College Football: Week 1 Preview

After nearly 8 months, college football is back. Alabama enters as the defending national champion and have the reigning Heisman Trophy winner in HB Mark Ingram. They are still a top 5 team and have a great chance at repeating this year. But they will have a lot of competition from some usual suspects. Ohio State with QB Tyrelle Pryor has the Buckeyes poised to make another title run. Ingram and Pryor could also be two top contenders for the Heisman this year. Texas, Florida, and Oklahoma might have graduated potentially the great quarterbacks in each of their schools, but all three will be top teams in 2010. They have experienced coaches and teams looking to show that they are still top programs if not national championship contenders. And, less we forget about the small (yet mighty) Boise State. They open with Virginia Tech; showing they are willing to leave the Blue Turf and face top talent. They survive the Hokies at FedEx Field on Labor Day; they might make a serious run at a bid for the national championship game as they are ranked in the top 5.

So, like last year, it is time to lay out the top games and other intriguing matchups for this week.

Games featuring top 25 teams/some that might be interesting:

Thursday, September 2
Marshall at No. 2 Ohio State: QB Tyrelle Pryor is due for a big year and we might get a highlight of his and the Buckeyes' success in this game.

Florida A&M at No. 13 Miami (FL): The "U" came back onto the scene last year and this might be a statement game for them to let the college football world that last year was only the beginning of the rebound for one of the nation's best programs. QB Jacory Harris will look to start the 2010 year strong.

Southern Miss at South Carolina: Coach Steve Spurrier has done a good job at South Carolina, but they are expecting more than .500. Spurrier has an outstanding 19-1 opening game record.

No. 14 USC at Hawaii: The next two years will be challenging for Trojan players, but they will use that time to make a statement to the rest of the college football universe. These players were not part of the team when the penalties took place and will have an "us vs the world" mentality for much of the year.

Saturday, September 4
Miami (OH) at No. 4 Florida: The post-Tim Tebow era begins and the start of the John Brantley era starts Saturday in Gainesville. He is a more traditional quarterback and has a lot of talent. Many will be surprised as he emerges from Tebow's shadow.

Youngstown State at No. 19 Penn State: Joe Pa is still at the helm and the team still looks to be talented enough to challenge for a Big Ten title.

Samford at No. 20 Florida State: Florida State has been Bobby Bowden's program for over three decades. The Jimbo Fisher commences against Samford. The team looks to be talented enough to try to regain form in the ACC. Will take much of the year for Fisher to show that he can do what his predecessor did a lot of: winning.

Eastern Illinois at No. 9 Iowa: Iowa was one of the best teams a year ago and look to be that again. They were 10-0 before they lost their quarterback, Ricky Stanzi. Stanzi is back and healthy and they might make another run at an undefeated season, the Big Ten title, and possibly a national championship game appearance.

Louisiana-Lafayette at No. 23 Georgia: WR A.J. Green is one of the best receivers in the country and he will play a big part in Georgia challenging Florida in the SEC East.

South Carolina State at No. 16 Georgia Tech: Coach Paul Johnson for Georgia Tech instituted a tough offense to slow down a year ago. HB Josh Nesbitt is a threat at back and receiver and the option is always in play for the Yellow Jackets. When they are running on all cylinders they are a tricky team to figure out.

Weber State at Boston College: This is on my radar for one reason: LB Mark Herzlich. If anyone recalls, Herzlich missed last season due to cancer treatment. He is back and the Golden Eagles could win the ACC this year. But more importantly it shows that anything is possible with faith and determination.

No. 5 Texas vs. Rice* (at Reliant Stadium): QB Garrett Gilbert got unexpected experience in last year's BCS national championship game against Alabama. QB Colt McCoy went down early and played fairly well for 1. not expecting to play and 2. the fact he was playing a team as good as Alabama defensively. Because of that, I do not expect much of a drop off for the Longhorns this year and Gilbert will prove that from game one.

New Mexico at No. 11 Oregon: USC's fall from grace has opened the door wide open in the Pac-10 and Oregon might be the best team in that conference. They no longer have a troubled quarterback or running back from a year ago. They have a balanced team and might finally cash in on a lot of process over the last three years.

Coastal Carolina at No. 25 West Virginia: West Virginia still remains a contender to win the Big East and potentially play spoiler for some teams. They definitely are not as good as they were under Rich Rodriquez and it could be a make or break year for Bill Stewart.

Purdue at Notre Dame: Charlie Weis is out and Brian Kelly is in. Can Kelly change over a decade and a half of struggles for the most part? How much will the losses of QB Jimmy Clausen and WR Golden Tate affect the offense? They open with Purdue, whom they have been able to beat in a recent years. But Kelly and the Fighting Irish will be on the radar again this year largely based on their name recognition and polarizing love/hate sentiment they draw.

Connecticut at Michigan: Rich Rodriquez was the man at West Virginia. Big East titles. BCS bowl games. But his tenure at Michigan has been less than stellar finishing below .500 both years and not playing in a bowl game. That does not fly well at Michigan. And things might get worse as he has to open at the Big House with Connecticut. Connecticut might not be on the level of Ohio State, per say, but they have been on the up in recent years and could make a run in the Big East. It would not be too shocking for the Huskies to stun the Wolverines. It would not be like Appalachian State, but an upset nonetheless.

San Jose State at No. 1 Alabama: The title defense begins with San Jose State and without Heisman Trophy HB Mark Ingram in the backfield. Ingram will be out for at least this game if not part of the first month. But the Tide should roll over the Aztecs.

