ESPN College Football

Aaron Murray isn’t shy about his 2011 expectations.

Georgia’s sophomore quarterback isn’t looking to just make up for last season’s 6-7 record or slip into the SEC title game. Murray is looking for perfection. He wants a goose egg in the loss column.

And he’s very serious.

“Anything else is unacceptable,” Murray said. “Have the talent and the coaching.”

That’s a tall order for a team praying for health on the offensive line and looking for another playmaker at receiver and a starting tailback. But as Georgia’s unquestioned leader, Murray is setting the bar high because he has that much faith in his teammates, and they have even more in him.

Murray enters the fall leading all returning SEC quarterbacks with 24 touchdowns from last season, and he was a first-team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches and media this summer.

Last season, he also set Georgia's freshman record for passing yards with 3,049 (second in SEC history by a freshman). He also rushed 87 times for 167 yards and four more scores, giving him the school and conference record for most total offensive yards (3,216) for a freshman.

Yet, he admits he’s not even the most athletic child in his family. His older brother, Josh, who played professional baseball, and his younger sister, Stephanie, a standout in both flag football and softball, outrank him.

He’s cool with that. He’s also cool with getting tips from Stephanie, who passed for a Florida high school record 42 touchdowns during her sophomore season and rivals his arm strength and accuracy.

“She can probably throw the football farther than half of the guys on our team,” Murray said of his sister. “She can launch it 40, 45 yards.”

Murray’s skill is undeniable. Opposing quarterbacks have said as much, with Kentucky’s Morgan Newton and Florida’s John Brantley gushing over his footwork and his ability to sell the play-action.

“For a guy that may not be the biggest guy he really is successful with how he uses his body and how he uses his feet,” Newton said. “He’s got a great arm, he’s accurate. I always watch what he’s doing down there.”

But what he really wanted to improve was his leadership skills. As a true freshman, Joe Cox taught him the true way to a team’s heart was to provide comfort. That meant spending time outside of the offense with teammates he didn’t work as closely with.

“When you’re able to communicate with everyone and be able to motivate everyone on the team, that’s a great leader right there,” Murray said.

Murray organized workouts three to four times each week. After gym sessions ended at 5 p.m., Murray divided players up for 30-minute film sessions, then guided players through 30 minutes of drills and one-on-ones, and then another 30 minutes of 7-on-7 drills, in which Murray scripted 20 to 30 plays.

“He doesn’t act like a redshirt sophomore,” cornerback Brandon Boykin said. “He acts like he’s a fifth-year senior with the way he carries himself. He has the respect of every single player on this team just by the way he works and by the way he leads.”

Added coach Mark Richt: “He's really a coach's dream in how he approaches the game. He understands preparation. He understands team. His motivation is for Georgia to win. His motivation is to see his teammates have success. He's had a season to live through it. I think all those great habits are going to serve him well the rest of his career.”

Richt is no doubt hoping that motivation translates into more wins. It’s no secret that Richt’s seat in Athens is hotter than ever and though Richt might be the SEC’s coaching dean, his failure to make it back to the SEC championship since 2005 has some wondering how long he’ll survive.

You’d think that’d be extra pressure for Murray, but he pays it no mind. He believes 2010 was more about plays not made rather than coaching.

“There are 10 or less plays from last year that if you press rewind and redo those plays we could easily have a 10-win season and no one would be talking about Coach Richt’s job,” he said.

Ten wins will certainly keep Richt safe, and whether Murray acknowledges it or not, he could greatly impact Richt’s future.

Fortunately for Georgia, wins are all Murray’s concerned with. People are expecting impressive numbers from him, but Murray will gladly trade All-America status for wins, and he intends to get them this fall.

“I’m one of the most competitive guys you’ll meet,” he said. “I can’t play any sport without getting in a fight if I lose. If I lose a video game I’m throwing controllers and I’m not talking to you for a while.

“I hate losing more than anything and if I could go back [to last season] and throw five touchdowns, but we win every game, I’ll do that in a heartbeat. I just want to win and do whatever it takes to win.”

Here’s a look at three keys for Georgia if the Bulldogs are going to beat Texas A&M today in the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl:

1. Establish the run: Georgia shuffled things around in its offensive line late in the season, and the results in the running game were obvious. The Bulldogs moved the 6-5, 328-pound Cordy Glenn from left tackle to left guard, and he gave them a more physical run-blocking presence in the middle. Freshman running back Washaun Ealey also added a lot of pop once his carries increased. The Bulldogs rushed for at least 169 yards in their last four games and averaged 217 yards on the ground in their last six games. Not only will that kind of rushing effort open up some things for Joe Cox in the passing game, but it will allow Georgia to control the clock and keep Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson off the field.

2. Win the turnover battle: Georgia ranked 119^th nationally this season in turnover margin at minus-17. The Bulldogs forced just 10 turnovers, which tied for the fewest in the country, and turned the ball over 27 times. However, in its 30-24 win over Georgia Tech to end the regular season, Georgia turned the ball over only once and forced two turnovers. That’s the kind of ratio the Bulldogs will need today against the Aggies, who haven’t been very good at stopping anybody this season. The bottom line: If the Bulldogs can take care of the ball, they’re going to have a chance to score a lot of points.

