Louisville opens with romp against archrival Kentucky

LOUISVILLE – Watching Teddy Bridgewater direct the University of Louisville's offense Sunday in a 32-14 victory against Kentucky before a record 55,386 at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium gave the impression he could do whatever he needed to do.

By Jamie Rhodes,, U.S. Presswire

Teddy Bridgewater moved above .500 (6-5) as a starter in his second season at Louisville.

By Jamie Rhodes,, U.S. Presswire

Teddy Bridgewater moved above .500 (6-5) as a starter in his second season at Louisville.

When Kai Dominquez muffed a punt, forcing the Cardinals to begin their opening possession from their 1-yard line, Bridgewater simply directed a 99-yard touchdown drive. It was the first time since 2007 that the Cards scored on their first series of a season.

The play that might have summarized Bridgewater's nearly flawless game came on that first drive. One third-and-9 from the 2, he threw a 23-yard strike to Damian Copeland. The Cards faced only one more third down on that drive.

"Last year I felt I was just playing football just to play, just to be out there," Bridgewater said. "Now I'm playing with a purpose. And playing quarterback you have to be the manager; you have to be the leader of the team. So I did a great job managing the game."

The sophomore was 19-for-21 (a school-record 90.5% completions) for 232 yards and sat out the fourth quarter. Coach Charlie Strong replaced him for the final series of the third quarter with senior Will Stein, who was the starter last year before getting hurt in the UK game.

It might have seemed early to go with Stein, considering the Wildcats marched to Louisville's 5 on their first possession of the fourth quarter. But that threat ended when CoShik Williams lost the Wildcats' second fumble of the game.

But even if Kentucky had pulled within 11 points, the Cards were confident Bridgewater could have come back in to erase any of their mistakes. Strong, however, said he was certain Stein would finish the game.

"Once I took Teddy out I was going to leave Stein in the game," Strong said. "They turned the ball over, so I guess I'll never be able to find that out."

But Bridgewater has the confidence of his teammates.

"He's been on all summer and all camp," center Mario Benavides said, later adding, "Obviously, there are areas for improvement, but knowing he's back there really helps a lot."

Bridgewater led touchdown drives on the Cards' first three series — marches of 99, 85 and 93 yards —and they never trailed en route to their first home victory against Kentucky since 2006.

"You can't give up 76 yards on four-plus drives," Wildcats coach Joker Phillips said. "You can't do that, and we are better than that on defense."

Maybe, but Bridgewater made it seem otherwise.

As a freshman last season, he filled in against UK after Stein was hurt, and he lived up to the recruiting hype by leading the Cards to a 24-17 victory in Lexington. His first game as a sophomore made another statement.

"A year ago I don't know if he was really locked in," Strong said. "He wanted to be the quarterback, but it's almost he didn't want to study the game to go be the quarterback. So now it's just a totally different ballgame."

It certainly helped that the Cards' running game proved to be better than it was last season. They produced two 100-yard rushers in a game for the first time since 2010, with Senorise Perry gaining 108 yards —including a 47-yard score — and Jeremy Wright running for 105 yards and three touchdowns.

"A lot of times you just don't know with the first game," Strong said. "You just don't know how well they will play together. … We were able to stay in sync, and we were able to just move the ball up and down the field."

The Cards outgained UK 219-93 on the ground, marking the 17th consecutive time in the series that the team with more rushing yards won.

Kentucky defensive coordinator Rick Minter pointed to the Cats' inability to stop the run for Bridgewater's success.

"I've always said as a head coach or as a coordinator: When you can run the ball, you can do whatever you want to," Minter said. "If you can run the ball, you can throw the ball. Because then all of the sudden you quit rushing (the passer), your guys are tired, they're beat up, they're demoralized, they're no longer putting pressure on the quarterback."

Louisville didn't put much pressure on the passer, either. Maxwell Smith completed a career-high 35 passes in 50 attempts for 280 yards and two touchdowns.

The Cats' no-huddle offense kept the Cards on their heels, but despite 373 yards of offense, they didn't take advantage of all their opportunities.

Phillips surprised Louisville with an onside kick to start the second half. The Cats recovered and marched to Louisville's 24, but Craig McIntosh missed a 42-yard field goal attempt.

Raymond Sanders fumbled after the Cats drove to the Louisville 39 in the second quarter.

"We obviously have to do a better job finishing drives," UK offensive coordinator Randy Sanders said. "That was probably the biggest thing today: We didn't finish."

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No. 12 Wisconsin survives scare from Northern Iowa

By Jeff Hanisch, US Presswire

"Wisconsin football may not be the prettiest thing to watch, but we get Ws," head coach Bret Bielema said.

By Jeff Hanisch, US Presswire

"Wisconsin football may not be the prettiest thing to watch, but we get Ws," head coach Bret Bielema said.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — After watching a comfortable fourth-quarter lead melt away in a matter of minutes, No. 12 Wisconsin needed a big defensive play from Ethan Hemer to fend off FCS school Northern Iowa on Saturday.

The redshirt junior defensive lineman batted down a pass by Panthers quarterback Sawyer Kollmorgen on fourth-and-1 in Wisconsin territory, allowing the Badgers to escape with a 26-21 victory over the Panthers — who showed why they're regarded as one of the top teams in Division I's second tier.

