Bosco'sBeat: This Week In SEC College Football, Plus News And Notes
From Around The Nation

Greetings college football fans! What a great first week for the SEC. Looks like we have some real national contenders ready to roll, from Tennessee's big win over no. 9 California to an Auburn team as good as any team going, the SEC is back. Thanks for looking up my blog and here's a breakdown of all the action in the SEC, plus a word or two from around the nation.

Off To A Great Start: Arguably the biggest game of the first week was No. 23 Tennessee taking on Top Ten California in Knoxville, no longer the football capital of the south as it once was. But it was a test that head coach Phil Fulmer, starting quarterback Eric Ainge and new-old offense coordinator David Cutcliffe needed to pass to get some pride back in Neyland Stadium. Vol fans can be proud of the 35-18 win Saturday night, which included four touchdown passes from Ainge, whose had it a little rough the last couple of years to say the least. Next up for the Vols, a 7 p.m. start versus Air Force. Auburn is back and has put the skids on a one-and-four record veruses opening day opponents by beating Washington State 40-14. You'll be hearing alot about big Kenny Irons this season, who rushed for 183 yards Saturday night. But kicker John Vaughn and quarterback Brandon Cox get their props as well. Good win Saturday night fellas! The Tigers take a trip to Starkville, Mississippi on Saturday to visit the Bulldogs, who we'll talk about later, 12:30 kickoff on CBS. It would be hard not to argue that alot is expected of the Florida Gators this year with most talking heads predicting an SEC Championship for Urban Meyer's crew. After a sluggish start which included an interception which Southern Miss turned into a touchdown, Chris Leak and his Gators caught fire. Leak completed 21 of 30 passes for 248 yards in the 34-to-7 win. The Gators get to work on Central Florida at the Swamp on Saturday (6 pm kickoff) while they prepare for the Vols in Knoxville on the 16th of September. Back to the "west siiiide", the LSU Tigers are now solidly in the corner of JaMarcus Russell who was given the starting quarterback job over highly- touted Ryan Perrilloux, per Les Miles. Good decision coach, Russell's a one man machine, rollin' up 253 yards of passing in the 45-to-3 win over UL-Lafayette. One of the biggest games of next week will be a nationally televised game versus Arizona, 5:30 p.m. kickoff from Death Valley. Georgia has to shake off the D.J. Shockley era and welcome in someone to handle the ball for the Dogs this year. Three different quarterbacks played Saturday in a 41-to-12 stomping over the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky. One of them, Joe Tereshinski who is right now considered the starter, threw for 90 yards and finished 7-of-17 on his watch. We would put Georgia in the next catagory with questions, but the Dogs are loaded with talent, including Danny Ware who ran 40 yards for a touchdown, sealing the win. Next up is a huge game with SEC East implications when the Dogs travel to "SpurrierTown", South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks, 7:45 p.m. prime time kickoff.

Unbeaten, But We've Got Questions: Ladies and gentlemen, we'd like to introduce you to John Parker Wilson. He's the new starting quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Wilson put up 253 yards for his team in his first collegiate start, beating Hawaii 25-17. The Tide has questions on the offensive side of the ball, but the defense stifled Hawaii's rushing game to only 22 yards. The Tide is off to a good start, but the general consensus among the experts is that Alabama is one year away from playing for the top spot in the Western Division. We'll know a bit more about Mike Shula's upstarts on Saturday when they host the Vanderbilt Commodores for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff. The Ole Miss Rebels are happy to be 1-and-0 after quarterback Brent Schaeffer's highly anticipated debut, beating arch-rival Memphis 28 to 25 at Oxford. The game was a bit too close for comfort until BenJarvus Green-Ellis scored on fourth-and-goal late in the third quarter. Next for the scrappy Rebels is a road trip to play Missouri, 12:30 pm kickoff on Saturday. After winning 7 games at South Carolina last year, there is pressure on Steve Spurrier to keep up the trend, but for a while Thursday night, we were wondering about an offense that couldn't seem to get started against perhaps the lowliest of SEC teams Mississippi State, having lost their starting quarterback for the season to a broken collar bone. Senior wide receiver Damaris Hill's three catches for 118 yards helped get a 15-0 shutoutlate in the game for Spurrier's boys over MSU. South Carolina hosts UGA on Saturday.

0-and-1 But Still Kickin': Arkansas was hoping to sneak past the Trojans of USC, especially since this was to be a rebuilding year for Pete Carroll's boys, scrambling to replace Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart. But five turnovers, including an interception that led to a John David Booty 14 yard touchdown pass for USC broke the game loose for the Trojans, who went on to win 50-to-14 in front of a record crowd in Fayetteville. Next up for the Razorbacks, a visit from Utah State, 7 pm kickoff Saturday night.

Is It Basketball Season Yet?: Kentucky Wildcat fans are wondering this very question after an embarrassing whipping from hated Louisville, 59-to-28 despite Louisville's senior running back Michael Bush breaking his right leg, having already accumulated 124 yards in Sunday night's win. A bright spot for Kentucky, wide receiver Keenan Burton caught four passes for 127 yards and a touchdown, and scored on a 100 yard kickoff return. Kentucky hosts Texas State for a 6 pm kickoff on Saturday. No one expected poor Vanderbilt to beat national powerhouse Michigan on Saturday, but you have to love the 'dores for even scheduling the Wolverines and for actually keeping it a fairly compelling game for the most part. The 27-7 loss comes as a bit of a moral victory for a school without an official athletics department. The Commodores and the Tide meet up Saturday in T-Town. Mississippi State fans had hoped to see their team take it to the next level under coach Sylvester Croom and a promising defensive start against relatively flat South Carolina. Instead, the Bulldogs suffered their first shutout in a season opener since 1967. They'll have their work cut out for them when Auburn comes calling on Saturday afternoon.

News And Notes From The SEC: Congratulations to Auburn's Kenny Irons, this week's SEC offensive player of the week, and Tennessee's Jerod Mayo, the SEC's defensive player of the week....The SEC was 7-and-3 against it's non-conference opponents in the first week of play....Arkansas coach Houston Nutt has announced that freshman quarterback Mitch Mustain will start Saturday when Utah State comes calling. Mustain led the Hogs on a late touchdown drive after throwing an interception earlier in the 50-to-14 loss on Saturday.

From Around The Nation: Florida State put an end to it's "wide right" era when Gary Cismesia put up a 33 yard field goal with a little over 8 minutes left, sealing a 13-to-10 win over Miami Monday night....The Big Ten Conference was a perfect 11-and-0 versus it's opponents during the first week of football for the first time in conference history....Heisman hopeful and Louisville running back Michael Bush is more than likely out for the season after undergoing surgery on Monday for a broken leg....Texas starting cornerback Tarell Brown was arrested Monday on misdemeanor drug and weapons charges.