I’m assuming you’re excited today.

I know I am. As nice as Thursday was for college football lovers, there’s nothing quite like the first full Saturday of college football. I could barely sleep last night, as thoughts of TCU’s defense, Brian Kelly’s debut in South Bend and Erin Andrews — on the set of Gameday … pervs — danced through my head.

Before I get into the five things you should look out for today, a brief introduction: My name is Paul Costanzo and I’ll be guiding you through your college football Saturdays this season. I’m not a college football expert, by any means. I’m just a huge fan who happens to have a journalism degree. I’m also a good friend of Anthony’s, so if I suck at this, you can direct all your hate mail to him. You can read me daily in the Times Herald newspaper out of Port Huron, Mich.

But enough about me, let’s get to the games.

It’s the first weekend, so I’d advise you to take all that you can in. But here are five things to focus on:

1. Brian Kelly’s debut at Notre Dame: Whether you love or hate the Irish, this is one to watch. Kelly has had nothing but success in his previous stops, and Notre Dame fans are hopeful that he’s the next Lou/Ara/Devine/Rockne. Because if he isn’t, well, let’s just say that’s not good for Notre Dame. His fast-break offense, led this year by first-year starter Dayne Crist, should have an opportunity to show itself off today against Purdue. But with the Irish, the question is defense, and it will be tested by Miami transfer Robert Marve and the Boilermakers’ own wide-open style.

2. Can Rich-Rod avoid the super hot seat?: Some would argue that Rich Rodriguez is already squarely on the super hot seat, but I don’t think there would be any argument if Michigan loses at home today to Connecticut. Don’t get me wrong, UConn is a good team. A very good team, in fact. But Michigan fans don’t want to hear excuses about losing to basketball schools, especially after going 8-16 over the past two seasons. If Michigan wins today, the pitch forks will go away for at least another week. If it loses, however, (which is a definite possibility) Rodriguez might want to pack at least one bag, just to be prepared.

3. Can Jacquizz Rodgers and Oregon State solve TCU’s defense?: The Horned Frogs lost some significant pieces on defense — defensive end Jerry Hughes foremost among them — but I imagine that Gary Patterson is going to be sending another strong unit out onto the field this year. That unit will get a strong test today with Oregon State, led by the Rodgers brothers, Jacquizz and James. This game is also interesting for the fact that we have a Pac-10 team going on the road and trying to pull off an upset against a Mountain West team.

4. Can North Carolina field a full team?: If you’re headed to Atlanta today, make sure to bring your spikes, because the Tar Heels are running a special “First 50 in the door get a jersey … and a scholarship” promotion. North Carolina has been decimated by suspensions, and will be without most of its defense, including stud defensive tackle Marvin Austin, and its biggest playmakers on offense. That was enough for Vegas to move the betting line by a touchdown, and all the action is still moving toward LSU. If this were in North Carolina, I’d almost go with the “team rallies around adversity” angle. But deep in the heart of SEC country, I have a tough team seeing the Heels rallying for anything today.

5. Can Boise State capitalize on its best chance to make the title game?: You’ll have to wait for Monday to watch for this, but you should definitely be watching. Boise State travels to Fed Ex Field to take on Virginia Tech in the weekend’s showcase game. The Hokies have high hopes coming into the season, as they’re the favorite in the ACC and a dark horse in national title talks. But don’t be fooled, this one is all about the Broncos. With a preseason top-five ranking attached to them this year, this is the Broncos’ best shot at truly busting the BCS and playing for the national title. A win against Virginia Tech puts them on course to do just that. And with nearly the entire team returning from a year ago — including stud quarterback Kellen Moore — Boise State is a legitimate national title contender.

FOX Sports.com ranked the 10 most disappointing teams of 2009:

1. USC
A loss to Washington was the beginning of the end. Still, we’ve almost come to expect the Trojans to lose one game every year that they shouldn’t. While USC was slightly favored to beat Oregon, the manner in which they lost was downright ugly. Pete Carroll’s signature unit — the defense — got embarrassed by the Ducks. Sure, USC had to replace eight defensive players who are now playing on Sundays, but the Trojans always have reloaded, and the expectations were high this year despite those defensive losses. USC fans accustomed to “settling” for the Rose Bowl may need to aim a little lower.

2. Virginia Tech
The class of the ACC is now fighting Miami for third place in the Coastal division behind Duke and Georgia Tech. Let that sink that in. The Hokies’ consecutive losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina have probably ended their Orange Bowl dreams. Either Beamer Ball isn’t working anymore or parity in the ACC has finally caught up to Virginia Tech. Either way, 2009 will be a major disappointment for Gobbler Nation.

3. Ohio State
The Buckeyes’ loss to USC wasn’t that shocking, but their loss to Purdue was. With Navy, USC, Toledo and New Mexico State on their non-conference schedule, the expectations of a special season were pretty high in Columbus. But plenty of fans are starting to question whether Tressel’s offense will work with Terrelle Pryor as quarterback. With Penn State, Iowa and an imploding Michigan still left on the Buckeyes’ schedule, Ohio State fans should start making travel plans for Tampa, site of the Outback Bowl. Now.

