College Top 25 Capsules: Big-time programs square off huge Week 2 matchups
JoePa visits the Bear's house. The 'Canes blow into the Horseshoe for a rematch of the 2002 national championship game. Florida State's first big game post-Bowden takes place in Norman, Okla., a rematch of the 2000 national title game.
The second week of the college football season is so jammed pack with intriguing games that Brian Kelly's first foray into the Notre Dame-Michigan rivalry can't even crack the top three.
Hey, neither the Fighting Irish nor the Wolverines is ranked.
Joe Paterno, who broke Bear Bryant's record on the way to becoming the winningest coach in the history of major college football, brings Penn State to Tuscaloosa to face No. 1 Alabama.
The Nittany Lions and Crimson Tide routinely squared off in the 1970s and early '80s, when Bear Bryant was stalking Alabama's sideline. The Bear is gone now, but the Tide's stadium is named after him. Meanwhile, the 83-year-old Paterno has 395 victories.
Even if Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram (knee) can't play Saturday, beating Nick Saban's defending national champions would rank as one of Paterno's most surprising victories.
The last time Ohio State played Miami, it was the Buckeyes pulling off the upset.
Ohio State's 31-24 double-overtime victory in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl kept the Hurricanes from repeating as national champions and made the Buckeyes champs for the first time in more than three decades. It was also the night official Terry Porter became famous for throwing a flag for pass interference on Miami that is debated to this day.
"It's like everyone is making sure that we remember what happened," said current Miami quarterback Jacory Harris, who are the underdogs this time to the second-ranked Buckeyes.
Since Bob Stoops took over at Oklahoma in 1999, the Sooners have been perennial contenders. But they haven't won a national championship since Stoops' second season, when the Sooners beat Bobby Bowden's Seminoles 13-2 in the 2001 Orange Bowl.
That turned out to be Bowden's last shot at a national title. Florida State had some good teams after that, but Bowden's long run of excellence ended that night in Miami.
Stoops is still cranking out wins in Norman, but Bowden's time at Florida State is over. It's now Jimbo Fisher's job to return the 17th-ranked Seminoles to elite status and beating No. 10 Oklahoma would be a giant step in the right direction. The picks:
Thursday
No. 21 Auburn (minus 2) at Mississippi State.
Matchup of spread offenses and promising QBs ... MISSISSIPPI STATE 31-24.
Friday
No. 23 West Virginia (minus 13) at Marshall.
Mountaineers 9-0 in Friends of the Coal Bowl ... WEST VIRGINIA 31-14.
Saturday
No. 18 Penn State (plus 11½) at No. 1 Alabama.
Saban on one side, frosh QB playing first road game on the other ... ALABAMA 24-10.
No. 12 Miami (plus 9½) at No. 2 Ohio State.
Can Jacory Harris avoid the big mistake? ... OHIO STATE 20-14.
Tennessee Tech (no line) at No. 4 TCU.
Tennessee Tech goes from Razorbacks to Horned Frogs ... TCU 50-10.
Wyoming (plus 29) at No. 5 Texas.
These Cowboys won't fare well in Texas ... TEXAS 45-14.
Idaho (plus 28½) at No. 6 Nebraska.
Huskers redshirt freshman QB Taylor Martinez ran for 127 yards in debut ... NEBRASKA 42-10.
No. 7 Oregon (minus 13) at Tennessee.
After 72-point opener, Ducks get back star TB LaMichael James ... OREGON 35-20.
South Florida (plus 15½) at No. 8 Florida.
Gators problems should be a snap to fix ... FLORIDA 28-10.
Iowa State (plus 13½) at No. 9 Iowa.
Cyclones haven't scored TD vs. Hawkeyes in last 14 quarters ... IOWA 21-10.
No. 17 Florida State (plus 8½) at No. 10 Oklahoma.
Sooners need to fix secondary quick with Christian Ponder coming to town ... OKLAHOMA 37-21.
San Jose State (plus 38) at No. 11 Wisconsin.
Badgers have won 14 straight home openers ... WISCONSIN 45-14.
James Madison (no line) at No. 13 Virginia Tech.
Hokies dealing with annual early season disappointment ... VIRGINIA TECH 35-17.
