Archive: 2009 Week Two NCAA Football Top 25 Previews
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Thursday, September 10th, 2009
* These college football rankings are according to the official Bankroll Sports College Football Top 25 Rankings.
Clemson Tigers (1-0) @ # 15 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1-0)
Time: 7:30pm EST
Spread: Georgia Tech - 5
Over/Under: N/A
Preview: The Clemson Tigers will play their first road game on Thursday, and it will be a huge conference tilt at Georgia Tech. The Tigers came away with a 37-14 blasting of Middle Tennessee State on Saturday, and now must prepare for the challenge. Clemson’s offense scored just two touchdowns in the win, but the defense was sharp, and prevailed with the 23 point win. Georgia Tech poured on 497 yards of total offense in their week one win over Jacksonville State. The Yellow Jackets also fumbled five times in the win. They will look to clean that up for the first Atlantic Coast Conference tilt of the season. The Yellow Jackets come in as one of the favorites in the Coastal Division, while the Tigers are fighting for the title within the Atlantic portion of the conference. Georgia Tech came from behind to knock off the Tigers last season, in Death Valley. The Yellow Jackets start as a 5 point favorite.
Saturday, September 12th, 2009
Troy Trojans (0-1) @ # 1 Florida Gators (1-0)
Time: 12:21pm EST
Spread: Florida - 36
Over/Under:
Preview: If the Troy Trojans felt overwhelmed in their week one loss to Bowling Green 31-14, just wait until Saturday. The Trojans will march into Gainesville, FL to take on the defending champion Gators. Troy came into the 2009 season as favorites to win the Sun Belt conference. Their week one performance showed no signs of a championship ball club. Troy jumped out to a 14-0 lead on Bowling Green, but allowed the last 31 points to be scored. The secondary for the Trojans allowed close to 400 yards in the game. Just the opposite could be said about the Florida Gators. Coming in as the pre-season favorite to win the national title, their week one performance enhanced that dubbing. The Gators ripped Charleston Southern 62-3. The Gators scored 8 touchdowns, and of course allowed their opponents 0. Florida out gained their opponent 624 to 323 offensively. Senior Riley Cooper took over for NFL draftee Percy Harvin, by gaining 105 yards on the ground. Tim Tebow accounted for two touchdowns on the game, and was taken out early in this one.
# 2 Texas Longhorns (1-0) @ Wyoming Cowboys (1-0)
Time: 3:30pm EST
Spread: Texas - 33.5
Over/Under:
Preview: The Texas Longhorns look to keep pace with the Florida Gators at the top of the Associated Press Top 25. The Longhorns will take to the road in week two and travel to Wyoming for a tilt with the Cowboys. Texas is coming off a 59-20 win over Louisiana-Monroe, while the Cowboys are also 1-0, beating Weber State 29-22 in week one. Texas red shirt freshman D.J. Monroe returned a 89 yard kick-off for a touchdown, and he also ran nine times for 64 yards. Colt McCoy was sharp, as usual, completing 21 of 29 passes, along with two touchdowns for the Longhorns. For the Cowboys, Darius Terry led the way, rushing for two touchdowns in the 29-22 win. The Cowboys run a no huddle, spread type offense and are under new head coach Dave Christensen; former offensive coordinator at Missouri. The Cowboys offense garnered 434 total yards, while the defense only yielded 89 via the ground. Wyoming plays in the tough Mountain West Conference, and is expected to finish near the middle of the conference.
# 3 USC Trojans (1-0) @ # 8 Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0)
Time: 8:00pm EST
Spread: USC - 6.5
Over/Under:
Preview: The best game of the week features the USC Trojans and the Ohio State Buckeyes. This game will be played in Columbus Ohio. In what appears to be the game of the week, could turn ugly early if the Buckeyes don’t find a way to cure their USC ailments. The Trojans have owned this series as of late, and Ohio State is coming off a scare to Navy in week one. USC is coming off a 56-3 blasting of San Jose State, despite trailing after one period 3-0. The Trojans scored 8 touchdowns in the game, and allowed just 9 rushing yards. Quarterback Matt Barkley completed 15 of 19 passes for 233 yards in his first start. The Buckeyes used an interception on a two point conversion to keep the Midshipmen from tying the game late in the fourth quarter. Ohio State gathered 363 yards of offense, while allowing 342 in the win. Terrelle Pryor completed 14 of 21 passes for one touchdown, while also throwing an interception. Pryor also rushed for two touchdowns.
