Early College Open Thread: August 31

Well we screamed Boomer Sooner, Roll Tide Roll, and Go Big Blue.
Had a ball down on the Bayou and on the plains.
We saw blue turf and the Tomahawk Chop, and the Gators in the Swamp.
Yea Woo Pig Sooie, go Gamecocks. They all got game!.
Irishmen and Buckeyes in the 'Shoe, Sparty, USC and Bevo too
Aggies, Huskers, let's go Dawgs, and TCUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!

I am not a fan of music to start my morning. I need to slowly allow my brain to readjust to insanity of reality. Coffee helps. A lot. But the one song, the one and only song I enjoy hearing while the hour side of the clock is still in single digits is the College Gameday song.

It's pseudobulbaric. It comes on and my eyes widen. The hairs don't stand up on my back. They explode out of their one-follicle stance looking for other cilia to hit. I don't smile as much as I anti-frown.

Saturdays are back. And they're worth it again.

Be sure to check out Mocking the Draft's Saturday cheat sheet.

Buffalo at #2 Ohio St. (12:00 p.m., ESPN2)

The opening 11 games are pretty weak, but it's the first look at some quality teams. Ohio St. is one of those. Undefeated a year ago in their first year under Urban Meyer, the Buckeyes have plenty of NFL talent and the QB to boot in Braxton Miller. CB Bradley Roby and OLB Ryan Shazier headline their 2014 draft prospects. And don't miss a look at Buffalo OLB Khalil Mack this year. He'd have to have a pretty tough year to fall back into the day 3 range. And we might get a look at monstrous sophomore NT Chris Carter. Big man is big.

Mississippi St. at #13 Oklahoma St.* (3:00 p.m., ABC/ESPN2 - coverage map)

* - Played at neutral site, Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX

Unranked SEC versus the Big XII's best? I'll bite. If you're down, check out MSU G Gabe Jackson. A 330-pound road grader who is just nasty inside. And for Oklahoma St., it's a bit of an identity crisis. The school that gave us Dez Bryant, Brandon Weeden, Russell Okung and Justin Blackmon is the highest-ranked team in their conference because of their...defense.

Syracuse at Penn St.* (3:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN2 - coverage map)

* - Played at neutral site, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ

Syracuse has a pretty impressive young tackle in Sean Hickey I'll be getting a look at. Throw in Penn St. WR Allen Robinson, and you've got two premium prospects I could see the Rams interested in come April.

Let's get warmed up for tonight.