The sights and sounds of college football can bring a tear to a true fans eyes
Another week is in the books, and your favorite team still remains in your favorite conference…or does it? If realignment and rumors were a part of the game, then we would have so much more to talk about and analyze this past week. Of course it comes down to Notre Dame, the school whose tradition somehow remains relevant to the powers that be despite their irrelevance on the field for years, but let’s try to have some college football talk without mentioning the Domers up north.
- Defense wins championships, but offense is what fills the stands. If you haven’t noticed speed is the name of the game; not just player speed but how fast a team runs its plays. Oregon has set the trend in the Chip Kelly era, snapping plays faster than the refs can get set. Who does not love seeing their favorite team play the game like some 12-year old playing NCAA football on XBOX? The faster teams run the plays, the more plays a team gets to run, and the more times teams have a chance to score. We will soon see more than half the FBS teams running plays at the speed of Oregon or at least trying to do so. Watch for Oregon’s speed offense to catch on soon and become a norm for the college football world.
- Thinking about games that changed college football, the recent nominees have to be Texas vs. USC for the national title in 2006 or Boise State vs. Oklahoma and the good old hook and ladder. But when looking at the big picture, the main game that has changed college football occurred much more recently, LSU vs. Alabama for the 2012 national title. The reason that game is so important….PLAYOFFS.If Oklahoma State would have made that field goal and we got LSU vs. Oklahoma state instead, then we might not have had the push to the playoffs away from the BCS. Instead of being up in arms about the rematch that happened, we should be thankful for it. Playoffs are now being implemented largely because of it.. Every non-SEC homer out there, you should be thanking the SEC. The playoffs will not be perfect, but has the BCS ever really been perfect?
- On a side note, my favorite part of the summer for college football is coming up: Release dates of College football Sports magazines. I love buying all of them and reading every little detail they have and analyzing how the upcoming season will play out. I recommend Athlon sports magazines and Sporting News magazines. They have the best details. It is a sign that college football is inching even closer, the count now at 97 days until kickoff.
- The off-season is brutal. In and out of police reports and witch hunts over NCAA violations, nothing more happens in the world of college football around this time of summer. A growing trend over the summer has been 7-on-7 flag football tournaments for top high school prospects. I admit to watching some of them on ESPNU just to get a football fix. How about we incorporate that into the summer. Let’s have 7-on-7 throughout the country, make it a week or two long event. Have all the teams wanting to get involved meet at a neutral site, and then let them go at it. Imagine getting to just see your team’s QB and WR go against a rivals DB during the down-time during the summer.It also allows players to build better communication, which could lead to more successful results during the regular season. It’s a long shot the NCAA allows something like this, and it would require a lot of thought so coaches don’t get pressured of going into this 7-on-7 tournament expected to win it all. Just allow players to go compete against teams across the nation. I have so many ideas on this, but it would be really nothing more than a 7-on-7 flag football tournament of top teams in the country. During the summer most top high school players are already competing in 7-on-7 tournaments, and these tournaments are quickly becoming on par with what AAU has become in basketball. Anyone else have some bright ideas of things to do during the down time until kickoff?
Usually there is more to talk about but it has been a slow week. FSU wants to move to the BIG 12, or do they? Also other ACC teams have expressed interest to the BIG-12. Odd timing since the ACC just signed a long term contract with ESPN that will pay the schools big time. This is all the news that everyone will be talking about probably for the next week until FSU comes out and squashes the “rumors.” FSU has not come out right away and squashed the rumors, so who knows what is going on behind closed doors.
That is all for this week. Til’ next time, FishDuck fans!
National News:
Former WVU coach Stewart dies at age 59.
-We should take a moment to honor Stewart. He was constantly seen smiling on the sidelines while coaching at WVU. He lived his life long dream of being the head coach of WVU. A great moment for him was when he lead WVU to an upset of Oklahoma in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl.
- Boise State still wants to travel 3000 miles one way for road games.
- Where does your team stand in the Top 25.
- FSU still headed to BIG-12.
- Lane Kiffin still Lame Kiffin?
- Are they not paying enough in the SEC these days?
- Ideas to make the offseason more entertaining.
- Smart Football has a great new read out for all fans to get a better understanding of the game and the strategy put into it.
Oregon News:
1. Is Oregon an elite team without a national title?
2. Let’s welcome Dontre Wilson to the Oregon Ducks.
3. PAC-12 news about Duck opponents. Help scout out the competition.
4. Oregon baseball looks to finish strong vs. beavers and take momentum into PAC-12 tournament.
5. Women’s softball looking to make history against Texas this weekend.
6. Oregon men and women track teams look to carry momentum from PAC-12 tournament into NCAA nationals.
7. Oregon men’s golf looking to bring home the hardware.
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Jeff Hostetler may not have won a Super Bowl with the Giants ( though his uncle of the same name did). He has been an obsessed college football fan living in Florida ever since the Gators beat FSU in the Sugar Bowl to earn the UF’s first national championship.
Ever since Jeff has immersed himself in everything possible related to college football. He enjoys watching, writing, playing, and otherwise obsessing over all things football. A graduate of the University of Florida, he brings a perspective to FishDuck free of our extreme green & yellow homerism glasses to look at the current landscape of collegiate athletics.