By Tim Letcher
NCAAFootball.com
In Week Two’s spotlight game, the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes took care of business, beating No. 12 Miami 36-24 in Columbus.
Junior quarterback Terrelle Pryor led the Ohio State offense, rushing 20 times for 113 yards and a touchdown, while connecting on 12-of-27 passing for 233 yards and another touchdown.
After a tough first quarter, where Miami took a 7-3 lead, the Buckeyes exploded for 23 points in the second quarter, taking a 26-17 lead into the break.
The Buckeyes were able to extend that lead to 36-17 in the third quarter, eventually settling for a 36-24 win over a game Miami squad.
The schedule now sets up nicely for Ohio State. If they can navigate through tough Big Ten games at Wisconsin (Oct. 16) and at Iowa (Nov. 20), Ohio State could be playing for the BCS National Championship.
Stock up – Teams on the rise after Week 2
South Carolina – Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks are off to a 2-0 start after beating Georgia 17-6 in Columbia. Freshman running back Marcus Lattimore rushed for 182 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Gamecock fans hope their team can hold this fast start together this season, unlike in seasons past when a fast start has been paired with a poor finish.
Oregon – It could have been one of those nights for the Ducks. Facing more than 100,000 fans clad in orange, a long trip to get to Knoxville and a lightning delay, there were certainly plenty of distractions for Oregon. But after falling behind 13-3, the Ducks scored 45 straight points to rout Tennessee 48-13. Oregon has outscored its first two opponents 120-13.
Oklahoma – The Sooners were less than stellar in a Week One win over Utah State. But Bob Stoops’ squad fixed that in Week Two. The Sooners dismantled Florida State 47-17, and it wasn’t that close. Oklahoma rolled up 487 yards of offense and had twice as many first downs as the Seminoles. The Week Two Sooners looked like a national championship contender.
Stanford – The Cardinal faced a tough game on Saturday, with the Pac-10 opener at UCLA. But Andrew Luck and company rose to the challenge, blanking the Bruins 35-0 in Pasadena. Jim Harbaugh’s team has placed itself squarely in the race for the Rose Bowl, and should continue to vie for that goal all year long.
Air Force – The Falcons got a measure of revenge on Saturday, beating BYU 35-14. This rivalry had been one-sided since 2004, with BYU winning by an average of 19 points during a six-game winning streak. But this time, it was Air Force with the convincing victory, as the defense forced three turnovers. The Falcons face an even bigger test this weekend, visiting Oklahoma.
Stock down – Teams needing to regroup after Week 2
Virginia Tech – As the old saying goes, don’t let a team beat you twice. Virginia Tech apparently hadn’t heard that phrase. After losing to Boise State in the closing stages of the game on Monday, Virginia Tech lost on Saturday to FCS James Madison, 21-16. What could have been a promising start for the Hokies has turned into disaster in a matter of five days. Frank Beamer’s team needs to get things together quickly before this season gets away from them.
New Mexico – The Lobos were awful in Week One, losing at Oregon 72-0. They weren’t much better in Week Two, losing at home to Texas Tech 52-17. Week Three doesn’t look very promising either, as the Lobos host nationally-ranked Utah. After winning only one game last season, New Mexico needs to make some things happen to avoid a similar fate this season.
Georgia Tech – The Yellow Jackets looked strong in Week One’s win over South Carolina State. But in Week Two, Paul Johnson’s squad came up short, losing at Kansas 28-25. The same Kansas team that had lost to FCS North Dakota State in Week One. For a team that came in ranked No. 15, this was a disappointing and shocking loss for Georgia Tech.
Colorado – Dan Hawkins’ team got a win over intrastate rival Colorado State in Week One, but Week Two was a much different story. Visiting California, the Buffs were never in this one, falling behind 31-0 and ultimately losing 52-7. The schedule only gets tougher for Colorado, as they still must face Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma and Nebraska.
Marshall – The Thundering Herd had a chance to make a statement on Friday night in Huntington, but they once again came up short. Leading intrastate rival West Virginia 21-6 in the fourth quarter, Marshall was unable to close the deal, ultimately losing 24-21 in overtime to the arch rival Mountaineers. Marshall is now 0-10 all-time against West Virginia.
Statistical Studs – Week Two
Denard Robinson, Michigan – To put it simply, Denard Robinson won the game for Michigan against Notre Dame. Robinson carried 28 times for 258 yards and two touchdowns, while connecting on 24-of-40 passing for 244 yards and another score. Robinson’s two-yard touchdown run with 27 seconds left won the game for the Wolverines. After two weeks, Robinson leads the nation in rushing yardage.
Landry Jones, Oklahoma – The Sooners needed a big performance from Jones in Saturday’s game against Florida State, and Jones delivered. Jones connected on 30-of-40 passes for 380 yards and four touchdowns as the Sooners made easy work of the Seminoles. If Oklahoma is to make a national championship run, they will need Jones to continue to play this well.
Sean Renfree, Duke – The Blue Devil quarterback was 28-of-44 through the air for 358 yards and four touchdowns, but his team came up short, losing 54-48 at Wake Forest. Through two games, Renfree has thrown for 708 yards, which is good for third in the nation.
Bobby Rainey, Western Kentucky – The Hilltoppers have the nation’s longest losing streak, but they also have one of the nation’s most explosive players in Rainey. Against Kentucky on Saturday, Rainey carried 22 times for 184 yards and two touchdowns. Proving he’s no fluke, Rainey had 155 yards rushing last weekend against Nebraska.
Ryan Aplin, Arkansas State – It may have been in a losing effort, but Aplin put up huge numbers in Saturday’s game. The Arkansas State signal caller was 25-of-45 for 438 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Red Wolves lost to Louisiana-Monroe 31-24.
Games We’ll Be Watching in Week 3
No. 9 Iowa at No. 24 Arizona
No. 10 Florida at Tennessee
No. 12 Arkansas at Georgia
No. 8 Nebraska at Washington
Air Force at No. 7 Oklahoma
FCS Headlines
FCS No. 12 James Madison upset FBS No. 13 Virginia Tech, 21-16.
Top-ranked Montana was upset, 35-33 at Cal Poly.
Division II Headlines
No. 1 Grand Valley State held off 11th-ranked Hillsdale, 44-41.
No. 14 Missouri Western had an offensive explosion, winning 81-14 against Lincoln.
Division III Headlines
Wisconsin-Whitewater thumped Dakota State 70-7.
Mount Union won at Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 45-28.