ESPN College Football

We've given you our thoughts recently on which Pac-12 player has the best shot at winning the Heisman. You've given your thoughts (an extremely tight poll) and now the folks at HeismanPundit.com have offered up their darkhorse candidates for 2012.

They looked at 12 not-as-mainstream candidates who could contend for the Heisman Trophy, and four of them are from the Pac-12.

First, the list:

• Eddie Lacy, Alabama
• Curtis McNeal, USC
• Fitzgerald Toussaint, Michigan
• Kenjon Barner, Oregon
• James Franklin, Missouri
• Braxton Miller, Ohio State
• Kiehl Frazier, Auburn
• Le'Veon Bell, Michigan State
• Cierre Wood, Notre Dame
• Christine Michael, Texas A&M
• Jesse Callier, Washington
• De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon

Their thoughts on each of the Pac-12 players:

On McNeal: A total of 150 carries have departed the program and there is little depth behind the senior, who will benefit from defenses focusing on USC’s strong passing attack. Give McNeal at least half of those departed carries and you are looking at a possible 1,500 yard season, if not more.

On Barner: There were times the rest of the year when he looked as good as, if not better than, James. This year, the Ducks lose not only James’ 247 carries, but also the 45 of freshman Tra Carson and the 56 of quarterback Darron Thomas, for a total of 347 carries to be redistributed.

On Callier: I actually think there is a good chance that Washington experiences no dropoff at this position and that Callier establishes himself as one of the top backs in the Pac-12 with a season exceeding 1,300 yards on the ground.

On Thomas: Thomas is obviously an interesting case since he is such an all-around dynamo. Last year, he had just 140 touches, with 39 of them coming in the return game. This was a wise move by Oregon, as keeping the rather slight Thomas fresh and healthy is the key to his effectiveness. It worked, as he had 18 touchdowns and 2,235 total yards. In that vein, Oregon might be tempted to put a huge workload on him in 2012, but I don’t foresee it unless there is a desperate need.

Fun list. With frontrunner Matt Barkley out there, along with Washington quarterback Keith Price, a couple of USC wide receivers and A-list running backs like John White IV and Stepfan Taylor, there is certainly no wanting for offensive talent in the conference. Per usual.

Which players emerge will definitely be one of the more fascinating stories to follow in 2012.

Oregon and Michigan State have agreed to play a home-and-home football series in 2014 and 2015, with the Spartans visiting Autzen Stadium in 2014 and the Ducks providing a return trip a year later.

The game in Eugene is scheduled for Sept. 13, 2014. The Ducks will head to East Lansing on Sept. 12, 2015.

The two football programs engaged in a similar series in the late 1990s, with Oregon winning in Autzen Stadium 48-14 in 1998. The Spartans prevailed at home, 27-20, in 1999.

“I have tremendous respect for the program that Coach [Mark] Dantonio and his staff have built at Michigan State,” Oregon coach Chip Kelly said in a statement. “There is little doubt a game of this magnitude will present an early-season challenge for us but one that hopefully will make our team better as the season progresses.”

Oregon concludes a home-and-home series with Tennessee in 2013 when the Volunteers are scheduled to visit Eugene on Sept. 14.

"We look forward to adding Oregon to our future football schedule," Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said in a statement. "The series provides MSU alums on the West Coast with an opportunity to see the Spartans compete against one of the nation's outstanding football programs. The relationship between the Big Ten and Pac-12 is built on common values and the Rose Bowl. We also look forward to bringing the Ducks back to Spartan Stadium, as we continue to compete for championships and national exposure."

1. It’s impossible to know whether Gunner Kiel will turn into the Next Great Notre Dame Quarterback or just another guy. But the last-minute decision by Kiel, from Columbus, Ind., to spurn LSU and drive to the South Bend campus only three hours from home is a warming balm for Irish fans frustrated with the pace of head coach Brian Kelly’s progress. A pair of 8-5s is noticeably lacking in face cards. Notre Dame endorsed Kelly a few days ago by adding two years to his contract. Kiel endorsed him by showing up.

2. USF announced the other day that it has scheduled a home-and-home with Nevada, beginning with a trip to Reno on Sept. 8. The Wolf Pack will play in Tampa in 2015. That’s a nice get by the Bulls, but they buried the lead. More important is that in 2012, as it did three years ago, USF will play Florida State and Miami. They also played Florida and Miami in 2010. As the Big East and ACC struggle to create schedules in the wake of their realignment, here’s hoping USF continues to play the state’s bigger names.

3. Speaking of which: here are the five most interesting intersectional games for next season, excluding the traditional non-conference rivalries: Boise State at Michigan State on Fri., Aug. 31; Alabama vs. Michigan in Cowboys Stadium on Sept. 1; West Virginia at Florida State on Sept. 8; Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati at FedEx Field on Sept. 29; Notre Dame at Oklahoma on Oct. 27.

After a year's hiatus, the Rose Bowl is back to its traditional self: A Pac-12-Big Ten matchup.

And it looks like a good matchup of good teams with contrasting styles.

Sounds like a good time for a blog debate!

Ted Miller: Well, Brian, we’re back to a traditional Pac-12-Big Ten Granddaddy and it looks like a good one: Midwest power versus West Coast flash. I’m a little surprised that Oregon is favored against Montee Ball, Russell Wilson and that mammoth group of biscuit and gravy eaters you call an offensive line. Give me an idea of what the Ducks are up against with the Badgers' offense. Is it all power football, or is it more sophisticated than that?

Brian Bennett: You'd better believe the Badgers have the baddest bunch of big uglies in college football, with an offensive line that outweighs many NFL units. Add in a couple of good tight ends, a senior fullback and Wisconsin's dedication to the ground game and you can see why the program has been one of the best running teams in the country for several years now. But it's not just all brute. The thing that makes these linemen stand out is that they are nimble and can really move, and I think many defenses are shocked by that combination of strength and athleticism early in games. Wilson has also given this team an entirely new dimension with his ability to make plays on the move and his outstanding accuracy. Opponents have no choice but to respect the run when playing Wisconsin, and that makes this offense the most dangerous play-action team in America. You'll see receivers getting huge cushions in the passing game, and Ball can break tackles even when the box is loaded.

