Lots of UCLA questions in yesterday's chat. It's OK, UCLA fan, you can come out. Don't be scared. I know the sun is bright. You've been in that hole for a while.

You can catch the complete chat here or just read the highlights, of which there are many.

Tim Irvin (Los Angeles, CA): Kevin...FRANKLIN FOR HEISMAN!!! Two weeks is a small sample, but hasn't the UCLA RB at least thrown his proverbial hat into the ring?

Kevin Gemmell (2:01 PM): I would certainly say so. I had a column about Franklin yesterday morning and through the first two weeks of the season, he certainly deserves Heisman recognition. Amazing stats, including a win over a ranked team. Curious to see how it/he holds up over the season.

Wesley (Oregon): In a conference dominated by dynamic offenses, it is most often the team with the best defense that wins the conference. How would you rank the defenses at this point; UCLA and OSU have looked great to me.

Kevin Gemmell (2:03 PM): It's early on OSU since they have only played one game. But very impressed with them. UCLA has been outstanding in the second half of games on defense. Jim Mora credits that with him and Lou Spanos calling LESS blitzes and just letting the front four do their thing. Even teams like Arizona are stiffening up when they have to. Jared Tevis -- a former walk-on -- had those two picks against OSU. Guys are stepping up and some of the defenses we wouldn't have rated as high in the preseason are performing very well.

Jason (Vancouver, WA): Harder to tackle 1-on-1: DAT or Colt Lyerla?

Kevin Gemmell (2:05 PM): Yikes. Tough call. Hard to tackle what you can't catch though.

Brad (The O): I have yet to read one of Hemingway's novels, which would you recommend?

Kevin Gemmell (2:11 PM): Everyone will say Farwell to Arms is required reading. But I really enjoyed The Old Man and the Sea. And while we're on books, I just started No Easy Day -- the true account of the Bin Laden operation. If anyone has read it, no spoilers, but the first 100 pages are fascinating.

Jim (SF): USC's D-line has looked better than expected so far, would you agree? Do you think they are able to get pressure on Nunes this wk?

Kevin Gemmell (2:32 PM): They have seven sacks and are ranked third in rush defense in the conference, but they haven't seen great rushers yet. The thing about David Shaw is he has a pretty good idea for how to attack USC -- you don't spend as much time in the NFL as he did coaching quarterbacks without learning your way around the Tampa-2, so I think Stanford scores some points. The real question is whether Stanford's defense can get enough stops because if this thing gets into a shootout, advantage USC.

SevAnderson (Bend, OR): What are your thoughts re: the upcoming UCLA vs. OSU game? Who's your favorite and why?

Kevin Gemmell (2:43 PM): Early thoughts -- want to see if OSU's run defense is for real. It looked amazing. And the fact that they have two weeks to prepare helps. It's been a weird start to the season for the Beavers. UCLA will have a ton more experience though. It will be their fourth game and it's at the Rose Bowl. I would say UCLA is favored. But not by much.

Chip Kelly (Eugene, OR): Thoughts on Oregon's dismal second half performances so far this season? Think this will become a trend? Or will they again be known as a second half team?

Kevin Gemmell (2:53 PM): I think the first game was a matter of getting a lot of young guys some reps (which is important when there are injuries). I wouldn't worry too much about it yet. And this week probably won't be much of a measuring stick. Let's see what happens against Arizona before getting too nervous.

Cougar Brian (Pullman): Is the Air Raid still warming up in Pullman, or has everyone else just figured out how to stop it?

Kevin Gemmell (2:58 PM): Still warming up. Tough to stop it. Great scheme, gets guys open in space, uses the whole field etc. I was fascinated talking with Leach and he told me it was borne out of the wishbone. Crazy concept when you think about it -- since the wishbone is run-based -- but the concept of using the whole field and spacing totally makes sense. Don't give up hope after two games.