Louisiana-Monroe (plus 34) vs. No. 14 Arkansas at Little Rock, Ark.
It's officially a ULM home game ... ARKANSAS 48-21.
No. 15 Georgia Tech (minus 13½) at Kansas.
It doesn't get any easier for Turner Gill at KU ... GEORGIA TECH 31-21.
Virginia (plus 19½) at No. 16 Southern California.
Trojans are 12-6 against ACC teams ... USC 38-17.
No. 19 LSU (minus 10) at Vanderbilt.
Tigers have won six straight vs. Commodores ... LSU 28-14.
UNLV (plus 23½) at No. 20 Utah.
Utes home winning streak is at 18 ... UTAH 45-16.
No. 22 Georgia (plus 2½) at No. 24 South Carolina.
Bulldogs have won seven of last eight and four in a row at USC ... GEORGIA 24-21.
No. 25 Stanford (minus 6½) at UCLA.
Bruins offense is a mess ... STANFORD 30-17.
Michigan (plus 3½) at Notre Dame.
Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez needs it more than Kelly ... MICHIGAN 27-21.
Last week: 21-1 (straight); 9-5-1 (vs. points).
Features
Bama-PSU rivalry has produced classic memories
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Barrett Jones was 5 months, 2 days old the last time Alabama and Penn State played.
He doesn't remember the game, but the top-ranked Crimson Tide's guard now is fairly well versed on the rivalry that has featured memorable kicks, great defenses and a goal line stand that is a significant part of 'Bama lore.
"I can't speak for everybody on the team, but I really feel like I appreciate the history of the game," said Jones, born on May 25, 1990. "I feel like this is really something special. You go into an old Alabama restaurant — which there are many of them across the state — and you see old games playing. And a lot of times you see Alabama-Penn State, and it's great to be a part of that rivalry.
"Maybe one day they'll be showing our Alabama-Penn State (game) on the TVs."
Saturday night's showdown will be televised.
The Tide and 19th-ranked Nittany Lions face off at Bryant-Denny Stadium in their first meeting since 1990, renewing a rivalry that has produced some classic moments and monumental games.
Jones knows about the biggest of them all. "The goal line stand in '79."
In a battle of No. 1 vs. No. 2, Alabama's Barry Krauss upended running back Mike Guman at the goal line to preserve the Tide's 14-7 win in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1979. It gave second-ranked 'Bama a national title.
Defensive back Don McNeal had knocked Scott Fitzkee out of bounds about a foot from the goal line on the second-and-goal play before that.
"Can I ever forget it? I don't want to ever forget it, I really don't," said McNeal, a great uncle of current Penn State quarterback Rob Bolden. "I had covered my guy in the end zone on that play, I saw he made the throw and just reacted. I hit him and took him out of bounds. My roommate Curtis McGriff said, 'Don, that's one heck of a play you just made.' I didn't realize that. I was just playing football."
Krauss was the one immortalized. Penn State assistant athletic director Fran Ganter, running backs coach for that '79 team, knows that from his last Tuscaloosa trip.
"We went into the building, and the first thing we saw was a mural of Barry Krauss stopping Mike Guman," Ganter recalls.
The first four meetings included Hall of Fame coaches Bear Bryant of Alabama and Penn State's Joe Paterno — an assistant in the 1959 game.
Much has changed in the two decades since the teams last met, when Penn State's defense dominated the game. The Nittany Lions picked off five passes and recovered a fumble in a 9-0 win in 1990. Alabama managed just 6 yards rushing, nearly 200 below its season average.
Paterno recalls Alabama agreeing to play a home-and-home series, something other Southeastern Conference teams were reluctant to do.
"It's a great experience to take a bunch of kids down to the stadium such as the one we're going to play in with that many people and the kind of enthusiasm," he said. "And they'll learn from it. They'll be better, they'll remember."
The two teams played eight times in the 1980s, producing a bounty of memories.
If the '79 Sugar Bowl is the biggest one for Alabama fans, there are a few more pleasing to the Nittany Lions (though the Tide leads the series 8-5).
—Oct. 12, 1985. National title contender Penn State set up Matt Knizner's 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brian Siverling with Michael Timpson's 29-yard reverse. Eventual Tide coach Mike Shula threw for a 14-yard score to Thornton Chandler with 14 seconds left, but the onside kick failed. Penn State 19-17.
