Rece Davis

  (3:53 PM)

Hi everybody. I'm here a few minutes early...so we can get it cranked up.

Mark (UNC)

Rece, Butch Davis said something like..."when people think of UNC athletics, they will think of UNC football." Is this possible at all? I know it's a motivational thing, but do you think it could happen? Tate for Heisman '08!

Rece Davis

  (3:54 PM)

Mark, that will NEVER happen. At least not at the expense of Roy Williams' hoops team. But there's no reason you can't think of both sports. It's worked at Florida, Texas, Ohio State...no reason it can't work at UNC. Tate's been great hasn't he?

cartersville

will fsu be in the acc championship in j'ville?

Rece Davis

  (3:55 PM)

Coach Bowden said they'd qualified for the 1-AA (FCS)playoffs. Let's let them win one vs the big boys. They could take a step toward that goal vs Wake Saturday.

Mike (Buffalo, NY)

Hey Rece, Who's circling the wagons? Do we have a shot at any real bowl love this year? The Bill are heating up. We need College Football to help as well. Give me something Rece, it's starting to get cold up here!

Rece Davis

  (3:57 PM)

Mike, The Bulls are circling the wagons. We had fun paying homage to Boomer...and seeing Drew Willy contribute a Pontiac Gamechanging Performance nominee. Naaman Roosevelt too. I wouldn't be surprised if they become bowl eligible. Turner Gill has done a wonderful job.

Nathan (exchange student in Finland)

Hi Rece! What did you think about Oregons great comeback?

Rece Davis

  (3:58 PM)

Thought it turned on the punt return...and I'm sure you'll vote that way on the PGP. Sort of salvaged the Pac 10 from total disaster in the non-USC category. I worry about their QB situation. They've had awful luck there.

Austin (UNC)

Rece, I think the Heels have a chance against the Hokies next week. What's your take on that?

Rece Davis

  (3:59 PM)

Absolutely. Carolina looked fast and aggressive on D vs Rutgers...and they can score. Something we haven't seen the Hokies do...yet.

Atlanta, Ga

Hey Rece can u please explain to me why Ohio State is not sitting in the same spot as the unrank Miami Hurricanes? Did not Unrank Miami played the then 5 rank Gators for 3 quaters and keep in the game untell the offical call on the overturn touchdown with Phillips. So the 5rank gators only scored 23 point more than an unrank Miami. USC scored more than that over a Ohio who was rank 5th and USC made them look like a high school team so what is wrong with that picture.

Rece Davis

  (4:01 PM)

Ohio State is a proven commodity...not just vs big time teams. Those players have won a lot of games. Miami's haven't. I realize that pollsters are only supposed to evaluate this season. But this early in the year, I think it's reasonable to assume some subjectivity in evaluating teams. Certainly in the Buckeyes case, the ability and resume' of the Laurinaitises, Jenkins, Boones, etc of the world are fair game. I have no issue with where they're ranked. But they'll have to play closer to their capabilities to stay there.

Mike (New York City)

Rece, love the crack on Palmer and his bachelor days!

Rece Davis

  (4:02 PM)

We try to stay away from it...but it just sort of came to me in the highlight. I asked him in the commercial if it ticked him off. He's a good guy and a really, really good young analyst.

Brad (Gadsden,Alabama)

What game are you most looking forward to this weekend?

Rece Davis

  (4:03 PM)

Easy. LSU-Auburn. Two nasty defenses...a history in the series for bizarre occurrences. Earthquake readings, barns burning, Les losing track of the clock and scoring a TD anyway. It will be awesome Saturday night.

Alex (Kansas City)

Rece, who do you think is the front runner for the Heisman so far?

Rece Davis

  (4:04 PM)

I think it's Chase Daniel followed closely by his buddy Jeremy Maclin. It's early and they'll need to perform in their big time games...particularly Texas..but each has a great shot.

lance (miami, fl)

i was surprised on how the terps played as they crashed the #24 golden bears. were you surprised on how the terps played?

