In most college football programs, the task of charting formations of upcoming opponents falls to a graduate assistant coach -- commonly known as a "G.A." They study the film, note which players line up where and prepare formation cards to show the scout team how to give the first-teamers a "good look" at what they'll face the coming Saturday.

The last thing an offensive G.A. wants to see is film of a John Thompson defense. It can be harder to understand than a foreign film with no subtitles.

The new Florida defensive coordinator isn't quite an anarchist, but you can occasionally look at his units and come to that conclusion. Let's just say that he's not hung up on orthodoxy.

MTSU back on road in SEC

Middle Tennessee gets none of the Southeastern Conference's staggering annual revenue shares, but could convincingly make a case for at least partial payment. The Blue Raiders play as many SEC road games this year as any team in the league. They'll visit four SEC teams -- Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Vanderbilt -- including the first three in succession to open the season. Middle blew its cover as a cream puff last year by upsetting Vandy, then further outed itself as a scary underdog program last week by giving Alabama all it wanted in a 39-34 loss. The Blue Raiders trailed by only two points when they recovered a Crimson Tide fumble at their 42-yard line with five minutes left. But the play was nullified when an official (and SEC official, no less) called Middle Tennessee's nose tackle for holding. According to the Knoxville News-Sentinel, coach Andy McCollum said he asked the officials for a number of the offending party and was told it was No. 58. That was Middle freshman Chris Sapp, who is being redshirted and was left back home in Murfreesboro -- a pretty airtight alibi. "The only 58 on the field was their center," McCollum said. "Maybe (the official) called him for holding. ... Maybe the official made a mistake. ... But I do know if we get the ball right there, we've got a chance." Every game against an SEC team presents that big chance. And this week Tennessee knows it might be the biggest chance Middle has ever had. Don't expect the Volunteers to be lollygagging Saturday in Knoxville. "The effort they had against Alabama was exceptional," Vols coach Phil Fulmer said. "We understand we're in for a heck of a challenge this week." For the Blue Raiders, this is the rocky path to potential fame and modest fortune. The six-figure guarantees from the big schools come in handy for a program trying to grow, and the opportunities to shock the football world are a major incentive. But losses and lumps are part of the package deal, too. The first casualty of this ambitious scheduling might have been running back Dwone Hicks' Heisman Trophy campaign. Already a shot so long it's only visible with the Hubble Telescope, Hicks4Heisman was hobbled by Alabama's voracious defense. Hicks had just 42 yards rushing and 46 receiving against the Crimson Tide. -- Pat Forde

You'll see linemen standing up in a two-point stance. Safeties and linebackers are liable to be anywhere. Blitzes seemingly come out of the tuba section of the marching band. When he was at Arkansas last year and the opponent was South Carolina, Thompson strung all 11 men across the line of scrimmage at the 2-yard line.

"We always want to make it look like more than it really is, to see if we can confuse the offense," said Thompson, who spent seven years building a standout defense at Southern Mississippi before going to Memphis for a year, then jumping to Arkansas.

Thompson isn't a guy who blows a gasket when the left defensive tackle is lined up three inches too wide. In fact, there sometimes are very few rules about which players go where before a play -- as long as they all go to the right place once the ball is in motion.

"Sometimes we tell our guys, 'Just be inbounds when the ball is snapped,'" he said with a laugh. "We give our guys a lot of freedom.

"It's fun. It's a game. You've got to be smart, but still make it a game."

This week Thompson is playing games with the Miami Hurricanes in what is certainly college football's Game of the Moment, and at least potentially its Game of the Year.

A vast majority of the attention paid to The Coaching Change in college football has revolved around offense: Will Ron Zook's new style at least approximate the thrills and touchdowns produced by Steve Spurrier's Fun'N'Gun? The Gators' opening-game scorching of UAB showed that quarterback Rex Grossman has hardly been turned into a wishbone operator; Florida is still going to throw it around plenty, with some additional emphasis given to running back Earnest Graham's role.

