Georgia Tech came from behind to beat North Carolina in the ACC’s only league game of the weekend, while two Southeastern Conference match-ups and an exciting finish in Tucson highlighted last Saturday’s college football slate. With only four weeks remaining until the first BCS Standings of the 2010 season, teams are beginning to turn the heat up in hopes of making a big first splash in the Oct. 17 release.
Joshua Nesbitt scored the game-tying touchdown for the defending ACC champion and 2010 Orange Bowl participant Yellow Jackets late in the third quarter and two field goals by Scott Blair in the fourth quarter secured a 30-24 win over the Tar Heels. North Carolina’s Johnny White ran for a career-high 113 yards.
Florida State and NC State each gained non-conference victories for the ACC. The Wolfpack opened the weekend’s slate with a prime time win in convincing fashion Thursday night over two-time defending Big East champion Cincinnati, 30-19, and improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2002. Russell Wilson threw for 333 yards and engineered four Wolfpack scoring drives, including three touchdown passes. Florida State rode 278 rushing yards—including 123 from Chris Thompson in nine attempts—and 21 second half points to oust Brigham Young, 34-10, for the second consecutive year.
In perhaps the most intriguing non-conference battle of the weekend, then-No. 24 Arizona upset then-No. 9 and 2010 Orange Bowl champion Iowa, 34-27, in a game marked by momentum shifts. After Arizona took a 27-7 lead thanks to an interception and kickoff returned for touchdowns, Iowa scored three unanswered touchdowns to tie the score at 27-27. Nick Foles’ four-yard touchdown pass to William Wright clinched the victory, vaulting the Wildcats to 16th and dropping the Hawkeyes to 18th.
Other notable games during the weekend included then- No. 13 Arkansas’ 31-24 win against Georgia and then-No. 7 Florida’s 31-17 win at Tennessee in an SEC East Division rivalry, as the Razorbacks and Gators each picked up their first conference victory. Then-No. 12 LSU’s 29-7 win against Mississippi State gave the Tigers a 2-0 league record. Kansas State defeated Iowa State, 27-20, and then-No. 4 Texas beat Texas Tech, 24-14, in the Big 12 Conference’s first league games of the season.
The ACC has another prime time showdown with the Big East tonight when No. 17 Miami faces Pittsburgh in a match-up pitting head coaches and longtime friends Randy Shannon and Dave Wannstedt against each other. Wannstedt was Shannon’s linebacker coach and defensive coordinator at Miami when the Hurricanes won the 1987 national title.
Weekend Watch List
Thursday, September 23 Time TV Notes
#17 Miami at Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m. ESPN “Student” Shannon visits “mentor” Wannstedt
Saturday, September 25 Time TV Notes
Oregon State at #3 Boise State 8:00 p.m. ABC Broncos seeking to keep BCS NCG hopes alive
Wake Forest at Florida State 3:30 p.m. ABC Wake has early Atlantic lead; FSU opens league slate
NC State at Georgia Tech 12:00 p.m. ESPN NC State looks for 4-0; GT tries for 2nd straight ACC win
Virginia Tech at Boston College 12:00 p.m. ACC Rematch of ’07, ’08 Dr Pepper ACC Championship
#1 Alabama at #11 Arkansas 3:30 p.m. CBS SEC West race could turn interesting
#15 South Carolina at #14 Auburn 7:45 p.m. ESPN Each team enters with 3-0 (1-0 SEC) record
#21 West Virginia at #12 LSU 9:00 p.m. ESPN2 Intriguing non-conference game between ranked teams
California at #16 Arizona 10:00 p.m. FSN Cal and early surprise Arizona open Pac-10 play
#6 Oregon at Arizona State 10:30 p.m. FSN Pac-10 favorite Oregon has outscored opponents 189-13
*Rankings are from USA Today Coaches Poll
2011 BCS Bowl “Expert” Predictions
| Mark Schlabach
ESPN.com
|
Andrea Adelson
ESPN.com
|
CBSSports.com | CollegeFootballNews.com | |
| Discover
Orange Bowl
(Jan. 3, 2011)
|
Wisconsin
vs.
Miami
|
Florida
vs.
Miami
|
West Virginia
vs.
Miami
|
Florida
vs.
Miami
|
| Tostitos
BCS NCG
(Jan. 10, 2011)
|
Alabama
vs.
Ohio State
|
Ohio State
vs.
Boise State
|
Alabama
vs.
Ohio State
|
Ohio State
vs.
Boise State
|
| Rose Bowl
(Jan. 1, 2011)
|
Boise State
vs.
Oregon
|
Oklahoma
vs.
Oregon
|
Boise State
vs.
Oregon
|
Iowa
vs.
Oregon
|
| Tostitos
Fiesta Bowl
(Jan. 1, 2011)
|
West Virginia
vs.
Nebraska
|
Pittsburgh
vs.
Nebraska
|
TCU
vs.
Oklahoma
|
West Virginia
vs.
Nebraska
|
| Allstate
Sugar Bowl
(Jan. 4, 2011)
|
Oklahoma
vs.
Arkansas
|
TCU
vs.
Alabama
|
Nebraska
vs.
Auburn
|
TCU
vs.
Alabama
|
Also of note…
The Orange Bowl Committee, ESPN, and Discover Financial Services recently announced Discover’s title sponsorship of the Discover Orange Bowl, an agreement spanning four years and five games through 2014, and will include the 2013 Discover BCS National Championship Game. The 2011 Discover Orange Bowl, to be played on January 3 at Sun Life Stadium, will pair the Atlantic Coast Conference champion against a BCS At-Large qualifying team unless the ACC champion qualifies for the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game.