Badgers coach Bret Bielema figured his team might learn more from a close call than a big blowout to start the season.

"You've got to touch a hot stove once," Bielema said. "Once you get burned, you're not going to do it again. And hopefully our guys learn, hey, you've got to put people away when we can."

Montee Ball rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown for the Badgers, while new starting quarterback Danny O'Brien completed 19 of 23 passes for 219 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Jared Abbrederis in his debut.

"I believe we didn't make the statement that we wanted to," Ball said. "But I believe this was a great learning experience for us all, because we believe that the mentality (we had) toward the game, we weren't attacking the defense like we should have. But it's a lot easier to correct your mistakes after a win than a loss."

Kollmorgen threw for 265 yards and three touchdowns.

It was another huge effort against superior competition for the Panthers, who had one-point losses at Iowa in 2009 and at Iowa State last season. Northern Iowa beat Iowa State in 2007.

"Without the batted ball, we might still be playing," Northern Iowa coach Mark Farley said. "A guy got a hand up, so credit him."

Kollmorgen said the Panthers didn't get what they wanted, but should leave with their heads held high.

"Coach Farley said to come out and prove we belong," Kollmorgen said. "We did that today."

Despite their classification, Bielema said he knew the Panthers would put up a fight.

"There's a lot of FBS schools that I'd rather play than those guys," Bielema said. "They're a really, really good football team."

Although the Badgers got off to a sluggish start on offense, they appeared to be on track for a fairly comfortable win.

Wisconsin's defense didn't allow Northern Iowa on its side of the 50-yard line until the 4:27 mark in the third quarter — but then the Badgers nearly melted down.

Leading 26-7 in the fourth quarter, Wisconsin allowed Kollmorgen to throw a pair of long touchdowns to David Johnson, cutting the lead to five.

After forcing a Wisconsin punt, the Panthers drove again.

Facing fourth-and-1 at the Wisconsin 41-yard line, Hemer tipped the ball at the line of scrimmage to stop the drive.

"To me, we get a lot better out of this than a 42-0 blowout," Bielema said. "I don't see what that gets. I know our fans, it kept them in their seats."

The Badgers won their 15 consecutive season opener, extended their home winning streak to 17 games, the second-longest streak in school history, and have now won 33 consecutive regular-season nonconference games.

It was an efficient day for O'Brien, a transfer who was eligible to play for the Badgers right away because he already had graduated from Maryland — the same rule Russell Wilson took advantage of to play for the Badgers last year.

Coaches and teammates went out of their way this week to establish realistic expectations for O'Brien and shield him against direct comparisons to Wilson — a remarkable playmaker who led the Badgers to a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl appearance last season, and now has won a starting job with the NFL's Seattle Seahawks as a rookie.

"We weren't consistent on our side of the ball, but you take a win any way you can get it," O'Brien said. "(The score was) too tight, whatever you want to say. You want to win easily, obviously, but you take a win any way you can get it."

For Ball, it was a chance to brush off his recent off-the-field trouble. Ball was beaten up in an attack near campus a month ago, sustaining a concussion and missing part of camp.

"I know, and everyone else should know, that I'm going to come back even stronger next game and it will take off from there," Ball said.

It also was the debut for Badgers offensive coordinator Matt Canada, who replaced new Pittsburgh head coach Paul Chryst.

Bielema, who has grown fond of saying there might be sexier teams in college football than Wisconsin, stuck with that theme in summing up Saturday's win.

"Wisconsin football may not be the prettiest thing to watch, but we get Ws," Bielema said.

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Alabama is the new No. 1 this week

One might argue that the defending champs should have been No. 1 to start the season, so call the first regular-season poll a market correction if you like.

Alabama grabbed the top spot in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll following its emphatic statement win against Michigan. The Crimson Tide received 37 first-place votes, a net gain of 17 from the preseason poll.

Southern California also moved up a spot to No. 2, while preseason leader LSU slipped to third. USC claimed 14 No. 1 votes, while the Tigers retained seven. LSU became the first preseason No.1 squad to win its opener but fall from the top position in the coaches poll since 2008, when Georgia was overtaken by USC.

There was more shifting among the top seven, all winners in week one. No. 4 Oregon picked up the 59th first-place vote and swapped places with No. 5 Oklahoma, and No. 6 Florida State nudged ahead of No.7 Georgia. West Virginia vaulted into the No. 8 spot ahead of No. 9 South Carolina and No. 10 Arkansas. Michigan slid 11 places to No. 19 after being rolled by the Tide.

Auburn was the only team ranked in the preseason poll to drop out this week after falling to No.12 Clemson. Boise State, which lost its high-profile opener 17-13 at then-No.13 Michigan State, held on at No. 25. That keeps a streak alive of 63 consecutive poll appearances for the Broncos, second only to Alabama's 66 among the best active streaks. Michigan State rose two spots to No. 11.

Louisville entered the rankings this week at No. 24, giving the Big East a presence in the poll after the league was shut out of the top 25 in the preseason.

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Player of the Week: ACC

There were some pretty standout performances in the ACC games we saw over the weekend.

Miami running back Duke Johnson, North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard, Duke receiver Conner Vernon and Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner all come to mind, as Heather noted with her helmet stickers.

