Conference USA

Conference USA Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:06:11 -0500

With Memphis in flux following the departure of John Calipari, this might be the year someone like Tulsa, Houston, or UTEP breaks through. The other contenders better act quickly as Memphis has locked up a monster recruiting class next year..

Conference Rank: 10th

10 year average: 8th

Conference USA Page

All-CUSA Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Aubrey Coleman	Houston	Sr
G	Ben Uzoh	Tulsa	Sr
G	Randy Culpepper	UTEP	Jr
G	Willie Kemp	Memphis	Sr
F	Jerome Jordan	Tulsa	Sr

Player of the Year - Jerome Jordan Freshman of the Year - Keith Clanton (UCF)
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Jerome Jordan High-Major All-Americans Jerome Jordan (1st Team) Aubrey Coleman (2nd) Willie Kemp Roburt Sallie Ben Uzoh		Points: Aubrey Coleman 19.4 Rebounds: Jerome Jordan 8.6 Assists: Brock Young 7.6 Team: Houston 75.8

Conference USA Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

33	Memphis	CUSA	1	NCAA
38	Tulsa	CUSA	2	NCAA
80	UTEP	CUSA	3	NIT
100	Houston	CUSA	4	CBI/CIT
118	Marshall	CUSA	5	CBI/CIT
153	UAB	CUSA	6
163	UCF	CUSA	7
193	SMU	CUSA	8
208	Tulane	CUSA	9
211	East Carolina	CUSA	10
230	Rice	CUSA	11
272	Southern Miss	CUSA	12

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the CUSA?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Best Non-BCS Conference in 2009-10?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:05:41 -0500

East Carolina vs. Memphis Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:59:26 -0400

No football on Wednesday night (Game 1 of the World Series) but there is a game on Tuesday, with East Carolina (4-3, 3-1) hitting the road to take on Memphis (2-5, 1-3) at 8 PM on ESPN2. The Pirates, who are looking to defend their Conference USA title, got off to a slow start this season with losses to West Virginia and North Carolina but they've won three of their last four games. In Memphis they'll take on an offense that can move the ball, ranking sixth in the conference in total offense (362 yards per game), but they average just twenty-one points per contest.

Tommy West's Tigers are talented on that side of the ball with players such as RB Curtis Steele and WR Duke Calhoun leading the way, but the quarterback position has been the holdup. Tyler Bass is out for the season with a shoulder injury, putting the job back into the hands of Will Hudgens with Arkelon Hall backing him up. Hopefully the sight of ECU, who knocked both of them out of last year's 30-10 Pirate victory, won't result in negative flashbacks.

As for the Pirates they've had problems moving the ball consistently, especially in the passing game. ECU ranks ninth in the conference in both pass offense (198 yards per game) and passing efficiency (112.7 rating). But they've been able to remain in contention for the conference crown due to a defense that can force turnovers. Led by safety Van Eskridge and linebacker Nick Johnson the Pirates have forced seventeen turnovers (10 interceptions) in 2009, resulting in a turnover margin of +4 (3rd in Conference USA).

Memphis ranks among the worst teams in the conference in turnover margin and with the Pirates having the better defensive unit of the two the game will likely come down to how well Will Hudgens performs for the Tigers. Look for the Pirates to win a game that plays out a bit closer than many will expect it to.

Poll: Who Will Win Conference USA?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:28:34 -0400

Wednesday-Friday Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:38:02 -0400

Wednesday: Tulsa (4-2, 2-0 Conference USA) @ UTEP (2-4, 1-1), 8 PM on ESPN

While the Golden Hurricane have been a consistent team for much of the season, the same can't be said for their opponents and that could make this an interesting challenge. UTEP picked up their best win in years a couple of weeks ago in their 58-41 beating of Houston, and how did they back that up? With a surprising loss to a bad Memphis team the following week. Despite the explosion of QB Trevor Vittatoe and RB Donald Buckram in the win over the Cougars this is still a mediocre offense that can't be expected to consistently bail out a defense that's among the worst in college football. Mike Price's team is also last in C-USA in penalty yards per game and 11th in number of penalties to this point in the year.

If UTEP isn't disciplined in both their infractions and assignments they'll be in serious trouble against the likes of QB G.J. Kinne and WR Damaris Johnson. Tulsa is among the best in the country offensively, and they are also atop a few of the major defensive statistical categories. That will prove to be too much for the Miners on this night; Tulsa takes care of business on the road.