3. Avoid giving up big plays: Johnson is one of the more versatile quarterbacks in the country, and he’s as good at scrambling around and making plays as he is at throwing for big gains. He has 28 passing touchdowns, which means the Bulldogs have their work cut out for them. They gave up 23 passing touchdowns this season and were vulnerable against everybody they played that could throw the football. Johnson is going to hit some plays. He’s that good. But if the Bulldogs can keep people in front of them, not allow the Aggies to hit them with a bunch of quick strikes and force them to drive the football, then Georgia ought to be able to score enough points to win this game going away.

The first of eight bowl games involving Big 12 teams will start with the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl on Monday (ESPN2, 5 p.m. ET) between Georgia (7-5) and Texas A&M (6-6):

Who to watch: Jerrod Johnson. After having the finest statistical season in history by a Texas A&M quarterback, Johnson will be looking for a capper that could catapult him into early 2010 Heisman contention. When he’s most effective, the Aggies mix running plays as well as his passing to take advantage of Johnson’s arm and deep threats like Uzoma Nwachukwu and Jeff Fuller. He could be poised for a huge game against a suspect Georgia secondary that could be struggling without three assistants who were fired after the end of the season. In A&M's six wins and the loss to Texas, Johnson completed 72 percent of his passes. He'll have to be on for Texas A&M to succeed against the Bulldogs.

What to watch: Texas A&M’s ability to stop Georgia’s running game. The Aggies ranked last in the Big 12 in total defense and twice gave up 60 points this season. Although Joe Cox and D.J. Green will present a sizable challenge through the air, the Aggies can’t be playing behind the sticks against the Bulldogs’ rapidly improving running game. Washaun Ealey and Caleb King produced 349 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ season-ending upset against Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs averaged 217 yards rushing during the final six games, after averaging 97.1 in the first six, and will test the Aggies in the trenches from the opening snap.

Why watch: Sure, the battle between the Bulldogs and the Aggies appears to be one of the weakest of all of the bowl games. But the offensive styles of both teams should ensure a high-scoring game that still should be entertaining to watch. And the first of three bowl battles between the Big 12 and the Southeastern conferences always provides bragging rights between proud supporters of both leagues.

Prediction: Even with the uncertainty in Georgia’s defensive coaching staff, the Bulldogs should have enough firepower to win a wild game. The Aggies will have their moments but can’t be counted to consistently stop Georgia’s running game. Look for the Bulldogs to control the clock and claim a narrow 45-38 victory.

Here's how I rank them heading into the bowls.

1. Texas: The Longhorns earned their BCS championship game berth, but it wasn’t pretty. They struggled all night offensively against Nebraska and were lucky to escape Arlington with the Big 12 championship. The most immediate concern for this team will be the return of the running game and to find some kind of pass blocking after all of the struggles in the championship game. If Texas struggled against teams like Oklahoma and Nebraska, the same bodes for the game against Alabama. Colt McCoy’s Heisman hopes took a big hit. Fortunately for him, Ndamukong Suh will be wearing a coat and tie the next time he sees him rather than a football uniform.

2. Nebraska: It was amazing that the Cornhuskers were so close to the Big 12 title, considering all of their struggles on offense. But even after producing five first downs and 106 total yards against Texas, the Cornhuskers were close because of the play of their defense, particularly Suh. Some of the comments that the Pelini brothers made after the game that were reported in the Omaha World-Herald will only increase the intensity of next season’s game when Texas visits Nebraska. But after Saturday night, there’s no doubt that Bo Pelini has pushed the Cornhuskers program ahead faster than most expected. And the Holiday Bowl will be another way for the Cornhuskers to continue their growth.

3. Oklahoma State: A week after their demolition at the hands of Oklahoma, it will be interesting to see how the Cowboys respond to the start of Cotton Bowl preparations. The Cowboys will face a determined challenge in the trenches against Mississippi, which stunned Texas Tech last season. The Cowboys sure could use Donald Booker in a physical game like that -- and a healthy Zac Robinson.

4. Texas Tech: Mike Leach has never missed a bowl during his 10-year tenure with the Red Raiders. Tech is running into the bowl game in good shape with Steven Sheffield recovering from his foot injury and Taylor Potts coming off a strong finish. The Red Raiders also might end up catching a very winnable bowl game in the Alamo Bowl as they face a fractured Michigan State program that is being torn apart after a controversial series of suspensions. A win likely would enable the Red Raiders to crack the final Top 25, so a big effort is important in bowl preparations.

5. Missouri: It’s hard to believe that a team ranked this high will end up playing in the Big 12’s bowl game with the smallest payout. Actually, Gary Pinkel probably isn’t complaining too much. Navy’s one-dimensional offense shouldn’t pose that much of a problem to the Tigers. They get a shot to play in another Texas city for a bowl game -- it will be four different ones in four years in Houston -- but it will keep the Tigers as a prime topic of conversation in one of Texas’ most fertile recruiting areas. Even though the trip might not be as glamorous as a trip to Arizona, it will still be a bowl trip and a winnable one at that.

6. Oklahoma: The Sooners will be making their first visit to El Paso since 1993 with their trip to the Sun Bowl. It’s a big disappointment after all of the high expectations coming into the season. But the game against Stanford should be a challenging one. It will be a test for the Sooners to check Andrew Luck, Toby Gerhart and all of the Cardinal’s offensive weapons. But the opportunity to win after losing five of his last six bowl games should be something that will drive Bob Stoops and his team during the next several weeks.

