinson did what was expected of him in this game.  Passed and rushed for a combined 397 yards and 4 TDs against a UMass team in their first year as a FBS program.  Now the attention should focus onto their game at Notre Dame.  If Dennard still has a shot at winning the Heisman he'll need a huge game and win over the Irish.  Doing that will go a long ways in helping people forget about his week 1 disaster against Alabama.  But if he has a similar game against Notre Dame, it's bye bye to any Heisman talk.

Others to Watch

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6.  Jonathan Franklin RB UCLA
7.  De'Anthony Thomas RB/WR Oregon
8.  Everett Golson QB Notre Dame