Week 3 Saturday Six-Pack

OKLAHOMA at FLORIDA STATE

A No. 1 has only ever visited Doak Campbell once before. Florida State bested Florida 24-17 to cap the 1996 regular season. Coincidentally (or perhaps not so coincidentally) it remains the program’s sole defeat of a top ranked team. Among the No. 1s to beat FSU? Oklahoma topped the Seminoles 13-2 in the 2001 BCS Championship game, and last year extended into a mini-win streak via a 47-17 rout.

The Seminoles’ trip to Norman was just their second under Jimbo Fisher and not indicative of the team that played in the ACC Championship and won the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. FSU is bigger, stronger, faster and raring to prove itself worthy of championship consideration for the first time in a decade.

But boy, is Oklahoma ever a hurdle.

Bob Stoops’ resurrection of the Sooner program coincided with FSU’s decline. The two were on opposite escalators passing in the 2001 Orange Bowl. That OU win could be seen as the official end of an era, Bobby Bowden as Nero fiddling while Tallahassee burned.

Fisher has put the pieces back together quickly, but does he have a full fledged empire ready to do battle with an established one? Landry Jones went to work on the Seminole secondary last year, and is a year more experienced. Ryan Broyles is one of the nation’s absolute best receivers, but the OU corps is so deep FSU can’t double-team him.

FSU faces a similar dilemma in addressing the Seminoles’ multi-pronged running game. OU held FSU below 100 yards on the ground last year, but that was without quarterback-in-a-defensive-end’s body EJ Manuel manning the offense.

This will truly become a chess match between Stoops and Fisher — and Fisher’s defensive coordinator, Bob’s brother Mark Stoops. That’s the wrinkle that perhaps interests me more than any other.

Rating: 6 Brews and possibly a Tall Boy to follow

It doesn’t get much better than this. The No. 1 team travels for a non-conference date with a top 5 is the kind of dream scenario over-protective, BCS-inspired scheduling has prevented. OU has been among the most consistent programs since the onset of the 21st Century, yet have just a single BCS Championship to show for it. Stoops is criticized for dropping high profile games, and this is among the highest profile OU has played since the 2009 BCS Championship.

Meanwhile, FSU carries a decade of frustration and the dreams of a new era. But beyond that, FSU carries the banner for an entire conference. The ACC is seen as a lesser child to its BCS brethren, save the Big East. There’s no coincidence the ACC has lacked an upper tier representative on the national level since the Seminoles’ decline.

So much history, so many serious implications on the line. This is why college football’s regular season is the best of any sport.

TENNESSEE at FLORIDA

Tyler Bray’s slight frame and Halloween colored duds give him a scarecrow’s appearance, and this harvest season he could prove frightening for opposing defensive coordinators. The Volunteers are generating cautious excitement with their authoritative start, having blasted Montana and Cincinnati behind Bray’s seven touchdowns and 78.5 completion percentage.

Though Cincinnati should return to the postseason after last year’s disappointing 4-8 transitioning to Butch Jones, UT has yet to get a true measuring stick. The same can be said for Florida, which destroyed FAU (perhaps the worst team in the Bowl Subdivision) and UAB. The Gator defense has impressed in allowing three total points, a low matched only by in-state counterpart UCF. But the defense was never a question. UF is talented and fast on that side of the ball and will provide the stiffest of challenges to Bray.

Are the Gators’ 40 points per game an aberration? Charlie Weis’s offensive chops were never in question even as his Notre Dame teams underachieved. Chris Rainey just might be that dominant tailback UF has lacked even through championship campaigns. The balance in the backfield could be the key to unlocking John Brantley’s potential.

Rating: 5 Brews

Perhaps I’m off base, but it seems there’s been more buzz around this rivalry this year than at any time since the beginning of the Urban Meyer era. After he supplanted Ron Zook, the Gators simply dominated their Rocky Top rivals, making Lane Kiffin’s trash talk even more eye-rollingly ridiculous.

But the Volunteers’ start combined with the uncertainty of this new look Florida bunch has injected much needed life into the series. Bray’s play makes this a must-watch. Should he succeed in a hostile environment, against a program with much-deserved name recognition, his name will be on the tip of Heisman talkers’ tongues.

