College Top 25 Capsules: Boise State gains ground in AP Top 25
More AP Top 25 voters are buying into Boise State as the No. 1 team in the country.
Boise State gained seven first-place votes and closed in on No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Ohio State as the top three teams in the first regular season Associated Press football poll held their spots from the preseason.
The Broncos remained third after a thrilling 33-30 victory against Virginia Tech on Monday night, receiving eight first-place votes and 1,399 points from the media panel, 13 points behind the Buckeyes.
Ohio State received four first-place votes and 1,412 points.
Alabama had 47 first-place votes, down seven from the preseason poll, and 1,484 points in the rankings released Tuesday.
TCU from the Mountain West Conference moved up two spots to No. 4, marking the first time since the Bowl Championship Series was implemented in 1998 that two teams from conferences without automatic BCS bids have been in the top five. Boise State is the defending Western Athletic Conference champion.
Texas remained No. 5 and received one first-place vote.
No. 8 Florida dropped four spots after a sloppy 34-12 victory against Miami (Ohio) and No. 10 Oklahoma fell three places after beating Utah State 31-24.
The rest of the top 10 is Nebraska at No. 6, followed by Oregon, which moved up four spots after beating New Mexico 72-0. Iowa is No. 9.
No. 13 Virginia Tech dropped three spots after Boise State scored a touchdown with 1:09 left to beat the Hokies at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.
Falling out of the rankings after close opening losses were Oregon State, Pittsburgh and North Carolina. Moving in were No. 20 Utah, No. 24 South Carolina and No. 25 Stanford.
But the big story is Boise State and the Broncos very well could be the talk of college football all season.
They entered Monday with their best preseason ranking and a legitimate chance to be national championship contenders — if they could beat the Hokies and then flawlessly navigate a schedule with no games more difficult than the first.
Boise State jumped to a 17-0 first-quarter lead, watched that lead evaporate, then needed a two-minute drill capped by a 13-yard touchdown pass from Kellen Moore to Austin Pettis to win its 15th straight game.
"This was no fluke," said voter Brett McMurphy of AOL Fanhouse, who had Boise State No. 1 this week. "(The Broncos) outgained Virginia Tech and hung 33 on the Hokies. The last two teams to score more than 30 against (defensive coordinator) Bud Foster's defense — Alabama in 2009 and LSU in 2007 — went on to win the national title.
"Will Boise? Who knows, but the Broncos deserve the top ranking for this week anyway."
The Broncos have finished the last two regular seasons with perfect records, but neither time was it enough to earn them a spot in the national championship game. They were beaten out by teams from the so-called power conferences with BCS automatic bids, teams like Alabama from the Southeastern Conference and Ohio State from the Big Ten.
This season could be different. Boise State doesn't have to climb over scores of teams to get into position to contend for a spot in the BCS title game, spots determined in large part by the coaches' poll and the Harris poll.
Boise State was third in the coaches' poll this week, moving up two spots. The coaches also had Alabama first and Ohio State second. The Harris poll is not released until October.
"We've just got a long tough hard season, and the bull's-eye will continue to grow, and it's just going to be one game at a time," coach Chris Petersen said.
Not hard enough to satisfy some people.
Boise State plays at Wyoming in two weeks and gets a visit from Oregon State, which opened its season by losing 30-21 to TCU, the week after. The Beavers from the Pac-10 look like the best team left on Boise State's schedule, but the Broncos have lost one regular-season game on their blue turf home field since 2001. Toledo also visits Boise State.
As for the Broncos' WAC competition, well, it's been almost no competition for the Broncos the past decade. Boise State has won seven WAC titles and is 73-4 against conference opponents from 2000-09, a .948 winning percentage that is by far the best of any major college team.
Texas is second-best with an .841 percentage (69-13) in the Big 12 over that time.
Feeling it has outgrown the WAC, Boise State will be leaving the league after this season and joining the Mountain West.
The best teams the WAC can throw at Boise State this season are probably Nevada and Fresno State, though Hawaii and Utah State flashed potent offenses while losing their openers to ranked foes.
Fresno State comes to Boise on Nov. 19. The next week the Broncos have a road game at high-scoring Nevada that on paper seems to be their toughest remaining test.
They finish with Utah State at home on Dec. 4, the same day the SEC and Big 12 play its conference championship games.
If Boise State runs the table do they deserve a spot in the BCS championship game? Ahead of an unbeaten Big 12 or Big 10 champion? How about a one-loss SEC team?
Unless the Broncos take an unexpected stumble, the debate will rage all season.
Features
'Bama a much stiffer test for No. 18 Penn State
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — No early indecision this week in Happy Valley — true freshman Rob Bolden has earned another start at quarterback for Penn State.
