College Football 2010: Week 1 Classic Matchups

Sep 5, 2010

Remember back in the day when the college football season kicked off on Labor Day, with a made-for-TV game featuring a pair of marquee programs meeting in a contest that could derail one’s championship dreams before the season even officially got underway?

The game was called The Kickoff Classic, and it was always played in that college football Mecca, the Meadowlands (ironic name for a stadium built on a swamp, no?) in New Jersey. The inaugural Classic was held on August 29, 1983 and featured defending national champion Penn State and preseason number one Nebraska; it was the first college football game held in the month of August, and despite the Cornhuskers’ 44-6 shellacking of the Nittany Lions, the concept was such a success that it became a holiday weekend staple that college football junkies gobbled up like hot dogs and watermelon.

In fact the game was such a hit that the West coast decided to get in on the action, spawning the Pigskin Classic in 1990, initially played in Anaheim before switching to a rotating stadium format. Though never as popular as its East coast counterpart, the contest still pulled in marquee teams like Tennessee, Ohio State, Michigan, Southern Cal and Oklahoma.

Twenty years later the fun police at NCAA headquarters squashed the Classics, believing the extra game gave the participating schools an unfair advantage when it came to the polls and bowls. So in 2002 the final Classics were played. The Kickoff concluded with a 22-0 ‘thriller’ in which Notre Dame’s placekicker was the MVP, while the Pigskin finale saw the Buckeyes dismantle Texas A&M 45-21 at the Horseshoe in Columbus. Yeah, I’d say they’d run their course.

Flash forward to 2010. The rules regarding the schedule changed once the powers-that-be realized that more games = more $$$. But now the Classics are no longer necessary, because the season actually starts before Labor Day Monday. And instead of one or two heavyweight matchups, there are no fewer than 50 games on the slate this year, capped off by #3 Boise State vs. #10 Virginia Tech at Fed Ex Field in D.C. on Monday night.

As big a fan of the Classics as I was, I gotta admit this smorgasbord of pigskin pie certainly trumps a couple of games featuring the same powerhouse schools every year.

Which brings me to the real reason I’m writing this column: to give you my picks for the top games to watch this weekend, my kickoff classics. So fill the cooler, fire up the grill and swivel the flat screen to face the back patio – we’re in for a fun five days of college football.

Thursday:

- Appetizer: Marshall @ #2 Ohio State, 7:30ET B10Net – Buckeye QB Terrelle Pryor kicks off his Heisman campaign with a puff pastry tailor-made for stat padding

- Main course: #15 Pittsburgh @ Utah, 8:30 Versus: not a marquee matchup necessarily, but a solid offering in a week full of potential blowouts. Worth checking out for the running back battle alone, as Pitt’s diminutive Heisman candidate Dion Lewis battles Utes dynamo Eddie Wide

- Dessert: #14 USC @ Hawaii , 11PM ESPN - worth staying up late to see how the Trojans fare in their first game P.C. (Post Carroll), not to mention new coach Lane Kiffin humiliating himself by wearing a flowered shirt and lei

Friday:

- Appetizer: Villanova vs. Temple, 5:30 ET – Following the Owls’ breakout ’09 season, Temple coach Al Golden is now the hottest coach on the block, rumored to be the potential replacement for JoePa whenever the Nittany Lion legend steps down

- Main Course: Arizona @ Toledo, 8:00, ESPN – the Rockets are usually fun to watch – they averaged nearly 30 PPG last year – while the Wildcats are clawing back to respectability following a decade of disappointment. Love Toledo’s helmets, too!

Saturday:

- Appetizers: Miami (OH) @ #4 Florida; #5 Texas vs. Rice; Utah St. @ #7 Oklahoma – three Top 10 schools attempt to replace legendary QBs, but the heirs to Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford likely won’t be tested in these mismatched meetings (though the Aggies could give the regrouping Sooners a battle before succumbing )

- Main Course: #24 Oregon St. vs. #6 TCU, 7:45 ESPN – the dynamic duo of James and Jacquizz Rogers will attempt to lead the Beavers to an upset of title contender Horned Frogs in what could be one of the best games of the year. Add the fact that it’s being played in the House that Jerry Built, new Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, and you’ve got a hell of an opening weekend clash

- Dessert: Cincinnati @ Fresno St, 10PM, ESPN2 – the Bearcats move on from the Brian Kelly era, but the Bulldogs are not about to roll over for incoming coach Butch Jones; Fresno has won its last six openers, and they will be out to avenge last season’s 28-20 loss at Cincy

- Snacks: Samford @ #20 Florida St.; Purdue @ Notre Dame; #16 North Carolina vs. #21 LSU; San Jose St. @ #1 Alabama

Sunday:

Take a breather today if you wish – go to the beach, do some yard work, have the family over for a barbeque…The only games on the docket are a couple of fillers, Tulsa @ East Carolina and Southern Miss SMU @ Texas Tech. Diehards only

Monday:

- Appetizer: Navy vs. Maryland, 4:00 ESPN – the triple option attack of the Midshipmen, which ranked 4^th nationally with 280 YPG on the ground last year, could pose a lot of problems for Ralph Friedgen’s reeling Terps, which in turn could pose a problem for Friedgen’s already shaky job security

- Main Course: #3 Boise St. vs. #10 Va. Tech, 8PM ESPN – fitting that the game of the week wraps up the holiday weekend. The Broncos’ chance to get invited to the BCS title game begins or ends at Fed Ex Field; win and they are legit contenders, lose and they may never be ranked this high to begin a season again. Beware Beamer Ball, Boise!

Whew! Like I said, there’s plenty of action to satisfy our appetites this weekend. From meaningless games featuring minor opponents to titanic tilts with title implications, this opening weekend features something for everyone.

Now excuse me while I grab a beer and a brat…