Thursday: Florida State (2-4, 0-3 ACC) @ North Carolina (4-2, 0-2), 8 PM on ESPN

Opposites attract in Chapel Hill in a game that will feature a pair of assistants under siege from fans. Florida State's defense has been the issue, with a group that defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews toutesd before the season as the fastest he'd seen at the school ranking dead last in the ACC in total defense. This group is painfully young, a fact that has lent itself to missed assignments and big plays for opposing offenses.

And while the offense is ranked the best in the conference in terms of yards per game they've been inconsistent, struggling with turnovers and periods of stagnant play. If both sides of the football can become more consistent there's still a chance that they get back into the ACC Atlantic race. North Carolina has dealt with far different issues themselves and fans aren't too happy with offensive coordinator John Shoop as a result.

Noth Carolina's defense, led by LB Bruce Carter and DT Marvin Austin, leads the ACC in total defense and could have a big night pressuring Florida State's Christian Ponder. The offense, on the other hand, is dead last in total offense. People knew there would be a dropoff of some sort with receivers Hakeem Nicks, Brooks Foster and Brandon Tate all moving on.

But injuries on the offensive line as well as at tight end and running back have also played a role in this, so it may not be completely fair to place the blame on Shoop's playcalling. Look for T.J. Yates to be more consistent on Thursday night, and a good evening from backs Ryan Houston and Shaun Draughn should equal a Tar Heel victory.

Friday: Rutgers (4-2, 0-2 Big East) @ Army (3-4), 8 PM on ESPN2

Despite the appearance on paper the Scarlet Knights will be in for quite a test on Friday night when they travel to West Point. Army ranks 12th nationally in rushing offense and Rich Ellerson's double-eagle flex defensive scheme (which he helped create at Arizona) has been a success thus far. It will provide a challenge for QB Tom Savage in that very few schools use that scheme, and if successful it feeds off of heavy pressure of the quarterback.

Can the Rutgers defense neutralize Army's rushing attack? It's definitely possible, but the Rutgers defense and viewers alike will need a little time to get used to Army's primary receiver. Ali Villanueva, who last year was an offensive lineman, cuts an imposing figure on the outside at 6'10", 260 lbs. and while they're the worst team in the FBS at throwing the ball a player like Villanueva has to be accounted for. But the pick here is Rutgers and look for a big game from freshman WR Mohamed Sanu, who is rapidly developing into one of the better receiving threats in the Big East.

Memphis Basketball Preview: #33

Joel Welser — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:57:10 -0400

Overall Rank: #33

Conference Rank: #1 Conference USA

2008-09: 33-4, 16-0

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: John Pastner (First year at Memphis, 0-0 overall)

Some of the names may not sound familiar, but do not expect Memphis to drop off the face of the Earth even though they lost their coach and their top four scorers from a year ago. Certainly things will be much, much more interesting in Conference USA than they have been recently, but the Tigers are still a team to contend with.

Key Losses: G Antonio Anderson, F Robert Dozier, G Tyreke Evans, F Shawn Taggart

Key Newcomers:

Four incoming wings that include Drew Barham, Tyler Foster, D.J. Stephens and Malik Thomas will provide depth, but there are a few more experienced players who will make a bigger impact. Junior college transfer guard James Harvey will help replace Antonio Anderson and Tyreke Evans, but it is fellow junior college transfer Will Coleman who will likely be starting from day one. Coleman, a 6-9, 250 pound forward, has the size to battle under the basket, but he is also surprisingly agile and will use both of those skills to finish around the basket and hit the glass. Elliot Williams, a transfer from Duke, will be eligible to play immediately after starting 12 games for the Blue Devils a season ago.

Backcourt:

Williams has some competition on the perimeter for a starting job though and that goes to show the amount of talent that was mostly sitting on the bench in Memphis last year. Doneal Mack is the team’s top returning scorer at 8.7 points per game and could be the team’s go-to-guy if he can start hitting the long ball more consistently. Roburt Sallie is already a consistent shooter and should once again be a great sixth man. Willie Kemp might not be a great scorer like Evans was, but he is a steady ballhandler and an experienced senior who should be ready to take over the leadership role.

