COLUMN: An ABC guide to the 2010 college football season
The first week of school is in the books, and the roller coaster of fall semester is only getting started. Already you’ve had enough of boring professors and waitlist frustrations, bookstore angst and dining-hall chicken fingers. But it hasn’t been all bad. You’ve scored some free Aggie ice cream and rocked out to some killer bands, scored some free trinkets on the quad and even found that “special someone” (although, I hate to break it to you, chances are you’ll never see him or her again after next week). Heck, you’ve even got your Aggie game-day shirt, and have roamed the TSC humming “The Scotsman”. Yes, sir, September has arrived, and with it, the college football season.
There’s only one problem: But, before you write off the three-month marathon of college football which I affectionately refer to as “pure, unadulterated awesomeness,” know that you can enjoy all the highs of this fall rite of passage without leaving the comfort of your dorm room bean bag chair. Not that I endorse such weekend lethargy, of course, but coming from the East Coast, I can appreciate the interest you may have in other universities’ teams.
Fortunately, this season figures to offer plenty of excitement for fans with interests as diverse as a multicultural expo. For the college football enthusiast like me, the season we’re about to embark upon isn’t just a nice distraction from verb conjugations and statistical equations, it’s a holiday. Like Christmas, you could say, except without the eggnog and that crazy uncle. So, without further ado, I present to you my A-Z viewers guide for the 2010 college football season. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
A is for Aggies. But not just the USU Aggies. Did you know that there are two other Aggie teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)? Watch out for the Texas A&M Aggies, who field one of the nation’s best quarterbacks in Jerrod Johnson, and could knock Texas off its perch in the Big 12 south.
B is for Brigham Young University, which will play its final year in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) this season. The Cougars will travel to play USU before a nationally televised audience on ESPN Oct. 1.
C is for conference expansion, and the hope that it’ll hit the back burner once the season kicks off. Watching dudes tackle each other is so much more exciting than talking about which conference dudes might be tackling each other two to three years down the road.
D is for Dobbs, as in Ricky Dobbs. The Navy quarterback broke Tim Tebow’s single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback last season (27), and returns for his senior season to lead the best Navy team in decades. He’s not just a Heisman trophy dark horse; he’s an aspiring politician who wants to be President someday.
E is for ESPN3.com, which I will be glued to for the next three days. The website, which is free to view on campus computers, allows you to watch just about every game televised throughout the country. You have no idea how many dates I’ve turned down to devote my Friday night to watching Villanova vs. Temple.
F is for the Florida Gators, who’ll enter a brave, post- Tim Tebow, new world this season. Can QB John Brantley lead the 4th-ranked Gators to an SEC title? We’ll find out Oct. 2 when coach Urban Meyer’s squad takes on defending champ Alabama.
G is for Georgia Tech and the great job Paul Johnson has done in making the ACC school relevant again. As a no-nonsense offensive innovator, Johnson’s flexbone, triple-option offense won two national titles at Georgia Southern. Is this the year he proves it can do the same at the FBS level?
H is for hot seat, and the coaches who’ll have to come up with winning seasons this year to save their jobs. Dan Hawkins’ chair is burning up in Colorado, while Maryland could part ways with Ralph Friedgen if the Terps can’t come up with a bowl berth this season.
I is for idiot, a term you’ll likely be using many times throughout the season. Most often this will come in references to players, coaches, and officials. Eventually you’ll even use it to describe yourself, especially after you’ve invested an entire day of watching football only to see your favorite team go down worse than the French in World War II.
J is for Joker Phillips, the first-year head coach at Kentucky. Don’t look now, but he’s already injected an infectious enthusiasm into the middle-of-the-road program, which could sneak up on SEC heavyweights this year.
K is for Kellen Moore, who might just be the best quarterback in the country, regardless of conference. Moore, who threw for 3,536 yards and 39 touchdowns with just three interceptions in 2009, will be the key for Boise State when they take on Virginia Tech on Monday in an opener with national title implications. You can catch the game at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
L is for Leach, the mad-man of west Texas. Mike Leach, aside from being a pirate enthusiast and all-around weirdo, was the coach of Texas Tech before being fired last season, but will take his off-the-cuff and dry sense of humor to the airwaves for CBS College Sports.