It's the other side of the ball that could produce the greater changes.

For one thing, the head coach will actually pay attention to what his defense is doing. (Zook was a veteran defensive coordinator himself, while Spurrier's only inquiries on defense were along the lines of, "Dangit, when am I getting the ball back?")

For another, Zook has hired a coordinator who is unafraid to turn convention on its head.

"I never understood why offenses could have all those plays, but defenses are supposed to line up one or two ways," Thompson said.

"John does a good job of mixing things up, keeping offenses off-balance, moving players around," said Arkansas coach Houston Nutt, who employed Thompson the previous two years. "He'll line players up just about anywhere. It might look very confusing and unorthodox, but it's still very sound.

"He'll probably do even more at Florida, with the athletes he'll have. There's no telling what he'll do."

He didn't do much against UAB, for good reason. No need giving Miami's offensive G.A.'s something to diagram -- or at least try to diagram -- when you don't have to.

"Last week we got real conservative," Thompson said. "Somebody said after the game, 'I didn't see anything too exotic.' You're not going to see much exotic if it's 34-0 in the third quarter."

The underlying premise of Thompson's defense is to keep the offense out of its comfort zone -- to scramble its pregame script. Disguise a coverage, feign a blitz, show something that makes the quarterback hesitate when he comes to the line of scrimmage. Thompson wants the offense have to react to the defense, not vice versa.

"Disrupt that offense's rhythm and you've got a chance," Thompson said. "Looking at Miami, if he (QB Ken Dorsey) gets into a rhythm, they're hard to beat.

"It's cat and mouse. I think we always want to be the mouse. Or maybe it's the cat. We always want to be the one that can't get caught, whichever one that is."

Maybe he should stick with Xs and Os. John Thompson sounded as confused as an offensive G.A. trying to decode his defense.

Around the SEC

Alabama
There's no QB controversy yet where it seemed possible, in Tuscaloosa. Senior Tyler Watts was at his multifaceted best in Alabama's 39-34 victory over Middle Tennessee. He completed 16 of 2 passes for 236 yards and also ran for 54 more, quelling any fan lobbying for hotshot redshirt freshman Brodie Croyle. Watts will need to be at his best for 'Bama to upset defensive dynamo Oklahoma Saturday.

Arkansas
The last SEC team to begin play hosts Boise State Saturday, kicking off a non-conference schedule that also includes home games against South Florida, Troy State and Louisiana-Lafayette. While it's true that Boise State is a leading candidate to win the WAC, South Florida upset Pittsburgh and Troy State upset Mississippi State last year, that's still a soft run. Adding the 12th game did nothing for Houston Nutt's sense of adventure. ... The Razorbacks will start multifaceted sophomore Matt Jones at quarterback, but don't be surprised to see backups Ryan Sorahan and/or Tavaris Jackson at some point. ... The Hogs have allowed a total of 10 points in their past three season openers and have won five straight lid-lifters.

Auburn
Coach Tommy Tuberville said QB Daniel Cobb wasn't quite as bad as his stats indicated. Cobb completed 11-of-22 passes for 141 yards and an interception. He also fumbled twice. But Tuberville was quick to dismiss some of it as growing pains in a new offense as well as the fact his receivers dropped a few passes. ... Here's guessing the Tigers will be making sure Carnell Williams drinks plenty of fluids. With Williams on the bench with cramps much of the season half, Auburn has just 35 yards offense and often looked lost without him.

Florida
Ron Zook sprinted onto Florida Field Saturday afternoon with obvious emotion, but not for the obvious reason. As he ran ahead of his Gators, the rookie head coach pointed to a spot up in the stands, where his dad, Pete, was watching from a wheelchair. Pete Zook, the primary builder of Ron's legendary work ethic, is battling cancer, but it could not keep him from boarding a school plane in Ft. Pierce, Fla., and attending the biggest game in his son's coaching career. The Gators beat UAB 50-3, and Ron came through just fine.

