Week 1 is now in the books, so how do we see the 2010 College Football season landscape, so early for the season? Well, we should look at last year's finish to a degree. One really doesn't know a whole lot after one week of play. Though, the Big East saw two schools go down hard, with former #22 Pitt and #23 Cincinnati losing games to #13 Utah (MWC) and unranked Fresno State (WAC), respectively.There was only one conference game in Week 1. That is good news, since early games are best in out of conference. Play a couple of games before we see conference play begin. We like the way the Big Ten conference handles OOC and conference schedules, for example.
Here's our Week 1 Top 25 for 2010
- Alabama (1-0) 1 - The defending BCS champion Crimson Tide tuned up for a Week 2 SEC-Big Ten showdown, with a solid 48-3 win over San Jose State (WAC), despite the absence of injured junior Heisman RB Mark Ingram. Next: vs. #20 Penn State (1-0) - a program that saw coach Joe Paterno face off with former Alabama coach Bear Bryant on four occasions ...
- Ohio State (1-0) 2 - The Rose Bowl champion Buckeyes tuned up for a Week 2 Big Ten-ACC showdown, with a Thursday night win over Marshall (C-USA) by the score of 45-7. Next: vs. Miami-FL - which should showcase two junior QBs in OSU's Terrelle Pryor and Miami-FL's Jacory Harris. The 2002 season's BCS championship rematch should be a good one. OSU has lost two home games in five seasons to Top 5 OOC opponents.
- Boise State (1-0) 3 - The Broncos go out East to Landover, MD and pull out a solid 33-30 victory over then #6 Virginia Tech on QB Kellen Moore's late TD pass. The non-BCS party remains, as Boise State gives the BCS a signal that they want to be in the discussion in 2010. Next: Bye week before 9/18 game @ Wyoming.
- Iowa (1-0) 4 - The reigning Orange Bowl champion Hawkeyes opened the 2010 season with a solid 37-7 win over Eastern Illinois, a FCS program that won the Ohio Valley in '09. Next: The Hawkeyes will square off in the Cy-Hawk Trophy game vs. Big 12 opponent and in-state rival Iowa State. Iowa has held the Cyclones without a TD for 14 straight quarters.
- Texas (1-0) 7 - The defending Big 12 champion Longhorns opened the 2010 season on the road in Houston vs. Rice (C-USA). The Longhorns took care of business with the Owls 34-17 at Reliant Stadium. Next: vs. Wyoming (1-0), who won opener 28-20 over Southern Utah, a FCS opponent. Texas won @ Wyoming 41-10 in '09 in Week 2.
- Florida (1-0) 5 - The offense struggled in the Gators opener vs. Miami-OH winning 34-12. Next: vs. South Florida (1-0), a first-time match up between these two FL schools. The Bulls won their opener vs. Stoney Point, a FCS opponent, 54-14.
- TCU (1-0) 8 - The Horned Frogs, the defending MWC champs, opened in Arlington at Dallas Stadium with a solid 31-20 win over Oregon State to build on their non-BCS resume for '10. Next: vs. Tennessee Tech (0-1), a FCS program who fell 3-44 @ Arkansas in their season opener.
- Oregon (1-0) 9 - The Ducks, the defending Pac 10 champs, rolled in the season opener vs. New Mexico (MWC) 72-0, which is a sharp contrast to the '09 opener @ Boise State, where the Ducks struggled on offense in a 8-19 loss. Next: @ Tennessee (1-0), who opened at home with a 50-0 win over Tennessee-Martin, a FCS opponent.
- Virginia Tech (0-1) 6 - The Hokies lose 30-33 as they give up a late TD pass to Boise State in Landover, MD on Labor Day evening. After falling behind by 17 points, the Hokies came back, but at the end, the Broncos were too much for the Hokies in Week 1. Next: vs. James Madison (1-0), a FCS program, that beat Morehead State 48-7 in the season opener.
- Wisconsin (1-0) 10 - The Badgers won 41-21 @ UNLV to open the '10 season. The Badgers have a trio of RBs to throw at opponents with junior John Clay, sophomore Montee Ball and true frosh James White. Next: vs. San Jose State (0-1), who were rolled by #1 Alabama 3-48 in season opener.
- Miami-FL (1-0) 11 - The Hurricane opened the 2010 season on Thursday night with a 45-0 win over Florida A&M, a FCS opponent. Next - @ #2 Ohio State in a rematch of the 2002 season BCS championship, where the defending champion Miami-FL team fell in OT to the Buckeyes. Will Hurricane upset the Buckeyes this time around in Columbus?
- Utah (1-0) 13 - The Utes knocked off the former #22 Pittsburgh Panthers to open the 2010 season, in a rematch of the 2005 Fiesta Bowl. Like 2005, the Utes won with a 27-24 win in OT over the Panthers. Next: vs. UNLV (0-1) to open conference play in the MWC for the final time, since the Utes will join the Pac 10 in '11.
