While Palko’s interceptions may make new Pitt Coach Dave Wannstedt second guess his decision to return to his alma mater; Texas, Notre Dame and Iowa State respectively may have spoiled the Big Ten’s chances of having a National Champion this year. There have been only five teams with one loss to play for the National Championship in the past seven years…and we all remember that Auburn went undefeated and couldn’t muster its way into the Orange Bowl title game last year. The only true hope for a Big Ten team to reach the Rose Bowl this year is for Purdue to run the table. To accomplish that feat, they will have to beat a red hot Notre Dame team on Oct. 1st in West Lafayette.

Meanwhile, the Big East celebrated “Cupcake Week” in style with the exception of Pitt (as usual) and Cincinnati. WVU, UConn, South Florida, Rutgers and Syracuse won games by an average of more than 36 points per game against vastly inferior teams. However, if the Big East is ever going to obtain national respect they are going to have to earn it by beating teams from the other BCS Conferences on a consistent basis. Five Big East teams have this opportunity this week as the conference welcomes “BCS Buster Week.” Which of these five games is the biggest? The one taking place in College Park of course!

Big East Games

WVU (+3½) at Maryland The Mountaineers enter the game with a 2-0 record and the #1 ranked defense in the country giving up an average of just 129 yards per contest. However, the 1-1 Terrapins will have far more firepower than the ‘Eers first two opponents combined. After blowing a double digit fourth quarter lead in their loss to Clemson last week, the Twerps look to right their ship and set sail toward a winning record. That’s not going to happen! The curse was broken last year and the Mountaineers begin a streak of their own……

WVU 24 Maryland 17

Oregon State at Louisville (-14) The 2-0 Beavers roll into Louisville flying high after defeating Boise State last Saturday on a late field goal. While the Beavers battled the Broncos in an emotional game last weekend, the Cardinals had a bye week after beating intrastate rival Kentucky the previous week. Cards coach Bobby Petrino is one of the best in the country and allowing him two weeks to prepare a game plan will be too much for Oregon State to overcome. Brian Brohm and Michael Bush take their team to the next level as Louisville paddles the Beavers……………..

Louisville 45 Oregon State 27

Virginia (-8) at Syracuse The Cavaliers enter the Carrier Dome with a 1-0 record by defeating Western Michigan in a much closer than expected game on Labor Day weekend. One of the major reasons for the game being close is that Virginia’s star RB Wali Lundi went out of the game early with a sprained ankle. Meanwhile, Orange RB Damien Rhodes rushed for 236 yards and four touchdowns in a shut out victory over Buffalo (31-0). Lundi is listed as day-to-day for this game. If he can’t play, the Orange defense will make it difficult for Cavs QB Marquis Hagans to beat them.……

Virginia 21 Syracuse 17

UConn at Georgia Tech (-15) The Huskies may have gotten away with a one dimensional (rushing) attack against the likes of Buffalo and Liberty, but they won’t have a chance in this game if they don’t have success throwing the ball. The Ramblin’ Wreck has a solid team and has the ability to make some noise in the ACC Coastal Division. Georgia Tech’s main rival for that division will be Virginia Tech who just happens to be the next game on their schedule. Georgia Tech has a history of looking ahead and losing to inferior teams, but should have enough sting to prevail.…

Georgia Tech 27 UConn 20

Central Florida at South Florida (-8) The inaugural battle of the mid-level Florida teams takes place in Raymond James Stadium this year. Both schools are looking to move up the Division I-A ladder and are hoping to attain the success of the “Big 3” Florida schools. While Central Florida received the publicity while Dante Culpepper attended the school, it is the Bulls of South Florida who are the fourth best team within the peninsula……………………

South Florida 24 Central Florida 14

Rutgers at Buffalo (+21) For the third straight week the Buffalo Bulls play a Big East team. Will they finally score in this one? Most likely they will. The Scarlet Knights do not have a great defensive team, especially when they play away from Piscataway. The Bulls’ home opener is set to kickoff at 8:00pm and Buffalo historically plays much better at home than on the road. The next game for Rutgers is against a reeling Pitt team. Will they be looking ahead knowing the Bulls are one of the worst five teams in D-I college football? It’s Rutgers. Of course they’ll look ahead……

