Growing Pains

By Bill Curry, ESPN.com

Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow both are coming off tough losses and are facing even tougher opponents. What does it take for a young quarterback to succeed in the face of adversity? It's a lesson I learned when I coached at Georgia Tech.

In 1980, we weren't a bad team -- we were terrible. We were playing Notre Dame, then the No. 1 team in the nation. Our starting quarterback was injured, and our only backup got injured early in the game. We didn't have another person on the roster who had taken a snap in college.

I turned to a young freshman walk-on -- a marvelous athlete, but someone who had practiced in that position just a few minutes -- and said to him, "Please, just get the snap." His reply: "No problem, coach." He got the snap and led the team down the field for a field goal to tie the score. The final score was 3-3. He could have fumbled every snap, and no one would have blamed him, but he didn't fumble at all. That player was Ken Whisenhunt, who now is the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. He became a great player for us -- eventually playing six positions -- and excelled as an NFL player and coordinator, and he will excel as a head coach.

What made Whisenhunt successful was that he never got rattled. He was thrown into an impossible situation, but he had ice water in his veins. Obviously, he earned his scholarship pretty quickly.

A player who has that natural temperament is at a tremendous advantage. We haven't seen Bradford or Tebow in a situation like the ones they will face this week against Texas and LSU, respectively. We'll know whether these young QBs have ice water in their veins by Saturday night.

Rebound Games

By Bob Davie, ESPN.com

Week 5 left a number of so-called national title contenders searching for their identity -- with little time to find it. After Big 12 favorites Texas and Oklahoma both lost their conference openers -- the Longhorns were throttled by Kansas State, while OU lost to unranked Colorado -- and Florida and Rutgers were surprised at home, all four face much tougher teams in Week 6.

As a coach, getting a team to bounce back from an emotional loss can be easier than you think. The cliché "Don't let a team beat you twice" -- meaning, don't let the hangover from one loss cause another the next week -- is a bit overrated. For teams accustomed to winning, a loss is so bitter a team has no choice but to focus. The motivation takes care of itself. Those who haven't lived in a town that has a big-time program don't appreciate how gloomy it is after a loss; it permeates everything.

There is such a huge difference between a win and a loss that the sense of urgency naturally is there -- so much so that coaches often worry more about their teams after a big win than a big loss.

The psychological angle in games is something we in the media turn into huge story lines -- but teams often are too busy or focused to really let that angle interfere with their work. The mental problems make for great stories, but the real problem is much simpler. Teams that are used to winning don't lose because of mental errors; they lose because of something that happened on the field.

Michigan is a great example of this: When the Wolverines started the season 0-2, many pundits felt they were so low they never would be able to rebound. In reality, they lost to teams against which they didn't match up well. Michigan has a tough time playing spread offenses, and that's a recruiting and scheme issue, not a psychological one.

Obviously, someone will lose when Oklahoma and Texas meet. And there's a real chance that Florida could lose to LSU or Rutgers to Cincinnati. But if and when these teams fall, it will be because of a tangible issue -- not a mental one. Not that it makes it any easier to correct.

Coach Class: Florida-LSU

By ESPN The Magazine

Editor's note: Each week, analysts from ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine will tackle a game plan for one of the biggest games on the schedule.

Last year, quarterback Tim Tebow ran for one touchdown and threw for another as Florida beat LSU 23-10. Think LSU will be ready for Tebow this time around? We asked former coach Mike Gottfried to take over LSU and figure out a way to stop Tebow, then had Bill Curry draw up a competing game plan for Florida. Finally, Jim Donnan picked a winner. On paper, anyway.

Gottfried takes over LSU

My defensive front seven have to be unbelievable, especially middle linebacker Ali Highsmith. He's a speedy, active run-stopper, but he also is superb with his drops in pass coverage. Pass or run, LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey is the ultimate disruptor. He roars around the field and does whatever he wants. Florida's O-line is OK, but Dorsey should wreak havoc. We must take out Florida RB Kestahn Moore and spy QB Tim Tebow. The entire Florida offense revolves around what Tebow does off the read-option. When we hit Tebow, we'll hit him hard. We'll "in and out" WR Percy Harvin, with a safety inside and a cornerback outside, so he can't possibly get open deep -- Harvin's first step is lethal. My corners, Jonathan Zenon and Chevis Jackson, are lockdown guys who can challenge and beat wideouts Cornelius Ingram and Louis Murphy. On offense, we have a terrific power/speed combo in RB Jacob Hester and change-of-pace WR Trindon Holliday. We'll hammer Hester, who's a bowling ball to tackle, up the gut, then pitch something -- a sweep, reverse or screen -- to Holliday, whose raw speed really energizes the crowd. Even fakes to him will open up lanes for Hester. Receivers Early Doucet, Brandon LaFell and Holliday have a big edge over Florida's DBs. But TE Richard Dickson is underrated. I'll use him on flats and floods early, to get QB Matt Flynn going and move the sticks a few times. Then we'll try some deep stuff, and I'll try those early. A big bomb early could drive a stake through Florida. If the game does come down to a field goal, PK Colt David is more than capable. I'd trust him with a game-winner.

