NCAA Football Week 2: Stock Up, Stock Down

It's that time again. Stock Up and Stock Down.

We're looking at which teams impressed us and which teams fell flat on their faces as we laughed.

So let's get started.

Stock Up: Oregon ... The Ducks looked good coming from behind in beating Michigan State.

Stock Down: the Stanford Offense ... What in the world were they doing? Oh, that's right, mopping up USC everywhere but on the scoreboard. Penalties, turnovers, weird calls, and this was one of the best teams in the Pac 12? No wonder one Bay Area reporter called this loss disturbing.

Stock Up: USC Defense ... Undermanned, undersized, and yet they managed to take care of Stanford.

Stock Down: the USC Offense ... I was not impressed at all by the Trojans' attack. In fact, where was it? Very lucky to be where they are this morning because they got no help from their offense.

Stock Up: Nôtre Dame ... It kills me to say it, but the Irish looked dominant against Michigan on Saturday. They're definitely in the hunt for that playoff slot.

Stock Down: Brady Hoke ... My advice to the Michigan man is to start looking for a new home out-of-state, because he's going to need it soon. Yikes!

Stock Up: Vernon Adams Jr and the EWU receiving corps ... If there's a more talented pass-and-catch crew in the nation, we've got to see it. Check out this glimpse within a clip oriented to Pac-12 viewers:

It's not like those dudes weren't covered, either.

Stock Down: the SEC Cupcake Schedule ... There wasn't one exciting game in the SEC over the weekend. The only intrigue was the 'Bama-FAU game getting mercied due to weather when it was right on the number. Now, I understand you can't control scheduling -- well, to an extent -- but come on, SEC! You can do better than this! If you're as powerful as you claim to be, stop with the creampuff weekends, already! 

Stock Up: Ole Miss ... The Rebels looked much better against Vandy, but keep in mind Rebel fans, these are the Commodores -- and no, not those Commodores -- who set football back a 100 years with their play so far this year

Stock Down: Pat Haden ... The USC AD didn't do himself any favors by going out on the field Saturday to defend his team. It turned out to be a $25,000 stroll. This idea of a selection committee is looking more and more like a very bad one with each passing day. But you guys wanted a playoff ...

Stock Up: Virginia Tech ... They did us all a great favor by knocking off Ohio State. No doubt, the first in line to offer their thanks were Big XII favorites Oklahoma and Baylor. Texas A&M? The Aggies might not need any favors.

Stock Waaaayyyyyyy Down: Big Ten ... We all knew the chance of the Big Ten being in the four-team playoff was slim at best, but I think it shocked us all that they were pretty much eliminated this weekend. Michigan State and Ohio State lost to quality teams, but that's not where the conference took the hit. Michigan? Stinkeroo. And the rest of the pack? Northwestern and Purdue lost to MAC members, and only Rutgers won against a Power Five team.

Those performances are not going to help the strength-of-schedule argument for whomever winds up as the champion.

And let's not forget Nebraska, who struggled against an FCS team over the weekend. Without them, this thing could have been a helluva a lot more embarrassing.

Look, the Big Ten can say what they want, but until they change their style of play, they'll continue to become more and more irrelevant in college football.