YCS - Week 1

Wow, what an eventful opening weekend in college football. From the stunning fall of Oklahoma and their Heisman candidate QB to the "resurgence" of two historic powers, we saw it all in the first week. So how do the YCS and the RSS Heisman Watch stack up after Week 1? Let's start with the real top 10, as always, we're the only ones who tell it like it is!

YCS STANDINGS

1.Florida (1-0, last game W vs. Charleston Southern 62-3, up next Sat. vs. Troy)

-While Florida gets pinged a little for opening with the king of all creampuffs, someone is going to have to prove they can beat this team before they're knocked off the top of the YCS standings, especially with 90% back from the defending national champions.

2. Alabama (1-0, last game W vs. Va. Tech 34-24, up next Sat. vs. Fla. International)

-Instead of sticking with the preseason hype, the YCS committee takes into account on-field performance, so Alabama vaults to #2 after a gritty win over Va. Tech at a neutral field. Although QB play looks shaky going forward, they can compete with anyone behind a stout defense and RB Mark Ingram (more on him later).

3. Oklahoma St. (1-0, last game W vs. Georgia 24-10, up next Sat. vs. Houston)

-Ok. St. showed the offense that will make them national title contenders, but it was an impressive defense that stole the show at "legendary" T. Boone Pickens stadium. Although nobody will confuse Georgia's offense with the high-powered attacks of the Big 12, Ok. St. should stick around for a while near the top of the YCS.

4. Texas (1-0, last game W vs. La. Monroe 59-20, up next Sat. vs. Wyoming)

-Texas, much like Florida, played an early cupcake versus La. Monroe. While the best roommate connection in football, Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley, showed they will again be potent, they slip because they weren't quite as impressive as other teams in the first week, thus they fall a little.

5. USC (1-0, last game W vs. San Jose St. 56-3, up next Sat. at THE Ohio State University)

-True Freshman Matt Barkley calmed some fears with a decent collegiate debut, but the strength of this team is the running game. Behind the best offensive line in D-I and the combination of Joe McKnight and Stefan Johnson this team could overrun 99% of D-lines in college football. They have to be the favorites going into the big showdown in the Shoe next Saturday night.

6. BYU (1-0, last game W vs. Oklahoma 14-13, up next Sat. at Tulane)

-Ok, I know they beat Oklahoma without Sam Bradford. But still, this team showed more grit and determination than any other over the opening weekend. The final drive by senior QB Max

Hall and the subdued emotion of head coach Bronco Mendenhall are the reasons why most of these athletes play on Saturdays. With more opportunities left versus BCS schools, it's not out of the realm of possibility to talk about this team as a national title contender.

7. Ohio St. (1-0, last game W vs. Navy 31-27, up next Sat. vs. USC)

-While all of the Big 10 haters were quick to pounce on Ohio State's lackluster performance, they were a dumb decision away from being up 18 points late in the 4th quarter. However, this team still has to perform better in nearly every aspect of the game to compete with USC next Saturday night. We'll have more to come on the Showdown at the Shoe (ok, you know ESPN will come up with a campy, made-up title for this game at some point, right?) later in the week.

8. Boise St. (1-0, last game W vs. Oregon 19-8, up next Sat. vs. Miami...of Ohio)

-Of course all of the attention after the game was on the unfortunate altercation between LeGarrette Blount, Boise St. defended their home turf with a hard-fought win against one of the best teams in the Pac 10. Seriously, if this isn't the year between BYU and Boise St. to include these "mid-major" conferences in the BCS, they will never get in, ever. Of course, we are talking about one of the most peculiar, inflexible entities in sports, so time will tell.

9. Georgia Tech (1-0, last game W vs. Jacksonville State 37-17, up next Thur. vs. Clemson)

-RB Jonathan Dwyer showed his explosiveness right away with a 74-yard TD run on his first carry. The triple option should prove dominant once again this season, especially against what looks to be a weak ACC (yes, the ACC is still weak, even though Fla. St. and Miami finally played an entertaining, compelling football game). Clemson will certainly have its hands full Thursday night.