Rece Davis

  (4:06 PM)

stunned beyond belief. But I shouldn't have been. They turn in one of those performances every year. The Terps just need to build on it instead of letting it be an aberration. Da'Rel Scott is an legit threat. Their D really brought the lumber. Let's see if they keep it up.

Melissa (86th street, nyc)

Rece, love your work with Mark and Lou! Who do you find yourself in agreement more, Mark May or Dr. Lou?

Rece Davis

  (4:07 PM)

Thank you Melissa. That's hard to say. I'll be Switzerland and remain neutral on the ND/USC issue that they differ on. My wife jokes that Mark and I can finish each other's sentences we've worked together so long. Both guys are great and we all enjoy working together.

Jodi (Alabaster, AL)

Rece, give it up to the Ladies! We love the college grid iron too. Do the Crimson Tide really have a shot at this thing or are they gonna blow vs a real SEC team? You're a cutie!

Rece Davis

  (4:09 PM)

Jodi, flattery will get you everywhere. By a shot...if you mean at the SEC West, I think Alabama has a shot. They're still really young so there will be some stumbles...and maybe a couple of occasions in which they're overmatched. It's all a process and Alabama is definitely headed in the right direction. Happy to give it up to the ladies!

Scott, Boston

What can Syracuse do to win... despite coach's best efforts?

Rece Davis

  (4:11 PM)

Wow, Scott. They are just awful right now. I think it's really tough for a coach, no matter how good he is, to turn it around once he loses the fan base. It seems to me that's happened at Syracuse. I'd love to see them turn it around. I have a buddy on the staff there so I hope they can get it headed in the right direction, but I've seen little cause for optimism so far.

Aaron (Tustin)

With the 1-2 start by the Wolverines, what do you think their seson outcome will be?

Rece Davis

  (4:13 PM)

Aaron, that all depends on whether they can take care of the ball. If your offense can't be explosive, the least it can do is not give it away. They have more turnovers than touchdowns. Not a good ratio. A quick glance at their schedule...7-5 would be quite a success story at this point. Not a success that Michigan will enjoy...but Rich is a top flight coach. He'll get it straightened out.

Jack (Canton, OH)

Hey Rece, Can you let me under the tent a little...how does ESPN decide which games GameDay goes to? Do they know sooner than the Monday before the Saturday games or way more in advance?

Rece Davis

  (4:15 PM)

Jack, Excellent question. Typically the decision is made late Saturday night based on results. For instance, there was debate last week before the games...Ga @ Az St or LSU @ Auburn. Then they factor in the next week...there was a possibility of seeing Ga again for Alabama's visit. Is having Ga involved 2 straight weeks the best thing. They try to let the decision be driven by which game is the most compelling.

jenny (summit, nj)

What a game "saving" performance by georgia! With their brutal SEC schedule, how many plays like this will they need to stay undefeated?

Rece Davis

  (4:16 PM)

A bunch if they only score one touchdown the way they did against South Carolina. The gamecock D is tough, but I think USC or Oklahoma would've scored more. If Ga aspires to be regarded at that level, they have to play at that level...home and away.

Stephen (chatham, nj)

Rece, as evidence by this weeks nominee, USC has game changing performers all over the field. Can you see anyone beating them in Pac-10 play?

Rece Davis

  (4:18 PM)

Stephen, Mark May would get his blood pressure up to hear me mention this again, but Stanford beat them last yr. UCLA beat them a couple of yrs ago. This team is better, but it's tough to maintain that high level of performance. They SHOULDN"T lose...and I can't find a single team who should have a legitimate shot...but as Lou says, "it's a brand new team every week."

I. M. DaBess (Heidelberg, MS)

So Rece, what do you think our(ND) final record is going to be?

Rece Davis

  (4:20 PM)

somewhere between the Lou and Mark predictions. I'm going to say 8-4. A game in either direction (9-3 or 7-5) wouldn't surprise me. I think they have their hands full this week.