- BYU (1-0) 16 - The Cougars took care of business in the home opener vs. the Washington Huskies with a 23-17 win. Next: @ Air Force (1-0) in the conference opener for both clubs. Air Force opened with a 65-21 win over Northwestern State, a FCS opponent.
- Georgia (1-0) 14 - The Bulldogs won the home opener over UL-Lafayette 55-7 on Saturday. Next: @ South Carolina (1-0) to open SEC play in Week 2. The Gamecocks won their opener vs. Southern Miss 41-13 on Thursday night at home.
- Nebraska (1-0) 15 - The Cornhuskers beat Western Kentucky 49-10 in the season opener on Saturday night in Lincoln. Next: vs. Idaho (1-0), who beat North Dakota, FCS opponent, 45-0 in their home opener.
- Texas Tech (1-0) 17 - The Red Raiders won the first game in the Tommy Tuberville era with a 35-27 win over SMU on Sunday of Week 1. Next: @ New Mexico (0-1), who were victims in the most dominating loss of Week 1, losing 0-72 @ Oregon.
- LSU (1-0) 12 - The Tigers held on to beat North Carolina in Atlanta 30-24 on Saturday night. The game become very tight at the end, despite UNC being down 13 players, due to violations or pending issues. LSU's offense was shut out in the second half, but the Tigers hung on to win. Next: @ Vanderbilt (0-1) for the SEC opener. The Commodores lost Saturday night at home to Northwestern 21-23.
- Oklahama (1-0) 18 - The Sooners nearly were taken to the wire in another season opener from the State of Utah. This time it was Utah State, who the Sooners beat 31-24, unlike BYU in the '09 opener. Next: vs. #21 Florida State (1-0), as the Seminoles will offer a solid test to Sooners in Week 2 of the season.
- Georgia Tech (1-0) 19 - The Yellow Jackets, the defending ACC champions, opened at home Saturday with a 41-10 win over South Carolina State, a FCS opponent. Next: @ Kansas (0-1), who lost in coach Turner Gill's debut for the Jayhawks against a FCS opponent, North Dakota State, who will open Missouri Valley Football play @ Northern Iowa (0-0) on Saturday.
- Penn State (1-0) 20 - The Nittany Lions started a true frosh at QB for the first time in Joe Paterno's 45 years at the helm in Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions won the opener over Youngstown State, a FBS opponent, 44-14. Next: @ #1 Alabama (1-0) in a Big Ten-SEC match up that should be one of the better games of the day, though the Nittany Lions will have a young QB under center.
- Florida State (1-0) 21 - The Seminoles pounded Samford, a FCS opponent, 59-6 on Saturday, in coach Jimbo Fisher's debut as head coach in Tallahassee. Next: @ #18 Oklahoma (1-0)
- USC (1-0) NR - The Trojans may be on probation, but aren't they deserving of a Top 25 ranking, though they will not be eligible for a bowl game in '10? The Trojans began the Lane Kiffin era with a 49-36 win @ Hawai'i. Next: vs. Virginia (1-0), who won the first game in the Mike London era, when the Caviliers defeated London's former team, the Richmond Spiders, a FCS program, 34-13.
- Arizona (1-0) NR - The Wildcats headed to coach Mike Stoops' home state for a 41-3 victory @ Toledo. The Wildcats looked better on offense behind senior QB Nick Foles. Next: vs. The Citddel, a FCS program, who defeated Chowan in Bulldogs opener 56-14.
- West Virginia (1-0) NR - The Big East deserves one team in the Top 25, after Week 1 don't they? The Mountaineers beat Coastal Carolina, a FCS opponent, 31-0 to open the season. Next: @ Marshall (0-1) on Friday night in an in-state rivalry.
- Houston (1-0) 25 - The Cougars opened 2010 with a 68-28 victory over Texas State, a FCS opponent. Next - vs. UTEP (1-0) on Friday night to open C-USA West play. The Cougars lost last year to open C-USA play @ UTEP 41-58, so this rematch is very important in '10. UTEP won their home opener vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, another FCS opponent, 31-10.
Out of the Top 25 - The Big East saw two teams tumble out of the Top 25 with #22 Pittsburgh lost @ #13 Utah in OT 24-27, while #23 Cincinnati lost at unranked Fresno State 14-24 in Week 1. #24 Navy lost 14-17 to Maryland on Labor Day to fall out of the Top 25, as well.
There are some outstanding match ups in Week 2 of the 2010 College Football season. In Iowa City, we will see the Cy-Hawk Trophy game with #4 Iowa hosting Iowa State. But, there are some outstanding other games on the schedule...
- #1 Alabama hosting #20 Penn State
- #2 Ohio State hosting #11 Miami-FL
- #18 Oklahoma hosting #21 Florida State
- Three SEC conference openers, as well
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