Frontcourt:

The frontcourt has more questions. The loss of Robert Dozier and Shawn Taggart leaves a couple huge holes under the basket. Those two combined to average 23.3 points, 15.1 rebounds and 3.0 blocks during the 2008-2009 campaign. Nobody is going to put up numbers like that this year. Wesley Witherspoon is an intriguing option though. He is really a big 6-9 wing who does his best work running up and down the floor, but if new Coach John Pastner lets him run free, Witherspoon could be in for a big year. Pierre Henderson-Niles started ten games last year, but he has lacked the conditioning to play more than 15 minutes per game. If he can stay in shape, he can be a solid contributor to the frontcourt.

Who to Watch:

The most important players on this team will end up being the newcomers who are not freshmen. Kemp, Sallie and Mack are a formidable trio on the perimeter, but they will need help from Williams and Harvey. Williams was a highly touted recruit heading into Duke and is still a young player with his best days ahead of him. Perhaps it is the play of Coleman that will be the difference between the NCAA and the NIT. Coleman has to give the frontcourt a scoring punch and some toughness or Memphis will get beat under the basket by many teams, and not just non-conference opponents.

Final Projection:

Tulsa and UTEP are going to give the Tigers a run for their money, but the Tigers arguably still have the most talented team in the conference. Whether or not that talent turns into victories will depend on the transition of the coaching regime and how quickly the newcomers can adjust to life in Memphis.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Willie Kemp, Senior, Guard, 2.9 points per game

Elliot Williams, Sophomore, Guard, DNP last season

Doneal Mack, Senior, Guard, 8.7 points per game

Wesley Witherspoon, Sophomore, Forward, 4.0 points per game

Will Coleman, Junior, Forward, DNP last season

Next Top 144 Teams
34		35		36		37

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

College Basketball: Preseason Conference Ranking

CHN — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:43:04 -0400

After finishing 1st in the RPI the last two years, the ACC should fall back slightly thanks to the big-name departures at UNC & Wake Forest. This should allow one of the Big 12, Big Ten, or even SEC a shot at being #1. The Pac-10 is weak enough that a high-major like the A-10, MVC, or MWC could surpass it.

Chime in with your thoughts below if you agree or disagree with CHN's preseason conference ranking.

2009-10 Conference Ranking

*08-09 is last year's conference RPI. Commentary by Shawn Siegel, ranking by CHN.

	Conference	08-09*
1	Big Ten 9 of 11 teams go into season with ncaa hopes, and as many as 7 may reach that goal	2
2	Big 12 ku is the clear title contender. the bottom few teams are weak though and the middle-tier is hit or miss	3
3	ACC no dominant team like last year, but solid as always.	1
4	SEC rise of uk brings league back to prominence after down year..	6
5	Big East lose tons of big name players, and still held down by likes of depual, rutgers, etc	4
6	Pac-10 conceivable the pac-10 only receives 3 tourney bids.	5
7	Atlantic 10 should get at least 2 invites to the ncaa tournament	8
8	MVC with improvement expected from usual leaders creighton & siu, mvc should be solid all-around	9
9	MWC just about every top team loses a top player, but mwc should be one of the more entertaining leagues	7
10	Conference USA though memphis takes step back, rest of league is better than usual.	10
11	WAC after some down years, wac will once again be compeititve league	11
12	Horizon butler has top 10 hopes, but squads like csu and green bay lose key seniors.	12
13	Colonial while still 1 bid league, likes of odu, n'eastern, gmu, and vcu are all quality	14
14	Sun Belt more then just wku, the entire east division is solid	17
15	MAAC siena, niagara, and rider all have postseason hopes	13
16	WCC gonzaga and smc both worse then season ago	15
17	MAC #'s should be better than last year, but west division still a struggle	21
18	Big West led by up-and-coming long beach state. always finish around this #.	18
19	Summit darling ndsu loses a lot, so usual contenders like oru and oakland should be at forefront again	26
20	Big Sky with exception of sacramento st, this is a solid league top to bottom.	24
21	Southland underrated league always good for some non-conference upsets	19
22	Ivy cornell will be the best the ivy has offered in quite some years	29
23	Southern steph curry's departure opens up door for charleston	20
24	America East decimation of binghamton will hurt league #'s	16
25	Atlantic Sun the league's upper half is as solid as it's been for a few years	27
26	Patriot could use a rebound from former top gun bucknell.	22
27	OVC morehead st continues its improbable rise..	23
28	Big South outside of radford, not much to get excited about here..	25
29	NEC nec hasn't had much going for it in recent years	28
30	MEAC as usual, will battle swac for title of country's worst	30
31	SWAC solid jackson st gives swac hope of surpassing meac	31