Jerry, Orlando

How sweet was that Oregon comeback?? And do you think we can expect see that from them for the rest of the season?

Rece Davis

  (4:21 PM)

Very good team. Excellent speed and experience on D. I like the Ducks a lot. I just don't know if they can keep a QB healthy. Chip Kelly really is a mastermind if the Duck O doesn't miss a beat with a freshman and JC transfer running it.

austin (

rece, i watched the ecu-tulane game. Even though ecu came out on top, it wasnt't in a convincing fashion. did ecu have a bad game or is tulane for real

Rece Davis

  (4:22 PM)

ECU was due for a let down. But Tulane is an aggressive hard hitting team. Ask Alabama if you doubt. I don't think they're great or anything, but they play hard...and I'm sure it was tough for ECU to be at the perfect emotional pitch again. I thought it showed great toughness and maturity to find a way to win that game.

Refs Stink (Football Towns, Everywhere)

Last week it was BYU, this week it's the Broncos/Chargers in the NFL. Have the refs always been this bad and the coverage has just grown to the point where these mistakes are impossible to ignore? Or have the refs gotten worse because they can't keep up with the bigger, faster athletes?

Rece Davis

  (4:23 PM)

Tell me what you really think. Mark has offered the refs a workout plan..but some of those NFL refs are jacked up. I think you've hit on something with the coverage and camera angles. We see every miscue and it gets a lot of play on TV.

Amanda (St. Paul)

Thanks for the love for the ladies, Rece! Who do you think has the best uniforms in College Football and why? Is that too girly of a question?

Rece Davis

  (4:25 PM)

Not at all Amanda. I'm a traditional guy. So the best uniforms to me are USC, Penn State, Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State in no particular order. I like any uniform that when you see them on TV you don't have to wonder who is playing. I hate any football uniform that has the team name across the front. If Texas would just get rid of that, I'd think there road whites were the best. Oklahoma needs to lose the type on the front too. Oddly, I don't hate Oregon's uniforms...except for the tire track things on the shoulders.

Frank (Philadelphia)

Penn State has blown out every opponent so far, but their D has yet to be tested. Do you think that will be a problem whenever Illinois comes into Happy Valley on the 27th?

Rece Davis

  (4:28 PM)

I think Penn State is legit. The test will be stern...and with the uncertainty surrounding some of their players...Illinois will be tough. Funny how one game can change perception. Ohio State doesn't seem like a shoo in anymore do they? Forget the fact that USC would do that to any team in the Big 10...and in most other conferences too.

Sheena (brooklyn, ny)

Seems like the chalk is holding form in 2008....USC, Florida, Oklahoma appear to be the cream of the crop. Was 2008 just an abberation or a sign of things to come in college football?

Rece Davis

  (4:29 PM)

Sheena, it's going to vary from year to year. I know that seems like a PC answer. Both can provide great theatre. USC/Texas largely holding form gave us a great title game. LSU's return...and West Va's gaffe vs Pitt was great last year too. We've got a long way to go...and a lot of conference games to mess things up. But there will still be years when the heavyweights dominate.

Chad (Lexington, Ky)

Hey Rece, what do you think of Kentucky so far? Do you think that their offense will ever get on track?

Rece Davis

  (4:31 PM)

Chad I think they're lucky the field isn't 99 and a half yds. MTSU almost delivered a crushing blow. I think their D is good...and their O is developing. We won't get a good read on the Cats until October when they go to Tuscaloosa.

Alex (New York City)

Did Knowshon's Heisman chances take a hit this weekend?

Rece Davis

  (4:32 PM)

Alex, I don't think they took a hit. He just didn't help them a lot. However, his TD run was as Heisman-worthy a four yds as you'll see. He'll have lots of chances. Dawgs have many, many marquee games.

Tucker (Ann Arbor)

After watching the Buckeyes get exposed, who would you say is class act for the Big Ten this year? Also if a Big Ten team goes undefeated do you think that voters will be hesitant to give them a chance for the national championship?