A lot of people thought they were overrated coming into the season, but I think Ole Miss (which ranks No. 7 on FOX’s list) should be in the top 5. I know they lost a couple of key defenders from last year’s squad, but for the Rebels to currently be 5-3 is surprising to say the least.

Big Ten haters aren’t surprised, but Ohio State wasn’t expected to be this inconsistent either. Some thought that Terrelle Pryor would progress as a passer and lead the Buckeyes to at least a Big Ten title, but he’s actually regressed and now people are questioning whether or not he should remain OSU’s starting quarterback.

Personally, I’m not shocked that the Trojans are where they are right now with a freshman quarterback. They always lose a game every year that they’re not supposed to and the writing was on the wall last week for them in Eugene. Oregon is playing better football right now and is tough to beat at home.

In the past two weeks, Frank Beamer’s Hokies have seen their season implode. After winning five straight to get to 5-1 on the season (they dropped the opener to Alabama), Virginia Tech was soundly defeated by Georgia Tech last Saturday and then was shocked last night by North Carolina, 20-17.

How do the Tar Heels walk into Blacksburg and earn a victory you ask? Well it helps when quarterback Tyrod Taylor starts the game 3-for-9 passing and finishes with only 161 yards and no touchdowns. He was highly inaccurate all night and often put the Hokies in third-and-longs by taking unnecessary sacks instead of getting rid of the ball.

That said, North Carolina’s defense deserves credit for pressuring Taylor the entire night and not allowing freshman running back Ryan Williams to run wild. He finished with 96 yards on 23 carries and no touchdowns, which is certainly respectable, but a far cry from some of his previous outings.

The Tar Heel defense stepped up big time in the first half while their offense sputtered, and then held on in the second half when the Hokies tried to make a run. Jheraine Boyd’s 13-yard touchdown pass from T.J. Yates right before the half gave North Carolina the momentum and confidence it needed to compete with the Hokies in the second half.

Not to crap on North Carolina’s accomplishment, but this wasn’t a favorable outcome for the ACC. VA Tech’s loss will likely drop them out of the top 25 and probably out of the top 15 of the BCS standings. That leaves Georgia Tech as the only ACC team in the top 15, and chances are the conference won’t have two BCS bowl teams.

But as they say: Oh, well. For a struggling North Carolina team to upset Virginia Tech on the road is quite an accomplishment and the bigger picture in the ACC shouldn’t tarnish what the Tar Heels did last night.

Only once in the history of the BCS has a two-loss team every played for the national title (LSU in 2007). So forgive the Virginia Tech Hokies if they’re not feeling too good about their title hopes after they were upset 28-23 by Georgia Tech on Saturday.

The Hokies became yet another victim of the Yellow Jackets’ option attack as quarterback Josh Nesbitt passed for only 51 yards, but gained 122 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Running back Jonathan Dwyer added 82 yards on 20 carries in the victory.

It wasn’t until the fourth quarter when VA Tech played like a team with something on the line. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor rushed for a 22-yard touchdown to cut Georgia Tech’s lead to 21-16, but Nesbitt scored on a 39-yard touchdown with three minutes remaining to put the Jackets back up 28-16. Ryan Williams scored on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Taylor with just under two minutes remaining, but it was too little too late. Despite making strides as a passer the past couple weeks, Taylor struggled outside of the fourth quarter.

What a win for Georgia Tech. They quieted many pundits that deemed them overrated and one-dimensional by turning in a solid defensive effort to go along with their potent option attack. The Jackets turned some heads tonight.

With the Hokies’ loss, the Coastal Division is now wide up. Between VA Tech, Miami, Georgia Tech and Virginia, the division is completely up for grabs.

Check out our other 2009 college football previews.

Preseason Ranking: No. 7 in AP Top 25; No. 7 in USA Today Poll.

Key Returning Players: Tyrod Taylor (QB); Darren Evans (RB); Jarrett Boykin (WR); Danny Coale (WR); Greg Boone (TE); Blake DeChristopher (OT); Ed Wang (OT); Sergio Render (G); Cody Grimm (LB); Cam Martin (LB); Jason Worilds (DE); John Graves (DT); Cordarrow Thompson (DT); Stephan Virgil (CB); Kam Chancellor (S); Dorian Porch (S).

Key Losses: Victor “Macho” Harris (CB); Orion Martin (DE); Purnell Sturdivant (LB); Brett Warren (LB); Dustin Keys (K); Nick Marshman (G); Ryan Shuman (C).

Player to Watch: Tyrod Taylor, QB.
Darren Evans’ name would have been listed here, but the running back tore his ACL in practice and will miss the entire 2009 season. That said, it’s just as easy to wax poetically about Taylor’s potential, as it would have been Evans’. In his third season as VA Tech’s signal caller, Taylor (and his coaching staff) wants to be a complete quarterback. In his final couple of games last year, things seemed to have clicked for Taylor, who doesn’t have to worry about splitting time with Sean Glennon this season. Taylor is a dual-threat and if he can take the next step as a passer, the Hokies will compete for a national title.

