College Football Overtime (cont.)

Spreading the field

• Georgia's season got off to a pleasant start Saturday with a 55-7 rout of Louisiana-Lafayette highlighted by new coordinator Todd Grantham's dominant defense. But a storm suddenly hovers over Athens, as star receiver A.J. Green has been sidelined by an ongoing NCAA investigation. Georgia coach Mark Richt remains mum on the subject, but indications are the probe has expanded beyond the infamous South Beach agent party (which Green has said he did not attend).

QB Murray's debut among key Week 1 moments

• Late Saturday, I listened to an ESPN News anchor repeatedly say the name Kenjon "Barmer" during a highlight package from Oregon's 72-0 rout of New Mexico. The sophomore who ran up 207 rushing/receiving yards and five touchdowns in the first half is named Kenjon Barner, last seen running for 64 yards in the Rose Bowl. When LaMichael James returns from suspension next week at Tennessee, Ducks coach Chip Kelly has plans to put both on the field.

• With the Big 12's decorated quarterback crop of the past few years off to the NFL, it's time to make way for the runners. Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter (257 yards, four TDs vs. Washington State), Kansas State's Daniel Thomas (234 yards, including a back-breaking 35-yard score with 58 seconds left) and Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray (218 yards on 35 carries against Utah State) notched the three highest rushing totals of the weekend (through Sunday).

Hunter among top performers from Week 1

• After their team's nearly disastrous collapse against North Carolina, LSU fans can at least take heart knowing what an absolute stud they have in cornerback Patrick Peterson, who set a school record with 244 return yards -- in the first half. It's also no coincidence he was on the bench when the Tar Heels began their comeback from a 30-10 deficit on a 97-yard touchdown pass from T.J. Yates to Jheranie Boyd. "I guess [the coaches] thought we had a comfortable lead," said Peterson.

• Speaking of Yates, his unexpected 412-yard, three-touchdown performance -- six yards short of a game-winning drive -- makes you wonder just how good this UNC team could be had scandals not decimated its roster. Not to rain on the Heels' moral victory parade, but the NCAA situation figures to only get worse, as evidenced by defensive line coach John Blake's resignation Sunday. What was supposed to be UNC's strength -- the defense -- has become a nightmare.

• Two presumptuously early candidates for All-America defensive ends: Missouri's Aldon Smith, the reigning Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year, had 10 tackles, three for loss (including two sacks) against Illinois, while Purdue's Ryan Kerrigan -- third nationally in sacks last season -- had seven tackles, 2.5 TFLs, a forced fumble and seemingly a zillion hurries against Notre Dame. I'm sure somewhere, Iowa's Adrian Clayborn is laughing at the suggestion.

• Last winter's two highest-rated running back recruits wasted no time making an impact at their respective SEC schools. Auburn's Michel Dyer ran for 95 yards on 14 carries against Arkansas State, while South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore scored twice against Southern Miss. I've been skeptical of Auburn's preseason hype, but there's no question its offense could be scary. Former Florida quarterback Cam Newton ran for 171 yards and threw for another 186 and three touchdowns in the Tigers' 52-26 win over their Sun Belt foe.

• It looked like old times at Nebraska's Memorial Stadium -- with a quarterback running the ball more than he threw it. In his first start, redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez dashed for 127 yards (highest by a Huskers QB since the Frank Solich era) and three touchdowns in a 49-10 romp of Western Kentucky. To rev up last year's horrific offense, Huskers coach Bo Pelini has committed to the quarterback run game. "[Martinez] can execute any part of the game," he said.

• I did a double take a couple weeks ago when I saw Louisville running back Bilal Powell -- who'd never previously run for even 400 yards in a season -- on the Doak Walker Award preseason watch list. But the senior broke an 80-yard touchdown and finished with 153 yards on 16 carries in the Cardinals' 23-16 loss to Kentucky, which, coupled with a surprisingly strong defensive performance, gives Louisville fans some hope to start the Charlie Strong era.

• Washington launched an extensive preseason Heisman campaign for Jake Locker -- including sending him on two East Coast media junkets -- but ultimately, it's up to the senior quarterback to distinguish himself. Against BYU, Locker delivered another solid (20-of-37, 266 yards) but unspectacular performance in a 23-17 loss to the Cougars. That's mincemeat in the QB-rich Pac-10, where Arizona's Nick Foles, for one, went 32-of-37 for 360 yards in a 41-2 rout at Toledo.

• Ruffin McNeill got passed over at Texas Tech. Dominique Davis wore out his welcome at Boston College. Together, both coach and quarterback enjoyed quite the dramatic debut at their new school, East Carolina. Davis' Hail Mary pass to 6-8 receiver Justin Jones gave the Pirates a 51-49 win over Tulsa on Sunday. McNeill clearly brought Mike Leach's passing offense with him from Lubbock: Davis, briefly BC's 2008 starter, was 27-of-46 for 383 yards and five touchdowns.

• The Brian Kelly-to-Butch Jones transition at Cincinnati might not be as seamless as I anticipated. Zach Collaros and the Bearcats got off to a fast start against Fresno State with two early touchdowns, but the Bulldogs shut them out the rest of the way, holding the previously prolific offense to 241 total yards and collecting eight sacks -- three less than the Bulldogs had all of last season.

• The first game of the Jimbo Fisher era Saturday against Samford included some impressive numbers (the 59-6 score, Christian Ponder's four TDs on 12 completions) and one noticeable sore spot: 15,000 empty seats.

• Champ Bailey II? On Saturday Georgia's Branden Smith became the first Bulldog since Bailey in 1998 to start on offense (receiver), defense (cornerback) and special teams (punt returns).

• Heck of a debut for Cal's true freshman receiver Keenan Allen. The five-star recruit notched 120 yards on four catches in a 52-3 win over UC-Davis.

• I would say Kansas' ghastly 6-3 loss to North Dakota State marked a dark day for Jayhawks fans, but with the Northern Iowa hoops upset, a ticket-scalping scandal, a disgraced athletic director ... is it even in the top five this year?