Florida Intl. Golden Panthers (0-1) @ # 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0)
Time: 7:00pm EST
Spread: Alabama - 34
Over/Under:
Preview: The Crimson Tide picked up one of the biggest wins in the first week of the season, downing Virginia Tech 34-24. Nick Saban, Alabama’s head coach was none too thrilled, despite the big win. Alabama turned the ball over twice, allowed a 98 yard kick-off return, and gathered 83 yards in penalties. Mark Ingram ran 26 times for 150 yards and a touchdown for the Crimson Tide. Quarterback Greg McElroy completed just 50% of his passes, for 230 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Leigh Tiffin helped Alabama’s cause, kicking four field goals, including a 49 yarder. Florida International is coming into their first game of the season. Following the trip to Alabama the Golden Panthers will heat East to take on Rutgers. Florida International plays in the Sunbelt conference. The last time these two teams played was October 28th, 2006 when the Crimson Tide won 38-3.
Houston Cougars (1-0) @ # 5 Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-0)
Time: 3:30pm EST
Spread: Oklahoma State - 15
Over/Under:
Preview: The Houston Cougars and the Oklahoma State Cowboys will square off in a battle of two unbeaten teams. The high powered Oklahoma State offense only scored 24 points, but defensively, they held SEC power Georgia to just 10 in the season opener. The Cougars of Houston are coming off a 55-7 pasting of Northwestern State on Saturday. Cougars quarterback Case Keenum completed all but 7 passes for 359 yards in the win. Keenum threw touchdowns to four different receivers in the game, and also ran in two others. Cougar freshman Charles Sims caught six passes for 128 yards and scored a touchdown. Houston led 28-0 with 2:30 left in the first quarter. For Oklahoma State, the names Dez Bryant and Zac Robinson are once again prevalent. Robinson passed to Bryant for a touchdown, and ran two others in the Cowboys win over Georgia. Both Bryant and Robinson are in the talks for the 2009 Heisman. The last time these two teams met, Oklahoma State won 56-37 in 2008.
Syracuse Orange (0-1) @ # 7 Penn State Nittany Lions (1-0)
Time: 12:00pm EST
Spread: Penn State -28.5
Over/Under:
Preview: The Doug Marrone era in upstate New York ended with an agonizing overtime loss to the Big Ten’s Minnesota. The Golden Gophers received a 35 yard field goal in overtime, and then quarterback Greg Paulus threw an interception; his only of the game to fall 23-20. Syracuse led 20-14 at halftime, but were outscored 9-0 in the second half. Their week two opponent will be yet another Big Ten team; this time the Penn State Nittany Lions. Penn State comes into the 2009 season with national title hopes, and in week one, they showed it. The Nittany Lions blasted Akron 31-7, to lead the Big Ten to a 10-1 start. The Nittany Lions led this one 31-0 at halftime, to see Akron add a third quarter touchdown for the final. The Nittany Lions out gained Akron 515-186 in the win. These two teams played in 2008, with Penn State destroying Syracuse 55-13.
# 9 Brigham Young Cougars (1-0) @ Tulane Green Wave (0-1)
Time: 3:30pm EST
Spread: BYU - 17
Over/Under:
Preview: The Brigham Young Cougars are the talk of the collegiate football world following their week one upset win over Oklahoma. Brigham Young will play their week to game on the road at Tulane. Tulane is coming off a Friday night defeat to Tulsa. The Cougars beat Oklahoma, without Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford, who left the game just before half and never returned. BYU got a pass from Max Hall to McKay Johnson late in the game to take a 14-13 lead. Hall on the game threw 38 passes, completing 26 of them, for 329 yards, along with two touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Green Wave took a 37-13 loss at the hands of Tulsa on Friday evening. Tulsa jumped on Tulane, scoring the first 17 points of the game, only to see Tulane fight back to 23-10. In the loss for Tulane, the defense allowed 412 total yards of offense. The last time these two teams met the Cougars beat the Green Wave 70-35.