But the one that stood out the most: Clemson running back Andre Ellington, my choice for ACC player of the week for what he did against Auburn in a 26-19 win Saturday night. Ellington was not just good. He was the best in the country.

Ellington racked up a career-high 231 yards rushing to put him squarely atop the NCAA rushing leaders list after Week 1. I can guarantee you that nobody would have guessed that headed into the season because, quite frankly, he sometimes gets overshadowed in this offense with playmakers like Tajh Boyd, Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins.

But there is no question he is just as valuable to this team as they are, and he proved it with some of his incredible feats of balance against Auburn. Not once, but twice, he somehow stayed on his feet after getting oh-so-close to having his knees hit the ground. He broke through tackles, and he showed an incredible second burst. He showed what a healthy Ellington looks like, and that has got to make Clemson fans smile today.

Of course, everybody in the ACC knows just how good Ellington can be because they have seen him play. Last season, he also had a 200-yard rushing game against Maryland. But he took his game to another level on Saturday night. Ellington now has three straight 100-yard rushing games, dating back to last season.

In all, he has 10 career 100-yard rushing games -- tops in the ACC.

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Big Ten says Ohio State, Penn State still could get trophy

By Rob Leifheit,, U.S. Presswire

Quarterback Braxton Miller and the rest of the Ohio State Buckeyes still could earn a trophy this season as champion of the Big Ten Leaders Division.

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Driskel to start for Florida in SEC opener

By David Jones, Florida Today

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – University of Florida football coach Will Muschamp said Monday that Jeff Driskel will start at quarterback Saturday as the Gators visit Texas A&M in both teams' Southeastern Conference opener.

"I told Jeff I don't want you looking over your shoulder but you need to play well,'' Muschamp said.

"He wants me to play loose and calm so that's what I'm going to do," Driskel said. "He told me today I was going to play. He told me the choice wasn't just based on Saturday, through out camp and through out practice they had been evaluating us for a while.''

Driskel completed 10 of 16 passes for 114 yards and one touchdown in the season-opening 27-14 win against Bowling Green. He shared the job with Jacoby Brissett last week.

"I just felt like at this time it's good to name one guy and go with it,'' Muschamp said.

He said Driskel's ability to make things happen running with the ball "played a big part'' in the decision.

"I think right now in the development of our offense, that's something that's going to benefit us,'' Muschamp said.

He added Brissett needed to understand "he's one snap way.''

Brissett "wasn't very happy'' when being told he was No. 2, the coach said.

"I would expect that,'' Muschamp said.

Brissett was the No. 2 quarterback last season behind John Brantley, after Driskel started the season as the backup. Now it's Brissett, also a sophomore, who must take a back seat. Driskel said he planned to talk to his teammate but that the conversation would remain private.

"Obviously it was tough,'' Driskel said of falling behind Brissett last year. "But I didn't let it get to me too much. At first I was real upset and going through a little tough time. But I had the support of family and friends and just stayed working hard.''

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Big Ten Week 2 preview

Week 2 arrives with the long-awaited Pac-12/Big Ten challenge and ... what's that? Oh, that's right, the series was cancelled. But we get a look at what it might have been like with three interconference matchups. Elsewhere, we have the first showdown with Notre Dame and two teams already desperate for a win.

Here's your early Week 2 Big Ten preview of Saturday's games (all times ET):

Air Force (1-0) at No. 8 Michigan (0-1), 3:30 p.m., ABC: The Wolverines need to get over the Alabama loss quickly, as Air Force presents a tricky challenge with its option attack. Cody Getz ran for 218 yards on 17 carries in a win over Idaho State on Saturday. Michigan has better athletes but had better not still be thinking about the Crimson Tide debacle.

No. 12 Wisconsin (1-0) at Oregon State (0-0), 4 p.m., FX: The Badgers head out to the West Coast after a near-disaster against Northern Iowa. The Beavers had their opener against Nicholls State cancelled because of Hurricane Isaac, so Wisconsin won't have any fresh film on Oregon State.

No. 13 Michigan State (1-0) at Central Michigan (1-0), 3:30 p.m., ESPNU: Things might not be real pleasant in Mount Pleasant for the Chippewas, who had to avoid an upset bid from Southeast Missouri State in their opener. This game might give Michigan State a chance to work on its passing game against a team that served up 27 points to SEMO.

No. 17 Nebraska (1-0) at UCLA (1-0), 7:30 p.m., Fox: The Huskers go to the Rose Bowl for what they hope might be the first of two trips this season. Taylor Martinez looked terrific against Southern Miss and now goes back home to California. UCLA showed increased offensive firepower in an easy win over Rice, so this one could be a lot of fun.

UCF (1-0) No. 18 Ohio State (1-0), Noon, ESPN2: Much like the Buckeyes, UCF beat up on a MAC team from Ohio in its opener, waxing Akron 56-14. The Knights, who some picked to win C-USA this season, could give Ohio State some problems.

Purdue (1-0) at Notre Dame (1-0), 3:30 p.m., NBC: The Boilermakers haven't brought home the Shillelagh Trophy since 2007, but this might be their best chance since then. Though the Irish looked really good against Navy, they have to get over their jet lag from the trip back to Dublin. Who will start at quarterback this week for Purdue?

