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This is going to be a very long season.
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Colorado St. Rams (1-1)
- Ugh. I know NDSU is actually a pretty good team and won the FCS Championship last season, but it still stings that CSU has a victory over us and lost to a lower division team. Of course...so did we. They only managed to convert 1 of 10 3rd downs. Next up for the Rams is San Jose State.
Follow the jump to see why blue is way better than any other color!
- Sacramento St. Hornets (1-1)
- Don't want to talk about it...
- Don't want to talk about it...
- Fresno St. Bulldogs (1-1)
- Oregon ran up a 35-6 halftime lead before the Bulldogs started to fight back. They never really were in contention, but they may have some confidence after putting up 25 points against the Ducks. Carr didn't throw any picks. But the biggest thing to watch when we play them is to see how they adjust at halftime. They did a very good job of that against the Ducks, and we've had a lot of trouble making any adjustments. So even if we get a lead early (as we have in both games this season), none of us will feel comfortable.
- Oregon ran up a 35-6 halftime lead before the Bulldogs started to fight back. They never really were in contention, but they may have some confidence after putting up 25 points against the Ducks. Carr didn't throw any picks. But the biggest thing to watch when we play them is to see how they adjust at halftime. They did a very good job of that against the Ducks, and we've had a lot of trouble making any adjustments. So even if we get a lead early (as we have in both games this season), none of us will feel comfortable.
- Washington St. Cougars (1-1)
- They nearly also lost to an FCS team this weekend. Eastern Washington played them close all game, but WSU did seem to work out some of their offensive issues. It's only a matter of time before Mike Leach gets them rolling up there. Let's hope it's after we play them. They face UNLV next.
- They nearly also lost to an FCS team this weekend. Eastern Washington played them close all game, but WSU did seem to work out some of their offensive issues. It's only a matter of time before Mike Leach gets them rolling up there. Let's hope it's after we play them. They face UNLV next.
- UCLA Bruins (2-0) AP 22
- I guess we should be happy that they beat Nebraska, but I'm not incredibly pleased. They get a new HC and are instantly a better team and get back into the AP poll. Yech. They look much improved on both sides of the ball and they look like their on the upswing. Painful. They shouldn't have too much trouble getting to 3-0 against Houston this weekend.
- I guess we should be happy that they beat Nebraska, but I'm not incredibly pleased. They get a new HC and are instantly a better team and get back into the AP poll. Yech. They look much improved on both sides of the ball and they look like their on the upswing. Painful. They shouldn't have too much trouble getting to 3-0 against Houston this weekend.
- Arizona St. Sun Devils (2-0)
- I don't think having their starting QB would've helped Illinois against ASU this weekend. ASU looked really good, also having brought in a new HC. What is good for the Pac 12 overall is not good for the Buffaloes. The new ASU QB looked efficient and they are much better than expected on offense. Add to that a defense that is figuring things out even without one of it's best players in this game, and ASU looks like a very difficult matchup once again. The face Missouri this weekend.
- I don't think having their starting QB would've helped Illinois against ASU this weekend. ASU looked really good, also having brought in a new HC. What is good for the Pac 12 overall is not good for the Buffaloes. The new ASU QB looked efficient and they are much better than expected on offense. Add to that a defense that is figuring things out even without one of it's best players in this game, and ASU looks like a very difficult matchup once again. The face Missouri this weekend.
- USC Trojans (2-0) AP #2
- Robert Woods wasn't going to let teammate and fellow WR Marquise Lee steal all the headlines this season, and he showed that against Syracuse. The defense looked off at times, but they held the Orangemen when they had to. USC hasn't exactly looked like the pre-season #1 team, but they are looking very, very good. Next up is a conference matchup with Stanford to really test their mettle.
- Robert Woods wasn't going to let teammate and fellow WR Marquise Lee steal all the headlines this season, and he showed that against Syracuse. The defense looked off at times, but they held the Orangemen when they had to. USC hasn't exactly looked like the pre-season #1 team, but they are looking very, very good. Next up is a conference matchup with Stanford to really test their mettle.
