College football wrap-up: week two

The predictions were a bit more on target this week as I went 8-4 with the key selection of Michigan over favored Notre Dame.

What we learned in week two:

- The Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry is indeed relevant again. In what was truly a game befitting the series between these two schools, Michigan rallied late to gain the win. This was a win that Charlie Weis needed.

- Matt Barkley is the real deal...and Terrell Pryor has a long way to go. Barkley showed poise and Joe McKnight was tremendous on the last series which ended with a Trojan TD...and the win.

- The atmosphere at the Horseshoe in Columbus, OH was electric. You couldn't ask for two better inter-sectional games than Michigan-Notre Dame and USC-Ohio State. This is why mid-September Saturdays are special...

- Kansas offensively didn't play well yet still netted a 34-7 win at UTEP--a game with a line of Kansas +12.5. The Jayhawk defense put consistent pressure on UTEP's QB and totally shut down their running game. The only blemish on the D's performance was the late, long pass play which turned into a UTEP touchdown due to two missed tackles. Kansas should be bowl eligible entering their October 24 game in Lawrence versus Oklahoma--they face Duke, Southern Miss and Iowa State at home and then go on the road at Colorado.

- Speaking of Colorado, how bad is the Big 12 North? The Buffs? Put a fork in Dan Hawkins--he's done. Iowa State? Ugh...big loss today to Iowa, in Ames. And, Kansas State? A loss to Louisiana-Lafayette. Losing to schools with locations in their names is never a good thing.

- Missouri, not surprisingly, didn't play as well today as in week one versus Illinois. But, a halftime deficit was probably more than the Tiger Nation was expecting. The Tigers were favored by 20--they won by 7.

- Continuing the Big 12 embarrassment--Oklahoma State, after perhaps their biggest home win ever last week, over Georgia, lost today to Houston. Their defense looked more like the OSU defense of last year--not the unit which held Georgia in check last week.