Southern California is not only the Southern Fans' top ranked team; the Trojans, fresh off their 35-3 victory of No. 7 Ohio State, has also been named the National Team of the Week. It turned out that without Beanie, there was a big problem for the Buckeyes as OSU had only 71 yards on 34 carries.
USC had the game in the bag after Rey Maualuga intercepted Todd Boeckman's pass and tore down the sideline 48 yards for a touchdown, giving the Trojans a 21-3 lead with 2:49 left in the first half. Mark Sanchez was 17-28 for 172 yards and four touchdowns.
Other nominees for this week's Southern Fans' National Team of the Week:
UNLV (2-1)
W - Arizona State
Malo Taumua blocked a field goal in overtime as UNLV upset Arizona State, 23-20, to complete a four-game weekend sweep of the Pac-10 by the Mountain West. UNLV controlled possession in the fourth quarter, running off 28 plays on two scoring drives that eventually tied the game.
South Florida (3-0)
W - Kansas
Freshman kicker Maikon Bonani kicked a 43-yard FG that just found its way inside the right upright as time expired for the win. Matt Grothe (32-45, 338 yards, 2 TD) engineered a 27-point second half to lead the Bulls to 37-34 win over the Jayhawks. Grothe and KU quarterback Todd Reesing combined for 711 passing yards in a game that saw nearly 900 yards of total offense.
Buffalo
W - Temple
Drew Willy threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Naaman Roosevelt on the last play of the game to give Buffalo a 30-28 win over Temple on Saturday. The last time Buffalo was over .500 and it not be Week 1 as a Division 1-A team was back in 1969, when the Bulls finished 6-3. Since becoming a Div. I-A team in 1999, Buffalo was just 5-33 in August/September games entering this season. They are 2-1 this season.
BYU (3-0)
W - UCLA
BYU extended the nation's longest winning streak to 13 game, as the Cougars waltzed into halftime with a 42-0 lead. Max Hall completed 27-35 passes for 272 yards and seven touchdowns, including six in the first half.
Wisconsin (3-0)
W - Fresno State
The Biggest Game in Bulldog Stadium history went to the vistors, as Wisconsin RB P.J. Hill rumbled for 112 yards on 26 carries. Bulldog kicker Kevin Goessling was 1-4 and missed a 35-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter that would have tied the game at 13. The Badgers were able to salt the game away after Bill Rentmeester's eight-yard run when Wisconsin was pinned to its own 1-yard line with under two minutes left.
This week also included two inanimate nominees:
Scott Field Endzones
W - the Auburn and Miss. St. offenses
Aside from a safety they couldn't control, they showed complete domination in the game and left a clean sheet. From an informant at the scene, apparently the endzones were also impenetrable during the teams pre-game warm-ups.
Charlie Weis' Leg
W - Michigan DE John Ryan
Some may think that this would actually be a loss for the leg... not so fast my friend... While this may be a loss for Charlie Weis (who will have to undergo surgery at some point), this will mean that the leg gets a brace and perhaps crutches, which will obviously help support Weis' 4,838,435lb. frame.
The Southern Fans' Poll began naming a national team of the week this season. Members of the Southern Fan's pool of voters decide the weekly honor. Each Monday during the 2008 college football season, the Southern Fans will name the National Team of the Week through Dec. 1.
2008 Southern Fans' National Teams of the Week
• Weekend of Aug. 30: Alabama
• Weekend of Sept. 6: East Carolina
• Weekend of Sept. 13: Southern California
I was sure the Endzones were going to sway some voters... Guess not
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