Week 2 signals the season’s true beginning

Posted Sep 9, 2010 by Scott Brown

Updated Sep 8, 2010 at 11:32 PM

For those who wondered if football season would ever arrive, let there be no doubt: it has, and for the college fan, Saturday will almost be January in September. That’s because a number of matchups have a unique bowl game feel, and others have huge implications for several local teams.

We’ve weeded out the Duke-Wake Forest duds to provide you an overview of the must-see moments of Week 2 of the college season:

Georgia at South Carolina, noon

Will anyone in the SEC East make a serious run at Florida for the divisional title? If so, it will probably be the winner of this one. The Tampa angle is obvious: Plant High grad Aaron Murray, who produced four touchdowns against Louisiana-Lafayette in his college debut last week, will start at quarterback for the Dawgs against Jefferson product Stephen Garcia.

Georgia’s problems here are numerous: Murray will be without top receivers A.J. Green and Tavarres King, both serving suspensions. Green, of course, is a potential first-round NFL draft pick, but apparently sold a game-worn jersey to an agent and is in the middle of sitting out at least four games as a result. His presence in Columbia would be invaluable for Murray’s first road start and first SEC game.

It also doesn’t help that the Gamecocks look ready to finally make a charge in Steve Spurrier’s sixth season behind Garcia and freshman running back Marcus Lattimore, both of whom accounted for two scores against Southern Mississippi last Thursday.

Plus, UGA hosts No. 14 Arkansas next week, and could be essentially out of the East race with a pair of losses in the next 10 days.

USF at Florida, 12:20

You can imagine that the Gators have heard plenty from Urban Meyer about the Bulls’ trip to Tallahassee last September. A 17-7 win over FSU seemed like a program-defining moment at the time, and though USF ended up in Toronto (??) for its bowl game and looking for a head coach soon afterward, an enormous statement was made regarding the state’s balance of power.

Will the Bulls break through again in their first-ever meeting with UF? Not likely, but this is the post-Tebow era we’re talking about, and if even the nation’s second-best school named Miami can make the Gators look shaky, Skip Holtz and his new squad should have a chance.

Rays at Blue Jays, 1:05

Yeah, this isn’t a football game, but it should be part of your viewing plans Saturday, and remember the last time the Rays played a matinee in Toronto? Does the name J.P. Arencibia ring a bell? How about a 17-11 score? Doesn’t that sound like football, anyway?

That was the outcome on Aug. 7, when James Shields turned his head more often than John Edwards at a commencement address as he watched home runs rocket out of Rogers Centre in a painful memory for Rays fans. Not trying to jinx the hometown team, but just be mindful that there’s a history here.

Florida State at Oklahoma, 3:30

This one, particularly, evokes bowl game memories, especially from the dearly departed Orange Bowl stadium. Still, Oklahoma certainly didn’t look like the 10th-best team in the country Saturday, fending off Utah State 31-24 in the final minutes after allowing 341 passing yards.

FSU toyed with Samford, 59-6, and Jimbo Fisher has to be giddy at the thought of quarterback Christian Ponder taking on the Sooners secondary (and facing competition that will give him an idea of what type team he really has).

The Seminoles’ chances rest on containing running back DeMarco Murray, who had 208 yards for OU on Saturday - and, of course, keeping their composure in one of the country’s toughest venues for visiting teams.

Miami at Ohio State, 3:30

This is arguably the most intriguing game of the weekend. Will Miami’s athleticism be too much for OSU’s brawn? Will the Buckeyes wear UM down and rattle Jacory Harris?

The opening week of the season didn’t offer many clues as they both pasted overmatched opposition (Florida A&M and Marshall, respectively), but talk of Miami’s defense moving closer to the program’s glory days has been intensifying.

A lot of that will depend on which Terrelle Pryor shows up for Ohio State. The one who befuddled Oregon in the Rose Bowl will be nearly impossible to top. However, the one who often looked lost in the regular season against Big Ten defenses last year will likely be baited into costly mistakes by the fast Hurricanes.

Of the marquee games Saturday, this one should have the most spectacular plays.

Michigan at Notre Dame, 3:30

Both teams, coming off dismal 2009 seasons, had wins Saturday over decent opposition. Michigan was never threatened by Connecticut, and the Fighting Irish and new coach Brian Kelly looked outright competent in controlling Purdue in Plant graduate Robert Marve’s first game with the Boilermakers.

Homefield advantage is always a factor in this series, but you have to wonder if Notre Dame’s retooled defense will be ready for UM dual-threat quarterback Denard Robinson (hey, he can’t complain about not getting enough practice time under Rich Rodriguez).

Either way, be prepared for the hype that will accompany the winner of this being 2-0.

Oregon at Tennessee, 7

OK, this one really isn’t in quite the same class as the other games mentioned, but it’s not lacking in subplots either. Oregon humiliated New Mexico 72-0 last week, and may not be missing much flash after all due to the departure of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli (the cynic would include the punch of former running back LeGarrette Blount, but would we stoop to that?).

Tennessee was famously jilted by vagabond coach Lane Kiffin last winter, and is looking at a long bottoming-out process under replacement Derek Dooley (to say nothing of courtesy calls from the NCAA).

The Vols posted a shutout last week as well (albeit over Tennessee-Martin) and will at least have a raucous Neyland Stadium crowd hoping to make Dooley’s true debut a winning one. He’s clearly dedicated to doing things the right way, unlike his predecessor, and could use a big upset.

Well, given UT’s various injuries, controversy, coaching transition and general sense of chaos ... good luck with that.

Penn State at Alabama, 7

If you like your college football old school-style, try topping this one (yeah, Michigan-Notre Dame qualifies here as well, but does the modern version have anything to rival the visage of Joe Paterno? We think not). The Tide dusted off San Jose State last Saturday, and PSU had no trouble with Youngstown State.

No. 1 Alabama will likely be without both MVPs of the BCS Championship Game: defensive lineman Marcell Dareus, suspended for illegal dealings with an agent (sound familiar?) and Heisman Trophy-winning running back Mark Ingram, hobbling after minor knee surgery.

The Nittany Lions, on the other hand, will be depending on true freshman quarterback Robert Bolden. Against the defending national champions. In Tuscaloosa. On national television. Against a Nick Saban defense.

Anything can happen, of course, but kids barely eight months out of high school don’t typically fare well in these situations.

So there you go, the best that early September has to offer in college football. Some teams who look great on Saturday will fizzle out by November, and some who lose will get it together in time to scrape together a solid 2010 season.

But if you’re dedicating one Saturday this fall to the couch and the remote, you’ll be really, really hard-pressed to pick a better one than this.