Did you see that misprint in the national polls this week? What a terrible mistake! Bet those college football writers and coaches are blushing.

It's right here: The AP and the ESPN-USA Today polls both ranked Colorado 17th, while the writers tapped Colorado State 19th and the coaches rated the Rams 20th.

Someone must not have told the pollsters that Colorado State is 2-0 after beating Virginia and, egad! Colorado.

How could that happen? Got to be a misprint. No one could be that stupid.

Tedford gets Cal off to hot start

The Jeff Tedford era at California began with new uniforms, a well-executed trick play, a school record for points in the first quarter and a 70-22 victory over Baylor. That's called a good start. But before the bandwagon overflows keep in mind that, though Cal equaled last year's win total in impressive fashion, the Bears have won six of their last eight season openers. Heck, former coach Tom Holmoe won his first game by 32 points. An opener does not a contender make, particularly against a team that has won 10 games over the past five years. This week's opponent, New Mexico State, should provide a far stiffer test. New Mexico State pushed No. 19 South Carolina to the limit in front of nearly 84,000 fans in Columbia before losing 34-24. The Aggies piled up 212 yards rushing against the Gamecocks, led by 111 from Eric Higgins, and only trailed 20-17 after three quarters. The Aggies are no Baylor. Still, there were a lot of positive signs for Cal. For one, the Bears, owners of the Pac-10's worst offense and defense last year, are more than a third of the way to last season's points total after a single game. The biggest positive was senior quarterback Kyle Boller's poise and accuracy. He passed for only 213 yards, but he completed 69 percent of his throws, a career single-game high, and didn't hurl an interception. The Bears also won the turnover battle 5-1. Last year, they were minus-17 in turnovers, the worst mark in the Pac-10. The defense returned two of its four interceptions for touchdowns. Tedford, Oregon coach Mike Bellotti's offensive coordinator last season, checked in with his former mentor a few days before the game, looking for tips on the double pass that turned into a 71-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. "He called to check on the formation and the blocking scheme for the double pass," Bellotti told the Eugene (Ore.) Register Guard, "so we kind of expected him to try it." Tedford is an intense, mostly laconic guy. He wasn't ready to turn giddy after a single victory. He knows this weekend's game is critical because the Bears won't be favorites very often. After that, there's a visit to Michigan State followed by Air Force and then the Pac-10 schedule begins. It's not a slate that figures to provide many victories. But it's been a long time since hope has lingered in Strawberry Canyon. -- Ted Miller

Did they see Rams' running back Cecil Sapp run over the entire Buffaloes' defense for an 8-yard touchdown? Did they see the Rams ramble 84 yards in the fourth quarter for the game-winning touchdown?

On a neutral field, Colorado State was a tougher, more physical, better-coached team. Period.

"It was no fluke," CSU coach Sonny Lubick said. "We deserved to win the game. That's one thing I will never understand about the polls."

Yet, after whipping then-sixth-ranked Colorado for the third time in four games, Lubick has a proposal to rectify the situation.

"Every time we beat one of those (Bowl Championship Series) schools, we get their share of their BCS money," Lubick quipped.

The recurrent theme among Mountain West coaches this week was Colorado State made a statement about the conference, one that was seconded by BYU's 42-21 victory over Syracuse and Air Force's 52-3 walloping of Northwestern.

The MWC can play. It has Big 12, Big East and Big Ten trophies stuffed and mounted on its walls to prove it.

Queried BYU coach Gary Crowton about the rankings' illogic, "How else do you determine who's better?"

The Rams, not to mention the rest of the conference, have more non-conference work ahead. CSU takes on Pac-10 headliner UCLA on Saturday in the Rose Bowl.

UCLA will be the last Division I-A team to open its season -- kickoff is at 10:15 p.m. (ET) -- and it will play a team that began its season earlier than any other in major-college history (Aug. 22, at Virginia).

UCLA coach Bob Toledo thinks the Rams' two games have done more than just impress his team.