That's why the Badgers average 44.6 points per game, just a tick below Oregon's 46.2 average. My question for you is, can the Ducks' defense handle this kind of offensive power, especially in a 3-4 scheme?

Ted Miller: Oooooo. I’m telling Chip Kelly that you said the Ducks run a 3-4! He hates that. No idea why. Coordinator Nick Aliotti will tell you that the Ducks throw a lot of stunts and looks -- 3-4, 4-3, 2-5, etc -- and crazy stuff at you. They are fast, underrated and bigger than many think. Their top four defensive tackles, who are in a regular rotation, weigh 321, 300, 283 and 286 pounds.

Oregon has faced big, powerful teams before. Stanford and USC the past two years, in conference, and Auburn and LSU out of conference. Forgotten in the talk about how Auburn and LSU slowed down the Ducks' offense is how the Ducks' defense slowed down both sets of Tigers. Oregon outgained LSU 372-273 but was done in by four horrible turnovers. The Ducks held Auburn and Cam Newton to 22 points, its second-lowest total of the season.

Sure, Oregon’s defense ranks 59th in the nation in total yards while Wisconsin ranks eighth. But they yield similar numbers on yards per play: Oregon 4.93, Wisconsin 4.85. And the Ducks are slightly better on third down. Oregon’s defense’s biggest problem is its offense, which scores a lot of points despite ranking LAST in the nation in time of possession. The Badgers' defense, with an offense that ranks 22nd in time of possession, only faced 786 plays this year. Oregon faced 1,005. That skews numbers.

Wait. Did I get all stats-y there? Sorry. My answer to the size question is what Oregon will say leading up to the Rose Bowl. It’s nothing new for them. They play their game, run their stunts, use their speed and see what happens. Stanford, which has two first-round NFL draft choices on its O-line, would be the most natural comparison with the Badgers. And for two years in a row, no team has played good enough defense to beat the Cardinal and Andrew Luck other than Oregon.

While Badgers fans expect Whisky to run over the Ducks with size -- Big Ten thinking! -- Ducks fans believe they can exploit the Badgers' defense with speed and misdirection -- Pac-12 thinking! What about some Brian Bennett thinking: Do the Badgers have the speed on defense to keep up with the Ducks? Is Bret Bielema going to use past blueprints to thwart Kelly?

(Read full post)

The warning signs were there from the beginning.

Persistent thunder and lightning rocked South Bend, Ind., throughout halftime of Notre Dame's season opener against South Florida, culminating in a game that ended five hours, 59 minutes after it started. The final tally was Bulls 23, Irish 20, with a quarterback switch and nighttime falling somewhere in between.

The lights came on one week later in Ann Arbor, Mich., where the Irish faced Michigan in the Big House's first-ever night game. But a 17-point lead entering the fourth quarter was not enough for Notre Dame, which surrendered 28 points to Denard Robinson & Co. in the game's final 15 minutes, with a pair of fumbles taking wrong turns, to add to the pain.

An 0-2 start rendered any preseason BCS-bowl expectations meaningless, and the manner in which those defeats took place were as sure a sign as any that this would be one strange season.

Consider:

• Notre Dame then routed Michigan State 31-13 in Week 3, one of only two regular-season losses for a Spartans team that ended up falling a few plays shy of the Rose Bowl.
• The Irish faced a third-and-goal from the 1, down seven, in the third quarter in Week 8 against USC before a fumbled snap resulted in an 80-yard touchdown the other way, effectively killing any chance of a win. It was the second fumble returned for a touchdown against the Irish when facing third-and-goal from the 1 during the season. (USF did it on Notre Dame's first drive of the season.)
• Five days later, Brian Kelly made controversial comments about the difference between the players he recruited and those he inherited, leading to player backlash on Twitter and an apology to the team the next day.

The Irish won eight of their final 10 games to finish 8-4 and clinch a berth in the Dec. 29 Champs Sports Bowl against Florida State, another 8-4 team that saw lofty preseason expectations take a hit early. Tommy Rees will start for Notre Dame, the sophomore's 12th consecutive start after replacing Dayne Crist to start the second half against the Bulls in Week 1. Fellow sophomore Andrew Hendrix, who replaced Rees to start the second half at Stanford in the regular-season finale, is slated to see plenty of action against the Seminoles as well.

The status of Crist, meanwhile, is up in the air after the senior was granted his release to explore options outside of Notre Dame for next season, his final year of eligibility after graduating later this month.

Also leaving the Irish is senior receiver Michael Floyd, who re-wrote the school record books and hauled in 95 catches for 1,106 yards this season. Floyd, a projected first-round draft pick, could be joined by junior linebacker Manti Te'o, who is also projected as a first-round pick after leading the Irish defensively for the second consecutive season.

Personnel questions will be answered later. For now, let's take a look back at this campaign and hand out some hardware:

Offensive MVP: Wide receiver Michael Floyd

Floyd took full advantage of one last chance after a third alcohol-related offense last March put this season in jeopardy. The senior's 95 catches this season are an Irish record, as are the 266 for his career. His 3,645 career receiving yards are the most in school history. So, too, are his 36 career receiving touchdowns. Floyd was lined up virtually everywhere this season and dealt with three different quarterbacks. His downfield blocking improved greatly. And, big statistical performance or not, he remained a threat in every game and always required the full attention of opposing defenses. The Irish will certainly miss him next season.

Defensive MVP: Linebacker Manti Te'o

Following his 133-tackle output from a year ago, the junior has racked up 115 more tackles through 12 games this season, by far the most on the team. He has become more familiar in the backfield, too, notching 13 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, both good for team highs. Add in the fact he dealt with an ankle injury midseason, and Te'o had himself quite a junior campaign. A big decision awaits him this offseason, as Te'o is projected as a first-round NFL pick should he choose to forego his final year of eligibility.

