First week college football thoughts

• After a consistently cool summer, we got one of the hottest weekends of the year on which to kick college football off.  That’s a bit jarring.
• Hard to complain about Alabama’s performance on defense and special teams in last night’s 35-10 win over Virginia Tech, but the offensive line play was mediocre at best.  “They” say teams improve more from game one to game two than any other time, and Coach Cristobal is certainly blessed with ample opportunity to improve.  We can reasonably expect some youth-generated mistakes, but getting knocked off the line so consistently last night was alarming.  We won’t even win the division if we don’t jell on the O-line.
• My friend Tommy is texting me saying that the Hokies returned nearly all of an impressive defense this year, so there’s that.  Still get the willies thinking about an SEC defensive front against what we showed last night.
• Very happy for my longtime friend Cheryl, who got to watch her Clemson Tigers beat Georgia last night.  Barring injury or major surprises, Clemson should be 6-0 and in the thick of the BCS when they host Florida State October 19.
• Georgia coach Mark Richt has 0-2 and 1-3 records as distinct possibilities this early season (South Carolina next week; LSU to close the month).  That’s a hair-trigger hot seat over there.  Expect calls for his head.
• I read a good piece shortly after Gus Malzahn was hired as the Auburn head coach that speculated that eventually Gene Chizik may be essentially forgotten, especially if Malzahn settles in for a long tenure.  No one will remember that Malzahn wasn’t at the top for the 2010 title.  I don’t know about that, and I’m not sure how good Washington State is, but it’s good to see an actual football team on the ground again down there.
• Lea asked me last night if I was pulling for Auburn again.  I think so.
• I am very much looking forward to Alabama visiting Texas A&M in two weeks.  Did you see the arrogance and immaturity on Johnny Manziel yesterday?  I hope he runs his mouth a bunch about Alabama.
• In the past ten years or so, I can’t remember anyone beating Boise State as badly as Washington did (38-6).  Wow, that was kind of from out of nowhere, wasn’t it?  Good luck to Coach Sarkisian this year.  I know the Huskies would love to win nine games or so.
• Yesterday’s loss to Washington was Boise State’s 20th loss—since the beginning of the 2001 season.  They are 137-20 (.873) over that stretch.  That is remarkable.
• Oregon State and Kansas State both managed to lose their tune-up FCS games yesterday.  Congratulations to Eastern Washington and North Dakota State, respectively.

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