10 Best Video Highlights of Week 1 College Football

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Week 1 is now in the books, and there was a lot of great football played over the weekend.

Every week, there are so many games that it's hard to keep track of every great play that happens across the nation. As a public service, we've pulled together the very best-of-the-best highlights (or lowlights) from Week 1 in one spot, so you can rest assured that you have seen the greatest plays of the opening week of college football.

Longest Play All Year

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In the Week 1 showdown between Alabama and Michigan, there weren't many highlights for the Michigan Wolverines.

This play is the exception.

Why did this play make out Top 10 highlights list? Simply because it may turn out to be the longest play given up by the Alabama defense all season.

An Irish Jig

In what can only be described as another moment of idiocy from a moron who actually thinks he's benefiting his kooky causes, the infamous “Jungle Bird” interrupted yet another sporting event.

Yes, it's supposedly the same guy who rudely interrupted Webb Simpson's interview with Bob Costas after his US Open victory—a moment that should be remembered for Simpson's crowning achievement, not some idiot crowing.

Alas, CBS committed the cardinal sin in these situations: The commentators glorified what they thought at the time was a moment of idiocy from a drunken fool.

Nope, just a bad dance performed by a sober fool.

Still made for a good highlight, though.

Finally, Something to Cheer About

While not particularly spectacular from the standpoint of a single play, this highlight is important for a more emotional reason.

Penn State has endured what can only be described as the worst offseason in its history. So much negative press has been heaped on the university and the football program, it was nice to see Nittany Lions fans and players finally have something to cheer about.

While Penn State eventually lost the game to Ohio, it's probably a relief for all the Penn State players, current coaches and fans—all of whom had nothing to do with the Sandusky scandal—to finally get back to football.

Welcome to the Heisman Race

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Le'Veon Bell only needed one game to announce his arrival to the 2012 Heisman Trophy race.

With his MSU Spartans backed up against their own end zone, Bell took the hand-off and ran into more than a few Boise State defenders.

But Bell showed just how strong he is by repeatedly shrugging off tackles and keeping the play alive.

If you're on your own four-yard line, there's nothing quite like a 35-yard run from your workhorse running back.

Those 35 yards were part of a 210-yard, two-touchdown night for Bell as he led the No. 13 Spartans to a 17-13 victory over No. 24 Boise State.

The Rout Is on

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It didn't take Alabama long to begin its lopsided victory over Michigan.

While the entire game was a veritable highlight reel for the Crimson Tide, it was this early 51-yard touchdown pass from AJ McCarron to DeAndrew White that was a signal that the Wolverines were not quite rebuilt to the point where challenging the defending national champion was a good idea.

One Play, Six Points

It didn't take the top-ranked Trojans to find the end zone on Saturday.

On the first play from scrimmage, Matt Barkley found Marqise Lee who took the ball past every Hawai'i defender en route to a 75-yard touchdown reception.

Granted, it was just Hawai'i, but if this is a sign of things to come, the Trojans look to be a legit threat to win the Pac-12 and maybe even a national title this season.

Pass Interference? Nope.

You be the judge.

Pass interference? Pretty much all of us say, yes. But the officials say, no.

South Carolina was the recipient of what looked to be a very generous no-call against Vanderbilt on Thursday night. Trailing 17-13 with under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Vanderbilt called a daring deep pass on 4th-and-7.

Jordan Rodgers heaved a perfectly positioned ball to Jordan Matthews, but Matthews only had one arm available. The other arm had been slapped away by South Carolina safety DJ Swearinger.

Now, there's no guarantee that Vanderbilt would have scored a game-winning touchdown after that point. But there's little question that the SEC officiating crew should have given the Commodores 15 yards and another set of downs.

And the Beat Goes On...

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De'Anthony Thomas and the Oregon Ducks have every right to be thinking “what about us?” this preseason.

There has been so much talk about USC, Alabama, LSU, the SEC versus the world and so on that there hasn't been a whole lot of national coverage about the three-time defending Pac-12 champion Oregon Ducks.

Sure, the Ducks have lost some offensive weaponry and the defense still has a few kinks to work out, but this 33-yard scamper from Thomas for a quick six shows that the offense is fully capable of keeping those lofty offensive numbers at their typically high levels.

Andre “Wrong Way” Parker

There probably weren't many people who saw this play live. After all, it was FCS Towson at Kent State.

But there won't be many college football fans who haven't seen this replay.

After a Kent State punt grazes the Towson's Derrick Joseph, Kent State's Andre Parker quickly snaps up the live ball and proceeds to run in back 53 yards... in the wrong direction.

We don't know what's worse: the wrong way return or the fact that Towson actually tackled him, preventing a safety for two Towson points.

Devin Smith's One-Handed Touchdown Grab

If you missed the Ohio State game against Miami University, you probably aren't the only one.

But those of you who caught this Big Ten Network season opener saw a spectacular catch in the first half from Ohio State's Devin Smith.

The catch was so great, in fact, it may stand up as the weeks wear on as a “catch of the year” candidate.

The only thing that would have made this catch better is if it had been in the fourth quarter of a close game that actually mattered.