Author Archives: ASimPerson

This Weekend in College Football: Week 1

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Saturday

Noon:

  • Colorado State @ Michigan (ABC): I literally just cracked my knuckles, such is my determination to finish this before I need to finish packing and get out of town. So! Michigan follows up their dream season with a… not to challenging start. Good move! Wolverines win easily.
  • North Carolina State @ East Carolina (ESPN): Yeah, so, ordinarily I would say something like I just said about doing road games at your pesky, but lower division, in-state rival… but NCSU has nothing to worry about here.
  • South Dakota State @ Iowa (FS1)
  • North Carolina @ Appalachian State (ESPNU): Whereas this one, hoo boy. Y’all, look, UNC should win easily! Should! I’d feel less certain if this was at night in Boone, but despite that there’s going to be some moment in the first half where App runs back a pick-6 or something and it’s going to, at least for a moment, feel like a potential long day for the fightin’ Mack Browns.
  • Sam Houston State @ Texas A&M (SEC)
  • Rutgers @ Boston College (ACCN): The fact I had to think about this for a moment says a lot about where both these teams are going. Rutgers got apparently the only person in the universe who can make Rutgers competent back, whereas BC hasn’t done much of… anything recently. Am I taking Rutgers? Against another Power 5 team? Hold me, I’m scared.
  • Buffalo @ Maryland (BTN): There are times where I’d like Buffalo here. This isn’t one of them.
  • Delaware @ Navy (CBSS)

12:30: Richmond @ Virginia (ACC/RSN)

2:00: Southeast Missouri State @ Iowa State (ESPN+)

2:30: Bowling Green @ California-Los Angeles (Pac12): It’s probably appropriate for UCLA to start beating up on hapless MAC teams like their soon-to-be-Big Ten brethren.

3:30:

  • Arizona @ San Diego State (CBS): We should be talking about the Aztecs finally breaking in their brand-new stadium, but we aren’t. I’m going to refuse to pick this game as well, but it’s hard not to root for Arizona to crash the party.
  • Oregon vs. Georgia (Chick-Fil-A Kickoff @ Atlanta, GA; ABC): This probably isn’t the game of the day. Or the weekend. Reasonable minds accept that UGA will probably win. But! That sure is a lot of talent that was on that defense that isn’t anymore. There sure are still completely reasonable questions about Stetson Bennett leading an offense. By any reasonable prediction, Georgia’s defense is still going to be a top 1, 2, or 3 defense, but there’s no reason to think currently that they’re going to be able to field possibly the best defense in the history of college football again. And! Let’s recall last year, if Clemson was able to field a functional offense for the first three-quarters of the season, they probably would’ve won! And I can’t help but notice that almost all the questions about this game are about the nominal nearly-three-score favorites. So screw being reasonable, let’s get crazy: I’m taking the Ducks. Straight up.
  • Texas-El Paso @ Oklahoma (FOX): It was fun for UTEP last year, but even with Brent Veneables (of all people!) being the head coach for the Sooners now, I expect them to win handily.
  • Cincinnati @ Arkansas (ESPN): I think this game could be sneaky good. The problem is, of course, that Cincy is replacing their quarterback and best defenders, and Arkansas is the kind of physical that could definitely be a problem for the Bearcats. So, unfortunately, I think they’re gonna get womp’d.
  • Tulsa @ Wyoming (FS1): I didn’t know until earlier today that Craig Bohl was still at Wyoming, and it’s sure been back for them the past year or two. But it’s been worse for the Golden Hurricane.
  • Bethune-Cookman @ Miami (ACCN)
  • North Dakota @ Nebraska (BTN): Breaking my usual rule of not commenting on FCS vs. FBS games to ask… is this gonna be it for Scott Frost? It’s not unreasonable. UND isn’t one of the classic “good” Dakotas, but the thing is… they’re all good now. Don’t schedule them!
  • Houston @ Texas-San Antonio (CBSS): Meep meep and all was fun last year, but I actually think the Cougs have this one pretty handily?
  • Norfolk State @ Marshall (espn3.com)

