Week 2 Review

After last week’s bonanza of great matchups, this week’s games looked like an enormous letdown, with no game featuring two ranked teams. But two things to keep in mind: 1) There may be some really good teams out there that aren’t ranked yet. 2) It increases the odds of an upset. There did end up being some pretty good games, including two Top 25 teams getting upset….though one of them wasn’t that big of an upset (in this writer’s opinion) and the other never should have happened.

(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

To start off, however, is the game that received the most attention coming into the season. 156,990 people, a college football record, gathered at Bristol Motor Speedway to catch a glimpse of miniature Tennessee Volunteers and Virginia Tech Hokies running around a zip code away. It started out looking like it could be a very interesting game, with VT jumping out to a 14-0 1st Qtr lead. But it was all Tennessee after that as the Vols, with the help of 5 fumbles by the self-destructing Hokies, rolled to an easy 45-17 victory.

Pitt and Penn State renewed an old rivalry, and the game was befitting the special occasion. In a back-and-forth affair Pitt’s James Connor continued his storybook comeback from leukemia with 117 yards on 22 carries and a TD. But Pitt had to hold off a late rally by Penn State, and did so with an end zone interception ahead by just 3 and a little over 1 minute left. Hopefully the two teams decide to extend the series beyond just the 3 more times they are scheduled to meet.

My choice for Game of the Week included just about everything towards the end, including huge kick returns, a bone-headed unsportsmanlike penalty by a QB, a blocked game-winning FG attempt, and two OTs. Arkansas may have served notice that last week’s nail-biter against Louisiana Tech was probably the fluke it appeared to be in defeating #15 TCU 41-38 in Fort Worth. And while this was an upset on paper, I personally wasn’t all that surprised by the result. And as bad a loss as this was for TCU, it might have been just as bad for the Big 12, who could really use some impressive interconfertnce wins right about now (Texas’ win over ND notwithstanding).

Speaking of brutal “losses” for the Big 12, another ranked team, #22 Oklahoma State, went down at home to Central Michigan thanks in large part to the officials. As the Cowboys were attempting to kill the clock with just seconds left, ahead 27-24, they threw the ball away on 4th Down and the clock read all zeroes afterward. But intentional grounding was called, and because of the turnover on downs Central Michigan was awarded one untimed play from their own 49-yard line. What ensued was one of the more remarkable plays you will ever see, a completed Hail Mary AND a lateral for the touchdown. One problem….the play should never have occurred. By rule “if enforcement of a foul involves a loss of down [which it did in this instance], then that brings the game to an end.” But as is customary, the game goes in the books as a win for the Chippewas. Oh, and the game officials were from the MAC. Don’t imagine OSU will be inviting any of their teams back to Stillwater any time soon. I’ve already stated that as rare as these instances are, there really is no harm in awarding the game to the rightful winner.

Look Ahead to Week 3: Heavyweight matchups return! Oklahoma battles for their playoff life as they host Ohio State. So does Notre Dame as they host Michigan State. Florida State has a very challenging road game at Louisville. Alabama travels to Ole Miss, who have beaten the Tide two straight times. USC visits Stanford in a game that will have big Pac-12 implications. And in what I think is a very intriguing Thursday night matchup, Playoff-busting hopeful Houston travels to Cincinnati to take on a tough AAC foe (gut-feeling….keep an eye on that one).

Mike Lowe
Mike Lowe

College Football Analyst

Mike is a Baltimore native living in Portland, OR since 2007. He currently runs his own business specializing in video production and online marketing. Prior to that he was a legal technology consultant, worked for 9 years at Johns Hopkins University and served 6 years in the Air Force. He also enjoys travel, food, beer, and is a volunteer at the Oregon Humane Society.

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