ARIZONA STATE at ILLINOIS

Arizona State’s overtime defeat of Missouri last Friday was deemed Dennis Erickson’s much-needed marquee win. The Sun Devils have teetered closely toward garnering such a victory the past season-plus. Last year, they led Oregon for nearly three quarters, gave Stanford all it could handle, and were a botched PAT away from forcing overtime at Wisconsin. The Mizzou game showed A-State has learned to finish, but now it must prove its mettle by avoiding The Letdown Game.

For first-time readers, The Letdown Game is a phenomenon I allude to often on this blog, because it’s an inevitability of college football. Teams win a hard fought contest, only to fall to what might be deemed a lesser opponent the following week. It’s one of those strange things no mathematical formula can explain.

Now, that isn’t to say Illinois is a lesser opponent than Missouri. By season’s end, the Illini just may prove themselves superior. Quarterback Nathan Scheelhasse is one of the nation’s best kept secrets, last season emerging as a freshman starter to produce impressive numbers. MU’s James Franklin gave A-State’s defense problems, especially late in last week’s game. Scheelhasse does what Franklin did, only better.

UI also enjoys homefield advantage, but is at the disadvantage of this being its first true test. The Illini beat up on South Dakota State and Arkansas State to a combined 89-18 tune. The Sun Devils’ Missouri experience could prove vital, but ASU must establish a running game. Illinois most struggled last season against teams like Michigan State and Minnesota that threw balanced attacks at them (the Michigan loss being an obvious deviation). If Cameron Marshall can establish the ground game, look for Brock Osweiler to flourish.

Rating: 4 BREWS

Gauging Illinois is never any easy task. The Illini carried over the great showing in last December’s

Texas

Meineke Bowl of Texas to 2011, but neither opponent provided insight into Zook’s team. And Zook-coached teams are, in general, an enigma.

The same can be said for Dennis Erickson, though. A-State has greatly underachieved under his guidance, last reaching the postseason in 2007. That drought ends this year, but just how good the Sun Devils can be is determined in this very big road game.

One of these two classic underachievers is going to have to overachieve — or at least, underachieve less than its opponent.

MICHIGAN STATE at NOTRE DAME

From BCS material to facing an 0-3 hole, Notre Dame has certainly taken a turn for the worse these last two weeks. The Irish’s heartbreaker in Michigan exposed a few glaring flaws Brian Kelly must address. Tommy Rees gave the offense more pop, but he also suffered from a few inexplicable meltdowns that proved costly. Rees and Dayne Crist are two players cut from the same cloth. Kelly can’t possibly flip-flop on his starting decision if things start to go south for Rees, can he?

Meanwhile, the defense that bottled up Denard Robinson for 45 minutes was virtually non-existent the final 15. Michigan’s 28-point eruption was a startling flashback to the Weis era when ND tacklers couldn’t catch a cold, let alone opponents.

In MSU, ND faces an offense with more potential for balance than most in college football. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is a consummate game manager. He doesn’t force the issue, nor does he need to with a loaded backfield of capable rushers surrounding him. Mark Dantonio is 3-1 against UND, and 1-0 against Kelly’s UND after last year’s dramatic, overtime finish.

Rating: 5 Brews

Alright, so Notre Dame’s off to a disappointing start. Again. That doesn’t mean games vs. USF and Michigan weren’t great watching, and Sparty-Irish clashes are always good for excitement. Despite sharing last year’s Big Ten title, Sparty seems to be flying under the radar. A win in Notre Dame Stadium sends a clear message that MSU is back to compete for a repeat — and this time, earn itself a BCS bid for the first time.

UCF at FIU

In my OnsideKick.com Top 25 ballot, I already have UCF ranked. An FIU win would vault the Golden Panthers into such position. Now, Associated Press voters are not easy to gauge, but seemingly the winner would have just cause for cracking the poll. Both of these are good teams I suspect will have nine-plus wins come Christmas.

