College Football 2022

[Pariah]

1 hour ago, unclevlad said:

As a one-time courtesy to Mr. P, I shall refrain from reporting the score of the Alabama game.

 

No worries. I figured Utah State was going to get beat like a rented mule. I don't think we have any idea how good the Aggies really are yet. Next week's game against FCS Weber State probably won't help with that, unless the Wildcats win.

 

Now, moving on to games that actually matter ... I did not see BYU dropping half a hundred on South Florida today. The cougars had a dominant performance with six touchdowns including a pick-6, two field goals, and a safety. They looked like they were in a completely different gear than South florida. People sometimes talk about teams putting up points during garbage time. Well, BYU was up 28-0 at the end of the first quarter. Everything after that was arguably garbage time.

 

Is BYU that good, or did South Florida just have a really bad night? I think we'll get a better idea next week, when BYU hosts future Big XII foe Baylor in a late game. Last year in Waco Baylor treated the Cougars like a dog treats a tree.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

#GoGators!

 

 

That last minute took forever.

[Pariah]

Dammit, Utah, you had one job. 

[Iuz the Evil]

Pretty interesting weekend of college football so far. Virginia Tech, “oh no baby. What are you doing?”

 

Oklahoma had a very unsurprising opening against the mighty UTEP Miners… final score 42-13. Couple interesting things worth noting in the first game of the Brent Venables era.

 

 

1. The first pass completion was to Drake Stoops. That was cool.

 

2. Defense looked pretty salty. Defensive line and run D will be light years ahead of last year’s… pass D is better but some significant gaps and not a lot of depth. I liked they were wrapping up and tackling, fundamentals have been TERRIBLE in recent years. 
 

3. Players were swarming to the ball. Haven’t seen that in almost a decade.

 

 

4. Oklahoma pass game was serviceable, not great. Dillon Gabriel could develop into an amazing QB, today he was fine. Not great. But fine.

 

5. Running game was solid enough. Three backs all looked good, no true 1-2 punch but Eric Gray is really, really improved. 
 

6. Was a bowl eligible opponent, and not sisters of the poor… but it’s UTEP. I fully expected this, and I imagine their fan did as well. 
 

7. Once Venables gets his guys in and a year or two of development these guys are going to be very scary. OU is sitting on a top 5 class already this year. Future looking pretty good.

 

8. All of the above should be taken in the context of my having been drinking and watching CFB all day on a deck in the woods. I may just possibly be slightly biased.

 

 Boomer Sooner

 

 

[unclevlad]

48 minutes ago, Pariah said:

 

No worries. I figured Utah State was going to get beat like a rented mule. I don't think we have any idea how good the Aggies really are yet. Next week's game against FCS Weber State probably won't help with that, unless the Wildcats win.

 

Now, moving on to games that actually matter ... I did not see BYU dropping half a hundred on South Florida today. The cougars had a dominant performance with six touchdowns including a pick-6, two field goals, and a safety. They looked like they were in a completely different gear than South florida. People sometimes talk about teams putting up points during garbage time. Well, BYU was up 28-0 at the end of the first quarter. Everything after that was arguably garbage time.

 

Is BYU that good, or did South Florida just have a really bad night? I think we'll get a better idea next week, when BYU hosts future Big XII foe Baylor in a late game. Last year in Waco Baylor treated the Cougars like a dog treats a tree.

 

Well if Bama rented that mule, they're not getting their deposit back...but I know a glue factory that might be interested....

 

I note you dodged mentioning that OTHER Pac-12 school from your state......fair enough, they don't warrant mention.

 

Ohio State starts slow but they're pretty much taking the Irish behind the woodshed in the second half.  Most excellent.  

 

Even had some high hopes...North Dakota was tied with Nebraska well into the game at 17.  Alas, that was the end of my dream....

Skullhead, it wasn't the way you spent the afternoon...no deck here or, who knows, I mighta done the same...or that we *know* your biases.  You guys had a nice scrimmage.  UTEP's perennial Bottom 10.

 

EDIT:  oh, my.  Fowler dropped a nugget.  Ohio State's closing out the 21-10 win...apparently in front of 10, 5-star, *uncommitted* recruits.  Along with a bunch of alums, this guy named James and his kid, and all the recruits who've committed already.  This is how the rich grow richer.  (And by getting a sweet paycheck for being ESPN's primetime national game.)

[Iuz the Evil]

24 minutes ago, unclevlad said:

Skullhead, it wasn't the way you spent the afternoon...no deck here or, who knows, I mighta done the same...or that we *know* your biases.  You guys had a nice scrimmage.  UTEP's perennial Bottom 10.