Newcomer of the Year: Defensive end Aaron Lynch

The freshman burst onto the scene with a giant Week 3 performance against Michigan State, recording one sack, forcing a fumble and notching six quarterback hurries. To put that into proper context, no Notre Dame player recorded that many throughout all of the 2010 season. Lynch enters the Champs Sports Bowl against Florida State — a school he once committed to — with 5.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks and 13 hurries on the season. He was forced into extended playing time because of injury along the line, and he did not disappoint.

Coach of the Year: Running backs coach Tim Hinton

Hinton helped the rushing game exceed everyone's expectations but its own. Cierre Wood rushed for 1,042 yards and nine touchdowns, and Jonas Gray may have joined him in the 1,000-yard mark if not for an ACL tear Nov. 19. Gray, a senior, scored 12 touchdowns this season, including at least one in eight consecutive games, finishing his final campaign with 791 yards and a 6.9-yards-per-carry average. Hinton could draw interest from Urban Meyer at Ohio State, but for now the Irish are thankful for the work he put in this season.

Biggest surprise: Running back Jonas Gray

Speaking of Gray … Kelly said before the Irish's game against Boston College that he had never in his career seen a senior renaissance like Gray's. Gray overcame a potentially devastating Week 1 fumble against USF — one that resulted in a game-changing touchdown the other way — and ended up getting game captain honors against Air Force and starting four games. He spent much of the season in pursuit of George Gipp's single-season yards per carry record of 8.11, finishing with a 6.9 average. He had never scored a touchdown before notching 12 this season. Sadly, the campaign ended prematurely on Senior Day. Here's hoping Gray makes a speedy recovery and left enough of an impression on NFL scouts, as he was playing his way onto their radars before going down Nov. 19.

Biggest disappointment: Punt-return game

The Irish finished the season with a punt-return average of 0.30 yards per return, the worst among FBS teams. The Theo Riddick experiment backfired, as the junior fumbled one away in Week 1, and even the normally sure-handed John Goodman let one get away deep in his own territory Week 3 against Michigan State. Floyd voluntarily went back there to try to make something happen, but he never got a chance to return one this season. The Irish have plenty of work to do in this area in the offseason.

Game of the Year: Michigan 35, Notre Dame 31

The Sept. 10 contest had everything a college football fan could ask for: The first night game in the history of the Big House. Two of the three winningest programs in college football history. College GameDay on campus. The biggest crowd in college football history.

Then the game actually started, and it somehow surpassed the hype.

Michigan came back from a 24-7 deficit after three quarters, scoring four touchdowns in the fourth quarter and two in the final 1 minute, 12 seconds to shock the Irish. Vincent Smith's 21-yard touchdown catch made it 28-24 Michigan, Tommy Rees responded 42 seconds later with a 29-yard scoring strike to Riddick and Robinson closed things out with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree with 2 seconds to play, capping off Michigan's third consecutive thrilling win over Notre Dame and a night for the ages. The Big House might as well quit while it's ahead; no night game there will ever surpass the first one.

Michigan State defeated Michigan 28-14 on Oct. 15 and finished one game ahead of the Wolverines in the Big Ten's Legends Division.

The Spartans played in the inaugural Big Ten championship game on Saturday night, falling to Wisconsin 42-39 in one of the most entertaining games of the season.

Yet, when the BCS bowl games were announced on Sunday night, the Wolverines were picked to play Virginia Tech in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, while the Spartans were left out and will play Georgia in the lesser Outback Bowl.

"Michigan sat home on the couch and watched us," Cousins said. "I don't see how you get punished for playing and someone else gets to sit on the couch and get what they want. If this is the way the system is, I guess it's a broken system."

Oklahoma State might be asking the question of Alabama.

Without a playoff system in college football, the BCS objective is to match the two best teams in the country in the Jan. 9 Allstate BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans.

Whether you like the sport’s system for determining its national champion or not, the BCS got it right this season.

No. 1 LSU will play No. 2 Alabama in the Mercedes-Benz Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans with a BCS national championship on the line.

The Tigers and Crimson Tide are the two best teams in the country.

There’s no debate about whether or not the Tigers deserve to be there, after they blasted No. 14 Georgia 42-10 in the SEC championship game on Saturday night to finish the regular season with a 13-0 record. The Tigers have defeated the Pac-12 champion (Oregon), Big East champion (West Virginia) and six SEC teams which were ranked when they played them.

The Crimson Tide, whose only loss came against LSU 9-6 in overtime on Nov. 5 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., edged Oklahoma State for No. 2 in the final BCS standings released on Sunday night. The Crimson Tide had a .9419 BCS average, slightly ahead of the Pokes’ BCS average of .9333.

Alabama (11-1) was ranked No. 2 in the Harris Poll and USA Today coaches’ top 25 poll, which make up two-thirds of the BCS formula. The Pokes (11-1) were No. 3 in both human polls.

Alabama was also No. 2 in two of the six computer ratings in the BCS formula; OSU was No. 2 in the other four. A team’s average in the computer rankings is the other one-third in the BCS formula.

“The system that we have is the system,” Alabama coach Nick Saban told ESPN. “Regardless of what anybody thinks [of the system], it sort of is what it is. I think there are a lot of people out there who think these are the two best teams in the country and want to see them play again.”

LSU coach Les Miles said he didn’t have a problem playing the Crimson Tide again, even though the Tigers have already defeated them on the road this season.

“We look forward to playing Alabama,” Miles told ESPN. “The upside is you understand your opponent and you’ve seen them play. You’ve studied them before and obviously you’ve played them. It will be played in the same fashion with great enthusiasm and want to compete.”

OSU coach Mike Gundy, whose Cowboys will play No. 4 Stanford in the Jan. 2 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, said his team did everything it could in trying to impress voters by blasting rival Oklahoma 44-10 on Saturday night.

“We were very disappointed,” Gundy told ESPN. “We felt like our team had worked very hard. We had a tough loss [37-31 in double overtime at Iowa State on Nov. 18], but we came back and did everything we could do to dominate the game against Oklahoma. We felt like we had an opportunity by the way we played in the game.”