4:00:

  • Brigham Young @ South Florida (ESPNU): Oh, this could be bad for the Bulls. Real bad.
  • Troy @ Mississippi (SEC): It’s been a long time since Troy was good enough, and Ole Miss was bad enough, to make this interesting.
  • California-Davis @ California (Pac12)

5:00: Nicholls State @ South Alabama (espn3.com)

6:00:

  • Rice @ Southern California (Pac12): This sure seems like a quick, feel-good start for Lincoln Riley, getting to beat up on Rice again.
  • Morgan State @ Georgia Southern (espn3.com)
  • Middle Tennessee State @ James Madison (ESPN+)
  • Florida Atlantic @ Ohio (ESPN+)

7:00:

  • Utah @ Florida (ESPN): Ah, it’s nice to see the Gators schedule actual intersectional games where they’ll actually leave the state of Florida and non-SEC teams and non-tomato-cans will actually visit the Swamp. Let’s see who they picked… oh, oh no. Yeah, the same Utes that demolished Oregon twice with physicality and nearly pulled the same trick on Ohio State in the Rose Bowl are coming to town. I’ve got the Utes here.
  • Illinois State @ Wisconsin (FS1)
  • Grambling State @ Arkansas State (espn3.com)
  • Army @ Coastal Carolina (ESPN+)
  • Southeastern Louisiana @ Louisiana (ESPN+)
  • Elon @ Vanderbilt (ESPN+)
  • South Dakota @ Kansas State (ESPN+)
  • Albany @ Baylor (ESPN+)
  • Massachusetts @ Tulane (ESPN+)
  • Miami @ Kentucky (ESPN+)
  • Mercer @ Auburn (ESPN+)
  • Liberty @ Southern Mississippi (ESPN+)

7:30:

  • Notre Dame @ Ohio State (ABC): Speaking of the Buckeyes, there’s some big expectations for them this season, and a new look Marcus Freeman-led Irish side are looking to challenge them immediately. I think the Buckeyes will simply out-talent them in the Shoe, but if last season was any guide, if you can out-physical them, then they are beatable, as Oregon and Michigan showed.
  • Memphis @ Mississippi State (ESPNU): Mike Leach teams are always good for a baffling loss or two in the non-conference schedule, so while this isn’t fun Memphis anymore, this could get spicy.
  • Utah State @ Alabama (SEC): Let’s see, this one might be over by the… end of the first quarter? Yeah, that’s pretty much what relegates Bama to the SEC network.
  • Southern Methodist @ North Texas (CBSS): I kinda liked SMU this season and in this game, but North Texas went into El Paso last weekend and won pretty convincingly at a sold-out Sun Bowl. I’ll take the Mean Green.
  • Georgia State @ South Carolina (ESPN+)

8:00:

  • Louisville @ Syracuse (ACCN): This is certainly an ACC game that will happen. Yep. ‘Cuse?
  • Colgate @ Stanford (Pac12)
  • Louisiana-Monroe @ Texas (LHN):
  • Murray State @ Texas Tech (ESPN+)

9:30: Idaho @ Washington State (Pac12)

10:30:

  • Boise State @ Oregon State (ESPN): I have had this as a Boise win, straight up, since the moment I laid eyes on this matchup. This could be one worth watching.
  • Kent State @ Washington (FS1): Okay, so, look, UDub has had occasional trouble with season openers against lesser competition in the recent past. Like, the very recent past. Like, last season. At any rate, that’s a good way to get a coach fired, and (ultimately) it did. I suspect the new guy won’t have a problem with this one.

Sunday

3:00: Jackson State vs. Florida A&M (Orange Blossom Classic @ Miami Gardens, FL; ESPN2)

7:30: Florida State vs. Louisiana State (Sugar Bowl Kickoff @ New Orleans, LA; ABC): Hey, are you ready to reach too much into one of these teams’ seasons based on one game? Because that’s pretty much what’s gonna happen with this one. As a reminder, Brian Kelly (yes, the former Notre Dame head coach) is now the head guy at LSU. I am still baffled at that hire, but at any rate, I suspect it’ll probably net them the win here.