Rece Davis

  (4:35 PM)

Tucker, I think Ohio State cost itself a shot. I think there would be sentiment for a 2-loss SEC team with a brutal schedule (like Ga) or, however unlikely, a 2-loss USC team over Ohio State. But if Penn State or Wisconsin run the table, I think the "guilt by association" factor will be greatly diminished. My feeling is...if Penn State or Wisconsin happened to be the only unbeaten team other than USC or Oklahoma...they'd probably be in the title game. Probably. It would be tough to pass on a one-loss Ga or Fla...or say, USC stumbles once and OU goes unbeaten...could you leave the Trojans out?

Josephine C. (NY)

I'm a life long michigan fan and I'm just worried the spread offense of Rich Rod won't work in the midwest and in the big ten? Is it too early to panic?

Rece Davis

  (4:37 PM)

Way, way too early, Josephine. Rich is an elite coach. His style is just very different from what Michigan is used to. It will smooth out eventually. He does need to find a QB he's comfortable with.

Jimmy (South Bend, IN)

Do I need a haircut?

Rece Davis

  (4:37 PM)

In the worst way.

Tucker

Like you said, it would be hard to leave out USC or even OU but if USC loses to another sub-par team like they did last year losing to Stanford and you have Wisconsin or Penn State run the table, do you give them the edge?

Rece Davis

  (4:40 PM)

Great point, Tucker. I thought USC's loss to Stanford pretty much DQ'd them. Now I didn't anticipate everyone having 2 losses except for Ohio State. That scenario would certainly make me lean toward the unbeaten team...depending on how that unbeaten squad looked.

I. M. DaBess (Heidelberg, MS)

If the Fighting Irish run the table, do we deserve a national championship bid?

Rece Davis

  (4:41 PM)

of course. Why not? Win over USC at the Coliseum? Absolutely, IM.

Jon Miles (Columbus, Ohio)

Do you have a pick for this week's game changing performance? We know its not from columbus!

Rece Davis

  (4:41 PM)

Jon, I have a soft spot for the Buffalo play...because no one circles the wagons like....Ok, we've been through that.

Joe Fan

Who's your favorite commentator on ESPN and off?

Rece Davis

  (4:44 PM)

Joe, you're going to get me in trouble. It's a tie among all of the analysts I work with. I think Sean McDonough, Brad Nessler and Brent Musberger are brilliant play-by-play guys from whom I can learn a lot. Bob Costas is the standard-bearer for hosting and versatility outside of our company. But there are so many others I enjoy watching...Ernie Johnson, Jim Nantz..just to name a couple of others. Now that I've named everyone in broadcasting...back to football.

Jerry Atlanta,Ga

Hey Rece, IF the SEC suposed to be the toughtest conference then how come when Clemson played BAMA and lost they was droped out of the top 25 but when WV played EC and lost they were still the the top 25.

Rece Davis

  (4:45 PM)

Pollsters do strange things. I think it was the WAY Clemson lost after the hype. And WVU was barely hanging on. But much like we talked about with Ohio State, WVU is a proven commodity in some areas--namely, Patrick White. They were given a little latitude. Clemson can earn its way back in.

M. Rosen (greenwich, ct)

If you were speaking to michigan fans, how long should we wait for the turn-around? At what point can we begin to get restless?

Rece Davis

  (4:47 PM)

You're Michigan. It's Ok to be restless immediately...just not unreasonable. I think you'll see vast improvement over the course of the season and next year. By Rodriguez's 3rd year, it's fair to expect to compete for Big 10 title. If that doesn't happen, then after the 4th yr it's fair to get antsy. I don't mean that you should expect subpar football for that long. I'm only talking about how long you give a coach. My hunch is you'll feel better by the end of the season...and better still next year.

Sutter (Boston, MA)

After 3 weeks, is USC the consensus favorite to win the BCS National title? Who is the biggest threat to beat them in a national title game?

