There are some big matchups this weekend around the country, and a lot of contenders are jumping into conference play. In this era of college football, nothing can be taken for granted. You better be ready every Saturday. The SEC will take center stage with some major matchups, Clemson ventures to Atlanta and South Florida tries to pull off another win, this time against Miami.
1. LSU – The Tigers took care of Louisiana Tech 23-7 in a tweener game. On the heels of the big win at Clemson, the Bayou Bengals got it done. The Baton Rouge faithful will be on fire with Florida heading to town. The Gators beat the Tigers last season.
2. Ohio State – The Buckeyes took care of Grambling 70-0 this past Saturday in a matchup of two teams with tremendous traditions. Ohio State plays an in-state MAC foe this week, hosting Ohio at The Horseshoe. Big Ten play begins two weeks later at Washington.
3. Oregon – Ok, Barry Sanders wasn’t playing for the Cowboys, but what Oregon did to Oklahoma State (69-3) was very impressive. Dan Lanning has another outstanding team in Eugene. Can the Ducks defend their Big Ten title? Early returns put them in hunt.
4. Penn State – The Nittany Lions made it 2-0 with a 34-0 win over Florida International. Penn State made the College Football Playoff semifinals last year, and the Nittany Lions are hoping for even more this season. They host Villanova this Saturday.
5. Georgia – The Bulldogs battled Austin Peay and Mother Nature this past Saturday, defeating the Governors 28-6. Now the gauntlet begins, as Georgia battles Tennessee in Knoxville in the SEC opener. The Bulldogs have won eight straight in the series.
6. Miami – The Hurricanes are flying high. After the win over Notre Dame to kick off the season, Miami defeated Bethune Cookman 45-3. Now at 2-0, the stage is set for a huge game against in-state foe South Florida, which just beat the Gators in Gainesville.
7. Texas – The Longhorns bounced back from their season opening loss at Ohio State with a 38-7 win over San Jose State. The next two weeks, Texas hosts UTEP and Sam Houston State, then comes the beginning of Southeastern Conference play.
8. Clemson – The Tigers, after dropping that great opener to LSU, found themselves down 16-0 in the first half to Troy. Clemson did not panic though and closed the game in strong fashion to win 27-16. It’s off to The Flats now in a big ACC battle with the Yellow Jackets.
9. Notre Dame – The Fighting Irish were off this week following the season opening loss against the Hurricanes in Miami. It’s another tough opponent Saturday, as Notre Dame hosts Texas A&M. Last season, the Fighting Irish beat the Aggies in College Station.
10. Tech – The Yellow Jackets backed up their Week One win at Colorado with a one-sided victory over Gardner-Webb. Brent Key has this team clicking. Now comes one of his biggest game at the Jackets helm, as Tech hosts Clemson at Grant Field.
11. Tennessee – The Volunteers followed up their extremely impressive victory over Syracuse with a dominant performance against East Tennessee State. The Vols are clicking and they are hungry to end an eight game losing streak to the Bulldogs.
12. USF – There isn’t a team in the country that has a better two-game hit list thus far this season than the Bulls of South Florida. After beating down Boise State in the opener, USF went into The Swamp and took down Florida 18-16. Now they get the Canes.