Monday

8:00: Clemson vs. Georgia Tech (Chick-Fil-A Kickoff @ Atlanta, GA; ESPN): Well, I guess I shouldn’t be starting a tracker of how many days until Geoff Collins’s buyout goes down so he’ll get fired, but that’s sort of where we are. I highly suspect I won’t have a long goodbye post whenever it happens. That is, unless something happens this season. The general consensus is that it’s 6 wins or bust, and I don’t know if you’ve heard, but we’ve got a pretty tough schedule this season. Like really tough. But here’s the thing, when the whole premise of your tenure was that we’re gonna recruit the Atlanta metro, Georgia, and the south, and make Tech an elite ACC team, at some point you’ve gotta show some progress. At that’s what’s been completely missing: progress. The UNC game last season looks more and more like an outlier. At any rate, Clemson doesn’t figure to spend the first three-quarters of this season not knowing how to offense again, but on the flip side, Dabo is replacing both coordinators with more-or-less unknowns. This one could be interesting, but I’m not filled with optimism.

This Week in College Football: Week 1

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Thursday

7:00:

  • West Virginia @ Pittsburgh (“The Backyard Brawl”; ESPN): We are starting the weekend in the most appropriate manner possible: the return of the Backyard Brawl. Two teams from Appalachia face off in a battle of the city boys versus country roads. If you wanna read up on your history, you’d do well to read probably the most definitive retrospective on the game. Okay, done? Yeah, so the renewal of the rivalry features two programs at a bit of a crossroads. West Virginia has never really gotten it going in the Big 12, while Pitt is coming off its best season in a very long time while losing their starting quarterback (to the NFL) and best wide receiver (to Southern Cal). I’m taking Pitt here as the favorite at home, but I don’t feel great about it.
  • Central Michigan @ Oklahoma State (FS1): The Pokes should have this one wrapped up around halftime.
  • Ball State @ Tennessee (SEC): Same for the Vols. Possibly even earlier.
  • Bryant @ Florida International (espn3.com)
  • Long Island @ Toledo (espn3.com)
  • South Carolina State @ Central Florida (ESPN+)

7:30: Virginia Military @ Wake Forest (ACCN)

8:00:

  • Pennsylvania State @ Purdue (FOX): While many eyes will be on the happenings in Pittsburgh, this game, well… okay, you’ll probably want to keep your eyes there. But still, this is an interesting start for the Nittany Lions, as they’ve sort of… not been that good the past few years? It is possible for that to catch up to James Franklin? Well, if they drop this one, and they probably won’t, we may start to find out.
  • Louisiana Tech @ Missouri (ESPNU): Unless LaTech finds some magic from those years when it was competent, this won’t be much of a watch.
  • Alabama A&M @ Alabama-Birmingham (CBSS)
  • Eastern Illinois @ Northern Illinois (ESPN+)

9:00: New Mexico State @ Minnesota (BTN): There’s a lot of offseason anxiety about whether PJ Fleck schtick is getting tired in Minneapolis, but I don’t think you can take anything from this. Well, other than whether the apparent beef between former head coach Jerry Kill and Fleck boils over in the pre- or post-game handshake.

10:00: Northern Arizona @ Arizona State (Pac12)

10:30: Cal Poly @ Fresno State (FS1)

Friday

7:00:

  • Western Michigan @ Michigan State (ESPN): Yeah, again, there’s the downside of Week 1: Sparty should have this wrapped up by halftime.
  • Virginia Tech @ Old Dominion (ESPNU): Then again, you sometimes get weird stuff like this. There’s no reason for VPI to travel to their up-and-coming in-state rival, and nothing good could happen here. I’m not saying it will, but I won’t be shocked either.
  • Eastern Kentucky @ Eastern Michigan (espn3.com)
  • William & Mary @ Charlotte (espn3.com)

7:30: Temple @ Duke (ACCN): I… um… I’m going to pick Temple here? It’s going to be a long season for all 12 Duke football fans out there.