Rece Davis

  (4:48 PM)

Oklahoma. Best OL in college football...and among the best DL. They've got it all. Just like USC. They're the biggest threat in my mind.

Mike (Boise, ID)

I see this every week more and more these last two seasons: the playing field between I-A football is certainly leveling out. How long would you predict a major change in equalizing conferences where "any team has a chance" and the big money goes to other schools.

Rece Davis

  (4:51 PM)

Interesting question, Mike. I don't know that we'll live long enough to see the money going to other schools. The support and appeal is so firmly entrenched with the giants, I just don't see a seismic shift in the landscape. Now, if you're talking about any team having a chance to win...I think we're pretty much there. Maybe the top 5 or 6 are virtually immune to having a lower echelon team beat them, but other than that, not many upsets are that stunning anymore.

amber from new york

why does ucla suck so bad this year?

Rece Davis

  (4:53 PM)

Amber, they didn't "inhale briskly" vs Tennessee. They did vs BYU. The talent is really down and they're playing the guy they thought would be their 3rd string QB. Tough way to make a living.

Joey (Columbus)

Rece, We stink. Honestly, I really think we are overrated every year. Look at the conference we play in. Michigan got beat by ND and they stink too. What's happened to the Big Ten?

Rece Davis

  (4:55 PM)

I don't think you can pin it on one thing. To me, these things run in cycles. The big difference I notice is speed. Not in the lack of speed among skill guys...but the D-linemen at SC, Oklahoma, LSU and the like seem to be far more athletic than most of those you see in the Big 10. There are plenty of exceptions, but that's the general rule, I think. The Big 10 will be back because it's important to them. There are great coaches in the league...particularly at the two standard-bearing schools. They will get it fixed.

Rece Davis

  (4:55 PM)

couple of more questions, guys.

Julio (LA, CA)

What up Rece? Chillin out in Cali. What do you think about my boys from Troy? Do they have a shot at running the table? I'm nervous they gonna come out like a pancake (that's flat for you not in the know) against a team like Stanfor last year. Do they have the lazer tight focus to make this happen?

Rece Davis

  (4:57 PM)

I think they might. This seems to be a more focused group.

Jelani (Seattle)

Hey Rece, How come nobody seemed to notice that there was a critical late in the first half no call on an obvious safety for Cal, that would have given them points, the ball with time to operate and a little momentum going into the second half? They may not have played well but the ACC officiating crew did not help.

Rece Davis

  (4:58 PM)

I noticed. I thought the officials and the replay booth missed that. I thought that was a safety all the way. If the ball ever crossed the plane even by a millimeter, I didn't see it.

James (New Orleans, SEC Country)

Rece, can anyone really compete with the SEC? Honestly, 5 out of the top 10 teams in the AP right now. No one can even touch that. I know the SEC gets love on ESPN, but there should be no doubt.

Rece Davis

  (5:00 PM)

James, Let's ask UCLA if they can compete with Tennessee or La Tech if they can compete with Mississippi State...or Tulane if they can compete wtih Alabama. I know, Alabama won, but Tulane played tough. My point...I do believe the SEC as a whole is the best conference. I don't think it's invincible..and one could certainly cherry pick results to build a case against them.

dale, las vegas

How can the bulldogs of ga. start #1 win 3 games and get knocked down to 3rd

Rece Davis

  (5:01 PM)

by not being as impressive as the teams who moved in front of them. I actually applaud the voters for that. Move teams around based on performance. No one has a better win than USC. They should be #1. No one has looked better than OU...#2 is fair I believe. If Georgia is as good as those two, and I think they could be, they'll have plenty of opportunities to prove it.

Rece Davis

  (5:02 PM)

Guys, it was fun. We'll do it again next week...and yes, Whitey from South Bend, it's definitely possible that ND is better than we think. Remember to vote for the Pontiac Gamechanging Performance this week. Winner announced Thursday night during West Va-Colorado. Have a great week everyone.