When ESPN’s Todd McShay gets on Sportscenter to talk about Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor’s improved throwing mechanics and virtual transformation into a traditional “drop-back” quarterback, you shouldn’t buy the hype either.

One tremendous game against Oregon in the Rose Bowl last January combined with a strong performance against Marshall in the team’s opener is hardly enough evidence to project Pryor as a first-day talent in the NFL at anything but wideout.

That said, the second-ranked Buckeyes are the Big Ten frontrunner for a reason. And even though Pryor may never develop into an adequate next-level signal caller, he certainly has all the right physical tools to lead a team as talented as Ohio State to another conference championship.

Pryor's next big test? No. 12 Miami, a program undergoing a renaissance of its own.

I don’t know what’s more likely — the Hurricanes’ return as an elite program in the next half decade or Pryor’s shot at being a weekly starter in the NFL.

But one thing is for certain — ESPN’s hype of this particular matchup is far from overblown.

Rating: 5 out of 5 footballs.

No. 18 Penn State (1-0) at No. 1 Alabama (1-0)

It’s hard to justify No. 18 Penn State’s lofty ranking with true freshman Robert Bolden at quarterback. And unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, the schedule affords little time to break in their young gun as they head to Tuscaloosa to play top-ranked Alabama.

But the Crimson Tide have a handicap of their own in the backfield, with Heisman Trophy-winning tailback Mark Ingram out of the lineup on Saturday, giving Penn State fans some hope of acquiring a win in SEC country.

And take it from someone who would like nothing more than to see Alabama coach Nick Saban in the fetal position on the sidelines, sucking his thumb and sobbing after Joe Pa’s team unexpectedly puts a whipping on his boys.

Unfortunately for us in the valiant minority, it’s not going to happen.

Rating: 3 out of 5 footballs.

Michigan State (1-0) vs. Florida Atlantic (1-0)

Someone, somewhere screwed the pooch on this one.

First off, who decided to have this game at Ford Field in Detroit?

Second, whose idea was it to charge ridiculously high prices?

Michigan State, a middling program in the conference, isn't in a position to give up a home game to play Florida Atlantic. I can’t believe many seniors in East Lansing are happy about giving up one of their precious football Saturdays.

Ford Field has sold just 25,000 tickets as of yesterday, causing local radio personality and journalist Terry Foster to call the game an "embarrassment" to Michigan State on his blog.

Not that I’m inclined to agree with Foster often, and especially on matters involving college football, but we certainly agree here, and the biggest losers are the Spartan students.

Rating: 1 out of 5 footballs.