—Oct. 8, 1983. Alabama quarterback Walter Lewis' pass to Preston Gothard in the end zone was ruled out of bounds in Penn State's 34-28 win. The Nittany Lions then stopped Kerry Goode short from the 2 as time expired.
Happier memories for the Tide:
—Oct. 13, 1984: Van Tiffin's 53-yard field goal set a then-school record in a 6-0 Alabama win. Penn State missed two first-half kicks, then couldn't cross Alabama's 45.
—Oct. 28, 1989. Defensive lineman Thomas Rayam blocked Ray Tarasi's last-second 17-yard field goal attempt after a high snap. Alabama wins 17-16.
The average score of the first 13 meetings was appropriate for two programs known for defense: Alabama 12.4, Penn State 11.8.
All that history is ancient for the current players on both sides.
"I'm sure to our fans it probably means something," Tide coach Nick Saban said. "To most of our players, I think they have a tremendous amount of respect for Penn State based on the great program that they've had in their lifetime, whether they've played Alabama or not. I really don't think it means a lot to the players, and it's not something that we emphasize with the players.
"We're looking forward not in the rear-view mirror."
Penn State guard Stefen Wisniewski knows more than most of his teammates about the history with Alabama. His father, Leo, played for the Nittany Lions from 1979-81.
"I think most people my age probably don't appreciate the whole Bear Bryant-JoePa thing as much," the younger Wisniewski said. "Personally I have a little more of an appreciation for it because of my father's connection to the program. My dad played in the '79 Sugar Bowl and played against Alabama, so I have a little bit a sense of the history, and how cool of a rivalry this is."
Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower is only vaguely familiar with the stand in the '79 game, but he can picture making a game-saving stop like Krauss.
"I'd be speechless," Hightower said. "You got a vision going in my head. I don't even know how to explain that feeling. That would be something that'd go down in history."
-- John Zenor
'Canes, Buckeyes have big-game history
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Classes haven't even started at Ohio State, and already there's a big test.
Almost every year, early in the season, the Buckeyes put their season on the line against a non-conference football power. It's risky business when the goal is a national championship, but it's something No. 2 Ohio State — and Saturday's opponent, No. 12 Miami — have being doing for years.
Buckeyes wide receiver DeVier Posey wouldn't have it any other way. And he's miffed that rising programs such as Boise State can climb in polls and prestige while tiptoeing through a schedule with only one or two difficult games.
"To be a national champ, you have to play against the best people and the best teams," Posey said, "No disrespect to Boise, but I wouldn't trade our schedule in for anybody's — for an easy ride to a national championship."
There is no question that Ohio State doesn't hide from big non-conference games. Miami never has, either.
During a quarter-century of national prominence from 1980-2005, the Hurricanes never ducked a top opponent. They played Notre Dame when both were title contenders, and had their annual showdown against Florida State with occasional matchups against Florida, Oklahoma, Penn State, West Virginia and Virginia Tech.
The past two years, the Buckeyes have played Southern California. Next year, they play at Miami, and will have future home-and-home dates with California, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
Sprinkled into the non-Big Ten mix are games against Colorado, Navy and last year's Big East champion, Cincinnati, along with a dose of Mid-American Conference opponents who can bus to Columbus.
When athletic director Gene Smith came aboard in 2005, it was already Ohio State's philosophy to offer the school's huge fan and alumni base a chance to see their favorite team in the far reaches of the country, in addition to spicing up the home schedule.
On top of that, playing top-notch competition can also pay benefits in a Bowl Championship Series world.
"You could go the route of not playing that level of a team, but I think it helps you," Smith said Wednesday. "If you want to have a chance to be national champions, you've got to go outside your league and play somebody tough. I think it helps you with your BCS rankings in the end. If we're blessed to beat Miami and Miami ends up running the table in the ACC, that only strengthens our case to be No. 1 or No. 2. We kind of think it's an important thing to do."
As if the game needed additional hype, Ohio State fans have been roiled by watching the latest film involving actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, a former Miami defensive lineman.
In a popular YouTube video, he promised an "all-day-long, pack-your-lunch, sweater-vest-stomping (expletive)-kicking, Hurricane style."
