Week 1 Preview: Yawn

The 2007 RT2020-proclaimed National Champions, I've called it since December, begin would should prove a short trek to the Superdome by opening with a conference tilt on the road. Rather than feasting on some significantly inferior in-state school, the Bayou Bengals journey to Starkville and then (gasp) host the much-hyped Virginia Tech Hokies in a major statement game at Rouge.

Of course, anyone who remembers LSU's last roadie to a Mississippi locale may think twice before booking a "W" against Sylvester Croom's Bulldogs. On the other hand, Matt Flynn did not start that game. Moving on...

I'm trying my best, yet I cannot even get excited for the California-Tennessee game, between a slightly above-average Pac-10 school and a slightly above-average (yet the most dangerous underdog in the country) SEC counterpart. Yet, we have no other games matching ranked teams. Are any of them likely to lose?

Our long national nightmare is over. Florida State will no longer play Miami in a made-for-TV opening night clash, instead, the supposedly resurging Seminoles (yes, I'm guilty, your honor) charge into Howard's old lair for a bout with the always intriguing Clemson Tigers. Labor Day Bobby just cannot stay away, but this year he may finally have a team worthy of the national spotlight. Let's face it, two BCS bowl appearances aside (both losses) FSU hasn't been FSU since an unfathomable late summer flogging in Chapel Hill in 2001 and their once-invincibility at home (The OBC never won there) crashed shortly thereafter. For those of my generation, who grew up with Florida State always in the Top 5, the last FIVE years have provided something of an education. Namely, dominance is not guaranteed to last forever and overall conference improvement will diminish if not displace the once-King.

Shouldn't this crew reach 9-0, and don't they always topple Virginia Tech? Winning in Gainesville is always dicey, only special (1993, 1999) rosters do it. Given the debacle of their last trip to Death Valley, one would think the 'Noles are primed and focused this time. Of course, their offense has yet to resemble the Mark Richt-juggernaut that rolled up 500 yards without issue since the humiliation Oklahoma sent the Georgia coach in-waiting out the door in the 2000 title game. Chris Rix failed to reach even the levels of Thad Busby, let alone Charlie Ward, Danny Kannell, and Chris Weinke.

It seems this post has degenerated into an FSU preview, yet what else is there to say? Five TD tosses for Colt Brennan at the unwatchable hour of 12:05 AM on the East Coast? Purdue traveling to the Glass Bowl is interesting. Despite not making the best of a two-year absence from Ohio State and Michigan, the Boilermakers may have the stuff to play on January 1, 2008. Joe Tiller likely needs a nine-win season to maintain job security, and Curtis Painter could challenge Chad Henne for All-Big 10 status. A good start against the usually formidable (remember 24-6 at State College some years back?) Rockets is requisite however.

Staying in the Big 10, Coach Tressel's old school arrives at the Shoe to commence the OSU faithful's therapy sessions made necessary by a 41-14 destruction at the hands of Florida. As already displayed, I don't see OSU, despite an All-America talent at running back, rising above the Top 15 in the country. I cannot, though, pick an Ohio school to bounce them, either. As another has put it, Troy Smith is dead. The 2007 season will go a long way to fully ascertaining his legacy as perhaps the greatest Buckeye ever. If OSU rolls to another eleven win season (which would make five in six years), the memories of 3-0 (no explanation required) #10 will fade into the nothingness of a 4/14 outing in a muggy Glendale night. If eight or fewer wins result, we will truly know the special (particularly for an OSU QB) value of Smith.

Perhaps Michigan's greatest concern in the Appalachian State game is whether Coach Lloyd Carr will provide Mike Hart enough playing time to put up his first of many Heisman days. True, #20 will win the award against four opponents, but the PSU '94 precedent exists. Outside of a 63-14 a__-kicking of Ohio State, the marvelous first-team Penn State offense frequently found itself on the sidelines in the second half in decided ballgames, including, to their eternal regret, in Bloomington. RT2020 believes this helped cost Ki-Jana Carter the Heisman Trophy, awarded instead to another All-America back with greater numbers. May history repeat itself? These are the kind of games where a 200-yard day could get Hart some national attention, which he is going to need to wrestle away the trophy from RBs of higher notoriety.

Speaking of Michigan men, well once upon a time anyway, Jim Harbaugh makes his Stanford debut against UCLA, the latter is perhaps destined for an eleven win year whilst the former is likely destined for a fitty-point loss to USC. Will the Bruins slip up? A 13-9 bruising of #2 USC did a lot to erase their soft image, best exemplified in an inability to stop Edgerrin James in a championship dream-ending defeat in Coral Gables nine years ago. Few teams have underachieved like UCLA in the last decade, is a return to handicapped space parking required? Quips aside, the Rose Bowl inhabitants cannot drop this game, lest Pete Carroll become convinced he actually has to prepare for the Cardinal.

The last mildly interesting game for me is Ron Zook's Illini hosting Missouri in Champagne. Last year, Illinois attracted national attention with its "mere" seven-point loss to #1 Ohio State, and its flashy, quick backfield may improve quite a bit this autumn. If Juice Williams and the rest of the promising (Could they go 8-4? Yes.) Illini are going to have that breakthrough season, which would lead a few to go overboard and predict a 2008 conference title, beating the usually solid Tigers by a healthy margin will have to be that first step.

So, while Louisiana State and Florida State have the most interesting openers, we cannot, in all honestly, eagerly anticipate the first week. True, if LSU falls behind, the boys from Austin and Morgantown could snatch their Not Sugar ticket, and then we would have some drama. With the caveat that I've proven spectacularly wrong before, I see 2007 as perhaps the least volatile campaign since 2004. Both the Tigers and the Wolverines simply have the players and the schedules to reach N'Orleans. The weakness of the Big 12 (and their own schedule) removes Texas from consideration. I also don't buy that anyone in the Big East has the maturity to go unbeaten, either.

Shockingly, not a word on ole Southern Cal. Their first test to ESPN openly debating whether they could defeat 1995 Nebraska or 2001 Miami is just days away.