College Football 2010 - Week 1

A new season is upon us! Today is the official start of the college football season, and the first game will kick off in an hour or so. As such, I feel it my duty to post a few thoughts about some of this week's games. As I did last year, I'll follow Arizona, Notre Dame, Penn State, and then throw in a bonus game.

Disclaimer: I'm not as up on things as I usually am this time of year. After all, instead of following rumor mills and fan forums all summer, I was helping to plan a wedding (with a fiance that lived over 400 miles away). I shall, nonetheless, do my best to sound like I know what I'm talking about.

Arizona @ Toledo (Friday Night)
After coming off a 2nd place finish in the Pac-10 last year, Arizona is looking to end a streak of Rose Bowl futility, and to end it before competition stiffens up with the expansion of the conference next year. Beginning the 2010 campaign on the road gives them the opportunity to test a new linebacking corps against a formidable (but overmatched) offense. A national audience is also a good way to open up a season full of high hopes for the Wildcats.
Prediction: The Wildcats will blow the Rockets out of the sky!

Purdue @ Notre Dame (The Battle for the Shillelagh Trophy)
The Fighting Irish are coming off a disappointing 6-6 campaign, have a new head coach in Brian Kelly, and have a new starting QB in Dayne Crist, and will have to make up for the departure of Biletkinoff Winner Golden Tate at WR. Nonetheless, the institution of the no-huddle offense should keep many defenses on their toes. This will be tested against a Boilermaker team that went 4-8 last year, and was one of four Big 10 teams not to appear in a bowl game last year.
Prediction: The Shillelagh Trophy will remain in South Bend as the Irish start the season on a positive note and get by the Boilermakers.

Youngstown State @ #19 Penn State
As JoePa's 45th campaign on the Nittany Lions' sideline begins, he will see a first in his tenure...a true freshman starting a QB (Robert Bolden). Young Bolden should be grateful for this glorified scrimage against Youngstown State as his first exposure to college football, because a trip to Tuscaloosa is in store for him next week.
Prediction: Do I really need to say it? JoePa could beat Youngstown State by himself! Nittany Lions big over the Penguins before running into the Tide next week!

#3 Boise State @ #10 Virginia Tech (in Landover, MD on Monday Night)
Boise State has made a lot of waves over the past few months. They finished another undefeated season, finished in the BCS top 10, announced plans to leave the WAC for the Mountain West beginning in the 2011 season, and revealed a schedule that has a number of BCS faithful crying foul (they'll run the table and then play for a National Championship...that's not fair). To those cry babies, I have but three words...Shut Your Mouths! Boise State has produced quality football year in and year out for the better part of a decade, and they've done it on that Smurf Turf, with very few high profile home games, and while living in the middle of a potato field. Now that they're getting the respect they deserve, whiners need to shut their mouths while the rest of us rational people watch this team play on a national stage. And, really, what better way to start off a new season than by wearing the new Pro Combat uniforms that Nike made them in a neutral-site game against Virginia Tech (who will also be wearing the Nike Pro Combat uniforms, which look like a third-grader drew them). Virginia Tech is known for it's own brand of football: Beamer Ball. I expect at least one punt to be blocked and returned for a touchdown in this game.
Prediction: Boise State, in the biggest game of their season, finds a way to overcome Beamer Ball and begin their march to Glendale (and not for the Fiesta Bowl this time).

Last Season: 21-7

Thus Sayeth Your Haus