It's not just another game for the players, either.
"I have a buddy that got to play against Ohio State last year for USC," Miami safety Vaughn Telemaque said. "He said it's a big-time atmosphere, something that makes you just want to go out there and perform to your highest abilities. I'll take that."
Ohio State has won the last five Big Ten titles but has lost each of the past two years to USC, which put a severe crimp in its hopes of playing for a national title.
"Everybody always says, 'Oh, Ohio State can win the Big Ten, but they can't win on the big stage, in an early season game,'" defensive lineman Dexter Larimore said. "Last year we had USC, the year before that we had USC. It's been rough for us. If we want to make this team make a statement then we have to do it here."
The meeting — the teams' first since Ohio State's 31-24 double-overtime win in the 2002 national championship game — has been on some players' minds for years.
"This game can set us up for what we've been working for," Miami defensive tackle Marcus Forston said. "This is one of the reasons why I came here. I remember I was in the U.S. Army All-American game, playing with some of those (Ohio State) guys. We were saying it then: 'Our junior year, it's going down. It's going down.'"
-- Rusty Miller
Harris and Pryor embracing chance to match skills
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Jacory Harris and Terrelle Pryor were introduced a couple years ago by a mutual friend on a phone call, the two quarterbacks quickly becoming confidants.
Their favorite discussion topic?
"Anything but football," Harris said.
There's no way that would be possible this week.
Potentially Heisman-contending quarterbacks — and more importantly, potentially championship-contending teams — will meet in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, Harris leading No. 12 Miami (1-0) into a stadium filled with 105,000 or so fans, most of whom who will be there to root on Pryor and No. 2 Ohio State (1-0).
It took a long time, but Harris and Pryor will finally have their paths collide on the field.
"We talked earlier this week," Pryor said. "We just said, 'Stay injury-free, have a good game and let's make this game go down in history.' We don't have too many words for each other. We're just trying to come out and get a win for our team."
Comparisons of the two starting quarterbacks are inevitable this week, considering they've been getting made for years anyway.
The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Pryor is two inches taller and 40 pounds heavier, yet there's plenty of statistical similarities. Both have played 27 games. Pryor has combined to run and pass for 5,079 yards and 46 touchdowns, while Harris — more of a thrower, not so much of a runner — has 4,636 yards and 42 touchdowns.
They share this in common, too: Both are ardent followers of LeBron James, the longtime Buckeyes fan and new Miami Heat star.
"I told him I owe him a show," said Pryor, who's urging Ohio State fans not to boo James — who scorned Cleveland to join Miami this summer — if he shows up on Saturday and calls the two-time NBA MVP his mentor. "Next time he comes, I told him I have to give him a show, because we lost the last time he came to Penn State, 13-6."
Given that, maybe having James there would be good luck for Miami, even though he predicts an Ohio State win.
"Hopefully he'll show up," Harris said, undeterred by James' prediction. "That's on him. That's LeBron James. I'm not going to be mad at him."
Even if James is there, most eyes will be on the quarterbacks.
And that speaks volumes about how vital they will be on Saturday.
Both came to their schools amid much fanfare, and both have had trouble always meeting expectations. Harris threw 17 interceptions last season, the second-most in major college football. Pryor arrived at Ohio State drawing comparisons to Vince Young, and even going 22-5 in games which he's appeared — even with a scintillating show in the 2010 Rose Bowl — hasn't always been enough to satisfy the Buckeye faithful.
One of them may take a giant step forward Saturday. One of their teams is certain to do so.
"I think they've traveled a similar road," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "They both got put in there at an early point in their freshman year. ... And like any young kids, you can tell both of them are very passionate, both of them have tremendous big-play ability. They love what they're doing."
Harris and Pryor met through Miami defensive lineman Marcus Forston. Pryor and Forston got to know each other at the U.S. Army All-American Game before going to college, and Forston — who was Harris' teammate at Miami Northwestern High as well — arranged their first conversation.
Forston likes Pryor. Not surprisingly, he likes Harris more.
"We go up against the best quarterback in the nation every day," Forston said. "Going against Jacory every day, we can be ready for any quarterback."
By now, Harris and Pryor are used to hype, which is why they can easily shrug off any notion that Saturday is simply a 1-on-1 battle between the two of them.
