Football is here guys and gals! Just two short days till our beloved Steelers take on the Miami Dolphins. We have a full week of previews to get to, but let's first take a look at what went down on the college gridiron on Opening Weekend. Here are my observations in no particular order.
1) Let's start with the two teams who played in last year's Rose Bowl for the National Championship. Somebody forgot to tell USC that they were supposed to have a down year. The Trojans racked up 50 pts on the road against what was supposed to be an improved Razorbacks team. Senior QB Josh Booty, who's waited patiently for his chance to lead the high-powered Trojan offense, was 24-35 for 261 yards and 3 TDs. All three 'SC Freshmen RBs found the endzone as well.
Texas looked equally dominant in their opener against North Texas. All eyes were on Freshmen QB Colt McCoy, as the Longhorns try to adjust to life without Vince Young. McCoy did his part, throwing for a tidy 12-19 for 178 yards and 3 TDs.
Next up for Colt and the Horns? A home showdown with #1 Ohio State.
2)Memories of Tennessee's embarassing 5-6 season last year were quickly erased with a 35-18 thrashing of #9 Cal. The game wasn't even as close as the score indicated. The Volunteers dominated from the opening kickoff, and made a statement that they are once again a force to be reckoned with in the SEC.
3) Defense was on display in last night's rivalry game between Florida State and Miami. Both teams combined for only 3 yards on 51 carries !
4)Poor Michael Bush. The Senior RB for Louisville broke his leg early in the second half of the Cardinals' opener against rival Kentucky.
Bush was well on his way to proving why he was a Heisman candidate before he went down, compiling 128 yards and 3 TDs on just 17 carries. I'm not all that familiar with Louisville's squad, so I don't know who they have to replace him, but I do know that their chances against West Virginia and Miami took a serious hit when Bush got injured.
5)What to think of Notre Dame? The Irish went into Atlanta to take on Georgia Tech with ridiculously high expectations for the season. The Irish did avoid an early season loss, but they did little to prove to me that they will be able to navigate that daunting schedule of theirs. Next up for Notre Dame in the forthcoming two weeks? Penn State and Michigan. Charlie Weis and Brady Quinn better get that offense in high gear sooner rather than later.