Have we all caught our collective breaths after a high-powered, star-studded, and head-spinning week 1? Yes? Good, because we are right back at it for week 2, and the fun just keeps coming. Unfortunately for the entire human race, "The Toddfather" Todd Gurley and the Georgia Bulldogs get a break from destroying the middle of defenses everywhere (shoutout to my brother Dylan Mednick for that nickname). Regardless, this weekend's lineup of games has enough juicy match-ups to satisfy any college football fan. Taking center stage Saturday are Spartans, Trojans, and, well, a tree. Then you got Wolverines (Grrr!), Ducks (Quack!?), and...an angry little leprechaun inexplicably trying to pick fights with anyone he sees. Sounds incredible, right? Alright, I'll move on. Here are the top games of week 2 and my picks for each:
3:30 PM ET - 14 USC at 15 Stanford (-3)
Larry Scott and the Pac-12 scheduling committee sure gave us a treat by placing the annual USC-Stanford contest so early in the season. Both teams should be feeling quite confident entering this game after each turned in blowout wins last week. I already detailed the insanity that was the USC offense against Fresno State, as well as the mountains of potential that they possess to even improve further. Coach Sark, Cody Kessler and the Trojans are going to have plenty of trouble replicating that level of offensive dominance against the historically smash-mouth, unrelenting Cardinal defense. Even though it was against UC Davis, Stanford's defense pitched a shutout last week, holding the Aggies to just 115 total yards. The surprisingly adept Stanford passing game is a new aspect of their offense that has to be worrying USC defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox as he is likely already preparing to receive a heavy dose of their signature power running game, led by Barry Sanders Jr. (the world is better when there is a Barry Sanders piling up yards on a football field). Star DL Leonard Williams will have to quickly overcome an ankle injury suffered a week ago an combine with talented hybrid linebacker/safety Su'a Cravens to slow down do-it-all WR Ty Montgomery and a suddenly potent Stanford offense. I think they will, and that's why USC escapes Palo Alto with a W.
6:30 PM ET - 7 Michigan State at 3 Oregon (-12)
First thought on this game: Wow, Vegas is really feeling Oregon. 12 points seems like a lot to lay down against that ferocious Spartan defense, possibly the best in the country. Second thought on this game: Fuck that, Oregon's offense is borderline illegal. QB Marcus Mariota, obvious Heisman contender and favorite to be the #1 pick in next year's NFL draft, leads the scariest, fastest attack in the nation, and is flanked by some top-notch talent at the skill positions. Thomas Tyner and Royce Freeman lead the RB group as their size-speed combo coming out of the backfield translates excellently into that spread scheme of theirs. Byron Marshall, or De'anthony Thomas 2.0, can take the ball from any position on the field and instantly produce a big play. Last week, Marshall torched South Dakota for 228 total yards and 2 touchdowns on only 16 touches!!! That adds up to a mind-bending 14.25 yards per touch. Simply put, the guy can't be contained. However, if there ever were a team to corral him at least a little, it would be this Michigan State team. Led by probable future first-round pick Shaquille Calhoun, the Sparty defense is as feared as ever. Like Stanford, who they narrowly edged out in the Rose Bowl last year, the passing game has seen an increase in efficiency and usage. QB Connor Cook looked extremely sharp week 1, and, as expected, RB Jeremy Langford should be turned loose against a stout Oregon defense, especially up the middle with DT Arik Armstead. In the end, Mariota will be too much to handle, and Oregon claims victory by a touchdown, possibly more.
