College Football Preview

51 days, 21 hours, 42 minutes, and 45, wait, 44 seconds until the moment I’ve been waiting for ever since the World Cup ended.

The moment when those gold helmets and blue jerseys will burst out of a tunnel in Atlanta, GA signaling the end of the dog days of summer and the commencement of the best 4 months of the year, college football season.

Now, I’m not going to say that my life revolves around sports… but counting down to this moment might have been the only thing that kept me going through the last few weeks of summer. The great thing about Notre Dame, though, is that I know I’m not the only one.

The only who’s dreaming of that perfect fall morning when I can stroll along the sun baked quad eating my brat with nothing to worry about other than how many touchdowns Brady’s going to throw against an overmatched Penn State secondary.

The only one who’s yearning for the return of College Gameday when Lee Corso will be on his hands and knees begging for the pardon of the Notre Dame faithful.

The only one who’s picturing the pandemonium erupting throughout the student section following the 4^th quarter touchdown against Michigan.

No my friends, this countdown is about more than the game itself. This is about the atmosphere that surrounds a fall Saturday in South Bend, both during the game and building up to it. The Notre Dame atmosphere is one of the most special things in the world of sport, and it’s what keeps students, alumni, and subway Domers alike coming back even during the 7-5 seasons.

Of course, the product Notre Dame will put on the field this year could alone put people in the seats. The offense figures only to improve with their second year of tutelage under Weis, and this is an offense coming off a season in which it averaged 36.7 points per game and 477 yards of total offense.

The defense has been the focal point of the off-season, and we all saw what Weis did with the offense after one year of focus.

And special teams… well, they’re not that important anyway.

To say that Irish fans don’t raise their expectations quickly would be equivalent to saying USC runs a clean program. This year, though, expectations appear to be justified.

It seems the only thing that can get me more excited for the 2006 season would be a preseason poll. So without further ado, I present to you the pre-season edition of Greg Arbogast’s completely biased, largely un-researched, and partially credible College Football Top 10 Plus 1 Rankings.

1) Notre Dame – Did you honestly expect me to put somebody else in the top spot? This isn’t even a biased ranking. Quinn, D-walk, Samardzija, Rhema. Opposing defensive coordinators will be having very sleepless nights this fall.

2) Florida – There’s a good vibe going through this state. Florida won the NCAA tournament, the Dolphins are primed to be serious contenders this year, and Florida hasn’t even been hit by a hurricane, yet…

3) Oklahoma – Adrian Peterson is the best college football player everyone completely forgot about. After rushing for 1,925 yards and making a serious run for the Heisman his freshman year, Peterson succumbed to injury and obscurity last season. Expect Adrian to reappear this year.

4) West Virginia – Steve Slaton ran for 1,128 yards and 17 touchdowns. Pat White finished with combined totals of 1,780 yards and 15 touchdowns. Both led their school to its first BCS victory in school history. What did you do your freshman year?

5) French “Football” Team – After Zidane’s headbutt against Italy, the French proved they might have learned a little something about American football. Who says France is anti-globalization?

6) Ohio State – They would be higher, but I just can’t stand that pompous little vest that Jim Tressel wears. I’m already praying for a Fiesta Bowl rematch.

7) Texas – Back up just one second, Vince Young wasn’t the only player on the Longhorns? And you’re saying that he won’t be on the team this year?

8) Auburn – How could I leave them out of my top 10 when a certain ‘qualified’ source has informed me that quarterback Brandon Cox is a more accurate passer than Brady Quinn.

9) Louisville – Brian Brohm is the best quarterback you’ve never heard of. Michael Bush (no relation to Reggie) is the best running back you’ve never heard of. They play in the Big East. Any more questions?

10) South Carolina – My surprise pick for the Top 10. Steve Spurrier was a disaster in the NFL, but boy can he ever coach college football.

119) USC – On the plus side for Trojan, USC is leading the nation in sexual assaults.