Season Plans

The 2017 college football season is upon us, and as I deal with a full work schedule and a very busy lab puppy, I am trying to figure out a reasonable schedule to maintain this love of mine.  What makes it more challenging is the amount of information available at one's fingertips when you try to consider all divisions of the game.  Week one can also be daunting as you try to find the right rhythm for pumping out material for folks to read and enjoy on a daily basis - especially with all the early games on Thursday and Friday.

It is my intent to have a schedule of my favorite games posted on Monday, post favorite games and/or rivalry games on Tuesday, and add some game storylines on Wednesday.  The rest of the week would be adding games from all divisions.  Over the weekend I would add highlights of the games played and the scores.  And finally, if I have time to put out some fun facts and other news, I will squeeze them into the website.

A lot of work awaits...

Fans: It Takes All Kinds

This past Tuesday a co-worker stopped for a moment as we crossed paths to remind me that "It starts on Saturday."  As we took a moment to chat about it, I got a sense that he was a bit disappointed because there weren't any "decent games."  If we had more time, I would have educated him, the best that I could, about the quallity of games (#6 Jacksonville State vs. #12 Chattanooga) or their significance (Colorado State opening up a beautiful on-campus stadium).  In any sport, there is a difference between fans in regards to how "fanatic" they are about the game, but as long as they take time to talk about the games, no matter how significant, then that makes them a fan of the sport.

Beautiful Story

http://news.nike.com/news/oregon-ducks-doernbecher-cancer-uniform

Above is a link to a story that will tug at your heartstrings.  I didn't feel like I could do it justice by summarizing it...

Hazing Haircut

One of the funniest stories that I have read recently regarding college football occured at the Broncos training camp.  There was a bit of rookie hazing between two of their tight ends - Jeff Heuerman (Ohio State) and Jake Butt (Michigan rookie).  Heuerman shaved a Block O on the back of Jake's head, and an 0-4 on the side of his head.  Jeff said that he put the 0-4 record on the side of Butt's head (had to sneak that phrase in) just in case Jake forgot about what happened the last four years in the Michigan - Ohio State rivalry.

Johns Hopkins

When at the University of Maryland more than 30 years ago, Johns Hopkins was to me an elite school in Baltimore and a major lacrosse rival to the Terps (9-time NCAA National Champions - 3 while I was at College Park).  They have since become a force in the Centennial Conference (Division III) in football as indicated by the preseason poll.  A couple of accomplishments for Blue Jay football:

• Earned 18 of 20 first-place votes (head coaches and athletic directors couldn't vote for their own team)
• This is the 9th consecutive time they have earned the top spot in the poll, and twelve time in fourteen years
• The Blue Jays have won the conference ten times (out of eleven) when they have topped the preseason poll
• They have won 12 conference championships since 2002
• Lastly, Johns Hopkins has been nationally ranked for 60 consecutive weeks (including being in the top ten all of last year)

Not too bad for a lacrosse school...

Becca Longo

I first heard, and subsequently read, about Becca Longo a few months ago as Adams State was considering her as an answer to their short kicking game.  She is now on scholarship for the Division II school in Colorado, and doing all the drills with her new teammates.  She is competing with two other kickers for the starting job, but it appears as though she is holding her own, and then some.  This will be a great storyto follow this fall.

By the way, Adams State is coached by Timm Rosenbach - former Washington State and Phoenix Cardinal quarterback...

