There are some years when we just kind of ease into the college football season. For whatever reason, there are times when it seems like it takes several weeks to get any kind of momentum and buzz going. Folks, this aint one of those years.On Thursday night Tennessee opened the most anticipated season in almost a decade at home against Appalachian State. Also on Thursday Vanderbilt and South Carolina played a conference game in Nashville.On Saturday we are jumping into the deep end of the pool with a bunch of non-conference games that have the entire country buzzing.Welcome back, SEC Football. We have really missed you. Here are some fun story lines to watch now that the first weekend is finally here:A BIG NIGHT FOR THE HEAD BALL COACHEarlier this summer the University of Florida asked their favorite son to come home. So Steve Spurrier, the 1966 Heisman Trophy winner, and the coach who led the Gators to six SEC championships and a national championship, accepted an offer to become an ambassador for Florida athletics. I visited his office in the UF athletic department building on Aug. 19.Its great to be back, said Spurrier, who stepped down as South Carolinas coach in the middle of last season. Were going to have fun.No doubt. That fun will start during Saturday nights home opener with UMass. The school will officially name the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium after Spurrier. Then Spurrier will be an honorary Mr. Two Bits cheerleader, which is reserved for distinguished alumni. There will also a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Spurriers Heisman Trophy.We are thrilled to have Coach Spurrier back home, said Jeremy Foley, Floridas director of athletics.NEW COACHES AT GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, MISSOURIThree coaches in the SEC East are making their debuts during this long holiday weekend:**--Will Muschamp spent four years (2011-14) as Floridas head coach and then spent last season as Auburns defensive coordinator. Muschamp, a Georgia graduate, did not hesitate when he was offered the job of replacing Steve Spurrier at South Carolina.Coach Spurrier proved what could be done here, Muschamp said. Its just a matter of convincing enough young men to share our vision.Muschamp made his first appearance as the new Gamecocks coach against Vanderbilt on Thursday night, where his team defeated the Commodores in a comeback 13-10 win.**--After serving with Alabamas Nick Saban for the past 11 years, Kirby Smart takes over at Georgia, where he was an All-SEC defensive back in the mid-1990s. Mark Richt, Georgias previous coach, averaged 9.6 wins over 15 years as the head Bulldog.So needless to say there are very high expectations for Smart, beginning with Saturday nights opener with North Carolina at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.We have everything we need at Georgia to be successful, Smart told me in our last meeting. There are no excuses.**--Barry Odom is a former linebacker at Missouri who coached at his alma before leaving home and spending some time at Memphis. Now Odom has the task of replacing the most successful coach in school history. Gary Pinkel retired after 15 seasons for health reasons.The Tigers won back-to-back SEC East championships under Pinkel in 2013 and 2014 before dipping to 5-7 last season. Odom gets to make his debut in Morgantown, W.Va., as Mizzoui takes on West Virginia of the Big 12.I have trained to be in this chair and Im excited about it, said Odom.Odom hired former Oklahoma quarterback Josh Heupel to fix an offense that was woefully bad last season. The Tigers were dead last in the SEC, averaging 280.9 yards per game.WHAT ARE THE ODDS?A year ago Dave Aranda was the coordinator of the No. 2 defense in the country at Wisconsin. LSU needed a new defensive coordinator because Kevin Steele left for Auburn. LSU coach Les Miles had previously interviewed Aranda and decided to take another run at hiring him. Aranda said yes and hit the ground running, installing a new 3-4 defense to better take advantage of LSUs athleticism.Arandas first assignment as an LSU coach? That would be Wisconsin at Green Bays Lambeau Field. Dave Aranda brings a different style, a different energy to what we are going defensively, Miles told me when we met in his office. Were excited about having him here.A year ago Noel Mazzone was the offensive coordinator at UCLA, where he tutored a bright young freshman quarterback, Josh Rosen. Rosen threw for 3,669 yards and 30 touchdowns. Coaching that guy for at least two more years would keep a lot of offensive coordinators in place.But Mazzone left Westwood, where he had a home on the beach, to become the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, which had seen two highly-rated quarterbacks walk out the door in December.And what is Mazzones first game as the Aggies new OC? That would be the same UCLA Bruins and Josh Rosen in College Station.The world is small, said Mazzone. The football world is a lot smaller.TAKE BAMA IN THE OPENERSAlabama, the defending national champions, is a solid favorite to beat USC when the two teams meet Saturday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex.In fact, the last time we saw Alabama in Jerry Joness Cowboy ball park the Crimson Tide was taking Michigan State to the woodshed (38-0) in the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs.Alabama has not been bashful about playing tough opening games since