OTHER PICKS
Ole Miss 59, Fresno St. 16Arkansas 63, Toledo 28Missouri 36, Arkansas St. 25Texas A&M 54, Ball State 17Florida 35, East Carolina 20Miami 37, Fla. Atlantic 9Florida St. 48, So. Florida 14Louisville 42, Houston 21Syracuse 20, Wake Forest 13Clemson 41, App State 12Notre Dame 33, Virginia 14Virginia Tech 30, Furman 11Duke 49, N.C. Central 10N.C. State 52, E. Kentucky 23UNC 55, N. Carolina A&T 6Oregon 38, Michigan St. 35TCU 63, Stephen F. Austin 10Ohio State 66, Hawaii 7
A little bit of football is better than no football at all.
Twelve Southeastern Conference teams were able to celebrate opening victories last weekend, with Alabama and Texas A&M whipping ranked foes. Vanderbilt was its own worst enemy in falling 14-12 to Western Kentucky, while LSU didn't get a win or a loss.
Fewer than five minutes into LSU's game Saturday night against McNeese State, lightning strikes were repeatedly detected within 5 miles of Tiger Stadium. After waiting more than two hours for the inclement weather to subside, LSU and McNeese State officials announced the game's cancellation.
The Tigers head into this week's trip to Mississippi State with an 0-0 record, but coach Les Miles believes the minimal minutes his players did get in Baton Rouge were very beneficial.
"Absolutely, because we got the entire pregame regimen accomplished," Miles said Wednesday on the SEC teleconference. "We played offense, defense and special teams, and our defense had two negative plays in the first three plays and didn't give up a first down. Our offense achieved a first down and did some things that we needed to correct.
"The defense did some things that we needed to correct as well, and a couple of our special teams phases got on the field. We needed to see those snaps, and those snaps were reviewed just like a game."
Florida had its opener against visiting Idaho canceled last year due to persistent lightning that arrived before kickoff. Florida still had to pay Idaho for making the trip, and LSU is cutting a $500,000 check to McNeese State.
That means the Football Championship Series program made more than $100,000 a minute competing against the Tigers, but Miles is focusing on the positives.
"If we didn't get to take the field and play, that would have been much more painful and much more disastrous," he said. "We took the field. We got to play, and we were able to maintain some freshness."
Pasquali's Pix:
Jacksonville State at Auburn: The brakes have been tapped on Jeremy Johnson's Heisman campaign but not on the potential of the Tigers being much better defensively this season. Tigers 45, Gamecocks 16.
Mars Hill at UTC: It's not a well-known fact, but Mars Hill players watch "Mars Attacks" the night before each game for motivation. Mocs 44, Lions 7.
Georgia at Vanderbilt: That the Commodores lead the SEC in rushing defense with Nick Chubb on his way to Nashville may be one of the great temporary stats of all time. Bulldogs 27, Commodores 10.
Tulane at Georgia Tech: The most impressive feat of college football's second weekend would be Yellow Jackets freshman tailback Marcus Marshall improving on his 23.0 yards per carry. Jackets 49, Green Wave 19.
MTSU at Alabama: A win by the Crimson Tide over Middle Tennessee would not be new. A blowout win over the Blue Raiders, however, would. Tide 44, Raiders 13.
Oklahoma at Tennessee: Nothing is more intimidating for visiting teams inside Neyland Stadium than seeing Tennessee with a full allotment of assistant coaches. Vols 34, Sooners 30.
Kentucky at South Carolina: The Wildcats have not won an SEC road game since upsetting Georgia 34-27 late in the 2009 season. Gamecocks 23, Wildcats 20.
LSU at Mississippi State: Not sure which is stranger, having your first game scratched by lightning or having your first two games kick off at 10 and 9:15 at night. Tigers 24, Bullies 17.
Last week:
Winners: 22
Longhorns demoted: 2
Pasquali is 22-2 overall (91.7 percent and certain to decrease) this season.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.