On the way to work this morning I hoped that the Trojans would end up #1 in the polls, but I didn't think that they would. I understand fully why powerhouse teams take on non-BCS opponents at the start of the season (and, as a UCONN basketball fan, I'd be a hypocrite to criticize these teams. UCONN plays a number of lower level teams from CT to start each season. I'm surprised they don't play Trinity or Conn. College), but I think there should be more risk involved.
You could make an argument that Georgia and Ohio State didn't do anything this weekend to warrant being demoted, and you'd be right. The fact that these teams entered the season ranked 1 and 2, respectively, means that the experts believed that they were the two best teams in college football before the season began. They dominated their week 1 opponents convincingly, and left little doubt that they are, unlike some others (CLEMSON!), as good as the hype says. The Chris Wells injury aside, there is no reason to believe that these two teams aren't still national championship contenders. So, is it right that they should now sit behind USC in the rankings? Not only is it right, it's the way things must be if we can ever hope to get as much excitement as possible out of these non-conference matchups. It's right, but it isn't enough. Alabama should be #2 right now. South Carolina should be somewhere in the top 10.
The truth of the matter is that USC dominated a respectable team from a BCS conference, beating them by a larger margin than either Georgia or Ohio State beat their doormat opponents (and, i don't mean any disrespect to Georgia Southern or Youngstown State. But I don't think that they would argue what I'm trying to say). Georgia and Ohio State won convincingly, but we still don't really know just HOW good they are (but we'll find out soon). The Trojans, after just one week, have put to rest any questions about their prowess this season. There were questions about Mark Sanchez' knee. There were questions about the fact that they had so few offensive starters returning. Rather than allowing themselves to warm up, the Trojans opted to put these questions to rest immediately.
Now, I'm not saying that I thought Virginia would beat USC. But, it is a team from the ACC. USC did travel all the way across the country to play. They had the questions that I have mentioned, the Sanchez question looming the largest. If there was any team with reason to soften up the front of their schedule, this was it. But, they didn't. Now, they have been rewarded.
I understand why teams from major conferences schedule easy non-conference opponents. I especially understand in the case of Georgia. Most I-A teams will not see a single team as tough as the weakest SEC opponent on the Dawgs schedule. But, I'm a fan. I don't want to watch this crap. Because of that, I think there should be a certain amount of risk with scheduling weak teams. In this case, there clearly was. On top of that, I think that teams who are willing to take on tougher opponents early on should be given more allowance at season's end (for example, Clemson should not have to feel like their title hopes are dead. If they do, then they're just going to start scheduling cupcakes to start the season from here on out).
There is nothing better than watching two college rivals play each other. unfortunatly, every week can be Georgia/Florida or Michigan/Ohio State. The next best thing, in my opinion, is seeing games between strong teams from different conferences. Alabama/Clemson, Illinois/Missouri, and Tennessee/UCLA were all examples of this. The NCAA should be encouraging teams to schedule these games as often as they can. It's the best thing for the sport. USC's spot at number 1 today was a step in the right direction. The message is clear. We're not impressed by watching you steamroll doormats. If you're really that good, show us.
And, while we're at it, why isn't Alabama #2? Georgia beats Southern by 24 and the Crimson Tide beat the #9 team in the country by the exact same margin and they can't even crack the top 5? As I said, the Trojans moving to 1 was a step in the right direction. But, it wasn't enough. USC at 1 was always a possibility. Alabama at 1 was not. But, if you want to play Georgia Southern while Alabama plays a top ten team, then you should be at risk to be overtaken by Alabama. That's the only way we're going to get a kick-ass opening week.
I move that week 1 should not be just a week of borderline scrimmages for most teams. The start of the college football season is an event to be celebrated, and the best way to do this is by filling it with games that people want to watch.
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