Arizona State's football schedule is considered to be one of the toughest in the nation in 2013. Each week, we'll take a look at how ASU's future opponents do on the gridiron. After defeating Sacramento State, ASU heads into their contest against Wisconsin with much to prove. Now, onto week two action!
Wisconsin: Defeated Tennessee Tech, 48-0. The Badgers won by a combined 93-0 over the first two weeks against UMass and Tennessee Tech. Now that the patsy portion of the schedule is over, and Bucky must take the long trip out to Tempe to face a game ASU squad. Both teams will give up their first points of the season, but it really depends on whose defense can step up and make plays.
Stanford: Defeated SJSU, 34-13. The Cardinal had a little rust and faced a very tough San Jose State team in Palo Alto. Stanford did a good job of converting on third down (12 of 15) and were able to put additional points on the board when the Spartans attempted a comeback late. NEXT UP: Stanford travels to West Point to face Army.
USC: Lost to Washington State, 10-7. It's only week two, but it feels like a lost season for Troy. Coach Lane Kiffin has the hottest seat in college football after his talented team could only muster seven points against a Mike Leach defense. Marqise Lee looked very frustrated with his quarterbacks, neither of whom could get him the ball in a position to make plays. If USC is unable to find solid quarterback play, they will struggle to clinch a bowl berth. NEXT UP: Boston College comes to Los Angeles.
Notre Dame: Lost to Michigan, 41-30. Michigan put Notre Dame on its heels from the beginning. Devin Gardner had an excellent performance at home, throwing four touchdown passes and adding another on the ground. Tommy Rees was put into a difficult position: throw the ball. The Fighting Irish threw the ball 53 times, which is not a recipe for success. One thing that stood out was the Notre Dame defense -- without some key players from last season, their coverage has been spotty in the secondary. This is not the vaunted defense of 2012. NEXT UP: On the road against Purdue.
Colorado: Defeated Central Arkansas, 38-24. Central Arkansas was one of the better teams in the FCS last season, winning nine games. For three quarters, they were equal to the task of beating the Buffaloes, and this game went into the fourth quarter tied at 17. Then, UCA took the lead, 24-17. The CU defense stepped up, and Jered Bell ran back an interception 79 yards to tie the game. After that, Connor Wood threw two strikes to Paul Richardson and Nelson Spruce to seal the deal. Not a great performance, but a win is a win for Colorado after a terrible 2012. NEXT UP: Colorado hosts Fresno State, a team that embarrassed the Buffaloes in Fresno last year.
Washington: UW had a bye. NEXT UP: Washington faces Illinois at Soldier Field.
Washington State: Defeated USC, 10-7. It was not a pretty win; in fact, neither team seemed to want the victory. Wazzu prevailed and blew the Pac-12 South wide open. The Cougars could do nothing on the ground nor through the passing game, picking up 222 total yards and only three points of total offensive scoring. The game-changing play was a 70-yard pick six by Damante Horton. This was a big confidence booster for Wazzu. NEXT UP: The Cougs finally get their home opener, hosting Southern Utah.
Utah: Defeated Weber State, 70-7. Utah did the job that was required. Quite the scoring effort! NEXT UP: A big game at home against Oregon State.
Oregon State: Defeated Hawaii, 33-14. A redemption victory for the Beavers, who needed a big win after losing to Eastern Washington in week one. Sean Mannion threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns, while Storm Woods and Brandin Cooks both caught seven passes for more than 90 yards gained. OSU dominated ball possession with 39:50 of game time, forcing Hawaii to punt the ball an incredible nine times. NEXT UP: Road game against Utah, who looks much improved over last season.
UCLA: The Bruins had a bye. NEXT UP: A noon game on Saturday against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on the road. This is a big game for national perception.
Arizona: Defeated UNLV, 58-13. Everyone knows Arizona's out-of-conference schedule is quite poor, but you still need to win the games. The Wildcats went to Vegas and took care of business. NEXT UP: A home game against UTSA. Look for Arizona to be 3-0.
Total Upcoming Opponent's Record, Week Two: 7-2 (77.7%)
Total Upcoming Opponent's Record, Week One: 8-3 (72.7%)
Season Total Upcoming Opponent's Record: 15-5 (75%)