7. Texas A&M: Expect one of the most entertaining bowl games when Texas A&M hooks up with Georgia in the Independence Bowl. With Joe Cox and Jerrod Johnson throwing passes and the relative struggles of both team’s pass defenses, the first team in the 50s might end up winning. It will be a good challenge for the Aggies -- particularly on defense -- as they try to stem a recent bowl tailspin that has seen them lose seven of their last eight bowl games since 1998.

8. Kansas State: No bowl game for the Wildcats, but Bill Snyder is hitting the junior-college recruiting trail in earnest as he tries to find playmakers who will fill in for departing seniors like Jeffrey Fitzgerald and Grant Gregory. The Wildcats came much closer to making a bowl trip this season than most expected before the season. Their inability to practice in December will be a huge impetus for Snyder to make sure he includes only one FCS team on his future schedules.

9. Iowa State: Cyclone fans have traditionally stepped up with the kind of interest that makes bowl directors take notice -- even pushing them ahead of teams like Missouri that had significantly better records and head-to-head victories over the Cyclones. Paul Rhoads won’t apologize for his trip to the Insight Bowl, or a chance at a winnable game against Minnesota. ISU will be looking to hand Minnesota its third straight Insight Bowl loss from a different Big 12 team. Considering the Gophers’ late-season offensive struggles, the Cyclones should have a good shot at their first bowl victory since 2004.

10. Kansas: After Mark Mangino’s “resignation” last week, Lew Perkins is looking for a new coach. That chore obviously overrides all other aspects of running the program. Perkins is under the gun a little bit, considering that recruiting can be started by the new coach as soon as he is hired. The coaching search at least will take some of the focus away from the seven-game losing streak that will keep the Jayhawks home for the holidays after a promising 5-0 start this season.

11. Colorado: Dan Hawkins is answering questions about his secret new e-mail address. That’s what happens when you talk about winning “10 games with no excuses” and end up not making a bowl game. But after Hawkins’ one-season reprieve, he’s probably not complaining too much.

12. Baylor: The Bears remain tied with Duke for the nation’s longest bowl drought at 15 seasons and counting. The key for Art Briles’ team to break it next season is getting Robert Griffin healthy and developing a defense that can stand up to the rigors it will face in the South Division next season.

Texas A&M (6-6) vs. Georgia (7-5)

Dec. 28, 5 p.m., (ESPN2)

Texas A&M take by Big 12 blogger Tim Griffin: One of the most intriguing and potentially entertaining games involving a Big 12 team will involve Texas A&M, whose offensive growth helped push them to their first bowl game under Mike Sherman.

The biggest reason was quarterback Jerrod Johnson, who threw for a school-record 3,217 yards and led the Big 12 with 28 touchdown passes against only six interceptions. The Aggies also have a lot of offensive weapons with emerging receivers Jeff Fuller and Uzoma Nwachukwu, Big 12 Freshman of the Year running back Christine Michael and Cyrus Gray. They will be facing a Georgia defense that struggled so much that it’s already led to the firing of coordinator of Willie Martinez and two other defensive assistants. The Bulldogs rank 30^th nationally in total defense but were lit up for 23 touchdown passes and ranked 119^th nationally in turnover margin after recovering only two fumbles all season.

Georgia quarterback Joe Cox and wide receiver A.J. Green are one of the SEC’s most productive passing duos and will be a difficult test for an A&M defense that allowed at least 47 points in four games and ranked last in the Big 12 in every major pass-defense statistic.

But with both offenses being so proficient, the first team to 50 points might win this game.

---

Georgia take by SEC blogger Chris Low:Georgia’s 13^th consecutive bowl trip probably seems a little hollow. This is not what anybody in Athens wanted or expected, as evidenced by Mark Richt’s firing of three of his defensive assistants last week.

The only defensive assistant remaining is tackles coach Rodney Garner. Richt said about 99 percent of his time will be spent on the defensive end of the field this month in practice, as none of the fired assistants chose to hang around for the bowl game. For the second straight year, the Bulldogs struggled to stop anybody. They’ve given up 37 or more points nine times in the past two seasons, which is the reason Willie Martinez, John Jancek and Jon Fabris weren’t retained.

Despite the disappointment this season, Georgia at least goes into its bowl matchup with Texas A&M with a little momentum. The Bulldogs knocked off then No. 7 Georgia Tech in the regular-season finale thanks to their best all-around performance of the season.

Georgia beat itself more times than not this season. The Bulldogs were last in the SEC with 99 penalties, which was also a problem in 2008, and they’re 119^th out of 120 teams nationally in turnover margin.

Freshman running back Washaun Ealey was a bright spot during the latter part of the season, and star receiver A.J. Green should also be back for the bowl game after missing the last two games with an injured shoulder.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Here are some quick halftime thoughts from the Florida-Georgia game. The Gators lead 24-10:

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow looks like his old self, accounting for 216 of the Gators’ 246 yards. He’s playing his way right back into Heisman Trophy consideration.

For all of Georgia’s problems, the continuing penalty problems are right up there at the top. The frustrating thing for Georgia fans is this has been happening for the last couple of years. The Bulldogs have eight penalties for 84 yards at the break. That’s unacceptable, especially when you need every edge you can get in a game like this.

The Bulldogs’ tackling still doesn’t look as crisp as it needs to be, and the pass defense just isn’t very good.

