More Observations on Week 1 of College Football

As the opening weekend of college football comes to a close tonight with Florida State vs. Pittsburgh, there might be more questions than answers. While some of the top teams took care of business as expected, other teams were upset, some by FCS (Division I-AA schools).

Looking back at the weekend's action, here are several observations:

Alabama is still the top team in the nation, at least for now. 

There is an old saying that goes 'in order to be the champ, you have to beat the champ.' Well, Alabama is the defending national champ. And, despite a less than stellar performance offensively against Virginia Tech, they still defeated the Hokies rather handily. So, until someone beats them, the Crimson Tide is the No. 1 team in the nation by default.

 It certainly looks like Christion Jones might be the heir apparent to Eddie Lacy for this squad.

The state of South Carolina might have two teams that are legitimate BCS contenders in 2013.

Everyone knew that Jadeveon Clowney and company were going to be a force to be reckoned with in Columbia.

Yet the unknown might have been how Clemson, South Carolina's other BCS squad, would perform in 2013. A 270 yard, 3 TD passing performance by quarterback Tajh Boyd certainly has people talking about the Tigers chances to run the table in the ACC.

 The biggest threat to Clemson's chances at an undefeated season might be the Gamecocks, who will face the Tigers in the season finale in Columbia.

Speaking of running the table, the Louisville Cardinals began their quest to go 12-0 with a resounding 49-7 victory yesterday over Ohio. Teddy Bridgewater, one of the favorites for the Heisman this year, made a emphatic opening statement passing for 355 yards and 5 TDs.  Everyone has been chirping about how Ohio State has an easy chance to run the table this season, but the Cardinals don't face one team ranked in the preseason AP Top 25.

On the West Coast, Oregon made it's claim to being in the top 5, but they still might not be the best team in the PAC-12. 

The Ducks' rolled against a clearly overmatched Nicholls St team, with DeAnthony Thomas and Marcus Mariota picking up where they left off last season.  Yet Stanford, the defending PAC-12 champs, didn't even play this week. This debate may not be settled until these two teams meet on November 7.

Finally, Michigan and Notre Dame, two teams that have quietly flown under the radar this preseason, made big statements of their own a week prior to their showdown in the Big House.

Both the Wolverines and Irish opened the season with new signal-callers under center. And while Michigan's 59-9 demolition was not totally unexpected, it was Notre Dame's 28-6 win that set up what should be a very intriguing matchup.

Michigan's Devin Gardner, a better pure passer than the departed Denard Robinson, might be one of the more underrated quarterbacks in the nation. It will be interesting to see how an Irish defense missing its leading tackler from last year handles him.

For the Irish offense, they will need senior Tommy Rees to play like he did on Saturday.

College Football 2013: 5 Takeaways from Last Night's Games

College football season opened last night with a bang. BANG!!! That's right folks, football is back. And while most of you are waiting for your favorite teams to play tomorrow, here are 5 things I observed from last night's contests:

1. South Carolina is a top 10, maybe even top 5 team in the nation, even without Jadeveon Clowney on the field.

Much ado has been made about Clowney, and with good reason, as the junior from Rock Hill, SC finished 2012 with 13 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss. But even without Clowney on the field last night, the Gamecocks held their own against the up-tempo offense of North Carolina, allowing only 15 points.

And on the offensive side of the ball, South Carolina seems just fine without the services of Marcus Lattimore. Much will be made in the coming days about Mike Davis' 75 yard TD run, and for good reason. But did you all see fullback Brandon Wilds out there bowling over defenders? If the Gamecocks can get that type of production from their RBs on a consistent basis, and Connor Shaw plays like he did last night, this will be a team to watch. And did you see the O-line for SC?!!! Massive.

I understand it was only North Carolina, but this team is only going to get better. And no offense to the other conferences (Big Ten I'm talking about you) but I'm thinking that only another team from the SEC can keep this squad from winning the BCS national championship.

2. Lane Kiffin needs to decide on a starting quarterback, and soon; his job may depend on it.

I know you guys beat Hawaii 30-13 and your defense looked phenomenal. But there is a reason Taylor Graham is now the starting quarterback for the Warriors, and not a backup on Ohio State's roster(which was plane to see last night).

If the Trojans wish to compete with the likes of Oregon and Stanford for the PAC-12 championship this season, Kiffin must name a starting quarterback and stick with him asap. Developing offensive rhythm will be paramount for the USC offense once conference play starts.

3. Don't put me on the Ole Miss Bandwagon just yet.

Much has been made of the recruiting job that second-year head coach Hugh Freeze put together in 2013. And when one looks at what the Rebels have on paper, it is impressive.

But as everyone knows football games aren't won on paper, they're won on the field. Nick Saban doesn't continue to win national titles just because he can recruit well; he is also able to get the most out of the players he brings into the Crimson Tide system.

So Ole Miss beat Vanderbilt in a shootout last night. That's nice, but it doesn't necessarily mean they've turned the corner in the SEC just yet. I'll be eager to see how they play when they travel to Austin in two weeks to face the University of Texas.

4. The SEC will once again be the Bully of the FBS. 

This is starting to sound like a broken record, much like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day. But I just can't see the balance of power in college football undergoing a dramatic shift in 2013. Clemson, however, has a chance to change perception somewhat tomorrow night when they face Georgia.

5. Minnesota put up 51 points en route to a victory over UNLV, but most of the country wasn't even watching.

The Golden Gophers opened the season with a big win in front of their home crowd in a new stadium. But you probably weren't even aware they played last night until I just told you.