Illinois (1-0) at Arizona State (1-0), 10:30 p.m., ESPN: Both teams looked better than expected in their openers -- Illinois dispatched Western Michigan without much trouble, and Arizona State housed Northern Arizona 63-6. The Sun Devils don't figure to run for 305 yards a second straight week with the Illini defense coming to Tempe.

Iowa State (1-0) at Iowa (1-0), 3:30 p.m., BTN: Always a contentious rivalry, this one figures to be a pretty good game. Iowa showed it has much to work on after a nailbiter against Northern Illinois, while Iowa State beat Tulsa 38-23. The Hawkeyes look to avenge last year's overtime loss in Ames.

Vanderbilt (0-1) at Northwestern (1-0), 8 p.m., BTN: The Mississippi schools have the Egg Bowl. Maybe this is the Egghead Bowl. But both schools can play a little football, too. Vanderbilt nearly beat South Carolina on opening night and has a defense capable of giving Northwestern trouble. And, you know, the Big Ten can salvage some respect against the SEC. Ahem.

Penn State (0-1) at Virginia (1-0), Noon, ABC: The Ohio loss hurt in many ways, including the fact that the schedule offers few real breaks for Penn State the rest of the way. Now, the Nittany Lions must go on the road to ACC country and face Virginia, which blew out Richmond in its opener. The Lions try again for their first victory since 1997 (sorry, the NCAA made me write that sentence).

New Hampshire (1-0) at Minnesota (1-0), Noon, BTN: The Gophers have an excellent chance to improve to 2-0 and win their third straight game since last season, but nothing is guaranteed. The FCS Wildcats put up 531 total yards in their Week 1 victory over Holy Cross.

Indiana (1-0) at UMass (0-1), 3:30 p.m., ESPN3: The Hoosiers got their first win since Sept. 17 by beating Indiana State on Saturday. Now they look for their first win over an FBS team since 2010. The Minutemen seek their first win as an FBS team, as they were drubbed by Connecticut in their first game since making the official transition from the FCS.

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Musberger's audio dumped for offensive word

ABC has a comedy on its schedule called Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. It showed the bare buttocks of portly actor Dennis Franz more than a decade ago. A scene from its universally beloved Modern Family once featured a brief snippet of a married couple in a bedroom position favored by canines.

So when legendary announcer Brent Musburger had his audio mysteriously dumped during Saturday night's Alabama-Michigan game, it was safe to assume that he said something bad, like a word that begins with "F," another that sounds like "quit" or maybe something like an vulgar tirade against Mickey Mouse.

Here's the clip as it was presented to viewers. See if you can tell what Musburger said. (Football games are run on a brief tape delay so technicians can dump audio or video that may be offensive or run ABC afoul of draconian FCC regulations.)

The statement so offensive it caused an audio dump and Herbstreit to react like a 8-year-old who heard his father curse for the first time?

"Did I miss something, or did you not piss an SEC team to play for a national championship?"

Musburger meant to say pick. He said the other thing. Other than a few snarky bloggers, I doubt most people would have picked up on it had ABC not drawn attention to it by dumping the audio. I was at a bar and the volume was loud and no one noticed.

To Herbie and Brent, it was hilarious. I guess these are the things that pass for amusing when the score is 34-7 in the third quarter.

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Gators' Jeff Driskel gets nod as starter

There were no surprises Monday when Florida coach Will Muschamp met the media.

He announced Jeff Driskel as the Gators' starting quarterback, a decision that was pretty obvious given the way the snaps broke down in Florida's opener last Saturday. Driskel played the entire second half and was on the field for 52 of the Gators' 63 offensive snaps.

Muschamp said he still had confidence in Jacoby Brissett, but that it was time to move forward with one quarterback. The Gators have to be more consistent in their passing game, and juggling two quarterbacks simply wasn't going to cut it.

"[I] just feel like Jeff with his legs gives us some different variables in our offense that can help us as we move forward," Muschamp said. "It'll be Jeff's game to play. I told Jeff, 'I don't want you looking over your shoulder, but you need to play well.' I have confidence in both guys. [We] can win with both guys. I just felt like, at this time, it's good to move forward with naming one guy and go with it."

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Oregon's new QB Mariota faces his first test

EUGENE, Ore. – In his short tenure at Oregon – two years as offensive coordinator, and now beginning his fourth season as head coach – Chip Kelly has developed a reputation for a fast-paced, explosive offense. And also, for plugging and playing quarterbacks (eight have led Oregon to a 53-13 record).

Kelly says it's because the Ducks don't make a big deal of it. The philosophy, he says, is the same as at any other position: next guy in. Whatever the reason, it's Marcus Mariota's turn. Oregon's hopes of winning a fourth straight conference championship and contending for the BCS title ride in part on the shoulders of the redshirt freshman.

Tonight, when the No. 5-ranked Ducks face Arkansas State at Autzen Stadium – after a nearly perfect late summer day, expect temperatures to begin dropping into the 50s during the game – we'll get our first look at Mariota, who beat out sophomore Bryan Bennett during a competition that began last spring and ended last week.

Darron Thomas, the Ducks' starter in 2010 and 2011, entered the NFL Draft following his junior season, but went undrafted and has still has not been signed by a team.