- Oregon Ducks (2-0) AP #4
- They needed the boost that Kenjon Barner (um, since when do teams get to lose a guy like LaMichael James and still look this good running the ball!?!?) was able to give them when Fresno State started pushing back. They haven't really been tested yet, though, and that will be interesting to watch as they have some players suffer injuries. They still score points like nobody else and the defense is really fast, so I'm not too worried about the Ducks this year. This week could be a massacre, with a game against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles.
- They needed the boost that Kenjon Barner (um, since when do teams get to lose a guy like LaMichael James and still look this good running the ball!?!?) was able to give them when Fresno State started pushing back. They haven't really been tested yet, though, and that will be interesting to watch as they have some players suffer injuries. They still score points like nobody else and the defense is really fast, so I'm not too worried about the Ducks this year. This week could be a massacre, with a game against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles.
- Stanford Cardinal (2-0) AP #21
- They looked much better this week against Duke than they did last week, though they're still not running the ball like they want to. Josh Nunes wasn't perfect, but he's looking more comfortable at the helm. Of course, neither team they've faced are even remotely in the neighborhood of the USC team they play this week. We'll know more after that matchup.
- They looked much better this week against Duke than they did last week, though they're still not running the ball like they want to. Josh Nunes wasn't perfect, but he's looking more comfortable at the helm. Of course, neither team they've faced are even remotely in the neighborhood of the USC team they play this week. We'll know more after that matchup.
- Arizona Wildcats (2-0) AP #24
- Seriously?!? Not even a little bit fair. UofA looks very good, even with some pretty big changes in scheme under Rich Rodriquez and his first year Staff. This was a game that I thought we had a very good shot at before the season. Even if we weren't playing as poorly as we are now, I still wouldn't feel good about it at all. Oklahoma State is a good team, and they ran them out of the stadium this weekend. Oy. And they've got a cupcake in South Carolina State. The South looks way better this season than it did last year.
- Seriously?!? Not even a little bit fair. UofA looks very good, even with some pretty big changes in scheme under Rich Rodriquez and his first year Staff. This was a game that I thought we had a very good shot at before the season. Even if we weren't playing as poorly as we are now, I still wouldn't feel good about it at all. Oklahoma State is a good team, and they ran them out of the stadium this weekend. Oy. And they've got a cupcake in South Carolina State. The South looks way better this season than it did last year.
- Washington Huskies (1-1)
- As expected, LSU wiped the floors (...field? But you don't 'wipe' a field) with the Huskies, though I thought they might put up a little bit more of a fight. I don't know what to think about these Huskies yet. Next up is Portland State.
- As expected, LSU wiped the floors (...field? But you don't 'wipe' a field) with the Huskies, though I thought they might put up a little bit more of a fight. I don't know what to think about these Huskies yet. Next up is Portland State.
- Utah Utes (1-1)
- One one Pac 12 team came out of this weekend looking worse than the Buffaloes did, and that's our "rival" Utah Utes. And not necessarily because of their opponent, because ours was definitely more embarrassing. It's the way their defense played after being hyped as one of the best in the conference, and the loss of Jordan Wynn to yet another shoulder injury and his subsequent retirement. It's probably for the best. That kid is going to have trouble lifting his arms above his head before he even turns 25 with the number of shoulder injuries he's sustained. But mostly, the Utes of this season don't look capable of competing in the new-look Pac-12 South this year. Of course, neither do we. Next up is BYU. They may be 1-2 going into conference play
And the Pac 12 Schools we don't face this year:
- California Golden Bears (1-1)
- They beat Southern Utah University, but that doesn't mean much. They started slow, which is something they won't be able to afford to do this week against Ohio State.
- They beat Southern Utah University, but that doesn't mean much. They started slow, which is something they won't be able to afford to do this week against Ohio State.
- Oregon St. Beavers (1-0)
- Wow. That's all I've got here. They beat Wisconsin and, even though it's only one game, they look like they could be pretty good this year. Next up is a game against UCLA, which is going to be much more interesting now.
- Wow. That's all I've got here. They beat Wisconsin and, even though it's only one game, they look like they could be pretty good this year. Next up is a game against UCLA, which is going to be much more interesting now.