"I think they're two competitive guys," Miami coach Randy Shannon said. "But I know Jacory is a mature kid and understands, 'It can't be me. It's got to be our team.' Jacory has studied a lot of film and he understands that when he's just being Jacory, great things happen at the University of Miami."
They say the same about Pryor at Ohio State.
When he throws a touchdown pass, the Buckeyes are 17-1. When he doesn't throw one, they're 5-4. Pretty simple math there.
"Me and Jacory have to go into the ballgame thinking whomever turns this ball over is going to lose the game," Pryor said. "That's when you're going to put your defense in a bad position, and that's when the gamechangers start."
They'll likely say hello before the game, and then share an embrace afterward.
The 3½ hours or so of football in between those acts, they might tell the tale of how 2010 will set up for both quarterbacks. And neither can hardly wait for the big show to arrive.
"I think 105,000 people, I'm pretty sure it's going to be crazy," Harris said. "For a quarterback, well, for me, it's fun. You go to big schools to be in an atmosphere like this. It's going to be a fun, exciting thing."
-- Tim Reynolds
Wisconsin T Wagner gets scholarship, may start
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Sweat drenches Ricky Wagner's bright red T-shirt that reads "Get ur mind RT."
It's subtle offensive lineman humor. While Wagner's shirt boasts the workmanlike mentality a right tackle must have, especially at No. 11 Wisconsin, the truth is that the sophomore would be just as happy anywhere on that line.
"Left side, right side, it doesn't matter to me," he said.
Anywhere now that Wagner finally has his scholarship, earning it last week after walking on in 2008. His name is on the depth chart alongside stalwart right tackle Josh Oglesby for the starting role in Saturday's home game against San Jose State, but Wagner isn't putting stock on a piece of paper that's nothing more than a list of names.
"It's not my job to worry about depth charts," he said. "I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing."
Wagner decided he'd fit best at Wisconsin after a few small schools recruited him, and then he set his mind toward heady goals.
"I've watched Badger games all my life and I thought I'd just make the best of the walk-on opportunity," he said.
First, earn a scholarship, something it took Wagner two years to accomplish.
"I couldn't wait to tell my parents because I just knew they'd love it," he said. "We've been trying our best to pay tuition and stuff — it's been kind of hard — but it's a great relief."
Wagner's wait to play a bigger role at Wisconsin had a lot to do with his weight. A two-sport athlete in high school, Wagner decided football was his best shot as a tight end and wide receiver. His coaches had a surprise request: Put on weight — a lot of it.
The Badgers offensive line averages about 323 pounds. Wagner was a big kid at 6-foot-6, but only 265. So, he went to the weight room and the training table and it's clear he took the challenge seriously.
"They never gave many set weights or any diet things, I think it just came naturally. When you work hard down in the weight room, you're going to have a larger appetite," Wagner said. "I think my body was changing like that naturally. I didn't really try too hard."
Wagner played in 12 of 13 games last season after the weight gain during his redshirt year, but he's had to learn a lineman's mentality in a role he hadn't played before, including how to pass block.
"He really had big gains in a short amount of time," head coach Bret Bielema said. "If you stand next to Ricky, he's got that big body."
Wagner has been splitting repetitions in practice with Oglesby, a junior who has 14 starts and has been named to the Outland Trophy watch list. But Bielema has been disappointed with Oglesby's recent performance and against UNLV.
"He had the procedure penalty and some other things that popped up, and those were some loose ends that showed up a year ago," Bielema said. "It's just something that we're not going to tolerate, and if he continues to do those things, there will be changes."
That means Wagner.
Bielema has also seen the hard work Wagner has put in and the coach was a walk-on at Iowa who earned a scholarship and a starting role.
"He's a real quiet kid, goes about a business in his own way and, probably of anything, is he just lacks the confidence that you'd like," the coach said. "(I'd) like to be a little bit more confident, and I've kind of talked to him about that. He's our next best option for us at that tackle position."
Even if Wagner doesn't always recognize himself. He said he occasionally takes a double take when he walks by a mirror and catches a glimpse of the big body he now possesses.
"Sometimes," Wagner said. "But, I'm still the same me."