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Tulsa Basketball Preview: #38

Joel Welser — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:51:18 -0400

Overall Rank: #38

Conference Rank: #2 Conference USA

2008-09: 25-11, 12-4

2008-09 postseason: NIT

Coach: Doug Wojcik (81-53 at Tulsa, 81-53 overall)

Two years ago it was the CBI for Tulsa. Last season it was the NIT. The absence of forward Ray Reese, who averaged 10.2 points and was the team’s defensive stopper, will hurt, but this group can make up for the defensive loss with a little more offensive firepower. Coach Doug Wojcik is turning this program around in a hurry and the Golden Hurricane will be the team who can take Memphis off its perennial perch atop the conference.

Key Losses: C Sam Mitchell, F Ray Reese

Key Newcomers:

Tulsa is a team full of upperclassmen, so the incoming freshmen will not be asked to do too much, but getting some production from this group would help keep the program growing even after some of the superstars are gone. Point guard Donte Medder should be running the show next year and could play a big role off the bench next season. Bryson Pope is a big wing who will give the team some much needed rebounding help from the perimeter and Kodi Maduka, who may need some time to develop, could turn into a solid big man eventually.

Backcourt:

Ben Uzoh is the star of the backcourt. The 6-3 point guard averaged 14.0 points, 3.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds during his junior campaign. His senior season should be even better. Uzoh is certainly not a true point guard, but he is a good defender and his ability to hit the glass is impressive. If Uzoh struggles to handle the ball, Coach Wojcik can look to Glenn Andrews. The 6-2 junior is not much of a shooter, but he can score around the basket. Justin Hurtt, who split starting time with Andrews last season, is the shooter of the bunch. Hurtt connected on 39.0 percent of his attempts from long range and he needs to keep shooting well since Reese will not be around to stretch out the defense.

Frontcourt:

The frontcourt returns its two big guys in Bishop Wheatley and Jerome Jordan. Wheatley will not score very much, but he does do the dirty work under the basket. He is only 6-6, but he will use his 225 pound frame to overpower most opposing power forwards. When the Golden Hurricane need more size on the floor, they will call on Joe Richard and Steven Idlet. Richard, a 6-7, 235 pound sophomore, showed some promise during his freshman campaign despite averaging less than ten minutes per contest. Idlet, another sophomore, is 6-10 and will usually give Jordan a rest under the basket.

Who to Watch:

And it is Jordan who is the superstar of this team. Last season he tallied 13.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per contest. The 7-0, 250 pound senior deserves a lot more credit than he has gotten during his career in Tulsa. A solid senior season and a trip to the NCAA Tournament will change that.

Final Projection:

There is only one postseason tournament this group is aiming for. Last year may have ended in minor disappointment, but the core group of this team is back and the entire projected starting five are upperclassmen. And this is a team that has a couple younger players on the roster who are ready to play a bigger role. Maybe Tulsa cannot surpass Memphis, but they can reach the NCAA Tournament.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Ben Uzoh, Senior, Guard, 14.0 points per game

Glenn Andrews, Junior, Guard, 7.1 points per game

Justin Hurtt, Junior, Guard, 9.6 points per game

Bishop Wheatley, Senior, Forward, 4.8 points per game

Jerome Jordan, Senior, Center, 13.8 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
39		40		41		42

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Tuesday/Wednesday Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:06:37 -0400

More mid-week football from the Sun Belt with Arkansas State (1-3, 0-1 Sun Belt) hitting the road (8 PM on ESPN2) to visit UL Monroe (3-2, 2-0), who sits tied atop the conference standings with a 2-0 record (Troy) in league play. The Warhawks lead the conference in rushing, total and scoring offense with QB Trey Revell and RB Frank Goodin leading the way. But the Red Wolves are no slouch, having lost their last two games by a combined six points. Troy and Iowa are talented but rather straightforward in what they're going to do. The same can't be said for the Warhawks, who will employ a variety of looks on offense and defense.

