College Football’s Top Ten Games To Watch For Week 2
Flickr/Deerhake11
With week two of the 2012 college football season only a few days away, there are plenty of games that should be entertaining this Saturday. Here are the top ten games you don’t want to miss this weekend:
10. 13 Wisconsin (1-0) at Oregon State (0-0):
Wisconsin didn’t come out for its 2012 season opener the way many thought it would. Northern Iowa almost shocked the Badgers, rallying from a 13-0 halftime deficit to come within a score of pulling the upset (26-21), scoring three touchdowns in the second half. A trip out west to Corvallis should be enough to tell us whether the Badgers just fell asleep last week, or if their pass defense will continue to be a problem this season.
9. UCF (1-0) at 14 Ohio State (1-0):
Many view this game as Ohio State’s only real test on its non-conference slate. Central Florida has always been known as a “sleeper team” in Conference USA that often doesn’t get as much press as it might deserve. Last year, the Golden Knights had a disappointing 5-7 season, but they did defeat Boston College 30-3 early in the year. In the 2010 season, George O’Leary’s squad went 11-3, including a Liberty Bowl win vs. SEC foe Georgia. Can UCF nip the Buckeyes, or will the Urban Meyer led offense be too much to handle?
8. Penn State (0-1) at Virginia (1-0):
After a disappointing loss to the Ohio Bobcats in its opener, Penn State looks to notch its first win of the season. Penn State continues to be the storyline of the 2012 college football season. Considering an offseason of turmoil, it is yet to be determined how good the Nittany Lions really are. How will Penn State and first year coach Bill O’Brien respond after a slow start?
7. 18 Oklahoma State (1-0) at Arizona (1-0):
This game is one to keep an eye on, as first year Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez debuts his offense against Oklahoma State. Things didn’t work out quite so well for Rodriguez in Ann Arbor, but the former Michigan coach has implemented yet another spread attack, this time at Arizona. Last week, Oklahoma State put up ridiculous offensive numbers in an 84-0 rout of Savannah State.
6. Purdue (1-0) at 22 Notre Dame (1-0):
This matchup could turn out to be a good one as the Boilermakers roll into South Bend. After putting up 50 points and nearly 500 yards of total offense on Navy, has Notre Dame’s offense, led by sophomore quarterback Everett Golson, already found its niche for the 2012 season? Purdue should provide a good enough test in determining whether it has or not.
5. East Carolina (1-0) at 9 South Carolina (1-0):
The Gamecocks struggled in week 1 versus Vanderbilt, and a should-have-been pass interference call could have changed the outcome entirely. It should be fun to see if Marcus Lattimore and the Gamecocks can shake the rust off in week 2. East Carolina gave South Carolina a test last season, leading 24-14 at halftime before self-destructing in a 56-37 defeat.
4. Washington (1-0) at 3 LSU (1-0):
The Huskies travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for a classic PAC-12/SEC battle. Many see this as a trap game for the Tigers, as LSU showed some flaws against North Texas last week. Washington has nothing to lose, so the Tigers need to be on upset alert.
3. 16 Nebraska (1-0) at UCLA (1-0):
Nebraska travels to the Rose Bowl to face Jim Mora’s new-and-improved UCLA squad. The Bruins’ offense impressed last week against Rice, as UCLA posted a staggering 646 yards of total offense. Freshman quarterback Brett Hundley looked good as well, completing 75% of his throws and 4 touchdown passes. How will the Blackshirt defense contain UCLA’s offense, which appears to be firing on all cylinders?
2. 23 Florida (1-0) at Texas A&M (1-0):
The Gators enter College Station, Texas to give the Aggies their first SEC conference game in school history. Florida named sophomore Jeff Driskel its starting quarterback at the conclusion of Saturday’s contest vs. Bowling Green. This game will come down to the productivity of the Gators’ offense, led by Driskel and senior running back Mike Gillislee, against a veteran Texas A&M defense starting seven seniors. If Florida finds a way to move the ball consistently, look out.
1. 7 Georgia (1-0) at Missouri (1-0):
The No. 1 game to watch this weekend is yet another SEC conference opener; the Missouri Tigers hosting the No. 7 Georgia Bulldogs in Columbia. Many believe Georgia, led by junior quarterback Aaron Murray, will win the SEC East this season. Murray completed nearly 58% of his passes last week for 258 yards and 3 touchdowns; he will be the perfect test for Missouri’s defense to be able to determine whether it can compete in the SEC this season.
All statistics were gathered from respective athletic department sites: Georgia Bulldogs, UCLA Bruins, South Carolina Gamecocks, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, UCF Knights, Wisconsin Badgers.
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