-- Colin Fly
USC already tweaking defense after ugly debut
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Monte Kiffin has been coaching long enough to know he probably deserved a tongue-lashing from his boss when his Southern California defense gave up 588 yards and 36 points to Hawaii in his first game.
Because the USC defensive coordinator's boss is his 35-year-old son, the Kiffins mostly decided to skip the fireworks and move straight to fixing the 16th-ranked Trojans' problems before Saturday's home opener against Virginia.
"He was my (son) before the game," Monte Kiffin said with a laugh. "After the game, he was the head coach. ... We need to hurry up, though. When you come in, any time you're new, it's going to be different."
Different wasn't better for the Trojans in their first game since Pete Carroll's defense was replaced by the schemes of Kiffin, the architect of countless standout defenses and Tony Dungy's famed Tampa 2 coverage.
USC simply couldn't slow down the Warriors in Kiffin's first game in charge of a unit that lost key depth to NCAA sanctions, giving up the most points by an opponent in a USC opener since 1976. Although the Trojans' offense and special teams salvaged a victory, Kiffin already is making lineup changes to fill holes in his scheme — and his boss is watching.
"He has very high standards for himself and our defensive unit," head coach Lane Kiffin said. "He's going back to work. He's been at it a long time."
Monte Kiffin shuffled his defensive line Tuesday night in the Trojans' first practice in five days, moving defensive end Armond Armstead back to tackle and shifting Jurrell Casey to nose tackle. Talented sophomore Nick Perry, who missed the opener with a sprained ankle, and Wes Horton lined up on the ends of the defensive line, with starting nose tackle DaJohn Harris moving back to the second team.
None of it will matter if the Trojans can't tackle, which they failed to do with alarming frequency in Honolulu. Yet Lane Kiffin insists the Trojans won't do any extra work on the defense's most fundamental skill: With an already thin depth chart, USC simply can't afford to risk any injuries in practice.
The Trojans did very little hitting during training camp, and they don't have plans for full contact in practice any time soon.
"It's not the best scenario," Lane Kiffin said. "We wish we could have tackled all the way through camp, but we need to be smart and manage our team so we can stay healthy, which is more important. It's a long season. Even though we had some issues tackling, I like when we look at our injury report this week and see almost all of our front-line guys will be available for our home opener."
The players solidly back the strategy, uniformly saying they haven't forgotten how to tackle after just a month with little practice at it. Armstead was among several players who cited Hawaii's high-octane offense for most of USC's troubles, saying the matchup was a brutal way to start a new defense.
"I thought we did all right, but the quarterback was getting the ball out quick," Armstead said. "We did what we could, but it's hard. All we have to do is keep rushing the passer, and the secondary is going to improve. Everything will improve."
USC's defense was the bedrock of its run to seven straight Pac-10 titles and two national championships during the past decade, but much of that mystique evaporated last year.
The Trojans endured humiliating losses to Oregon (47-20) and Stanford (55-21) — both setting a record for the worst loss in Carroll's tenure. The Cardinal's blowout win at the Coliseum was USC's worst since 1966.
Still, few doubt the overall talent level of the Trojans, whose conveyor belt of elite recruits has only been slowed by NCAA scholarship restrictions.
Monte Kiffin can teach the Tampa 2, but he can't teach experience to a lineup dotted with underclassmen, including sophomore starting safeties Jawanza Starling and T.J. McDonald. Freshman cornerback Nickell Robey was involved in a jaw-dropping 95 plays in his first game, a number Kiffin promises will go down.
He hopes their stumbles against Hawaii's offense will pay off against Virginia's more traditional prostyle approach.
"We won the game, you know," Monte Kiffin said. "We still won. If our offense wasn't so good, we could have been in trouble. ... If you totaled up our career starts on defense, a lot of our guys haven't played a whole lot. We're young, but they're all going to be good players."
-- Greg Beacham
No. 21 Tigers, Bulldogs feature potent offenses
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — In one of the ugliest games in recent college football history, Auburn and Mississippi State punted, fumbled and stumbled their way to a 3-2 finish in 2008 that made both schools cringe.
Auburn won — on the scoreboard.
But really, there were no winners after a game that barely had more first downs (20) than punts (18). It was obvious both teams had serious issues.