Nick Saban became head coach in 2007. The Crimson Tide opened last season in Arlington against Wisconsin, winning 35-17. Sabans teams have also played neutral site openers against Clemson, Virginia Tech, Michigan, and West Virginia. The Crimson Tide won them all.Alabama is 9-0 in opening games under Saban.In fact, Alabama has not lost a season opener since it fell at home to UCLA 20-17 in Dennis Franchiones first game as head coach in 2001. Thats 14 straight season opening wins for the Crimson Tide.A FEW OTHER TIDBITS**--Kentucky really, really, really needs a win over Southern Mississippi. The Wildcats really struggled on defense last year and couldnt get pressure on the quarterback. That is not good news against Southern Miss quarterback Nick Mullens, the reigning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, who threw for 4,476 yards last season. One historical note: Back in the day, Southern Miss could routinely give SEC opponents fits. But the Golden Eagles have now lost 13 straight to SEC teams. If Kentucky is going to reach its stated goal of making a bowl game, this is a game the Wildcats need to win.**--Its not often when a quarterback takes over for his brother, but that is what Austin Allen will do when Arkansas hosts Louisiana Tech. Brandon Allen had one of the best seasons ever by an Arkansas quarterback last season, throwing for 3,440 yards and 30 touchdowns.**--Mississippi State will play its first game in four years with quarterback Dak Prescott when the Bulldogs host South Alabama. Both Nick Fitzgerald and Damian Williams are expected to play quarterback in the game.**--Georgia and North Carolina will meet for the first time in 45 years at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff in Atlanta. When the two teams met in the 1971 Gator Bowl they were coach by brothers Vince (Georgia) and Bill (North Carolina) Dooley. The brothers were scheduled to be the honorary captains for this game but Bill Dooley passed away suddenly on Aug. 9. He was 82.Vince Dooley will still serve as Georgias honorary captain. Bill Dooley will be represented by two of his sons, Ashton and Sean. Nick Leddy Jersey . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. 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CLEVELAND (0-3) at WASHINGTON (1-2)Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBSOPENING LINE -- Redskins by 3 +RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Browns 1-2, Redskins 1-2SERIES RECORD -- Browns lead 33-11-1LAST MEETING -- Redskins beat Browns 38-21, Dec. 16, 2012LAST WEEK -- Browns lost 30-24, OT, to Dolphins; Redskins beat Giants 29-27AP PRO32 RANKING -- Browns No. 31, Redskins No. 20BROWNS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (16), RUSH (4), PASS (25)BROWNS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (25t), RUSH (18t), PASS (24)REDSKINS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (5), RUSH (29), PASS (2)REDSKINS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (29), RUSH (24t), PASS (26)STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES -- Winless and luckless, Browns play third road game in first four weeks. ... Browns lost heartbreaker last week while missing six starters. ... Rookie QB Cody Kessler had solid debut, throwing for 244 yards without interception. Kessler only playing because former Redskins QB Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown are injured. ... Griffin broke bone in left shoulder in opener and sits out return to Washington, where he was drafted No. 2 overall in 2012 and won Offensive Rookie of Year honors. ... Kessler is Browns 26th starting QB since 1999. ... WR Terrelle Pryor had magnificent all-around game vs. Dolphins, setting career highs with eight catches, 144 yards. Also completed three passes for 35, ran for 21 yards and TD. Pryor is first player with at least 120 yards receiving, 30 passing, 20 rushing since Hall of Famer Frank Gifford in 1959. ... Browns coach Hue Jackson likely to stay with rotating QB system. ... Jackson also sticking with K Coddy Parkey, who missed three FGs, including 46-yarder on final play of regulation, in debut for Browns.dddddddddddd Team signed him day before game following injury to Patrick Murray. ... Browns are second in league with 5.71 yards per rushing play. ... RB Isaiah Crowell is second in league with 6.01 average, tied for second with 274 yards rushing. ... Jackson spent three years on Washingtons staff and served as offensive coordinator in 2003. ... Rookie DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun returned interception 27 yards for TD in debut last week. ... RT Austin Pasztor was called for three holding penalties, two false starts last week. ... Redskins rank 31st of 32 teams in red-zone TD percentage, with only three TDs in 14 possessions inside opponents 20 -- 0 for 4 in win over Giants in Week 3. ... Washington averaging 19.7 rushes per game, 29th in NFL; gaining only 3.8 yards per carry. ... LB Trent Murphy surprisingly leads Redskins with three sacks. ... All sorts of injuries affecting DBs, OL. S DeAngelo Hall out for season; Will Blackmon will start. C Kory Lichtensteiger also went on IR; Spencer Long will start. Fantasy Tip: Pryor against banged-up Redskins secondary should be favorable matchup for WR. ... Washington WR Jamison Crowder (tied for team lead with 16 catches) sometimes seems to get overlooked by opponents.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '
