And they’re off! The Race to the Rose Bowl is on. Of course, the Bowl Championship Series rankings will determine which two teams will actually play for the national championship this year, but those rankings don’t start coming out until the end of September. Until then, I’m using the USA Today/Coaches poll.Because this race is more like NASCAR than the Derby, the participants don’t start out even. Here are the ten leaders, before the first kickoff:

Less than a week until Football Time in Tennessee.The Knoxville News Sentinel’s GoVolsXtra site kicked off the season with a huge 14-page special section. The first page of The College Football Preview ’05 (large file, and registration is required) is classic Daniel Proctor: a full-page color cartoon made to look like the Candyland board game, except that instead of sugar plums and lollipops, the multi-colored, segmented road is decorated with gators, tigers, and leprechauns.Proctor’s Rocky Road to the Rose Bowl graphically portrays the Vols’ difficult road ahead. After the UAB “Free Turn” game (which really could be anything but a walk in the park), the Vols’ must escape the Gators in the Swamp (U. of Florida) and the Tigers in Death Valley (Louisiana State U.) on consecutive weeks.

Then they entertain Ole Miss at home and have a difficult game against the Georgia Bulldogs before having to travel south where they must survive the Crimson Tide.

And then Tennessee’s former (and current again?) nemesis Steve Spurrier brings his new team — the South Carolina Gamecocks — to Tennessee before the team travels to always dangerous South Bend, Indiana to take on the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

Round the corner to finish with Memphis and Vanderbilt at home and the Wildcats of Kentucky up north, and the Vols’ should end up in Atlanta and the SEC Championship. Win that, and they should be in the Rose Bowl and the National Championship.

A rocky, treacherous road to be sure, but if they can drain the Swamp, survive Death Valley, hold the Tide, best the Irish, and then take care of business at home against Georgia, South Carolina, and the others, they will have earned the right to play for the trophies.

Check out Proctor’s graphic. It encapsulates the entire season’s challenges, dangers — and fun — ahead.

Five days to Football Time in Tennessee.

Awesome picture of Jesse Mahelona, showing why some have called him The Flyin’ Hawaiian. The picture’s from Saul Young of the Knoxville News Sentinel’s GoVolsXtra website. (Registration required.)

ESPN.COM is reporting that Coach Fulmer has decided to name Erik Ainge the starting quarterback over Rick Clausen. The purported reason was Erik’s advantages in mobility and strength of arm. Rick’s numbers were a bit better, though, in the three fall scrimmages, and I think it might have been more a matter of The Law of the Lid — although the two players appear to be about as good as each other right now, it appears to be almost unanimous that Erik’s growth potential is greater.Erik handled the situation with class, saying:

Obviously I’m excited I’m going to take the first snap, but in no means have I won the starting position. Someone has to take the first snap. If I were to go out there and not play well, not perform, it’s not like we’re putting in a backup quarterback in Rick Clausen. Rick Clausen is a great quarterback.

Rick sounded, understandably, disappointed, but he, too, is a classy guy, and I expect that he will bounce back quickly and well.

You can see video of Erik Ainge’s reaction at UTSports.com.

The picture on the sidebar is the cover of the University of Tennessee 2005 Football Media Guide. The player pictured on the cover is Jesse Mahelona, the Flyin’ Hawaiian, who is one of the three or four UT players everyone will be watching this year, the others being cornerback Jason Allen and running back Gerald Riggs.Expectations are high for the team this year. Collegefootballnews.com has them ranked #3 (with LSU #2 and Florida #8). The USA Today Coaches Poll also has them at #3 (with LSU #6 and Florida #11). According to Lindy’s, UT is #6 (with Florida #4 and LSU #9). Athlon has UT at #2 (with LSU at #9 and Florida at #13). The reason for mentioning Florida and LSU is that our second game is at Florida and our third game is at LSU. Two really tough away games.

Anyway, we’ll see. Can’t wait.

22 days.