Gundy didn’t criticize the BCS system, saying his school “bought into the system several years ago.”

“We wanted the opportunity to settle the debate that had gone on all year about the offense of the Big 12, the defense of the SEC,” Gundy said. “We thought our defense was a lot better than most people thought. For whatever reason, people decided they wanted to see a rematch of LSU and Alabama. There obviously weren’t enough people who wanted to see the Big 12 champion against the SEC champion.”

The BCS didn’t get everything right on Sunday night.

After then-No. 6 Houston was upset by Southern Mississippi 49-28 in Saturday’s Conference USA championship game, there was one at-large selection available to BCS bowl games. By finishing in the top four of the final BCS standings, Stanford was guaranteed of earning an at-large selection under BCS rules.

With the Cougars out of the mix, the Allstate Sugar Bowl selected No. 11 Virginia Tech to play No. 13 Michigan in New Orleans on Jan. 3. The Hokies were routed by then-No. 20 Clemson 38-10 in Saturday night’s ACC championship game in Charlotte, N.C.

Sugar Bowl officials selected the Hokies over higher-ranked teams like No. 7 Boise State and No. 8 Kansas State.

The other BCS bowl matchups: No. 5 Oregon will play No. 10 Wisconsin in the Jan. 2 Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio and No. 15 Clemson will play No. 23 West Virginia in the Jan. 4 Discover Orange Bowl.

Here are a few other intriguing bowl games outside of the BCS:

• No. 6 Arkansas will play No. 8 Kansas State in the Jan. 6 Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas. The Razorbacks, whose only losses came against LSU and Alabama, probably would have played in a BCS bowl if they weren’t in the SEC (BCS rules allow only two teams from one conference to play in BCS bowl games). The Wildcats were just as deserving as Virginia Tech to play in the Sugar Bowl.
• Florida State and Notre Dame, two of the sport’s traditional heavyweights, will meet in the Dec. 29 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla. Both teams had disappointing seasons after high preseason expectations, but should bring back good teams in 2012.
• Penn State, which finished 9-3 and tied with Wisconsin for first place in the Big Ten Leaders Division, slipped all the way to the Jan. 2 TicketCity Bowl at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The Nittany Lions will play Houston. It seems obvious that bowl games sitting higher in the Big Ten’s pecking order wouldn’t want PSU because of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
• Ohio State (which last week hired Urban Meyer as its new coach) will play Florida (Meyer’s old school) in the Jan. 2 TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. OSU interim coach Luke Fickell will coach the Buckeyes in the bowl game, but Meyer figures to be a very interested observer.

What did we learn from Week 14 of Pac-12 action?

It's Oregon: In the preseason it was "Oregon or Stanford." When Oregon lost to LSU, it became "Stanford or Oregon." But when the fog -- man, Eugene, you do have some fog -- cleared, it was the Ducks. Again. For a third consecutive time. Oregon overcame an early loss, injuries and the Andrew Luck Phenomenon to win the first Pac-12 title game. Now can the Ducks beat ...

It's Wisconsin: The first question of the bowl season is who does the conference champion play? Rose Bowl or national title game? Well, Oregon's loss to USC knocked it out of the national title debate, so that leaves the Ducks headed to the Rose Bowl. And, in a thrilling Big Ten title game, Wisconsin outlasted Michigan State. So it's Ducks and Badgers, which will be simplistically billed as speed versus power, as most Big Ten-Pac-12 matchups are.

USC-Oregon would have been fun to see: It's become an accepted fact among informed college football observers that the NCAA sanctions against USC were a travesty of justice, and the NCAA's refusal to revisit that travesty are a massive act of cowardice on the part of the organization. That's the take of all clear-thinking people. (NCAA folks, just admit you blew it. The NCAA would take a huge step toward wiping away dumbfounding hypocrisy with a moment of honest self-reflection.) We, again, point out the obvious because it would have been electric to see two top-10 teams play in Autzen Stadium on Friday to truly figure out who the best team was in the Pac-12.

Cougs are relevant again: Washington State's hiring of Mike Leach gives the program instant credibility. He's a top-20 coach who knows how to win without elite, across-the-board talent. The Cougs were already taking steps forward the past two years under Paul Wulff. Wulff collected talent that can be competitive in the Pac-12. Leach immediately puts the program back into the North Division discussion.

Uncertainty at Arizona State and UCLA: Arizona State wanted Kevin Sumlin and UCLA wanted Chris Petersen. It appears that neither is going to get its first choice. Rumors are swirling, but there is nothing of substance for either program yet. While Washington State quickly filled its post, it's uncertain whether either the Sun Devils or Bruins will hire a coach quickly. That may be due to insecurity for both athletic directors. Prolonged coaching searches are not good. Both programs need to figure things out and quickly.

Here are five things I'll be watching in college football this weekend:

1. Can No. 14 Georgia keep it close against No. 1 LSU in the SEC championship game?

The Tigers are one victory away from completing a perfect regular season and earning a trip to the Jan. 9 Allstate BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans. The Bulldogs have won 10 games in a row since losing their first two and they're playing with a lot of confidence entering Saturday's SEC championship game at Atlanta's Georgia Dome. But Georgia hasn't played a defense as physical and menacing as LSU's. Can Georgia's offensive line protect quarterback Aaron Murray, who has thrown 14 touchdowns in his past four games? Will Georgia tailback Isaiah Crowell be able to start and finish a game? Georgia might have the second-best defense LSU has faced this season, behind Alabama's, which held the Tigers to only nine points. Will LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson continue to make big plays?

2. Will No. 10 Oklahoma beat No. 3 Oklahoma State for the ninth straight time?

The Pokes are still in the BCS national championship race, although they'll need some help from voters and computers to pass No. 2 Alabama in the BCS standings. OSU hasn't beaten the Sooners since 2002, losing eight games in a row in the Bedlam series. Saturday night's game will be played in Stillwater, and the Sooners aren't as explosive without leading rusher Dominique Whaley and star receiver Ryan Broyles. The Pokes haven't played since a 37-31 loss in double overtime at Iowa State on Nov. 18. They had five turnovers in the loss to the Cyclones and can't afford to turn it over against OU. The last team with the ball might win the game.