"They're very multiple defensively," said Arkansas State head coach Steve Roberts in Monday's Sun Belt Coaches Teleconference. "They come from everywhere, show you a lot of different fronts and a lot of movement." UL Monroe ranks third in the Sun Belt in total defense and second in rushing defense with LB Cordia Watson and DE Aaron Morgan leading the way. Watson leads the team in tackles while Morgan leads the conference and ranks fifth nationally in sacks per game (1.20; 6 sacks on the year).

Arkansas State has the conference's third-best rushing attack and Reggie Arnold is the main cog in the Arkansas State rushing attack. Arnold averages just over seventy yards per game but he isn't the only option as seen in the team average of almost 163 yards per game. QB Corey Leonard can be a threat by land and by air but he hasn't been as productive on the ground as he was a season ago. Look for him to try to make more plays with his feet against the Warharks should the opportunity present itself.

As for a winner it may be worth noting that the Warhawks have scored just ten more points than their opponents this season, and Arkansas State's two road losses came at the hands of Nebraska and Iowa. Look for the Red Wolves to pick up their first win in conference play on the road.

Wednesday: #5 Boise State (5-0, 1-0 WAC) @ Tulsa (4-1, 2-0 C-USA) (8 PM on ESPN)

While this game is going to get a lot of attention due to the the explosive nature of both offenses as much has been accomplised by the Boise State defense through five games. The Broncos rank in the Top 25 nationally in every major defensive category and when you combine that with the fact that the offense ranks 5th in scoring offense the end result is a team that will be heard from when it comes time to decide who gets a BCS at-large berth.

Sophomore QB Kellen Moore has done a good job of distributing the football while continuing to limit mistakes, leading the WAC in pass efficiency while ranking fifth in the conference in total offense. "Their quarterback makes everything work," said Tulsa head coach Todd Graham on Monday. "He operates very well in the pocket and manages the offense very well."

There isn't just one guy who gets the job done offensively for Chris Peterson's team; many players understand their roles and carry out their responsibilities, making this an extremely difficult team to contain. The Golden Hurricane have some good numbers defensively as well, leading Conference USA in both total and scoring defense.

But those stats may need to be taken with a grain of salt; the three FBS teams they've beaten (Tulane, New Mexico and Rice) have the following national rankings in total offense: 94th, 108th and 109th. Their other win this season came against FCS member Sam Houston State, and their lone test (Oklahoma) didn't go too well last month. That will likely put some more pressure on QB G.J. Kinne and the Tulsa offense, which ranks third in Conference USA in total offense and second in scoring offense.

Kinne has played well outside of the loss at Oklahoma, leading Conference USA in pass efficiency while also leading the team in rushing. Coach Graham will mix things up in the spread, making sure that playmakers such as Damaris Johnson and Jamad Williams get the ball in a variety of ways. A good individual matchup to watch may be Johnson going up against All-America candidate CB Kyle Wilson, who will have a clean bill of health after being a bit banged up earlier this season.

The pick here is that while the Golden Hurricane will come out ready to go the Broncos will be too much for them to contain for sixty minutes. Look for Boise State to remain undefeated.

Week 2 Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:41:32 -0400

Are teams and players being anointed too early?

Week 2 of the college football season was action-packed, providing fans with moments that they won’t soon forget. Matt Barkley leading USC down the field for the game-winning touchdown with help from Joe McKnight got the majority of the press due to the pregame hype. But has he officially “arrived”? Has McKnight “turned the corner”? Make no mistake about it, these were great moments in the development of these young players, but the second game of the season seems a bit early to judge their work completed. Not to mention the many who questioned Ohio State’s ability in “big” games are also those making these judgments.

Not to take anything away from the Trojans; that was one impressive finish considering how little they’d done in the third quarter. But did the overly conservative play-calling by Ohio State give them some help? More could have been done on offense to go for the Trojans’ jugular vein; they’ve got too much talent to be allowed to hang around. Pete Carroll’s defense had something to do with that as well, but where was the imagination? Why not get Terrelle Pryor out in space more often, allowing him to be a true run/pass threat? Too early to heap great praise on the Trojans? Maybe, maybe not. But they’ve got some examples of what can happen when you listen to the praise a little too much.

