It's officially college football season. Sure, the actual games are still weeks away, but Sports Illustrated's college football preview found its way into my mailbox today.

And as expected, the usual Georgias, Ohio States and USCs lace the top 10, but make your way to No. 18 and you gotta' do a double take. Sittin' there -- four spots ahead of the Nittany Lions -- is Oregon State.

Now I ain't sayin the Beavers won't be a bowl team, heck, I think they'll give Penn State all the Lions can handle in week two, but 18th in the friggin' country? Come on.

OSU returns seven starters on offense, but only three on defense. And while the Beavers have a pair of dynamic playmakers in receivers James Rodgers and Sammie Stroughter, the quarterback situation is iffy at best.

Throw in a schedule that includes early test in a cross country trip to Happy Valley, USC and at the pesky Utah Utes and there's a possibility OSU could start out 2-3.

Don't count out the Beavers on Sept. 6, but they sure as heck aren't the 18th best team in the nation, and definitely don't deserve to be ranked ahead of Penn State. If this doesn't serve as bulletin board material in Lasch, I don't know what does.

Oh, and just for the record, we're still not looking past Coastal Carolina in week one.

- Wible