NCAA -- Week 1

It seems like yesterday we all tuned in to see the Ohio State Buckeyes shock the country by defeating the Miami Hurricanes in the Fiesta Bowl taking the National Championship back to Columbus.

This week, all the talk about last year-ends and the focus on this year shifts into high gear with the start of the 2003 college football season in California and Missouri.

Now, typically, this is the weekend when we see college teams compete in games termed anything from the Pigskin Classic to the Joe's Bar Classic. You know, these games that are considered pre-season classics even thought they actually count in the win-loss column making them anything but pre-season games.

This year, thankfully, the NCAA has eliminated most of the pre-season classics with the exception of two: The Black Coaches Association (BCA) Classic and the Literacy Classic. Now, neither of the two match-ups will keep you hanging on the edge of your seats, but the start of the season is the start of the season.

In San Jose, California, San Jose State has the distinction of playing the first game of the season as they host Grambling State. The game caps off a weeklong celebration of Literacy and several events are planned on the campus of San Jose State University and the bay area.

If you're looking for an analysis of the game, you've come to the wrong place. Grambling State might want to stay home and read instead of the result they likely face Saturday night. The best thing about this game will no doubt be the extended halftime show where the renowned Grambling State Marching Tigers put on quite a performance. There is no doubt that the national exposure on ESPN2 is more enticing to the Tigers and their University that the likely result of the game.

In Kansas City, about an hour after the Literacy Classic begins, another bay-area team kicks off at Arrowhead Stadium when the California Bears meet the Kansas State Wildcats in the BCA Classic.

Tickets for this game haven't exactly been jumping off the shelves, although fans should be excited about watching the magic of Ell Roberson and Darren Sproles in the Kansas State backfield. KSU returns a good core of players from their 11-2 season last year and their No. 4 ranking is a testament to the prognosis for the Wildcats in 2003.

Bill Snyder starts his 15th year as head man for the Wildcats and has led them to 10 straight bowl appearances and 11 win seasons in five of the last six years. He is no doubt anxious to take the field with the 2003 version to see if he can cap off a brilliant career with a National Championship in New Orleans.

On the other side of the field, Jeff Tedford led the Bears to the best turn around in college football last year taking Cal to a 7-5 record in his first year as head coach. The Bears were 1-10 in 2001 and the biggest question in Berkeley is can Tedford build on that record in 2003.

If he is going to build on it, he'll have to do it with just nine starters back from the 2002 team and one of the toughest schedules in the nation. However, an opponent like this and the national exposure of ESPN can't hurt Tedford's cause.

I personally wouldn't care if Saratoga State played Valley Forge U. this weekend. The fact that college football is upon us again is enough to get me to sit down in front of the television this weekend.