Shocks to the system
CHRIS DUFRESNE / ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL
It's still early, but some events have been more than a little stunning.
Early sideline observations while trying to make a headset connection with Norm Chow . . .
Florida State is playing at Miami on Saturday and about 15 people care, but where Duke is playing next matters.
And Northwestern hasn't gone south yet, either.
Washington's quarterback has offered to play defensive back, USC could be tripping toward a second consecutive loss, and Vanderbilt, not Georgia or Florida, is leading the Southeastern Conference's East Division.
And Greg Robinson is still coaching at Syracuse.
The quarterback who led Ohio State to the national title game last year has been benched and replaced by a freshman.
And Brigham Young has positioned itself nicely for a national title run.
Maryland couldn't beat Middle Tennessee but handled Middle Clemson, which opened the season at No. 9 in the Associated Press media poll but has now been asked, kindly, to take a number.
And watch out for Ball State.
Also, a school that began the year unranked in the USA Today coaches' poll is now No. 4 after beating preseason No. 1 Georgia in Athens, handing Uga VII its first defeat as a mascot.
And the season's just getting started.
Shocks, spills, ups and downs were the order of most days in September, so before we look forward, let's look back.
Five early-season blindside hits:
1: UCLA shocks Tennessee in overtime. Given that UCLA has since lost three straight games, by the combined score of 126-41, only makes what happened in the Rose Bowl on Sept. 1 even more mind-boggling.
It should never have happened, but it did, and first-year UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel will never forget it, and right now that win is the only card the struggling Pacific 10 Conference holds in its ongoing argument with the SEC.
Tennessee, at 1-3, is not very good as it turns out, but it's the same team that came within a two-point conversion from taking No. 13 Auburn to overtime. And that Auburn team stood toe-to-toe in a five-point loss to defending champion Louisiana State.
And maybe that dot-to-dot connection alone is good enough to say the Big 12 is a better conference so far this year.
2. The Smart Guys are winning!
Vanderbilt, Duke, Northwestern and Stanford are a combined 15-3 after finishing a combined 16 games below .500 last year.
Duke is 3-1, with its only loss to . . . Northwestern.
