College Football - Winners & Losers

Well we're one week into the 2010 college football season and we've already got quite a list of winners and losers.

Winners

Boise State - Of course Boise State was the biggest winner in Week 1. The Broncos started the season getting the same treatment from fans that you get at an 'Always Sunny In Philadelphia' intervention. Boise started the season off in the Top 5 - a distinction that fans thought was undeserved for a team that plays mostly clown colleges and air conditioning schools. But the big time oppnent for Boise came in Week 1 and the Broncs took V-Tech down (in the Hokies' back yard also). Sure, in 11 weeks if the Broncos are still undefeated fans will probably be shouting "look at the schedule" but for at least this one week noone can knock Boise.

Ohio State - Okay, so noone is going to confuse Marshall with 2001 Miami but destroying the Thundering Herd 45-7 was the perfect middle performance bridging the gap from the Rose Bowl to this week's showdown with Miami. Especially since Terrelle Pryor continues to show he can perform well passing with 247 yards and 3 TDs.

Taylor Martinez - Look I'm not ready to pronounce Martinez the savior of Nebraska's offense. In fact his lukewarm passing display probably hasn't put the competition with Cody Green to bed yet. But with Tom Osborne and Bo Pelini advocating an old school return to the option, Martinez has to be the favorite to win NU's QB horse race. Especially if he keeps busting out runs like these.



TCU - It certainly wasn't the dominating performance that Vegas thought the Horned Frogs were going to have but a win against a quality BCS opponent (and the team I picked to win the Pac 10) is a plus. Aside from a trap game with Baylor and a couple conference clashes with Utah and BYU, TCU is a virtual lock to now end undefeated.

Losers

Oklahoma - Sure, we're all probably making a mountain out of this mohill of a 31-24 win against Utah State but its hard to be excited when your "dynamic" offense struggled against the wrong kind of Aggies. Especially when Bobby's brother Mark (Stoops) and the new look Seminoles roll into Norman this weekend. DeMarco Murray was a bit of an unlikely workhorse for OU last week. Will he have to be again?

Ole Miss - The Rebels enetered the game with all kinds of questions at QB. Jeremiah Masoli's status for Saturday was about as uncertain as a Brett Favre comeback. But Masoli did play for the Rebs and played well. So did starter Nathan Stanley. So much so that the Rebs led 31-13 through three quarters. But then the other shoe dropped. Houston Nutt may have gotten around the NCAA to get Masoli but he couldn't escape karm'as cruel nut punch and lowly Jacksonville State rallied for a 49-48 win. Suck on that and like it Right Reverend.

Nebraska's Defense - the return of the Blackshirts is largely the reason for Nebraska's lofty preseason ranking this year and after one week of football the much maligned Husker offense has outplayed the defense. The Huskers gave up 300 yards to an FCS school that hasn't won a game since Bush was president. The linebackers are young and there is nowhere to go but up but I certainly didn't expect it to have to be this far up.

Florida - I'm not sure what is more distressing for the Gators - John Brantley's Leinart-like passing stats or the fact they had eight fumbles. If it hadn't been for a 72-yard Jeff Demps TD run the Gators might not have gotten more than 100 yards of offense. It was baffling. I'm convinced aliens must have kidnapped center Mike Puncey and replaced him with a clone with terrible hand eye coordination. Either that or point shaving. Those are the only two possibilities.

LSU - I saved what might be the worst loser for last. Sure, the Tigers beat North Carolina Saturday night. But they gave up a 30-10 lead, got driven to the brink of defeat and needed the help of a BS non-call on an obvious pass interference to get out alive. And I remind you that this was against a UNC team without eight starters out and a handful of other players. I'm sure North Carolina was playing with a lot of intensity but when you choke off a game like this you show your true colors. I sure don't like LSU's chances in the SEC this year.