"I believe they've got a huge advantage," he said. "Any time you have two games of experience over other people you're a lot better off, trust me."

Both teams have something to prove. The CSU players likely are smarting after earning only piddling recognition from the national pollsters. The Bruins are trying to put behind them last year's collapse, when they tumbled from the nation's top-five while losing four of their last five games.

And don't forget that Toledo is starting the 2002 season on one of the nation's warmest coaching stools.

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't mean something," Toledo said. "This is another chance to prove people wrong, to prove you're a good football coach, to prove you have a good program."

Toledo might as well have been speaking about CSU and the rest of the MWC. The folksy Lubick sure had some things he wanted to say, but wisdom won over valor. He knows that last season's non-BCS darlings, BYU and Fresno State, went splat about the time that the nation started to take them seriously.

"I shouldn't say anything -- I'll get myself in trouble," he said.

Around the Pac-10

Arizona
The Wildcats are off this weekend after stomping I-AA Northern Arizona 37-3. Quarterback Jason Johnson threw for a career-high 381 yards, completing 20 of 36 attempts, before leaving the game late in the third quarter. ... Arizona's other offensive weapons had mixed results. Receiver Bobby Wade caught eight passes for 133 yards with two touchdowns, but tailback Clarence Farmer had just 29 yards rushing. ... The Wildcats will pay close attention to the Indiana-Utah game; the Utes are their next opponent on Sept. 14. Bet on this: Arizona will not pass for 381 yards against the Utes.

Arizona State
The 38-2 victory over I-AA Eastern Washington ended a six-game losing streak, but the Sun Devils need to be careful with UCF. Considering the Golden Knights nearly came back to beat Penn State, their beating a young Arizona State team wouldn't be that big of a surprise. ... It will be interesting to see how a three-man tailback rotation continues to function. Hakim Hill, Mike Williams and Cornell Canidate combined for 206 yards against Eastern Washington. Williams is the most experienced, Hill can run and catch, while Canidate led the troika with 100 yards.

	Jason Fife won his debut as starting QB for Oregon.

Oregon
Oregon had little trouble vanquishing Mississippi State, the first SEC opponent to visit Autzen Stadium. Quarterback Jason Fife completed 14 of 27 passes for 166 yards with three touchdowns in his debut as the starter, while tailback Onterrio Smith rushed for 124 yards on 28 carries. The Ducks' defense held MSU to just 31 yards in the 36-13 victory, and the Bulldogs didn't have a first down until the count was 27-0. ... Andy Ludwig, who replaced new Cal coach Jeff Tedford as Oregon's offensive coordinator, will know this weekend's opponent, Fresno State, well. He was those Bulldogs' coordinator last year. ... The last two times Fresno and Oregon met, the Ducks prevailed in overtime.

Oregon State
Quarterback Derrick Anderson threw for 345 yards and three touchdowns and tailback Steven Jackson ran for 141 yards and two scores in the Beavers' easy 49-10 victory over I-AA Eastern Kentucky. ... On the downside: Oregon State was flagged 14 times for 167 yards, with two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Of course, that sort of brashness was typical of the Beavers two years ago when they rolled to a 11-1 record. Temple, OSU's opponent Thursday, is a step up, though not a huge one. The Owls haven't posted a winning season since 1990. ... The Beavers' defense will have to be ready for the Owls' no-huddle spread offense, while the offense must contend with All-Big East defensive lineman Dan Klecko, the son of former NFL All-Pro, Joe Klecko.

Stanford
The Buddy Teevens era at Stanford hit a bump in the road before the first snap of the season when starting quarterback Chris Lewis was suspended by the NCAA for one game for an undisclosed minor rules violation. That means redshirt freshman Kyle Matter, who has never thrown a college pass, will get the start for the Cardinal against Boston College, with sophomore Ryan Eklund backing him up. Lewis told the San Jose Mercury News that the violation was "really dumb." The newspaper reported that an athletic department source said the violation "had nothing to do with academics, sports agents or illegal activity." ... Stanford beat Boston College 38-22 last year.