Michigan State and Oklahoma State became prime examples of strolling out onto the field carrying past accomplishments and what it can do to you. The Spartans ended up in a slugfest with Central Michigan, who didn’t look very good at Arizona last weekend, and eventually lost on a field goal as time expired. The Cowboys, with their highest ranking in years, should have known what to expect from Houston. The Cougars led in the second quarter of last year’s meeting 16-7 before falling to a furious Cowboy onslaught.

No such luck for Coach Gundy’s team this time, with the Cougars leaving Stillwater with the 45-35 win. Florida State, who some thought to be on their way back in a close loss to Miami, nearly lost to Jacksonville State before a pair of late touchdowns provided the deceiving final score of 20-9. So USC, Michigan, and anyone else going into next week on the heels of a big win consider yourselves forewarned. We could be in store for wilder fall than anticipated if you aren’t careful.

ACC: Conference avoids disaster in Week 2.

As bad as the first weekend was for the conference, things could have gotten a lot worse in Week 2. Early Saturday afternoon things didn’t look good, with North Carolina (Connecticut), Wake Forest (Stanford) and Duke (Army) all losing games they’d be expected to win. While the losses wouldn’t have been killers they certainly wouldn’t help the reputation of the ACC, so it’s a good thing that they were able to rally for victories. But that wasn’t the end of it, with Florida State and Maryland (James Madison) needing late rallies to survive FCS opponents.

The Terrapins, who beat the Dukes in overtime 38-35, suffered a big loss in CB Nolan Carroll (fractured tibia) and it remains to be seen how they go about replacing the senior. And of course there’s Virginia, who needed a pair of window-dressing touchdowns to avoid a shutout at the hands of TCU. Who wins this league is a crapshoot at this point as the Clemson/Georgia Tech game showed, but the members would do well to avoid embarrassing non-conference losses at this point in the season.

Big 12: Some conference teams come back to reality while there may be serious issues in Boulder.

The Big 12 received a good amount of praise following the first weekend due to impressive wins by Missouri and Oklahoma State. Both were shocked back into reality, with the Tigers being lucky enough to escape their test with a win. Bowling Green gave Gary Pinkel’s team all it wanted and then some, making the Tigers pay for two turnovers in jumping out to a 20-6 lead in the third quarter. Missouri scored twenty-one unanswered to save the 27-20 win, while the Cowboys weren’t as lucky as previously mentioned. But by no means were those the only results to take note of.

Colorado put up an embarrassing effort at Toledo on Friday night, never being a factor in a 54-38 beating that was worse than that score indicated. QB Cody Hawkins took a beating, suffering a concussion on a touchdown run, but he had to take his licks because there’s no other option. Were things bad when Dan Hawkins took over? Yes, but is it too much to ask for results like this to not happen? Given how good this league is, CU could end the season fighting with the likes of Kansas State and Iowa State instead of Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. And there’s the celebration of Bill Snyder’s five-year contract with a 17-15 loss at UL Lafayette. The top of the Big 12 will be very good, likely hiding a soft underbelly.

Big East: West Virginia shows off a new dimension in their win over East Carolina, and Connecticut’s season is at a critical point.

Many knew that Bill Stewart’s team wouldn’t be able to run as often as in years past with Pat White gone. But instead of giving this program enough credit to acknowledge that they’d be able to adjust, many predicted their demise. As the Pirates found out Saturday, that may not be the smartest idea. In the 35-20 win Jarrett Brown threw for 334 yards and four touchdowns (running for another 73 yards), and six players had at least two receptions on the day. And that was with four turnovers and eleven penalties. They’ll have to touch up those areas in advance of their trip to Auburn next week, but the predictions of their demise…a bit premature.

As for the Huskies it’s rare that a 1-1 record signals a fork in the road, but that’s exactly what they’ll have before them at Baylor next weekend. The 12-10 loss to North Carolina was heartbreaking because of the way in which it happened. A defense that bailed out an anemic offense for three quarters got tired, there was a holding call in the end zone for the final margin, and no adjustment on 4^th-and-4 when the Tar Heels were bringing everything but the kitchen sink. QB Zach Frazer (knee) will miss the next two games, putting the pressure on Cody Endres to bring a mostly dormant offense back to life. It may not be a conference game but their meeting with Baylor will play a major role in which way the season heads.

