Well another year of College Football has begun, and with it, brings the on-going banter of who is truly the best in the nation, and what teams deserve recognition, and those who do not. I for one, was VERY glad to see major top 10 and top 25 matchups in Week #1, something that has NOT existed for some time. Here is what I thought of the week #1 performances.

The Breakout Performances: Two teams really proved to me today that they are FOR REAL in this year's college football races. Top Honors have to go to USC, as the Trojans went into Auburn, and did such a masterful job on defense, that they made the Auburn Tigers look pathetic. But, the Auburn Tigers really ARE NOT as weak a team as they were portrayed today, but USC's Defense is JUST THAT GOOD. The Trojans proved today that they ARE IN FACT a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP contender this year, and USC proved why their Defense is #1 in the land, shutting down Auburn's explosive running attack, and by taking all the offensive options away from the Tigers, forcing QB Jason Campbell to throw it, and throw it often against a fantastic Trojan secondary. SEC West fans need not get too excited just yet, as I thorougly look for Auburn to rebound in a big way - and they WILL be in the Conference Race this year for sure. Keep in mind folks, I truly believe that one 1-loss team will play for the National Championship, so fhe Tigers are not out of it yet by anymeans.

Second team to show what they were made off tonight was the Ohio State Buckeyes. If I were a Buckeye fan, I would be asking Maurice who???? Yeah that is Maurice Hall. Ohio State's RB tandem rushed for over 120 yards and combined for 2 touchdowns as the Buckeyes defeated a very good Washington Huskie team. But the one player that really broke through all the smoke and chaos surrounding the Ohio State team and the Maurice Clarett scandal, was QB Craig Krenzel. The Buckeye QB stepped up today, showing that the Buckeyes DO NOT NEED Claurett to win games. If I were Coach Tressel, I would not even allow Claurett on the sideline, and personally, I am sick and tired of hearing about Claurett. Personally, I would not be a bit surprised to see Ohio State to say bye-bye to Claurett before the season is over. Ohio State's Defense proved tonight why they will compete for the top Defensive placement in the Big Ten. Anyone who doubted that Ohio State was a real contender, should have their questions answered tonight.

Teams like Miami (FL), Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina State, Florida State, and Virginia all put up very impressive numbers this weekend, but come on folks. They played little power puff schools that they should have walked all over. Frankly, some of them did not put up the numbers that they should have against such low-caliber teams. I will withhold judgements on these teams after I have witnessed them performing against real talent.

Perhaps the only 2 teams worth mentioning that showed stability, are the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Wisconsin Badgers. Many people have doubted whether the Hawkeyes would be able to compete with a new offensive line and new QB this year. They went up against Miami (Ohio), which had the number 14 ranked offense last year, and is featuring a Heisman trophy Candidate in QB Ben Roethlisberger. Iowa's defense totally dominated Miami and QB Nathan Chandler and RB Fred Russell provided very stable play as the Hawkeyes rolled to a 21-3 victory. Wisconsin opened with a new QB in Jim Sorgi this season, and many commentators, myself included, were not really impressed with what we saw in the off season. Well, Sorgi stepped forward today and led the Wisconsin Badgers to victory in a hard-fought win against West Virginia. This West Virginia team is a very underrated team this year, and they showed Wisconsin that they were a team to be dealth with. Sorgi threw for 226 yards and 1 TD, while RB Anthony Davis showed he was back in form, running up 167 yards and 1 TD. The Badgers look to make some serious noise this year, and teams will begin to take the Badgers seriously after watching today's tapes.

Nebraska also answered a few questions today. The Cornhusker offense continued to sputter, looking quite pathetic at times, but the really bright spot was the Cornhusker defense, which was a very weak defense last year. They completely stifled a very explosive Oklahoma State offense, and scored one of only two Cornhusker TD's today. Are the Huskers back? Well the Defense sure is, but the offense looks like they are still on summer break.

Worst Performance This Week: Well, that distinction is easy to make. The Maryland Terrapins fell to Northern Illinois on Thursday in OT, 20 - 13. This loss will NOT be an easy loss to come back from, as the Terrapins were clearly the much better team, but failed to show up and seriously play this game. The Terrapins were pre-season favorites of some to win the ACC title. If that is to happen, the Terrapins are going to have to seriously step up their intensity, and their committments to the team if they are to go on to win the ACC title.

Most Exciting Game This Week: Well, for many USC Trojan fans, that honor would clearly go to the USC Trojans. But the hype that surrounded that game never really developed, as the USC defense simply prevented the Auburn game plan to get in motion. So I looked for another great game, and all I had to do was to tune into ESPN tonight, to see a dandy. Colorado and Colorado State put on one hell of a football game tonight, clearly showing that both schools are among the best in the nation. Many expected this game to be one of matching running games, but just the opposite happened. Colorado State's QB Bradlee Van Pelt lit up the Colorado skies, throwing for 350 yards, 3 TD's and 1 INT. But the real surprise came from Colorado's new QB, as Sophmore Joel Klatt responded, throwing for 403 yards, 4 TD's and 0 INT. This game came down to the wire, with Colorado pulling out the win, 42-35.

I am always up for hearing as to what y'all think, so don't hesitate to say what you think. Keep in mind guys, I have no favorites when I write about teams here. I seriously watch all the games, and I just call them as I see them. If you see something bad written about your favorite team here, keep in mind you may see me writing good things about them next week. It all depends on how they play.

Talk to y'all soon!!!!

David (exfballplayer)

P.S. Make sure you check out the panel views of Outsports contributors on the College Football main page. Also, Jim should be posting my Big 10 and SEC picks anyday, as he just has not had the time to post them yet.

[ August 30, 2003, 09:50 PM: Message edited by: exfballplayer ]

For the week .I'll put in my 2 cents worth. For my Hurricanes, I think questions were answered on defense. La Tech may be a power puff team overall, as you put it David , but they have a QB that is a leader in career yardage in McCown. La TEch is in a conference that plays games with scores resembling basketball games. Good job for Miami's defense for only allowing 3 FGs. Questions still persist for Berlin and the o-line. Gore will do well though.

Underperformer was Penn State against Temple. Maybe another lackluster year for Paterno and the Lions. Doubtful that this game indicates Temple will be making any noise on the East coast though.
Congrats to Wake Forest for opening up at favored Boston College and winning.
Did the Eagles REALLY want to play in the ACC?

Thats all for now. Looking forwrad to a great season. GO Canes!!