Read the full story here.

Breaking Down Week 6

By Jim Donnan, ESPN.com

Florida-LSU is grabbing a lot of headlines, but Week 6 provides a day full of great matchups. Here are a few can't-miss games:

No. 10 Oklahoma vs. No. 19 Texas (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET)
Regardless of what the nation has said about this game losing its luster now that Texas and Oklahoma no longer are undefeated, it's a critical game for both teams in terms of conference play. The team that loses certainly has a difficult road ahead of it.

The key for Texas will be containing Oklahoma's powerful ground game. The Longhorns can take a page out of Colorado's book and try to keep the Sooners' offense off the field as much as possible. Texas' defense isn't playing that poorly (its rushing D is 16th in the nation), but its offense and special teams gave up 21 points to Kansas State. Both teams had breakdowns in their kicking games in Week 5. Whichever team can correct those issues first will have an advantage.

Oklahoma was dominant in its first four games, outscoring opponents by an average of nearly 50 points. Texas, on the other hand, has struggled against nearly every team on its schedule. Texas must protect QB Colt McCoy, who was banged up in the K-State loss, to win. The Horns have to get on the board early; if they fall behind, Oklahoma will tee off on them.

The Red River Rivalry is one of the most unique games in college sports, and the buildup started early this week. When you add the 200,000 people at the state fair to the stadium-capacity crowd donned in burnt orange or crimson, you have an electric atmosphere. Since Bob Stoops and Mack Brown took over at their respective programs, this game has had conference and national title implications. Despite what happened in Week 5, that hasn't changed.

No. 15 Virginia Tech at No. 22 Clemson (ESPN, 6 p.m. ET)
Virginia Tech has shown some growing pains at quarterback, where true freshman Tyrod Taylor took over for senior Sean Glennon after the upperclassman struggled against LSU. The Hokies rank No. 112 in total offense and No. 104 in passing offense (they are mildly better when rushing the ball -- 91st nationally). But Virginia Tech continues to shine on defense, and if the Hokies can shut down Clemson's running game and force QB Cullen Harper to beat them, the Tigers will be in for a long night. Clemson's offensive line is inexperienced, and the Tigers will rely on big plays from C.J. Spiller, James Davis and Jacoby Ford. No doubt Virginia Tech's coaches were paying attention to Clemson's loss last week against Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are notorious for using a lot of different defensive fronts to confuse the opposing quarterback. I expect this to be a low-scoring battle in which field position is at a premium.

No. 20 Cincinnati at No. 21 Rutgers (ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET)
The Big East's big three -- West Virginia, Louisville and Rutgers -- grabbed all of the headlines in the preseason, but it's the conference's undefeated and ranked South Florida and Cincinnati that are the talk of the town now. Rutgers wasn't challenged in its first three games, and that came back to bite it against Maryland in Week 5. The Knights turned over the ball three times in the loss and were forced to play from behind for most of the game. The Terps' offense did a good job of getting in Rutgers QB Mike Teel's face, and sophomore QB Chris Turner lit up Rutgers' defense in the air. The Knights will have to correct both of those issues to get past a Cinncinnati team that easily dismissed Pac-10 foe Oregon State earlier in the season.

This is a revenge game for Rutgers, as the Bearcats ended the Knights' nine-game winning streak and killed the buzz from their upset of Louisville the week before. They'll be challenged on both sides of the ball once again, as Cincy returns a veteran defense, and new coach Brian Kelly has instituted an explosive offense. This is one of the better games of the weekend.

No. 4 Ohio State at No. 23 Purdue (ABC, 8 p.m. ET)
I've been impressed with Purdue's offensive weaponry; in terms of accuracy, Curtis Painter is beginning to remind me of Drew Brees. His improvement is tough to ignore. In 2006, he threw 19 picks and was sacked 20 times. Through five games, the Boilermakers' junior QB has just three interceptions and four sacks.

That said, Purdue has yet to be challenged the way it will be by Ohio State. The Boilers will have to play mistake-free ball to hang with the Buckeyes and force Ohio State to give up the ball. That's easier said than done on both accounts. Ohio State ranks in the top four in every major defensive category: total, scoring, rushing and passing efficiency. But the Buckeyes haven't faced an offense like Purdue's this year. The Boilers can spread you out. Painter will look for Dorien Bryant as much as possible; he's a speedy receiver capable of making big plays. Purdue hasn't played a tough team yet, but the Boilers have played consistently. It will be interesting to see if they can take it up a notch Saturday.

