Week 2 of college football turned out to have just as much to offer as Week 1. USC and Freshman Matt Barkley snuck by Ohio State in the Horseshoe while RichRod got the win he needed against, surprise, an overrated Notre Dame. What else did we find out? Who stays and goes in the YCS? Who's making a move in our RSS Heisman Watch? Follow me, follow me to all you need to know about Week 2!
YCS STANDINGS
1.Florida (2-0, last game W vs. Troy 56-6, up next Sat. vs. Tennessee)
-The Florida train keeps rolling with a dominant win over a slightly stronger opponent in Troy. Another route should be on hand next week when Florida welcomes another cupcake to the swamp in Lane Kifffin's Volunteers. You've gotta know Urban Meyer is going to want to run up the score on a guy who thinks he's the new sheriff in town. It could get ugly for the Volunteers this week. It's going to take a special performance from a special team to beat the Gators this year.
2. USC (2-0, last game W vs. Ohio State 18-15, up next Sat. at Washington)
-USC picked up another big road win in a hostile environment against the Buckeyes, everyone can calm down a little bit over Matt Barkley. While he showed some poise for a true freshman, several times he was rattled by Ohio State's pressure. USC's highly touted offensive line also looked a step slow against Ohio State. However, with playmakers like Joe McKnight leading the way, the next two weeks should be a Washington sweep before their big game at Cal.
3. Texas (2-0, last game W at Wyoming 41-10, up next Sat. vs. Texas Tech)
-Another slow start for Texas had some at RSS Central checking the scoreboards early and often. However, Colt McCoy and company were able to right the ship in Wyoming. Now, they get to make their first real statement to the voters against the team that derailed their national title hopes last year, Texas Tech. While the Red Raiders lost their biggest offensive threats, never discount the mad genius, Mike Leach. Still, the 'Horns should take care of business.
4. Alabama (2-0, last game W vs. Fla. International 40-14, up next Sat. vs. North Texas)
-While Alabama did win by 26 points, it wasn't necessarily in the dominant style of their other counterparts in the YCS. Up only 20-14 at halftime, Bama rolled through with their overpowering running game in the second half. Although the slow start is a concern, their big win in Week 1 over Va. Tech at a neutral field sees them stick at #4. Expect North Texas to get the same treatment next Saturday as well.
5. BYU (2-0, last game W at Tulane 54-3, up next Sat. vs. Fla. St.)
-One team that did impress thoroughly against a very beatable opponent was BYU. In fact, BYU was so dominant they did not punt once the entire game. Behind emerging Heisman candidate Max Hall (more on him later), BYU may be positioning itself for a serious National Championship run. They can put another notch in their BCS belt this weekend when they welcome Florida State, although a win won't look as good after Bobby Bowden's team struggled mightily with Jacksonville St.
6. California (2-0, last game W vs. E. Washington 59-7, up next Sat. at Minnesota)
-The biggest riser in our YCS this week are the Bears from Berkley. No team has been more dominant so far than Jeff Tedford's club with their first two wins coming by a combined score of 107-20. Of course, this wouldn't be the first time Cal started hot only to flame out in Pac-10 play, but a the biggest part of the YCS is how you're playing right now, and on that merit, Cal comes in at #6. They can move up even further with a winnable road game at Minnesota.
7. Boise St. (2-0, last game W vs. Miami (OH) 48-0, up next Sat. at Fresno State)
-The blue turf boys from Boise (beautiful alliteration I know) kept up with their mid-major rivals BYU by disposing of Miami (OH) in easy fashion. It was a nice sign to see the Broncos offense show a little more life, but they will certainly have their hands full with WAC opponent Fresno St. next week.
8. Penn St. (2-0, last game W vs. Syracuse 28-7 up next Sat. vs. Temple)
-After Ohio State's loss, Penn St. takes up the Big 10 flag with their win over the Ron Paulus Players. QB Darryl Clark seems to be manning the Spread HD just fine after losing his three best WRS and the defense seems to have picked up where they left off from last year. No way they let Temple slip by them next week.