Georgia quarterback Joe Cox had a stretch where he threw some nice passes, and his 26-yard touchdown toss to Aron White was a gem. But his protection broke down later in the half, and the Gators put a lot more pressure on him.

Tebow’s 23-yard touchdown run right before the end of the half was a great call against that defense. The Bulldogs had nobody in the middle of the field.

On that run, Tebow passed Herschel Walker as the all-time rushing touchdown leader in the SEC with 50.

The Gators have done a nice job of taking away Georgia receiver A.J. Green, who only had two catches in the first half.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia's finally on the board thanks to Joe Cox's 1-yard touchdown pass to fullback Shaun Chapas early in the fourth quarter.

What sticks out about that drive, the Bulldogs' only one of the game, is that LSU couldn't get any pressure on Cox. Really, the Tigers haven't pressured him much all game. They did get close to sacking him right before the end of the third quarter, but Cox made the play of the game when he shoveled the ball off to Caleb King on third-and-6 for 10 yards down to the 1.

Four times in that drive, the Tigers were burned on third down, and one of those was a third-and-10 play.

A big part of LSU's inability to get off the field has been its inability to get to Cox.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

A.J. Green is bigger, stronger, faster and better this season.

So far, it hasn’t really mattered how much opposing defenses have shadowed Georgia’s sensational sophomore receiver.

	Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE
	Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green is even better in his sophomore season.

Sooner or later, he’s going to get you.

And, oh yeah, he’s a bit wiser, too.

The inevitable comparisons between Green and Alabama’s Julio Jones will no doubt endure. They both came into the SEC together a year ago, and they both dazzled as true freshmen.

So who’s better?

“I don’t know, man,” Green said with a slight laugh and not about to be drawn into that debate. “I’ll let everybody else decide that.”

This season, it’s been no contest. For that matter, few receivers nationally have been able to match Green’s production.

He has 25 catches for 428 yards and four touchdowns heading into Saturday’s showdown with LSU at Sanford Stadium. To put those numbers into perspective, he’s almost halfway to his production from a year ago in four games.

And what’s more, he’s done his damage with defenses aligning their coverage to stop him. Single coverage has been a rarity for Green, especially with Mohamed Massaquoi now playing in the NFL.

“I’ve still got some things to work on, but I’m trying to make plays whenever my number is called,” said Green, who’s as humble off the field as he is explosive on the field.

He’s been unstoppable the last two weeks, as Arizona State and Arkansas would surely attest. He’s caught 15 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns.

Not only did he set up the game-winning field goal with a 36-yard catch against Arizona State last week, but he also blocked a 37-yard field goal attempt with 4:31 remaining to keep the Sun Devils from going ahead.

“I’ve seen him do too many crazy things to be surprised at anything he does,” Georgia quarterback Joe Cox marveled.

The 6-4 Green is up to 210 pounds, which is about 20 pounds heavier than he was as a freshman, but he hasn’t lost any of his speed or agility.

“I can feel it in my body when guys try to wrap me up and with the arm tackles around the legs,” Green said. “I’m running through the tackles now and finishing plays.”

He also feels a step faster.

“I don’t know about running faster, but I’m playing faster,” Green said. “It goes back to being more of a student of the game. I’m more comfortable out there.

“Last year, I didn’t know how to read coverages and just ran my route basically against air, but I’m looking now at how the corner’s playing me, finding the open gaps in the zone and stuff like that. I was playing on raw talent a lot last year. Coach (Tony) Ball has helped me to be more fundamentally sound.”

That may be, but Green’s unlimited talent, his ability to go get the football and catch the football no matter who’s around him is what sets him apart.

“He doesn’t wait for the ball to come to him. He goes and makes a play on the ball a lot of times before the defensive back even knows the ball is coming,” LSU safety Chad Jones said. “Most receivers wait for the ball to fall in the bread basket, but not him. He goes and gets it.”

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Went a mediocre 6-3 for the second consecutive week, and the season record stands at a tepid 19-7.

Yeesh.

The Pac-10 is presently 19-6 in all nonconference games. It's 15-6 vs. FBS schools and 6-4 vs. other BCS conferences.

Only the SEC has been better thus far --14-2 vs. FBS and 5-2 vs. BCS conferences.

Arizona State, by the way, visits Georgia on Saturday in the rubber-game of the conferences' three-game series.

To the picks.

California 30, Oregon 24: A big game for both teams with season-long ramifications. Cal is the new Pac-10 front-runner. Oregon would put the inglorious game at Boise State completely behind it with a win. The difference here is a mature quarterback Kevin Riley managing the game for the Bears -- and at least one big play for running back Jahvid Best.

Georgia 27, Arizona State 17: The Georgia offense has taken off of late with quarterback Joe Cox, but the Sun Devils will counter with the best defense the Bulldogs have seen. The bigger question is can the Sun Devils score on the road Between the Hedges? Even though the Bulldogs defense has been porous early, the guess here is those mental mistakes will get corrected and the crowd will make things tough for the young crew from Tempe.

Oregon State 24, Arizona 21: Switched this pick twice. Final verdict: Go with the home team. That said, the Wildcats' defense will give the Beavers loads of trouble. Curious to see if Arizona's passing offense will advance much after the switch from Matt Scott to Nick Foles. Probably some but just not enough.

Stanford 31, Washington 28: Another tough one to get a feel for. Now Washington is the team on let-down alert, while Stanford probably feels a sense of urgency with a game that looked like a gimme for its bowl hopes during the preseason. Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck, plus running back Toby Gerhart plus the Huskies making their first road trip will make the difference.