But his next opponent will be much more difficult than overmatched Youngstown State at Beaver Stadium. A trip Saturday to top-ranked Alabama awaits the No. 18 Nittany Lions.
"It's going to be the exact opposite of what this is like," right guard Stefen Wisniewski said Tuesday at Beaver Stadium. "At Alabama, those 100,000 fans, they're not going to be for us, they're going to be against us. It's going to be a completely different thing."
This time, the offense has a full week knowing who will call the plays in the huddle. Bolden proved himself after throwing for 239 yards and two touchdowns against the Penguins in the first start in a season opener for a true freshman quarterback in Joe Paterno's 45 years on the sideline.
The choice was so hard on the coaching staff it didn't announce a starter until midweek, with the 18-year-old Bolden beating out two returning sophomores. There wasn't any ambiguity this time on the depth chart.
"It's not going to be easy for him, but he's not going to lose his poise," said Paterno, who was in his 26th year as head coach when Bolden was born in 1992. "Hopefully, we'll put him in a position where he can at least have some success."
But that's one of the main concerns for Paterno — trying to figure out how to beat the defending national champions on the road.
The Nittany Lions don't think Alabama will slow down on offense even if Heisman Trophy-winning tailback Mark Ingram has to sit out another game because of a left knee injury. They consider backup Trent Richardson just as dangerous.
Top Tide defensive end Marcell Dareus will definitely sit out as part of a two-game NCAA suspension for improper agent benefits, though Paterno isn't buying that Alabama's defense will be weaker without him.
"He's one heck of a football player. Now do they have one as good behind him? I don't know," Paterno said. "They got a lot of people. They all know where the ball is, they all tackle, they all hustle."
It sounds a lot like the other Alabama defenses Penn State used to face back in the late 1970s and 1980s, when a Crimson Tide-Nittany Lions showdown was an annual marquee matchup. The schools last met in 1990, a 9-0 win for Penn State at Tuscaloosa. That cut the Nittany Lions' deficit in the series to 8-5.
The 1979 Sugar Bowl might have been the most memorable game, when a goal-line stand helped the Tide win the national championship. It was one of four victories for famed Alabama coach Bear Bryant over Penn State — though Paterno brushed aside Tuesday any questions that sought to compare him to Bryant.
"I think it's two football teams playing and I don't think they really care that (someone) named Paterno coaches one team, and a guy named Bryant used to coach their team," said Paterno, major college football's career coaching leader with 395 wins.
The Nittany Lions will likely need a much more productive day out of star tailback Evan Royster, who ran for 40 yards on 11 carries against the Penguins as Penn State played rather conservatively. The offensive line that protected Bolden well didn't get much push early on up front.
Alabama debuted seven new starters on defense last week, though Paterno said he's concerned about the youth or inexperience on his own team. There are new starters at left tackle (Quinn Barham), center (Doug Klopacz) and tight end (freshman Garry Gilliam). Penn State also alternated two players at left guard, and has returning starters Wisniewski and right tackle Lou Eliades in new positions this season.
Perhaps most importantly, true freshman Bolden is the quarterback.
"We're going to play before 100,000 fans with a freshman who has never really been in that kind of situation, so it's going to be an interesting afternoon, but hey, that's what it's all about," Paterno said.
-- Genaro C. Armas
Tressel uncomfortable discussing title game
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jim Tressel shuns the past — even when it involves perhaps the greatest night of his coaching career.
Presented with a question on Tuesday about Ohio State's thrilling victory over Miami in the 2002 national championship game, Tressel sounded about as excited as a man shuffling off to dental surgery.
"I'm kind of happy about that," he said, all but rolling his eyes after yet another question about how the 10½-point underdog Buckeyes won 31-24 in double overtime. "That's really made my day."
On one level, the 10-year coach of the Buckeyes knows what happened on that starlit night in the Arizona desert has little or no bearing on Saturday's first meeting with the No. 12 Hurricanes since. Still, every time the subject of that game came up, a game which provided Ohio State's first national championship after a 34-year wait, Tressel acted as if he was on the losing end.
"You are testing my memory," he said after another inquiry. "You know, I have not watched that game. Someday I'll invite you all over and we'll sit in our rocking chairs and we'll break that game down and I'll tell you what I was thinking, if I can still think by then. Gosh, I don't know, there have been a lot of games since then and a big one to come."
But Tressel and the second-ranked Buckeyes certainly know that "big one" still will be influenced by what happened eight years ago.
"It's kind of more about tradition and what they've done through their history or what Ohio State has done through its history," cornerback Chimdi Chekwa said. "The '02 national championship kind of makes it even bigger than what it would be."
Buckeyes center Mike Brewster grew up in Orlando, Fla., and always dreamed of being a Hurricane.