 

I am not fickle in my affections.

[unclevlad]

1 minute ago, Iuz the Evil said:

 

I am not fickle in my affections.

 

As opposed to your school, with its affiliations.....

 

[Pariah]

31 minutes ago, unclevlad said:

I note you dodged mentioning that OTHER Pac-12 school from your state......fair enough, they don't warrant mention.

 

There's only one PAC-12 School from my state. I'm not a huge fan of their football team, although I do have a couple of degrees from the place. But I will root against the SEC at pretty much every opportunity.

[unclevlad]

1 minute ago, Pariah said:

 

There's only one PAC-12 School from my state. I'm not a huge fan of their football team, although I do have a couple of degrees from the place. But I will root against the SEC at pretty much every opportunity.

 

Sorry, I phrased that badly.  I was linking that school of yours and Oregon in my mind.  

[Iuz the Evil]

2 minutes ago, unclevlad said:

 

As opposed to your school, with its affiliations.....

 

Cute. Well at least we will get a true test next week for my Sooners against… hmm. Kent State?

 

 Okay, then the week after against… Nebraska?

 

 Huh. Well the high octane Big XII will surely… hmm.

 

When do we go to the $EC again? I think we already have the OOC schedule down.

[Pariah]

Boise State QB Hank Brockmeier, who is apparently on some preseason watch lists, has been pulled in the 2nd quarter after three turnovers. Oregon State leads Boise 17-0. Oops.

 

Washington State enters the second half tied 10-10 with perennial FCS non-contender Idaho. 

 

After today's action, it'll be interesting to see what the poll projections will look like.

[Iuz the Evil]

Regarding tonight’s LSU - FSU game…

 

 

[Pariah]

ESPN has a weekly Bottom 10 column. CBS Sports has a Bottom 25 column. It'll be interesting to see who ends up on these two lists.

 

Oregon and Navy are my first thoughts. 

[Iuz the Evil]

I am thinking Vtech will make an appearance this week…

[unclevlad]

Pretty good bet that Oregon will, because they love to lampoon a team.  Navy...maybe, maybe not.  Delaware is FCS, sure, but they were top 20...now they're top 10.  So expected to be pretty decent.  Altho, this may be another poor year for Navy so they might get in.  

 

BTW:  here's ESPN's for week 0;  looks like these are dropping on Tuesdays.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/34488025/college-football-bottom-10-zeroing-worst-teams-country

 

Yep, we're already #3 with a bullet...and that was before the Thursday beat-down.  Oh, and UNM was in there too...making New Mexico the ONLY state with 2 teams in the bottom 10!  WOW!!!

 

End of FSU-LSU was....week 1.  Got to give a degree of tolerance;  situational football likely hasn't seen much work yet.  And good gosh, there was a bunch of poor situational play.  Muffed punt by the LSU returner...coaches are gonna have to talk to the kid, he was crushed.  3rd down at the 2, minute and a half, FSU's already forced LSU to burn one TO...and they run a PITCH PLAY?  A kneeldown would've given a chip shot FG, after forcing LSU to burn another TO.  In the overwhelmingly likely case it works, it's a 2 score game.  Pitch play is riskier...and it burned them.  The pitch was a bit behind the back...just a bit.  Manageable.  Back didn't focus on it;  he never had it in his hands.  On the ground, LSU recovers.

 

Then of course, they execute a very nice drive, ultimately aided by a horrific review situation.  The receiver running down the sideline, at the 2, has a first down so it'll be first and goal...did his knee touch down or did the ball go OB first?  It matters because there were only gonna be 1 or 2 seconds left.  Call on the field was, ball went OB...in which case, the clock starts on the snap.  In fact, the receiver's knee went down in bounds.  First down rule...clock starts on the ready for play.  LSU had no more TOs.  Now, if it's going to start on the ready for play, they'd have to get set and GO!!! right there.  On the snap, they can settle, run a little motion, do whatever.

 

The replay took FOREVER.  It shouldn't have.  It was a totally botched call;  the knee was down in bounds, and the shots were very clear.  HOWEVER, because of the replay, the other team's allowed to run their play...the clock started on the snap.  ARGH!!!!!  To make it worse, this seemed to take a good 10 minutes.  I mean, SERIOUSLY long.

 

So LSU executes the play, finds the receiver, back of the end zone.  TOUCHDOWN!!!!!  Crowd goes wild.  Cool, OT coming...they're kicking.  OK, no real argument with that.  Especially at home with momentum.

 

But the kicker.........................