3. Which team will win the Big East?

If No. 23 West Virginia beats South Florida on the road on Thursday night and Cincinnati defeats Connecticut at home on Saturday, there will be a three-way tie for first place in the Big East standings. The Mountaineers, Bearcats and Cardinals will finish tied, and the tiebreaker would be decided by the highest BCS standing, which would favor the Mountaineers. West Virginia has been inconsistent in coach Dana Holgerson's first season, and the Bearcats are unpredictable without injured quarterback Zach Collaros. Big East football might be mediocre again this season, but at least it has been dramatic to season's end.

4. Will No. 15 Wisconsin get revenge against No. 13 Michigan State?

The Spartans derailed the Badgers' national championship hopes with a dramatic 37-31 victory in East Lansing, Mich., on Oct. 22. The Spartans won the game on quarterback Kirk Cousins' 44-yard touchdown pass to Keith Nichol on a Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game. Both teams lost in their next games, but recovered to win out to claim their divisions. The Spartans will have to slow down tailback Montee Ball in Saturday's inaugural Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Ball has 29 rushing touchdowns and five touchdown catches; his 34 touchdowns are five shy of tying former Oklahoma State tailback Barry Sanders' NCAA single-season record of 39 touchdowns set in 1988.

5. Will No. 5 Virginia Tech win the ACC again?

The Hokies are one victory away from winning their fifth ACC championship in only eight seasons in the league in Saturday's ACC championship game in Charlotte, N.C. Virginia Tech will try to avenge its 23-3 loss to Clemson at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va., on Oct. 1. The No. 13 Tigers held the Hokies to only 258 yards and no touchdowns at home for the first time since 1995. The Tigers, who have lost three of their past four games, will have to limit Hokies tailback David Wilson, who has run for 1,595 yards with nine touchdowns. Wilson has already tied an ACC record with nine rushing touchdowns this season and he's 61 yards shy of breaking Ryan Williams' school single-season rushing record.

Oregon is better on defense than offense.

That got your attention, eh?

Well, you can make the case by one measure: the All-Pac-12 team as voted on by the coaches. Only one Duck is named to the first-team offense. Three are named to the first-team defense. One Duck is on the second-team offense and one is on the second-team defense. So, that's 4-2 in favor of the defense.

Then, when you toss in three honorable mentions on defense -- players need at least two coaches' votes to make it -- and just one on offense, well, that makes a strong case for the star power of the defense. Seven of the 11 defenders were honored, and just three of the Ducks' 11 offensive players were. (Yes, this leaves off freshman co-offensive player of the year, De'Anthony Thomas, who made the first team as return specialist.)

And, while we're considering the All-Pac-12 team, I have no idea why linebacker Michael Clay, the Ducks' leading tackler, didn't earn honorable mention.

Of course, the numbers don't hold this notion up. The Ducks again rank in the nation's top six in scoring, total and rushing offense. The defensive rankings are nowhere near as elite.

Oregon is 64th in the nation in total defense (384.7 yards per game), 47th against the run (135.6 ypg), 43rd in scoring defense (23 ppg) and 34th in pass efficiency defense. The highlight is sacks, where the Ducks rank sixth with 3.25 per game.

The Ducks' yards per play -- 4.94 -- however, ranks in the nation's top 25. That is meaningful and is the measure coordinator Nick Aliotti most often points to.

Coaches will tell you to never look ahead. So we won't. At first.

The present for Oregon -- another Super Bowl against a nameless, faceless opponent -- is UCLA. The Bruins rank 10th in the conference in scoring offense after getting shut out last weekend by USC. They rank 11th in passing. What they can do is run. They are third in the conference in rushing, with 193.3 yards per game.

So the Ducks' solid run defense has a fairly simple task against the Bruins. Stop the run and force Kevin Prince to throw the ball inside Autzen Stadium. See what happens.

Now we're going to look ahead -- big-time -- and suppose that Oregon takes care of business and Wisconsin beats Michigan State in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday and earns a spot opposite the Ducks in the Rose Bowl. (Considering that the Spartans beat Wisconsin in East Lansing, that's no sure thing, mind you).

The Badgers, based on statistics, are elite on both sides of the ball, ranking fourth in the nation in scoring offense and scoring defense. Not sure I buy the defensive numbers: The Badgers gave up 70 points combined to Ohio State and Michigan State, and neither has what would be considered an A-list offense.

But that Badgers offense is potent and balanced with quarterback Russell Wilson, running back Montee Ball and a HUGE offensive line.

Obviously, we are looking way ahead for both teams. But Wisconsin-Oregon would be an intriguing matchup of consequence. It would give the Ducks a nice opportunity to show the nation they are more than a flashy offense if they met Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.

Oh, and it would be a nice opportunity for the no-name offense to prove it can pile up numbers against an elite defense with extra time to prepare.

Not that we'd overlook UCLA or anything.

If reading a series of factoids about how great Oregon is annoys you, might we suggest you skip over the bullet points that follow?

• If Oregon beats UCLA on Friday, it will win its third consecutive Pac-10/12 championship. USC (2004-06) is the only Pac-12 school to accomplish that feat since the conference expanded to 10 teams in 1978.
• The Ducks have recorded four consecutive seasons with double-digit victories. Before this run, they had three in program history -- and they all happened over the past 12 years.
• The Ducks have 42 wins since the start of 2008, which is the most in a four-year period in school history. Last year, Oregon set a school record for wins at 12.
• Oregon coach Chip Kelly has led the Ducks to more wins (32) in his first three seasons than any coach in conference history.
• Kelly is 32-6 overall and 25-2 in Pac-12 play. His .926 percentage in conference play is the best in conference history.

And we'd like to announce that Oregon is very likely to win 10 games again in 2012 and will be the overwhelming favorite to win a fourth consecutive conference title, unless a couple of guys at USC decided to wait another year before entering the NFL draft.