"When I was in the eighth and ninth grade, one of my defensive coaches, he was a big 'Canes fan," Brewster said. "I'd go to camp there and, man, I was just dreaming. I said, 'I want to play at Miami someday.'"
But that was before Miami fell on hard times.
Some say the turning point for Miami's program might have been the loss to Ohio State. The Hurricanes were within one yellow flag — a late, late pass interference call on a fourth-down incompletion in the first overtime — from successfully defending their 2001 national title.
Had they beaten the Buckeyes, perhaps things might have been different.
But, instead, tailback Maurice Clarett tumbled over the goal line for a touchdown in the second overtime and the Ohio State defense held, Ken Dorsey's pass falling incomplete on fourth down from the Ohio State 2.
Ohio State has gone on to a decade of prominence if not dominance, winning the last five Big Ten titles and favored to capture a record-tying sixth. Despite lopsided losses in the national title games after the 2006 and 2007 seasons, the Buckeyes have seldom been out of the big-game spotlight since upsetting the top-ranked Hurricanes in Tempe, Ariz., on Jan. 3, 2003.
Miami didn't falter right away. Coach Larry Coker — who was 24-0 heading into the Ohio State game — went on to records of 11-2, 9-3, 9-3 and, finally, 7-6 in 2006 before he was forced out and Randy Shannon was brought aboard. The Hurricanes, accustomed to being one of the most feared and respected programs over the last two decades, were suddenly an afterthought.
Now they're back to prove they belong in the national discussion.
"Growing up in Florida, you always hear about Miami," Brewster said. "Of course, everyone knows about the '02 game. There's a lot of stuff riding on this game."
Tressel, despite running away from reminiscing about the last meeting, acknowledges the last meeting will still reverberate on Saturday afternoon at Ohio Stadium.
"Anytime you've competed before, there's a natural sort of rivalry," he said. "The fact we've competed before and everyone knew it and everyone knows it, now, will that make any difference? Not compared to the decisions we make on the field and the execution we have. But will it add a little bit more fun to it? Absolutely."
No one knows that more than the Florida native, Brewster.
"There's so much history down there," he said. "It's like at Ohio State: They expect to win every year. They did have a few rough years, but football goes in cycles and everyone has their rough years. But they're back and they're a really good team again."
-- Rusty Miller
Before Ohio State trip, Shannon takes a field trip
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — When No. 12 Miami visits No. 2 Ohio State in a long-hyped matchup this Saturday, the Hurricanes know they won't see many friendly faces in the stands.
Maybe that's why Miami coach Randy Shannon surrounded himself with a roomful of backers Tuesday.
Making an unusual addition to his regimented game-week schedule — considering this might be the biggest matchup of his tenure with the Hurricanes — Shannon took a few hours to mingle with and then address 100 lunching boosters, most of whom wore either suits and ties or some sort of Miami-themed attire.
"I think this is unbelievable," Shannon told the group. "I think this is the first time in a long time we've had this kind of support."
Football coaches tend to have just about every minute plotted during game weeks, especially when it's a game that might end up carrying championship implications.
Shannon isn't really an exception to that rule. So it was surprising to see the coach in a gray suit and blue shirt at the front of a dining room, taking questions for about 30 minutes and spending probably twice that much time simply milling about and shaking a few hands.
Despite his insistence otherwise, maybe Shannon does think meeting Ohio State is a big deal after all.
"That's what we came here for, the big games, the spotlight," running back Damien Berry said. "That's why we're at 'The U,' right? It's most definitely one of the highlight games of the season."
Shannon was relaxed, laughing, smiling, emotions he doesn't always show when he's at work and hardly ever shows to fans who watch him on gamedays. He didn't make big news, other than revealing quarterback Jacory Harris "injured" — a word the coach rarely uses — his thumb against North Carolina last year and dealt with more pain in the last three games of 2009 than the team ever acknowledged.
Other than that, Shannon told the boosters what they wanted to hear: Miami is getting closer to championship form. Shannon didn't make any grandiose predictions for the game, or the season either, but told fans some of the reasons why the Hurricanes feel confident heading into a game that could vault them back into the national spotlight.
"A game like this, you've got to take it in stride," Shannon said. "We've been there before."
And shortly after he was done, his car pulled up alongside the restaurant, Shannon hopped in and headed back to work in Coral Gables, maybe 45 minutes away with traffic.
When it was over, Shannon was clearly happy he found the time in his schedule for the rare get-together.
"Anytime I can be around what I call my friends, or associates, it's great," Shannon said. "I was saying this earlier: Anytime you can be around somebody who's passionate for the University of Miami, that's what it's all about. And to come out and enjoy things like that, that is my typical day."
Within reason, of course.
If he stayed and answered every question everyone in the room had for him, Shannon might have missed Friday's flight to Ohio.