10. Ole Miss (1-0, last game W at Memphis 45-14, up next Sep. 19th vs. SE Louisiana)

-Ole Miss pips out Penn St. for the last spot in the YCS this week because they went out on the road the first week and won. Although they got off to a slow start, Ole Miss certainly showed why they have a chance at a BCS bowl for the first time, well, ever!

Dropped from the YCS: Oklahoma, Penn St.

Just Missed Out: Penn St., LSU, California, Cincinnati

-And yes, I know everyone wants to put Michigan and Notre Dame in the national championship game after the way they dominated last Saturday, but let's wait and see until they have to play some real competition (this doesn't necessarily include this Saturday's showdown).

RSS HEISMAN WATCH

1. Tim Tebow-QB-Florida (last game 10/15, 188 yards, 1 TD)

-The leader in the clubhouse until someone takes it away from him. The only slight concern comes from his inability to pad his stats against a complete pushover. Of course, St. Superman will have more to offer against stiffer competition.

2. Colt McCoy-QB-Texas (last game 21/29, 317 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT)

-McCoy played a good game, but not necessarily a great game. An interesting side effect of Sam Bradford's injury could be the damage suffered in the Red River Shootout to Colt McCoy's Heisman standing. That was the sure marquee game that would tune voters in, and if McCoy played well, perhaps he could be the frontrunner. Now, if he has to play against Landry Jones, his performance may not shine as bright.

3. Mark Ingram-RB-Alabama (last game 26 rushes, 150 yards, 1 TD)

-The most impressive player in the first week had to be the Alabama sophmore.

Against a traditionally stout run defense, Ingram ran like a man possessed. Local radio in Columbus today even described his running style as angry...there's nothing I like more than a RB who runs with passion and anger. Nothing might be more exciting than a showdown between the glamor QB Tim Tebow, and Bama's bruising RB in the SEC Title Game with a National Championship birth and a Heisman at stake (hey, a guy can dream can't he).

4. Dez Bryant-WR-Oklahoma St. (last game 3 catches, 77 yards, 2 TDs)

-While Bryant struggled to get open facing constant double teaming, he made the biggest plays of the game to put Ok. St. ahead. However, he did look uncomfortable at times when Georgia went out of its way to be physical with him. He'll have to get use to that sort of treatment all season long as the best WR in college.

5. Javhid Best-RB-California (last game 10 rushes, 137 yards, 2 TDs)

-Best was one of the players we told you to keep an eye on, and he didn't disappoint going for over 100 yards and 2 TDs. Much like these other second tier candidates though, he will have to save his best for his biggest games, for example, when the Golden Bears host USC on Oct. 3rd.

Dropping Out of the Race: Sam Bradford (QB-Oklahoma) unfortunately won't defend his Heisman trophy after spraining his shoulder against BYU on what has to be said was a clean hit. Of course, this unfortunate injury destroys the triumvirate of QBs that were expected to battle it out over the course of the season. But, this does open the door for others to raise their game and force their way into the national Heisman debate.

Keep an Eye On: Jonathan Dwyer (RB-Ga. Tech) again shined in the triple option over the weekend and can make a push if he starts piling up the numbers. Max Hall (QB-BYU) belongs on the list more for his leadership and determination than his stats, but he is a talented QB who has proven he belongs as one of the elite college QBs. And finally Jimmy Clausen (QB-Notre Dame) has to deserve some respect for rising from the butt of many jokes to potential Heisman candidate, if not this year, than surely next. You can only ignore 315 yards and 4 TDs for so long...

Join us later to preview the big games of the weekend, as well as the conclusion to our NFL Preview with our Super Bowl Picks. The air is cooling, the leaves are changing, and football is finally back! Experience it all here on RSS!