I watched football games this week where players were dripping in sweat — 90 degrees in Columbia, S.C. — or dripping with rain — Blacksburg, Va.

I went from the Southeastern Conference to the Atlantic Coast Conference. A few thoughts:

–Miami might have lost to Virginia Tech, but we have not heard the last of Jacory Harris, the Hurricanes sophomore quarterback. He had a miserable day against the Hokies — 9 of 25 with one interception — but it poured rain throughout the game and he had key passes dropped.

College football fans may want to see Harris rebound because of how he handled himself in the postgame interview room. Tight end Jimmy Graham dropped two passes that ruined a third-quarter drive when Miami had some momentum, but Harris did not even hint at displeasure with Graham. Harris, who was completing 69 percent of his passes in two games before Saturday’s 31-7 loss, would not make any alibis because of the drenching rain. Harris is a superb pocket passer and will play in the N.F.L., and succeed.

College football fans should want Harris to get revved up again because the downfield passing game is a beautiful thing to watch — at least when it is dry. Instead of seeing receivers find spots to sit down in with the spread, N.F.L. scouts can see actual route running.

—The run game matters. No. 4 Mississippi was flat and going nowhere on offense on Thursday night against South Carolina with its pocket passer Jevan Snead. The Gamecocks put such a rush on Snead that he did not have time to look downfield and he was usually rushed into poor throws. It was not until Ole Miss turned to the all-purpose back Dexter McCluster with his runs that the Rebels got back in the game before losing, 16-10. Virginia Tech got 150 yards rushing from tailback Ryan Williams. Miami got 59 yards rushing. Period. The run game matters.

—The offensive line matters, too. Ole Miss jumped to No. 4 in the A.P. poll, but its offensive line was in disarray on too many plays. Michael Oher, the All-American tackle, is in the N.F.L. now and there seemed to be a lack of chemistry. The O-line tried to double-team the South Carolina sack master Eric Norwood and he pushed through two blockers.

Speaking of Norwood, a senior, the knock on him — and the reason he is not already in the N.F.L. already — is he is too small (he is listed at 6-feet-1 and 252 pounds) to be a defensive end and too heavy to be a linebacker. You will not hear that much longer. He has a nose for the football and that cannot be measured. Norwood, not Tennessee’s Eric Berry, or Alabama’s Rolando McClain, is the leading candidate for defensive player of the year in the Southeastern Conference.

—Virginia Tech would do well in the SEC. They probably would not win it, but they would be right there behind Alabama and Florida. Would the Hokies finish ahead of L.S.U.? Absolutely. The Tigers have a lot of growing to do and it will not be a surprise to see them a mere 1-point favorite in Athens next week against Georgia. The game may be rated even.

–It is done. South Carolina is turned around. Steve Spurrier did it. There are quality players on both sides of the ball and the defense can be counted on most weeks. The Gamecocks can play defense and they can run the ball. The one issue with Carolina is the one you least expect with a Spurrier team: quarterback. Stephen Garcia makes too many bad plays, especially in the red zone.

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