4 Hard Downs: Shorts Rule, What'd We Learn & It All Starts Now
USC D vs Notre Dame O in Week 0, Normalize Shorts plus Back To Life
College football has softly opened as you read this. Basically this was the friends and family, special invite, want to get some eyeballs on and then adjust the menu at a restaurant version of starting the season.
And I appreciated it.
Hawai’i and Vandy got done around 1, which gave us a quick test and reminder that August/September are prime weather delay time. There will be more next week, for sure.
My favorite moment for those of you who haven’t seen it yet:
Jalen Mayden, under pressure for San Diego State, as they take down Ohio doinks the official in the face. I couldn’t stop laughing. It stopped him from getting an intentional grounding and just a part of a play where you really wonder how it doesn’t happen more with all the moving pieces.
Big fan of the Mayden family, really liked his brother, him and getting to know his mom during the time I was heavy covering recruiting. Wishing him the best with the Aztecs.
There was some very bad football played, some awful clock management but there was a thing I’ve been in love with forever: Shorts.
Jacksonville State’s entire staff was in shorts.
Alabama at the end of August? Shorts are the only answer for being on a field. Rich Rodriguez was sweating his ass off. His shirt looked like mine after a 4 mile long walk on an August afternoon.
Spot the lie.
This should be the norm everywhere. You’re coaching a game where people run as fast as they can into each other while wearing short britches.
Be comfortable.
Hell, I think that for most everything, people perform better when they’re comfortable. If that is a suit for you, have at it. A polo or a button-up, great.
But if it is Rich Rod on an Alabama afternoon in a tee shirt with shorts on and the rest of his staff in the same while leading Jacksonville State to their first ever FBS win, in their first ever game as an FBS team, I am all for it.
Gamecocks were locked in and now the eye has to turn to Dana Dimel and where UTEP stands. Tough one out the gate to drop, even on the road.
SPOT THE BALL!!!
1st Down: USC Defense Left A Lot To Be Desired
The Trojans doubled up the Spartans, but there were a gang of moments that stood out, defensively:
-1Q 6:10 20+ yard run
-3rd and 22 converted by a QB scramble
-2Q :13 to play and a TD given up on
Thanks Pac-12 Network!! Especially for the All-22 shot!!
3Q 4:30 20 yard scramble
3Q 1:56 32 yard TD pass.
All explosive plays. Sure, USC creating pressure up the middle and on the edge led to QB pressures, a sack and 7 TFLs. But, buddy, explosive plays are still plaguing them at home against a Mountain West team they are paying to show up.
This will be a season long storyline because it is what is going to be what keeps them from the playoff. Busts, missed tackles and lack of awareness are things they have to correct.
2nd Down: Notre Dame Helped Out Sam Hartman
Speaking of season long storylines, on the field like USC’s defense, is Notre Dame’s offense and how they use Sam Hartman.
Check my count, because I tried to include incompletions, but I have 6 passes over the 15 yard threshold.
I do not count the screen TD at all.
This is what Sam Hartman does well.
Thanks NBC!!
Great job of locating the ball, throwing guys open, realizing guys are open and hitting them. He did have a late throw to a guy who was open that was ruled DPI until the officials were like, “nah, you messed up.” He did have an earned DPI later in the game.
I know it is Navy; but 6 or 7 real shots speaks to Marcus Freeman’s goal of being able to run with the hosses. His defense will be ready, so excited for the Ohio State game, but to run with them he has to stretch the WRs’ legs and let Hartman cook.
Good first step, let’s see if “it was Navy” or “it is a thing we want to incorporate” as they speed to NC State and Ohio State in September.
3rd Down: Back To Life, For Everyone
Monday, when you read this, it is Week 1. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday College Football.
It is also my kid’s first week of school, ever.
My wife is also going back to work after 4 years of being a SAHM.
Basically:
However do you want me? However do you need me as a dad, husband, partner, CFB analyst, son, brother etc. I am going to be running to make sure I hit all my deliverables, get my kid to school, support my wife and whatever my folks need from me too.
It is wild because this used to be a me time. Then a me and my wife time as she started the school year while I started the season. Now you add in a kid going to school and all three of us are activated on different levels.
This isn’t complaining, it is more just realizing life is always evolving.
Basically, we are riding 4 across in a Buick with no seatbelts: wife work starting, kid school starting, college football starting, adding in the NFL to my workflow. Maybe that’s five across, since I’m driving the ship. But this is precious cargo and getting to the destination is what matters.
Each destination is different:
-Informed, quality CFB content
-Watching more NFL to make sure what I read lines up with what I see
-A good kindergarten experience for my kid
-Supporting my wife as she returns to the workforce in a role she is unfamiliar with
-Taking care of myself at some point, but who knows what that even means
I got this under control and at least I’ve got my foot on the gas ready to make it all happen and take care of things
4th Down: Week 1 Games To Love
We are getting a full slate this weekend and since it is just Monday, why not look ahead to whatever you’re going to hear Thursday-Saturday from sports talk or Gameday?
-Florida at Utah: 3rd string QB for the Utes makes this interesting since Graham Mertz is about to make his Gators’ debut.
-Colorado at TCU: Coach Prime’s Buffs debut while TCU tries to replace 8 NFL guys coming off playing for a title. My buddy Shehan told us on College Sports Now TCU is still going to be a quality team, just not to the same level.
-UNC vs South Carolina: Shout out to Miller Yoho for helping put on the Dukes Mayo Classic. Great match-up that needs to always happen for the two states. Spencer Rattler gets a big spotlight time to match-up against Drake Maye, the expected 2nd QB off the board for 2024 NFL Draft.
-WVU at Penn State: Penn State, I expect a slow and quiet, thanks to Michigan and Ohio State, climb toward a possible playoff appearance. WVU, are w watching the last days of Neal Brown?
-ODU at Virginia Tech: Monarchs don’t play when it comes to VT. Hokies are 1-2 against them since 2018, Brent Pry needs to make that 2-2 to start the year.
-Oregon State at San Jose State: Will be tuned in to see if Oregon State gives up as many huge plays as USC did this past weekend. Cause it might mean SJSU is good, or it will let me know USC is still in struggle mode.
-LSU vs FSU: Let’s start a march to the title. Probably will be the Thursday Fun Play as well.
Get ready for this week. I will keep charting Hartman’s passes and tracking USC’s explosive plays given up. Those are how you win or lose games and find a way to compete with the top.
Oh, and just one more thing (Columbo), and I can’t say this with enough fervor:
SLOW THE FUCK DOWN!!
There are kids at bus stops. Kids walking to school. Kids driving to school. Parents with kids in the car. Kids getting off buses and walking home. Kids walking home from school. Kids walking to practice.
Slow down.
I am so tired of seeing memorials around schools because someone wasn’t paying attention, was speeding and a kid is gone. My high school lost a few kids while I was there. It continues to lose kids as they try to cross Monroe Road. Part of being an adult, in a car, is taking care of the people around you, especially pedestrians.
So take care of each other. Keep kids safe so they can have a great school year!
Cheers!!