It's only a holiday when football is involved

Posting will be light today - lighter than usual - because it's a holiday weekend, the weather is wonderful here in Tampa and I really, really need to catch up on some reading. But here's a brief run through the wonderful, wonderful start to football season:

1. I had to make note of Clemson's face-plant against Alabama the other night. The Tigers looked unprepared and soft as hell in their season opener against Saban's boys, yet they still should be favored to win the ACC crown this year. Which tells you all you need to know about the strength of the ACC.
2. I don't want to read too much into one game, especially the first game of the season, but Alabama looks like it will be a force to be reckoned with this fall. They're going to be well-coached and they've got enough talent throughout the roster to put a scare into the SEC's elite teams, Georgia, LSU and Auburn (Florida isn't on their regular season schedule). In fact, I'm going to predict the Tide beats at least two of those teams this season.
3. Man, Texas A&M stinks. Maybe it's time to accept that A&M never really was an elite program and never will be. Remember: the Aggies' salad days in the late '80s and early 90s came when UT, Oklahoma and LSU were all down. Now they simply can't compete consistently with those schools - on the field or the recruiting trail.
4. For whatever reason, ESPNU showed the Labor Day Classic - Texas Southern against Prairie View A&M - on TV last night. I've gotta say, TSU QB and former Oklahoma State star Bobby Reid pretty much stunk out the joint. For the life of me, I can't figure out what happened to him. Or TSU, for that matter.
5. I was just thinking: Oklahoma will be pretty damn good in a year or two. That's after Mike Stoops gets fired at Arizona, returns to Norman as defensive coordinator and restores the Sooners' defense to its dominant ways. Because, really, OU has never been the same on defense since Brother Stoops took off for Tucson.
6. Ouch to Mississippi State going into Ruston and getting handed a "L." Coach Croom just can't keep his gig losing to teams like Louisiana Tech, even if he did recently sign a contract extension. But much like A&M, MSU needs to face the facts: they're not a football power and never will be one, unless like A&M, they resort to cheating again. The one thing those schools have in common during their successful periods is Jackie Sherrill, college football's answer to Jerry Tarkanian.

I must mention, in closing, that apparently there was a heavyweight championship fight in boxing last night. It's tough to take seriously, however, when punchless and virtually lifeless John Ruiz is the other half of a title bout - another sign that boxing is in serious trouble. Not surprisingly, Ruiz lost and the 7-foot Russian stiff won.