"It's no different for me this week," Shannon said before his appearance. "It's just like me going to the grocery store. That's how I have to treat it. Yeah, people know who I am. They speak, I speak back and I keep going. There can't be a deal where I speak for 30 minutes with this person, 15 more with that person and so on. I think people respect that. I've got things I've got to get done."
-- Tim Reynolds
There's no doubting Thomas at Oregon
EUGENE, Ore. — There's no doubting Darron Thomas at Oregon.
The sophomore was solid in his debut as the starter, replacing disgraced Duck Jeremiah Masoli, in Oregon's bold 72-0 season-opening victory over New Mexico. As a result of the win, Oregon moved up from No. 11 to No. 7 in the AP poll.
Thomas completed 13 of 23 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns. He even had a tackle.
"He did a nice job playing within himself," Oregon coach Chip Kelly said about the sophomore's start. "Most guys are so high that they throw the first ball out of the stadium."
Thomas was named Oregon's guy following the final scrimmage of fall camp. He competed against fifth-year senior Nate Costa, who many expected to win the job because of his maturity and leadership.
By all accounts Thomas, considered more of a scrambler in the Dennis Dixon mold, just edged Costa, who is more of a pocket passer. So all eyes were on Thomas in the opener to see if Kelly and his staff made the right call, and to see whether the Ducks lost a step without Masoli.
Costa provides excellent security for the Ducks, who run a spread-option offense that can sometimes be hard on quarterbacks — Dixon's blown knee in 2007 being the prime example.
Costa entered the opener in the second quarter once Oregon had built a sizable lead. He completed 10 of 14 passes for 131 yards. A true statesman, Costa complimented Thomas after the game.
"He seemed nervous at first, but then he settled down and did a great job for us," Costa said.
About the only one who wasn't brimming with praise for Thomas was Thomas himself.
"It was all right," he said, "but I missed some things I shouldn't be missing."
He never ran the ball in the opener, something that Kelly said was not significant. The Ducks ran a limited number of option plays, and Thomas made the right reads in giving the ball away, he said.
His legs were not needed, anyway. Sophomore running back Kenjon Barner skillfully led Oregon's ground game, running for 147 yards and four touchdowns.
Barner, starting in place of suspended back LaMichael James, also caught a short pass from Thomas and ran it in 60 yards for the score. He was named the Pac-10's offensive player of the week for the effort.
"I knew the offense was going to push me through it. Seeing the line block and open things up and the receivers blocking downfield, I knew it was going to be a great day for the running backs," Thomas said.
But he'll face a much bigger test on Saturday when Oregon visits Tennessee.
The Volunteers won their opener 50-0 over Tennessee-Martin on Saturday. Tennessee's defense kept UT Martin out of the red zone and snagged two interceptions.
But Oregon is a more challenging opponent, not only because of Thomas but because the Ducks have returned their entire offensive line from last season. And they'll see the return of James, who was suspended for the opener after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor harassment charge over the summer.
"I think because they're so experienced and talented around (Thomas), it really makes his job a lot easier. Probably a little easier than what the last guy had to do last year," said Tennessee coach Derek Dooley. "All those other guys around him have come into their own. They're confident, and all he's got to do is distribute the ball."
James grabbed national attention last season by rushing for a team-high 1,546 yards, setting a new record for freshmen in the Pac-10. He averaged 6.7 yards and added 14 TDs to earn the league's freshman of the year honors.
Oregon, the defending Pac-10 champion, had expected Masoli would start this season. But he too got into off-field trouble and was ultimately kicked off the team.
Masoli pleaded guilty to a burglary charge stemming from a theft at a campus fraternity house in January. Then he was pulled over by police for a traffic violation and marijuana was found in the car.
Masoli landed at Mississippi, which lost 49-48 in double overtime to Jacksonville State last Saturday.
-- Anne M. Peterson
Crash video shines spotlight on Iowa OL Koeppel
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Until last week, senior lineman Josh Koeppel was just the guy competing with James Ferentz to be the starting center for No. 9 Iowa.
But last Monday, Koeppel's scooter got drilled by a pickup truck on his way to class, sending the 6-foot-2, 273-pound senior flying through the air and onto the pavement. A short video of the accident shot by a nearby police car camera wound up online and Koeppel has become one of the nation's most famous backup linemen seemingly overnight.
"I never would have guessed it would turn into what it has. I mean, it's weird. I was surprised how fast it spread initially," Koeppel said.
"I saw the truck at the last minute and didn't even hit the brakes," Koeppel added. "If you look at the video, obviously a lot worse things could have happened. For me to get out of there alive is a big deal."
Koeppel wasn't wearing a helmet, but he walked away from the accident with just some scratches, bruising and one heck of a story. The crash — and the brutal footage of Koeppel smacking the truck's hood, flipping over and staggering back up, missing a shoe — even landed him a spot on NBC's "Today" show Tuesday morning.
