A look at five of the biggest stories that CBR is following this week.
1. Georgia looks to make its start a little less rough.
The Bulldogs lost a thriller on the road in the opening week to a really good Clemson squad. Alas, college football’s unforgiving pollsters reserve glory – along with lofty rankings in the polls – for winners. Georgia tumbled seven spots in the latest USA Today Poll, down from fifth in the preseason to No. 12.
The beat goes on for Mark Richt and his team this week as they return home to Athens for a date with SEC East foe South Carolina. The Bulldogs will be battling the Fighting Clowneys without the services of Malcolm Mitchell, their best receiver who was lost for the season while celebrating a touchdown versus the Tigers.
Starting the season 0-2 with a loss to one of the contenders for your division sounds like the kind of start that could demoralize a highly regarded team. Beat the Gamecocks, though, and
2. Wolverines, Irish battle to win the break-up.
So, Brian Kelly is all, like, “We were never really that into you.”
And Michigan is all, “How can you be so mean? You know that you rivaled us.”
Then, Kelly says, “Well, I mean, we had some good times, sure…”
Michigan: “No one is going to love ourselves the same way that you and I do.”
3. Hey, we ordered cupcakes!
Last week seven teams that had ordered up guaranteed wins over FCS opponents were instead served slices of humble pie. The Big 12, in particular, felt David’s wrath, with defending champ Kansas State falling to North Dakota State and Iowa State dropping a game to in-state non-rival Northern Iowa. (West Virginia damn near lost to William & Mary’s mighty Tribe, too.)
Will another Oregon State fall victim in a bodybag game?
4. Oregon heads east.
Remember how awesome the opening week of the season was? This week is not. That’s how Oregon traveling 3,000 miles to play a game becomes a story to watch.
The Cavaliers coming into this game with the No. 2 team in the country riding high off an upset win over BYU. And speaking of riding high, I’d love to see the looks on the UVa fans’ faces when a bus full of dirty, roadtrippin’ Oregonians show up in Charlottesville this weekend.
5. Lane Kiffin’s quarterback quandary.
Kiffin’s campaign to keep his job at USC didn’t get off to a rousing start last week in an uninspiring win at Hawaii. His offense looked like it had been left out in the sun too long out on the Big Island.
The Trojans’ misadventures in paradise offered little clarity at the quarterback position, where Cody Kessler and Max Wittek both declined to stake a claim to the job. It looks as though Kessler will start this weekend versus Washington State, but Wittek will play, too.
Sounds like Kiffin has everything under control.
