Saturday, September 6

Akron (0-1) at Syracuse (0-1)  3:30 EST
Why to watch: After striking out against Big Ten opponents, both Akron and Syracuse will be looking for their first victory of the season. The Orange got off to a fast start against Northwestern, holding an early third quarter lead, before a lack of depth and offensive production finally led to a 30-10 defeat. All eyes continue to be fixated on head coach Greg Robinson, whose tenure in Upstate New York becomes more tenuous with each loss. The Zips, too, hung around for awhile, but ran out of gas in the second-half of a 38-17 loss at Wisconsin. The passing game displayed some pop, but the defense, already a concern heading into the opener, gave no signs that things will be any better this fall.
Why Akron might win: Behind a veteran, Chris Kemme-led offensive line, and with a short passing game, the Zips moved the ball relatively well against the Badgers, getting surprising support from QB Chris Jacquemain. Couple that with the running of Dennis Kennedy, and Akron has the necessary offensive balance to put up points on a shaky Orange defense. If Akron can reach the end zone with regularity, Syracuse doesn’t have the offensive firepower to keep pace.
Why Syracuse might win: The Orange wants to get more from the running game, and Akron is just the opponent to get things kickstarted. The Zips are hurting up front and just yielded more than 400 yards on the ground in Madison. Somewhat lost in last weekend’s defeat were the returns of backs Delone Carter and Curtis Brinkley from major injuries. With a game behind them, both will find running room against the soft interior of the Akron line.
Who to watch: Junior NT Arthur Jones will arguably be the most talented all-around player in the Carrier Dome. A popular attraction for double teams, he’s one of those rare interior linemen who can rush the passer and get penetration as well as he defends the run. If he gets too much attention from Akron, it’ll open things up for ends Jared Kimmel and Vincenzo Giruzzi to get after Jacquemain.
What will happen: Neither offense is clicking on all cylinders, so don’t expect many big plays or extra points. Realizing this is one of those few winnable games on the schedule, Syracuse will capitalize behind the running of Brinkley and Carter.
CFN Prediction: Syracuse 23... Akron 13 ... Line: Syracuse -5
Must See Rating: (5 Entourage premiere - 1 One Tree Hill premiere) … 3.5
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Connecticut (1-0) at Temple (1-0), 12:00 EST, ESPNU
Why to watch: While the rest of the country will yawn at this matchup, the game really matters to Temple, which has been pointing to this game since getting shafted in Storrs last September by a blown call. Very quietly, the Owls have become competitive in the MAC, steadily building under the guidance of Al Golden, one of the nation’s hot young coaches. Last week’s four-touchdown rout of Army was the program’s first opening day win in six years. The Huskies used a familiar recipe in its win over Hofstra, getting a sterling effort from its defense and more than 200 yards on the ground. For lovers of solid defensive play, this is one of the sneaky good games of the second weekend.
Why Connecticut might win: Can Temple score on the Husky defense? The Owls have a shortage of playmakers and struggle to protect QB Adam DiMichele. That’s bad news against a Connecticut D that’s extremely well-coached, limits big plays, and can create a heap of pressure. Ends Cody Brown and Julius Williams, and linebackers Scott Lutrus and Lawrence Wilson are going to live in the Temple backfield.
Why Temple might win: Can Connecticut score on the Owl defense? It’s time for the country to start paying attention to this Temple defense, which is among the most experienced in the MAC and held Army to only 284 total yards and a meaningless touchdown. It’s not as if the Huskies lit up the Hofstra defense last week, and the passing game remains a question mark. A terrific front four that’s led by end Junior Galette and tackle Andre Neblett will control a Connecticut line that remains a work-in-progress.
Who to watch: Connecticut RB Donald Brown flashed his freshman form in the opener, rumbling for 146 yards and four touchdowns as counterpart Andre Dixon sat out the game with an ankle injury. Considering QB Tyler Lorenzen’s problems mounting much of a passing attack, it’ll be up to Brown once again to ignite the Husky offense.                          
What will happen: The Temple defense is good. The Connecticut defense, however, is better. It’ll suffocate an Owl that lacks the firepower to move the ball downfield with any consistency. Brown and Dixon, who’s expected to return from the ankle injury, will help grind out a close, physical victory for the Huskies.           
CFN Prediction: Connecticut 27 … Temple 16 ... Line: Connecticut -7
Must See Rating: (5 Entourage premiere - 1 One Tree Hill premiere) … 2
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Tennessee Tech (0-0) at Louisville (0-1), 3:30 EST, ESPN Gameplan
Why to watch: No, it doesn’t appear Louisville or head coach Steve Kragthorpe reached rock bottom during last year’s dismal campaign. The Cards sunk to a new low in last week’s deflating 27-2 loss to rival Kentucky, looking overmatched and lacking execution. The coaching staff doesn’t have a lot of time to fix a punchless offense that was supposed to be one of the building blocks of this season. Tennessee Tech is just the antidote that Louisville is looking for, a second-division Ohio Valley Conference opponent looking to replace most of last year’s top skill position players. The Golden Eagles opened their season last Thursday night with a 28-12 win over Gardner-Webb.