Koeppel was held out of last week's opener as a precaution, but he's be available to play on Saturday when the Hawkeyes host rival Iowa State.
"I do feel pretty lucky. Pretty fortunate. I'm one of the luckier guys in the state of Iowa, that's for sure," Koeppel said.
Anyone who's seen the video would have to agree. But after about five hours of X-rays and tests at a nearby hospital, he was released.
Koeppel and his father got the truck driver's name and went to visit him at his workplace the following day. The driver, who was cited for failure to yield the right of way, was relieved to know that Koeppel was fine.
Though it seems small in the grand scheme of things, the accident put Koeppel behind James Ferentz, coach Kirk Ferentz's son, for the starting job he's been working toward for years.
Koeppel, a native of Iowa City and a former star at Iowa City High, played sparingly throughout his first three seasons after joining the hometown Hawkeyes as a walk-on. He finally earned a shot at starting this season and had battled with Ferentz since spring ball.
The pair remained in a virtual dead heat until Koeppel's accident. Ferentz got the nod for the opener with Koeppel on the sidelines.
Ferentz will start again during Saturday's game against the Cyclones, but coach Ferentz said Koeppel will be in the mix for playing time at center and possibly at guard.
"He's a tough, hard-nosed guy. He's a leader," Iowa offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde said. "He brings his lunch pail and his hard hat and he does the work and everyone looks up to him for it."
Koeppel suffered through a somewhat awkward appearance on the "Today" show, which ended with him putting on his Hawkeyes helmet seemingly off-cue. That's sure to earn Koeppel some good-natured ribbing from his teammates, who nonetheless are relieved that Koeppel was able to walk away from the accident relatively unscathed.
"We've never really had anything to get on him about — to josh him about, if you will — but know we finally have something," Vandervelde said.
-- Luke Meredith
Wisconsin's Clay shines in first game this season
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — John Clay says he's got no shortage of motivation, and his first appearance this season looked a whole lot like last year's dominating stretch.
The Wisconsin running back and reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year had 123 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries in a 41-21 victory over UNLV on Saturday.
It was Clay's seventh straight 100-yard game dating to last season, but despite the measure of consistency, Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor picked up the preseason nod as the conference's biggest offensive star.
"I need to prove myself even more. I need to leave no doubts in people's minds," Clay said.
Heading into this weekend's home game against San Jose State, the Badgers moved up one spot in the AP Top 25 poll to No. 11 on Tuesday.
Last year, Clay did most of his work on bad ankles that each needed offseason surgery, running for 1,517 yards and 18 touchdowns. He landed on several top watch lists — including the Walter Camp Award for national player of the year and the Doak Walker Award for best running back — but the only All-American nod he received came from Playboy magazine.
"I guess that's a prestigious award," starting left guard John Moffitt quipped, quickly adding. "I have yet to see the issue."
Clay believes he's got plenty of doubters.
His fluctuating weight can be overstated — anywhere from 250 pounds to 265. The ankles still take time to warm up and he took criticism for his demeanor after poor performances last year. He's had to deal with more hype as the biggest threat on a team with high expectations.
"We've put in a lot of time with it. I think we did some nice things before the Big Ten meetings and tried to educate him on how things sound when he comes across," Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said. "If there's things we can help him out with, we'll critique him and move ourselves forward. But you know, for the most part, I've liked how he's handled it."
Clay is not a vocal leader, instead letting his experience and strength speak for his game. Against the Rebels, he took his very first carry 18 yards and later was dragging Rebels defensive back Mike Grant several yards. Clay's teammates on the offensive line say even though he rarely raises his voice, he's determined to succeed.
"He always takes care of us and mentions us. You just enjoy blocking for him, not just for his ability, but for who he is because he appreciates and gives credits to us," Moffitt said.
Despite the accolades, Clay downplays them as something that's a reflection on the team and the line, not his ability.
"They do the dirty work in the trenches for me to get the yards that I get and the touchdowns," he said. "Without them, none of that would be possible."
Bielema wants to see more from the junior who came to Wisconsin as a state prep hero. The Badgers' power running attack also includes sophomore Montee Ball and freshman James White, and Wisconsin will continue to rotate all three, but Clay has been through the rigors of the Big Ten twice by battering opponents.
"Last year, I had the same concept, but this year just after the ankle surgeries people just really doubt me," Clay said. "(They) are saying I'm not in shape."
That's true. But it's something even Bielema acknowledges for the back who weighed in most recently at 252 pounds.
"What I'm excited about is I don't think he's where he needs to be physically yet, but to me he looks faster than he did a year ago on certain plays," the coach said.