Year of the Quarterback

Recently I have read a couple of articles playing up the "Year of the Quarterback", and I was thinking, "well - what about the running backs?  Or, what about their wide receivers?".  After trying to compose a top five list, which took a lot of cutting, pasting and deleting, I am beginning to believe the boast.  If it weren't true, would the potential number one draft pick in the NFL be the 12th best QB on someone's list?  Or an outside Heisman candidate be 16th?  So, I am now convinced that it will be the "Year of the Quarterback", and with that being said, here is my list of top 5 QBs (no particular order because I can't make up my mind) in three different categories:

Dropback Passers:

• Sam Darnold, USC
• Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State
• Trace McSorley, Penn State
• Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
• Josh Allen, Wyoming

Dual-Threat QBs:

• Lamar Jackson, Louisville
• Deondre Francois, Florida State
• J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
• Jalen Hurts, Alabama
• Quinton Flowers, South Florida

Top Transfers:

• Jarrett Stidham, Auburn
• Kyle Allen, Houston
• Brandon Harris, North Carolina
• Will Grier, West Virginia
• Max Browne, Pitt

And for fun, five others who should put up big numbers:

• Josh Rosen, UCLA
• Luke Falk, Washington State
• Austin Allen, Arkansas
• Logan Woodside, Toledo
• Jacob Eason, Georgia

Wish I could add another five...

Ten Days and Counting

Ten days from now, the first football games of the 2017 College Football season will be played and televised.  Though it is considered Week 0, there are definately some games worthy of watching - particularly if you like FCS play.  The first official game of the season is Florida A&M vs. Texas Southern, which starts at 12:00 on ESPNU.  Five other games to watch over the weekend:

• Colorado State will be opening their beautiful new stadium on campus against Oregon State at 2:30 on CBSSN
• #12 Chattanooga will take on #6 Jacksonville State in what I believe will be the 40th meeting between these two FCS teams
• Perennial Patriot League contender Colgate will fly across country to visit #23 Cal Poly for the first time
• Stanford will play Rice in Sydney, Australia on Saturday night at 10:00 on ESPN
• And last but not least, #7 Richmond will travel to Texas for a date with #3 Sam Houston State in the only Sunday game (7:00 pm on ESPNU)

Not a bad lineup for the first Saturday of games...

Tale of Two Different Rivalries

Recently, a couple of games that will be played in October have caught my attention - and they couldn't be more different.  Texas and Oklahoma, have been playing since 1900, and if I remember correctly, they will be playing for the 112th time on 10/14.  What's most interesting about this next installment is that for the first time in 70 years (1947), both teams will have 1st year head coaches.  And these two guys now in charge, are putting together very nice classes for 2018 - even poaching a prospect or two from the other.  This has caused a war of words between their staffs on twitter.  The Big 12 must be excited with the prospect of these two major programs climbing and bringing the conference with them.

Meanwhile there is a budding rivalry between Louisville and Wake Forest, who play on 10/28, even though they have met only four times since the series started in 2007.  The "WakeyLeaks" scandal in which the Deacons radio analyst (and former asst. coach at WF) had been providing confidential gameday information to ACC teams since, but was only discovered last year by Wake Forest after the Louisville game.  Then reigning Heisman winner, Lamar Jackson, recently added fuel to the fire.  He was responding to a Sports Illustrated story where an anonymous ACC coach dismissed his chances in the NFL.  Jackson made reference to it being the Wake Forest head coach - who ironically contained Jackson last November with his defensive scheme.  

Seems to me like some bad blood will be spilled on the field during these two games...

Denied Opportunity

For quite a while I have read numerous reports about players or prospects that have been denied the opportunity to play (rightly so) college football because of transgressions that are detrimental to the individual, the team, the university, and more importantly to society.  It is becoming so prevalent in the news that I was close to adding a section in the website (under News and Notes section) detailing these incidents.  I even had a name picked out:  Suspensions, Arrests, and Sentences.  Then just before putting my first entry together, I realized that these rule-and-law breaking kids had no place on this website.  

So, just like these individuals have been denied the opportunity to continue or start playing the game we are so passionate about, they are denied the opportunity of being written about or mentioned in this website, cfbeveryday!