USC 44, Washington State 10: Both teams have injury issues, but the Trojans are just a wee bit deeper. And they should be angry about how things went last week at Washington. Still, doubt this one will be anything close to the 69-zip Coug nightmare in Pullman last year.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

After a strong showing in nonconference games, the Pac-10 slate gets rolling in earnest this week, with a couple of marquee matchups in Oregon. Oh, and there's a little nonconference game down south.

1. Jahvid Best vs. the Oregon run defense: Lots of defensive coordinators say stopping the run is the first priority, but Oregon's defense is more obsessed with it than most -- a big reason they've yielded significant passing yards through the years, despite the presence of a handful of NFL-quality defensive backs. Yet this year the run defense has been just fair-to-middling, see 151 yards surrendered per game, which ranks eighth in the Pac-10. No runner in the country stresses a defense more than Cal's Best, who's trying to make a Heisman Trophy statement.

2. Danny Sullivan making his first road start at Georgia: Arizona State fans have been wringing their hands over Sullivan since Rudy Carpenter trudged off at the end of the disappointing 2008 season. Even a solid spring and frequent praise from coach Dennis Erickson hasn't helped win over skeptical fans. Sullivan hasn't done much early on, in large part because he hasn't had to. Well, he'll have to at Georgia, though the Bulldogs' defense is yielding 406 yards and 34 points per game and won't be nearly as good as what Sullivan will see in Pac-10 play. Sullivan's biggest adjustment will be dealing with 93,000 screaming Bulldogs fans who don't like him much.

3. Will Nick Foles bolster the Arizona passing game? Arizona ranks ninth in the conference in passing with just 167 yards per game. That won't cut it, and that's why Mike Stoops replaced Matt Scott with Foles. The Wildcats have a nice run game, but without balance, conference teams will just gang up on Nic Grigsby and dare the quarterback to throw. Foles is a better pure passer than Scott. He'll have an opportunity to make a claim for the full-time job against a questionable Oregon State secondary and pass rush.

4. Washington on letdown alert: The "letdown" game is a college football cliche, but it's a cliche because it happens so often. Teams that win big games tend to relax or lose focus -- just ask the USC team the Huskies beat. If USC isn't good enough to win while unfocused, Washington certainly isn't either. If the Huskies manage to win at a solid Stanford team, however, there will no longer be any question over whether they are a legitimate conference contender and potential bowl team -- they will be, a year after going 0-12. And one of the biggest stories of the season will only get bigger.

5. USC QB play: Will it be Matt Barkley or Aaron Corp vs. Washington State? And how will the starter play? And will that effort allow us to stop talking about the USC quarterback for a day or two?

6. Washington State's fight: You never say never in college football, but it would be beyond shocking if Washington State upset USC in the Coliseum a year after losing 69-0 at home, particularly with the Trojans coming off an embarrassing loss at Washington. Not to mention that the Cougars are -- again -- ravaged by injuries. Yet, if Washington State scraps and claws and keeps the final tally respectable -- say within three TDs -- it will distinguish the Cougars of 2009 vs. 2008. Last year, the Cougs quit. That's the thing they cannot do if they expect to keep the heat off coach Paul Wulff.

7. ASU's defense vs. Joe Cox: Georgia fans were all over Cox after the Bulldogs were dominated by the Oklahoma State defense in the opener, but Cox played better in Game 2 against South Carolina and was lights out at Arkansas in Game 3, throwing for 375 yards and five TDs. It helps that he's got A.J. Green, one of the nation's best receivers, to throw to. We've heard a lot about the Sun Devils' new and improved defense. Cox will test those assertions.

8. Chris Owusu, TD maker: Who's the best playmaker in the Pac-10? Other than Best, it might be Owusu, who's already returned a pair of kickoffs for TDs this year. The Huskies might want to bone up on their kick coverage this week. And Owusu is no slouch at receiver. The sophomore ranks fourth in the conference with 65.7 yards receiving per game and has two touchdowns. He averages 16.4 yards per catch. He's the guy who's going to keep defenses from ganging up against running back Toby Gerhart.

9. Jeremiah Masoli's passing: There has been no more bigger disappointment than Oregon's passing offense. The Ducks rank last in the conference with 126 yards per game and have yet to throw a TD pass. Masoli has completed less than 50 percent of his passes this season, and he was 4-of-16 for 95 yards with an interception in the win over Utah. Some fans started asking whether backup Nate Costa should be given a chance. The Ducks can't beat Cal without a passing game, which means Masoli needs to revert to his form at the end of 2008 when he was one of the nation's premier pass-run threats.

10. Oregon State's offensive line: The Beavers have given up 10 sacks, four more than any other Pac-10 team -- their 3.33 sacks per game ranks 107th in the nation. The run blocking has been OK -- 146 yards rushing per game, 4.1 yards per carry -- but the effort has been inconsistent. Arizona's front seven is fast, and Brooks Reed is one of the Pac-10's best pass-rushers, even if he's off to a slow start. The Beavers, who start a true freshman at left tackle and two sophomore former walk-ons, need to grow up fast. Saturday would be a good time to start.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State has been utterly dominant while winning its first two games. The Sun Devils' defense is ranked No. 1 in the nation. The offense ranks ninth with 44 points a game.

