Week 1 recap

Not a lot to speculate about yet, since week 1 was mostly cupcakes and tune up games.  But still a few notes on the long opening weekend.

The good:
-Boise State lost to Michigan State.  This takes them out of the conversation, at least for the first half of the season.  I don't think they were ever as good as they thought they were, and certainly not this year after losing several key players.
-Le'Veon Bell.  The boy can run.  I was glad to see Michigan State figure out a winning game plan in the second half - hand the ball to Bell and let him find the end zone.
-After seeing just the first 22 minutes of the Oregon game, it is clear to see how Marcus Mariota won the starting QB job.  After leading the team to a 50-3 lead with 8 minutes in the second quarter, Mariota was benched, and the rest of the game became a preseason game.
-A 70% chance of rain does mean a 30% chance of not raining.  Fortunately, Lane Stadium was blessed with the 30% during the first ever home overtime game for Virginia Tech.

The bad:
-Quarterbacks that give up at the wrong moments.  Two cases for this -- Ohio vs. Penn State, end of the first half.  Ohio runs the clock down to 2 seconds and calls timeout, enough time for one fourth down play without fear of Penn State getting the ball back.  After the Ohio QB picks up a first down, he opts to slide.  Not the time to give up on a run.  Second case -- Bowling Green vs. Florida, fourth quarter.  Bowling Green had already lost, but had enough time to at least score and cut down Florida's lead.  However, the QB runs the ball on fourth down, and instead of taking a chance of getting the first down, runs out just shy.  Two bonehead moves.
-Questionable official calls.  There was a blatant pass interference not called in the South Carolina-Vanderbilt game.  And then there was the lack of a flag when GT knocked down VT's punter.  ESPN thought it was because the punter was knocked down by his own teammate...but that player was pushed by a GT player, who I think also had contact with the punter.

Very few conference games this weekend, so even though most of them will have big implications later, it's still too early in the season to determine who's got a shot at what.

My personal top 5 after week 1:
1.) Alabama
2.) Oregon
3.) USC
4.) LSU
5.) West Virginia

Alabama beat a quality opponent, which is more that most teams can say in this first week.
Oregon was up 50-3 halfway through the second quarter.  Granted, it wasn't the best opposition, but Arkansas State isn't a real pushover.
USC and LSU won as expected, but didn't do anything flashy.
West Virginia dropped 69 points on Marshall, who also isn't a pushover.

I have Oklahoma State at 6.  84 points against an FCS school isn't all that impressive, except for when you find out that they had their fourth string in the game.

Next week...more tune ups, and the SEC welcomes it's two newest members.