8:00:

  • Illinois @ Indiana (FS1): Last year was a huge disappointment for the quest for #9WIndiana, but I feel okay that the kickoff this season in Bloomington won’t be.
  • Tennessee Tech @ Kansas (ESPN+)

10:00: Texas Christian @ Colorado (ESPN): For the first time since 1999, someone else will coach TCU other than Gary Patterson, who if he had his way, would probably still be there. Instead, he decided to flip the bird while walking out the door by getting a job at Texas, and Sonny Dykes heads back to his home turf. Meanwhile, as noted previously, Colorado has a hell of a schedule to start the season (this game, at Air Force next week, and then at Minnesota) that certainly doesn’t help their chances of getting back to 6-6. I suspect the pain will start right here.

This Weekend in College Football: Week 0

Here it is! Actual, real, counts-toward-the-standings American football.

Here’s the way my TV rundowns usually work. I list games at each time slot. I provide commentary for games between FBS teams on “actual” television. All other FCS and streaming-only games are merely listed for completeness. I use several abbreviations for TV networks and streaming services:

  • CBSS: CBS Sports Network
  • BTN: Big Ten Network
  • ACCN: ACC Network
  • SEC: SEC Network
  • RSN: “Regional Sports Network”, essentially, check your local listings. It’ll be on something Bally Sports South/East/West/Southeast or NBC Sports Bay Area or some such. If it’s not available in your region, it may well be streaming on ESPN’s website.
  • ACCNX: ACC Network Extra, essentially, this might be on an RSN, or else it’s streaming and requires you to have ACC Network
  • SECA: SEC Alternate. Most traditional carriers that carry SEC Network will have an extra channel somewhere, you may have to dig for it it though.

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon: Austin Peay @ Western Kentucky (CBSS)

12:30: Nebraska vs. Northwestern (@Dublin, Ireland; FOX): I don’t think anyone in Ireland asked for this, and I mean that generally, because I don’t think they asked for the battle of “NU” supremacy. I have a hard time predicting the Huskers to win, but they probably will, right?

3:30:

  • Idaho State @ Nevada-Las Vegas (CBSS)
  • Stephen F. Austin vs. Jacksonville State (FCS Kickoff @ Montgomery, AL; ESPN)

4:00:

  • Connecticut @ Utah State (FS1): We all love Week 0, but this some real sickos stuff this weekend. It’s arguably the penultimate weekend of summer, so maybe consider going outside or something. Utah State all the way here, too.
  • Wyoming @ Illinois (BTN): This game might be one of the one of the best games of the day, which says a lot more about the Illini than it does Wyoming. I’ll go ahead and pick the Cowboys.

5:00: Duquesne @ Florida State (ACCN)

7:00:

  • Charlotte @ Florida Atlantic (CBSS): I, mean, look, I like to celebrate all parts of college football as much as the next guy, and maybe this’ll finally be Charlotte’s year, but… I can’t make you want to watch this, I just can’t.
  • Alabama State vs. Howard (MEAC/SWAC Challenge @ Atlanta, GA; ESPN)

8:15: Florida A&M @ North Carolina (ACCN)

9:00: North Texas @ Texas-El Paso (Stadium): Y’all, the Sun Bowl is sold out for this one, and despite what I said above, I am just here for any sort of enthusiasm for the Miners and El Paso. And I like them to win, too.

10:30: Vanderbilt @ Hawaii (CBSS): Hawaii is in a bad way, but hey, they’ve apparently also sold out (their now tiny stadium since Aloha Stadium got condemned). Vandy is also… Vandy, but I honestly just cannot figure out how they lose this.

2022 College Football Conference and Rule Changes

What the title doesn’t have in cleverness I’ve attempted to make up for with directness. Let’s examine what’s going to be moving around this season before stuff gets real crazy the next few years.