Georgia
Just about the only thing Mark Richt did wrong as a rookie head coach last year was in the late-game decision-making department, where his moves helped Georgia lose to South Carolina, Auburn and Boston College. Darned if Richt didn't tempt fate again in a tense 31-28 win over Clemson Saturday. Holding that slim lead and facing a fourth-and-inches from his own 38 with 40 seconds to play, Richt stunned everyone by opting to go for it instead of punting and playing defense. Had the Bulldogs not made it, Clemson would have been handed the ball just yards from field-goal range, but Musa Smith got the first down and made Richt look good. "I've still got a lot of people thinking it was a dumb thing to do, even though we made it," said Richt, who estimated the distance for the first down at a mere 10 inches... Redshirt freshman quarterback D.J. Shockley made Richt look good, too, showing off his Michael Vick Starter Kit of skills in relief of starter David Greene. Richt said he was going to create playing time for Shockley despite Greene's spectacular season last year as a freshman, and it didn't take long to see why. He was 3 for 4 for 50 yards passing and led Georgia to half its four touchdowns. Greene appeared to be handling the situation well on the sidelines, but his performance in the game (12 of 21 with one interception, 67 yards) was not up to last year's standards. If he's looking over his shoulder at Shockley, that can't be good for his confidence. Richt says Shockley will play more, Greene will remain the starter and there is no controversy. "If we allow the fans and media to pick the starting quarterback, we've got a problem," he said.

Kentucky
How modest were the league's non-conference achievements in Week One? Would you believe the school carrying the SEC banner was Kentucky? That usually happens in March, not September. ... With LSU being trampled 26-8 by Virginia Tech, Auburn losing 24-17 to USC and Mississippi State being overwhelmed 36-13 by Oregon, the Wildcats' shocking 22-17 upset of No. 17 Louisville was the highlight. It also significantly improved coach Guy Morriss' chances of retaining his job with new athletic director Mitch Barnhart. ... In fact, with successive home games on tap against UTEP, Indiana and Middle Tennessee, the Cats suddenly appear capable of a 4-0 start before colliding with the reality that is Florida. This is getting way ahead, but Kentucky's seemingly perfunctory August appeal of its NCAA bowl ban might just become important.

LSU
LSU's Matt Mauck (15 of 35 for just 134 yards, with one interception) did not instill much confidence on opening day. LSU was shut out for 50 minutes against the Hokies and a QB controversy could bloom. LSU coach Nick Saban, however, came to Mauck's defense. "We need to play well around a young, inexperienced quarterback," Saban said, counting eight dropped passes and some breakdowns in protection. "I don't think you can blame that all on (Mauck)."

Mississippi
Eli Manning's occasional penchant for streakiness last year reappeared in the Rebels' opening victory over Louisiana-Monroe. He started the game 0-for-5 with an interception, and had a seven-pass incompletion streak in the third quarter. Aside from those two stretches, he was 17 of 19. The going will be tougher against Memphis this week. ... Ole Miss kept its offense ultra-basic because it was getting productivity on the ground. Running back Robert Williams had 100 yards and two touchdowns, and hyped junior-college transfer Robert McClendon added 40 yards on just six carries.

Mississippi State
The only QB controversy at Mississippi State originates with the NCAA. Bulldogs QB Kevin Fant got himself suspended for the season opener against Oregon with what athletic director Larry Templeton described as a painful burst of honesty. As part of an internal investigation, players were given a questionnaire to fill out about any potential wrongdoing, and Fant volunteered that a booster had helped him acquire new tires for his truck last spring. That's a violation, and the NCAA told State two days before the game that its starting QB was benched for the opener. Without Fant, the Bulldogs took more than 25 minutes to get a first down. State coach Jackie Sherrill began the team's first meeting this week by asking Fant, "Did you enjoy your vacation?" ... The Bulldogs are wasting no time with the youth movement. They played eight true freshman in the season opener, including two at tailback and two at wide receiver in an urgent search for more offense. "We will play them more and more and more," Sherrill said.