Team Strength: While VA Tech will certainly miss cornerback Victor “Macho” Harris this season, the Hokies’ secondary will be solid. Stephan Virgil picked off six passes last season and has emerged has an outstanding defender. Throw in seniors Kam Chancellor and Dorian Porch and the Hokies’ defensive backfield is loaded with experience and playmaking ability.

Potential Weakness: Outside of Taylor needing to prove that he can take the next step as a passer and be consistent, the biggest challenge VA Tech faces this year is whether or not their backfield can stay healthy. Evans has already been lost for the year, while Josh Oglesby (strained hamstring and infected foot), David Wilson (sprained shoulder) and Ryan Williams (sprained ankle) have all suffered injuries in practice. Teams can’t do anything about injuries or bad luck, but it remains to be seen whether or not the Hokies’ backs can stay healthy and produce.

Outlook: Just like most teams in college football, Virginia Tech enters the 2009 season with several unanswered questions. The defense lost a ton of talent with the departures of Harris, Purnell Sturdivant, Brett Warren and Orion Martin, while the offense will have to deal with the positions vacated by Ryan Shuman and Nick Marshman. Can Taylor emerge as a complete quarterback? Will the loss of Evans be devastating to a team that finished near the bottom of almost every offensive statistical category in the ACC last season? Can Evans’ replacements stay healthy?

That said, this is still the best team in the ACC and it’s hard not to jump on the VA Tech-is-sleeper bandwagon. Frank Beamer always has the best defensive and special teams talent in the conference and Taylor is an exciting young player who has plenty of weapons around him in tight end Greg Boone and receivers Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale to succeed. If the Hokies can put to rest some of the questions above, then they’re going to be in contention this year for a national title.

All times ET…

NBA
Friday, 7:30 PM: Indiana Pacers @Atlanta Hawks (NBA TV)
Saturday, 9 PM: Los Angeles Clippers @ Denver Nuggets (NBA TV)
Sunday, 3:30 PM: Dallas Mavericks @ Los Angeles Lakers (ABC)
Sunday, 9 PM: Phoenix Suns @ Golden State Warriors (NBA TV)

NHL
Saturday, 3 PM: Ottawa Senators @ Pittsburgh Penguins (CBC)
Sunday, 12:30 PM: Philadelphia Flyers@ New York Rangers (NBC)

College Basketball
Friday, 7 PM: #13 Villanova vs. #5 Louisville (ESPN)
Friday, 7 PM: Maryland vs. #9 Wake Forest (ESPN2)
Friday, 9 PM: #23 Arizona State vs. #20 Washington (Fox Sports Net)
Friday, 9:30 PM: Boston College vs. #8 Duke (ESPN2)
Friday, 9:30 PM: #7 West Virginia vs. #20 Syracuse (ESPN)
Friday, 11:30 PM: USC vs. #14 UCLA (Fox Sports Net)
Saturday, 1:30 PM & 4 PM: ACC Semifinals (ESPN)
Saturday, 1 PM & 3:15 PM: SEC Semifinals (ESPN2)
Saturday, 1:40 PM & 4 PM: Big-10 Semifinals (CBS)
Saturday, 6 PM: Pac-10 Final (CBS)
Saturday, 6 PM: Big 12 Final (ESPN)
Saturday, 9 PM: Big East Final (ESPN)
Sunday, 1 PM: ACC Final (ESPN)
Sunday, 1 PM: SEC Final (CBS)
Sunday, 3:30 PM: Big-10 Final (CBS)
Sunday, 6 PM: NCAA Tournament Selection Show (CBS)

World Baseball Classic
Saturday, 8 PM: Puerto Rico vs. United States from Miami, FL. (MLB Network)

College Basketball

Saturday, 3:30 PM: No. 4 Duke vs. Michigan, ESPN
Saturday, 1:30 PM: No. 5 Gonzaga vs. Indiana
Saturday, 4 PM: Ohio State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame, ESPNU
Sunday, 6 PM: No. 21 Florida vs. Florida State, ESPN Full Court

College Football

Saturday, 12 PM: Navy vs. Army, CBS
Saturday, 1 PM: No. 17 Boston College vs. No. 25 Virginia Tech-ACC Championship Game, ABC
Saturday, 4 PM: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Florida-SEC Championship Game, CBS
Saturday, 4:30 PM: No. 5 USC vs. UCLA, ABC
Saturday, 8 PM: No. 20 Missouri vs. No. 2 Oklahoma-Big 12 Championship Game, ABC

NBA

Friday, 8 PM: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Boston Celtics, ESPN
Friday, 10:30 PM: Toronto Raptors vs. Utah Jazz, ESPN
Saturday, 9 PM: Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns
Sunday, 1 PM: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Toronto Raptors, NBA-TV

NFL

Sunday, 1 PM: Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants, Fox
Sunday, 4:15 PM: Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Fox
Sunday, 8:15 PM: Washington Redskins vs. Baltimore Ravens, NBC

NHL

Friday, 8:30 PM: Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars
Saturday, 2 PM: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators
Saturday, 10 PM: Edmonton Oilers vs. San Jose Sharks

Boxing

Saturday, 9 PM: Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiano, HBO PPV