Games to Watch - Week 2
By Chris David
Week 2
Thursday - Clemson at Georgia Tech (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.)
Skinny
The ACC didn't start the 2009 season on a good note, evidenced by a 4-6 non-conference mark and that includes two losses to Championship Subdivision (1-AA) schools. On Thursday, the group hopes to gain some respect back when Georgia Tech (1-0) and Clemson (1-0) meet in Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets cruised past Jacksonville State 37-17 in Week 1, racking up 497 yards on offense. The tandem of RB Jonathan Dwyer (74 yards, 2 TDs) and QB Josh Nesbitt (2 total TDs) both looked sharp in the win. Clemson was helped by a defensive and special team touchdown in its 37-14 victory over Middle Tennessee State last Saturday. The offense looked shaky behind freshman QB Kyle Parker (9-of-20, 159 yards, 2 TDs) last week but fortunately the defense racked up three sacks and three interceptions, including the aforementioned pick-six score. Possible look-ahead spot here for the Yellow Jackets, who will travel to Miami next week for their second straight battle on Thursday.
Gambling Notes
The Yellow Jackets rallied for a 21-17 win against the Tigers last year in Death Valley as the school connected on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Josh Nesbitt with 5:22 left in the fourth quarter. The loss was the first for Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, who replaced Tiger coach Tommy Bowden the Monday before the game. Including last year's win, Georgia Tech has won four of five against Clemson. The 'under' has cashed in four straight between the two schools and the last two meetings in Atlanta saw a combined 16 and 19 points posted. G-Tech head coach Paul Johnson owns a 7-1 straight up and 4-1 against the spread mark at home. The Yellow Jackets opened as 4 ½-point favorites and the number is fitting, considering 10 of the last 14 have been decided by five points or less.
Saturday - Notre Dame at Michigan (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)
Skinny
Two programs and two coaches on the so-called "hot seat" square off this Saturday, as Michigan welcomes Notre Dame. Some pundits were surprised the Fighting Irish were ranked 23rd in the preseason polls, especially after last year's 7-6 campaign. ND closed 2008 with a 49-21 rout over Hawaii and it opened this season with a 35-0 blowout over Nevada. Even though the competition hasn't been the greatest, QB Jimmy Clausen has completed 37-of-44 passes for 716 yards and nine scores in the two victories. The offense has looked good but the defense deserves some credit too. The shutout was the first for the Irish in seven years and it came against two opponents that have success lighting up the scoreboard. Michigan almost put up a bagel too in its opener, but had to settle for a dominating 31-7 home win over Western Michigan. Freshman QB Tate Forcier (179 yards, 3 TDs) looked sharp in his debut and helped the offense ring up 439 yards. The defense held the Broncos to 301 yards and intercepted future pro QB Tim Hiller twice en route to the win.
Gambling Notes
Unfortunately, there haven't been a lot of close calls in this rivalry lately. Four of the last six have been double-digit blowouts, including Notre Dame's 35-17 home win over Michigan last year. Surprisingly, the Wolverines outgained (388-260) the Irish but were done in by six turnovers, including four fumbles. The home team has won eight of the last 10 in this series. Notre Dame's last win in Ann Arbor came in 2005, when Brady Quinn quarterbacked the squad to a 17-10 triumph over the Wolverines. Michigan is catching points in this contest and while it's too early to gauge Rich Rodriguez yet, he did go 1-1 both SU and ATS as a home 'dog in 2008. Even though the Irish haven't been listed as road favorites often under head coach Charlie Weis, gamblers should be aware that ND is 8-0 SU and 5-2-1 ATS as a road 'chalk' during his tenure. The 'over' has gone 3-0 in the last three played at South Bend, but the 'under' has prevailed to a 3-0 mark in the last three in the Big House.
Saturday - Southern California at Ohio State (ESPN, 8:00 p.m.)
Skinny
All eyes will be on Columbus this Saturday Night, as round two between the Buckeyes and Trojans takes place from the "Horseshoe." Most don't believe Ohio State has a shot to beat USC and after watching Jim Tressel's squad last week against Navy. The Buckeyes barely squeaked away with a 31-27 victory over the Midshipmen and while the offense (6 scores) was consistent, it was the defense that has concerns. The unit gave up 342 total yards, plus they allowed Navy to convert 8-of-12 third down conversions. The Navy triple-option attack is hard to prepare for, but OSU better shape up this week when it faces a USC attack that just rang up 342 yards on the ground in its 56-3 win over San Jose State last week. RB Joe McKnight led the charge with 145 yards and two scores, which helped take some pressure off freshman QB Matt Barkley (15-of-19, 233 yards, 1 TD). The Spartans' offense wasn't a true test for USC, but Pete Carroll's defense only gave up 121 total yards and they posted a 1-of-16 performance on third downs.
Gambling Notes
USC opened up as a 6 ½-point road favorite, a role that Carroll (22-18 ATS) and his troops are very familiar with. Being a home underdog isn't something Ohio State is used too, especially under Tressel (1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS). OSU owns a 55-8 record at home under JT and only two of those losses (12, 11) have come by double digits. The Buckeyes are 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS in their last four games as an underdog, which includes last year's 35-3 blowout loss to USC. The Trojans controlled the line of scrimmage and the turnover battle (3-1) as well. The only bright spot in the setback was the play of then freshman Terrelle Pryor, who went 7-of-9 for 52 yards and also racked up 40 yards on the ground. If there is a conference that USC owns, then it's the Big 10. The Trojans have won and covered nine straight, and all of the victories have come by double digits. If USC does capture the road win here, it does face a possible pitfall next week on the road against Washington and former Trojan coordinator Steve Sarkisian.
Other Games to Watch
Central Michigan at Michigan State
The MAC went 3-9 in the first week of play, which included Central Michigan's 19-6 loss at Arizona. Considering the Chippewas are considered the class of the conference, they better step up against Michigan State. The Spartans helped the Big 10 go 10-1 last weekend and have a better defense than the Wildcats.
Houston at Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State diced up Houston for 699 yards on offense en route to a 56-37 victory. The Cowboys posted a solid 24-10 win over then No. 13 Georgia last week and could be in for a let-down spot against an explosive Houston attack. The Cougars and QB Casey Keenum will at the very least test an OSU defense that is still suspect even after last week's effort against the undermanned Bulldogs.
UCLA at Tennessee
UCLA stunned Tennessee 27-24 in overtime last year in a game that they had no right to win. The Volunteers opened the Lane Kiffin era with a 63-point effort against Western Kentucky. Can they repeat that performance against the Bruins? Even though they played the Hilltoppers, the Vols' running duo of Montario Hardesty and freshman Bryce Brown has people in Knoxville smiling.
South Carolina at Georgia
The SEC has three conference games scheduled in Week 2, including this battle. This game could be a trap, considering South Carolina stole the public's money last Thursday in a 7-3 road victory against N.C. State. And, Georgia was humbled 24-10 to Okie State on Saturday. Total players looking for a play, might want to lean to the 'under' here, which is on an 8-0 run in this series.
Vanderbilt at LSU
Florida, Alabama and Ole Miss are all ranked above LSU in the SEC, but the Tigers might be the last team standing at the end of the year. The Tigers open up conference play on Saturday against Vanderbilt, who turned a lot of heads last year with a 7-6 mark and bowl win. Will LSU's talent overwhelm the Commodores or are we looking at an early upset on the Bayou?
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