Kiichiro Sato / AP

Ohio State freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor figures to get plenty of playing time when the No. 3 Buckeyes host Ohio on Saturday, writes Sporting News columnist Matt Hayes. Ohio State plays at No. 1 USC on Sept. 13.

OPINION

By Matt Hayes

updated 9:07 p.m. ET Sept. 5, 2008

Matt Hayes

1. The countdown begins
Let's not kid each other. We're all looking to next week, so why fake it? And since Week 2 is about as glamorous as grout, we'll begin this week with the one that matters most next week.

We're days from the game that will shape the race for the national title like no other, and here's how Ohio State and USC will prepare this weekend: The Buckeyes will play Ohio. The Trojans will play the Trojans. Guess who gets more out of that?

While Ohio State will try to stay injury-free for four quarters — and get fab freshman QB Terrelle Pryor more snaps — USC will bang heads like it always does: with itself.

I've watched USC practices, I know USC practices. Ohio-Ohio State, everyone, is not a USC practice. Then again, what game this week is?

This much we know about next week's mega-showdown: the winner will be the nation's No.1-ranked team. Complain all you want, 'Dawgs. Doesn't matter. One team will be the early favorite to find a way to Miami in January; the other will scramble to make sense of it all.

A word of caution, everyone: Virginia is horrendous, and one injury (Chris Wells) doesn't tank a team. Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

2. Didn't you used to be ... ?
A case study in how fast things can go south (and how important the right coach has become): Miami began this decade with more talent, more want-to, more get-after-it than any team in the nation.

If it weren't for a screwy BCS system and a trigger-happy back judge, the 'Canes could've begun this decade with three straight national titles. Somehow, despite the fact that it beat Florida State and both had the same record, Miami missed out on the 2000 national championship after the BCS computer spit out the 'Noles — who promptly couldn't score a point to save their very lives against Oklahoma.

So the Canes came back in 2001 and rolled Nebraska for the national title, then cruised through 2002 only to be hosed by a late call from a back judge in the national title game against Ohio State. And now where is Miami?

Five years later, the 'Canes lost to Virginia by 48 points in the last game at the old Orange Bowl. And now, here we are with a game against bitter rival Florida, the team that for years refused to schedule the 'Canes because, well, life is tough in the Ess. EEE. See

A valid argument can be made that the phantom pass interference call against Ohio State — come on, Buck fans, you know it was a horrible call — was the beginning of the end for the Miami program. The 'Canes have lost 21 games in five years since the Fiasco Bowl, after losing just twice in the three years prior.

What does this all mean for the Florida game? A hint: it gets worse before it gets better.

3. Poll nonsense
So Georgia fans are in a hissy over the 'Dawgs moving down in this week's polls. The argument: how can a team drop in the rankings after a win?

I'll be honest. If Georgia Southern and Virginia played right now, I'd take Georgia Southern. Poll voters use the eye test this early, and USC looks pretty damn fancy.

Take heart, Georgia fans. Your team plays in the aforementioned Ess. EEE. See. Loosely translated: We're great, you suck.

Patience, everyone. It'll all shake out in the end.

4. Wanny Watch
What, oh what, do we make of Dave Wannstedt and Pittsburgh? He's a sharp dude, he knows the game. He has a charismatic personality who attracts kids to play for a perennial underachiever.

So how in the world can his teams lose to (take your pick) Ohio, Navy, Bowling Green.

This team has too much talent and too many advantages to give up on after one week. But if the Panthers can't beat Buffalo and start the season 0-2 vs. the MAC, I'm not sure Wanny recovers.

This spring, I spoke to Pitt AD Steve Pedersen about Wannstedt's job security, and Pedersen was adamant that a) Wannstedt was the right guy for the job, and b) he wasn't going anywhere because Pitt was in it for the long haul.

He said the same thing about Bill Callahan at Nebraska before the start of last season.

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