Let's hear it for Rich Rodriguez. Utah 25, Michigan 23. Not even as close as the score: It was 25-10 going into the fourth quarter. The second consecutive season-opener upset in the Big House. Another Appalachian State. That's what Michigan gets for hiring a carpetbagger and for outsourcing its tradition. Poor Rich is now 0-2 in his two biggest games -- the loss to Pitt that deprived West Virginia of a B.C.S. championship berth and now this. Go, Blew.

Updated Sept. 1: Let's hear it for Greg Schiano, who has set a Big East record for distractions about his overpaid contract, about his overpaid pension ($250,000 a year), about his overpaid compensation if the Rutgers Stadium renovation is not done on time, about his severance package  and about being the next Joe Paterno at Penn State. As ESPN adroitly said, Schiano should first be a Joe Paterno at Rutgers and build that program.  Losing as a 6-point favorite to Fresno State, 24-7, is the reason why the New Jersey Turnpike has a new smell this weekend: the rotten egg laid by the Scarlet Knights.  Their loss was the fourth by a Big East team during the opening weekend, all  by 17 or more points.  Rutgers was less competitive than Delaware was at Maryland and Villanova was at West Virginia.  The steam shovels in the back of one end zone were a nice touch for Labor Day.

Let's hear it for Bowling Green, a 27-17 upset derailer of No. 25 Pitt. An Associated Press ranking that obviously was obviously based on the past -- the upset at No. 1 West Virginia last November before Rodriguez bolted. Another successful Pitt stop by a Mid-American Conference team. Most underrated conference in the nation.

Let's hear it for East Carolina, a 27-22 upset winner over Virginia Tech. The season clunker came in the opener for Frank Beamer. Nothing Hokie about that.

Let's hear it for Youngstown State, a big loser to Ohio State which might have hung a bigger loss on Ohio State. Heisman Trophy-bound tailback Beanie Wells was hobbling on an injured right foot. It collapsed as he neared the goal-line and he lost a fumble. (I'm hobbling on a sore right heel/ankle/instep that collapsed somewhere in Manhattan, where the sidewalks of New York and the Yellow Cab drag strips are the worst West of Calcutta.) Beanie's wearing a boot. If he does not go, everybody's No. 1 Buckeyes do not go.

Let's hear it for Al Groh and Pete Carroll reuniting as former N.F.L. coaches when Groh's Virginia Cavaliers were no match for Carroll's Southern California Trojans. Why did U.S.C. schedule its 12th game in Charlottesville, Va.?

And let's hear it for 81-year-old Joe Paterno, who tied the idle 79-year-old Bobby Bowden for all-time victories with No. 373 in No. 22 Penn State's 66-10 scrimmage against Coastal Carolina. Penn State had its highest total offense in 13 years and its most points in an opener since 1926, gopsusports.com exhaled. Penn State gained 594 yards, its most since 661 yards in a 59-34 win against Rutgers in 1995 in Giants Stadium. That was when Rutgers Coach Doug Graber accused Paterno of running up the score during a midfield confrontation ("Joe, I didn't think you played that way," Graber said angrily. To which Paterno replied in his precise nasal Brooklynese, "That's bull-shit.")

Let's hear it for Coastal Carolina, which has the best nickname in college sports: the Chanticleers (SHON-ti-clears).

The nickname comes from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales "Nun's Priest Tale." The Chanticleer is a proud and fierce rooster who dominates the barnyard.The nickname was adopted in the 1960s when a group of students wanted to shed the school's old moniker, the Trojans, in order to be closer to South Carolina's Gamecock. In the spirit of good-natured adversarial ribbing, the current version of the Chanticleer logo looks a bit like an angry rendering of Foghorn Leghorn of Looney Tunes fame."

Let's hear it for Coach Al Golden's Temple Owls, 35-7 ambush winners at Army. A quick Temple defense created turnovers that led to two early touchdowns on way to a 21-0 lead, and the Cadets could not catch the Owls with or without their M-16s. The closest Temple had been to Army in the past was with its ROTC unit on campus.

Updated Sept. 1: And let's hear it for Philip Fulmer. On his 58th birthday, Fulmer's Tennessee Volunteers let U.C.L.A.'s third-string quarterback Kevin Craft throw four first-half interceptions, then let him hit 80 percent of his second-half passes and  let U.C.L.A.  hang around until it stole the victory  in overtime, 27-24.  U.C.L.A. Coach Rick Neuheisel is back. He lost three senior players in the first half to injuries and won by outcoaching Fulmer. The Bruins' Bosworth twins played as well as their uncle did, without his showboating antics. Tennessee's vaunted offensive line took the night off against U.C.L.A's front four.  And for the second consecutive season Fulmer and his Vols headed back to Knoxville again embarrassed  in an opener by a Pac-10 team.

More Quick Snaps on Week 2.