The first full day of games always gives me that warm and fuzzy feeling. Sure, I'm now more than a decade removed from the pre-game face-painting rituals, and my road trips are fewer and further between. I look in the mirror and check the hair line and circles under the eyes, showing that time has certainly betrayed me. But, with kickoffs occurring all over the country, I'm positively giddy at the 9 o'clock hour (I now fully remember one of the reasons I loved living in California), sipping coffee and working the split screen to open the day.

OK, so I need another unit in the living room to give my daughter her "Dora The Explorer" fix.

But, as a devoted Northwestern alum, I flipped on the maiden voyage of the Big Ten Network coverage for the Wildcats' opener against Northeastern. It still seems strange to see Pat Fitzgerald at the helm, as he was just getting warmed up as a player when I walked across the graduation stage. Northeastern moved the ball early, but a missed field goal set the table for Northwestern to get rolling. Behind the running of Tyrell Sutton and the precision passing of C.J. Bacher, the Wildcats scored 27 points. The defense bent, but didn't break in pitching a shutout.

I enjoyed watching Northwestern take care of business. I still bleed the purple and white. But, as much as I took pleasure in the win, I drew closer to my television as the clock ticked on the Michigan - Appalachian State game. Michael Hart did his thing early, but the Mountaineers showed great resilience and assumed the lead. Still, it was impossible to believe that it would last.

It did. The clock rolled deep into the second half before you saw any semblance of the Michigan swagger. In fact, until Hart rumbled 53 yards to give the Wolverines a late lead, I don't think the 109,000 people in attendance had exhaled. Armanti Edwards was positively masterful, and the crafty southpaw connected with his tight end over the middle to set up what proved to be the game-winning field goal. Even when Chad Henne tossed a 46-yard bomb to give Michigan a last-gasp field goal effort, it just felt like the Mountaineers had to come through. As you've no doubt seen the replay 1,000 times, the attempt was blocked. Game, set and match for the little engine that could from Division I-AA.

I must have said "wow" about 10 times, prompting my daughter to parrot me.

You've got Michigan losing a season opener in the Big House. A listless Notre Dame team was run over by a Calvin Johnson-less Georgia Tech at home. And, life returned to normal, if only for a moment, with Frank Beamer's Hokies using defense to win at Blacksburg.

The calendar still says September 1, and we've already got a laundry list of storylines. Strap yourselves in for what promises to be a fascinating college football campaign.