Insiders whisper that Mariota has potential to become the best quarterback of Kelly's tenure; he's lanky and fast, a good passer with what appears to be a low-key demeanor. But until kickoff – and maybe beyond tonight, considering the opponent – there's no way to tell for sure.

Mariota's task is made a bit easier because of a talented supporting cast that includes running backs Kenjon Barner and De'Anthony Thomas and a defense that might be as good as the Ducks have had in a long while.

Meanwhile, for Arkansas State, Gus Malzahn makes his head-coaching debut. The former Auburn offensive coordinator surprised many by taking the job last December. The Red Wolves, who won 10 games last season under Hugh Freeze (now head coach at Ole Miss), bring back an experienced quarterback in Ryan Aplin.

Also uncertain: Whether Oregon's 82-game sellout streak at Autzen Stadium continues. Late in the week, about 2,000 tickets remained; capacity is 54,000.

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Catch of the year? OSU player's one-handed TD

Is it possible that we saw the catch of the year in a noon game on the first football Saturday?

Why not?

Early in the second quarter against Miami (Ohio), Ohio State's Devin Smith caught a 23-yard pass from Braxton Miller, grabbing the ball and pulling it down with just his right hand. Incredible catch.

It's also the first Buckeye touchdown of the Urban Meyer era.

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Purdue cruises by Eastern Kentucky

Did Caleb TerBush just get Wally Pipp-ed?

The Purdue starting quarterback missed the team's opener while serving a suspension for violating team rules. But the Boilers didn't miss a beat with Robert Marve leading the way in an easy 48-6 blowout of Eastern Kentucky.

Marve went 31-of-38 for 307 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. Head coach Danny Hope insisted TerBush, who started every game last year, was his starter all offseason, but after his off-the-field misstep, who knows?

The Boilers weren't realistically going to have trouble with the FCS Colonels no matter who was at quarterback. They raced out to a 20-0 lead and were up 34-6 at halftime while piling up 547 total yards against Hope's alma mater. Twelve different players caught a pass, and six different players had a touchdown.

The only blemish for Purdue was turnovers, as it committed five of them. Hope's team needs to play cleaner than that against better opponents. Rob Henry, playing for the first time since 2010, looked a little rusty as he contributed two of the turnovers.

Henry is another option at quarterback. The question going into this week's showdown at Notre Dame will likely be, is TerBush still the starter?

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Player of the Week: SEC

It was hard to find a better performer in the SEC than Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson this weekend.

He entered the year as arguably the SEC's top quarterback and showed us exactly why when he threw for conference-high 367 yards and three touchdowns in Arkansas' 49-24 win over Jacksonville State. Wilson not only outdid the SEC, but he outdid every other opening-day Arkansas quarterback to come through Fayetteville, as his 367 passing yards set a new school record for passing yards in an opener. The previous high was 318 by Casey Dick against Western Illinois in 2008.

Wilson also tied the Arkansas record for touchdown passes in a season opener, becoming the third Arkansas quarterback to throw for three touchdowns in the first game of the season. He's now fifth on Arkansas’ list for career touchdown passes with 34.

His quarterback rating for the weekend also topped the SEC at 221.2.

Wilson might have been down his three NFL receivers from a year ago, but he did an excellent job of spreading the ball around Saturday. Two of his receiving targets -- wide receiver Brandon Mitchell and tight end Chris Gragg -- both eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark. Gragg caught a game-high seven catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns and Mitchell, who moved from quarterback, caught four passes for a game-high 122 yards.

Wilson has what it takes to be a real Heisman candidate this season and he's off to a great start.

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Report: Two USC players took money, car

Big news came out of Los Angeles in the midst of the first football Saturday of the season -- and it wasn't good news.

According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, "a key figure in an ongoing corruption scandal at the Los Angeles County assessor's office said he gave cash and perks worth thousands of dollars to two University of Southern California athletes while they were still in school."

Scott Schenter, a former appraiser, provided former USC running back Joe McKnight with a car and an airline ticket and former basketball player Davon Jefferson with $3,700 in cash, according to emails obtained by The Times.

USC officials told the newspaper they immediately informed the NCAA about the claims.

"We are dedicated to playing and competing the right way," USC athletic director Pat Haden wrote to The Times.

USC also put out the following statement from Haden in response to the story Saturday afternoon:

"When allegations regarding Joe McKnight's use of a Land Rover arose in 2009, USC fully investigated the matter. All of the information related to the investigation was sent to the NCAA. The NCAA staff accepted the report, and no violation was processed.

We have just learned of new allegations presented by a reporter from the Los Angeles Times. We have discussed those allegations with the NCAA and PAC-12, and we will thoroughly investigate them and take any and all necessary actions. ...

I can personally assure you that USC takes its compliance obligations with NCAA and Pac-12 rules extremely seriously and we are dedicated to playing and competing the right way."

There are a lot more details in the full newspaper story, so I recommend you give that a read. It's definitely worth keeping an eye on.

This report comes at an interesting time, considering that USC is expected to compete for the national championship this season and is just coming off a two-year bowl ban because of NCAA violations similar to these allegations.

