College Football Week 1: Up Is Down, Down Is Up, Uniforms Are Getting Wackier

Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III took one look at the TCU defense from under center, and decided, what the heck, he might as well go for it.

Gary Patterson's speedy unit, which has led the nation in total defense five of the past 11 years (they allowed only 228.5 yards per game in 2010) returned only four starters this time around—although two were standout linebackers Tank Carder and Tanner Brock.

Undeterred by their impressive track record (and Griffin, a standout hurdler, should know something about track), RGIII unleashed one of the premier performances seen in the first week of college ball, passing for 359 yards and five touchdowns (and rushing for 38 more) against the Horned Frogs, eviscerating any lingering notion that he was nothing more than a glorified scrambler.

That stingy TCU defense seems to have left along with those seven departing players from a season ago.

It was the Horned Frogs offense that nearly sparked a comeback, as new quarterback Casey Pachall led a 24-point fightback in what was the most exciting fourth quarter of the weekend, before coming up short, 50-48.

Griffin III wasn't complaining about the score, however, as that game catapulted him into the it-group of Heisman hopefuls for 2011.

Moving from Waco up to Madison, WI, the University of Wisconsin Badgers put on quite a show Thursday night against UNLV.

For all the talk about their impressive crop of running backs, North Carolina State transfer Russell Wilson dazzled with his stellar play at quarterback, throwing for 255 yards and two touchdowns, as well as gaining 62 yards on the ground—including a 46-yard scamper for a score.

It was a warning shot leveled by the red-clad Badgers toward the rest of a loaded Big 10 field. They are ready for business this season.

Jumping back down to the south, Georgia just can't catch a break.

Head coach Mark Richt hasn't delivered a conference title since 2005, and since being named preseason No. 1 in 2008 and losing to Alabama in Athens that season, they don't seem to have recovered, going a combined 14-12 (7-9) from 2009-2010.

Against Boise State over the weekend, they dug themselves into a deeper hole, coming out to play in what is right up there with the most dastardly uniform designs ever fashioned for a football team.

The uniforms were fine, actually. Those black numbers popped. But two-toned helmets should be banished to the scrap heap, where they can take their rightful place next to Carrot Top.

The Bulldogs are young and deeply talented. Whether that will be enough to keep Richt afloat until he can right the ship remains to be seen. A 35-21 loss to Boise did him no favors, to be sure.

Not to be outdone in the fashion department, Maryland came out with their own shocking uniform design on Monday night in a prime-time ACC showdown against embattled Miami.

Perhaps their confusing uniform scheme (which gave homage—apparently—to the state flag) played to their benefit as much as the offensive sets, as the Terrapins stymied the Hurricanes 32-24 in College Park, using a wide array of screen passes to relieve pressure from the fast and physical Miami defense.

Head coach Randy Edsall made sure to incorporate a few Under Amour promotional plugs during an interview just minutes after the game had ended.

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"I'm just so proud of our partnership with Under Armour and them giving us the opportunity to wear all the uniforms we have."

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Hey, as long as you win, you can wear pretty much whatever you want.

The 2011 summer has been one for the history books, weather-wise.

Mother Nature made no exceptions for college football on the opening weekend, throwing several games into delays.

Notre Dame and Michigan both saw their games stopped for what seemed interminable lapses.

Heavy storms twice postponed the Fighting Irish game against South Florida in South Bend, where Skip Holtz, son of Notre Dame icon Lou, led his Bulls to a 23-20 victory.

Brian Kelly is already in his second season at the helm of the Fighting Irish, but after an impressive 8-5 campaign in 2010, a home loss was definitely not how he wanted 2011 to start.

Michigan's Brady Hoke christened his tenure in Ann Arbor with a convincing 34-10 victory over Western Michigan.

He probably hadn't predicted that the game would be called in the third quarter, however, due to severe weather.

Finally, way down in Houston, sixth-year quarterback Case Keenum—who could rival Van Wilder for longest stay in college at this point—showed no lingering effects from last season's knee injury in leading his Cougars to a 38-34 win.

It was a vintage Keenum display, as he threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns, with his completion rate at a remarkable 75% clip even while attempting 40 passes.

A Heisman dark horse a year ago, the field has since passed Keenum by.

If he comes up with a couple more dandies like Saturday's performance, however, he might just make another case for mention come December.