Hold your thumb and forefinger an inch apart. That represents the distance Oregon has to travel to become a legitimate Pac-12 dynasty.

Of course, the NCAA looms over the program due to L'Affaire de Willie Lyles. Oregon has yet to receive its notice of allegations that contains specific alleged rules infractions, but it received official notification of an investigation in September, so it's only a matter of time. That could lead to a slap on the wrist. Or a haymaker that knocks the program out, at least for a bit.

But that's off-the-field stuff. Let's cast our gaze on the field. There is, after all, a space between your thumb and forefinger that needs explaining.

The only element that eludes Oregon under Kelly is a BCS bowl victory -- a signature win to complete a season. It lost the Rose Bowl to Ohio State after the 2010 season. It lost the national title game to Auburn after the 2011 season.

While those were both highly competitive games, they are most remembered by fans not wearing green -- or whatever color Oregon is wearing at the moment -- for the Ducks' high-powered offense getting stymied. You know, that whole "you give a good defense more than a week to prepare and it can stop Kelly's tricky spread-option."

We're about to make an assertion that some Ducks fans will disagree with (now there's something that never happens): It's a good thing Oregon isn't getting a rematch with LSU in the national title game.

I would not pick any team in the nation to beat LSU. Not Oregon, not anyone. To be honest, I wouldn't pick Oregon to beat Alabama, either.

At this point, I would pick the Ducks to beat either Wisconsin or Michigan State in the Rose Bowl (I suspect they'd pound the Spartans; Wisconsin would be a much tougher test). And Oregon needs a victory in a BCS bowl game to earn national validation.

There is no question Oregon has owned the conference for three years. And, by owning the conference, the Ducks get ownership of all the nice nonconference wins Pac-12 teams have posted during that span. But Oregon doesn't have a marquee nonconference win under Kelly, bowl game or otherwise. Of his six losses, two came in conference play (Stanford, 2009; USC, 2011) and the other four were against highly ranked nonconference foes (Boise State, Ohio State, Auburn and LSU).

That's where the Rose Bowl comes in. Beating Wisconsin or Michigan State would give the Ducks a nice season-ending victory that would give them a national uptick heading into 2012.

Losing to LSU, no matter that every other team would do the same, would provide another negative example for those who don't perceive the Ducks as being truly elite. Remember: This is college football. Without a playoff, perception is only slightly less important than win-loss record (see how it at present is benefiting Alabama).

Of course, losing the Rose Bowl would have an even worse effect, one that could trickle down within the Pac-12. It could be the difference between a 2012 preseason No. 5 ranking and a No. 10 one. And, yes, that matters if your goal is to play for a national title.

Ergo: Oregon needs a BCS bowl win. That is a critical next step for the program.

Would that prove dynastic arrival? At the Pac-12 level, it's already there. As a perennial top-10 team, it would, too.

But there is one more step, though. Winning a BCS bowl would set a course, but the ultimate destination is to be standing amid confetti with a big smile in a loud uniform holding that gaudy crystal football after the final BCS bowl game is complete.

A Notre Dame team that began the year with BCS-bowl aspirations ended its regular season out of the BCS Standings.

The Irish, 22nd entering Saturday's game at Stanford, were not in the top 25 BCS standings released Sunday night, making them 0-for-3 on the day after missing out on The Associated Press and USA Today coaches polls earlier.

The Cardinal's 28-14 win Saturday over Notre Dame helped them move up two spots, from No. 6 to No. 4.

Notre Dame and its fans held onto the hope that a win at then-No. 6 Stanford could have possibly propelled the Irish eight spots into the top 14, which would have made them BCS-bowl eligible. Now, they are on the outside looking in with one week of regular-season games remaining and a likely trip to the Champs Sports Bowl awaiting them next month.

Other Notre Dame opponents from this season in this week's BCS standings are No. 13 Michigan State and No. 16 Michigan, the Irish beating the former Sept. 17 following a loss at the latter one week earlier. The Spartans are playing for a Rose Bowl berth in Saturday's Big Ten title game, while the Wolverines will likely need two teams in front of them to lose next weekend in order to qualify for a BCS bowl themselves.

USC, which won at Notre Dame on Oct. 22, is ineligible for the BCS standings and cannot play in a bowl game this season because of NCAA sanctions.

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Realistically, Nebraska had to beat Michigan State to have any chance of making the Big Ten title game.

The Huskers didn't just beat the Spartans -- they beat them up. In by far their best defensive performance of the year, they raced out to a 21-point lead in the third quarter and held on for a 24-3 victory.

Now, Nebraska is tied with Michigan and Michigan State atop the Legends Division, and Iowa will join them in a four-way deadlock if it takes care of business against Minnesota tonight. It should be a fun November.

The Spartans were oddly listless on offense and sloppy on defense. Blame that brutal October schedule, which must have taken its toll. Or just blame it on having to play a re-energized Nebraska team in Lincoln, where it's awfully tough to beat.

Either way, the Big Ten race just took another turn.

Much more to come after postgame interviews, so stay tuned.

Here are 10 things I’ll be watching in college football this weekend:

1. Will Oklahoma bounce back against Kansas State?

The No. 9 Sooners were stunned by unranked Texas Tech 41-38 last week, ending their 39-game home winning streak. OU hasn’t lost consecutive conference games since a four-game slide in 1998. The Wildcats are off to a 7-0 start but haven’t beaten OU since the 2003 Big 12 championship game. Wildcats quarterback Collin Klein ran for 10 touchdowns in the past three games, but the Cats are averaging only 153.9 passing yards per game. The Red Raiders were able to expose OU’s secondary while totaling 572 yards of offense last week.

2. Should Clemson be on upset alert?

Heading into Saturday night’s game at Georgia Tech, the Tigers are aiming for their first 9-0 start since 1981, when they finished 12-0 and won a national championship. Georgia Tech has dropped two games in a row, scoring only 28 points and averaging only 253 yards of offense in losses to Virginia and Miami. But Tech’s triple-option offense might pose problems for Clemson’s defense, which surrendered 83 points in victories over Maryland and North Carolina. The Tigers scored 115 points and had 1,026 yards of offense in their last two games.

