No. 12 UCLA at Texas, 3:30 pm on CBS
Legend goes, that if you put your ear to the ground, you can still hear the echoes of Taysom Hill’s footsteps in Austin.
Thump, thump! Whoosh! (As he leaps over another tackler in the open field) Thump!
Or they may have been listening to the highlights of Hill rushing for 160 yards against Houston on Thursday night.
Either way, just when you think it’s over, dual threat dynamo Brett Hundley arrives in Austin squawking “Nevermore! Nevermore!”
The Bruins have their own vulnerabilities. Growing pains along the offensive line are being felt by Hundley.
They’re porous offensive line gave up the nation’s second-most sacks(52) in 2012, 36 in 2013, which was still 109th and have already allowed their quarterback to get dropped eight times in two games.
If they played 14 games, including the Pac-12 Championship Game and a bowl, that equates to 56 defensive muggings. It’s also unsustainable.
UCLA 2-0 start belies their shortcomings against two cupcakes, Virginia and Memphis. Texas is a worse matchup offensively. For one, they’re proficient at getting after the quarterback. Hundley has been UCLA’s most explosive offensive playmaker.
He should tread carefully though. Texas is fourth nationally in sacks. Fortunately, for the bruised Bruins, Texas’ offense looks like a skydiver without a parachute. Let's not forget that Hundley can stride with the best of them. If anything, he runs too often for scouts and Jim Mora's nervses, but that could play to his advantage against the burnt Orange defense.
UCLA wins big.
Georgia Southern at Georgia Tech, 12 pm on ESPN 3
Georgia Tech’s place in the Peach State hierarchy is up for grabs here. If not now, then this could be the beginning of the end of their reign as the crown prince of football to UGA within their increasingly crowded state borders. Georgia Tech’s FBS legacy is quite extensive and prolific, however while the burgeoning program down I-75 at the Georgia Dome finds its legs, the GSU's FCS standing is second to no one’s. Before completing the FBS transition, they were the Bama of football's lower division.
In 1978, when the FBS’ vestige schools formed the Division formerly known as Division I-AA, Southern revived football for the first time in the modern NCAA era and by 1985 they were FCS national champs for the first time. By the year 2000 they were six time national champions, two more than their closest program.
Yellow Jackets head coach Paul Johnson won consecutive national titles at Georrgia Southern before taking his triple option to Navy.
The Eagles are only playing their first year as a full-time FBS member, but led NC State most of the afternoon in Week 1 and their rushing attack has a favorable advantage against Tech. The Yellow Jackets have been hemorrhaging yards on the ground during the first two weeks of the season while Southern ranks third nationally in rushing yards generated after posting 83 on Savannah State in Week 2.
Tech may be hearing similar ghosts galloping up and down Bobby Dodd if defensive coordinator Ted Roof can't solve the monster that Johnson helped nourish.
Georgia Southern upsets Rambling’ Wreck.
Tennessee at No. 4 Oklahoma, 7 pm on ABC
Bob Stoops’ SEC hit list meets its next target. The Volunteers’ have been denied against AP Top 5 teams since 2005 at a 0-14 pace. Stoops has been callin’ out the SEC or defeating its most successful program since last season. Justin Worley and Travis Knight are two quarterbacks that have to bolster their credentials before even being mentioned as all-conference performers. Big Game Bob’s teams have developed a reputation for shrinking like cotton shirts in high heat dryer, but this appears to be a new day for the Big 12.
Oklahoma wins.
U.T. at San Antonio at Oklahoma State, 7 pm
UTSA is more than just a string of initials. They’re college football’s Cinderella program. Four years ago, they were practicing in a pumpkin, now they’re holding their own with major Power 5 conference contenders.
Instead of indiscriminate alley-ooping, UTSA is a fearless veteran defense that would have given Oklahoma State fits even if J.W. Walsh had not suffered a potential season-ending foot injury.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill is already looking like Oklahoma State’s next great wide out, but who will be getting him the ball could alter his production. The Cowboys will reportedly turn to Daxx Garman, who has not seen live action since his junior year of high school in 2009. Ruled ineligible for his senior season at South Lake Carroll High School, his quest to Oklahoma State included a stint at Arizona after high school.
When the game speeds up, we have no idea how Garman could respond. U.T. San Antonio and Oklahoma State are familiar with one another after the Cowboys pulled out to a quick, 35-7 first half lead en route to a 56-35 victory in their inaugural 2013 meeting.
U.T. San Antonio is much improved since last season, but this one is on the road and quarterback Tucker Carter still makes boneheaded plays like the one that ended their upset bid against Arizona at pivotal moments.
Boone Pickens didn’t donate all that money to the athletic department for them to lose to a Texas upstart. Pickens may demolish Oklahoma State and build a theme park in its place if they don't sent U.T. San Antonio bak with an L.
Oklahoma State pleases Mr. Burns Boone Pickens.
No. 6 UGA at No. 24 South Carolina, 3:30 pm on CBS
Chris Rock’s Good Hair had a profound impact on Todd Gurley’s life. Gurley likes to let his dreads shake freely. Sometimes his helmet is constricting. In the midst of shredding South Carolina on a cool October day last fall, Gurley decided his helmet was a superfluous piece of equipment and ultimately shed it. To protect his fellow competitors, the officials admonished him for putting the lives of the Gamecock defenders in danger, flagged the Gamecocks and whistled the play dead.
On 30 carries, Gurley racked up 134 yards, but as you can tell from above, he was robbed of approximately 30 more.
This time, there’s no Jadeveon Clowney lurking on the edges for South Carolina. However, there’s also no Aaron Murray. Spurrier will focus on clamping down on Gurley, while Hutson Mason may have to throw beyond the line of scrimmage
In classic Steve Spurrier fashion, he’s trolling UGA by inviting a Richt commit who switched from South Carolina to Williams-Brice Stadium. Unless, the NCAA allows him out onto the field as an unofficial 12th man, good luck trying to stop Gurley. South Carolina can counter with acclaimed junior Mike Davis, but the Bulldogs weakness to exploit is in the secondary, not their vaunted linebackers and Dyln Thompson hasn't proven yet that he's up to the task.
UGA cruises to a 2-0 start and the premature SEC title talk ramps up.
