College Football Openers and NFL's Gear Up to Start: 10 Things I Think

1.  Oregon State flat out did not show up against Eastern Washington...  on the defensive side of the ball.  Were looking at a defense that lost CB Jordan Poyer, a few DTs and a LB on the defensive core.  What in the hell happened to this defense that allowed for Eastern Washington's offensive slaughter of this defense?  Dual threat QB's have done well against the Beavers in the past 5 years, and Vernon Adams was no exception, compiling over 500 total yards of offense in the Eagles' win.  The Beaver defense made him look like a Heisman candidate (I am aware he is in the FCS- this was just to make a point.  But was he not one of the most impressive players you saw this past weekend?)  Scott Crichton was a ghost- a player widely thought of as a potential first round pick.  Offensively, I am optimistic about the season's outlook.  Sean Mannion and Brandon Cooks had great days, and look like a very potent connection come Pac-12 conference play.  Storm Woods will be dependable running the ball.  Even the offensive line- a weakness over the past few years- looked good.  All of this should be taken with a grain of salt.  EWU's defense was nothing to brag about.  The offensive repetitions will help the Beavers as they progress to teams who, theoretically, pose a bigger threat than EWU was perceived to be.  Offense won't be the issue this year- it is the defense.  Drastic adjustments in mindset- and potentially starters- need to be made.

2.  7 FCS schools beat FBS teams in their openers.  AMAZING!  I love it.  Underdogs give the sport unpredictability that increases the excitement.  How awesome would an NCAA Tournament look involving conference champions of both FBS and FCS schools look?  I know it will never happen (cross your fingers), but the sheer excitement over potential upsets would be fun to watch.  Consequently, pairing FCS schools with top 10 schools may not be ideal, but then the "playoff" idea would be portrayed anyways.  A fun idea.

3.  At Hockey games, the "Three Stars" are given to top performers in the game.  Here are my "Three Stars" for this weekend's games.

1. Vernon Adams QB/EWU (411 passing yds, 107 rushing yds, 6 total TDs)
2. Jameis Winston QB/Florida St (25/27, 356 yds, 4 TDs, 1 rushing TD)
3. Christion Jones WR/Alabama (72 yd punt return TD, 94 yd kickoff return TD, 38 yd TD catch)

4. The SEC looks strong- but not unbeatable.  Georgia couldn't get past Clemson, and they were supposed to be a premier team.  South Carolina, LSU and Florida looked good, but beatable.  Alabama looked great- and like the top team in the country- but I don't think they are completely assured of an undefeated season.  Given the lack of depth in the conference, however, the SEC will, again, put up the best records.  That said, I'm not sure you can already give the SEC the title of "Best Conference" just yet.  See below...

5.  I am optimistic about the strength of the Pac-12.  Oregon showed they still have a potent offense- albeit against Nicholls State.  Stanford didn't play.  UCLA and USC took care of business.  Washington destroyed a Boise State team that many thought would have a great season.  California put up a fight against a very good Northwestern team.  Even Washington State looked like it could beat Auburn.  This conference may be the strongest- in terms of depth- in the country.  At the same time, they could all beat up on each other, which hurts the conference in the national picture. 

6.  Johnny Manziel is obnoxious.  He is the anti-Tim Tebow (By that I mean he is a fantastic college QB with a questionable transition to the professional level, and opposite morals).  He is GREAT for TV and news.  Is there a more polarizing player in ANY sports league right now?  His antics may be repulsive to some, but he is entertaining.  I am intrigued to see the ballad of Manziel play out.

7.  This week I went 17-3.  2 ranked teams had already played, and Stanford was idle.

8.  For some NFL- the Seahawks made some intriguing cuts.  The most surprising had to be FB Michael Robinson and WR Chris Harper.  Robinson is coming off of a Pro-Bowl, and has been the lead blocker for Lynch every year in Seattle.  Pete Carroll has decided to hand the reigns over to Derrick Coleman and Spencer Ware at FB.  Call me skeptical- I think Robinson could have helped the team more in the present.  Harper is now a 49er, and we wasted our 4th round pick.  The Seahawks have a need at WR still- albeit not a major one- and I hope the loss of Harper doesn't come back to bite us.

9.  I feel bad for Matt Flynn.  For the second time in 2 years, he was brought in to be a starter, only to be beaten out for the job- this time by Terrell Pryor.  I would start Flynn if I were the Raiders, but they may be trying to achieve similar success as other teams who switched to dual threat QBs.  This trend is not going anywhere anytime soon.  QBs coming in- such as Manziel, Mariota and Bridgewater to a lesser extent- the next few drafts are all capable of running the ball.  Watch out, NFL, the landscape of QBs is changing.

10.  Not football related- but basketball.  If you ever play- or have played- pickup basketball, you will be able to relate to this video.  Relax and enjoy!

Follow on twitter @ZRey12