On the Couch Returns: Amateur Showcase

And we're back!
It's been awhile since we've seen a wonderful weekend of college football, and even longer since you guys have read me talking about it. Amid a bevy of scandals and suspensions, it is still comforting to see football on the tube again.

The season kicks off tonight with a Thursday night clash between the Running Rebels of UNLV and the Badgers of Wisconsin. Unfortunately for the Rebels, Wisconsin just lost a kind of important bowl game to fellow Mountain West school TCU. Though the Horned Frogs will not be on the field, don't be surprised if the Badgers have a little extra fight for this game.

We've all watched week 1 of the college season before, and seen our beloved teams pummel FCS schools like Grand Valley State, but there are a few games well worth watching this labor day weekend.

The aforementioned Horned Frogs open up the post-Andy Dalton era with a hard-fought regional matchup with steadily improving Baylor on Friday night. With a sophomore quarterback at the helm, this game is nowhere near an automatic win for the Horned Frogs, who are coming off an undefeated season and a Rose Bowl win.

Unfortunately for us TV viewers, both marquis games on Saturday occur in the primetime slot. I guess I'm actually going to have to do something with my Saturday then. Nonetheless, it is awesome to see two five-star games in the first weekend.

First, number 3 ranked Oregon meets number 4 LSU in Arlington, TX so that Jerry Jones can show off Cowboys Stadium to even more people. Look at the bright side, with punters unfamiliar to Cowboys stadium, maybe we will see a live ball bounce off Jerry's megatron. Realistically, I hope your focus is more on the action on the field because this early showdown could certainly have huge BCS title implications. Don't expect a one-loss Oregon to be in the title game, so I suspect they will be very hungry for the win. If it weren't for the fact that LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson is suspended for this game, I would take the SEC powerhouse in this dogfight. Replacement quarterback Jarret Lee is just far too prone to making mistakes, so I'm taking the Ducks sealing the deal with a late interception.

In the other primetime slot, the Boise State Broncos head for a showdown with the Bulldogs from Athens, Georgia in another "neutral" site game in none other than Hotlanta at the Georgia Dome. With both quarterbacks losing their leading receivers to the NFL, don't be surprised to see the offenses use the running game more in this game. While Boise State's running backs match up on paper with Washaun Ealy from Georgia, the clear defensive advantage goes to the SEC team. I am sticking with SEC dominance in this game and predicting a Bulldog win, as much as it pains me to do so.

Well, if these two games aren't enough to delay your trip to the lake until Sunday, I don't really know what else to tell you. Anyway, have a great labor day weekend, and enjoy your time to relax on the couch and take in a couple great gridiron showdowns on Saturday night.