Big Ten: Mixed signals from the Big Ten.

Most of the attention was given to Michigan and Ohio State since they were playing in arguably the two biggest games of the day. But those were just two paragraphs in the Big Ten story Saturday. Indiana, Michigan State, Northwestern and Wisconsin all found themselves in dogfights with MAC opponents and not all three survived. Indiana managed a thirteen penalty effort against Western Michigan by forcing three turnovers in the 23-19 win, while Northwestern needed a field goal as time expired to beat Eastern Michigan. Wisconsin needed overtime to knock off a game Fresno State squad. The Spartans, on the other hand, fell to Central Michigan on a field goal by Andrew Aguila with three seconds left.

Iowa had no such difficulties with Iowa State, whipping their in-state rivals 35-3 in Ames and the same can be said for Illinois, who took care of Illinois State. Penn State harassed Greg Paulus and company in a decisive victory over Syracuse at Beaver Stadium. Originally thought by many to be a two-team race the Big Ten may prove to be more wide-open than originally anticipated.

Conference USA: For all the focus on the Mountain West and Boise State, don’t forget the West.

Houston’s win over Oklahoma State has already been mentioned, but people haven’t paid much attention to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. They will next weekend when G.J. Kinne and company visit Norman to take on the Sooners. Oklahoma QB Landry Jones looked very good on Saturday but Tulsa is no Idaho State. And as fate would have it, Tulsa will host Boise State in October, which could likely be the Broncos’ toughest game left on the schedule.

Another team in the conference to keep an eye on: Southern Miss, who hosts a bad Virginia team next week and will also have a shot at both Houston and Tulsa in November. Larry Fedora’s team didn’t look great in their win over UCF, but they’ve finally got WR DeAndre Brown (broken leg in the New Orleans Bowl) back on the field. As he shakes off the rust he’ll return to being the weapon that he was before the injury. Many ignore Conference USA, lamenting the fact that the defense isn’t the strongest, but there are some dangerous teams lurking in the shadows.

Independents: Army drops a heartbreaker at home, while Notre Dame does the same on the road.

The Black Knights looked pretty good in the first half of their game against Duke, and the solid play continued even after reserve QB Sean Renfree entered the game and moved the Blue Devils down the field. But his play (7-of-8, 106 yards 2 TD) was enough to put Duke in the driver’s seat and two interceptions of the pick-six variety from Leon Wright sealed the 35-19 win for Duke. Head coach Rich Ellerson’s double-eagle flex defense confused starter Thaddeus Lewis and limited the Duke offense to 236 yards of offense, but the turnovers (four overall) made all the difference.

Notre Dame, on the other hand, simply got caught in a game of “who has the ball last” in Ann Arbor. But you have to wonder if the Irish would have been better off running the football late instead of throwing on second down of their last drive with the lead. Coach Weis made it a matter of “making them use their timeouts or winning the game” but why would holding onto the ball as long as possible be a bad thing? And even if Notre Dame were to not get a first down wouldn’t it be better to give Michigan the ball back with no timeouts? Oh well, he’s the coach and I’m not.

MAC: Some missed opportunities, but all in all a decent weekend for the conference.

The weekend began with Toledo’s beating of Colorado at the Glass Bowl and ended with Boise State shutting out Miami (Ohio). In between were close calls, one upset and a couple of blowouts. Essentially what’s been going on in the Mid-American Conference for quite some time, showing both the depth of this conference and why the MAC hasn’t had a member make a run at a BCS bid. Not only do they beat up on each other within conference play but there are many instances of “close but no cigar” results. So who are the favorites to get to Detroit after two weeks? Buffalo looks to be a solid bet in the East, but there will be challenges from Akron, Bowling Green and Ohio. In the West, Central Michigan and Western Michigan look to be the class of the division but Toledo will also have something to say about what should be a fun race.

Mountain West: Utah survives San Jose State, pushing their win streak to sixteen straight, while UNLV misses a golden opportunity.

The Utes ended up in more of a fight than many anticipated going into their game at San Jose State. But they pulled away in the fourth quarter thanks to a pair of touchdowns in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, providing a margin that proved to be too much for the Spartans to overcome. Two turnovers and eleven penalties kept SJSU in the game despite being outgained by a margin of 499-264. Figuring who exactly Oregon is has been tough given the circumstances of their opener, but they can make Utah pay next week if Kyle Whittingham’s team doesn’t pay better attention to the little things.

