ESPN

Pat Forde

  (1:59 PM)

I'm a minute early -- but that just shows how excited I am to talk college football with The People. Let's go!

Jackson (IA)

Am I an optimist in thinking that Michigan can win three games this year?

Pat Forde

  (2:02 PM)

Jackson: Actually, you're a pessimist. Michigan was bad against Utah, no doubt about it. But the defense played a very strong second half and the offense can only improve. And, let's face it, the Big Ten is not murderer's row. The Notre Dame game Sept. 13 will be a big swing game. I'm predicting 5-7 or 6-6 for Big Blue.

Matt (Houston)

Pat.. Nice job on the Forde Yard Dash this week...Your take on this statement: I don't understand all of the complaining about weak scheduling by the BCS conference big dogs when the obvious formula to getting to a BCS game is playing as many cream puffs as you can to pad the win total. I would say the BCS has brought this current scheduling boredom upon itself. Wouldn't you agree?

Pat Forde

  (2:05 PM)

Matt: I cannot agree with you. LSU got to the championship game last year in large part because it played a tough schedule that provided many quality wins and boosted their computer ratings. Ohio State got a big boost in the polls and computers by playing Texas in '06. Texas got the same boost by beating OSU the year before. USC has played in several BCS championship games, and the Trojans ALWAYS schedule ambitiously. Hypothetical: If it comes down to Georgia with one loss vs any other team with one loss to get into the BCS game, Georgia will win out because of the very difficult schedule.

Jesse (Belleville, IL)

Pat.. how did USC jump Georgia in the polls this week? I mean, USC looked good against a weak Virginia team, but then again USC played their starters till the 4th quarter.

Pat Forde

  (2:07 PM)

Jesse: I personally had USC ranked No. 1 both before and after the first weekend. I can understand others moving the Trojans up because A) they went on the road, B) they played an opponent from a BCS conference and C) they crushed said opponent. Virginia isn't good, but crushing the Cavs on the road says a lot more than beating Georgia Southern at home.

Matt (Pcola, FL)

Pat, is was said before the start of week 1 that Bama would upset either Clemson or Auburn. Its obvious they upset Clemson, but what are your thoughts on upsetting Auburn as well. Do you think they can win the West?

Pat Forde

  (2:08 PM)

Matt: Yep, that was my prediction back in July. After week one, I'd say they have a great chance of making it "and" instead of "or" -- but there is a lot of football to be played between now and the Iron Bowl. Injuries, team progress, momentum will all play heavily into how that game shapes up. But as of right now, Bama is a strong contender in the West.

Craig (St. Louis)

The Huskernation is fired up to have "fire" and "heart" back in the program. Can you give me 3-5 sentences summing up the '08 Huskers in game one and beyond?

Pat Forde

  (2:11 PM)

Craig: The Huskers played with fiery heart in the opener. And hearty fire. And lots of heat, and heart, and etc. On a slightly more serious note, I'd say Nebraska did what it was supposed to do in the opener, looks dangerous on offense and still has some improving to do on defense.

Mike (Atlanta)

The Big 10 is 14-13 against the SEC the last 10 years. They are 7-7 over the last 5. All were bowl games, and all but one was played in the South. Please make an argument for the SEC after seeing the facts.

Pat Forde

  (2:12 PM)

Mike: I don't need 10 years of data to know which conference has been better -- much better -- lately. Check the scores of the last two BCS championship games. And don't give me that lame argument about where the games are played. Arizona was no more to Florida's advantage than it was to Ohio State's. And there were many more Buckeyes fans there.

Craig, Saratoga Springs N.Y.

I have seen predictions that Iowa will finish the season anywhere from 4-8 to 9-3. What is your take on the team, and what will be the crucial game for the Hawks?

Pat Forde

  (2:15 PM)

Craig: It's absolutely a crucial YEAR for Kirk Ferentz. He's not delivered on his huge contract and has had too many off-field problems. That said, I think Iowa has a chance to be better than the past couple seasons. A 5-0 start isn't out of the question. Crucial game, to me, looks like Indiana Oct. 11 in Bloomington. Iowa has lost to the Hoosiers two years in a row and gone on to disappointing seasons. They need to win this one.