UCLA
While quarterback Cory Paus will get the start, UCLA coach Bob Toledo said highly touted true freshman Drew Olsen will play in the second quarter of the Bruins' game with Colorado State this weekend. Toledo said that he wanted Olsen, who won the backup job over John Sciarra and Matt Moore, to play because of Paus' history of injury problems. ... Toledo also said 10 redshirt freshmen and as many as nine true freshmen could play for the Bruins this weekend. Only three Bruins, however, will be making their first career start. ... The Bruins also seem to be having problems in the local bars. Guard Shane Lehmann pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge this week and was suspended Saturday's game, while cornerback Ricky Manning, Jr., turned himself in to police last week after he learned a felony warrant was issued for his arrest stemming from a fight outside a bar in April. Manning will play against Colorado State. ... UCLA has won five straight home season openers against the likes of Tennessee, Miami, Texas, Boise State and Alabama. Toledo is 14-7 in his last 21 games against ranked opponents. ... The last time UCLA and Colorado State played, however, was under far different circumstances. In 1962, the Bruins handed the Rams their 20th consecutive defeat.

USC
After their 21-14 Labor Day victory over Auburn, USC is off this weekend. But three of its next four games are on the road, including a Sept. 14 date at Colorado. ... Trojans' quarterback Carson Palmer was named Pac-10 offensive player of the week after passing for 302 yards and scoring the winning touchdowns late in the fourth quarter against Auburn. ... After a mediocre start, the USC defense held the Tigers to 281 total yards and just 35 yards and three points in the second half.

	Rick Neuheisel's contract extension keeps him among college football's highest-paid coaches.

Washington
Huskies coach Rick Neuheisel acknowledged the timing of the announcement that he'd signed a lucrative contract extension wasn't great. He became one of the nation's five richest coaches just days after committing a well-documented coaching blunder against Michigan -- sending 12 men to the field in the game's waning moments after a timeout. "I'm a little bit embarrassed this announcement comes on the heels of a mortifying defeat," Neuheisel said. "Especially one that included a coaching snafu that can't happen. It certainly is going to invite criticism and invite a lot of cynicism with respect to this announcement. But I can weather that storm." Neuheisel's new deal was structured to keep him in Seattle, at least until 2008. If Neuheisel is still the Huskies' coach at the end of six years, he'll take home an additional $2.5 million on top of his annual income of between $1.212 and $1.462 million. That would make Neuheisel's contract worth as much as $11.272 million over six-years -- or, averaged retroactively, $1.879 million a season -- one of the five richest deals in Division I-A football. ... Neuheisel and the Huskies have the perfect schedule to help fans forget about the Michigan defeat. Washington plays San Jose State this weekend, followed by Wyoming, Idaho and California.

Washington State
A crowd of 63,588 -- the largest for a Washington State "home" game -- watched the Cougars play unimpressively in a 31-7 victory against Nevada in the new Seahawks Stadium. Quarterback Jason Gesser's Heisman campaign didn't get off to a flashy start, but most disappointing was a rushing attack that gained just 108 yards. ... WSU should roll over Idaho on Saturday, though the Cougars did lose two consecutive games to the Vandals before blowing them out 36-7 last year. ... Of course, the real test comes on Sept. 14, when WSU visits Ohio State.