 

<sigh>

 

Bad technique or just poor execution, but the kick's SUPER low...and blocked.  Credit to the FSU kick rush, but it was also really clear, that kick was a line drive.  Not what you want on a 20 yard kick.

[Pariah]

Brian Kelly's first weekend at LSU gets even more bizarre:

 

LSU DL Maason Smith to miss season after injuring knee while celebrating vs. Florida State, per reports

 

Yikes.

 

 

[unclevlad]

6 hours ago, Pariah said:

Brian Kelly's first weekend at LSU gets even more bizarre:

 

LSU DL Maason Smith to miss season after injuring knee while celebrating vs. Florida State, per reports

 

Yikes.

 

 

 

Freak injury.  But 315 pound guys shouldn't be jumping up and landing on 1 leg.  Looks like the fool landed not quite square, and with the amount of force...yanked the entire lower leg.

 

I feel bad for the kid, cuz hey, being emotional in a positive way doesn't deserve losing the entire season...altho, upside, he'll likely get a medical redshirt since it was the first defensive drive of the entire season.

 

But no, I'll not feel bad for Kelly or LSU.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Wow, the Gators went from unranked to #12, while #7 Utah dropped to #13, one behind the Gators. 

[unclevlad]

4 hours ago, Logan.1179 said:

Wow, the Gators went from unranked to #12, while #7 Utah dropped to #13, one behind the Gators. 

 

Preseason ratings have about as much predictive value as a Magic 8 Ball.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Tell that to the fans here. 

 

I mean... sheesh!

[unclevlad]

Oh, I hear ya.  "Rabid" doesn't begin to describe some of em.  There was a period where, driving home from work...Finebaum's radio show was on.  Ohhhhh man................  

 

On the flip side, after being #11 (?), Oregon dropped out altogether.  Yeah, that happens when you get taken behind the woodshed.

 

EDIT:  ESPN Bottom 10 is out.

 

Quote

3. Whew Mexico State (0-2)

Former Minnesota Gophers head coach Jerry Kill led the Other Aggies onto his old stomping grounds, and the Gophers took that stomping part very seriously. It was the worst reunion since my cousin Lonnie showed up for Thanksgiving after borrowing money from everyone in the family for a "can't-miss investment opportunity" and then sunk it all into Alliance of American Football NFTs.

 

[Pariah]

I thought the "Other Aggies" were Utah State.

 

(Who also got stomped, as it turns out.)

 

 

[Pariah]

After a disastrous performance against a mediocre PAC-12 team, there's nothing like a game against New Mexico to help a team right the ship. Boise State is now up 17-0 after recovering a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown. The MWC Broncos haven't looked that impressive, frankly, but it's New Mexico.

[unclevlad]

1 hour ago, Pariah said:

After a disastrous performance against a mediocre PAC-12 team, there's nothing like a game against New Mexico to help a team right the ship. Boise State is now up 17-0 after recovering a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown. The MWC Broncos haven't looked that impressive, frankly, but it's New Mexico.

 

And down our way, I believe we've got a strong candidate for, if not the, Pillow Fight of the Week.  Yes, indeed.  In football, NMSU and UTEP do count as 4-letter words.  UTEP is the one looking for redemption here...they're -17, so Vegas expects them to get it.

[Pariah]

Okay, a word or three about tomorrow's games of interest:

 

Colorado at Air Force: Colorado probably has better athletes and more talent. But stopping a run game like Air Force's requires focus, discipline, and consistency. I don't think Colorado has that. Air Force wins at home.

 

Colorado State vs. Middle Tennessee: I don't think last week's blowout loss in Michigan told us anything useful about CSU. They're favored by 11.5, and I really don't know how good (or bad) Middle Tennessee is. I'll take the Rams, just because it would be nice to see them win for once.

 

Weber State at Utah State: Weber is ranked in the FCS Top 20. But I don't think they find a way to win in Logan.

 

Southern Utah at Utah: FBS teams, even P5 teams, sometimes struggle against really good FCS teams. Southern Utah is by no means a really good FCS team. I think the Utes take out all their frustrations from last week's loss in the hapless Thunderbirds. Utah should be up by no less than 35 at halftime.

 

Baylor (9) at BYU (21): I really want BYU to win this game. They were favored by 2.5 last I looked, and strange things can happen in Provo with a 10:15 EDT kickoff. But Baylor is a really good team. If BYU can run with Baylor in the first half, I like their chances. If the Bears get out to an early lead, I expect BYU mal lose in embarrassing fashion.

 

Oh, and while I hate to root for Texas under any circumstances, I can make an exception tomorrow. Although I fully expect it to be in vain.