8 months of hype re-arranged in one weekend

Well, the first weekend of college football is finally winding down. Thank god it got here, I'm not sure I could take much more hype over the "Gang of Five, er Six, er Four" or how bad space aged Boise State was going to beat the stone aged 'Dawgs, or how Oklahoma and Auburn were merely reloading, not rebuilding, or how bad Georgia Tech's O-Line was. I also don't think I could have taken one more week of blogs and articles about how soft USC's schedule is - wait, I got another 4 months to go of reading that, so never mind. So, what did the first weekend actually show us?

Georgia Tech is pretty good.

I've been telling people for months that this year's GT team had the talent to make some waves in the ACC. With 3 of the conference's best skill position players in Ball, Johnson and P.J Daniels to go along with a physical and fast defense all that was needed was for some sort of development along the offensive line. On Saturday night, the Tech o-line manhandled a very good Auburn defense. If they can continue to play anywhere near that level for the rest of the season, Tech can win 9 games and challenge for the Coastal Division championship (though winning at either Blacksburg or Miami is going to be ridiculously tough).

Oh, and Mike Cox - you're an f'ing stud.

Auburn and Oklahoma are rebuilding, not simply reloading

I guess you can't just gather a bunch of 5 star recruits and expect them to win by themselves. Experience and coaching might have a tiny bit to do with it. Auburn's young d-line got pushed around, their young backs aren't ready for big time football and even though my wife thinks Brandon Cox is hot, he's still a young QB not capable of carrying a team yet.

Oklahoma is far worse off. Dear Lord they looked bad, the defensive losses have hurt, and their quarterbacking situation is an unmitigated disaster. I have no idea if they are going to break 150 yards passing in any game this year, unless A. Peterson takes a screen to the house for them. TCU basically stacked the box against them and completely shut them down. Texas might beat them by 50.

For all the hype about these complex offenses, it's still about defense

Hey Boise, it's called a defense. I know you've never seen one before. Heck, even Louisville had problems against Kentucky - and no, Rajon Rondo wasn't playing defensive back. The big games of the weekend all focused on defense, with Georgia, Georgia Tech, NCSU, Virginia Tech, TCU and both teams in this hideous F$U v. UM matchup I'm currently watching playing a very nasty physical brand of defense. I would add the WVU v. Syracuse game to that list, but really ... those offenses just flat out suck. Heck, how many future NFL defensive ends play in the ACC alone? 6? 7? Whoever wins it all this year is someone capable of putting a hurt on someone.

Ugh, Miami and Florida State are a combined 2 for 22 on 3rd downs right now. Charlie Ward and Bernie Kosar just fainted.

The Pac-10 (outside of USC) is bad. Really bad.

Washington lost to Air Force. Oregon really tried to lose to Houston. Jeff Tedford just called me on my cell to see if I wanted to play QB for him. Quite honestly Arizona State is the only team other than USC that wouldn't go 0-8 in the SEC or ACC right now. I know, I know ... people don't watch Pac-10 football, but it's not because of the time zones or whatever nonsense - it's because THEY AREN'T ANY GOOD. For that matter, their basketball sucks too, but that's another part of the year. Stick to volleyball, swimming and chick softball - leave the football to people actually capable of playing it.

The Big XII schedule is as bad as the Pac-10's teams

Props to Texas and Texas A&M for going on the road to play tough games this year. Shame on the rest of the Big XII for scheduling every boy's teaching school they could find. Missouri played a road game in Kansas City against Arkansas State? That's a road trip I'd love to take. I heard UGA is scheduling a "road" game in Atlanta against Tennessee Chattanooga next year. What a joke that would be. Actually, UT-C would be a better team than Arkansas State. Oh, and if you schedule Division 1-AA teams for your home openers, at least beat them by 57 like Texas. Don't try to lose to them. Somehow Nebraska, Kansas State and Kansas forgot that lesson.

Stewart Mandell picked the wrong ACC coach as the worst in the country

NCSU just got another personal foul while I was typing this. Seriously, Chuck Amato - take off the sunglasses, take off the red shoes, and put some DISCIPLINE into your team. Watching NCSU is just painful, they have so much obvious talent and yet they just inevitably self destruct in front of your eyes. Last night was like watching an Instant Classic replay of last year with that team. There's a ton of talent in Raleigh now, but that program isn't headed anyhwere until Amato either shapes it up or gets shipped out of town.

Last quick comments

• Tennessee has a QB controversy.
• Ohio State might have one as well.
• Florida State and Oklahoma really don't have QB controversies because they don't have QB's.
• Omar Jacobs is for real.
• So is Lawrence Maroney.
• Louisville is overated, but the Big East sucks, so it might not matter.
• Both Clemson and Texas A&M are good, so is Notre Dame - heck the Golden Domers might be the only chance to beat USC this year.
• Chris Leak might throw for 4,000 yards.
• Duke and Wake Forest might combine for 3 wins.
• Some numbskull said a parapalegic could rush for 1,000 yards behind Miami's line. At this rate, Kyle Wright might BE a parapalegic if he gets sacked one more time.