Top 15 Reasons to Be Hyped Up for College Football Week 1
College Football Week 1 figures to produce its share of compelling matchups and thrilling moments to remind us why the start of College Football season is simply the best time of year.
The action gets started on Thursday night and continues through Labor Day, when Boise State and Virginia Tech cap off the weekend with one of the most talked about season-openers in recent memory.
Here's a look at 15 storylines to get excited about with the season less than a week away.
No. 15: Southern Miss and South Carolina Kick Things Off
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The 2010 College Football season officially kicks off Thursday night on ESPN when Southern Mississippi travels to South Carolina.
The Gamecocks once again enter the season as a popular sleeper team in the SEC, but Steve Spurrier's team will first have to avoid an upset at the hands of DeAndre Brown and Southern Miss.
One thing on South Carolina's side is the presence of freshman running back Marcus Lattimore, who is expected to bolster what has been an anemic rushing attack throughout The Ole Ball Coach's tenure in Columbia.
No. 14: Pittsburgh Goes West
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Pittsburgh heads west to tangle with Utah, a team capable of pulling the upset and springboarding up the polls as the season gets underway.
The rematch of the 2005 Fiesta Bowl gets underway Thursday night and features three dynamic running backs and plenty of talent on both sides of the ball.
Pittsburgh will lean heavily on super-sophomore Dion Lewis and the ground game with Tino Sunseri making his first start at quarterback in a hostile environment.
The Utes will be eager to show that the Mountain West is far from being only a one team league.
No. 13: USC Heads to Hawaii
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Life with Lane Kiffin begins Thursday night when USC and the 70 scholarship players remaining on its roster head into Hawaii for what should be an interesting matchup.
Despite suffering from the ramifications of the NCAA sanctions, the Trojans still have one of the more talented collection of athletes in College Football.
Matt Barkley will need to refrain from making the mistakes that plagued him at times during his freshman season against Hawaii, and for the duration of the season.
The margin for error for USC is certainly much slimmer than usual.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 12: Lane Kiffin Looks to Start Fresh
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It's a new era for USC football, but also a new era for Lane Kiffin.
The young coach who has found the headlines and snagged two marquee jobs despite never really having won anything has made steps to put his controversial past behind him.
At the same time, he hasn't completely strayed from controversy, hiring offensive coordinator Kennedy Pola away from the Titans to intensify the death rays being sent his way from the state of Tennessee.
Kiffin's polarizing presence might be just what USC needs amidst a swirl of controversy surrounding the program. His bizarre actions will deflect negative attention from his team and place it squarely on his shoulders.
That's right where he wants it.
No. 11: Penn State Breaks In a New QB, Could This Be It For Joe Paterno?
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Less than a week before the season, it appears that Penn State's quarterback quandary will have to play itself out on the field.
Thankfully, the Nittany Lions open the season with a glorified scrimmage against Youngstown State before heading south to face Alabama on September 11.
Saturday could mark the beginning of the end for Joe Paterno, who once again debunked any retirement rumors during his annual gab session with reporters at Big Ten Media Days in early August. With Penn State facing somewhat of a retooling year and Bobby Bowden no longer threatening his career wins record, it would seem to be the perfect time for Paterno to walk away.
That doesn't mean it will happen.
No. 10: North Carolina Not Exactly Ready o Face LSU
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One of the best non-conference clashes of Week 1 doesn't look quite as good as it did a couple of weeks ago.
A swirl of offseason problems began when star receiver and all-purpose threat Greg Little was investigated by the NCAA for his dealings with an agent. The issues intensified last week when rumors of academic irregularities generated reports that as many as 12 Heels could be suspended for the season opener.
LSU has questions of its own, but those questions are strictly centered around what will happen on the field.
Quarterback Jordan Jefferson must play with consistency to engineer a productive offense for the first time in two seasons with the Tigers.
No. 9: Navy's Ricky Dobbs Tries to Run Loose Against the Terps
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Not many people believe Ricky Dobbs is a serious Heisman candidate, but he can at least put his name in the early season discussion with a big game against a rebuilding Maryland team in the opener.
The quarterback rushed for 1,192 yards and 26 touchdowns and threw for for over 1,000 more with six scores while helping the Midshipmen to a successful 2009 season.
Dobbs is expected to match or even exceed those numbers this year and is one of the most exciting dual-threat players in all of college football.