3. What does USC have to do to upset Stanford?

The No. 6 Cardinal will be going for their 16th consecutive victory in Saturday night’s trip to USC. The Trojans will have to slow down Stanford’s running game, which ran for a school-record 446 yards in last week’s 65-21 rout of Washington. The Trojans will need another big game from receiver Robert Woods, who had 12 catches for 224 yards with three touchdowns in last season’s 37-35 loss to Stanford. USC quarterback Matt Barkley has thrown nine touchdowns with only one interception during a three-game winning streak.

4. Who starts at quarterback for Florida?

Gators coach Will Muschamp said senior John Brantley is ready to go for Saturday’s game against No. 22 Georgia in Jacksonville, Fla. But Brantley hasn’t played since injuring his ankle early in the Gators’ 38-10 loss to Alabama on Oct. 1 and hasn’t practiced much over the past three weeks. Brantley might get a chance to play against the Bulldogs, but don’t be surprised if freshmen Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett take most of the snaps. Georgia has to do a better job of taking care of the football -- it has had 12 turnovers in its three consecutive losses to UF.

5. Who’s going to run the ball for South Carolina?

The No. 13 Gamecocks begin life without star tailback Marcus Lattimore, who will miss the rest of the season after tearing knee ligaments in a 14-12 victory over Mississippi State on Oct. 15. Freshman Brandon Wilds will get the start in Saturday’s game at Tennessee, after running for 75 yards on 13 carries so far this season. Quarterback Connor Shaw will have to carry a bigger load on offense, and former USC basketball player Bruce Ellington might get some snaps out of “Wildcats" plays. Volunteers freshman quarterback Justin Worley makes his first start after senior Matt Simms was benched last week.

6. Should Oklahoma State be worried about Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III?

The No. 3 Cowboys’ defense has held up so far this season but will be tested by Griffin, who has thrown 22 touchdowns and two interceptions this season. Baylor’s defense has been exposed by strong passing attacks, giving up 681 yards of offense in a 55-28 loss to Texas A&M on Oct. 15. The Bears allowed 725 yards in a 55-28 loss to OSU last season. Griffin played very well against the Aggies, throwing for a school-record 430 yards with three touchdowns. Baylor has lost five straight and 14 of 15 games to the Pokes.

7. Can Michigan State get up for another big game?

The No. 11 Spartans just completed a trifecta of emotional victories, defeating Ohio State (17-7), Michigan (28-14) and Wisconsin (37-31). The Spartans defeated the then-No. 6 Badgers on quarterback Kirk Cousins’ 44-yard touchdown pass to Keith Nichol on a Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game. Now Michigan State has to regroup to play at No. 14 Nebraska on Saturday. MSU’s defense, which allowed 220 rushing yards to the Badgers, will have to slow down Cornhuskers quarterback Taylor Martinez and I-back Rex Burkhead. The winner gets the inside track to winning the Big Ten’s Legends division.

8. Will Wisconsin rebound to beat Ohio State?

The Badgers saw their BCS national championship hopes all but end with last week’s loss at Michigan State. But Wisconsin can still win the Big Ten’s Leaders division and play in the inaugural Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis on Dec. 3. The Buckeyes had an extra week to prepare, after upsetting Illinois 17-7 on Oct. 15. Ohio State completed only one pass for 17 yards against the Illini, but tailback Dan “Boom” Herron ran for 91 yards with two touchdowns in his first action of the season.

9. Can Texas A&M’s defense shut down another opponent?

Missouri’s trip to Texas A&M on Saturday night will be a matchup of potential future SEC teams. The No. 16 Aggies have struggled defending the pass all season, but they were much better in last week’s 33-17 victory over Iowa State, allowing only 305 yards of offense. Missouri has won four of its last five games against Texas A&M. Tigers quarterback James Franklin struggled in last week’s 45-24 loss to Oklahoma State, completing only 14 of 27 passes for 184 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

10. Can Penn State do it again?

The Nittany Lions have won six games in a row heading into Saturday’s game against Illinois, and they’ve done it with a menacing defense and mediocre offense. Penn State tailback Silas Redd has been very good lately, with four straight 100-yard games. But the Nittany Lions remain unsettled at quarterback, although Matt McGloin played well in last week’s 34-24 victory at Northwestern. The Illini have lost two straight games after a 6-0 start.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- George Atkinson III's dad retired on top.

George Jr., a former all-pro defensive back with the Oakland Raiders, raced George III and twin brother Josh only once, when his sons were around nine years old.

"He actually beat us," George Atkinson III said. "I hate to admit it, but I was really young."

Father never raced son after that. Not that he would have had much of a chance, anyway.

Seven games into his freshman season, George Atkinson III has already returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, something only three other FBS players have done this year. The first-year player out of Stockton, Calif., ranks ninth in the nation in kickoff returns, averaging 30.37 yards per return.

And he is already halfway toward his combination of four kicks and punts returned for scores at Granada High School.

"They stop kicking to you once in a while," he joked of his prep days.

Atkinson's 96-yard touchdown late in the second quarter Saturday breathed life into a Notre Dame team that saw itself fall behind 17-0 to USC. The defense then made a quick stop and the offense drove for a field goal to make it a seven-point game before halftime.

Against Michigan State five weeks earlier, Atkinson's 89-yard kick return in the first quarter followed a Spartans touchdown and gave the Irish an early 14-3 lead, one they never relinquished in their first win of the season.

"Going back to Michigan State, that was my second return, so that really builds trust in your blocks," Atkinson said. "And they do a great job out there holding out the blocks and things like that, and getting me onto the kicker.

"You only get to the kicker so many times, so I know you wanna win when you get there."

That breakaway speed has become a trademark early in his career, and it's something Brian Kelly said separates him from other kick returners.

"Obviously there's no substitute for that," Kelly said. "But he's also got pretty good vision. He's been able to see blocks, the setup of blocks, and you've got to have great vision as a kick returner as well. So I think the combination of the very good vision, we've done a nice job schematically of blocking, and then that second-level speed."