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Clemson's offensive line grows up

Scott Cunningham/Getty ImagesClemson's offensive line performed well against Auburn, allowing Andre Ellington to run for 231 yards.When Clemson opened its game against Auburn, some of the major concerns about a revamped offensive line were played out.

Missed assignments. Pre-snap penalties -- one that cost the Tigers a fourth-and-goal attempt at the 1. Way too many Auburn defenders coming free, forcing Tajh Boyd to avoid the pressure on numerous occasions. At the end of the first half, Clemson had given up four sacks -- that only happened twice all of last season.

But a funny thing happened on the way toward writing off the offensive line. All five guys started playing much better, together. And their superior conditioning in the spread hurry-up started paying off. Center Dalton Freeman, tackles Brandon Thomas and Gifford Timothy, and guards David Beasley and Tyler Shatley had their way with the Auburn defensive front, which was clearly exhausted and having a hard time keeping up.

The end result? No second-half sacks allowed, no more procedure penalties and a hard-fought victory.

"We knew coming in that we were inexperienced but we weren’t going to let that be an excuse for us," Freeman said after the game. "I was impressed with our poise. We did a good job of handling adversity. We’re very happy with where we were … Early on, we were beating ourselves, probably trying to do a little too much. Once we calmed down, we played pretty well.”

Freeman and Thomas are the only two starters returning from a year ago. Beasley, Timothy and Shatley had a combined 75 plays on the offensive line entering the Auburn game. (Shatley played 317 snaps in 2011, but all were on defense.)

After the rough start, the offensive line helped Andre Ellington run for 228 yards, and a 320 total yards on the ground. That was the highest rushing total for Clemson since gaining 323 against Georgia Tech in the 2009 ACC Championship game. Clemson is now 107-4-1 when it gains at least 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing in the same game.

What's more, all five starters played every single snap but the final one -- only because Timothy got banged up and had to leave the game. Freeman was so good, he was selected as one of the ACC Players of the Week on Tuesday. Coach Dabo Swinney said during his news conference Tuesday he expects Timothy to play Saturday against Ball State, and he also hopes to get some of his reserves more involved.

Still, it was an impressive performance after a shaky start. Despite the result, both Swinney and Morris cautioned there is plenty more work to do.

“I think we all saw same thing, they’ve still got a lot of room for improvement,” Morris told reporters in Clemson on Monday. “We’re not ready to name them the ‘Seven Blocks Of Granite’ or ‘Four Horsemen’ yet. Those guys have earned some respect on this football team.”

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The Big 12 Primer: Week 2

My predictions for Week 2 will be up bright and early tomorrow morning, but here's your look at when, where and what you can find in this weekend's games. I'll also reveal tomorrow which game I'm attending.

Until then, let's hear your predictions in the comments.

West Virginia and Baylor are off this week.

No. 21 Kansas State vs. Miami (noon, FX): Wildcats linebacker Arthur Brown plays his former team a second time after knocking off The U in Miami Gardens last year. The Wildcats get the early game and their first test after rolling over Missouri State with an explosive third quarter. Miami got a good win over Boston College to start its season, but Kansas State is a better team.

Iowa State at Iowa (3:30 p.m., Big Ten Network): Iowa will be out for revenge after last year's three-overtime upset, including a double-digit, fourth-quarter comeback. Steele Jantz looked much improved in last week's win over Tulsa, and last year's win was the Cyclones' first in the rivalry since 2007. Iowa State hasn't won in Iowa City in a decade, but it has also never played for this brand-new trophy. Motivation, y'all!

Kansas vs. Rice (3:30 p.m., Fox Sports Net): KU got back in the win column last week, but quarterback Dayne Crist was unsatisfied with his performance. He'll have more time this week to get in sync with receivers Kale Pick, Daymond Patterson and D.J. Beshears. KU's retooled defensive line has a lot to prove still, too. The Jayhawks notched two sacks (it had nine all of last season), but gave up a 99-yard touchdown run.

No. 17 TCU vs. Grambling State (7 p.m., Fox Sports Net): TCU had to wait an extra week, but it's finally time to unveil the Frogs' new stadium and debut a team playing as a Big 12 member for the first time. This game shouldn't be interesting, but it'll be an emotional weekend in Fort Worth, no doubt.

Texas Tech at Texas State (7 p.m., ESPN3): Texas Tech looked pretty good last week against Northwestern State, but it's anyone's guess what Texas State has in store for Tech this weekend. The Red Raiders will travel to San Marcos, but Dennis Franchione's Bobcats knocked off Houston on the road last week.

No. 5 Oklahoma vs. Florida A&M (7 p.m., pay-per-view): The Sooners won't be clinging to a narrow lead in the fourth quarter against the FCS Rattlers, but Oklahoma's offense needs to work on a whole lot before Saturday. Landry Jones looked uncomfortable and out of sync with his new receivers, and Bob Stoops complained of "inconsistency" all over the place in Saturday's win over UTEP.

No. 15 Texas vs. New Mexico (8 p.m., Longhorn Network): New Mexico's off to a nice start under Bob Davie, hanging 66 points on the board last week. Here's guessing the Lobos won't put 60 on the Longhorns, who turned in a solid effort against a Wyoming team that's better than most think. Still, David Ash and even the hyped defense were far from where they need to be for Texas to contend for a Big 12 title. The Longhorns will need to see some improvement.