Now, take that information, crumple it up and throw it out the window. Coach Dennis Erickson knows that pounding on Idaho State and Louisiana-Monroe means little.

	Matt Kartozian/US Presswire
	Saturday's game at Sanford Stadium will be Danny Sullivan's first start on the road.

A trip to No. 17 Georgia on Saturday? That's a bit of an upgrade in competition.

"We'll find out a little bit more about what we are as a team, that's the bottom line," Erickson said. "It doesn't matter who they are or what their rank is. We're [asking] right now, 'where are we at as a football team?'"

Erickson repeated variations of those sentiments to a variety of questions: Georgia will be a measuring stick for the Sun Devils.

If they manage to win, or least keep things competitive into the fourth quarter, they might become a top-half of the Pac-10 team, though the Bulldogs probably aren't in the class of California or USC this season.

If they can't keep up, then Arizona State likely falls in with the gaggle of teams scrapping for six wins and bowl eligibility in the lower-middle, bottom-third of the conference.

Of course, one game, win or lose, doesn't a season make. It's possible the Sun Devils in Athens, Ga., won't be anything like the Sun Devils in November. Still, this is the first chance to evaluate Arizona State against a first-rate BCS conference team.

Georgia opened a can of whup butt on the Sun Devils last year, the 27-10 count not doing justice to the Bulldogs dominance.

Georgia took a 21-3 lead into halftime and mostly coasted home. They outrushed the Sun Devils 176 yards to 4 and outgained them overall 461-212.

"They pretty much dominated us," Erickson said. "We didn't play very well and they played well."

The first question is how Arizona State quarterback Danny Sullivan will handle his first start on the road in one of the nation's tougher venues -- "Between the Hedges" at Sanford Stadium.

That's impossible to say. Sullivan is a senior, but the last time he faced a fast, elite defense, he crumbled after coming off the bench in 2008 against USC. And that was at home.

While the Georgia defense doesn't compare to USC -- it's given up 34 points per game -- two of those games were on the road, so the home crowd should help.

"Until you go in there and experience it, you just don't know," Erickson said.

On the other hand, this is a different group of Sun Devils. The defense is deeper and faster than last year's and, while there's lots of experience, a youth movement led by tackles Lawrence Guy, a sophomore, and William Sutton and Corey Adams as well as linebacker Vontaze Burfict -- all true freshmen -- is most intriguing.

Yet the biggest difference might be on the offensive line.

In 2008, the Sun Devils started converted defensive lineman Jon Hargis at left tackle and 289-pound redshirt freshman Adam Tello at right tackle. Things didn't go well for either.

A far more experienced Hargis is now the left guard, while Tello is his backup. NFL prospect Shawn Lauvao moved out to left tackle, while guard Matt Hustad and tackle Tom Njunge give the Sun Devils far more athleticism on the right side. Neither was healthy last year.

Is it a great offensive line? No. But last year's unit didn't have a chance -- the Sun Devils ranked 113th in the nation in rushing and surrendered 34 sacks (109th in the nation). This time around, it might.

"We're much more solid, we have more depth," Erickson said. "We're playing a little bit better, technique-wise and so forth. We made some moves to get our best players in the right positions. As we go through the next 10 weeks, if we lose a guy or two, we'll put people out there who play pretty well. I like where we're at. Are we a great offensive line? No, but we're getting better all the time and we're better now than we were at this time last year."

Georgia, meanwhile, entered the season having to replace running back Knowshon Moreno and quarterback Matt Stafford, NFL first-round picks who dominated the action in last year's game. The Bulldogs seem to be getting their legs under them after opening with a loss at Oklahoma State. They had just 257 total yards against the Cowboys but piled up 530 yards Saturday in their win over Arkansas.

"Joe Cox is playing extremely well at quarterback," Erickson said. "The last two weeks, I didn't see any drop-off."

A key matchup will be Bulldogs sophomore receiver A.J. Green against the Sun Devils secondary, particularly cornerback Omar Bolden. Last year, Green dominated Bolden, catching eight passes for 159 yards and a touchdown.

Erickson's advice to his team on handling the frenzy of a road game in an SEC stadium? Have fun.

"You talk to our players about it and they're excited to go down there and experience [that]," he said. "It's going to be fun; they're looking forward to it."

Sounds like the Sun Devils are eager to find out who they really are in 2009.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Could it be that the SEC isn’t Florida’s own little playground this season?

The league race looks a bit more wide open than it did this time a week ago after seeing the Gators struggle at home against Tennessee.

One game certainly doesn’t make a season, but what happened in the Swamp on Saturday was eye-opening to say the least.

Here’s a look at what we learned in Week 3 in the SEC:

1. No champagne bottles just yet: Contrary to what Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin said leading up to the game last week, Florida isn’t ready to challenge the 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers or the 1985 Chicago Bears as the greatest football team to ever play. The Gators have some obvious holes, the kind of thing that wasn’t going to show up in their first two exhibition games. With Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy gone, there’s nobody who really scares you at receiver, and the running game without Tim Tebow is hit and miss. Tebow is the great equalizer because he wills the Gators to first downs whenever they need them, but he can’t be expected to carry that kind of burden all season long. Moreover, how many more hits can he take? The guy is simply amazing. But in this league, taking on that many linebackers and safeties is playing with fire. Defensively, the Gators had better hope the 23-13 win over Tennessee was just an off day tackling, because they’re going to face offenses this season that will throw far more talent at them from the skill positions than the Vols did Saturday.