As for the Rebels, they hung with Oregon State until the bitter end, even taking a 21-20 lead with just over four minutes remaining after trailing 20-7 at the start of the fourth quarter. But they couldn’t keep the Beavers out of field goal range on the game’s final drive, and the end result was a Justin Kahut field goal with seven seconds remaining. UNLV was a minus-2 in turnover margin and they also saw QB Omar Clayton leave the game with a knee injury. Mike Clausen entered the game and threw a pair of touchdown passes, which is a good sign should he have to take over the reins for an extended period of time.

Pac-10: UCLA picks up a big win on the road while Stanford lets one slip away.

The Cardinal looked to be in good shape at halftime; up 17-3 and redshirt freshman Andrew Luck was having a good game at Wake Forest. Then the Demon Deacons went on a run, scoring the last twenty-one points of the game to win 24-17. Riley Skinner’s quarterback sneak with two seconds remaining provided the final margin, leaving Stanford to make the cross-country flight thinking about what could have been. The primary issue for Stanford: stopping the run. Wake Forest finished the day with 251 yards on the ground, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

As for the Bruins, losing QB Kevin Prince (broken jaw) for an extended period may temper the enthusiasm following their 19-15 win at Tennessee. Yes the Volunteers are looking to rebuild under new head coach Lane Kiffin but that doesn’t excuse the fact that the UCLA defense forced four turnovers and limited the Volunteers to fewer than three yards per rush. Kai Forbath was the star for UCLA, making four of five field goal attempts in the win. The question now is how the Bruins make up for the loss of Prince with either Richard Brehaut or Kevin Craft. Craft, as you will likely remember, was the starter last season and had a tough go of it.

SEC: What’s gotten into the Auburn offense? Try new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.

You couldn’t blame some folks if they were skeptical about the promises of exciting offense from the Auburn Tigers given what happened under Tony Franklin in 2008. The pledge was to go to the spread offense, and to say the least things didn’t go as planned. The most incriminating piece of evidence that the installation wasn’t working: a brutal 3-2 loss at Mississippi State. In the rematch, there were no such doldrums for the Tigers, who sprinted out to a 14-0 first quarter.

Winning by a final score of 49-24 Auburn racked up nearly 600 yards of offense, and QB Kodi Burns was a game-changer with his three scores on the ground. As a team Auburn ran for 390 yards with three players rushing for at least 75 yards on the evening. If they can get the same effort against West Virginia next weekend they’ll have a shot.

Sun Belt: The “Dwight Dasher Show” leads Middle Tennessee to a blowout win over Memphis.

This had all the makings of a close game on paper, and it began as such with the Blue Raiders and Tigers ending the first quarter tied at seven. Then Middle Tennessee’s offense got going and the defense shut down Memphis, leading to a run of twenty-four unanswered points to put the game away. Dasher accounted for 320 yards of total offense along with two touchdown passes in the 31-14 victory, and the Blue Raider defense held Memphis to ninety-three yards rushing on thirty-seven attempts. Given what happened at Clemson last week this was a good win for Middle Tennessee. UL Lafayette shouldn’t be forgotten either, with kicker Tyler Albrecht beating Kansas State with thirty-two seconds left in the game. While neither or those teams would be considered major scalps on the national scene, they are decent wins for a conference that more times than not plays the role of whipping boy to the other leagues.

WAC: Fresno State misses out on a golden opportunity; where do they go from here?

This was by no means a crossroads game for the Bulldogs, since the loss to Wisconsin has no bearing on the conference standings. But they’ve yet to win a conference title under Pat Hill, so the question could be asked in some circles whether or not non-conference games are emphasized at the expense of league showdowns. Fresno State had a very good day offensively, putting up nearly 500 yards of offense in the overtime loss but they could have won had there not been three turnovers. Junior QB Ryan Colburn threw four touchdown passes by three picks? That can’t happen if you want to beat Wisconsin or some of the contenders within the WAC. Given what Nevada and Louisiana Tech have done so far, Fresno State may prove to be the biggest challenger to Boise State within the conference.