Ten Most Impressive Teams on Saturday

The first week of the 2009 season started off like every other week one. Upsets no one saw coming, the usual creaming of FCS teams and more proof preseason polls are completely useless. While there were some very disappointing teams this week, I decided to leave them and their broken-hearted fan bases alone and focus on the teams who left a good impression.

10. Michigan 

Last year was the worse season the Michigan Wolverines have ever seen. Coming into this game, many predicted a possible upset because of last year's struggles. Michigan came out and took care of business and showed this program could be back on the rise. They tackled very well and the three-QB system seemed to work quite well for the Wolverines. I see a bowl this year for them and I think Rich will have them on track very soon and competing for a Big Ten title quickly.

9. Boise State 

Many may wonder why I have Boise so low on the list after beating Oregon. It's simple: they didn't impress me all that much. I will admit I picked Oregon to win this game. How wrong I was. The problem is, I think this win was actually Chip Kelly beating Oregon. When your players are arguing with you on the sideline in the first game, there is a problem. Still, Boise took care of business with another big win against a BCS school.

8. Alabama

While they were favored in their game, they came out and got it done. New QB, new line, same result. The game was not as close as the score implied. Alabama's defense was as good as expected, allowing under 150 yards. The surprise however, was the amazing 495 yards on offense against a very strong Virginia Tech defense. While they still have to worry about careless turnovers and bad penalties, those are more than likely first-game jitters. This team is real and I expect to see them back in the dome in December.

7. Notre Dame

I am not known for my love of Notre Dame, but I give credit when credit is due. Nevada was expected to give Notre Dame a very good fight, but they didn't even get to swing. Nevada's run game was shut down and their pass defense was lit up by the Fighting Irish. Clausen seemed deadly accurate and the more experienced line seems a lot better than last year. Could this be a 10+ win season for the Irish?

6. Missouri 

Chase Daniels gone...check. Jeremy Maclin gone...check. Missouri still good...check. Missouri really surprised me yesterday. Some experts picked Illinois as a dark horse for the Big Ten title. Missouri came out and completely destroyed the Fighting Illini and showed me at least that the North isn't going to be handed over to Nebraska without a fight.

5. Oklahoma State

Top 10 preseason in the AP poll for the first time in team history and they proved the voters can get it right sometimes. While some will say they were expecting a lot more from the offense, I did not. I thought Georgia would win because they have a great defense and could move the ball all over the Cowboys. It wasn't the case; these cowboys now have defense. Watch out Big 12, because Oklahoma State looks to be a very good team on both sides of the ball.

4. California 

My dark horse pick for the national title just proved to me even more they are one of the best in the nation. California destroyed a very good Maryland team like they were a high school team. Every part of California's game looked solid, and boy is Best something special to watch. I picked them to win the Pac 10, and this win just helped confirm my belief that they are one of the best in the country.

3. Northern Iowa 

Going into Hawkeye stadium and losing by one point because of a blocked field goal is something you'd expect a team like OSU or PSU to do. Not an FCS team.  They showed heart, passion and courage and did not back down to the mighty BCS team. How incredible was that game to watch (well, the replays at least). Two blocked field goals at the end of the game by the Hawkeyes concluded this dream performance by Northern, but the players will never forget how well they played this day.

2. Navy

One bad play call for a two-point conversion attempt kept Navy from pulling off a huge upset. They went into one of the toughest stadiums in college football and showed they are as good as anyone. That triple option is extremely hard to defend and it showed Saturday. Ohio State is a very good team, and they did not play down yesterday. Navy just came to win and damn near got it done.

1. BYU

Upset of the year by far right now and I doubt it will be topped for a while. This team held strong verse on of the best teams in the nation on a neutral field and once again proved the MWC has some very good teams. Bradford's injury did help them, but the fact is they went in and got it done on the biggest stage.