Around the Mountain West
Air Force piled up 523 yards of offense, including 476 yards rushing, in its 52-3 stomping of Northwestern. We'll find out this weekend in the Falcons' MWC opener against New Mexico whether that was because the Air Force option was simply unstoppable or Northwestern's defense was just rotten. ... The Falcons ground game took some hits against Northwestern. Fullback Dan Schaffer will be out at least three weeks with a knee injury, while halfback Anthony Butler is questionable with a shoulder problem. ... The Falcons' defense, which wilted late last season, surrendered only 221 yards. It will key on New Mexico running back Quincy Wright, who set a school record with 265 yards against Weber State. ... BYU was helpless as Hawaii rained touchdowns on BYU last year in a 72-45 victory, ending the Cougars' hopes for an undefeated season. Time for payback? "I don't know if it's a revenge factor; we just want to play better," BYU coach Gary Crowton said. Last year's game was a total disaster for BYU. Not only did it surrender 543 passing yards to the Warriors, it also gave up touchdowns on punt and kickoff returns. ... The Cougars' secondary is hurting. Safety Michael Madsen is questionable after suffering a shoulder injury in the win over Syracuse, while cornerback Jernaro Gilford probably will be out until Sept. 14 with a knee injury. ... Another problem: Hawaii may be more talented this year. "(Warriors coach) June Jones told me they would be better this year than last," Crowton said. ... On Saturday, Colorado State quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt tossed a ball in a Colorado player's face after scoring the game-winning touchdown and called the Buffaloes the "sorriest No. 6 team" he'd ever seen. He said he was sorry on Tuesday. Van Pelt told the Denver Post that he "didn't mean to push the ball" in Colorado safety Roderick Sneed's face, and that he "let a couple of things slip" during his postgame comments. ... More distressing for the Rams: Senior offensive tackle Aaron Green suffered a stress fracture in his fibula and broke his ankle against Colorado and is out for the season. He will undergo surgery this week. Mike Brisiel, a redshirt freshman, will replace him. ... New Mexico has won three in a row against this weekend's opponent, Air Force, including a 52-33 victory last season. ... Don't expect Air Force to duplicate the 476 yards it rolled up on the ground against Northwestern. New Mexico welcomes back seven starters from a defense that surrendered a paltry 87.4 yards per game on the ground, and just three players have eclipsed 100 yards on the ground over the past 25 games against the Lobos. ... New San Diego State coach Tom Craft didn't want to play Colorado this weekend, even before the Buffaloes were dumped by Colorado State. It's not that Craft has a problem with tough competition -- just too much tough competition. "We're excited about playing a team the caliber of Colorado," Craft said. "We just can't do it week after week." ... The Aztecs saw their comeback last weekend against Fresno State fall short when Tommy Kirovski's 31-yard field goal was blocked, and the Bulldogs escaped with a 16-14 victory. ... A bright spot for San Diego State was receiver J.R. Tolver, who caught 10 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown. ... UNLV's quarterback Jason Thomas' season of redemption didn't get off to much of a start against Wisconsin. Not even 20 minutes into the game, he had tossed two interceptions and fumbled twice in UNLV's 27-7 loss. It wasn't exactly a confidence-building performance, for Thomas or for his coach. "I'm sure he's shaken by it," UNLV coach John Robinson said. "I'm shaken by it." ... Thomas should have an easier time this weekend against Kansas, which dropped a 45-3 decision to Iowa State in new coach Mark Mangino's debut. Robinson said Thomas does much better when he doesn't freelance and try to force big plays. "At times, (Thomas) plays like he thinks he's Brett Favre," Robinson said. ... Utah should give the MWC its second win against a Big Ten opponent this weekend against Indiana, which struggled against I-AA William & Mary. Utah beat Indiana 28-26 last year. ... Indiana did hold William & Mary to minus-32 yards rushing, which means the going should be tougher for Utah tailback Marty Johnson, who had 176 yards against Utah State. ... Wyoming coach Vic Koenning hopes that Central Michigan offers his team a more pleasant weekend that Tennessee. "I'm looking forward to seeing what they'll do against guys who aren't future NFL players," Koenning said. ... The Pokes, who have lost nine consecutive games, had just 187 total yards in their 47-7 loss to the Volunteers and they turned the ball over five times. Nonetheless, Koenning saw a silver lining to a very dark cloud. "Our defensive line more than hung in there against their offensive line," he said.

Ted Miller covers college football for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.