No. 16 Oklahoma State at Arizona (10:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network): Wes Lunt has yet to throw an incompletion ... or his first career touchdown pass. We didn't learn much about Lunt in the Cowboys' infamous 84-0 win over Savannah State. This one? A much more difficult test. Arizona struggled to beat Toledo last week, but going on the road against a major conference opponent, especially with a true freshman quarterback, is intriguing. The Cowboys are a double-digit favorite, though, and face the Wildcats for a third time in 16 games.

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Air Force coach unveils his USA TODAY Sports ballot

Troy Calhoun is in his sixth season as head football coach at Air Force, his alma mater. Calhoun also is a voter in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. Although ballots in the poll generally are not revealed until the final vote of the regular season in December, Calhoun has been providing his weekly ballot to The Gazette of Colorado Springs the last couple of years. He agreed this year to also reveal his vote each week for USA TODAY Sports.

By Kirby Lee, US Presswire

Air Force coach Troy Calhoun had Southern California and quarterback Matt Barkley, shown throwing a pass against Hawaii, No. 2 on his ballot.

By Kirby Lee, US Presswire

Air Force coach Troy Calhoun had Southern California and quarterback Matt Barkley, shown throwing a pass against Hawaii, No. 2 on his ballot.

His ballot for the first week (number in parentheses is where team is ranked in the full poll):

1. Alabama (1)

2. Southern California (2)

3. LSU (3)

4. Florida State (6)

5. Georgia (7)

6. Oregon (4)

7. Oklahoma (5)

8. Clemson (12)

9. Michigan (19)

10. South Carolina (9)

11. Michigan State (11)

12. Arkansas (10)

13. Nebraska (14)

14. West Virginia (8)

15. Texas (15)

16. Virginia Tech (18)

17. Oklahoma State (16)

18. TCU (17)

19. Tennessee (not ranked)

20. Notre Dame (22)

21. Florida (23)

22. Wisconsin (13)

23. Kansas State (20)

24. Boise State (25)

25. Stanford (21)

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Florida State DE Jenkins to miss remainder of the season

TALLAHASSEE – Senior defensive end Brandon Jenkins, the biggest star on Florida State's star-studded defense, has been lost to a season-ending foot injury.

By Sam Sharpe, US Presswire

Florida State's Brandon Jenkins, seen here at ACC Media Day in July, suffered a season-ending foot injury on Saturday.

By Sam Sharpe, US Presswire

Florida State's Brandon Jenkins, seen here at ACC Media Day in July, suffered a season-ending foot injury on Saturday.

Jenkins, a Florida High graduate who led FSU in sacks each of the past two seasons, went down in the second quarter of Saturday's season opener against Murray State. After tending to him on the sideline, team trainers tried to give Jenkins crutches to help him get back to the locker room, but he tossed them aside and walked back under his own power.

After the game, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher told reporters that X-rays of Jenkins' foot were negative, and that team doctors believed it was just a deep bruise. During his weekly press conference Monday afternoon, Fisher opened the door slightly that it could be worse.

"We'll probably MRI it, check it, just to make sure for his sake," Fisher said.

That MRI, as well as a "weight-bearing" X-ray, revealed that Jenkins had sustained a Lisfranc injury. The most common description of a Lisfranc injury refers to a broken bone (or bones) or torn ligaments in the "midfoot" area, according to medical websites.

"Brandon is not only a tremendous player, but a great person, teammate and leader that we will miss," Fisher said in a statement late Monday. "I know he'll bounce back and recover to continue a great career."

Jenkins' injury is the second major blow to a Florida State defense that was projected to be among the best in the country. Senior cornerback Greg Reid was dismissed from the team during the summer for a violation of team rules. The Seminoles now have lost their most experienced defensive back and top pass-rusher.

Jenkins earned first-team All-ACC honors as a sophomore after racking up 13 1/2 sacks. He posted a team-high eight sacks in 2011 and was named second-team All-ACC.

He likely will be replaced in the starting lineup by senior Cornellius Carradine, who came off the bench Saturday to lead the team in tackles. And the Seminoles likely will go with a four-man rotation at the two defensive end spots — with Carradine and junior Bjoern Werner backed up by senior Toshmon Stevens and redshirt freshman Giorgio Newberry.

Fisher said Monday he hoped to redshirt freshman defensive ends Mario Edwards Jr. and Chris Casher, but that approach might have to be adjusted.

Earlier this year, Jenkins planned on skipping his senior season and making himself available for the NFL Draft. He was projected to go in the second round but changed his mind after a heart-to-heart with Fisher.

Jenkins said he wanted to come back to pursue his degree, help the Seminoles win a national championship and improve his draft status. Because Jenkins played as a true freshman in 2009, he would be eligible to take a medical hardship and return to the Seminoles next season. He also could make himself available for the 2013 draft.

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Michigan rout proves Alabama is 'hungry' for another title

ARLINGTON, Texas – For eight months he had worked on their psyches, humbling players with messages about avoiding complacency and leaving memories of last year's national title in the trophy case.

By Kevin Jairaj, US Presswire

Nick Saban and No. 2 Alabama routed No. 8 Michigan on Saturday. Said OL Barrett Jones: "We're hungry and we're coming for another championship."

