After a long, trying offseason for fans, relief is upon the nation with the kickoff of college football this week. Below are the five, must-see games and players to watch for the avid college football fan.
No. 3 Miami at Louisiana Tech The Hurricanes begin their quest for redemption following last season’s demise to Ohio State in the national championship in Ruston, La., today on ESPN at 6:45 p.m. Brock Berlin, a Shreveport native, returns to familiar soil as the leader of the Miami passing game, replacing fan favorite Ken Dorsey, who was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. Berlin has an impressive supporting cast, assuming Frank Gore returns to pre-injury form and Kellen Winslow II continues to live up to expectations. However, the Hurricanes will be crippled with the loss of starting linebacker Jonathan Vilma, sidelined by a hamstring injury. Luke McCown leads the Bulldogs, who finished 4-8 last season in the Western Athletic Conference. McCown finished 2002 with 3,539 yards passing and 19 touchdowns.
No. 11 Florida State at UNC
The ‘Noles come off a disappointing 9-5 season in 2002 with only four returning starters on offense, led by quarterback Chris Rix. The 9-5 finish was the worst for Florida State since 1983. Rix only mustered 1,684 passing yards last season to complement his 13 touchdown passes. Greg Jones, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s leading running back last season, looks to follow up on his 938-yard, eight-touchdown campaign from last season. The Heels are led by quarterback Darian Durant, who led the ACC in total offense in 2002. Durant accumulated 2,122 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, despite missing four games with a hand injury. North Carolina looks to bounce back from a dismal 3-9 record in 2002, in which they recorded only one ACC victory against the Duke Blue Devils.
Miami (OH) at No. 25 Iowa Senior Nathan Chandler must fill last season’s Heisman Trophy runner-up Brad Banks’ shoes at quarterback for Iowa this season. It may be a tall task for Chandler, with only four returning starters on the offensive side of the ball. But the Hawkeyes returning cast is impressive with the return of leading rusher Fred Russell and wideout Maurice Brown. Russell posted 1,264 yards rushing last season and nine touchdowns, while Brown hauled in 48 passes for 966 yards and 11 touchdowns. Senior quarterback Ben Roethlisberger leads the RedHawks, passing for 3,328 yards last season with 22 touchdowns. The RedHawks fell to Iowa, 29-24, last season despite Roethlisberger passing for 343 yards and two touchdowns.
No. 20 Wisconsin at
West Virginia
Junior tailback Anthony Davis leads the Badgers into Morgantown, W.Va., and is campaigning for his third straight 1,000-yard season after posting 1,555 yards in 2002, which is the ninth straight season the Badgers garnered a 1,000-yard rusher. Quarterback Jim Sorgi replaces the void left by Brooks Bollinger, Wisconsin’s all-time winningest quarterback, with 30 career victories at the helm. West Virginia must fill the void left by the departure of last season’s leading rusher Avon Cobourne. Cobourne, the Mountaineers’ all-time leading rusher, is survived by tailback Quincy Wilson, who posted 901 yards rushing in 2002 as Cobourne’s backup. Wisconsin defeated West Virginia 34-17 last season and leads the head-to-head series 3-0.
No. 19 Washington at No. 2 Ohio State
Mired in offseason scandals, both teams look to put the past in the rear view mirror as the defending champion Buckeyes welcome Washington to Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State’s star tailback Maurice Clarett faces a possible six-game suspension for tampering information after having a borrowed car broken into. Clarett also is being investigated for possible academic fraud. On the other side of the football, perennial Huskies’ head coach Rick Neuheisel got the ax after the school learned he participated in a high-priced NCAA basketball tournament pool. Regardless of the off-field issues, Ohio State looks to defend its national title led by senior quarterback Craig Krenzel, 15-1 as a starter for the Buckeyes. Maurice Hall and Lydell Betts fill the void left by Clarett in the backfield and talented two-way starter Chris Gamble returns to play wide receiver and cornerback for Ohio State. For the Huskies, Heisman hopeful quarterback Cody Pickett drives the Washington offense. Pickett threw for 4,458 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2002. Reggie Williams returns as Pickett’s favorite target after collecting 94 receptions for 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Two streaks are on the line this season, as the Buckeyes boast the longest current winning streak in the nation of 14 games and Washington has posted 26 consecutive non-losing record seasons.