Utah State at No. 7 Oklahoma: QB Landry Jones was able to get a lot of playing time while QB Sam Bradford was out last year. Bradford is now in the NFL and Jones will keep the Sooner offense moving strong ahead. The Big 12 looks to be another Texas or Oklahoma year and these first games get a sneak peak of how good these teams are.

Western Kentucky at No. 8 Nebraska: Nebraska is headed to the Big Ten next year and is looking to go out with a bang. Do not be surprised if they win the Big 12 North and then challenge whomever emerges from the annual Texas-Oklahoma game as the winner. Bo Pollini has built up a program that lost some of its luster into a serious team.

Tennessee Tech at No. 17 Arkansas: The SEC is a tough conference to maneuver, but with QB Ryan Mallet; the Razorbacks will be in the thick of the conversation.

Arkansas State at No. 22 Auburn: Auburn has had to play second fiddle to in state rival, Alabama, for the last few years. But Gene Chizik has the Tigers back to form and could be in the SEC heat of things this year after signs they showed last year.

Washington at BYU: QB Jake Locker returned for another year and he will be a major part of if the Huskies can contender in the Pac-10. BYU has been a top 25 in the last couple years, but they lose QB Max Hall and their play will most likely highlight that lost. Could be one of the closer and better games of the first weekend with so many lopsided matchups.

Texas State at Houston: QB Case Keenum was one of the best candidates last year and had himself on Heisman short lists and the Cougars as potential BCS busters. They fell apart down the stretch a bit, but should be a team to watch again this year.

Cincinnati at Fresno State: A new era begins in Cincinnati under Butch Jones. The Bearcats lost a few key players, but remain a team to watch in the Big East. Fresno State is usually an interesting team in recent years. As a Rutgers' alum, it also pits the two teams whom Rutgers lost to on Labor Day/opening weekend the last two years.

No. 12 Wisconsin at UNLV: HB John Clay is an underrated running back and should display his talent against the Rebels. The Badgers are also a top team in the Big Ten and will battle at the end of the season for the conference crown.


Top 5
5) 9/4: Illinois vs. Missouri (at the Edward Jones Dome): These two have been entangled in a renewed rivalry in recent years. The two have swapped victories in recent years with Missouri winning last year. Missouri took a small step back since they lost QB Chase Daniel, but Illinois has been in a slow freefall after a great 9-3 campaign a couple years ago. I expected a good game a year ago, but Missouri blew out Illinois. It should be closer, but not sure if like the thriller of a couple years ago. Two unheralded programs looking for recognition. Missouri looks to have the better team again this year. PICK: MISSOURI

4) 9/2: No. 15 Pittsburgh at Utah: HB Dion Lewis burst onto the scene last year as a freshman. He will counted on this year to carry the offense and Pitt is a heavy favorite to win the Big East after the last few years of rebuilding the program to prominence. Utah has been of the best teams not in a BCS power conference. They look to be a bit down from recent years, but are not a walk in the park for the Panthers. Utah has not had a lot of success against top teams minus Alabama in the Sugar Bowl a couple years ago. Hosting the Panthers can make this matchup a little closer. But, Pittsburgh has enough of a bang to hold off the Utes. PICK: PITTSBURGH

3) 9/4: No. 21 LSU vs. No. 18 North Carolina (at the Georgia Dome): An already tough game just got tougher for the Tar Heels, who will be without 12 starters. The game is at a neutral site, so they have that going for them, but LSU is a traditional powerhouse in the powerhouse conference. The Tigers will ask a lot from QB Jordan Jefferson this year and if they weren't already favored; they should be now. Never count out a football team dealing with adversity because many times they respond better than expected. However, LSU is simply good enough where it will be tough to overcome all those losses for North Carolina. PICK: LSU

2) 9/4: No. 24 Oregon State vs. No. 6 TCU (at Cowboys Stadium): TCU the last couple years as elevated to serious contender status among non-BCS conference schools. They have a stellar defense and a quarterback in Andrew Dalton with poise. They look to make a statement against another top 25 school in Oregon State featuring the two Rodgers brothers, who have explosive play potential. Jacquizz, at running back, and James, at receiver, must both be accounted for. TCU is still looking for respect and a victory against Oregon State opens the way for another run at a perfect regular season. Oregon State, in their own right, sees a wide open Pac-10 and are about ready to get over the hump and have fallen just short of Rose Bowl in recent years. PICK: TCU

1) 9/6: No. 3 Boise State vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech (at FedEx Field): Most would say that this is the game of the week. It features two top 10 teams. The game is on Monday night. It features a top team from the ACC and a team, whom many believe to be the best school not in a BCS conference. Boise State has a very favorable schedule after this one if they were to win and are ranked in the top 3, which gives them a great chance to possibly play for the BCS national championship. The Broncos have beaten Oklahoma, a very good TCU team, and Oregon. They feature QB Kellen Moore who threw 39 touchdowns and 3 interceptions a year ago. Not too shabby. Plus he is a legit Heisman contender. This one looks to be a defensive battle despite Moore and the Boise State offense and HB Ryan Williams in the Virgina Tech's backfield. The two teams might feature top 10 defenses to go with their top 10 rankings. QB Tyrod Taylor could be a wildcard as his play might dictate how the Hokies play. He has Mike Vick potential, the last truly good quarterback they have had. This one is a true tough call. I think a trick play might be a difference maker in the second half. The location is neutral, but favors Virginia Tech. But Boise State has had enough of being taken lightly and will not be fazed. PICK: BOISE STATE

There are only a few really exciting games, but college football is back and that is excitement enough.