Last hurrah

Classics bow out as Ohio St. rises, FSU gets reality check

By Stewart Mandel, CNNSI.com

If only they’d had a few more opening weekends like this one back when it mattered, maybe the NCAA would have kept the so-called Classics around a while.

But alas, most years, the Eddie Robinson doesn’t come down to a stop at the 1-yard line as time runs out, of the Jim Thorpe to a last-second fumble. And for that, among other reasons, such events are going out the window next year. (Don’t fear, though, there’s still the Kickoff Classic next week. This one was first -- why’s it going last?)

One reason for so many memorable games is that, for once, they weren’t altogether sloppy. The offenses actually looked like they’d been practicing together longer than three weeks. The freshmen, particularly Ohio State’s Maurice Clarett, hardly looked like freshmen.

So, as we embark on the first full weekend, the Power Rankings change only slightly to reflect some impressions of the teams that already played.

College Football Power Rankings
Rank	LW		Team
1	1		Miami (FL) Hurricanes Maybe it’s from watching Ken Dorsey get his hair cut; more likely it’s from getting to see some of the competition, but after this past weekend I’m suddenly sold on Miami’s repeat chances more than ever. First game: Saturday vs. Florida A&M.
2	2		Texas Longhorns Amazingly, for once, the Longhorns seem to be flying under the radar this preseason, thanks to the media blitz surrounding rival Oklahoma. Somewhere, Mack Brown is beaming. First game: Saturday vs. North Texas.
3	3		Oklahoma Sooners Has any defensive player ever gotten so much pub following his freshman season than Tommie Harris? It speaks to just how many admirers the Sooners have for their innovative defensive system. First game: Friday at Tulsa.
4	5		Tennessee Volunteers The Vols suffered a tough blow last week, losing starting DE Constantin Ritzmann for the season, but that just means touted juco transfer Mondre Dickerson will have to step up quickly. First game: Saturday vs. Wyoming.
5	6		Florida Gators Gators fans are itching for their first peek at the new regime’s offense, but so is Miami. Ron Zook would be well-advised to keep a few things under wraps until that showdown. First game: Saturday vs. UAB.
6	10		Ohio St. Buckeyes Wow. It’s the only suitable word to describe not just rookie phenom Maurice Clarett but the Buckeyes’ entire performance against Texas Tech. The defense looks sufficiently stacked, and QB Craig Krenzel seems just fine. Next game: Sept. 7 vs. Kent State.
7	7		Colorado Buffaloes Considering the hurting Colorado State’s Cecil Sapp put on Virginia, the Buffs figure to get a good gauge right off the bat as to the improvement of last year’s somewhat soft defense. First game: Saturday vs. Colorado State.
8	4		Florida St. Seminoles It seems the ‘Noles were in such a hurry to declare themselves “back” that they forgot to play the second half against Iowa State. While there were plenty of bright spots, tackling was not one of them, and Chris Rix showed he’s still capable of ghastly lapses. Next game: Saturday vs. Virginia.
9	9		Washington St. Cougars The biggest thing working against Washington State right now might be overexposure, if that’s possible. Mike Price is great, but I swear if I hear one more reference to Dusty, Wash.’s population … First game: Saturday vs. Nevada.
10	8		Washington Huskies Rick Neuheisel’s goal must be to hurry up and get to Ann Arbor before anyone else gets injured. Fall camp has been rough, but one bright spot has been the strong return of troubled but talented WR Charles Frederick. First game: Saturday at Michigan.
11	13		Nebraska Cornhuskers It’s hard to say whether the Huskers looked good or Arizona State looked that bad. The defense seemed to be tougher, and Jammal Lord ran the offense just fine, though he doesn’t seem likely to become much of a game-breaker. Next game: Saturday vs. Troy State.
12	11		Oregon Ducks Jason Fife is apparently in firm control of the Ducks’ offense, which if it’s at all true should be scary for the Pac-10, what with Keenan Howry and Sammie Parker to work with. Defense? We’ll wait and see. First game: Saturday vs. Mississippi State.
13	12		Georgia Bulldogs The anticipation in the Peach State for Saturday’s opener has officially reached Jon Stinchcomb-esque proportions. At any given moment someone can be heard mentioning “1982” -- the year of Georgia’s last SEC title. First game: Saturday vs. Clemson.
14	15		Virginia Tech Hokies If you think 63-7 is bad, you should have seen the score at halftime: 56-0. While it’s silly to read too much into a game against Arkansas State, it’s worth noting that Lee Suggs showed no sign of having missed an entire season. Next game: Sunday vs. LSU.
15	14		LSU Tigers It will be a battle of dangerous rushing tandems when the Tigers meet Virginia Tech: Suggs and Kevin Jones vs. LSU’s LaBrandon Toefield and Domanick Davis. Yet the center of attention will be QB Matt Mauck. First game: Sunday at Virginia Tech.
16	--		Michigan Wolverines We’re so used to seeing the Wolverines fail to meet high expectations, this year’s relatively low preseason rankings may be favorable. The last time it was like this: the 1997 national championship season. First game: Saturday vs. Washington.

Dropped out: Maryland

CNNSI.com college sports writer Stewart Mandel will update his Power Rankings every Monday during the season. They will also serve as his ballot in the new Football Writers Association/Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll, beginning Sept. 30.

 

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