Monday Morning Football Review…More to Come

Pleasant Monday to all after the first full-on weekend of football. Niiiice. Later on, a more in-depth look at my fairly miserable opening afternoon at The Meadowlands (at least the time spent in the seats) and more. For now, a quick look back at the games I dubbed on Friday as the “10 to watch” and what we learned (today’s comments in blue).

10. Nebraska at Wake Forest (Sat, Noon ESPN): Let’s see if the Cornhuskers are ready to contend for a top 10 spot at season’s end with Keller at the helm for Calahan.
Ok, so I may have been a little premature on the top-10 hinting for the ‘Huskers. They looked incredibly pedestrian against a Wake Forest team that should have been overmatched. More importantly, it’s USC week in Lincoln. Can you say turning point game? Regardless of outcome, this will dictate the rest of the year for the folks in Corn Nation. Even if Nebraska loses but tests SC, expect a Big 12 North title. A bad loss at home and things may easily spiral downward.

9. Oregon at Michigan (Sat, 3:30 ABC): One could argue the App. St. loss may have a domino effect that changes Wolverines football for the next decade. I think this game could speak just as loudly to the future of the team, the coach and the program.
Uhhhh…wow. Yep, think this one told us a lot about the 2007-08 Michigan Wolverines. I understand that coaches in today’s age bear the brunt after disastruous starts like this and they no doubt should (I would recommend for Lloyd to step down). But let’s not let the kids completely off the hook, here. There IS some talent on this Michigan team. What does it say about their character that this is how they come out after App. St.?

On another topic (that deserves more attention later), who does Dennis Dixon remind you of? Maybe it’s the number 10 on his back, the long athletic body…but that fake statue of liberty play where he glided into the endzone? If that didn’t bring to mind Vince Young, I’m not sure you were watching.

Finally, talk about seeing what you’re all about…After an absolutely brutal loss in triple overtime in College Station to the Aggies, Fresno St. heads to Eugene to face a hot Ducks team and Dixon. Ouch.

8. Steelers at Browns (Sun, 1:00): Sure, it’s not the sexiest game on the docket but I believe two things will be set in motion starting with this AFC Central match up. First, the beginning of a long tenure for Mike Tomlin as head man for the Still-ers. And the first murmurs for Brady Quinn to officially take control of signal-calling for the Browns, and the direction of the organization.
Erie’s Scribe will no doubt have a bit more on this one later in the week, but I’m of the mind both of the above assertions were confirmed. Not that a victory over the Browns makes you Bill Cowher, but I really like Tomlin on the sidelines in the ‘Burgh for a long time. And, as for Brady, WHY THE HELL NOT? Or are the Browns just waiting to open the season 1-4 before calling it quits. Seriously, here are the following games for Cleveland: Bengals, at Oakland, Baltimore, at New England. No way they get out of this stretch better than 1-4, right? So why not throw the kid in there?

7. Falcons at Vikings (Sun, 1:oo p.m.): Two of a handful of teams with huge questions at the QB position. Should either or both falter, let the grumblings begin in the Twin Cities and Hotlanta.
Grumblings from Atlanta courtesy of The Falcoholic, the premier Falcons blog out there. You’ve got to love a post entitled “Falcons at Vikings Recap: That Sucked.” Very much the way I felt following the Pats dismantling of the Jets.

6. Patriots at Jets (Sun, 1:00): I’ll be in section 339 for what may be the beginning of a farewell season for Chad Pennington. Just a hunch. Also intrigued to see a new face in the backfield after years of Curtis.
More on this later, but this was almost prophetic, huh? Or maybe it was…

5. TCU at Texas (Sat, 7:00 p.m.): At home. Under the lights. If the ‘Horns don’t show up against the Horned Frogs it will not take long for those Mack Brown bashers to suddenly reappear out of nowhere, contract extension notwithstanding.
And let them all once again join together in proudly singing the “Eyes of Texas.” So much for TCU being “this year’s Boise St.” Are we ever going to be able to take a team called the Horned Frogs seriously in the context of BCS discussions? I’m not.

4. Miami at Oklahoma (Sat, Noon ABC): We’ll see just how ready Randy Shannon has his team. One can’t knock what will be more than an average test than opening up in Norman.
This was a real test. Miami failed.

3. Notre Dame at Penn St. (Sat, 6:00 p.m. ESPN): Jimmy Clausen is heading into a “white out” staged by 102,000 in Happy Valley. Should Penn St. dominate mark down Oct. 13 home game vs. Wisconsin to determine if a Big Ten team could actually make some noise in the BCS championship discussion. It’s not that crazy to imagine.
Two observations. First, Penn St. is not as good as I thought. Anthony Morelli needs to get a lot better. They have some weopans, and I still think they could be undefeated come 10/13 vs. Wisconsin. Second, Notre Dame is worse than I thought. Their offense is putrid and it’s not going to get better quickly. Over-under on season wins? 4? 5? 3?

2. Ravens at Bengals (Mon, 7:00): The first of another opening Monday double-dip. Whuddathunk a few seasons ago this would be a must-see of the opening week in the NFL. A chance to find out if the Bengals are ready to make the leap. I think they are.
TBD

1. Va Tech at LSU (Sat, 9:30 p.m. ESPN): What you got Hokies? Scenes like this in Blacksburg have always given me chills. It’s automatic. The atmosphere in Baton Rouge will rival, if not surpass. Add the emotion of it all and the planned pre-game ceremonies and this is one of those games you mark down on the calendar that has the potential to be one of “the games” of the college football season.
Unfortunately, this one did not live up to the hype. Dan Shanoff questions any who don’t have LSU at the top of their polls, and I don’t disagree with him.