Two years later, much has changed. Both programs have new coaches: Gene Chizik replaced Tommy Tuberville at Auburn while Dan Mullen took over for Sylvester Croom at Mississippi State.
Auburn left tackle Lee Ziemba, who was a sophomore during that 2008 game, joked that the final score looked more like soccer result from this summer's World Cup.
"It was a different time and place," Ziemba said. "It's obviously not likely to happen again this week."
Now 21st-ranked Auburn (1-0) and Mississippi State (1-0) have revamped offenses going into Thursday's Southeastern Conference opener for both schools at Scott Field.
The Tigers easily handled Arkansas State 52-26 in last week while the Bulldogs smashed Memphis 49-7.
Auburn's offense is led by quarterback Cameron Newton, a junior college transfer who was sensational during his first game. He accounted for 357 yards of total offense and five touchdowns against Arkansas State, living up to the hype that made him one of the most sought after recruits in the country.
But he's not the only player the Bulldogs will worry about.
Freshman Michael Dyer rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown against Arkansas State. Running backs Onterio McCalebb and Mario Fannin, along with receivers Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachery, were all important parts of the offense last season.
"A lot of people pick them as the sleeper pick to win the SEC West and you can see why," Mullen said. "They're a talented team. When you have that type of experience it can go a long way. They have an explosive offense."
But Mississippi State will counter with some talent of its own. The Bulldogs will play two quarterbacks — junior Chris Relf and freshman Tyler Russell — who were both very good in the season opener.
Relf is just as dangerous running as he is throwing, while Russell is more of a true pocket passer. Russell threw for 256 yards and tied a school record with four touchdown passes against Memphis.
The Bulldogs have plenty of playmakers around the quarterbacks as well. Receivers Chad Bumphis and Brandon Heavens each scored two touchdowns in the opener. They used four running backs — Vick Ballard, Robert Elliott, LaDarius Perkins and Adrian Marcus — extensively during the romp over Memphis.
Chizik said Mississippi State's confidence and execution is much better than a year ago, and Mullen's spread scheme will pose problems if his team isn't disciplined.
"It's not your conventional two-back, I-back conventional run-play stuff," Chizik said. "It gives you a lot of problems. If you're not in the right spots or you have one guy out of position with their run game, it's going to give you some fits."
Such offensive innovation was rare for both programs two seasons ago. But Ziemba said the Southeastern Conference has changed since then, and the wide open offense is necessary to compete.
"The past couple of years in the SEC, you've seen higher scoring games than you usually see," Ziemba said. "The infrastructure has changed a little bit. People have gone into more spread-type offenses."
-- David Brandt
News & Notes
Georgia's A.J. Green suspended for four games
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia star receiver A.J. Green was suspended by the NCAA for four games on Wednesday for selling a bowl jersey for $1,000 to someone who qualifies as an agent.
Green sold his jersey from last season's Independence Bowl. The junior, who sat out the season-opening 55-7 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette, must miss three more games before regaining his eligibility, according to the ruling from the NCAA.
No. 22 Georgia (1-0) is heading into a key Southeastern Conference game against No. 24 South Carolina on Saturday without Green, who's also banished from SEC games against No. 14 Arkansas and Mississippi State. He will be eligible to return for an Oct. 2 contest at Colorado.
"Every team in America would love to have A.J. Green out there. But he's not out there. We have to deal with it," tight end Aron White said after practice. "We're still Georgia. We're still going to come to play. One guy doesn't make or break this team."
Still, the harshness of the penalty appeared to catch the Bulldogs off guard. The school plans to appeal, but the case is unlikely to be heard until next week at the earliest.
"It's pretty shocking," said receiver Tavarres King, one of the players who'll have to pick up the slack. "Everybody really thought he was going to be back."
Green was caught up in a wide-ranging NCAA probe of the relationship between agents and players from several SEC and Atlantic Coast Conference schools.
Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus was declared ineligible for two games for accepting nearly $2,000 in improper benefits during two trips to Miami.
South Carolina is awaiting its own NCAA ruling on the eligibility of two players: starting offensive tackle Jarriel King and first-team cornerback Chris Culliver, who sat out the Gamecocks' opening game.
Green issued an apology to Georgia coaches, his teammates and fans "for the mistake in judgment" in a statement released by the school.