Rutgers 31 Buffalo 13

Pitt(iful) at Nebraska (-10½) “Here We Go Steelers, Here We Go!” That’s about the only good thing being said regarding football in Pittsburgh these days. How do you lose to a team, a bad team, that doesn’t score an offensive or special teams touchdown?!!! Ohio University handed the Panthers a mighty blow last week and they might not recover the rest of the season. If they are to recover, they have to turn things around quickly and that won’t be easy as the Panthers travel to Lincoln to take on a much improved ‘Huskers team. Will the Panthers perform a miracle and part the Red Sea? Not with that offensive line…..and offensive it truly is!……

Nebraska 31 Pitt 13

Top 25

Eastern Michigan (-28.5) at #14 Michigan The Wolverines not only lost to Notre Dame last week, but they lost star RB Michael Hart for a few weeks early in the game. That left QB Chad Henne to win the game without much of a running game. The Eagles of EMU are not a powerhouse by any means, but are a much improved unit from last year’s squad…….

Michigan 38 Eastern Michigan 17

UL Monroe at #6 Georgia (-38.5) The Bulldogs finally get a break after starting the season 2-0 against Boise State and South Carolina. The Indians ride into Samford Stadium after getting whipped 38-0 at Wyoming last week. It will get uglier this week as the Bulldogs scalp the Indians……………

Georgia 48 UL Monroe 3

Michigan State (+6.5) at # 12 Notre Dame The Fighting Irish enter this game as a favorite for the first time this season coming off a huge win at Ann Arbor and come home to face an underrated Spartan team led by QB Drew Stanton. Charlie Weis has done an unbelievable job in his first year in South Bend and has his players playing like the Notre Dame of old. Michigan State’s John L. Smith is in his third year in East Lansing and basically has had three weeks to prepare his team for this game which plays second fiddle to only Michigan as its biggest rival. Notre Dame will find it tough to play at such an emotional level for three consecutive weeks, but………….

Notre Dame 24 Michigan State 20

San Diego State (+27.5) at #9 Ohio State The Buckeyes lost a tough one to Texas last weekend and have a huge game against Iowa next weekend. If there was a positive to come out of last week’s loss, it is the fact that Troy Smith has staked his claim as the starter for the Scarlet and Silver. The Aztecs have been beaten soundly by UCLA and Air Force the past two weeks, but will be at an emotional high for this nationally televised game. How well can the Buckeyes recover from last week’s loss?………..

Ohio State 35 San Diego State 10

#24 Alabama (-2) at South Carolina The ole’ ball coach’s Gamecocks gave Georgia a much better game than expected last week while ‘Bama went through the motions against an emotionally inspired Southern Mississippi team. Did the ‘Cocks get their feathers ruffled last weekend or did they prove to themselves that they can play with anybody in the country? Roll Tide!!!……….

Alabama 17 South Carolina 14

#17 Oklahoma (+6.5) at UCLA If you want to take a look at what is wrong with early season polls in college football, take no further look that this game. The Sooner offense has been anemic so far this season and might be even less effective if they continue the suspension of star RB Adrian Peterson. UCLA has had no such problems scoring more than 40 points in each of their first two games. However, OU enters the game as the 17th ranked team in the country and is a 6½ point underdog to unranked UCLA. Someone better get Bob Stoops some Pepto Bismol as OU’s offense can’t get anything Bruin……..

UCLA 20 Oklahoma 14

Ohio at #4 Virginia Tech (-33½) Frank Solich gave the Bobcat faithful a Thank You present last week with Ohio’s upset win over the Pittiful Panthers. The “Green Machine” travel to Blacksburg this week to take on the Hokies of Virginia Tech in a game that could look more like Gang Green. The Hokies tune up for next week’s trip to Morgantown………

Virginia Tech 58 Ohio 13

Northern Iowa at #21 Iowa (NL) Do you think Iowa might want to take out some frustration on the I-AA Panthers?.................

Iowa 45 Northern Iowa 10

Illinois at #15 Cal (-21½) Fighting Illini take to the road for the first time this year to tackle Jeff Tedford’s Cal Bears. Ron Zook has truly instilled a no quit attitude in his team and Illinois has discovered how to get into the end zone this year. Unfortunately for the Illini, Cal also knows how to get into the end zone as they found paydirt EIGHT times last week at Washington...

Cal 45 Illinois 24

Sam Houston State at Texas Tech (NL) What in the Sam Hell are they doing even playing this game? The Bearkats scored 77 points in their opener against NAIA Bacone College. Too bad they can’t use some of those points in this game……

Texas Tech 65 Sam Houston 9

#25 Fresno State (+2½) at Oregon Oregon’s Autzen Stadium is known as one of college football’s most hostile environments, but this year’s version of the Ducks aren’t nearly the “Quack Attack” of a few years ago. Pat Hill’s bunch at Fresno State thrives on games like these……………………..

Fresno State 28 Oregon 24

Rice at #2 Texas (-40.5) Texas is for real this year and Rice never has been. The Longhorns don’t give a hoot……..

Texas 60 Rice 3

#8 Florida State (-1) at #16 Boston College This should be a great game and just might determine who wins the ACC Atlantic Division. FSU finally beat intrastate rival Miami earlier this year and QB Drew Weatherford got a chance to build his confidence against The Citadel last week. The carpetbagger Eagles have looked good early, but history tells us that they find ways to blow games like this……….

Florida State 13 BC 7

#13 Miami at #23 Clemson (+7) The Hurricanes travel to Death Valley in an almost must win conference game early in the season. Coach Larry Coker has had two weeks to get ready for this game and the ‘Canes are hungry to get the losing taste out of their mouths. The Tigers came from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to beat Maryland at College Park last week and set up this battle of the unbeatens. The Tigers are a good team, but they should can’t weather this storm……….

Miami 31 Clemson 10

#4 Tennessee (+6½) at #7 Florida This will be the best game of the day as the SEC East will likely go to the victor. Tennessee struggled in their opener and Coach Phillip Fulmer didn’t take long to change his starting QB by naming Rick Clausen to replace Erik Ainge. Clausen played flawlessly in his last start leading the Vols to a trouncing of Texas A&M is last season’s Cotton Bowl. Can he spin the same magic in “The Swamp” against Urban Meyer’s Gators? Florida QB Chris Leak is a good one, but he still needs more time to grasp Meyer’s offense…..

Tennessee 21 Florida 20

#11 Purdue at Arizona (+7½) Purdue is the Big Ten’s last hope for a shot at the Rose Bowl. They travel to Tucson to take on a much improved Wildcat squad that should have beaten Utah in their season opener. Wisconsin traveled to the desert last year and should have lost. The Boilermakers won’t be so lucky…………..

Arizona 24 Purdue 21

Northwestern (+15) at #22 Arizona State The Sun Devils lost a heartbreaker to LSU in the final minutes last weekend while Northwestern thwarted Northern Illinois’ two-point conversion attempt on the last play of the game. ASU’s QB Sam Keller is a rising star and will help repair the ‘Devils’ wounded ego…….barely…

ASU 35 Northwestern 28

Arkansas at #1 USC (-30½) Talk about a tough job! What do you think the psyche is of the Razorback’s right now? They just lost to perennial SEC basement dweller Vanderbilt and now have to travel across the country to take on the #1 team in the country. Coach Houston Nutt will have to be more psychologist than coach this week as the Trojans are well-rested after a bye week. The job is just too tough of a Nutt to crack as Reggie Bush lights up the night in Los Angeles..…..

USC 42 Arkansas 10

Here’s to another great weekend and a BIG Mountaineer victory over the Twerps!