Why Tennessee Tech might win: The Golden Eagles enter this game knowing that Louisville did absolutely nothing right on Sunday and could be pressing this weekend. Tennessee Tech does a nice job of getting defensive pressure and excels at stopping the run. With so much at stake for the Cardinals, they’re liable to gag if this is a close game in the second half, and at the very least could be prone to making mistakes.
Why Louisville might win: Yeah, the Cardinal offense was unspeakably bad versus Kentucky, but there’s too much talent on that side of the ball to struggle similarly against an FCS opponent. QB Hunter Cantwell will get back on track, hooking up liberally with Doug Beaumont and Josh Chichester. Backs Bilal Powell, Victor Anderson, and Brock Bolen will see far more daylight than they did in the opener. The Eagles are solid up front, but will be no match for a Louisville line that has more upside than it’s shown.
Who to watch: Cantwell. Considered an NFL prospect just a couple of weeks ago, he needs to bounce back after producing no points and getting picked off three times. With the schedule about to get much tougher after this weekend, it’s imperative that he finds a groove if Louisville has any chance approaching a degree of respectability.
What will happen: The Cards will treat this visit from a second-division program as an exhibition game and a much-needed opportunity to work out the kinks on offense. No matter the final score, expect Kragthorpe, a pariah around Louisville, to get treated ruthlessly by the local fans.
CFN Prediction: Louisville 54 … Tennessee Tech 13 ... Line: No Line
Must See Rating: (5 Entourage premiere - 1 One Tree Hill premiere) … 1
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Cincinnati (1-0) at Oklahoma (1-0), 3:30 EST
Why to watch: Oklahoma has crushed and killed everything in its path over the last few years at home, and last week was no exceptions with a 57-2 win over Chattanooga that couldn't been 107-2 if the coaching staff didn't call off the dogs. Now the Sooners get a strong test from a Cincinnati team looking for a breakout game in the Brian Kelly era. The new star on the Big East stage, UC has gone 12-3 under the head coach, and while this still might be a big season no matter what happens in Norman, a big performance could do wonders for the program and the conference, even in a loss. Considering the last OU game against a Big East team, the 2008 Fiesta Bowl loss to West Virginia, didn't go so well, this is an important game for the Sooners and the Big 12, too. After this week, OU has just one home game until seeing Kansas in mid-October, and two home dates until November, while Cincinnati faces two MAC teams, Miami and Akron, and travels to Marshall before kicking off its Big East season against Rutgers.
Why Cincinnati might win: The Bearcats have an efficient passing game and does all the little things right. Under Kelly, they don't turn the ball over, they keep the mistakes to a minimum, they have strong special teams and a tremendous return game, and they've been extremely tough on the road. The three losses under Kelly last year all came by a touchdown or less; UC doesn't get blown out. There's enough aggressiveness on defense to get to Sam Bradford and potentially hurry up the OU passing game.
Why Oklahoma might win: The Cincinnati defense is strong, but it struggled a little bit against the Eastern Kentucky passing game last week giving up just 147 yards, but put up a few deep plays. Cincinnati faced two high-level quarterbacks last year, Louisville's Brian Brohm and West Virginia's Pat White, and lost to both. Bradford is an elite passer who led the nation in passing efficiency last season and could pick apart the UC defense if given a little bit of time. If the O line plays like it's supposed to, Bradford will get the time to work.
Who to watch: Now this is Dustin Grutza's Cincinnati team. After the soap opera and saga of Ben Mauk, last year's star quarterback who has spent the off-season looking for an extra year of eligibility, and has been denied, the team needs a leader. Grutza, who has the main man two years ago and has thrown for 4,159 career yards and 27 touchdowns with 24 interceptions, was always on a short leash before, but now he's the leader of the attack. It might have just come against Eastern Kentucky, but the senior completed 21-of-28 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 33 yards and a score.
What will happen: Cincinnati is too good to get blown out early, but this is a special Oklahoma team that plays at another level at home. The game won't get out of hand until the fourth quarter.