The biggest measure of Clay's growth came last year, Bielema said. Early in the year, Clay shunned the media after three fumbles in an ugly win over Wofford, but faced reporters following a tough late season loss to Northwestern that cost the Badgers a better bowl game.
"I encouraged him to go out and speak, and he did, and we moved past that day," Bielema said. "It's a growing process. I mean, if I had gone over as a head coach after the Wofford game and said, 'Hey, you need to go out and do it,' but I kind of left him alone, because I just wanted him to make his own decisions."
Clay is doing just that, deciding this year that it's his time to show his excellent season last year was no fluke.
"With this offensive line I have and what they are capable of doing, the sky's the limit," he said.
-- Colin Fly
Johnson warns Georgia Tech to be ready for Kansas
ATLANTA (AP) — Paul Johnson is warning his Georgia Tech players they better not be distracted as they prepare for the program's first road game at a Big 12 school since 1992.
The warning came in the form of a question: How would you feel if you lost to South Carolina State?
Georgia Tech moved up one spot to No. 15 in the AP Top 25 poll on Tuesday after its 41-10 opening win over South Carolina State, but the question from the coach was relevant as he looks to keep his team focused.
The Yellow Jackets play Saturday at Kansas, which suffered a 6-3 home loss to North Dakota State last week.
Both South Carolina State and North Dakota State are FCS schools. Johnson wants his players to understand how much extra motivation the Jayhawks are feeling after an embarrassing loss.
"It's like I told them on Monday, you better brace for their best shot," Johnson said. "Their backs are against the wall. They're going to come out fighting. They'll be upset. They'll be mad.
"I asked our team, 'How would you be on Monday if you lost to South Carolina State?' That's all you've got to think about. They will be upset."
This is a rare travel opportunity for Georgia Tech (1-0), which hasn't played a regular-season game west of the Mississippi River since opening the 2003 season with a loss at BYU. Georgia Tech played at Baylor in 1992 in its last game at a Big 12 school.
Georgia Tech also traveled west when it lost to Fresno State in the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho on Dec. 31, 2007.
Kansas will play at Georgia Tech next season. The Jayhawks' loss to North Dakota State came in Turner Gill's debut as coach, and it left Kansas with an eight-game losing streak.
Kansas fans booed during the loss.
Johnson said he knows how it feels to be booed by home fans. He said he heard boos and insults as a coach at his high school alma mater in Avery County, N.C.
"Fans will be fans," Johnson said. "I can remember my first coaching job. I think the first year we didn't lose a regular-season game in high school and it was actually my hometown. The second year we lost one in the regular season and as we were coming off the field they were yelling 'Fire the bums.' They were yelling at me 'Hey, you weren't any good when you played.'"
Added Johnson: "Fans will be fans. That's what they do."
Johnson referred to breakdowns on defense and a slow start for the passing game in the win over South Carolina State as reasons his players should not look past Kansas.
"If our guys are overconfident off the effort they put out there, it's going to be a long year," he said.
"My point to them is we've got to get better. I'm not worried about Kansas or whoever it might be that we're playing. We've got to get better as a football team and there's so many things we can do better. That's our focus this week."
-- Charles Odum
Georgia, South Carolina await NCAA rulings
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Georgia and South Carolina both have questions heading into Southeastern Conference play this weekend, perhaps none bigger than "Who's playing?"
NCAA investigations have spent time with players from each campus this summer, forcing Bulldogs coach Mark Richt and Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier to hold back starters until their status with the sport's governing body was cleared up.
A.J. Green, Georgia's fantastic wideout, missed his team's 55-7 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette as the Bulldogs waited for NCAA clearance.
For South Carolina, starting left tackle Jarriel King and first-team cornerback Chris Culliver could not get their NCAA status resolved before kickoff of their team's 41-13 win against Southern Miss.
And don't even ask about suspended Gamecocks tight end Weslye Saunders, who hasn't practiced with the team since Aug. 23.
"Nothing's been cleared yet," Spurrier said Tuesday.
The NCAA has questioned Saunders about an agent-hosted party in Miami. He and King were among several players Spurrier asked to move out of the local hotel where they had been staying. Saunders told Spurrier the player had broken no rules.
The NCAA also investigateed Georgia amid allegations about players attending the South Beach party. There have been reports that Green, a junior rated as one of the nation's top receivers, is the target.
Green says he's never been to Miami.
Both Richt and Spurrier hoped to hear something from the NCAA well before Saturday's noon kickoff at Williams-Brice Stadium. At this point, they said, the earlier the better.
"If we know exactly who is playing for us, it helps," Richt said. "You feel confident in the plan that you're doing the right thing with the personnel you have available."