By Kevin Jairaj, US Presswire

Nick Saban and No. 2 Alabama routed No. 8 Michigan on Saturday. Said OL Barrett Jones: "We're hungry and we're coming for another championship."

And after all the offseason speeches and meetings about championship hangovers, Alabama coach Nick Saban unveiled a Crimson Tide team so dominant Saturday night that it sucked all the life out of the most anticipated game of college football's opening weekend.

In beating eighth-ranked Michigan, 41-14, second-ranked Alabama demonstrated little drop off in performance after seeing four players selected in the first round of the NFL draft.

It remains to be seen how strong Michigan will be in the second year under coach Brady Hoke. And the gap between the elite of the Big Ten and the best of the SEC appears as wide as ever. But in overwhelming the Wolverines in almost every way statistics can measure, the Crimson Tide showed that it may not take as much as a baby-step backward after winning last season's national title.

"It shows the nation that this is not the complacent Alabama that people were expecting," fifth-year senior offensive lineman Barrett Jones said.

"We're not the defending champs," added linebacker C.J. Mosley, who returned an interception 16 yards to make the score 31-0 in the second quarter.

While some highly-ranked teams boast recognizable talent at the skill positions, Alabama's strength is on the lines. And the Crimson Tide dominated both sides of the line of scrimmage to make this a one-sided contest.

After Alabama's title run last season, one of the best defenses of the modern era saw four players drafted among the top 35 picks. But despite the inexperience of new starters, Alabama flustered the most dangerous quarterback Saban recalled facing since Auburn's Cam Newton.

Michigan's Denard Robinson - 11 of 26 passing for 200 yards - threw two interceptions, did not attempt to run the ball until the final minute of the first half and briefly left the game in the third quarter after getting banged up.

"I think we were getting to him mentally," Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner said.

Robinson kept throwing in Milliner's direction so often in the first half - more than in any half of Milliner's career - that teammates kept asking him, "Hey, why are they picking on you?"

All Milliner did was break up two passes and intercept a pass - in the first quarter alone.

Alabama defensive back Vinnie Sunseri said he had expected Robinson to run more. And Michigan coach Brady Hoke acknowledged that there were some plays where perhaps Robinson could have held onto the ball and run it. But Alabama dominated the line of scrimmage, rendering Michigan's offense inept for much of the game.

When told that Michigan did not cross midfield until the score was 31-0, Alabama's Jones could only laugh at the achievement.

Alabama also demonstrated that it can fill the void left by the departure of running back Trent Richardson, the third pick in the draft, with a lineup of four capable backs. Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon, Jalston Fowler and Dee Hart each carried the ball at least nine times, as Alabama amassed 232 yards on the ground.

Most impressive was Yeldon, a 6-2, 216-pound freshman who rushed for 111 yards on 11 carries in his debut. Saban said he expected Yeldon to get plenty of opportunities because Lacy had been nursing an ankle injury.

"We knew he was capable of that," Jones said. "He might be the next one in the great line of backs."

Said Saban: "Rather than try to put it in a box and say we are going to have two backs or three, we want to have as many play as deserve to play."

The game was hotly contested all the way up until Alabama's second offensive series, when it marched 61 yards with ease to score the game's first touchdown and establish control of the game.

But long before halftime, many of the 90,413 in attendance at Cowboys Stadium already had turned to the giant video screen -- and away from the game - for entertaining sights.

After the game, Saban, always working on his team's psyche, took a few minutes to praise his team then rattled off a laundry list of areas in need of improvement. He knows Alabama is capable of more in the passing game, and that quarterback A.J. McCarron is "too good a quarterback for us not to utilize his talents in throwing the football."

Looming down the road for Alabama is the always arduous SEC schedule, which includes a trip to Fayetteville, Ark., in two weeks. But the defending champions answered at least one question Saturday.

Complacent?

"We're hungry," Jones said. "And we're coming for another championship."

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Player of the Week: Big 12

This isn't a game ball or a helmet sticker. This isn't a mention in the weekend rewind.

This space is reserved for the single best player in the Big 12 this week.

In Week 1, that goes to Geno Smith. He was picked as the league's preseason Offensive Player of the Year before he'd even played a snap in the league, but took a major step toward proving himself in his new league on Saturday.

The Mountaineers rolled easily in their 69-34 win over Marshall, earning a nod as the only team to score 60 points against an FBS opponent in Week 1.

Smith had plenty of help -- especially on his first of four touchdown passes. Stedman Bailey elevated and grabbed the 32-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone over a defender, but Smith was still the key for the Mountaineers.

He finished 32-of-36 for 323 yards and four touchdowns, adding 65 yards rushing. That included a 28-yard touchdown run on a busted running play that should have gone for a loss when Smith turned the wrong way on a handoff.

In the process, Smith became the school's all-time leader in completions and touchdown passes, and if he keeps it up, he'll earn a much bigger spot in West Virginia's history.

How's the man who led the Mountaineers to a Big 12 title in their first year in the league sound? West Virginia's got a long way to go to make that happen, but it looked the most impressive of any Big 12 team in Week 1.

The offensive line, receivers and 123 yards from bruising back Shawne Alston helped, but the Big 12's best player in Week 1 is very clear.

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