Pac-12 matchups highlight weekend
No. 21 Southern Cal @ No. 17 UCLA, 3:05 p.m., FOX
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No. 21 Southern Cal @ No. 17 UCLA, 3:05 p.m., FOX
It has been a turbulent ride the past month for South Carolina volleyball.
No. 13 Oregon State @ No. 16 Stanford, 3 p.m., Fox
Last week Baylor took up the daunting task of facing 2012’s “Cinderella” — the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks, who upset Arkansas in their first game this season. The Bears escaped with a narrow 47-42 victory, propelling them to their No. 25 ranking. That may be unfortunately short-lived, as the Bears travel to Morgantown, W.V., to face the No. 9 West Virginia Mountaineers this Saturday. Led by Heisman candidate Geno Smith at quarterback, the Mountaineers have displayed one of the most impressive offenses in all of college football, with the No. 3 passing offense in the nation. However, Baylor’s offense has been equally potent, ranking at No. 5 in overall yards per game. Expect an explosion of scoring in Morgantown.Penn State @ Illinois, noon, ESPNAfter stumbling out of the gate to an 0-2 start, Bill O’Brien’s Penn State Nittany Lions have done well in their attempt to right the ship. The Nittany Lions have earned wins over Navy and Temple in back-to-back weeks and now hit the road to face Illinois on Saturday. While in years past this game may have carried significant weight in the Big Ten title race, it now appears to be a relatively meaningless contest between two struggling programs. The Fighting Illinois have looked unimpressive in their 2012 campaign and limp into Saturday’s contest after suffering an embarrassing blowout loss on their home turf to Louisiana Tech last week. Starting quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, who was injured for the early part of the season, returned last week only to be benched in the first quarter. Neither team has been particularly impressive this season, but the Nittany Lions boast a respectable defense that has allowed only 15.3 points per game this year. On paper, Penn State appears to be the superior squad, but if Illinois corrects its early-season miscues, home field advantage could help it come out on top.No. 17 Clemson @ Boston College, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2Clemson’s performance last week may very well determine its fate in the ACC for 2012. The Tigers suffered a huge setback when they lost to Florida State in a 49-37 shootout, losing control of their own destiny in the Atlantic Division. Despite the loss, no one can question that quarterback Tajh Boyd, wide receivers Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins and running back Andre Ellington make up one of college football’s most dangerous offenses. Their opponent this week is Boston College, a team that isn’t as bad as its 1-2 record would indicate after losing close games to respectable opponents in Miami and Northwestern. Boston College does have a decent offense led by quarterback Chase Rettig, and it is facing a Clemson defense that has been sieve-like at times this year. However, the Golden Eagles’ defense has allowed an average of more than 38 points per game, and their offense will be very hard pressed to keep up with Clemson’s scoring abilities. Anything is possible, but Clemson is clearly the favorite in this contest.No. 14 Ohio State @ No. 20 Michigan State, 3:30 p.m., ABCThe new-look Ohio State Buckeyes under head coach Urban Meyer will experience a true test from the upper echelon of college football. Narrow wins over Central Florida, California and UAB left room to question the legitimacy of their 4-0 record. This week’s game against Michigan State will go a long way in determining if those doubts are justified. Sophomore quarterback Braxton Miller has superstar potential, but questionable decision-making and accuracy indicate he may not be ready to succeed against college football’s best. Michigan State has a strong defense, allowing only 11.8 points per game. The Spartans’ only loss came at the hands of Notre Dame, and running back Le’Veon Bell is one of the best in the nation. Bell is the offense’s workhorse and has already carried the ball 117 times this season for 610 yards. The key for Ohio State will be putting a stop to Bell and finding a way to take pressure off Miller, who has accounted for the majority of their offense this year.No. 12 Texas @ Oklahoma State, 7:50 p.m., FoxSaturday’s game against Oklahoma State will provide the first road Big 12 test for the Texas Longhorns and will be significant in proving whether they can sustain their impressive beginning to the 2012 season. The Longhorns have shown excellent balance offensively between quarterback David Ash and running backs Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron. Oklahoma State, on the other hand, is a team with a lot of new faces and has yet to establish a new identity since the departures of two-time Biletnikoff Award–winning wide receiver Justin Blackmon and star quarterback Brandon Weeden. The Cowboys come into their fourth game of the season with a record of 2-1 after chalking up easy victories over Savannah State and Louisiana and suffering a 59-38 loss against Arizona. Texas is OSU’s first Big 12 opponent of the year and possibly its toughest. The Cowboys will have a hard time pulling off the upset with starting quarterback Wes Lunt questionable after injuring his leg earlier this month.Virginia Tech @ Cincinnati, 3:30 p.m., ESPNUCincinnati quarterback Munchie Legaux not only has one of the coolest names in college football, but could also be one of its best-kept secrets. While the junior signal caller may not be the most polished passer, he has electrifying speed and can change the game at any moment with his legs. As a team, the undefeated Bearcats have a very small body of work, as they have only played two games this season. However, they have the makings of a contender for a conference title in the lackluster Big East. Meanwhile, the Virginia Tech Hokies are one of the most confusing teams in college football. Quarterback Logan Thomas is one of the most talented players in the nation, yet he seems to consistently make head-scratching decisions that cost his team. Frank Beamer’s normally well-coached, mistake-free Hokies have shot themselves in the foot far too often this year to be counted on to remain among the elite in college football. Virginia Tech could very well be walking into a trap on the road against a well-rested Cincinnati team.
