It may be common in college football for the biggest schools to schedule inferior opponents in hopes of padding their records, but the first four weeks of the regular season – three in the books, including zero week, and the week ahead of us – is showing that teams aren't shying away from each other as they have in years past.
To wit:
• Totino-Grace needed a last-minute touchdown and two-point conversion to beat Hopkins of the vaunted Lake Conference Friday. The Eagles have road contests at Spring Lake Park and Maple Grove sandwiched around a home game against Wayzata to close out September.
• Speaking of Wayzata, the Trojans' first two games looked to be the easiest part of their schedule. But after falling to Eagan 17-16 Friday, things need to improve quickly as they host Maple Grove before traveling to Totino-Grace.
• Cretin-Derham Hall had better regroup quickly after losing East Ridge Friday. The Raiders host rugged Mounds View this week.
• Edina will get little time to breathe after its rally fell short at DeLaSalle, hosting Rosemount Friday night.
• It looked like coach Derrin Lamker's Osseo Orioles were primed to surprise a lot of people after routing Irondale in Week 1. After a fourth-quarter collapse in a loss to Minnetonka and with road games at Eden Prairie and Spring Lake Park next on the docket, Osseo's future is looking decidedly less bright.
• Even Eden Prairie, with its three straight titles, needed a fourth-quarter touchdown from Will Rains to hold off upset-minded Eastview 19-15.