NCAA Week 2 in review

USC and Texas bounced back from sub-par Week 1 performances.  We'll have to wait a while longer to see how Florida and Florida State bounce back, as the threat of Hurricane Irma kept them from playing.  In fact, Irma caused seven games to be cancelled, rescheduled, or relocated, making it one of the most disruptive storms in college football history.

Top 25 [Last week's position]
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0) [1]
2. Oklahoma Sooners (2-0) [6]
3. Clemson Tigers (2-0) [3]
4. Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0) [5]
5. Wisconsin Badgers (2-0) [7]
6. Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-0) [8]
7. Michigan Wolverines (2-0) [11]
8. Michigan State Spartans (2-0) [14]
9. UCLA Bruins (2-0) [21]
10. LSU Tigers (2-0) [10]
11. USC Trojans (2-0) [19]
12. Washington Huskies (2-0) [13]
13. Auburn Tigers (1-1) [12]
14. Georgia Bulldogs (2-0) [18]
15. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-1) [9]
16. UCF Golden Knights (1-0) [16]
17. Stanford Cardinal (1-1) [2]
18. Ohio State Buckeyes (1-1) [4]
19. Texas Longhorns (1-1) [NR]
20. Mississippi State Bulldogs (2-0) [NR]
21. Navy Midshipmen (2-0) [17]
22. TCU Horned Frogs (2-0) [NR]
23. South Florida Bulls (2-0) [23]
24. Maryland Terrapins (2-0) [24]
25. Louisville Cardinals (2-0) [NR]

On the Edge:  Colorado Buffaloes (2-0), South Carolina Gamecocks (2-0)
Dropped out: Iowa Hawkeyes [#15], Virginia Tech Hokies [#20], Tennessee Volunteers [#22], Northwestern Wildcats [#25]

Big Ten Report
Another impressive week for the conference.  Despite a collapse by the Ohio State defense (when did these guys forget how to tackle?), the rest of the conference showed up well.  Nebraska nearly matched pace with the frenetic Oregon offense, Rutgers nearly beat Eastern Michigan, and Minnesota blew away Oregon State. Aside from the Ohio State loss, the biggest disappointment was Northwestern, who couldn't get anything going against Duke.  Iowa barely beat Iowa State, but the Cyclones have often upset them in the past, so any win against their in-state rival is cause for celebration.

Truthfully, I was most impressed with Illinois.  Here's a team that has struggled for many years, and often fade in the fourth quarter.  They shut down Western Kentucky for three quarters, and beat them 20-7 in a dominating victory.  It seems like Lovey Smith may have turned this team around.

Upset Alert
I already mentioned the Duke victory above.  Could the Blue Devils still have power, or was this one of the games that Northwestern gives away each year?  We'll have to wait and see.

The Group of Five teams showed up this week.  MAC midling Central Michigan pummeled Kansas, and Sun Belt newcomer UT San Antonio handed Baylor their second consecutive loss.  The FCS gained another victory, too, as New Hampshire drubbed Georgia Southern.

Poor Performers
LOUISVILLE gets both Poor and Great Performer recognition this week.  Lamar Jackson and the offense exploded, but the defense imploded.  I don't think the Cardinals can win their conference if they rely on their offense alone, so they'd better get their defense straightened out.

Defensive woes also affected OLE MISS, CAL, and STANFORD.  Ole Miss and Cal allowed FCS opponents to rack up way too much yardage.  Stanford, a normally stalwart defensive team, seemed to have no idea how to deal with USC's Sam Darnold. 

Defense was also missing in OREGON STATE's play, allowing Minnesota to score 43 points against them.  Worse, their offense was anemic as well, which prevented them from doing anything in the game. Offense was also absent for ARKANSAS, who accumulated less offensive yards than over 2/3 of the FCS opponents this week.

Great Performers
BALL STATE played a dominant game against UAB, which signalled both UAB's collapse and the power of the rejuvenated Illinois squad, who beat Ball State last week.  TULANE, a typical weakling, and FCS HOWARD, both played well against stronger opponents. Lastly, the USC Trojans showed the offensive power that gained them so much preseason buzz.