Eastern Washington Eagles (1-0) @ # 10 California Golden Bears (1-0)
Time: 5:30pm EST
Spread: N/A
Over/Under:
Preview: The Eastern Washington Eagles will head south and look to knock the California Golden Bears from the ranks of the unbeaten during week two. The Eagles are coming off a 35-14 win over Western Oregon. Eastern Washington came into the season # 17 in the NCAA Division I- Football Championship Subdivision coaches’ poll. Matt Nichols completed 20 of 30 passes for 286 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Eagles. Also, Taiwan Jones rushed for two touchdowns in the win. For California, the Bears were a 52-13 win over Maryland. The win for the Golden Bears was some revenge for the loss the Terrapins pinned on them in 2008. Jahvid Best rushed for two touchdowns in the first quarter, and ended the game with 137 yards and 2 touchdowns. Kevin Riley threw for 298 yards and 4 touchdowns in the win. These two teams have never met on the football field.
Vanderbilt Commodores (1-0) @ # 11 LSU Tigers (1-0)
Time: 7:00pm EST
Spread: LSU - 14.5
Over/Under:
Preview: An SEC tilt will take place in Louisiana Saturday evening. The Vanderbilt Commodores will take on the LSU Tigers. Both teams come into week two unbeaten. Vanderbilt is coming off a 45-0 blasting of Western Carolina in which they saw Warren Norman run for 105 yards and two touchdowns. After struggling offensively in 2008, Vanderbilt compiled over 300 yards in the first half of the game. The Tigers played a tight game with Washington in week one, coming away with a 31-23 win. The Huskies of Washington did not win a game the entire 2008 season. Jordan Jefferson threw three touchdowns in the win for the Tigers. This was the first time in 25 years that the Tigers went out to the West Coast. The last time the Commodores and Tigers played; the Tigers won a 34-6 game, back in 2005.
Miami Ohio Redhawks (0-1) @ # 12 Boise State Broncos (1-0)
Time: 8:00pm EST
Spread: Boise State - 37
Over/Under:
Preview: The Broncos had plenty of news even after their win over Oregon on Thursday evening. “The punch” has been talked about since the conclusion of the game, and it appears no Boise State player will be punished for the occurrence. The Broncos will now take on the Redhawks of Miami (OH) in week two. The Redhawks are 0-1, coming off a 42-0 defeat by Kentucky. In the loss for Miami, they only garnered 188 total yards of offense, while yielding the Wildcats 488. The Redhawks were also penalized five times, for 40 total yards. Boise State is trying to continue to move up the BCS ladder, and the week one win was a step in the right direction. Some called the game with Oregon, “the biggest game ever” for the Broncos. Kellen Moore got the scoring started, in the second quarter for the Broncos, as he threw a 10 yard touchdown to Austin Pettis. The Broncos also picked up a safety and field goal, to head to the locker room up 13-0. The Broncos scored to make it 19-0, and then allowed just one touchdown in the third quarter for the win. These two teams have never played on the football field.
Idaho State Bengals (0-1) @ # 13 Oklahoma Sooners (0-1)
Time: 7:00pm EST
Spread: N/A
Over/Under:
Preview: The Idaho State Bengals will get an irritated and angry Oklahoma Sooners team when they travel to Norman on Saturday. This game pits two teams that have yet to win this season. The Bengals started the season with a loss to Arizona State; 50-3. Oklahoma is coming off an upset loss that saw the Brigham Young University Cougars knock them off 14-13. Sam Bradford did not play in the second half of the game with a shoulder injury. Oklahoma is uncertain is to when Bradford will return, but he is ruled out for this game. More bad news for Oklahoma is All American tight end Jermaine Gresham is still questionable for the game. The Sooners defense allowed just 28 rushing yards in the game, but Brigham Young’s 329 passing yards was enough.
Marshall Thundering Herd (1-0) @ # 14 Virginia Tech Hokies (0-1)
Time: 1:30pm EST
Spread: Virginia Tech - 19
Over/Under:
Preview: The Marshall Thundering Herd will face a much stiffer test in week two when they travel to Blacksburg to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies. Marshall is coming off a 31-28 win over Southern Illinois, while the Hokies are coming off their ten point loss to Alabama. The Thundering Herd used 316 passing yards from Brian Anderson, while Cody Slate caught nine passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns. The Hokies took a 7-6 lead in the first quarter, and then a 10-9 lead in the second quarter, and yet another lead in the third quarter 17-16, but were outscored 18-7 in the final quarter against the Crimson Tide. Dyrell Robinson got the Hokies on the scoreboard in the first quarter when he returned a kick-ff 98 yards for a touchdown. The Hokies garnered just 155 total yards of offense in the loss. The last time these two teams faced each other was October 8th, 2005 when the Hokies blasted Marshall 41-14.