2. Monte’s the man: Now that Tennessee defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin has faced a real spread offense, I think it’s safe to say that he knows a thing or two about scheming up any offense -- spread, pro-style, wishbone, draw it up in the sand and go. Hey, Kiffin has been around the block a few times. While it’s true they don’t run a lot of the single wing in the NFL, there’s a reason that he arrived at Tennessee as one of the most renowned defensive minds in the game. Outside of that third quarter, his defense really did a number on Tebow and the Gators. They were able to get pressure from several different spots on the field, came up with key turnovers and stayed aggressive the entire game. Tennessee’s defense is for real, and as long as the Vols stay healthy, they’re only going to get better with Kiffin calling the shots.

3. No defense for Hogs’ defense: They love to squeal a certain chant in Hog Land. They’re just plain squealing right now. That defense doesn’t look any better than a year ago, maybe even worse. And the pass defense? Yeah, I hear you, Hog fans. What pass defense? Seriously, Arkansas is as bad on defense as it is good on offense. In losing 52-41 at home to Georgia, the Hogs were torched for 530 yards of total offense and 20 first downs. All six of Georgia’s touchdowns were 20 yards or longer, and three of them were at least 40 yards. Arkansas’ pass rush rarely got close enough to Georgia quarterback Joe Cox to breathe on him, as he had time to sit back there and throw to open receivers all game. Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett is really good and is going to put up some big numbers this season. But how many shootouts are you going to win in this league? One thing's for sure. It looks like the Hogs are going to be in a lot of them.

4. Don’t forget about McElroy: As we look around the league the first three weeks and pick out the most impressive performers, Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy is right there at the top of my list. He’s been much better than I thought he would be at this point after not playing any meaningful snaps in college until this season, and he can make any throw. His passes are always on time, right where the receiver likes them, and he has great touch on the deep ball. He admits that he was a little shaky to start that game against Virginia Tech to open the season, and that’s understandable. But once he got rolling in that fourth quarter, he’s been as good as any quarterback in the league. In his last nine quarters, starting with the fourth quarter against Virginia Tech, McElroy is 44-of-57 for 502 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He’s spreading the ball around, using his running backs and the tight end and hasn’t really had the benefit yet of throwing to Julio Jones, who’s been slowed by a bruised kneecap. All in all, just a terrific start for the guy who threw 56 touchdown passes as a high school senior.

5. Dogs ain’t dead yet: Here’s hoping the Georgia players have torn up all the schedules. Looking ahead could really get depressing, because there’s no such thing as a break. Unbeaten Arizona State comes to town this weekend. But here’s the refreshing part for the Bulldogs: they’re still swinging. Sure, parental guidance is suggested for that pass defense, but this is a team that had every chance to hang its head coming out of that season-opening loss to Oklahoma State. But the Bulldogs have fought back to outlast South Carolina two weeks ago and beat Arkansas at its own game Saturday night in Fayetteville in a wild shootout. Cox has been a rock for this team, and coach Mark Richt obviously knew what he was talking about when he said there was a special blend of leadership on this club. It’s not a great team by any stretch, but it’s a team that’s had the resolve to claw out a 2-1 start when it just as easily could have been 0-3.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

No matter how you slice it, a pretty wild weekend in the SEC. Let’s hand out some helmet stickers:

Georgia quarterback Joe Cox: Boy, were they down on Cox in the Peach State after that season-opening loss at Oklahoma State. Then it really got crazy that next week with all kinds of rumors swirling. All he’s done since then is lead the Bulldogs to 40 or more points and a pair of wins the last two games. He tied the Georgia school record with five touchdown passes Saturday night in a 52-41 win over Arkansas. His arm strength looks fine to me.

Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin: We rarely give out helmet stickers to somebody on the losing end. But Kiffin had his Vols ready to play in some of the toughest circumstances imaginable at the Swamp, and they outplayed Florida for much of the game. If the Vols play with that kind of pride and that kind of toughness the rest of the way, they will win a lot of games this season.

Mississippi State’s defense: A week after being shredded for 589 yards of total offense by Auburn in a 49-24 loss, Mississippi State’s defense came back swinging against Vanderbilt and held the Commodores to one field goal and 157 total yards. In the first half, Vanderbilt managed just one first down against Carl Torbush’s bunch.

Kentucky receiver Randall Cobb: It’s hard to find a more versatile playmaker anywhere in the country. Cobb made a couple of unbelievable plays Saturday that saved Kentucky in its 31-27 win over Louisville. His leaping 12-yard touchdown catch was the game-winner for the Wildcats. But his catch and run on a 28-yard gain on a third-and-10 play earlier in the quarter may have been the play of the game. It was an outside screen, and Cobb was swarmed by Louisville defenders. Somehow, he broke out and kept alive a key touchdown drive for the Wildcats.

Auburn quarterback Chris Todd: He looks so much better throwing the ball than he did this time a year ago that it’s hard to believe he's the same player. Todd’s offseason shoulder surgery has given him a new lease on his football life, and he’s been a big part of the Tigers’ hot start. He passed for career highs of 284 yards and four touchdowns in the 41-30 win over West Virginia. In his first three games, Todd has six touchdown passes and just one interception. But what was so important about Saturday was that the Mountaineers dared him to beat them throwing the football, and he made them pay.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Now we’re getting into some conference games we can really sink our teeth into.