M is for Montana, a Football Bowl Championship school and perennial national title contender. The Griz open the year as the second-ranked Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team, and are led by senior running back Chase Reynolds.
N is for Nebraska, a team many people feel should easily win the Big 12 north and could even make a run at a national title. The Cornhuskers will play their final year in the Big 12 this year before moving to the Big 10 in 2011. Head coach Bo Pelini is a defensive mastermind, but the team will have to replace one of the most dominant defenders in its history with the loss of Ndamukong Suh.
O is for Ohio State, or as they like to say in Columbus, THE Ohio State University. The Buckeyes enter the year second in both the AP and Coaches poll, but they’ll have to get by strong-looking Iowa and Wisconsin teams in order to win the Big 10 and have a shot at a national title.
P is for procrastination. I consider this an essential skill for a college student who wishes to enjoy the weekend’s gridiron action, and despite whatever your professors may tell you, Shakespeare is quite OK with you spark-noting his masterful plays if it means having the chance to watch your favorite team pull the upset of the century.
Q is for Quizz Rogers, whose real name is Jazquizz. The 5’7” Oregon State running back might be small in stature, but he’s one of the most electrifying playmakers in the country. He ran for over 1,400 yards and 21 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2009, and gives the Beavers their first legitimate Heisman trophy candidate in years.
R is for rankings, and the obsession we all have with them. Whether it be the AP poll, the Coaches poll, or the all-important BCS Rankings, the votes cast and formulas derived from them will determine who plays for a national title come January.
S is for strong safeties, and the talented crop of players at the position in 2010. Iowa’s Tyler Sash is known for his big play ability and ball-hawking skills, while Buffalo’s Davonte Shannon has the tendency to launch his body at people with all the fury of a cruise missile. And don’t forget about Boise State’s Jeron Johnson, whose bone-shattering hits give pause to any WAC receiver who dares to go over the middle.
T is for tough schedules. According to Phil Steele magazine, Iowa State will play the toughest schedule in 2010, facing teams with a combined winning percentage of 63.4% from 2009. According to Steele, USU will play the nation’s 65th toughest schedule this season.
U is for underdogs. We always pull for them. Except, of course, when they’re named Utah or Boise State.
V is for Verne Lundquist, the classic voice of play-by-play for SEC conference games on CBS. Quite simply, Lundquist is one of the best broadcasters to ever take to the airwaves.
W is for Wannstache, or the mustache sported by Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt. Reason enough to watch the Big East preseason favorites, if you ask me.
X is for Xavier, a Catholic university in Cincinnati and member of the Big East conference. Xavier does not have a football team, but you try thinking of a word in the college football lexicon which starts with “x”.
Y is for youth movement. Among the many things to watch from USU this year will be how the team’s redshirt freshmen and sophomores do. Because of injuries, the Aggies will need a number of young players to step up, including sophomore running back Kerwynn Williams
Z is for Zach Collaros, the exciting junior quarterback from the University of Cincinnati. He came off the bench to lead the Bearcats to a win over South Florida after starter Tony Pike got hurt last year, and never looked back. He led the team to four wins while throwing for 10 touchdowns and only two picks, but can he build on a strong sophomore campaign without former coach Brian Kelly at the helm? We’ll find out on Saturday, when Cincinnati travels to play Fresno State.
Well, there you have it. And just in case anyone is wondering, I did in fact have to sing the ABCs to myself several times while coming up with this list. And in case you’re also wondering, I’m not exactly sold on Temple and Villanova, so any ladies out there feel free to drop me a line.
Adam Nettina is a senior majoring in history, and member of the Football Writers Association of America. While not watching college football, Adam can be found in the Statesman office making paninis.He can also be reached at adam.nettina@aggiemail.usu.edu.