Oh my goodness, two weeks until kick off and then we can finally quit all of this quiet time and bring the noise. Then we can start figuring out if the SEC will be re-re-re-re-re-re-re-repeat as National Champs or if someone else will steal the spotlight. I know for one thing, Texas A&M needs this season to get here in a hurry before one more incident occurs with “Johnny Football” and keeps him from playing. With that thought in mind, let’s get into some more news and thoughts about it from last week:
1. The whole autograph situation has gone crazy and blown up in just about every schools face. Johnny Football needs to do his best to just not pick up a pen when around fans for the next couple months. This will help his case. Many other schools who could have similar problems such as Texas A&M is experiencing, are now not allowing fans to bring in anything to have players sign but the posters handed out at the events. Smart move! What are your thoughts on allowing players to profit from their autograph? I remember when I was attending school at the University of Florida, I would go and watch the open football practices. During Tebow’s Heisman year, a man once waited outside of practice for Tebow and when he finally met up with him, he had Tebow sign 12 footballs. I guarantee that man made a nice little chunk of change from that “meeting”. The NCAA is already in hot water over so many other things, this is just one more thing for them to think about.
Tebow was considered the most popular player in college football.
2. Tennessee was feeling left out of everything this summer. They decided to make some news by getting into the “new” uniform business. Here is preview of what you might expect them to coming running out onto the field wearing. Gray? Really? Where did that come from? I know other school’s try out the random colors and it works for them (ex. Oregon). As for Tennessee, head back to the drawing board and try again. It just looks ugly and the helmet does not even fit the rest of the uniform. Hey Oregon, head down there and help them out with that whole uniforms mess….even though they are Adidas and not Nike.
3. With the start of the season, I wanted to give my thoughts on the soon to be “Heisman” race. If you ask me, last year Marcus Mariota could have won and crushed “Johnny Football’s” numbers if he actually played a whole game. My top 5 to win the Heisman:
1. Braxton Miller (Ohio State)- the media is pretty much giving it him.
2. De’Anthony Thomas (Oregon)-this kid can change the game on just one play, ask Kansas State.
3. Teddy Bridgewater (Louisville)- after his dismantling of Florida in the Sugar Bowl, his goals are national title game or bust….but is the schedule to weak to prove they belong?
4. Tajh Boyd (Clemson)- He will be the front runner with a win over Georgia in week one and all the voters will be watching.
5. A.J. McCarron (Alabama)- the guy just wins and is humble about it. He does what is asked and gets the job done but has a running game that usual steals the show. Keep an eye on those guys, but we all know that some random player will show up around week 5 and win the Heisman.
Will he bring home the hardware this year?
So close to kick-off. All coaches need to send out a memo right now to all star players “DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING” and to “STAY OUT OF TROUBLE”. With that in mind let’s fire up the grills and get ready to see some great week one match-ups. I am calling North Carolina over South Carolina in the upset. North Carolina is going to win ten games this year and compete for the ACC title and a BCS bowl. The pieces are in place to get it done. Guess we will have to wait another two weeks to find out.
NATIONAL NEWS: 1. College football mailbag 2. Vandy loses another 3. Clemson arrest two in rock case 4. Avoid the SI Jinx 5. FSU feeling the hype
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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.