Whittier Field Update

Based on what I have heard from a fellow Bowdoin football fan, the new field is down, but not officially installed just yet as heavy equipment is still all around.  Knowing that this will be a big adjustment for me, my daughter sent me an instant message telling me that Bowdoin will now be charging for tickets, as well as making fans sit in the new bleachers instead of being able to stand near the field.  I knew that this was total crap, but she still got the expected rise out of me as I quickly responded a two word response - which in a shortened version came out as BS!  lol

Ten Great Things About College Football According to Beano Cook

It has been almost five years since the passing of Beano Cook, but his "Ten Great Things About College Football"  will live on forever.  This list quite possibly has been on this website previously, but it is worth remembering year after year after year...

1)  The dotting of the i at Ohio State

2)  Hearing the Victory March at Notre Dame

3)  Walking through the woods at North Carolina

4)  An autumn afternoon at West Point

5)  The Yale Band

6)  A night game at LSU

7)  The Florida-Georgia game

8)  Nebraska fans

9)  The Trojan Horse at USC

10)  The Michigan-Ohio State game

Football Games to Attend

Here is my wish list of 6 games to attend this season:

September 23rd:  Middlebury at Bowdoin

October 7th:  Maine Maritime at MIT

October 14th:  Hamilton at Bowdoin

October 28th:  Dartmouth at Harvard

November 4th:  Delaware vs. UMaine (at Portland, ME - Fitzpatrick Stadium)

November 11th:  Colby at Bowdoin

Virginia's Scheduling

After seeing the future scheduling of Virginia, I figured that they deserved a special mention like Virginia Tech.  Like the Hokies, the Cavaliers have also scheduled series with their new Commonwealth of Virginia brothers Old Dominion and Liberty - although UVa won't visit Liberty until 2027.  Virginia also continues to schedule William & Mary and Richmond in alternate years.

I like how these big brothers are out there helping their little brothers...

Virginia Tech's Scheduling

Yesterday, I quickly touched upon Virginia Tech and their recent future scheduling.  Today I felt that they deserved a bigger shout out for their recent announcements.  But before talking about these proclamations, lets visit their current out-of-conference opponents:  Notre Dame three times in the next five years, as well as games against other eastern schools - Penn Sate, Maryland, West Virginia, and Rutgers.  There will also be games against Wisconsin and Michigan.  

As Liberty begins competing at the FBS level in 2019, the Hokies will travel to Lynchburg to take on the Flames in 2022 and again in 2030. Liberty is scheduled to play in Blacksburg again in 2027, 2028 and 2029 in addition to a 2020 date at Lane Stadium that was previously scheduled.  I believe that this is very classy of VT to help out a fellow school from Virginia.

The Hokies also added to its series (already scheduled to play 7 times in the next 9 years) with Old Dominion.  The two schools have agrred to play an additional six games spanning the 2026-2031 seasons with three additional games apiece in Blacksburg and Norfolk, Virginia. The two teams will meet for the first time at Lane Stadium on Sept. 23 this season.

Lastly, virginia Tech has added a game in 2026 against VMI.  The Hokies and Keydets last squared off in 1984, but the 79 all-time meetings against VMI are the second-most against any single opponent in Tech history behind only Virginia.

I applaud VT for this scheduling - especially agrreing to play away games at these smaller schools.  Way to go Hokies!

New Summer Coaches

In less than two months this summer, two surprisingly new head coaches have been announced at prominent schools.  I am sure that both would proclaim that the new positions are their "dream job", but I believe that both were thrown into a world that might not be too kind in the long run.  Lincoln Riley, now the youngest FBS coach at 33, succeeds are very respected and very successful man - Bob Stoops.  He has inherited an Oklahoma team that has potential playoff talent and expectations, but i can't help but wonder if he is going to be schooled by three men - Urban Meyer, Tom Herman, and Mike Gundy.  The other new head man, Matt Luke, will be challenged to motivate his team that is banned from a bowl game this year, and is expected to finish in the SEC West basement.  He might get the interim title removed from his job if he finishes above .500 and beats Dan Mullen - otherwise you might here the name Lane Kiffin mentioned as the new head coach.    

Lincoln Riley is a bright young man with great potential, but being handed the keys to the Sooners is a huge first job for anyone.  Gary Gibbs did a very good job replacing Barry Switzer nearly 30 years ago, but I am sure not many people remember him as a Sooner head coach.  Meanwhile, the situation at Ole Miss is scary, and I can't help but think that Matt Luke is a sacrificial lamb.  In fact, that is a job that most coaches would avoid for the next few years...

Georgia at Notre Dame

When I saw two of the winningest programs in college football history (each are expected to hit major milestones this year - Notre Dame will get their 900th win and Georgia will win their 800th!) playing on September 9th this year for just the second time, I had to wonder why so infrequently?  Digging into the history of both teams I soon discovered that their schedules have been quite restricted.  Between Georgia's SEC games and their regional rivalries, and Notre Dame's yearly rivalries and regional games with Big Ten opponents, it would be quite difficult to find a mutual time to play.

So instead of being disappointed that they haven't played more often, I have decided to enjoy seeing the home-and-home series they will play this year and in 2019.  They may have played only one game, but it was pretty darn special. 

It will be nice to relive how freshman sensation Herschel Walker led the 1980 Bulldogs to a perfect 12-0 record and the undisputed national championship.  Their 12th victim?  The Irish in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day in 1981...

FBS vs. FCS Games

I have no doubt that most college football fans don't like to see FBS teams playing FCS teams, but I have four reasons that I don't mind them and acually enjoy seeing them on the schedule:

• It's a nice paycheck for the smaller schools that operate on a tight budget
• There are occasional upsets that happen each year - 10 of them last year
• An opportunity for old rivalries to reconnect since some teams have moved from the FCS to the FBS (this year Eastern Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky)
• Lastly, it is a great opportunity for the kids in FCS programs to play in a bowl-like atmosphere

In a quote from the Southern Utah head coach, whose team was shutout last year by the Utes 240, “We are thrilled to get another opportunity to play the University of Utah,” SUU head coach Demario Warren stated in the release. “Our players love to play against the best programs in the nation and playing in Rice-Eccles Stadium is an awesome experience. We look forward to the challenge and continued relationship with the University of Utah.”

These games are good for the game, but more importantly good for the schools and the kids...

Promising Start, Tragic End

The other day I turned on ESPN, and there was a documentary on Bo Rein, who became the youngest head coach in college football when he succeeded Lou Holtz at NC State.  I have to admit that up to then, I hadn't heard of the man.  After watching the show I came away impressed, touched, and sad, as it appears as though the game lost one of its greatest young minds.  

Bo played football at Ohio State under Woody Hayes, and it wasn't long before he was mentored by Lou Holtz - first at William & Mary, and then at NC State.  Rein was then hired as the offensive coordinator under Frank Broyles at Arkansas in 1975, where he helped lead the Razorbacks to the Southwest Conference title.  In 1976, he was hired to replace Holtz at NC State, where he led the Wolfpack to two bowl games, and a conference title.

When LSU's winningest coach, Charlie McClendon, retired they came calling for Bo.  In his introductory press conference he won over the fans, the boosters, and the school.  In just a few days, he was off on a recruiting trip.  Unfortunately his return flight got rerouted because of bad weather, and the plane climbed to an elevation that caused him and his pilot to lose consciousness.  The plane ended up crashing in the Atlantic Ocean.

The game appears to have lost a great mind way too soon...

44, 49, 51

Listed above are a series of numbers that should mean something to college football fans across the nation:

44 days until Week 0.  There are a few games that should be checked out:  Oregon State at Colorado State, Chattanooga vs. Jacksonville State, Colgate at Cal Poly, and Rice vs. Stanford in Sydney.

49 days until the first weekday games with the highlight games being Tulsa at Oklahoma State and Ohio State at Indiana.

And then 51 - the first full slate of games in Week 1.  I am sure that folks are aware of the biggest games on this day.

It will be here before we know it!