Conference Moves

We’ve got team switching leagues and moving up. While the real fireworks start next year, we’ve got some changes for this year. To wit:

  • James Madison will move from the FCS Colonial Athletic Association to the Sun Belt. While they will play a full FBS schedule this season, they will still be ineligible for bowls as they are transitioning.
  • Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Mississippi will move from Conference USA to the Sun Belt.
  • Jacksonville State will begin the FCS-to-FBS transition process this season to move from the Atlantic Sun to Conference USA. They will be ineligible for bowls in 2022 and 2023.
  • Sam Houston State will begin the FCS-to-FBS transition process this season to move from the Western Athletic Conference to Conference USA. They will be ineligible for bowls in 2022 and 2023.

Rules

Okay, let’s get into the weeds. The main thing is that these are playing rules, so nothing about NIL or anything. I’ll try to explain them the best I can using just text.

Rule 3-3-5-b

Though expanded upon elsewhere in the rulebook, they are apparently trying to discourage faking injuries (to get free timeouts) by making it possible for conference offices to actually discipline schools for doing it.

Rule 4-1-3-r

You can call this one the Kenny Pickett rule, as it specifies that when the ball carrier simulates a feet-first slide, the ball is considered dead at the spot the slide began, even if the ball carrier is never actually down.

Rule 7-3-11

Illegal touching, i.e., when a forward pass is intentionally touched by a player who is ineligible is now a five yard penalty and a loss of down, instead of just five yards.

Rule 9-1-3/4

These changes make clarifications regarding targeting. The first defines the “crown of the helmet” to be the “top segment of the helmet; namely, the circular area defined by a 6-inch radius from the apex (top) of the helmet.” The latter says that a defenseless player includes “an offensive player in a passing posture with focus downfield.”

Later, this change also allows for players ejected for targeting in the second half of a game to be reinstated after a review with the national coordinator of officials determines that the player should not have been disqualified.

Rule 9-1-6

Apparently the rules committee hates option football. Cut blocking is further reigned in with several significant changes. Linemen may only block below the waist in any direction now on the “initial line charge”, otherwise, all blocks below the waist must be “directed from the front” [of the player being blocked]. Stationary backfield players in the tackle box (the area between the tackles behind the line of scrimmage and 1 yard ahead of the neutral zone from there) may only block below the waist “directed from the front”. In both cases, this is only allowed when the ball is in the tackle box. All other offensive players are not allowed to block below the waist (i.e., any players split out wide like receivers).

No defensive players other than those starting within the tackle box within 1 yard of the line of scrimmage are allowed to block below the waist.

Rule 9-2-1-a-1

Makes some clarifications to unsportsmanlike conduct enforcement. If the kicking team commits an unsportsmanlike foul, the other team can choose to enforce the penalty from the previous spot or the subsequent dead ball spot, provided it is not a field goal attempt and the ball crosses the neutral zone.

Defensive unsportsmanlike fouls during pass plays are now enforced from the end of the run (if it crosses the neutral zone), unless the ball is incomplete or intercepted or possession otherwise changes.

Rule 9-3-4 (c-e)

Defensive holding is now an automatic first down, in addition to the existing 10 yard penalty, like in the NFL.

Rating the 2022 Non-Conference Slate: Epilogue

And now, our traditional wrap.

First off, no one plays more than one FCS team this year. Huzzah!

Next up, teams that play more than one Power Five team, excluding Notre Dame and ACC teams as well as traditional rivalries:

  • Pittsburgh (West Virginia, Tennessee)
  • Duke (Northwestern, Kansas) (technically counts!)
  • Colorado (Texas Christian, Minnesota)
  • West Virginia (Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech)

And finally, each conference’s average rating for their collective out-of-conference schedules:

  1. Pac-12 (0.243)
  2. SEC (0.174)
  3. Big 12 (0.15)
  4. ACC (0.141)
  5. Big Ten (0.137)

Oh, how the mighty are fallen! Last season, the Big Ten was up front, thanks to those exciting early season games like Ohio State-Oregon and, um, Michigan-Washington. This year, the Pac-12 gets perhaps one last hurrah thanks to games like Oregon-Georgia, Utah-Florida, and Washington State-Wisconsin.

That’s a wrap for my take on the season preview. But I’ve got one more thing in store before we discuss what’s going to be on TV on Saturday.