No. 25 Nebraska at No. 17 Missouri (ESPN, 9:15 p.m. ET) This game sets up much like Ohio State-Purdue. Missouri has yet to be tested (except by Illinois), since its wins came against Illinois, Ole Miss, Western Michigan and Illinois State -- not exactly a murderer's row. Missouri's offense, led by the talented Chase Daniel, matches up well against Nebraska's defense and should be able to exploit some of the holes in the Huskers' coverage. Daniel hasn't been mentioned for a lot of postseason awards, but good performances in front of a national audience against Nebraska and next week against Oklahoma could do what the Louisville and Arkansas wins did for Andre' Woodson's Heisman campaign.

The Huskers can't give up the ball multiple times like they did against Ball State; to beat Missouri, they'll have to keep Daniel off the field as much as possible. Missouri has beaten Nebraska the past two times the Huskers have visited Columbia. Can the Tigers make it three in a row?

Looming Questions

By Rod Gilmore, ESPN.com

What questions need to be answered for the teams that lost in Week 5? Rod Gilmore breaks down what to look for Saturday:

1. Can Mike Teel make a statement?
The quarterback position has been Rutgers' Achilles' heel for two seasons. There are questions about Mike Teel's talent. He can silence those critics with a strong performance against rising Cincinnati. The Bearcats will try to force Teel to beat them, and DB Haruki Nakamura, a force in pass defense, won't make Teel's job easy. How well Teel responds could be the difference in this game.

2. Can Florida regain its swagger?
Florida loomed large in the SEC, like a big heavyweight boxer who scared everyone -- until little Auburn came around and knocked 'em out. Now the Gators don't look quite as scary -- and they needed that going into Baton Rouge. That means Florida will have to rely even more heavily on its game plan -- and one that doesn't require QB Tim Tebow to rush 25 or more times. Can Tebow lead his team with his arm? Can the Gators contain Glenn Dorsey? A loss to LSU could force Florida to do some serious soul searching.

3. Is the Red River Rivalry still must-see TV?
It's hard to know what to make of either Oklahoma or Texas after their disappointing losses in Week 5. But the game still is compelling. Texas defense will have to answer questions about being soft, a reputation it had lost after Mack Brown took the reigns. The Horns certainly were outmuscled by Kansas State. Oklahoma lost in the fourth quarter, and it's the first time the Sooners' freshman QB, Sam Bradford, has looked like a freshman. Many people overlook the importance of conference games; those opponents know you better than nonconference teams. We'll know the answers to these questions Saturday night: Can Texas' defense overpower Oklahoma? Can Bradford get up to game speed in time?

From The Reporter's Notebook

By Joe Schad, ESPN.com

• Cincinnati quarterback Ben Mauk will play Saturday's game about one year after two surgeries to repair a broken arm and dislocated shoulder suffered while playing for Wake Forest. Mauk has eight screws in his throwing arm, and doctors told him they didn't think he'd play again. Mauk told me: "There's still a lot of stuff going on in there." Mauk has played great football, although he's had to rest his arm at times during the 5-0 start. Not Saturday. "I'm gonna take one shot in the butt and one in the arm," Mauk said. "I plan to start this game and not come out. I've been watching from the sideline too long."

• Before this season, Illinois coach Ron Zook told me that he had never recruited or signed a wide receiver with the physical dimensions -- size, speed, strength -- of true freshman wide receiver Arrelious Benn. Now we see why. Benn's breakaway touchdown catch and kickoff return for a touchdown last week made highlight reels. After speaking with Benn, I was impressed by his humility. Benn took a risk in signing with Illinois over some more traditionally successful programs. But he says he also takes a risk every time he returns a kick. "It is dangerous. But I think outside of that. I trust my size and speed," he said. Why Illinois? "I wanted to build my own thing," he said. " I didn't want to be a part of someone else's tradition. I wanted to start my own tradition." So far, so good.

• Former Notre Dame quarterback Joe Montana was back in South Bend this week. And he told reporters that the Irish have to look at the remainder of this season as a "preseason" for next year. Montana praised true freshman Jimmy Clausen as "strong-armed," "tough-willed" and "confident." Clausen is expected to start because he's healthy enough, despite a hip injury. But some have wondered if junior Evan Sharpley, who moved the team with 208 yards and two touchdowns in relief of Clausen with a comeback against Purdue last week, deserves a start. Before this season, former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn told me Sharpley was the most prepared to lead team Irish this season, because of his poise and experience. Sharpley also is a baseball player for Notre Dame. However, Weis clearly is on board with Montana's thoughts. They're playing for more than this season.