Hugh Johnson's Hangover

Yep, college football is back for real. There was a an exciting, competitive, and meaningful game last night and some forward thinker actually televised it! Cal finished off their two year home-and-home against Tennessee in style with a 45-31 victory. The game offered up a showcase for those who love to debate the relative strength of the mighty SEC over the oft-dismissed westerners and the Bears took full advantage. Their seeming limitless supply of supremely talented playmakers might actually wake people up to the fact that the top of the three teams in the Pac 10 are as just as good as any other conference's top three (and yes, I'm an unabashed Gator fan with a healthy fear of LSU). Desean Jackson lived up to his well deserved hype when he took Q-bert Colquitt's second quarter punt back for an incredible touchdown. Follow the jump for the video and the rest of yesterday's highlights.

The other big news came out of Michigan, but you probably already knew that. Regardless, it bears repeating that Lloyd "Two L's" Carr and his wealth of talent failed to keep up with the mighty lower-division champions from Appalachian State. Since no ranked team has ever dropped a game to such a school I guess it goes down of the ultimate college football upset of my lifetime (and one of the most shocking results since Upset bettered Man 'o War in the 1919 Sanford Memorial Stakes). Unfortunately Youngstown State couldn't replicate the feat in their opener against Ohio State.

In a touching (yet seemingly counter-intuitive) gesture USC took a five yard penalty on their first extra point attempt because they didn't send a kicker onto the field. It was the team's way of honoring the memory of fallen kicker, Mario Danelo. Oh yeah, USC won by four touchdowns over Idaho, but you probably guessed that by now.