ShareThisCould the stakes get any higher in Week 2 of college football?
Reputations of some elite big-time programs, their high-paid coaches and at least one BCS conference hang in the balance with the outcome of Saturday's games in Ann Arbor, Mich. and Columbus, Ohio.
Its' fitting the Big 10s image rests squarely on the shoulder pads of Michigan and Ohio State, the conference flagships for much of the past century. Their games against Notre Dame and Southern Cal respectively could go a long way toward restoring some respect in the Big 10 as a powerhouse league. Or, they could enhance its growing perception as the BCS weak sister.
The leagues abysmal bowl record (1-6 last season and 6-16 over the past three) compounded by Ohio States back-to-back BCS championship game losses in 2006 and 2007 has provided plenty of fodder.
Last weekend sure didn't help: Navy came within a two-point conversion of forcing overtime with No. 6 Ohio State, in the Shoe; No. 22 Iowa needed two blocked field goals in the waning moments to survive I-AA Northern Iowa, 17-16, at home; and Illinois got clobbered by Missouri, 37-9.
On the upside, the conference did go 10-1 in Week 1, but the competition wasn't exactly stellar.
Most pundits share the notion No. 23 Notre Dame has finally awakened from a deep sleep. Former Irish coach and ESPN commentator Lou Holtz goes so far as to predict Notre Dame will run the table and play for the national title. That's probably closer to a pipe dream than universal healthcare. But hey, crazier things have happened.
Didn't No. 20 BYU just upset Oklahoma? Okay, the Sooners were without Heisman-winning QB Sam Bradford (sprained shoulder) for the entire second half. But come on, Oklahoma was the third-ranked team in the country and was a three-touchdown favorite.
So what's it going to be? An Irish revival party or a Big House bash?
Much-maligned coach Charlie Weis was granted a reprieve and allowed to coach a fifth year in South Bend after doing what no Irish coach had done before: lose 15 games in a two-year span.
Touted as an offensive guru when he was hired away from the New England Patriots five years ago, Weis has gone on to compile a 30-21 record. That's a winning percentage of .588, which puts him in the company of Gerry Faust (30-26-1, .535), Bob Davie (35-25, .535) and his immediate predecessor Tyrone Willingham (21-15, .583).
Such mediocrity is generally a fireable offense at Notre Dame. None of the aforementioned trio survived to coach a sixth year. Of course, none of them had a $40 million contract, with a recession-proof buyout.
A 35-0 victory over Nevada in its home opener has fueled the belief Notre Dame may finally be back, after a dormancy that's lasted about 15 years. Until they defeated Hawaii, 49-21, last December, they hadn't won a postseason game since 1993.
An Irish victory in Ann Arbor would, no doubt, inspire talk of a BCS bowl bid, if not another national championship, which they haven't won since 1988, under Holtz.
It's an all-in game, for sure, and not just for Notre Dame.
Michigan has every bit as much to gain and almost as much to lose, especially considering all of the controversy surrounding its second-year coach Rich Rodriguez. First there was the contract dispute over his departure from West Virginia that cost Rodriguez $1.5 million and Michigan $2.5 million to settle; then a suit claiming Rodriguez defaulted on a nearly $4 million real estate loan; and now, allegations of violating NCAA rules by forcing players to over-practice.
That's not even mentioning the unrest over Michigan's fall from grace in Rodriguez first year at the helm, its first losing season (3-9) in 41 years and its first bowless season in 34 years.
Michigan seemingly put all the distractions aside for its home opener, a 31-7 victory over Western Michigan. Freshman Wolverine quarterback Tate Forcier had an impressive day, completing 13 of 20 passes, three for touchdowns, and running 11 times for 37 yards.
But, from The Unbalanced Line's perspective, Notre Dame has a decided edge with three-year starting quarterback Jimmy Clausen and an arsenal of offensive weapons, featuring top-flight receivers Michael Floyd and Golden Tate and running backs Armando Allen Jr. and Jonas Gray.
After the Irish crash the Big House bash, Rodriguez is bound to feel the heat intensify.
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel will probably start to feel some heat as well if his Buckeyes fail to upset the Trojans and freshman quarterback Matt Barkley, in the Shoe. Tressel has been acquiring a reputation as a coach who can't win the big one, much like Oklahoma's Bob Stoops.
Unfortunately for the Big 10, the Buckeyes and Tressel, Saturday isn't going to help.
(E-mail John Tucker at jtucker(at)unionleader.com)
(E-mail John Tucker at jtucker(at)unionleader.com)
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