First Impressions
Posted August 31, 2008, 10:59 AM ET

The first full weekend of college football is nearly complete (Tennessee is at UCLA on Monday night), and I'm already convinced of a number of things....

As you know by now, I hate pre-season polls in college football. They are totally irrelevant, since they are based on last year's late results and the number of returning starters. If there is a "poster child program" for my point, look no further than the Clemson Tigers.

Pre-season #9 and loaded with returning starters and talented skill guys....also look at the beating they took from 'Bama. It was men vs. boys...Saban vs. Bowden...SEC vs. ACC. I was fascinated with the match-up and I actually believed Clemson's staff was on the verge of figuring out the secret to being impressive in a big game.....wrong.

Tommy Bowden discussed after the game about his team being physically manhandled and how he was surprised at the intensity level of the Bama team and that it caught his guys off guard. Huh? How can a coaching staff of a presumably top program not have their guys jacked up for an opener against Bama in that environment? It tells you everything you need to know.

Nick Saban has his Crimson Tide on warp speed as they enter back into the SEC and national picture....and in the meantime, Tommy Bowden and the Tigers were humiliated on national television. While the Tigers try to recover from the embarrassing blowout, their national reputation is intact. Even if Clemson gets their act together and wins their beleaguered conference, nobody outside the region will respect it.

I'm also convinced after one weekend that ACC football is the worst that I've ever seen it. With the exception of Wake Forest beating up on a Big XII doormat (Baylor), the opening act was a futile attempt at "Big Boy" football.

Virginia Tech was beaten at their own game, in losing to East Carolina. The crowd and atmosphere in Charlotte was great, but a blocked punt doomed the Hokies late in the fourth quarter. When you watched the game and looked at the stats, you actually wondered how Virginia Tech was winning the game?

After watching Beamer's young team, you wonder how they can beat anyone with their quarterback and very mediocre skill players. Perhaps East Carolina made them look that way? Even so, Virginia Tech has represented the best of ACC football in the past few years, and right now, they look very ordinary.

I'll get to Skip Holtz and the Pirates later in Ripe Gripe....in the meantime, I want to maintain my tour of ACC football. I watched the Wahoos of Virginia get destroyed 52-7 at home to Southern Cal. That game and score was about what I expected.

Maryland was able to withstand Delaware....by a touchdown. Yawn.

Boston College beat Kent State...or is it Kent? Who cares?

Georgia Tech has Paul Johnson and his attempt to play football like it was 1940. Even though I love watching it, when it is executed to perfection.

The Sunshine State, home of Florida State and Miami, is still trying to find the magic of the 80's and 90's. The Noles open next week and Miami gets to see how they fare against the SEC when they play at the Florida Gators. Ouch..that's going to get ugly.

North Carolina, the latest cool pick by media members, rallied in the second half to beat McNeese State. It's a good thing the Heels jumped out to a two touchdown lead before the weather delay. But when you've got the rally caps on against McNeese State, it tells you everything you need to know. At least I get the sense that Butch Davis is bringing some talent to Chapel Hill....now if only the Heels can find the game ball.

It turns out the game ball for the UNCLE game was delivered by some skydivers who decided to land at Duke, instead....typical ACC.

On Saturday, I had a listener at Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium who captured the mishap on video. The most troubling aspect of this story? That on Saturday, I had a listener at Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium.

Let's give it up for Coach Cut and the Blue Devils....they have already matched last season's win total. The big win over James Madison is actually one of the few highlights for the conference.

Rumor has it NC State just found the South Carolina end zone. The game was played on Thursday night.

Last week, Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN was on my radio show and I mentioned to him that both the ACC and the Big Ten find themselves with a similar headache. Both leagues nationally have image problems. While the Big Ten endured losses this weekend to upper tier teams like Illinois, Michigan State and Michigan (again), nobody is close on the "ineptitude meter" to the Atlantic Coast Conference. At least the Big Ten has some clout with the Buckeyes, along with Wisconsin and Penn State. The ACC has Switzerland.

I mentioned to Herbstreit that the opening weekend was crucial to the ACC because they had the chance to be embarrassed. Little did I know the conference was this bad.

The Atlantic Coast Conference is a joke....and that's being kind.

A couple of notes, after watching games 'round the clock...

Skip Holtz has done a remarkable job in Greenville. His contract extension is well-deserved, and it shows the commitment that Terry Holland and the folks at East Carolina have for their football coach and program. If the Pirates continue to play and improve, there is no question that a CUSA title is in the immediate future. What else is in their immediate plans is a visit by the West Virginia Mountaineers this Saturday, and we're headed to G-Vegas on the Sun Drop Southern Fried Football™ Tour to check out the scene.

All summer long, I've fielded calls and emails from Appalachian State fans claiming that the upset in Ann Arbor was a precursor for what was going to transpire in Baton Rouge against LSU. I tried to explain to them that Tiger Stadium and the talent in place is a big difference from the Big House in Ann Arbor.

I love the ASU football story, but unfortunately, some of their fans think that winning in the FCS means you are entitled to believe that the next step FBS is a short hike. App State and Armanti Edwards found out that LSU plays a slightly different brand of football than Michigan or anything that they'll ever see in the Southern Conference.

They were punked. At least there are some positives for ASU....a half a million dollar check, and the ability to still win their national championship. Despite the blowout, the Mountaineers are still the best FCS program in the country.

I hope Ohio State's Beanie Wells is 100% healthy for the Southern Cal game in a few weeks. I can already hear Buckeye Nation lining up the excuses, in case he happens to be out or less than 100% for the big showdown in LA on September 13th.

How about some props to N.C. A&T? The Aggies ended their 27-game losing streak by smacking around Johnson C. Smith. It was their first win since October of 2005.

I loved UGa VII. Georgia introduced their newest mascot on Saturday, and he is awesome.

After watching the games this weekend, is it possible that the SEC could have the following teams:

Georgia, Florida, Auburn, LSU, Alabama and Tennessee

...all ranked in the Top 15?

After the opening weekend, there are three things that I hope I don't hear the rest of the college football season: