College Football: Week 1 Discussion

[DeToxRox]

Utah kills themselves early, once after forcing a 3 and out, then fumbling the punt, and then a PI where they had an INT inside the 10. Sheridan hits true frosh Michael Shaw in the flat to put UM up 7-0.

[Vegas Vic]

Early in the game you can already see a significant talent differential between USC and Virginia.

[DanGarion]

I already said this to Dr Sak yesterday, but I'll say it here for the first time.
Joe McKnight for Heisman!

[Karlifornia]

Originally Posted by Vegas Vic

Early in the game you can already see a significant talent differential between USC and Virginia.

Seriously. Virginia looks like a high school team compared to SC. I'm calling SC for the title game. Nobody in the PAC will challenge them...maybe except for Stanford again...heh heh heh

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by DanGarion

I already said this to Dr Sak yesterday, but I'll say it here for the first time.
Joe McKnight for Heisman!

I've been saying that down here to my friends for months. He's been incredible during the practices.

[Karlifornia]

This is going to be a day to forget for Virginia....maybe I can take them in NOFL!

[Karlifornia]

Oh, my. 4th and 1, CJ Gable goes 30+ for a TD......


And then the ref calls unsportsmanlike conduct on SC....Pete Carroll gets mad...not like it matters, though. Virginia will be lucky to lose by less than 40

[Karlifornia]

My favorite part of preseason NFL and college week 1:

Any time there's a clock or officiating snafu, the announcer is always right there to remind us "It's the preseason for them, too" or "It's Week 1 for the officials, too!"

[Logan]

Didn't surprise me to see ECU pull it out over VT. Not only is Tech somehow always overrated, but ECU should've won that opening game last year, and they probably had that on their minds.

[Karlifornia]

Dear Joe McKnight,

Quit screwing around trying to catch and return punts in traffic...

Sincerely,
Your coaches

[Eaglesfan27]

Word. USC needs to reassert themselves like the 1st quarter.

[Karlifornia]

Mmmmm...Stacey Dales....no longer Stacey Dales-Schumann.....call me, Stacey...you need some young meat.

[AlexB]

This is the first year I've subscribed to the channel here in the UK that shows college football...

Am I right in thinking you can hit the QB way harder in college ball than in the NFL? Some of the QB knock downs I've seen in the first game and a half have been brutal.

[General Mike]

Anybody who thought Pitt was going to win the Big East want to change their prediction now?

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Jari Rantanen's Shorts

This is the first year I've subscribed to the channel here in the UK that shows college football...

Am I right in thinking you can hit the QB way harder in college ball than in the NFL? Some of the QB knock downs I've seen in the first game and a half have been brutal.

They've actually started adopting some of the NFL rules when it comes to protecting the QB, but yeah, college QBs aren't allowed to be pansies.

Originally Posted by General Mike

Anybody who thought Pitt was going to win the Big East want to change their prediction now?

That was the best way to figure out which predictions to ignore. No one who has actually watched more than one game of Big East football (like say WVU-Pitt) would pick Pitt to win the league.

[bhlloy]

No team with Dave Wannstedt is going to win consistently, no matter how talented.

New season, looks like the same USC team. Playing well and then braindead penalties, horrible wide receiver play and special teams screw-ups take the gloss off of it and let the other team back into it. They need to get their heads in gear before Ohio State. (I know that 24-7 away from home isn't that bad, but I don't think this is a very good Virginia team right now)

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

No team with Dave Wannstedt is going to win consistently, no matter how talented.

New season, looks like the same USC team. Playing well and then braindead penalties, horrible wide receiver play and special teams screw-ups take the gloss off of it and let the other team back into it. They need to get their heads in gear before Ohio State. (I know that 24-7 away from home isn't that bad, but I don't think this is a very good Virginia team right now)

Agreed. The receiving corp worries me and we should be up 38-0 against this quality of team. I'm worried that this won't be good enough against Ohio State (unless Wells is out which would be a huge blow to them.)

[DeToxRox]

Michigan's offense was about what I expected early, though the fact it was so bad in the second quarter was disconcerting. I figured we'd pick up a few first downs. The D has been horrid though. Too much zone, to which Brian Johnson has picked apart. Kid is a monster when healthy. Still, the D has been bad and needs to shape up in the second half to have any shot.

[DanGarion]

Sweet a call in from Keith Jackson!

[bhlloy]

It's tough to get a read because Virginia hasn't put any pressure on him the whole game, but I'm very impressed with Sanchez so far. All he had to do was eliminate the stupid plays from his game and so far he's made great decisions.

Nice to see Patrick Turner step up as well.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

It's tough to get a read because Virginia hasn't put any pressure on him the whole game, but I'm very impressed with Sanchez so far. All he had to do was eliminate the stupid plays from his game and so far he's made great decisions.

Nice to see Patrick Turner step up as well.

Agreed on both points. I'm very impressed with Sanchez, and it's great to see Turner finally make some plays.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm a bit behind watching it on DVR, but I expect to see Ronald Johnson catch those types of bombs quite a bit this year. He has great speed and was burning DB's in practice this year.

[Karlifornia]

Go Delaware Wolverines...only down 14-7 to Maryland.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Michigan gets back within two, conversion pass fails. Utah holding on 25-23 with about 6 1/2 mins left.

[Vegas Vic]

Originally Posted by DanGarion

Sweet a call in from Keith Jackson!

Still bitter as ever about the loss to Texas in the Rose Bowl.

[TCY Junkie]

Mich on espn2 if anyone wants to see what a rich rod offense looks like without pat white.

[DeToxRox]

Michigan's D was amazing in the second half, but unfortunatley, they were beyond awful in the first.

The offense was what I expected with a walk on and a red shirt freshman who doesn't hit intermediate routs.

Hopefully the running game picks up next week and gets on track, because if we can establish a run I think we'll still be an 8 win team.

Also .. Utah's kicker is a beast. He's as good a punter as he is a kicker, and that is disgusting.

[bob]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Michigan's D was amazing in the second half, but unfortunatley, they were beyond awful in the first.

Was Michigan's D really that good - I know statistically they were, but it seemed to me that Utah's coaching staff took their feet off the gas WAY too early and started running a bunch. Passing is what really gave them that lead - Michigan couldn't stop the pass in the first half.

Bad coaching and all those penalties is what kept Michigan in this game.

[SFL Cat]

Some thoughts:

The Wann-stasche is not long for this world at Pitt.

How long before the "bring back Lloyd Carr" chants begin in Ann Arbor?

Based on the first week so far, it's looking like a Florida vs. USC national title game.

[JHandley]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Michigan's D was amazing in the second half, but unfortunatley, they were beyond awful in the first.

The offense was what I expected with a walk on and a red shirt freshman who doesn't hit intermediate routs.

Hopefully the running game picks up next week and gets on track, because if we can establish a run I think we'll still be an 8 win team.

Also .. Utah's kicker is a beast. He's as good a punter as he is a kicker, and that is disgusting.

8 wins? How? Michigan has two effective offensive plays: defensive pass interference and a punt fumble.

I'm a Michigan fan and I was disgusted with the RR hire, so I'll admit to being a bit biased, but 8 wins? You saw a bowl bound team play today? Other than Utah of course.

[TCY Junkie]

I might of been a little harsh. But pat white is by far my favorite player and thought he made the system work that didn't before.

[JHandley]

In all fairness, RR might build something workable at UM. It's certainly not there now.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by bob

Was Michigan's D really that good - I know statistically they were, but it seemed to me that Utah's coaching staff took their feet off the gas WAY too early and started running a bunch. Passing is what really gave them that lead - Michigan couldn't stop the pass in the first half.

Bad coaching and all those penalties is what kept Michigan in this game.

They had some good plays where they could run rather well at the defense so I can see sticking with it. Michigan's D has been overrated virtually every year outside of when they won the title. I can handle being bad on offense as the new system gets in place, but having Utah repeatedly using your half of the field as their own backyard BBQ patio is rather unsettling. Then again as the usual for Michigan's D, people expect a bad D to somehow be better the next year as they are more experienced. A bad D + more experience = still a bad D. Pretty much any credible passing game will shred Michigan's secondary. This has been true for years. It's one of the areas that needs speed along with the offense if Michigan is going to make the leap.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Dang, it's like old GT quarterback day or something.

First I get back from the movies & turn on to see Threatt for Michigan. That game ends, LaTech & Miss St comes on and after a bit I realize that LaTech has Taylor Bennett under center.

Why do I have this sudden fear of a Reggie Ball sighting?
{shudder}

[JW]

Speaking of Michigan, here is what Appalachian St. QB Armanti Edwards said after ASU's loss to LSU today, fwiw:

QB Armanti Edwards

On the speed of LSU’s defense ...
“Even their safeties were filling in holes. They closed faster than we thought they would.”

On the difference between LSU today and Michigan in 2007 ...
“Speed was the difference. They’re so much faster than Michigan was. It was just a problem of us executing, we knew they’d have tight coverage, but we couldn’t execute 1 on 1 like we wanted.”

From lsusports.net

I was there. It was very, very, very, very hot. Even by LSU standards.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by JHandley

In all fairness, RR might build something workable at UM. It's certainly not there now.

It was about as pretty as seeing a bunch of naked OL in tights doing ballet. It reminded me a lot of when Colorado played 'Bama in a bowl game and Colorado was switching their offense the next year so they started doing it after their last regular season game and used it for the bowl game. The average per carry at half time was done in inches. Yeah, that was a brutal game to watch. At least Colorado had an excuse for why their offense was so off. It's like 'Bama down played to them.

Will it work in the end? Who knows, but I honestly expect nothing out of this Michigan team this year. Michigan has to have their system QB at the end of three years. I don't see RR lasting long after that if he doesn't.

FYI, I wanted the coaching change at Michigan to not be this year in hopes that Brian Kelly(U of Cincinnati, currently) would have gotten it at some point.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Matthean

naked OL in tights

I guess that means I'm naked right now in these jeans.

[Vegas Vic]

Effing Cox Cable is showing the Alabama-Clemson game in SD on ESPN Gameplan. Is this standard? I thought the Gameplan games were broadcast in their native resolution.

[Dr. Sak]

Just got back from Happy Valley and have to laugh at Pitt losing. I wish I was going to work on Monday.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by Vegas Vic

Effing Cox Cable is showing the Alabama-Clemson game in SD on ESPN Gameplan. Is this standard? I thought the Gameplan games were broadcast in their native resolution.

I don't think so. Because it's whatever format that PPV channel is, which is probably SD.

[Big Fo]

Originally Posted by Vegas Vic

Effing Cox Cable is showing the Alabama-Clemson game in SD on ESPN Gameplan. Is this standard? I thought the Gameplan games were broadcast in their native resolution.

For whatever reason my Time Warner cable doesn't have an ABC HD station like it does for NBC, FOX, CBS, and a few other smaller channels. It's pretty weak.

[Dr. Sak]

Alabama is looking good. Tons of speed on that team.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Why do I have this sudden fear of a Reggie Ball sighting?
{shudder}

the nightmares have never gone away for me either.

[Izulde]

Watched the first half of the Arkansas-Western Illinois game before I got a headache from being in the nosebleed section (Note to self: Show up to game at least an hour and a half to two hours early next time).

The Razorbacks looked like absolute shit on offense. How bad was it? 10-7 Western Illinois at the half and our lone TD came from our only decent drive of the first half.

Casey Dick held on to the ball far too long quite a few times and it didn't seem like the O-line was doing so hot either.

Our defense was pretty decent, although this Donaldson kid (#3 HB) on Western Illinois was doing extremely well against us.

Hopefully the adjustments came at halftime. Going to see if I can catch the game on TV now.

[Radii]

Clemson looking good in preseason? Jesus, they aren't even making it through a quarter before the talk of another talented team underachieving starts.

[Dr. Sak]

The ACC is getting quite a few black eyes today.

[Noop]

Clemson does this every year except they are doing it earlier then normal. Outside of Bobby Bowden gifting Clemson a few wins I really am not sure what else they have done besides beat Florida State.

[MacroGuru]

Damn BYU, they tried to give the game away to NIU in the third quarter. The defense now officially scares the hell out of me and I hope to hell Bronco shores it up quick. We had way to many turnovers to NIU.

I'm happy with the win, but damn, hold on to the damn ball!

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by Noop

Clemson does this every year except they are doing it earlier then normal. Outside of Bobby Bowden gifting Clemson a few wins I really am not sure what else they have done besides beat Florida State.

Their offensive line is playing o-lay and is going to get Harper killed.

[Izulde]

24-14 Western Illinois a little over 10 min to go in the fourth quarter... fucking pathetic.