Bob (Baltimore, DC)

In your dash this week you were pretty hard on the ACC, deservedly so. However, the Big East didn't even have a win over an FBS team, Rutgers got demolished by Fresno State, and WV actually got outgained and allowed 21 points to a not-so-good FCS team, Villanova. I'm not saying the ACC doesn't completely suck but how about a little equality?

Pat Forde

  (2:16 PM)

Bob: OK, equality: The Big East sucked as well. No doubt about it. At least its two highest-ranked teams did not lose, as did the two in the ACC, but there was not a single hang-your-hat victory in that league in Week One.

wayne oak ridge,tn

hey pat im still sick to my stomach after the tennessee loss.are they that bad.or just had a bad game

Pat Forde

  (2:17 PM)

Wayne: Take some Pepto Bismol and call me in the morning. We don't know yet whether Tennessee is bad or just blew a game it should have won. But I do know this: a 2-4 start is quite possible, with Florida, LSU and Georgia all coming up in the first half of the season.

Ryan (NYC)

Pat, Eers or Pirates who you got? Think this will be a Sunday affair?

Pat Forde

  (2:19 PM)

Ryan: Should be a very good game. Skip Holtz is underappreciated; he's quietly put together a very solid program at ECU. I still think WVU is better, but its defense must perform better than it did last week. No idea which way the winds will blow the storm, so I don't know when it will be played. Hopefully the hurricane bypasses and they play Saturday.

Dave (Dallas)

Why are you such a Big Ten Hater? You picked on Tressel for playing Wells one series in the second half (to get starters used to coming out strong after half-time for future match-ups) and try to make some story out of nothing. The kid had 12 carries before he was injured, and if I know Tressel, he was done after that drive was finished. Yet, you make a deal when you didn't even watch the game. If you had, you would have known the kid who ran 39 times against Michigan only had 12 carries at the beginning of the 3rd because from the third series of the game onward he was only getting 30% of the reps due to sharing with M. Wells, Saine, and Herron. Quit hating on the Big Ten, it is getting tiresome and a retread in all your articles...

Pat Forde

  (2:21 PM)

Dave: I did watch the game. Answer me this: did Beanie Wells absolutely NEED to be in the game at that point? This is a guy with more than 300 career carries and another warmup game to go against Ohio U. It wasn't crucial to get him "reps" against Youngstown. As I stated, 100 other coaches would have done the same thing -- but when your star player gets hurt, guess what? You get second-guessed for it.

Sean, Phoenix, AZ

Hello Pat! Oklahoma had a great first half against Chattanooga this past weekend before the thunderstorms pretty much put a damper on it. Cinncy also had a great game. But both played really inferior teams. How do you see this game shaping up this weekend when both these teams really just played warm-up games this past weekend?

Pat Forde

  (2:23 PM)

Sean: I like Oklahoma, but I don't think it will be a blowout. Cincy has been very well coached in recent years, first under Dantonio and now under Kelly, and has a nice blend of experience and athleticism especially on defense. I just don't think Cincy will be able to move the ball with enough consistency to win this game.

Gary (wichita falls, TX)

Let?s just say texas tech wins the big XII this year. If mike leach stays for a while, then do you think tech will emerge as a consistent threat nationally?

Pat Forde

  (2:25 PM)

Gary: Let's wait and see whether Texas Tech does in fact win the Big 12 first. The allegedly improved defense didn't look too special that opening week.

Matt (WV)

Would you be able to fill an hour long chat if we didn't feel our team and/or conference was slighted in some way by the media?

Pat Forde

  (2:25 PM)

Matt: Perhaps not.

Tony (Notre Dame, IN)

Pat, this is my last season as a student at Notre Dame. Last year was a tough one to bear. How many do you see the Irish winning now that Pittsburgh and Michigan don't look very impressive?

Pat Forde

  (2:27 PM)

Tony: Congrats on the soft-serve schedule for your senior year. I'm thinking 7-8 wins for ND this season -- but I'd like to see the Irish play before feeling overly sure about it. San Diego State is terrible, so they'll get a soft break-in game before Michigan.

Erik, Miami, FL

Do you think the Canes will shock the world this Saturday? I do!

Pat Forde

  (2:27 PM)

Erik: No, I don't!

bryan, shepherdsville, ky

Pat, how good can the Kentucky Wildcats be? Offense needs work, but, We have the great Joker Philips and Randy Sanders. I think they can fix it. Also, will Coach K, UL, make it thru the season?