The South Carolina volleyball team’s perfect record was tarnished this past weekend when it lost both of its SEC matches against Auburn and No. 21 Tennessee 3-1.
The USC Trojans have established themselves as the team to beat in 2012, not only in the Pac-12 conference but quite possibly the entire NCAA. Quarterback Matt Barkley remains the frontrunner for the Heisman trophy and has tossed 10 touchdown passes in just two games. The Trojans have had a field day throwing to wide receivers Marqise Lee and Robert Woods, who each have four touchdown receptions already. Meanwhile, the Stanford Cardinal is a team clinging to its Top 25 ranking and struggling to cope with the loss of superstar quarterback Andrew Luck, the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft and now a member of the Indianapolis Colts. The Cardinal nearly fell flat on its face in Week 1, sneaking a win by San Jose State 20-17 thanks to a gritty performance from senior running back Stepfan Taylor. Despite a blowout win over Duke last week, the 2012 Stanford team appears to be a mere shell of its 2011 squad.Wake Forest @ No. 5 Florida State, noon, ESPNEvery year, it seems Florida State is incapable of walking away with a comfortable victory against the Demon Deacons. Despite being favored in each of the last six meetings between the teams, the Seminoles have won only two of those games. In fact, the last three wins Wake Forest has against Top 25 teams have come at the Seminoles’ expense. This year, the game is in Tallahassee and will feature a different FSU offense than the one defeated last year in Winston-Salem,N.C. This time, the Seminoles will have a healthy E.J. Manuel at the helm of an offense favored by 70.5 last week over Savannah State, the largest spread in college football history. And the spread could have easily been covered had the game not been called due to inclement weather at the start of the third quarter with the Seminoles leading 55-0. Despite a shaky opener against Liberty, Wake Forest rallied in Week 2 en route to a 28-27 victory over North Carolina. If history is any indication, the Demon Deacons always have a shot against the Seminoles, but they will have their hands full in this one.North Carolina @ No. 19 Louisville, 3:30 p.m., ABCThe Tar Heels lost a 28-27 heartbreaker last week to Wake Forest after quarterback Bryn Renner threw an interception in the midst of a potential game-winning drive with just more than a minute left. This week, they face a vastly improved Louisville team under the direction of coach Charlie Strong. Strong’s Cardinals have started the 2012 season well, with convincing wins over Kentucky and Missouri State. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has been effective for the Cardinals thus far, completing an impressive 81.7 percent of his passes. Louisville is certainly a program on the rise in the Big East, while North Carolina is in the early stages of its own rebuilding process under new head coach Larry Fedora. On the road in a hostile environment, the Tar Heels will need an improved performance from Renner if they want to escape Cardinal Stadium with the upset victory.No. 20 Notre Dame @ No. 10 Michigan State, 8 p.m., ABCIf there is one thing Notre Dame will be able to call itself at the end of the year, it’s battle-tested. The Fighting Irish have a brutal schedule from here on out, featuring six ranked opponents, starting with Michigan State this Saturday. When starting quarterback Everett Golson went down with an injury last week late in the fourth quarter with the game tied 17-17 against Purdue, troubled backup Tommy Rees, fresh off a one-game suspension after a scuffle with police at a party this summer, emerged from the bench. Rees led a two-minute drill resulted in a game winning-field goal and a 20-17 Notre Dame victory. However, despite his late game heroics, head coach Brian Kelly assured the media that Golson, not Rees, would be starting this week. Meanwhile, Michigan State blew out an overmatched Central Michigan team 41-7, only a week after a 17-13 win over then-No. 24 Boise State. Junior running back Le’Veon Bell has emerged as an early season Heisman candidate, carrying the load of the Spartan offense while quarterback Andrew Maxwell settles in as the new starter since the departure of Kirk Cousins.Virginia @ Georgia Tech, 3:30 p.m., ESPNUIt is safe to say that had it not been for Penn State kicker Sam Ficken’s inability to kick the ball through the uprights last week, the Virginia Cavaliers would not be undefeated right now. Ficken put on a sad but entertaining display of what not to do as a kicker, missing four of his five attempted field goals last Saturday, including a 42-yarder as time expired that would have won Penn State the game. Instead, Virginia escaped with a 17-16 victory after a lackluster performance on its home turf. This week, the Cavaliers head to Atlanta to face ACC opponent Georgia Tech. Unlike Ficken, Georgia Tech’s kicker, David Scully, is perfect on the year. But in all aspects of the game, the Yellow Jackets will be a much more formidable opponent than what the Cavaliers have faced thus far. Head coach Paul Johnson’s option offense is always tricky to defend and even had 16th-ranked Virginia Tech on the ropes in week one. However, Georgia Tech ended up losing an overtime heartbreaker to the Hokies. Senior quarterback Tevin Washington is the centerpiece of the Yellow Jacket offense, as he leads the team in both passing and rushing this season. Virginia will have to rely on more than luck and inept kickers this week if it wants to come out of Bobby Dodd Stadium with a win.
Last Friday, the Gamecocks defeated Clemson for the first time since 2009, sweeping their rivals to kick off a successful weekend in the Carolina Clash tournament.
There is change in the air when it comes to cross country at South Carolina, if you ask coach Stan Rosenthal. After a 2011 season riddled with misfortune and injuries led to an 11th place finish in the SEC, this year the Gamecocks are determined to make it right.