Added special teams coach Mike Elston: "He's a very rugged runner. He doesn't look to make a lot of moves and he's an extremely approachable kid; he's gonna do it exactly how we ask him to do it. And he's got great vision."

Atkinson, whose future is at running back, knew any chance he had to make an impact early would come on special teams.

Because of his success there so far, he has had the chance on multiple occasions to look up at the Notre Dame Stadium scoreboard and see his mark.

"You definitely start thinking then, 'I'm here, it happened,' " Atkinson said of his touchdowns. "So it was a great feeling celebrating with your teammates. I always like looking up at the scoreboard looking at seven. You got seven points up there because of special teams, and it's a great feeling."

Here are 10 things I’ll be watching in college football this weekend:

1. Can Wisconsin’s mammoth offensive line handle Michigan State’s aggressive defense?

The No. 6 Badgers have one of the country's biggest offensive lines, with their five starters averaging 322 pounds. The No. 16 Spartans' four starting defensive linemen have an average weight of 282 pounds, but they're very aggressive and exceptionally quick. Whichever team controls the line of scrimmage in Saturday night's game at Spartans Stadium figures to have a big advantage. MSU ranks No. 2 nationally in total defense (186.1 yards per game) and No. 8 in sacks (3.5 per game).

2. Is No. 25 Washington capable of knocking off No. 8 Stanford?

The Cardinal will play a ranked opponent for the first time this season in Saturday night’s game at Stanford Stadium. The Huskies are off to their first 3-0 start in Pac-12 play since 1997. Washington quarterback Keith Price has been spectacular, completing 69.4 percent of his passes for 1,466 yards with 21 touchdowns and four interceptions. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is 5-1 against ranked opponents, and the Cardinal have won 15 games in a row, the longest winning streak in the country.

3. Will USC restore order against Notre Dame?

The Fighting Irish knocked off the Trojans 20-16 last season, ending USC’s eight-game winning streak in the series. USC quarterback Matt Barkley missed last year’s game against Notre Dame because of a sprained ankle. He’s coming off a so-so performance in USC’s 30-9 victory over Cal last week, completing 19 of 35 passes for a season-low 195 yards. Notre Dame’s secondary will be tested by receiver Robert Woods, who had only five catches for 36 yards against the Bears.

4. Does No. 20 Auburn have a chance at No. 1 LSU?

The Tigers will go into Saturday's game at Tiger Stadium with a new quarterback, after Auburn coach Gene Chizik benched Barrett Trotter in favor of sophomore Clint Moseley. Moseley, who is more of a running threat than Trotter, provided a spark in the second half of last week's 17-6 victory over Florida. Chizik can only hope Moseley performs better than the past two quarterbacks who faced LSU's defense: Florida freshman Jacoby Brissett and Tennessee's Matt Simms. LSU will probably stack the line of scrimmage to slow down Auburn's running attack, so Moseley will have to make some throws down the field.

5. Can Tennessee’s defense slow down Alabama’s Trent Richardson?

The Volunteers seem to be reeling and Saturday night's trip to No. 2 Alabama isn't good a remedy. The Volunteers rank No. 8 in the SEC in run defense, allowing 155.8 yards per game. Richardson has run for 100 yards or more in six straight games, matching Shaun Alexander's 12-year-old school record. Richardson had 183 yards and four touchdowns in last week's 52-7 rout of Ole Miss. If he reaches 100 yards before halftime, Alabama coach Nick Saban might sit him down in the second half to rest for the Tide's Nov. 5 showdown against LSU.

6. Does No. 4 Oklahoma State have anything to worry about at Missouri?

The Tigers have won 10 consecutive home games and they're coming off their best performance of the season. Missouri quarterback James Franklin had 289 passing yards and 84 rushing yards in last week's 52-17 rout of Iowa State. The Pokes have been spectacular on offense this season, but their defense is allowing 426.7 yards of offense per game. OSU will also have to slow down Missouri tailback Henry Josey, who ran for 100 yards or more in three of the past four games.

7. Where does No. 3 Oklahoma need to improve?

The Sooners haven't had problems beating Texas Tech or winning at home. OU has defeated the Red Raiders seven straight times and it has won 39 games in a row at home. But OU coach Bob Stoops would like to see his offense become more consistent in the red zone. The Sooners have scored only 19 touchdowns in 31 trips inside opponents' 20-yard line. OU settled for four short field goals in last week's 41-17 victory over Kansas.

8. How many points will No. 5 Boise State score against Air Force?

The Broncos are firing on all cylinders like never before, scoring 120 points and totaling more than 1,200 yards of offense in their past two games. Boise State had a school-record 742 yards of offense in last week’s 63-13 rout at Colorado State. Tailback Doug Martin ran for a career-high 200 yards, and quarterback Kellen Moore completed his first 18 passes. The Falcons are allowing 434.7 yards of offense -- 103rd in the country -- heading into Saturday’s game at Bronco Stadium.

9. Will No. 7 Clemson play better defense against North Carolina?

The Tigers’ dream season nearly came to a screeching halt last week, before they rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat Maryland 56-45 on the road. Clemson allowed 468 yards of offense against the Terps, including 291 rushing. The Tigers will have to do a better job against the Tar Heels, who have a pretty balanced offense. UNC quarterback Bryn Renner leads the ACC in completion percentage (75.3) and pass efficiency (174.1 rating). Tar Heels freshman Giovani Bernard has gained 100 rushing yards or more in five straight games.

10. Can Georgia Tech get its offense back on track?

The No. 22 Yellow Jackets gained a season-low 296 yards of offense in last week’s 24-21 loss at Virginia. Quarterback Tevin Washington had only two completions and two interceptions and has completed only 30.8 percent of his passes the past two games combined. Georgia Tech’s defense has surrendered 520 rushing yards in the past two games, and Miami quarterback Jacory Harris is coming off one of his best games, throwing for 267 yards with three touchdowns in last week’s 30-24 win at North Carolina.