No. 8: Rich Rodriguez Looks to Cool His Seat With Win Over UConn
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Rich Rodriguez needs to win and win now. It won't be easy with a difficult schedule, a depleted defense, and no clear quarterback to help lead the way.
The Wolverines open the season with a difficult matchup against UConn, a rugged team with a powerful running game led by Jordan Todman.
The writing appears to be on the wall for Rich Rod in Ann Arbor.
No. 7: Jake vs. Jake As Washington Visits BYU
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Jake Locker is a Washington native and a Heisman candidate. Jake Heaps is a Washington native and widely considered to be the best freshman quarterback in the country.
The two face off September 4th in Provo in what should be a fantastic game.
Locker begins his Heisman campaign and will need plenty of help from Chris Polk and his receivers if the Huskies hope to avoid an early season upset.
Heaps, a native of Sammamish, Washington, is listed as the No. 2 quarterback heading into Saturday's game by is expected to see plenty of snaps behind starter Riley Nelson.
Who knows, in a couple years Heaps could be a Heisman candidate himself.
No. 6: Oregon State Visits TCU at Cowboys Stadium
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Year after year, Oregon State just gets the job done without making many headlines. This season, a win over BCS darling TCU would vault the Beavers up the polls.
It just might not happen.
The Horned Frogs lose defensive stalwarts Daryl Washington and Jerry Hughes, but return most of their offense and should be able to score on anyone with season.
Oregon State is no slouch on the offensive side of the ball either, with the Rodgers brothers ready for another fantastic season.
The opening game could have a huge impact on how the College Football picture looks at the end of the season. If TCU wins, the Horned Frogs have only two more obvious obstacles standing in between their chances at returning to the BCS.
No. 5: The Brian Kelly Era Begins In South Bend
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Brian Kelly has had success wherever he has gone, so there is no reason to believe he won't duplicate his accomplishments at Notre Dame.
It just might take some time.
Kelly's team kicks things offer Saturday against Danny Hope's improved Purdue team in what figures to be a very evenly matched game.
If the Irish want to have a chance at winning more than seven games this season, they can ill-afford a lose at the hands of the Boilermakers.
Patience is a virtue that many Notre Dame fans simply don't have.
No. 4: Dayne Crist Tries to Lead Irish to Promise Land
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Dayne Crist has a fitting name for a Notre Dame quarterback and plenty of prep accolades to give Irish fans reason to believe he will put up big numbers and lead the return to glory.
There will certainly be some rough patches, but Crist is likely to engineer a productive attack that should be able to compete against all defenses by the middle of the season.
Notre Dame's defense could struggle again this season, which means Crist and the Irish will have to light up the scoreboard to win more than seven games.
No. 3: The Year Of the Running Back In College Football
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College Football is absolutely loaded at running back this season.
Kansas State's Daniel Thomas is one of the best backs that is rarely mentioned as a Heisman or Doak Walker contender, but figures to match or exceed the production of many of his counterparts.
The Wildcats kick things off against UCLA on September 4th and will give the Bruins a heavy dose of Thomas.
Pitt's Dion Lewis, Northern Illinois Chad Spann and Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers will all play pivotal roles in determining the fortunes of their teams in Week 1.
No. 2: Virginia Tech and Boise State Meet In Prelude to the BCS
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Boise State enters the 2010 season in the driver's seat. The Broncos have a lofty preseason ranking and a manageable schedule, meaning a trip to the National Championship game isn't too much to expect.
The best chance of sustaining a loss appears to be in the season opener against Frank Beamer's Virgina Tech team Monday, September 6th.
The Hokies aren't the sexiest team around, but they have an experienced offense and a defense engineered by Bud Foster, who remains one of the best coordinators in the game.
The game features two teams with contrasting styles and should provide plenty of entertaining theater for College Football fans.
No. 1: Ryan Williams and Darren Evans Look to Run Over Boise State
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Virginia Tech's workmanlike approach to both sides of the ball will need to manifest itself against Boise State's potent attack.
The revamped Hokie defense figures to struggle against the Bronco offense, which places an emphasis on ball-control. With two dynamic running backs in Ryan Williams and Darren Evans, the Hokies have the pieces to make it happen.
Williams and Evans don't get as much attention as Alabama's dynamic duo of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, but are every bit as talented and certainly capable of engineering an upset over Boise State.
Who would have ever thought Virginia Tech beating Boise State would be considered an upset?
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