Pat Forde

  (2:29 PM)

Bryan: Offense needs a LOT of work. I was very, very impressed with UK's defense and special teams against Louisville, but that offense won't score a point in the SEC if it plays the way it did in that game. Not sure Hartline is the answer. Need to get the running game going.As for Louisville: Um, I don't think they're going to forfeit their games or anything. Or fire Kragthorpe in the middle of the season.

Fresh Start, Tallahassee

Tell me CTD, with HCIWF naming C. Ponder the starter over Drew "mediocre" Weatherford, are the Noles finally going to get back to 9+ wins this season?

Pat Forde

  (2:30 PM)

Fresh Start: I like HCIWF's move with Ponder, yes. And Lord knows, the door is wide open in the ACC. If FSU doesn't get back on top this year, I don't know when it will.

Jered Centralia, IL

From what you saw in the Illinois vs. Mizzou game last saturday, do you think Juice Williams is THAT good, or Mizzou's defense is THAT bad?

Pat Forde

  (2:31 PM)

Jered: Combo. Williams stuck some nice long throws into pretty tight spots -- that was impressive. But he also had guys open by 10 yards on several occasions. That's on the MU DBs. I think Missouri's defense is improved, but perhaps not as improved as we were led to believe all August.

Rock (Foster City, CA)

What do you expect Cal to do this weekend?

Pat Forde

  (2:33 PM)

Rock: I expect Cal to win big. Washington State will certainly be better than that horrific performance against Oklahoma State, but Cal's offense really clicked against Michigan State and looks like it will be tough to stop.

Darryl (Oakland, CA)

Pat, Can you see Vandy beating the always overrated South Carolina tonight?

Pat Forde

  (2:34 PM)

Darryl: I think it will be closer than the spread, which has Carolina by 10. I was impressed by Vandy in its first game and the USC defense in its first -- but South Carolina cannot throw the ball to the other team as often this time and get away with it.

Phil (Dallas,TX)

Do you consider Colt McCoy to be a Heisman contender after the start he had last week?

Pat Forde

  (2:36 PM)

Phil: Yep, you bet. 24-29 for 222 yards and 3 TDs, plus over 100 yards rushing? Against a not-bad opponent? That's pretty strong.

Todd (Columbus, OH)

Pat, do you think sitting out against Ohio will hurt Beanie's chances of winning the Heisman?

Pat Forde

  (2:37 PM)

Todd: It doesn't help, but it's not the death knell. If he can play against USC and has a big game, he's right back in the picture.

Larry: Durham, NC

Will Greg Robinson even survive the year as coach at Syracuse?

Pat Forde

  (2:38 PM)

Larry: He may survive the year. I doubt he survives the off-season. One of my stats of the week: Cuse's point totals in four season openers under Robinson: 7, 10, 12, 10. All losses, of course.

Chad (Savannah, GA)

4 Penn St. players were just busted with marijuana and have not been named, or suspended, yet. Is Joe Paterno just way too out of touch to continue to coach?

Pat Forde

  (2:40 PM)

Chad: The continuing spate of problems at Penn State definitely makes you wonder. It's a bad trend that seems to be getting worse, not better, and Paterno has to be held accountable for it.

Jim (Parkersburg, WV)

Where is gameday this weekend? Greenville?

Pat Forde

  (2:40 PM)

Jim: I believe Coral Gales for Florida-Miami.

Dustin Ocala, FL

What a sham!! How could Georgia possibly lose 2 spots in the rankings by squashing the Georgia Southern Eagles the way they did with, let's not forget playing almost every player they had? USC is obviously the baby of the BCS but why not just start them a #1 since they're obviously gonna end up there after week 1

Pat Forde

  (2:41 PM)

Dustin: USC started No. 1 on my ballot, so I was one week ahead of you there.

Mike (LA)

Does USC really get credit for scheduling rarely ranked teams like Virginia, Arkansas, and Fresno St?

Pat Forde

  (2:43 PM)

As opposed to teams like Georgia Southern, Youngstown State, Coastal Carolina, North Texas, Louisiana-Lafayette, Chattanooga and Florida International? Why, yes, it does.

padROn305 Miami, FL

How do you think Marve will do at the swamp for his first start?

Pat Forde

  (2:44 PM)

Padron: Good question. Can't wait to find out. I've heard good things about his ability but have not seen him play, so I'm curious.