It's usually the right call to throw to Green, who's led the team with 109 receptions the past two seasons. He had six passes, including a key touchdown a season ago in Georgia's 41-37 victory over the Gamecocks. The Bulldogs showed some versatility last week as their 19 completions were spread among 10 receivers. None of those, however, shine like Green.
"He's a phenomenal player, one of the best players I've ever seen. It's hard to replace a guy like that," said Kris Durham, who led Georgia with five catches for 83 yards against Louisiana-Lafayette.
Gamecock defenders are prepping as if Georgia's No. 8 will start the game and they're ready to shut him down. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to it," cornerback Stephon Gilmore said.
Gilmore, a sophomore, locked up Southern Miss playmaker DeAndre Brown last week, holding him without a catch until the fourth quarter and South Carolina had a big lead.
Richt says Green will practice this week with the Bulldogs.
For his part, Spurrier was confident about Culliver's chances of hitting the field. The senior had 62 tackles last season to lead the team's defensive backs and was solid on kick returns.
"We will prepare as if (Culliver) may play. We think he's going to play," Spurrier said.
He was less certain about King, a senior who was repeatedly shown on the sidelines in shorts and his No. 76 jersey by ESPN cameras during the Southern Miss game.
South Carolina center T.J. Johnson, the SEC's offensive lineman of the week, it's never the same when a player you've worked alongside of can't go. But that didn't stop the offensive line from helping South Carolina post 449 yards, a total it surpassed just once in 2009.
"We've got deal with the cards that we're given and we're just going to push it and drive on," Johnson said.
Kyle Nunn, who stepped in for King last week, would likely get a second straight start. Without Culliver, South Carolina would go with last week's starter in C.C. Whitlock.
Saunders remains enrolled in school, athletic spokesman Steve Fink said.
While Green's status is up in the air, Georgia expects back suspended players in tailback Washuan Ealey and receiver Tavarres King, "assuming they don't act up between now and then," Richt said.
Ealey was suspended for a hit-and-run incident while King was charged with underaged possession of alcohol this summer.
Spurrier said he's grown a little frustrated waiting for the NCAA's decisions, but understands the role it plays in the sport.
"You've got to have a sheriff," Spurrier said. "They're the sheriff of all of our teams so as coaches and administrators we understand they do have a difficult job and we just have to wait it out and see what happens."
-- Pete Iacobelli
Marshall's Holliday faces WVU players he recruited
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Some of Doc Holliday's recruits at West Virginia might end up haunting him.
Holliday lured several high school standouts out of Florida to play for the Mountaineers in his two seasons as director of recruiting — now many are significant contributors for WVU.
So Holliday, Marshall's first-year coach, figures to be proud and regretful when the Thundering Herd (0-1) and West Virginia (1-0) play on Friday night in Huntington.
Holliday is downplaying his relationship as the state's only two FBS schools renew a series that could be called anything but a rivalry. West Virginia is 4-0 against Marshall since they resumed playing in 2005 and 8-0 all time.
"All that stuff goes out the window once the game starts," Holliday said. "If I have to make any plays out there on Friday night, we are probably in trouble. We have to make sure our players make plays. I don't know if I could make a play right now."
Marshall couldn't make many plays in a 45-7 loss to Ohio State last week, while West Virginia breezed past FCS Coastal Carolina 31-0 and moved up two spots to No. 23.
Watching film of the Mountaineers, Holliday saw players making plays that he personally steered to Morgantown.
Geno Smith completed 20 of 27 passes for 216 yards and two scores in his first start Saturday.
Robert Sands, a 6-foot-5 safety, forced a fumble and was making big hit after big hit, so much that he had to leave the game after hurting a thumb and shoulder on consecutive plays. But he should be ready for Marshall.
Stedman Bailey, a redshirt freshman and high school teammate of Smith's at Miramar High in Florida, got his first start at wide receiver.
"There are about four or five of them that I wish I hadn't (recruited), because I would like to have them here right now," Holliday said.
That special bond still exists for the Mountaineer players, even if they want to give Holliday fits.
"I'm happy for him," Sands said. "He's getting his first shot as a head coach. Every assistant coach wants to be a head coach someday. Doc's been around the game for a long time, and he finally got his opportunity — he seized the moment."
Going to Marshall meant Holliday was taking all that knowledge of West Virginia's system with him. Holliday was in charge of tight ends and fullbacks in addition to being WVU's recruiting coordinator and associate head coach.
Of course, knowledge means little when trying chase down Smith or speedy running back Noel Devine.
"You have got to have great pursuit," Holliday said. "All 11 players must be running to the ball relentlessly. Noel Devine at some point is going to make some plays."
West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said having an ex-assistant on the opposing sideline is overblown.
"I know the playing's done by the men in the arena and the guys on the sidelines have direction in that, but when it comes down to blocking and tackling ... it's usually handled by the folks on the field, not the guys off the field," Stewart said.