CFN Prediction: Oklahoma 38 ... Cincinnati 20 ... Line: Oklahoma -21
Must See Rating: (5 Entourage premiere - 1 One Tree Hill premiere) … 3.5
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Buffalo (1-0) at Pittsburgh (0-1), 6:00 EST, ESPN Gameplan
Why to watch: Few programs suffered a more catastrophic opening day loss than Pittsburgh, which ended a brief stay in the Top 25 with a stunning gaffe to Bowling Green. The Panthers, a trendy choice to be one of this year’s upstarts, flopped at home, getting shut out by a weak Falcon defense over the final 30 minutes. Can Pitt regroup and salvage what was going to be a breakthrough season? With a second straight loss to a MAC team, Dave Wannstedt could get fired before reaching the stadium tunnel. Without much attention, Turner Gill is doing a terrific job coaching up Buffalo. After exceeding expectations in 2007, the Bulls opened with an impressive 42-17 thrashing of UTEP. Gill’s kids are dangerous, especially when QB Drew Willy is in the zone.
Why Buffalo might win: Pitt has already proven it can lose to a MAC team, and Buffalo might actually be better than Bowling Green. The Bulls boast a balanced offense that’s led by Willy and RB James Starks, and returns last season’s top five receivers. If the Panther offensive line doesn’t grow up in a hurry, QB Bill Stull will have defenders in his face all day, much the way he did last weekend.
Why Pittsburgh might win: For all the troubles the Panthers had in the trenches a week ago, they’ll be able to move an undersized Buffalo front off the ball and give more running lanes for RB LeSean McCoy. McCoy was bottled up in the opener, a head-scratcher that won’t blossom into a trend. The Bulls’ problems in the back seven will get exposed by the talented Panther receiving corps that includes Derek Kinder, Oderick Turner, and true freshman Jonathan Baldwin.
Who to watch: This is the type of game that Pittsburgh LB Scott McKillop should rack up 15 tackles and toy with the Buffalo offensive line. He’ll again be the catalyst of a defense that played well a week ago, limiting Bowling Green to just 254 total yards.
What will happen: The Panthers will be better and will still be in the hit for the Big East title. Under normal circumstances, this would be a bear trap for Pitt, but with a must-win situation, it’ll respond with a win over a feisty Buffalo squad. McCoy will double last week’s paltry 71 yards, leading the way to a hard-fought victory.  
CFN Prediction: Pitt 34 … Bufalo 16 ... Line: Pitt -13
Must See Rating: (5 Entourage premiere - 1 One Tree Hill premiere) … 3
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South Florida (1-0) at UCF (1-0), 7:00 EST, ESPN2
Why to watch: Okay, so it’s not Florida-Miami, but this Saturday’s tilt between South Florida and UCF is still an intense rivalry game involving Sunshine State programs. The Bulls have won the last three games in this series, including last year’s 64-12 demolition that the Knights remember all too well. South Florida was near perfect in its 56-7 win over Tennessee-Martin, solidifying its role as one of the favorites to challenge West Virginia in the Big East. UCF wasn’t nearly as effective in its 17-0 blanking of South Carolina State, struggling to move the ball on an overmatched defense. The retooled Knights’ backfield delivered mixed results, with the running game producing 228 yards, but new starting QB Michael Greco managing just nine completions and 90 yards in 16 attempts.
Why South Florida might win: If UCF scored only 17 points against an FCS opponent, will it reach double-digits on the attacking South Florida D? It won’t be easy. The Knights averaged just over four yards a play and only led 7-0 heading into the final quarter. That’s frightening news, especially with DE George Selvie, LB Tyrone McKenzie and the rest of the Bull defense about to descend upon Orlando. Greco was shaky in his first start and the group of runners replacing Kevin Smith was ordinary.
Why UCF might win: Turnovers. The Knights are a bunch of ball-hawks, who gobble up turnovers, a persistent problem throughout South Florida QB Matt Grothe’s career. If he even attempts to challenge the seasoned UCF secondary, Joe Burnett and Sha’reff Rashad will make him pay. Yes, the Knights will have problems moving the chains consistently, but if Grothe reverts back to his old form, Greco and the offense won’t have to be otherworldly to put points on the board.
Who to watch: If, as expected, the South Florida limits Grothe’s downfield throws, it’ll mean extra carries for Mike Ford, a downhill runner who’ll soften the interior of the UCF line. The Bulls enjoy an edge at the point of attack, which will benefit not just Ford, but also Benjamin Williams, Moise Plancher, and Jamar Taylor.
What will happen: Until UCF can settle its problems on offense, it’s not going to beat talented teams, such as the one visiting from Tampa this weekend. As long as Grothe doesn’t give the game away, the Bulls are too talented on defense and too fast on offense to drop a game to its biggest rival
CFN Prediction: South Florida 34 … UCF 13 ... Line: South Florida -14.5
Must See Rating: (5 Entourage premiere - 1 One Tree Hill premiere) … 2.5
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