Tim (Athens)

Isnt it a good thing that voters look at it on a week to week basis? It is ignorant to say that a team has to lose or play close for a team to jump them.

Pat Forde

  (2:45 PM)

Tim: Yes, agreed, especially early in the season. All voters are guessing with their preseason polls, so they should be willing to shake them up substantially when the real results start coming in. That's my personal feeling when it comes to filling out a Top 25.

Jeff (Charlotte, NC)

Pat - Gameday will be broadcasting from the UF-UM game but its in Gainesville!

Pat Forde

  (2:46 PM)

You're right, my bad.

James (Florida)

Is FSU a sleeper to win the ACC?

Pat Forde

  (2:47 PM)

James: If FSU is doing its job, FSU should NEVER be a sleeper in the ACC.

J.B. (Dunmore, PA)

Why not just forget about polls until conference schedules start? Let's see what teams actually can do on the field for a month before ranking them or is that too good an idea to be considered?

Pat Forde

  (2:49 PM)

JB: Sure it's a good idea and would probably be the right idea. The problem is, everyone loves the polls. When they come out in August, the public eats them up. When we come out with the absurd 2009 poll the day after the 2008 championship game, it will get hammered on this site.

Jeremy (Costa Rica)

How much can you really know about teams when they are playing Youngstown State and Chatanooga? A thumping of "#9" Clemson merits some movement, but Arkansas State (o, my bad, they won!)?

Pat Forde

  (2:50 PM)

Jeremy: Exactly. That's why the only performances I felt I could put real stock into from the first week were games like Alabama-Clemson, Missouri-Illinois, Utah-Michigan or USC-Virginia. It's too difficult to learn anything truly significant from mismatches against FCS opponents.

Dan (Philly)

Who ya got for Temple-UConn? Temple was robbed in Storrs last year but UConn's D is probably a lot better than Army. Think we (the owls) can pull this off?

Pat Forde

  (2:51 PM)

Gotta give props to any Temple fan who hits the inbox. Honestly, Temple appears much improved and should have a legit chance to win. And it was robbed last year.

wvu fan

pat. what did you think of white throwing the ball 33 times last wk?

Pat Forde

  (2:53 PM)

I liked it. Thought it showed a commitment to truly diversifying his game. Five TD passes and 25 completions were good signs for him. Now we'll see if he can do it against tougher competition.

Steve (CA)

How good is Maryland if they barely beat FCS Delaware 14-7?

Pat Forde

  (2:53 PM)

Steve: I'm guessing not very. But we'll see.

UGA VII (Athens)

I'll take Georgia Southern over Virginia any Saturday!! Since we open at Okla. St. next year, I expect we will automatically be ranked #1 after we win? (Away, BCS conf. team)

Pat Forde

  (2:55 PM)

Beat Okie State by 45 and we'll talk.

Nathan (USA--->Finland, exchange student)

Can Oregon put up 70 on Utah St this weekend?

Pat Forde

  (2:55 PM)

Nathan: Possibly. But would 60 suffice?

Kelvin (Dayton)

Do you put more stock into scheduling a good non-BCS team (like BYU or Fresno) or a sub-par BCS team (like Virginia or Washington)?

Pat Forde

  (2:58 PM)

Kelvin: It's all situational. Virginia DID win nine games last year, and was at home. Are the Cavaliers as good this year as BYU or Fresno? Doesn't appear to be. But I'd say in general it takes more cojones to schedule Virginia away, and Nebraska away in '07, and Arkansas away in '06, and Notre Dame away every other year, than to bring Fresno to your place.

Kris, PA

Pat, Please give us your top 5 Heisman ballot after 1 week.

Pat Forde

  (3:00 PM)

Kris: Nothing is more meaningless than a Week 1 Heisman ballot, but I think this is what I sent in: 1. Chase Daniel; 2. Tim Tebow; 3. PJ Hill; 4. Mark Sanchez; 5. Louie Sakoda. Honestly, it's a worthless exercise.

Todd Reesing (Kansas)

How far can I take my team, and what do I have to do to enter the Heisman discussion?

Pat Forde

  (3:00 PM)

Todd: My guess is not as far as last season -- tougher schedule. But congrats on doing as well as you have at 5-9. Power to the short man.

Pat Forde

  (3:00 PM)

OK, it's 3 bells. Time for me to sign off. Talk to y'all next week!