College Football: Winners Who Were Losers and Vice Versa

After week two of college football, some things are very clear. For one, there are some lower-ranked teams out there that are getting better, perhaps due to the 85-scholarship limit. Or maybe, the so-called elite or highly-touted teams, aren't living up to their billing or expectations.

Here's a look at some of the winners in week two, with the reasons why they failed to impress.

BYU

The No. 15-rated Cougars took on the winless Washington Huskies, and despite being the odds-on favorite, didn't make a case for why they should be in the top 20. Washington matched them point for point, and in the end, failed a PAT due to a great block.

However, once again, a Pac-10 officiating crew helped determine the outcome of the game by flagging QB Jake Locker for excessive celebration when he tossed the football about 10 feet in the air after scoring a TD.

The 15-yard penalty forced the PAT from the 35 yard-line and the ensuing block killed the Huskies' dream of an upset. Clearly, these rules are not being applied equally, as other teams celebrated with equal enthusiasm and did not get flagged.

BYU can congratulate themselves on the win, but the bottom line is that beating the Huskies in a very close game isn't impressive.

Ohio State

Last week, I called the Buckeyes pretenders because they were forced to kick five FGs against an FCS school. This week, the Buckeyes pretty much had the same performance: lackluster and at times, inept.

Maybe the Bucks were looking ahead, then again, maybe they should start looking at themselves. The game was all Ohio until the Buckeyes scored their first TD with 2:51 left in the third quarter. Against the Bobcats?

Buckeyes fans should be concerned, as their team didn't take the lead until 14:00 left in the fourth, and a punt return for another TD should have been negated due to a missed block-in-the-back call.

Beanie or no Beanie, it wouldn't have mattered. The Buckeyes' O-line performed like a soggy waffle: not very strong and full of holes. The USC Trojans must be salivating.

Louisiana-Monroe

Last year, they beat an unsuspecting Alabama, and this year, they almost beat Arkansas at Fayetteville.

Always banished to the last pages of Phil Steele's college football preview (page 280 this year), the Warhawks (yes, they had to change their name to something more PC) have shown up to play and will not roll over any more.

No longer an SEC doormat (they're in the Sun Belt, but they get on a lot of SEC schedules), look for the Warhawks to upset someone in the near future. And no one should be surprised anymore.

Ole Miss

What can you say? The Rebels have a new coach and came within two points of beating the only remaining power in the ACC: Wake Forest. Sure the ACC stinks, but who cares? The Rebels played them tough, and should be commended for making them earn it.

Considering that the SEC looks a little watered down this year (Missy State, Arky, South Carolina, Tennessee), Ole Miss might surprise some teams and wreak havoc in the final standings.

Notre Dame

Wasn't this the year that Weis would finally have his own team? Unfortunately, this team is all his, and it looks like that 9- to 12-win "projection" is just a bit off the mark.

The Aztecs were clearly the better team, as the Irish couldn't run on a depleted Aztecs D-line. Miscues, penalties and a lucky break on an endzone fumble all helped the Irish survive an Aztecs upset.

The one positive is that Jimmy Clausen looked more poised, and had laser-like accuracy, albeit against a team that lost to Cal Poly.

Lou Holtz, famous ex-coach and a Kool-Aid drinking believer, was asked on ESPN what the positives were for the Irish. He responded (seriously) with this: "Notre Dame forced three field goals. I thought that was positive."

Do I really need to say more? Suddenly, Syracuse doesn't seem like such an easy lay-up, does it?

According to the South Bend Tribune, "after the game, San Diego State coach Chuck Long was asked which team he thought was better, Notre Dame or Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, his team’s first-week opponent."

“'That’s a tough question,'” said Long, visibly agonizing over the inquiry. 'It’s hard to say who’s better.'”

OUCH.

After all of the games are said and done, some changes need to made in the top 5 polls. Ohio State should drop to No. 6, Florida should take its place, and Georgia should be right behind Florida due to the Gators beating a BCS team while Georgia pummeled a MAC team.

West Virginia should get slapped in the face, and Texas is dreaming if they think they will beat Oklahoma. Penn State looks like a monster. Carry on, football nation.

1. USC or Florida
3. Georgia
4. Oklahoma
5. Penn State (spanked the Beavs)

*Chuck Long quotes courtesy of South Bend Tribune.