# 16 TCU Horned Frogs (0-0) @ Virginia Cavaliers (0-1)
Time: 3:30pm EST
Spread: TCU - 11
Over/Under:
Preview: The Texas Christian University Horned Frogs have made a name for themselves out an emerging Mountain West Conference. This week, TCU will head east and take on the Virginia Cavaliers. The Horned Frogs did not play in week one, so a true road game to start the season will be quite the test. Texas Christian University is expected to compete at or near the top of the MWC conference with the likes of Utah and Brigham Young. The Cavaliers start the season 0-1, after falling to William and Mary in week one. The new spread offense was shut down for the Cavaliers and they turned the ball over 7 times, including three times as an interception to B.W. Webb. The loss for the Cavaliers was their first to a FCS school since 1986 when the Tribe beat them then as well. The last time William and Mary beat a 1-A school was in 1998 when they knocked off Temple.
# 17 Utah Utes (1-0) @ San Jose State Spartans (0-1)
Time: 10:30pm EST
Spread: Utah - 13.5
Over/Under:
Preview: The Utes got off to a quick start, knocking off state rival Utah State on Thursday evening. The win for Utah was their 15th straight regular season win. Junior College transfer Terrance Cain passed for 286 yards and two touchdowns in the win for the Utes. Utah compiled over 500 yards, while their defense allowed 342 to their state rival. The Utes also fumbled the ball twice. Utah’s week two opponent will be the Spartans of San Jose State. USC disposed of San Jose State in week one, 56-3. The Spartans led after one period of play, 3-0, but allowed 28 second quarter points, and 28 more in the second half in the loss. San Jose State turned the ball over twice during the game. The Spartans play in the Western Athletic Conference.
# 18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-0) @ Michigan Wolverines (1-0)
Time: 3:30pm EST
Spread: Notre Dame - 3
Over/Under:
Preview: A heated rivalry will be renewed as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will travel to Ann Arbor Michigan to take on the Wolverines. Both teams struggled in 2008, and both have coaches on the hot seat. The Fighting Irish were impressive in week one, blasting Nevada 35-0. Jimmy Clausen completed 15 of 18 passes for the Irish, for 315 yards and four touchdowns. The Fighting Irish picked up 510 total yards of offense, and did not turn the ball over. For Michigan, the Wolverines picked up a 31-7 win over state opponent - Western Michigan. Michigan is one of ten Big Ten teams to win in the first week of the season. The last time these two teams played, Notre Dame came up with a 35-17 win. Tate Forcier completed 13 of 20 passes for the Wolverines, for 179 yards and three touchdowns. The Wolverines out gained their opponent 439-301 in the win. The only touchdown Michigan allowed was the final score of the game, in which Tim Hiller threw a 73 yard touchdown pass to Juan Nunez.
# 19 North Carolina Tar Heels (1-0) @ Connecticut Huskies (1-0)
Time: 12:00pm EST
Spread: North Carolina - 4.5
Over/Under: N/A
Preview: In what would be an epic college basketball game, the North Carolina Tar Heels will travel to Stores, Connecticut and take on the Huskies of Uconn. North Carolina comes in 1-0, after knocking off The Citadel. The Tar Heels were one of just five Atlantic Coast Conference teams to pick up a win in week one. North Carolina was led by quarterback T.J. Yates who threw for 114 yards and two touchdowns. Da’Norris Searcy aided the offense as well, returning a punt 75 yards for a touchdown. The Huskies, out of the Big East, won their season opener 23-16 over Ohio University. In the win, Zach Frazer threw two touchdown passes, but also tossed three interceptions. The Huskies picked up 386 yards of total offense in the win. The last time these two teams played, North Carolina picked up a 38-12 win, last October.