"I very much regret all that has taken place and the distraction that's been caused," Green said. "I've learned a valuable lesson and hope others can learn from my mistake. I can only focus my attention now on practicing and looking ahead to getting back with my teammates as quickly as possible."
The 6-foot-4 Green is rated as one of the top receivers in the nation. He is projected as a possible top-five pick in the 2011 NFL draft.
Last season, the junior had 53 catches for 808 yards and six touchdowns despite missing all or part of five games due to injuries.
The NCAA ruling is a blow to Georgia's hopes in the SEC's Eastern Division. Coach Mark Richt said he was "disappointed with the outcome" but stressed to his team that they played well last year when Green was out.
"Right now, what's most important for me is to focus on this game. That's what I'm going to do. We have a big game this weekend," Richt said. "We are going to play whoever is eligible to play."
Green took part in Wednesday's practice but won't be able to travel with the team to road games. Richt said he'll try to get the receiver as much work as possible during the suspension so he'll be ready to play when it's over.
For now, "he's hurt, he's sad, he's sorry for what happened," the coach said.
With its own eligibility issues to worry about, the South Carolina Gamecocks downplayed the absence of Green for Saturday's game.
"What I know from experience is it doesn't matter who we line up against," said punter-kicker Spencer Lanning, one of the Gamecocks' captains. "We're not going to take it any easier if he's not out there."
The Bulldogs had been working on a game plan that assumed Green would be eligible to play. Now, it will fall to players such as King and Kris Durham to take a leading role.
Last week, Durham led Georgia with five catches for 83 yards and a touchdown.
"Durham is basically in the game in a lot of situations when A.J. probably would've been in the game," Richt said.
King didn't play against Louisiana-Lafayette, serving a one-game suspension imposed by the school after he was charged with underaged possession of alcohol this summer.
Also returning this week is the Bulldogs' leading rusher from a year ago, Washaun Ealey, who was suspended for one game for leaving the scene of minor car accident and driving on a suspended license.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray completed 19 passes to 10 different receivers in the opening game. Now, he'll have to get by without Green in three more contests.
"It would definitely be nice to have him out there," Murray said before the suspension was announced. "But the rest of the guys have worked unbelievably hard and they're ready to step up no matter what."
The ruling comes after much speculation that Green was involved in the NCAA's probe into improper benefits given by agents to athletes at several schools, including North Carolina. The Tar Heels were without 13 players for their season-opening loss to LSU.
Part of the probe was a party at Miami Beach. Green insisted he didn't attend, but Wednesday's announcement showed the NCAA was looking at other benefits received by the player.
The school said Green has repaid the $1,000 to a charity. The players said they'll stand behind him.
"A.J. a pretty standup guy," White said. "I wasn't expecting him to get into trouble. But people make mistakes. To me, it's not the end of the world. He's still a great guy, still a great player."
-- Paul Newberry
Ingram back running, still doubtful
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram has not returned to practice for No. 1 Alabama and while Nick Saban said the injured running back is unlikely to play against No. 18 Penn State on Saturday, the coach isn't necessarily counting his star out.
"If there is anybody in the world that can play without practicing, it's probably Mark," Saban said after Wednesday's practice. "He's a student of the game, he watches everything, understands everything, knows everything and he's a tremendous competitor. He has a lot of experience, but we would never put him in that situation."
Ingram had left knee surgery last week, but Saban said he was able to do some running the past two days.
"I just don't know if Mark's going to have enough practice time," he said. "He's getting close, but I don't know if he'll have enough practice time in to be able to play in the game or not."
Before practice, Saban said Ingram's knee was "improving every day" and hasn't had swelling but the Heisman winner "probably" wouldn't be able to play. The Tide (1-0) faces the Nittany Lions (1-0) Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
"If he can continue to progress — I would say he's probably not going to be ready to play this week," Saban said. "He might be ready by the game, but he won't be able to practice enough.
"After that, maybe we have a chance to get him back if he continues to progress."
Ingram sat out Alabama's opener against San Jose State after having an arthroscopic procedure to repair an injury sustained in practice early on opening week.
Backup Trent Richardson had 10 carries for 66 yards and a pair of touchdowns to go with three catches for 46 yards in the win over San Jose State. He only played the first half.
