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Search for No. 2
Vulnerable defense makes USC a suspect contender
Posted: Tuesday October 3, 2006 1:13AM; Updated: Tuesday October 3, 2006 1:34PM
With Ohio State cruising, there seems to be a lot of debate over which is the second-best team in the country. I don't claim to know the answer, but I do know this: It isn't USC.
Yes, the Trojans are still one of the premier teams in the nation. Yes, we've been spoiled the past few years by otherworldly offenses that make comparisons to this year's team unfair. But I don't know how anyone could look at USC's last two performances against the dregs of the Pac-10 (a 20-3 win at Arizona and a 28-22 nail-biter at Washington State) and conclude that this team is playing better than Michigan, which currently trails the Trojans by four spots in the coaches' poll.
QB
John David Booty and the offense are actually playing pretty well, despite what the low scores might indicate. The truly alarming development if you're a USC fan is the way Washington State QB
Alex Brink picked apart the Trojans' young and still-suspect secondary last Saturday. None of their previous opponents had attacked them like that. The Cougars racked up 418 yards.
I still think USC's offense is going to go from good to lethal by the end of the season, at which point the Trojans may be pretty hard to beat, but they're definitely vulnerable right now. "We're getting challenged," coach
Pete Carroll said after the game. "This conference is stout and we're fighting our tails off."
I'm not ready to send USC spiraling down the rankings just yet -- it is still undefeated -- but I did take the step of moving a more-deserving Michigan team ahead of it this week.
NCAA Football Power Rankings Rank LW
Team 1 1
Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0)
Between now and their Nov. 18 showdown with Michigan, the Buckeyes will face six opponents that currently have a combined record of 13-16. One of them is Bowling Green. Two others, Indiana and Northwestern, have lost to I-AA foes. Their biggest obstacle: complacency.
Next game: Saturday vs. Bowling Green. 2 2
Auburn Tigers (5-0)
Why drop USC but not penalize Auburn for a similarly close road win over a middle-of-the-pack SEC team (South Carolina)? I considered it but ultimately refrained because this was the first such blip for Auburn, and because the Tigers have a top 10 win (LSU) on their r?sum?.
Next game: Saturday vs. Arkansas. 3 4
Michigan (5-0)
It was another solid performance in nearly every area against Minnesota.
Mike Hart ran for 195 yards.
Chad Henne went 17 of 24 for 284 yards and three TDs.
Mario Manningham had a 131-yard night. And the defense held the Gophers to 108 rushing yards. That's a well-rounded effort.
Next game: Saturday vs. Michigan State. 4 3
USC Trojans (4-0)
Is there a more underappreciated receiver out there than
Steve Smith? Overshadowed by
Leinart/Bush/White his first two seasons and
Dwayne Jarrett all three seasons, Smith got his moment to shine against Washington State, catching 11 passes for a career-high 186 yards.
Next game: Saturday vs. Washington. 5 5
West Virginia Mountaineers (4-0)
This is the part of the season where the Mountaineers' schedule will really hurt them. No matter how badly they beat up on Mississippi State this weekend, one's got to think they'll get passed by Florida in next week's polls if the Gators beat LSU, and Michigan can't be far behind.
Next game: Saturday at Mississippi State. 6 6
Florida Gators (5-0)
Can Gators kicker
Chris Hetland make a field goal? We have no idea. Florida is one of only three teams in the country (the others: Tulane and Utah State) without a field goal this season. You've got to think they'll need a couple in what will likely be low-scoring games against LSU and Auburn.
Next game: Saturday vs. LSU. 7 7
Texas Longhorns (4-1)
Neither
Vince Young nor
Chris Simms fared well in his first Red River Shootout start, but
Colt McCoy is coming into the game on a roll. The redshirt freshman ranks eighth in the nation in pass efficiency, having completed 71 percent of his passes for 10 touchdowns and only two picks.
Next game: Saturday vs. Oklahoma. 8 8
LSU Tigers (4-1)
Saturday's Florida game will be a huge test for QB
JaMarcus Russell and his receivers. The Tigers' mediocre running game is unlikely to get much going against the Gators' fourth-ranked rushing defense, which means Russell needs to connect on some big plays.
Next game: Saturday at Florida. 9 9
Oregon Ducks (4-0)
The Ducks are averaging 497 yards per game (fourth nationally), and there's little concern about
Dennis Dixon & Co. moving the ball against Cal. The question is, how will Oregon's defense hold up against the most dangerous QB (
Nate Longshore) and receiving corps they've faced?
Next game: Saturday at Cal. 10 10
Louisville Cardinals (4-0)
There's some concern in the Derby City about Cardinals QB
Hunter Cantwell after Louisville scored only -- gasp! -- 24 points at Kansas State (they still lead the nation at 44 points per game). I've got 65 in the office pool on "how many will an angry Louisville score on Middle Tennessee?"
Next game: Friday at Middle Tennessee.