Still, Marshall's players could use a morale booster after last week's thrashing at the Horseshoe and they'll use Holliday's presence as an edge against the heavily favored Mountaineers.
"I think coach Holliday is definitely more familiar with them more than he would be anybody else we face this year," said Marshall tight end Lee Smith. "Just because he's been in that locker room and been around them doesn't necessarily mean that he knows them any more than he would Ohio State's defense. I think it's safe to say we do have a little bit of an advantage."
And among the teams' fans bases, Holliday may have even found at least one defector.
Holliday grew up near current WVU assistant coach Steve Dunlap in Hurricane, about 30 miles from Marshall's campus. The pair played high school football together and remain close friends. Dunlap's sister even sent Holliday a text message before the Ohio State game.
"Now Steve will probably be mad at me," Holliday said. "But I think she is rooting for us Friday night."
-- John Raby
Notes
Ingram still out at Tide's practice
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama tailback Mark Ingram has missed another practice ahead of the Penn State game.
Ingram didn't practice Tuesday with a left knee injury that kept the Heisman Trophy winner out of the top-ranked Crimson Tide's opener against San Jose State.
Coach Nick Saban said Monday that Ingram's status would depend on how he progressed daily in his rehab. He said in order for him to put his star into the game against the 19th-ranked Nittany Lions, he had to "see Mark Ingram being Mark Ingram."
His replacement, Trent Richardson said Ingram did watch some of practice from the sideline. He isn't giving up on the junior returning for Saturday night's game.
"I don't know when he'll be back, but hopefully it'll be for Saturday," he said. "We're better with him in there."
Ingram had an arthroscopic procedure after hurting his knee in the first practice of the opening game week. Richardson made his first career start in his absence, rushing for 66 yards and two touchdowns — all in the first half. He also had 46 yards receiving.
Richardson wound up on the cover of Sports Illustrated as one of the "Breakout Players" of the opening weekend.
"It really doesn't mean anything, just the cover of a magazine," he said. "I'm sure my mom is real happy, the people back home and in Tuscaloosa are happy about it, but as long as we won. We still have this game coming up. I can go and get shut down and there isn't going to be a Sports Illustrated, it's still just going to be a picture."
Stanford TE Toilolo out for season
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Stanford tight end Levine Toilolo will miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Toilolo, who earned the starting spot for No. 25 Stanford's opener against Sacramento State on Saturday, was hurt during the game's second play. He caught a 27-yard pass from Andrew Luck and was hit with a helmet to his knee.
"It's really unfortunate," Cardinal coach Jim Harbaugh said Tuesday. "He had prepared so well for the year and risen to the starting job. I feel sickened by it. I wanted to give him a hug after he said, 'It's OK, Coach, I'll be back.'"
Toilolo walked gingerly off the field after the play, but an MRI on Sunday confirmed the tear.
Toilolo was considered one of the top five tight end recruits nationally out of Helix Charter High in La Mesa. Despite sitting out his freshman season, he beat out Konrad Reuland, a transfer from Notre Dame, and junior Coby Fleener to top the depth chart.
Reuland has appeared in 22 games, 12 at Stanford, including three starts. Fleener has participated in 25 games with the Cardinal, also starting three games. One of them likely will replace Toilolo in the starting lineup.
Receiver Chris Owusu, linebacker Shayne Skov and Jeremy Stewart, one of five running backs used against the Hornets, are day to day with undisclosed injuries.
Auburn's Newton preparing to face former coach
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn quarterback Cam Newton is getting ready to face his former coach.
Newton played for Mississippi State's Dan Mullen at Florida, and strongly considered the Bulldogs coming out of junior college.
He says it "was probably one of the hardest decisions I've made in my recent life."
Newton leads the 21st-ranked Tigers against Mississippi State Thursday night.
He has already displayed the dual-threat capabilities that led Mullen to recruit him — twice.
The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Newton set a rushing record for an Auburn quarterback with 171 yards in the opening win over Arkansas State. He also passed for 186 yards to lead the Southeastern Conference in both rushing and total offense after one week.
Mullen was the Gators' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
-- John Zenor
Utah QB day to day with sprained thumb
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn has a sprained thumb on his throwing hand and is listed as day to day as the 20th-ranked Utes prepare for Saturday's game against UNLV.
Wynn injured his right thumb in the Utes' 27-24 overtime win over Pittsburgh in the season opener Thursday. He said Tuesday that he may not know until Saturday morning whether he will be able to play that afternoon against the Rebels.
Wynn was able to stay in the game against Pittsburgh even with the injury. He says it happened in the first or second series when he landed awkwardly on his hand.
Wynn passed for 283 yards and three touchdowns with one interception on an underthrown pass in the end zone.