7:00 PM ET - East Carolina at 21 South Carolina (-16)
Taking a break from the highly-anticipated showdowns of traditional powerhouses, I'd like to take a look at this potential upset in the making. If you haven't heard by now, South Carolina didn't look so good last week. The Gamecocks' no-show could easily be attributed to the fact that Kevin Sumlin is taking over the world, but to my eyes, and plenty of college football experts, the 'Ol Ball Coach's squad looks to have some glaring weaknesses. Those shortcomings clearly include stopping the other team from racking up yards and points. You know who can rack up yards and point with the best of them? Shane Carden and the ECU Pirates! In their effortless rout of NC Central last week, ECU put up 582 total yards of offense, with Carden pitching in 282 of those and 3 TD's. Squarely on the radar of many NFL GM's, Carden is no stranger to lighting up a stat sheet. His 2012 campaign saw him score 43 total touchdowns, over 4100 yards, and a 71% completion percentage. Justin Hardy and Isaiah Jones are emerging as a frightening 1-2 WR tandem, and a running game that features many different rushers even managed an impressive 7.4 yards per carry last week. South Carolina likely will come out and overpower ECU, but Carden has it in him to turn in a special performance against the Gamecocks. One thing is for sure, if South Carolina falls to 0-2, Spurrier's seat might get just that much warmer.
7:30 PM ET - Michigan at 16 Notre Dame (-4)
The Irish and Wolverines under the lights, nothing quite like it. Whenever I see these two teams squaring off, the first thing that comes to mind is Denard Robinson magically pulling out a win against the Irish in 2011, despite a pretty brutal night throwing the ball. Do yourself a favor and watch the video under "Recap" on the page that the link sends you to if you wish to relive that phenomenal game. That was the past, though, and these teams look a lot different than the ones that squared off 3 years ago. Everett Golson claimed, relinquished, and re-claimed the Notre Dame quarterback job in the years since, and I think it's safe to say he is back with a vengeance. A five touchdown performance last week against Rice put the country on notice that Golson has improved mightily since struggling against Alabama in the 2013 National Championship game, and he's ready to guide the Irish to the college football playoffs in its first year of existence. On the other side of the field, Michigan QB Devin Gardner seemed to be fully in control of the Wolverine offense, even though their attack isn't focused around him making all the plays. Instead, former blue-chip RB Derrick Green and the physically imposing Devin Funchess have become the stars on offense. Green shares carries with De'veon Smith, who should not be overlooked after a 115-yard and 2 TD performance last week on only 8 carries. Green and Funchess should be crossing the goal line the majority of times for the Wolverines on Saturday, and throughout the season, despite extra attention from the Irish defense. Linebacker Jaylon Smith, along with the rest of the young, talented Notre Dame defense, has a bright future ahead of him, and he should be counted upon to make some difference-making plays in the open field. This should truly be another classic game between these two rivals, as I expect multiple highlight-reel moments to occur and end up being talked about all next week. The immense talent and playmaking ability of #2 overall recruit Jabrill Peppers could be an X-factor in this game, but Golson, along with RB's Greg Bryant and Tarean Folston, may be too much for the Wolverines to overcome, especially in front of a raucous Notre Dame crowd.
I'm just going to get my weekly Texas mention out of the way right here. Tyrone Swoopes, the eyes of Austin are on you, don't let the moment overwhelm you. Really, the 5 large men in front of you, whichever 5 it will be, will decide whether or not the Longhorns can exact revenge on BYU for the embarrassment they caused the entire Texas program just a season ago.
And I will also commence my weekly Heisman watch that I will stick at the end of each of these posts. Numbers 1 and 2 are no-brainers, but 3-5 were more interesting than I originally thought. Enjoy:
1. Todd Gurley
Season stats: 15 carries, 198 rushing yards, 3 TD's, 13.2 YPC, KO return TD
2. Marcus Mariota
Season stats: 267 passing yards, 70% comp. pct., 43 rushing yards, 4 total TD's, 0 INT
3. Kenny Hill (from now on, will be known as Kenny Trill)
Season stats: 511 passing yards, 73% comp. pct., 3 TD's, 0 INT
4. Cody Kessler
Season stats: 394 passing yards, 68% comp. pct., 5 total TD's, 0 INT
5. Ameer Abdullah
Season stats: 21 carries, 232 rushing yards, 1 TD, 11.0 YPC
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