South Carolina
The Gamecocks built their startling rise to SEC prominence the past two years on defense, but the unit on the field last Saturday more closely resembled one from the days of losing seasons. New Mexico State gouged Carolina for 419 total yards and 24 points, prompting coach Lou Holtz to say that the days of not having to worry about the defense are over. His postgame appraisal: "Looking at it defensively, let me cover the positives," Holtz said, then went silent. "Now that I've done that, let me cover some of the negative things." No wonder a couple of offensive players were shifted to defense this week. ... Senior quarterback Corey Jenkins, a 26-year-old former baseball player, was productive in his first start, throwing for 166 yards and running for 113. ... Holtz tied Bo Schembechler for ninth on the all-time victory list with 234 with the win.

Tennessee
Kelley Washington is listed as doubtful for Tennessee's second game, against Middle Tennessee. A young corps of receivers that played fairly well against Wyoming will be called on again to pick up for the Volunteers' ailing star. ... The Volunteers aren't into the wholesale redshirting business. Eleven true freshmen played against Wyoming Saturday. ... If you ask Tennessee quarterback Casey Clausen, he'd splash some blame for LSU's faltering offense over onto the coaches. Clausen and Vols tight end Jason Witten both had brothers involved (Rick Clausen is a QB at LSU, Shawn Witten is a wide receiver at Tech), so they drove to Blacksburg to watch the game. Clausen's thoughts, according to the Nashville Tennessean: "I kept saying, 'What are you doing? Throw the ball.' " Imagine that, a quarterback lobbying for more passing. ...

Vanderbilt
Coach Bobby Johnson takes on the school he guided to the I-AA national championship last year, Furman. You might not blame him for wishing he was back on the other sideline -- just for a moment, until he remembers what pay day is like now that he's in the SEC. Johnson rated the talent levels at the two programs "Very close, and I think in some positions they're more athletic. We're probably bigger, and they're more athletic." Sobering news for a program that is at least accustomed to it. ... If nothing else, give the Commodores credit for balance. They had 116 yards rushing and 116 passing in a 45-3 loss to Georgia Tech to open the Johnson Era. A field goal with 3:26 left averted the shutout.

Around the Sun Belt Conference
North Texas could record the Sun Belt's first victory of the season when Nicholls State visits Denton Saturday. The Mean Green showed how good its defense is in a respectable 27-0 loss to Texas by holding the Longhorns to 28 rushing yards and recording eight quarterback sacks. After this home game North Texas goes back to the grind: at Alabama, at TCU, at Arizona. ... The nation's longest losing streak comes to Jonesboro Saturday when Tulsa visits Arkansas State. Both teams have to feel like they have a chance: the Golden Hurricane because it is facing a team that already has given up 96 points in two games this year; the Indians because they're facing a team that has lost 11 in a row. Stay tuned. ... Only eight miles separate Idaho from Saturday opponent Washington State, but the programs appear light years apart this season. The Cougars are ranked in the Top 25, while the Vandals are coming off a 1-10 season. But funny things have happened before: Idaho upset Washington State 38-34 in 2000. ... Saturday will be historic at Louisiana-Lafayette, when the Minnesota Gophers become the first Big Ten school to visit Cajun Field. Glen Mason can thank his athletic director for scheduling this one later. ... For the second straight season, New Mexico State gave a great showing in a losing cause to open the season against a marquee opponent. The Aggies dramatically outgained Louisville last year but gave up two long fumble returns for touchdowns, then racked up big offensive numbers in losing to South Carolina last week. "I think you're going to find out that New Mexico State's a little better than you thought they were," Carolina coach Lou Holtz said. Next up for the Aggies is California, which hung 70 on Baylor. ... Louisiana-Monroe was heartened by producing 118 rushing yards against Mississippi last week - 45 yards more than it averaged per game last year, and 60 more than it averaged the year before. The sledding figures to get tougher this Saturday at Kansas State.

Pat Forde covers college football for the Louisville Courier-Journal.