Well, the opening frame of the College Football season is nearly in the books (FSU-Miami and Cincinnati-Rutgers) play tonight and we’ve already had a number of learnings about the 2009 campaign. Here’s ten of mine.
1. The ACC still has a credibility problem. This is not how Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford envisioned the start of the season. The best chance to have a team play for the BCS National Championship, Virginia Tech, was upended in the Georgia Dome by Alabama 34-24. Memo to ACC teams: When the Atlanta Sports Council calls about playing in the Dome to kick off the season and you hear the word “Alabama”, hang up the phone. It’s the second year in a row the league favorite has been handled by the Crimson Tide. Unfortunately for the ACC, this wasn’t the worst part of the weekend as the league failed to register any significant win in non-conference play and left many scratching their heads in disbelief. South Carolina held NC State without a touchdown in a 7-3 win. Georgia Tech, Boston College and North Carolina all won against FCS (Division I-AA) opponents. Wake Forest fell to Baylor, which is understandable. Richmond beat Duke 24-16. William & Mary handled Virginia 26-14. The only team to win against an FBS (I-A) foe was Clemson who defeated Middle Tennessee State 37-14.
2. WAC, MWC do not have a credibility issue (at least at the top of the league). In the Mountain West Conference. BYU defeated Oklahoma with a winning touchdown with just over three minutes remaining in the game. Colorado State defeated Colorado. San Diego State led UCLA for much of the game before the Bruins pulled away late. In the WAC, Boise State took care of Oregon. Louisiana Tech hung tough with Auburn for a half, but Nevada inexplicably failed to score in a 35-0 loss to Notre Dame, a game several pundits thought they could win. Overall, a big statement for the non-BCS conferences, who look even stronger than before at securing a BCS bid.
3. BYU could play for National Title. I wouldn’t have believed this at the start of the season and still don’t believe it will happen, but it could. Give credit to Bronco Mendenhall who has said his team doesn’t just want to make a BCS game, they want to compete for BCS National Championships. The Cougars have the schedule as well, with games against #19 Florida State (September 19th), #17 TCU (October 24th) and #18 Utah (November 28th) to go with their win over the Sooners. One thing to remember, the Seminoles, Horned Frogs and Utes all must make the trip to Provo.
4. Boise State’s biggest obstacle to a BCS berth could be BYU. Should the Cougars go undefeated, they are guaranteed a spot in a BCS game. Unfortunately for the Boise State Broncos, they could be on the outside looking in depending on the rankings. Remember, the rules state that two teams from the non-BCS conferences can receive a berth in BCS games provided they meet the eligibility requirements. Let’s be honest, though. If you were in charge of a BCS bowl game, would you choose a second team from the SEC, Big Ten, Pac-10, etc. or would you choose Boise State. Chris Petersen and company need the Broncos to lose at least once along the way.
5. Boise State’s win over Oregon could be diminished by the fight. Admit it. When you hear Boise State-Oregon, the first thing that pops into your mind isn’t the Broncos 19-8 victory. It’s the image of LeGarrette Blount punching Byron Hout and the subsequent year-long suspension. This could minimize the impact of the victory if it comes down to Boise State and another non-BCS squad making the BCS.
6. The Road to the BCS National Championship will run through the SEC (again). We all knew Florida was going to be good, but Alabama was down right dominating in the 34-24 win against Virginia Tech, where they held the Hokies to fewer than 200 yards of total offense. Ole Miss pasted Memphis 45-14. Tennessee will get tested this week when UCLA comes to town. Georgia looked good for a half in a 24-10 loss to Oklahoma State, while Auburn was impressive in the second half of their 37-13 win over Louisiana Tech. If they don’t knock each other off along the way, look for the SEC to fill half of the dance card for the BCS National Championship game in Pasadena.
7. Oklahoma State for real. All of the media in the Southeast – and most of the national press – expected Georgia to walk into Stillwater with a new backfield and walk away with a victory. Dez Bryant and company had other plans and showed they will be a significant factor in the Big XII South this season. The October 31st game when the Cowboys host the Texas Longhorns just got that much bigger.
8. Notre Dame and Michigan get out of the blocks. Michigan has lost its last two home openers and Coach Rich Rodriguez has been in the headlines recently for all the wrong reasons. Notre Dame has underachieved for the past two seasons, leaving Charlie Weis on the coaching hot seat. Both had successful days at the office on Saturday. The Fighting Irish pounded WAC power Nevada 35-0, while the Wolverines beat Western Michigan 31-7. Neither will have long to celebrate, though. Both teams will look to go 2-0 – only one will – when the Notre Dame and Michigan battle it out on Saturday.
9. Overall, a good day for new coaches. Lane Kiffin finally got people talking about something other than him with a big win Saturday. Ditto for Gene Chizik at Auburn. Other new head coaches with notable wins/showings included: Frank Spaziani, whose Boston College Eagles shutout Northeastern. Syracuse and head boss Doug Marrone pushed Minnesota to the wire in Greg Paulus’ first game at QB. Bill Snyder returned to Kansas State and picked up a victory, as did Paul Rhoads, who took over for Chizik at Iowa State. In the only matchup of new head coaches, Purdue and Danny Hope outlasted Toledo and Tim Beckman 52-31. San Diego State coach Brady Hoke had his team in control for much of the game against UCLA before falling in the second half and Steve Sarkisian, who has breathed life back into the Washington Husky football program, came close to their first win since 2007. They certainly didn’t look like a team that had lost 14 straight as they tested LSU in a 31-23 defeat. The biggest loser on opening weekend was clearly Oregon coach Chip Kelly, whose team looked punchless in a 19-8 loss to Boise State before throwing punches at the end of the game.
10. Cal, themselves only obstacle for USC. Unless Oregon can get it turned around quickly, it looks like Cal, a 52-13 victor over Maryland, and the USC Trojans will be the class of the Pac-10 this season. Pete Carroll and company should dispatch Ohio State over the weekend and both the Trojans and Bears will remain undefeated until they battle it out in Berkeley on October 3rd. One thing to consider is USC hasn’t lost a regular season game out of conference in nearly seven years, since a 2002 loss to Kansas State. USC’s only challenge this season is Cal – and themselves. Can they overcome where they have struggled the past few seasons? We shall see.
What about you? Did you have any takeaways after watching this weekend’s action?
