This is one of those “golly-gee” weekends for college football fanatics.
I mean, the season is only two weeks old and already we have a smorgasbord of games to choose from as we scan the dial.
Where to start?
Locally, it’s hard to get excited about California and Portland State, even though the Vikings are unbeaten and own a victory over Division 1 New Mexico. Stanford-Navy is something else. The Cardinal desperately needs a “W” and the Middies have enjoyed a resurgence under Paul Johnson. The game was close last year with Stanford prevailing 41-38 in Annapolis, Md. The Midshipmen come in 2-0 with close wins over East Carolina and Massachusetts, while the Cardinal was trounced by Oregon and edged by San Jose State.
Southern Cal gets its first test when it hosts Nebraska. The hunch here is that the Cornhuskers getting 18 1/2 points is too many, even though the game is in Los Angeles. Nebraska has turned things around under former Raiders’ coach Bill Callahan.
The Southeastern Conference has a dandy matchup in Florida at Tennessee. This is year 2 of the Urban (Meyer) renewal in Gainesville, and this is the weekend where the Gators can prove that they are a national contender. They will have to do it in Knoxville, where the wave of Orange and noise could bother lesser quarterbacks than senior Chris Leak, who has been down this road before. Philip Fulmer, one of the most successful coaches in the nation, has had his problems with Florida, going 5-9 and 3-4 in Knoxville.
Michigan-Notre Dame is always a great matchup, regardless of records. The Fightin’ Irish are being touted as national championship contenders, and if they get past the Wolverines in South Bend, Ind., the road becomes a lot smoother. But Michigan junior running back Mike Hart has been pointing to this game since last year’s 17-10 loss to Notre Dame when he injured his hamstring and was a non-factor.
How about the Miami-Louisville matchup? It’s a must-win for the Hurricanes, who already have one loss courtesy of Florida State, if they want to remain in the national picture. The Cardinals have been touting this game for a year as the one that brings the notoriety Louisville feels it deserves. The Cardinals, who lost star running back Michael Bush in the first game to injury, have scored 121 points in their first two games but should find the going a lot more difficult against a rugged Miami defense.
There’s plenty more to choose from for college football fanatics. Oregon has a statement game against Oklahoma, Pitt gets a chance to make a case for itself when it hosts Michigan State, and a great Lone Star battle has Texas Christian hosting pass-happy Texas Tech.
This is as good as it gets for a Saturday in September. So enjoy the football feast. It’s certain to satisfy.
