By JOHN LINDSAY, Scripps Howard News Service

With the presidential campaign heating up, we offer our first clarification (or flip-flop, if you prefer) of the college football season.We've long associated the NCAA's recent move to a 12-game regular season as an ill-conceived, senseless cash grab. Sort of like Steven Seagal's acting career, minus the martial arts.

Capsule previews for this weekend's season-opening college football games. All times Eastern and all rankings Associated Press.SATURDAY:No. 17 VIRGINIA TECH (0-0) vs. EAST CAROLINA (0-0), in Charlotte, Noon, ESPN.FAVORITE: Va. Tech by 10.

Capsule previews for this week's season-opening college football games. All times Eastern and all rankings Associated Press.THURSDAY:N.C. STATE (0-0) at SOUTH CAROLINA (0-0), 8 p.m., ESPN.FAVORITE: South Carolina by 11.

The endless wait is over. Months of recruiting hype, scrimmage nonsense, unsupervised drills speculation, arrests, suspensions and the tedious fall two-a-days are history.College football is back. And what America's most traditional sport does for an encore after a 2007 season that redefined zaniness is anyone's guess.

We interrupt the hype for the upcoming Red Sox-Cubs-Yankees Love Fest, also known as Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, for this bit of perspective.

Capsule previews for the top contenders for the 108th United States Open championship starting June 12 at Torrey Pines in San Diego. All statistics through Memorial Championship June 1.-- Tiger WoodsAge: 32.Country: United States.Top U.S. Open Finish: Won in 2000 and 2002.

When you have accomplished what Tiger Woods has on the golf course, sometimes it can be difficult to find another challenge.

When one has images of a fashion designer, a hard-charging older gentleman such as Calvin Klein or an eccentric diva like Donatella Versace come to mind.But then there's Laird Hamilton, who introduced his Wonderwall collection last week in New York. It's safe to say that most fashion folks don't have the resume of the 44-year-old Hamilton including:

Do impressive college statistics mean big money for players taken in the NFL Draft? Not by what happened over the weekend when pro teams plucked the lucky 252 names.Consider the fate of the draft-eligible 2007 NCAA Division I leaders in several statistical categories, none of which were first-round picks.

Capsule previews for the top 10 contenders for the 71st Masters, starting Thursday at Augusta National.TIGER WOODSAge: 32Country: United States.Top Masters finish: Won in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005.Top 2008 PGA Tour finish: Won Buick Invitational, World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play, Arnold Palmer Invitational.