9. Georgia Tech (2-0, last game W vs. Clemson 30-27, up next Sat. at the U, aka Miami (Fl))
-The Ramblin' Wreck showed they had top 10 ability when they quickly built a 21-0 lead on their conference rival. However, a sloppy 2nd and 3rd quarter left it to a late field goal to rescue a monumental collapse. Still, they hang on in the YCS for their resolve, but will face another tough conference test against a rejuvenated 'Canes Saturday.
10. Cincinnati (2-0, last game W vs. SE Missouri St. 70-3, up next Sat. at Oregon St.)
-Well Ole Miss, if you don't play early on, you don't stay in the YCS. Taking their spot is, what's this, a team from the Big East?! That's right, the Bearcats of Cincinnati take the last spot in this week's YCS. Head coach Brian Kelly has an apparent offensive juggernaut after impressive wins, including a rare season-opening conference win on the road at Rutgers. We'll see how for real this team is though when they make the trek out west to face Oregon St.
Dropped from the YCS: Oklahoma St., Ohio St., Ole Miss
Just Missed Out: LSU, Ole Miss, Ohio St.
-While the Buckeyes did lose, they at least gave a good account for themselves in losing a game they should have won. Oklahoma St. also saw their dark horse championship hopes go up in smoke in a shocking loss at home to Houston. Finally, I think Charlie Weis is still somewhere waiting on the officials to come back on the field to give him a second chance against Michigan. While the Maize and Blue looked better than last year's stinkers, let's not put them in the discussion yet for beating a creation of the national sports media.
RSS HEISMAN WATCH
1. Tim Tebow-QB-Florida (last game 15/24, 237 yards, 4 TDs; 13 rushes, 71 yards, 1 TD)
-Jesus Christ Quarterback remains at the top of the RSS Heisman Watch after a textbook stats-padding performance over the weekend. While he may not threaten his astounding TD numbers of the past, he looks to be in just as good a form as ever. Much like his team, someone is going to need something special to supplant him.
2. Javhid Best-RB-California (last game 17 rushes, 144 yards, 2 total TDs)
-Best backed up a solid first game with an even better performance in his second. While Cal has been thought of as a QB haven under Jeff Tedford, the school actually may have a better record recently with uncovering monster running backs. If the junior can hold up and propel Cal to the top of the Pac-10, he stands a chance.
3. Colt McCoy-QB-Texas (last game 30/47, 337 yards, 4 TDs (1 rushing), 1 INT)
-McCoy loses some ground, but not too much to the frontrunners because he still had a more than respectable statistical day against Wyoming. Still, he'll be hard-pressed to match his amazing completion percentage from last season. However, McCoy will need to come close, or hope for a stumble from Tebow or Best, to climb to the top of the RSS Heisman Watch.
4. Max Hall-QB-BYU (last game 24/32, 309 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT)
-On Saturday, Max Hall did what he needed to do to truly begin his Heisman campaign, have a great statistical day against a weak opponent. Once again, a lot will depend on his team's success, but then again, BYU's success will depend a lot on their senior quarterback.
5. Jacquizz Rodgers-RB-Oregon St. (last game 26 rushes, 166 yards, 1 TD)
-Rodgers has continued his impressive form from last season to make himself a dark horse candidate this season. It will be hard to make an impact on the national scale from Corvallis, he does deserve some love from us here at RSS.
Dropping Out of the Race: Mark Ingram (RB-Alabama) disappointed against an easy opponent in FIU by letting other Alabama backs steal most of the yards and TDs. Dez Bryant (WR-Oklahoma St.) also drops out after dropping a huge pass in the 4th quarter which directly resulted in a Houston TD. Although he was suffering from cramps at the time, those are plays Heisman winners don't make.
Keep an Eye On: Joe McKnight (RB-USC)
He was the true star Saturday night in the horseshoe as the junior once again showed why he was compared to Reggie Bush. While he's a long way from accepting the trophy in New York, he showed his special athleticism and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Of course, he'll have plenty more chances to shine in big games against Cal and Notre Dame later this season. Another early dark horse candidate, Jevean Snead (QB-Ole Miss), has a lot of work to do to catch up with the other quarterbacks who've already had big impacts on their teams this season.
Join us tomorrow as we debut our newest feature, Protecting the Shield, where we'll review Week 1 of the National Football League. Also, stay tuned for the return of the ever popular Decade Series, as we begin the countdown to the greatest single athlete of the 2000s. Until then, it's bye for now!
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