Isn't it great to have NCAA College Football back? Year-in-year-out, it is some of the most dramatic and exciting action in all of sports. Judging by the nearly-completed first week of Season 2009, nothing has changed!
I watched plenty this weekend: NC State vs. South Carolina, Alabama vs. Virginia Tech, Georgia vs. Oklahoma State, and Syracuse vs. Minnesota to name just a few. Although there are still a couple of good games - Florida State vs. Miami (FL) and Colorado vs. Colorado State - to close out the first week of the new season, here are my thoughts and observations.
1. Sam Bradford does not play defense. Let's get that straight right now, Sooner fans! You can blame the loss on his injury (and, perhaps his absence had a little to do with Oklahoma losing to BYU on Saturday night in Dallas) all you want, but, at the end of the day, it was the OU defense that could not stop Max Hall and the BYU offense from scoring the go-ahead points that led to what is undoubtedly one of the best wins in the history of both the Mountain West Conference and Brigham Young University.
2. With Boise beating Oregon on Thursday night, followed by BYU shocking Oklahoma, it seems that the one at-large BCS berth (likely for the Fiesta Bowl) will be fought for by these Mountain West and WAC conference standouts. Should be an intriguing battle all season. I believe that BYU have the tougher schedule from here on out. If BYU lose and Boise go undefeated, people will be asking if Boise, on strength of schedule, really deserve a BCS berth over the Cougars.
3. USC's true freshman QB Matt Barkley is the real deal. So are the Trojans. After a few fumbles, a handful of stutters and a 3-0 deficit at the hands of the San Jose State Spartans, the Men of Troy rattled off 56 points unanswered to roll in Los Angeles. The tailbacks were incredible. Defense wasn't half bad, either. Hard to believe that the Trojans will probably go into Columbus as a one-touchdown favourite for their clash with the Buckeyes of Ohio State this weekend.
4. Speaking of Ohio State - their QB phenom Terrelle Pryor needs to learn how to pass. The entire team needs to step up a gear. They nearly lost to Navy. Navy played good, smart football. As for OSU...not the best tune-up for USC next weekend. The defense looked a little slow - but hasn't that been a common Big 10 complaint all decade?
5. Notre Dame might be back. Jimmy Clausen looked good - of course, he really needed to after a few seasons of mediocrity. 15-18 for more than 300 yards and 4 scores. Easy schedule, though.
6. Thanks to QB Zac Robinson and WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State are going to be a force to be reckoned with this year.
7. LSU's win over Washington was closer than it ended up on the scoreboard. New Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian might be onto something up there.
8. Sam Bradford's bid for back-to-back Heisman Trophy seasons is up in dust, a half of football into the season. One wonders if he's currently regretting not taking the NFL money. Luckily, if the injury he sustained to his throwing shoulder on Saturday night is only a 2-4 week deal, Oklahoma might still have an outside shot at a National Championship Berth. Hell, if this opening weekend is anything to go by, there'll be plenty of crazy results that might keep the Sooners there or thereabouts for when the BCS match-ups are decided in September.
Roll on Week Two!!
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