South Carolina Gamecocks (1-0) @ # 21 Georgia Bulldogs (0-1)
Time: 7:00pm EST
Spread: Georgia - 7
Over/Under:
Preview: The South Carolina Gamecocks will look to keep their unbeaten season alive, albeit in just week one, when they travel to Georgia to take on the Bulldogs. Georgia is coming off a disappointing loss to Oklahoma State in week one. The Gamecocks scored just 7 points in week one, but shut down North Carolina State, to just 3 points in the win. South Carolina allowed just 133 yards of total offense. The Gamecocks under Steve Spurrier are expected to finish near the middle of the SEC, but a win at Georgia would give them a good start to finding their way to the top. The Bulldogs started the game well, taking a 7-0 lead on a Joe Cox pass to Michael Moore, but then saw the Cowboys score the next 17 points, and walk away with a 24-10 win. Georgia turned the ball over three times in the game, including two fumbles. The last time these two teams played, was in September of 2008 when the Bulldogs won 14-7.
Arkansas State Red Wolves (1-0) @ # 22 Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0)
Time: 2:00pm EST
Spread: Nebraska - 23.5
Over/Under:
Preview: The Cornhuskers blasted Florida Atlantic last week 49-3, and will now look to do the same to Arkansas State this week. Arkansas State will come into this affair with a 1-0 record, after beating Mississippi Valley State 61-0. Reggie Arnold rushed for four touchdowns in the win for the Red Wolves. Arnold finished the game with 126 rushing yards on 12 carries. Red shirt freshman Don Jones ran for 84 yards and a touchdown, while also catching a touchdown. For Nebraska, quarterback Zac Lee completed 15 of 22 passes for 213 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. Running back Roy Helu led the Cornhuskers with 152 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. These two teams have never played in football before.
Southeast Missouri St. Redhawks (1-0) @ # 23 Cincinnati Bearcats (1-0)
Time: 7:30pm EST
Spread: N/A
Over/Under:
Preview: Brian Kelly was nervous coming into the true road game to start the season. He walked away very impressed, and satisfied, as the Bearcats blasted Rutgers on the road 47-15. Cincinnati got off to a 31-7 halftime lead, and extended it to 45-7 through three quarters. Tony Pike finished the game with 362 passing yards, and three touchdowns for Cincinnati. The Bearcats are looking to repeat their 2008 season which saw them win the Big East and advance to their first ever BCS bowl game. Southeast Missouri State will look to reverse the 2007 outcome that saw Cincinnati blast the Redhawks 59-3. The Redhawks scored 72 points in their week one win over Quincy (IL). 72 points was the most a Redhawk team had scored since the 1916 team.
# 24 Kansas Jay Hawks (1-0) @ UTEP Miners (0-1)
Time: 7:30pm EST
Spread: Kansas - 11.5
Over/Under:
Preview: The Big 12 will see another team head to the road this week, as the Kansas Jay Hawks ahead South to Texas to take on the UTEP Miners. Kansas is coming off a 49-3 win over Northern Colorado. The Jay Hawks used 13 of 20 passing from quarterback Todd Reesing to jump out to a 28-0 lead. Reesing ended the game with 208 yards and two touchdowns. Reesing also rushed for the other two Kansas touchdowns. The Jay Hawks out gained Northern Colorado in offense - 547-246. UTEP dropped a 23-17 decision to Buffalo in week one. Donald Buckram ran for 108 yards in the loss, while Trevor Vittatoe threw for 233 yards. The Miners play in Conference USA. This is the first time the Jay Hawks and the Miners squared off on the football field.
Bowling Green Falcons (1-0) @ # 25 Missouri Tigers (1-0)
Time: 7:00pm EST
Spread: Missouri - 18.5
Over/Under:
Preview: The Falcons and the Tigers, both off to good starts will square off for Missouri’s first home game of the 2009 season. Bowling Green knocked off Troy 31-14 last weekend. The Falcons were aided by quarterback Tyler Sheehan and his two touchdown passes. Freddie Barnes was also huge for Bowling Green, as he caught 15 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Bowling Green outgunned Troy in the game 394-293 in total offense. The Tigers picked up an impressive week one win over rival Illinois. The Tigers held the Illini to just nine points in the game. Blaine Gabbert threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for one in the win. The win for Missouri was their 8th straight season opening win. The last time these two teams played in football was 2002, when Bowling Green blasted the Tigers 51-28
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