College Football Week Two Recap: Winners and Losers - jmik58's Blog

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College Football Week Two Recap: Winners and Losers Stuck

Posted on September 10, 2012 at 11:11 AM.

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If the jump from week one to week two is the most telling for realistic expectations then the rest of this season can be summed up in one word: Chaos.

On a Saturday when The Mothership used nearly every opportunity to frame the day as a Big-Ten disaster, the upside-down nature of college football was truly felt from coast to coast. The grand scheme of the day seemed to be the upset as the day progressed and no single group or region was immune to disappointing results. Some so severe that top-10 rankings turned into no ranking at all by the time Sunday's AP Poll was revealed.

Week two certainly is a reality check for the teams of college football, but it's also a reminder that the talent pool and competitive parity is leveling out more and more each year. While the richest of the rich continue to dominate at the top, the rest of the nation is neither good enough or bad enough to be ruled out of any game -- at home or on the road.

Here are five winners and losers from week two of the college football season.

FIVE TEAMS ON THE RISE

#14 Ohio State (2-0)
Week 2: UCF, won 31-16.
Week 3: California (1-1)

This contest looked like a trap game if ever one existed for the Buckeyes this year. In what could have been dubbed "The Not-Eligible-for-Postseason Bowl," the Knights of UCF were thought of as potential BCS-busters in the preseason. Statistically, both squads were fairly even, but Ohio State's ability to own the ground game was impressive and the type of asset that could help them run the table in the Big-Ten this year.

#21 Kansas State (2-0)
Week 2: Miami (FL), won 52-13.
Week 3: North Texas (1-1)

The Wildcats have scored over 50 points and allowed less than 15 in both of their games so far this year. Collin Klein and the 'Cats ran all over the "The U" in surprising fashion as Miami struggled to build on their week-one success. A matchup with North Texas in week two shouldn't change that trend. K-State will likely be looking ahead to a matchup with #5 Oklahoma in week four and must hope to improve and stay healthy as a win is all but guaranteed this week.

UCLA (2-0)
Week 2: #16 Nebraska, won 36-30.
Week 3: Houston (0-2)

The curious thing about the Bruins is that they're very much like Nebraska. Each has an explosive offense but it's only a matter of time before they end up on the short end of a scoring explosion. UCLA amassed over 650 yards of total offense including 344 on the ground. If the Bruins can keep their potent offense alive, they may not be tested until their last four games of the year. By then we may be looking at a top-15 UCLA squad.

Arizona (2-0)
Week 2: #18 Oklahoma State, won 59-38.
Week 3: South Carolina State

The Wildcats are a solid team, but how much of this is a result of an overrated Cowboys team? No doubt that OK-State is no pushover, but they're not the same well-balanced squad that graced the gridiron the past two years. Regardless, Rich Rodriguez has led Arizona to a fast start thanks to the implementation of his high-powered offensive scheme. More impressively, however, has been the ball control and discipline of the 'Cats -- surrendering zero turnovers and only 27 penalty yards against OSU.

Arizona State (2-0)
Week 2: Illinois, won 45-14.
Week 3: Missouri (1-1)

One of these years BCS conferences will wise up and stop agreeing to send its teams into the desert night for their yearly beat-down. The state of Arizona might as well be called the college football Bermuda Triangle as visiting teams don't just lose in September -- they get lost. In the same night that #18 Oklahoma State fell to the Wildcats of Arizona, the Sun Devils put a hurt on a promising group from Illinois. The Illini barely reached one-hundred passing yards, but Arizona State impressed on offense just as well -- totaling 510 yards on the game.

FIVE TEAMS ON THE DECLINE

#8 Arkansas (1-1)
Week 2: Louisiana-Monroe, lost 34-31.
Week 3: #1 Alabama (2-0)

This loss will linger and potentially define a season that began falling apart with the scandal surrounding former coach Bobby Petrino. While the Razorbacks had no excuse for losing to ULM, Warhawks quarterback Kolton Browning stole the show with 481 yards of total offense -- capped by a game-saving scramble on fourth-down for the winning touchdown. The score, while not on the same scale or against the same competition, reminded me of a certain winning play by Vince Young. Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel agrees.

#13 Wisconsin (1-1)
Week 2: Oregon State, lost 10-7.
Week 3: Utah State (2-0)

The Badgers are 106th in the nation in rushing yards. What else needs to be said? Perhaps the Panthers of Northern Iowa softened up Wisconsin last week or they exposed serious weaknesses that Oregon State took advantage of. Either way, an equally dismal 106th ranking in scoring offense has fans in Madison worried about what the conference season might bring. First things first though, a date with Utah State awaits -- fresh off their upset of Utah.

#16 Nebraska (1-1)
Week 2: UCLA, lost 36-30.
Week 3: Arkansas State (1-1)

It's bad news in Lincoln for Nebraska fans. Sure they can score at will and have one of the more exciting offenses in the conference, if not nation. But can they stop anyone? The loss to UCLA isn't the biggest issue for the 'Huskers, it's the total lack of defense. The Bruins are a very good team and definitely on par with Nebraska, but unfortunately for the Cornhuskers, a date with the high-flying offense of Gus Malzahn awaits next week in a matchup with Arkansas State.

#18 Oklahoma State (1-1)
Week 2: Arizona, lost 59-38.
Week 3: Louisiana (2-0)

In reality, the Cowboys might be helped with the perspective that comes from an early-season loss like this. They clearly were wearing a ranking that symbolized the accomplishments of the last two seasons. One of the glaring aspects of youth and inexperience is a lack of discipline and abundance of poor decisions and turnovers. OK-State had both problems against the Wildcats despite an impressive offensive performance. Mike Gundy's teams are always going to present explosive potential, but growth is a must and if they don't harness their mistakes it could be a disappointing season.

Auburn (0-2)
Week 2: Mississippi State, lost 28-10.
Week 3: Louisiana-Monroe (1-0)

You certainly can't say the Tigers took an easy route to the start of the season. One problem though; quality losses don't do you much good in the relentless SEC West. The Tigers don't find themselves here because of a lack of ability, but more as a team that could quickly see their hopes spiral out of control. Things don't get easier as they welcome the giant-killers from ULM fresh off their victory over #8 Arkansas. The Tigers certainly can play defense but 226 yards of offense -- their total against the Bulldogs -- won't take them very far the rest of the year.

Sound Off: Who are your winners and losers from week two of the college football season?

Justin Mikels is a staff writer for Operation Sports. Follow him on Twitter: @long_snapper

Comments

# 1 Elixor1987 @ Sep 10

Seriously? No Tennessee? First Top 25 ranking in 5 years and they're not on the rise?

# 2 Bmore Irish @ Sep 10

couldnt believe it when i saw the arkansas score saturday night. i feel like this could really be the year notre dame takes that extra step to a great season. i can only hope they end up on this list as winners (or the other team as losers) several times during the season, namely in the next two weeks against michigan st and michigan respectively, as well as oklahoma and usc. cant expect all of em, but meatloaf said 2 outta 3 aint bad, im thinkin 2 outta 4 wouldnt be either, and id def take 3 or 4.