Baylor's Griffin making a Heisman case

The numbers posted by Robert Griffin III defy logic. The Baylor quarterback has more touchdown passes (13) than incompletions (12) in three games, and he leads the nation in pass efficiency and completion percentage (85.4). Naturally, the Bears' athletic communications staff has begun a Heisman Trophy campaign utilizing social media to the fullest (@RG3forHeisman on Twitter). Griffin actually is seeking the Heisman but purely as a team project. "The guys have done a great job, and they want that Heisman," he told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "They know I'm the spokesperson for that, and hopefully I will win it for this team."

Nebraska could have as many as 30,000 fans in Madison, Wis., for Saturday night's Big Ten debut against No. 7 Wisconsin, even though the school received the normal conference visitors' allotment of 3,000 tickets. Brokers were asking for anywhere from $200 to $500 for a ticket with a face value of $49, and scalpers' prices are likely to be higher. Even without a ticket, followers of the eighth-ranked Cornhuskers will be happy to hang out in the tailgate area or at a bar. "This is an historic event," Mike Huffman, a 52-year-old doctor from Lincoln, Neb., told the Associated Press. "I've got to be there. It's one of those bucket-list things."

The coaches in the matchup have adopted different strategies. Nebraska's Bo Pelini is going with the old, "it's the next game for us" message, but the Badgers' Bret Bielema is pumping up the volume. "I told our team, 'How many times can you as a player or a coach say that you're going to be involved with the start of league play . . . against an opponent the caliber of Nebraska and the tradition and history and everything that they bring with themselves?' " he said. However, as a 91/2-point underdog that has been scrutinized despite a 4-0 start, the Cornhuskers say they have extra motivation on their side.

The jury is still out on whether Virginia Tech and Clemson can be national-title contenders this season, but they'll answer some questions when they meet in Blacksburg, Va. The 11th-ranked Hokies amassed some impressive defensive statistics against the nonconference likes of Appalachian State and Arkansas State. The Tigers, rated 13th, scored back-to-back wins over Auburn and No. 23 Florida State but now need to prove if they can defeat a big-time opponent on the road. Similarly, Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd, who has thrown for 1,255 yards in four games, must show poise in his first career road start.

Unless you're an Alabama fan, the last two meetings between the Crimson Tide and Florida have not been pretty, with the Gators getting trounced by a total of 44 points in the 2009 Southeastern Conference title game and in last year's regular-season matchup in Tuscaloosa. Now No. 12 Florida will seek some success on its home field against the third-ranked Tide. You can be sure first-year Gators coach Will Muschamp won't hold anything back against his former boss, Nick Saban. "A good group of us feed off of Coach Muschamp's emotion," said defensive lineman Sharrif Floyd, a George Washington High grad. "We love it. It gets us going, wakes us up."

Yes, we've taken the Big Ten schools to task for weak nonconference schedules, so it will be interesting to see if teams can rack up the same stats on defense that they have in the season's first four weeks. Seven of the nation's 20 stingiest scoring defenses in the country belong to Big Ten teams. Michigan State leads everyone nationwide in total defense with just over 172 yards allowed per game, although the Spartans did give up 31 points to Notre Dame. And how about Michigan, which has forced 13 turnovers in its first four games?

South Carolina wants to get its offense untracked, and it couldn't find a better opponent against whom to make the attempt than Auburn. The Tigers are 110th in the country in yards allowed (477.5-yard average) and 112th in rushing yards yielded (226.5). The Gamecocks have lost 11 turnovers in their first four games, and coach Steve Spurrier apologized for a "putrid" performance in last week's 21-3 win over Vanderbilt, one that included four interceptions by quarterback Stephen Garcia. Look for Marcus Lattimore, the nation's No. 3 rusher (152.8 yards per game) to hit the soft Auburn rush defense early and often.

It's a milestone weekend for Bethune-Cookman, known best locally as John Chaney's alma mater. The Wildcats, a historically black university in Daytona Beach, Fla., that competes in the Football Championship Subdivision, will play Miami, marking their first game against the Hurricanes and vs. an FBS school at the same time. B-CC coach Brian Jenkins and about two dozen of his players are from the Miami area, and the university has a strong alumni population there. The Hurricanes know how significant the game is. "It's their Super Bowl," quarterback Jacory Harris said.

Things have gotten lively again at Stanford, which spent the week starting fall classes and preparing for Saturday night's game against UCLA following a bye week. Heisman candidate Andrew Luck disclosed to the AP that his three classes for the semester were architecture since 1900, urban sustainability, and archaic Greek art history. "I loved not having school," said Luck, who was then reminded he could have gone into the NFL this season and loved it even more. "I guess that's true. Joke's on me, right?" he replied.

The conference's two highly ranked teams, Stanford and Oregon, might be getting a little worried at the lack of a marquee victory by any of their rivals thus far. The other 10 teams have compiled a nonconference record of 16-11 thus far, including an embarrassing upset of Oregon State by FCS member Sacramento State. The conference's so-so play could have an effect on the strength of schedules of Stanford and Oregon, a significant factor when the BCS starts sorting out the field for its bowl games.

1. Oklahoma 3-0

2. LSU 4-0

3. Alabama 4-0

4. Oklahoma State 4-0

5. Stanford 3-0

6. Boise State 3-0

7. Wisconsin 4-0

8. Nebraska 4-0

9. Virginia Tech 4-0

10. Baylor 3-0

- Joe JulianoEndText

GAME OF THE WEEK

Nebraska at Wisconsin, 8 p.m., 6ABC: How about this as a way to welcome the Cornhuskers to Big Ten competition? The seventh-ranked Badgers have a balanced attack with the passing of Russell Wilson and the running of Montee Ball and James White, a pair who have combined for 12 touchdowns. But Nebraska, by far, will be the toughest opponent they've faced to date, and the Huskers have their own way of pounding the ball on the ground behind Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead.

PICK SIX

Texas A&M vs. Arkansas at Arlington, Texas, noon, ESPN:

Two teams that are smarting from high-profile road losses against ranked opponents meet at Cowboys Stadium to see who can avoid early elimination from the race for the BCS championship game.

Nevada at Boise State, 2:30 p.m., Versus: The fourth-ranked Broncs were bounced from the BCS championship discussion last year by the Wolf Pack but now can get back at them on the comfy, blue turf of home.

Michigan State at Ohio State, 3:30 p.m., 6ABC: The Spartans established themselves as one of the nation's top defenses during their nonconference schedule, and the Buckeyes have been anemic offensively.

Auburn at South Carolina, 3:30 p.m., CBS3: It's going to be some tough sledding for the defensively challenged Tigers, who are starting out on a stretch of four straight games against ranked SEC teams.

Clemson at Virginia Tech, 6 p.m., ESPN2: After back-to-back wins over Auburn and Florida State, the Tigers can't be cocky going to Blacksburg, especially since the Hokies have won 12 straight in ACC play.

Alabama at Florida, 8 p.m., CBS3: Alabama's Nick Saban and Florida's Will Muschamp worked together at LSU and now get a chance to be on opposite sidelines as head coaches for the first time.

- Joe Juliano

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