Georgia and South Carolina played a wild one in Athens Saturday night, combining for 78 points, 206 yards in penalties and one game-changing play after another on special teams.

The team on the move this week is Auburn, which is 2-0 and coming off a 49-24 blistering of Mississippi State.

The team taking the biggest tumble is Tennessee, which lost for the second straight season to UCLA. The Vols are 1-3 against Pac-10 foes in the past four years.

Here’s a look at this week’s updated SEC power rankings:

1. Florida: Can the Gators make it 50-plus points for the third straight week? They barely broke a sweat in the first two games against outmanned foes and have yet to give up a touchdown. But now it’s on to Tennessee and Lane Kiffin. Florida coach Urban Meyer downplayed Kiffin’s comments Sunday and said it’s all water under the bridge. If you believe that, I’ve got some property on the water in Bucksnort, Tenn., I want to sell you.

2. Alabama: Coach Nick Saban wasn’t especially fond of the intensity Alabama played with to start the game, but the Crimson Tide sure did finish the game with a flurry in a 40-14 win over Florida International. This is a team that can strike fast and has owned the fourth quarter this season. The Tide pulled away Saturday without Julio Jones on the field. Now if only Alabama can figure out how to cover a kickoff.

3. Ole Miss: The biggest battle the Rebels fought last week was the one with the flu. In other words, the bye came at a perfect time. They had more than 25 players at one point too sick to practice, but the bug has appeared to run its course. It really shouldn’t matter again this week. Ole Miss faces Southeastern Louisiana in the second leg of one of the softest nonconference schedules you’re going to see anywhere. The Rebels’ first real test won’t come until the Thursday night game against South Carolina later this month.

4. LSU: Les Miles called his club’s 23-9 win over Vanderbilt “imperfect.” But given the way the Tigers struggled on defense in the opener against Washington, it was a nice response by John Chavis’ crew, which held the Commodores to 81 yards on 31 plays in the second half. Anything less than a 4-0 start would be a real disappointment for the Tigers, who have Louisiana-Lafayette this week and Mississippi State the next.

5. Arkansas: The Hogs have been working on Georgia since before their first game, so this is one they ought to be ready for. Arkansas was off last week after blasting Missouri State 48-10. This looks to be one of the most explosive offensive teams in the league. But you really don’t know until the Hogs go up against an SEC defense. When you look at Arkansas’ road schedule, it’s easy to see why this is such a crucial game for the Hogs at home.

6. Georgia: After being down and out following a season-opening loss to Oklahoma State, the Bulldogs got back up off the deck and slugged their way to a 41-37 win at home Saturday night against South Carolina. The Bulldogs’ backs were to the wall, and they played like it after falling behind 17-7 in the first quarter. Senior quarterback Joe Cox, sore shoulder and all, needed some success to build on the rest of the way.

7. Auburn: Gus Malzahn’s offense just keeps on rolling up 500-yard games, and Auburn made it look easy last week against Mississippi State in a 49-24 rout. The Tigers could have played for 10 quarters last season and not scored 49 points against an SEC defense. As Auburn coach Gene Chizik said, the Tigers’ offensive line is “getting it” right now and paving the way for Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb to run their way into the Auburn history books.

8. South Carolina: There was a lot to like about South Carolina’s 41-37 loss on the road to Georgia, namely the fact that sophomore quarterback Stephen Garcia grew up before our very eyes and finally played like a guy capable of leading his team to a big season. There were still too many mistakes on special teams, and the running game hasn’t been real productive through the first two weeks.

9. Kentucky: The Wildcats are back in action after taking last week off. Rich Brooks was pleased with the way his defense charged out of the gate in the opener and clamped down on Miami (Ohio) in a 42-0 shutout. Louisville should provide a little stiffer test this week, and then it’s really on with back-to-back home games against Florida and Alabama. So much of what happens this season with Kentucky revolves around the continued development of junior quarterback Mike Hartline.

10.Vanderbilt: This is probably a little low for a team that was right there in the middle of a one-possession game at LSU until the latter stages. The Commodores, though, will have a chance to prove they should be higher in the coming weeks. They’re really good on defense again and come after you from all different angles. It’s the passing game (really the offense in general) that needs to improve in a hurry.

11. Tennessee: The only thing the Vols have proven to this point is that they can beat up on an incredibly weak Western Kentucky team. The air was let out of the Big Orange balloon Saturday in a 19-15 home loss to UCLA. It’s a loss that may haunt the Vols for the rest of the season. If senior quarterback Jonathan Crompton is going to throw the kind of interceptions he did against UCLA, then Kiffin has no choice but to give a shot to Nick Stephens.

12. Mississippi State: The most disappointing thing for the Bulldogs in their lopsided loss to Auburn was that they didn’t hold up better defensively. It’s no secret that the offense may be a work in progress this season, and it was good for the Bulldogs to get senior running back Anthony Dixon back from a suspension. They get a chance for redemption this weekend at Vanderbilt.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

ATHENS, Ga. -- You knew A.J. Green was going to break out sooner or later. He's been a much bigger factor in this game for Georgia after not being heard from a whole lot in the opener.

His 34-yard catch and run was vintage Green, setting up a short Joe Cox touchdown pass to put the Bulldogs up 38-23 in the third quarter. It's obvious in seeing Green live that he's both bigger and stronger this season.