Sunday Recap

The two games yesterday may have been off your radar for various, holiday weekend-related, reasons but both Louisville and Baylor displayed talented squads that could both make a little noise this season.
Louisville was favored against the weakest SEC team but the way they dominated them behind QB Teddy Bridgewater was impressive.  Bridgewater hit on 19-21 passes for 232y and led the Cardinals on TD drives of 99y, 85y and 93y with first three possessions.
Baylor QB Nick Florence threw for 341y and 4 TDs in leading the Bears, who did not need anyone currently playing in the NFL to subdue SMU.
These were not earth-shattering wins.  But the way these teams thumped lesser lights was eye-opening.

First Saturday

My family and I had a good time at Scott Stadium yesterday watching Virginia handle Richmond 43-19.  While we would have wanted to watch a more competitive game our seven-year-old was happy that a school with the same name as her Mom scored a lot of points.  She also liked the horse the Cavalier rode into the stadium.  The Wahoos looked good and Coach London played a ton of kids.  Junior QB Michael Rocco, from nearby Lynchburg, threw for 311y in the winning effort although it must have been bittersweet for Rocco and his family as his uncle Danny Rocco is the first-year head coach of the Spiders.
As for the rest of the nation, most of the top teams held serve with Michigan the big loser.  While they were not expected to beat Alabama, they did nothing to disprove the theory that athletic defenses can stop QB Denard Robinson and when you stop Robinson you stop the Wolverines.  Robinson's long run was 9y.  Enough said.
The Big Ten as a whole looked shaky with Wisconsin and Iowa surviving scares and Penn state losing to Ohio.  With so few big games the teams that won them, like Clemson yesterday and Tennessee on Friday, improved their stock greatly.
The biggest loser may be USC in the long run with more charges against their program.  We have known about the free car Joe McKnight used but it was not part of the current troubles.  Good luck with that.

Morning Football

I am loving this early morning football, although my friends out west must be rather tired.  Can we move the MAC to Saturday AM?
Notre Dame is showing that a full roster of talented players can return the glory.  Of course having a redshirt freshman QB and a true freshman starting CB will eventually cost them against what is now the nation's toughest schedule.  Still, they look good so far.

Day One

Wow, that was a brutal non-call in the SC-Vandy game.  The kid almost caught the ball one-handed, but that was a clear penalty.  I am not saying the refs are told to keep highly-ranked SEC teams highly ranked but...
Vanderbilt played a gutsy game.  Gamecock fans had better enjoy being in the top ten because they will not remain if Shaw is hurt or if they do not block better and cover better deep.
BYU proved that they need more respect.  They have a tough schedule but can make some noise.  And I'd love to see UCLA back but Rice stinks so we need to see some more.
More games tonight.  Don't sleep on the battle of Philly, which is usually better than last season's Temple rout.

It's Back

Finally.  The off-season from hell has ended and football kickoffs tonight.  The marquee game is South Carolina at Vandy and while I think the Gamecocks will win by 17 I am rooting for a more competitive game.  I am also intrigued by tomorrow night's Boise at MSU game as we all expect Boise to drop a notch this season and here they are matched against one of the best defenses in the country.  Still, it's Boise.

Another Year, Another High Ranking for FSU

Let's see Herbstreit is picking Florida State to win it all, so too Phil Steele.  The Noles have a bunch-load of returning starters and one of these years they will return to prominence, right?  The odds are in their favor that they can actually win a mediocre conference for the first time since 2005.  Right? 
But wait, Herbstreit and Steele and others are picking FSU to win the national championship.  Hey that may happen but every year, like clockwork, FSU is picked high and every year they disappoint.  Yes they were incredible back in the day but that success is a thing of the past.  Last year they went 9-4 and Steele make apologies for those four losses.  But they beat Louisiana Monroe, Charleston Southern, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina State, Boston College, Miami, Florida and Notre Dame.  There was not a top program from 2011 in the bunch.  They lost to Wake Forest, at home, and Virginia last year.  Can they please win 10 games and a conference title first before we start picking them as the best in the country? 

Why SI?

I understand that Sports Illustrated is facing a dilemma.  Young adult males do not read anything anymore and yet SI needs them to not only boost circulation but for ads for stupid products other folks do not use (I'm talking to you Axe For Men).  But the latest attempts from them just do not cut the mustard.  The recent college football preview issue is almost unreadable.  There is little substance and the decisions for what made the cut editorially are sometimes laughable.  There are only three little sections on each expected top 25 school and so some write-ups spend a good chunk of preview on the impact freshman fighting for the 4th WR job and not the lines or coaching staff or schedule or any of a million more worthy subjects.  There is absolutely no reason to keep that issue hanging around as a reference.
The problem is that the staff of writers are not 21-year-olds used to twitter and blogging.  They are better served with longer length.  So either let them write or do not bother with a preview.  What currently stands does not take advantage of SI publishing this magazine in August, whereby they trump the bigger preview mags with timely information, nor the talent of the writers who should best the 21-year-old bloggers.