There’s an intriguing clash of styles at play here. FIU has an offensive with combustibility. Quarterback Wesley Carroll is erratic, but erratic means hitting two ends of the spectrum. The highs are high, and amplifying them are the supremely talented T.Y. Hilton. If you don’t know about Hilton, familiarize yourself. He’s leading the Detmer Award (#detmeraward on Twitter!) vote for a reason.

But Hilton has yet to face a defense as monstrous as UCF’s. Even defensive guru Charlie Strong couldn’t boast a defense allowing 1.5 point per game, which is what the Knights have done through two thus far. Jonathan Davis terrorizes opposing backfields, and the secondary reaps the benefits of the disruption he and the line cause. Meanwhile on offense, a running game with four players averaging better than 50 yards per game lowers the boom.

Quarterback Jeffrey Godfrey’s five touchdowns set the pace, and big, powerful Latavius Murray has three. FIU must find a way to somehow slow that ground attack.

Rating: 5 Brews

That’s not a typo, these are two very good teams and programs on the rise jockeying for positioning in the Sunshine State’s gridiron kingdom. I like what FIU has done in hiring a young, energetic coach, Mario Cristobal. Last week I wrote Louisville is a potential program-changing win from him, and that the risk of being redundant I’ll write it again. UCF may not be a BCS conference foe, but the Knights have had enough success under George O’Leary that a defeat of them would be a significant notch in the Golden Panthers’ belts.

Furthermore, the winner has all-important bragging right on the Florida recruiting trail. Both are on the expressway to becoming perennial powers. One gets a Fast Pass with victory.

STANFORD at ARIZONA

Mike Stoops’ Arizona teams have had this ironic pattern of choking in big games over the past three seasons, all of which ended in bowl appearances — ironic because previously, his squads were good for at least one notable defeat of a highly ranked opponent every year.

Stanford walloped UA on The Farm a season ago, starting a five-game skid that sent the Wildcats limping into the postseason. Last Thursday’s showing at Oklahoma State showed no more promise for a turnaround, and the Wildcat secondary that has been beaten around now must face the quarterback widely regarded as college football’s best.

Andrew Luck isn’t going to be stopped. To paraphrase Dan Patrick from back when SportsCenter was…well, SportsCenter, Arizona’s only hope is containing the explosive passer. The offense might be the larger concern for UA.

Nick Foles is the nation’s most prolific passer, and hasn’t given away a single interception. Yet Arizona’s complete rack of a run game and thus an ineffective red zone offense have greatly hamstrung the Wildcats’ efforts. When UA defeated Stanford at Arizona Stadium two seasons ago, Greg Nwoko and Keola Antolin broke off two big rushes for what proved to be the decisive touchdowns. Finding a way to replicate that *cough* give Ka’Deem Carey more reps *cough* is paramount for Arizona…and maybe having David Hasselhoff sing the national anthem again.

Rating: 3 Brews

Putting too much faith in the recent incarnation of Arizona football proves disastrous. Dating back to the 2009 Holiday Bowl, UA just hasn’t risen up in big games. Saturday’s is certainly big, the Pac-12 opener for both teams and an opportunity for the Wildcats to knock off a preseason frontrunner. Should the Wildcats come to play and take advantage of the edges the do have, this is a six-brew contest. The “if” though is as big as Andrew Luck’s arm.

If Luck softens up the UA rush, Stepfan Taylor will step in to provide punch off the rush. The Wildcats’ best hope is to attack the Cardinal line early and rough Luck up a bit. The young SU offensive line hasn’t surrendered many sacks, but Luck’s been taking hits. UA defeated Iowa last season in part on the strength of its defensive line getting to Ricky Stanzi. A similar effort is necessary.

WEEK 3’S SIX-PACK: Spaten Oktoberfest

T’is the season of Oktoberfest, and t’is the season of outstanding autumn beers. Spaten is a holiday favorite of mine, but the German brewer puts out its big gun for the nation’s most famous beer-drinking season. This Oktoberfest brew fits the season — not so heavy as to be a colder weather beer, and hinted with a spicy zest reminiscent of the changing of the leaves.

Fire up the grill and throw on some brats, possibly cook up some sauerkraut and fill your stein with Spaten Oktoberfest for this game day.