Now that we have gotten all the games against the East Cupcake States of the college football world out of the way, it's time to get serious.
Both West Virginia University and Ohio State face major challenges on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Marshall University will visit Ohio in a game that will take place 45 minutes from Parkersburg and is rated a flat-out tossup.
Start with WVU.
The Mountaineers have not lived up to the preseason expectations of many of their rabid fans.
Then again, unless West Virginia had laid 70 on Marshall and 100 on Norfolk State, that statement still would be true.
WVU has looked less than awe-inspiring in two home games against teams it should have easily handled.
Yet, let's remember West Virginia beat Marshall by three touchdowns in a game that only lasted three quarters and downed Norfolk State by 43 points.
But it's the way those games unfolded that has alarm bells ringing across the Mountain State.
WVU has shown no ability to run the football.
It couldn't even get in the end zone from the 1-yard line in six tries against Norfolk, by far the worst team on the schedule.
Now, the Mountaineers must make their first road trip.
Lying in wait is a Maryland team that looked impressive in its season-opening win over Miami of Florida.
Although the preseason odds on this game favored WVU by 3, the Terrapins now are a 2-point favorite.
Which means the Mountaineers will be an underdog in their next two games as LSU is a 4-point choice the following Saturday in Morgantown.
WVU fans want to believe in new head coach Dana Holgorsen and his ability to achieve more than his predecessor, but there are doubts.
Should West Virginia lose two in a row, there will be more than doubts. It will be more like panic in the streets.
That may or may not happen.
It's hard to analyze this team. But it won't be hard after Saturday. The Maryland game will pretty much tell all.
Ohio State is in a similar situation.
The Buckeyes have a new coach - an interim one at that - and are making their first road trip after a less-than-inspiring effort last week against Toledo. OSU travels to Miami to play the Hurricanes, the one team who has had as many off-field woes as the Buckeyes.
It's a game OSU should win, but after going to the wire with Toledo, fans are taking a wait-and-see attitude toward Ohio State.
Perhaps the best game involving our teams will be the one at Athens.
2-0 Ohio including an impressive win at New Mexico State.
Visiting Marshall coming off an upset of Southern Mississippi. The Cats are a 2-point favorite. Last year, Marshall won by 1. It doesn't get much more evenly-matched than this.
Every time our teams play, we learn more about them. This week, we're going to learn a lot more than in any previous one.
Contact Dave Poe at dpoe@newsandsentinel.com
