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College Football Week 1

tapeANaspirin2it

tapeANaspirin2it

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There was a Week 0 last week where Nebraska lost to Illinois and their backup QB. Nebraska seems like a sinking ship.

This is one of the best Week 1 schedules in a long time. It's usually just cupcake city but there are some really great matchups of ranked teams. Possibly because the 4 team playoff gives a bit of margin for error so teams want tough tests early.

More likely it's because all the schools are ****** for money and the networks demanded better early matchups. Whatever the case, here's the top games posted a bit early because I probably won't be around this weekend and wouldn't to disappoint the SEC fans who value my opinions so highly



19 Penn State at 12 Wisconisn - Noon FOX
Really tough opening game. Penn State installing a new offense so it could be a rocky start. But the new offene does seem to play to the strengths of QB Sean Clifford. Penn State hired Mike Yurcich who was OC for Mason Rudolph at oklahoma State. I think Clifford is similar.

PSU returns WR Jahan Dotson who finally emerged as a playmaker last year and Parker Washington who had a very good freshman season. The OL should be a strength with a couple possible first round picks in the mix.

The strength of the PSU defense is the secondary where they do have some potential high draft picks in CB Joey Porter Jr and Safety Jaquan Brisker. The PSU DEs are undersized. How will they hold against Wisconsin size?

I'd feel good about this game if it was week 3 but week 1 on the road could be too much for PSU installing a new offense.

But Penn State has already won big!

In your face Wisconsin

www.collegian.psu.edu

Berkey Creamery's whole chocolate milk wins 1st place in 2021 World Dairy Expo Championship

Penn State’s Berkey Creamery’s whole chocolate milk won first place at the 2021 World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest in the “Whole Chocolate Milk” category.
www.collegian.psu.edu www.collegian.psu.edu


1 Alabama vs 14 Miami in Atlanta 3:30 ABC
Bama has a ton of new starters. Can Miami catch them making some mistakes? Will probably look like Ohio State vs Minnesota where OSU's new QB was a bit shaky early. Minnesota led at the half but then OSU pulled away with big plays and refs allowing their DBs to grab on every deep throw Minn attempted.


17 Indiana at 18 Iowa 3:30 Big 10 Network
Can Indiana build on last year? Kinnick stadium is a tough place to play


23 Louisiana at 21 Texas 4:30 FOX
Debut for new Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. Texas paid LA over a million to take this game. It's always funny when the big team loses to the small team that bribed to take the game. But Louisiana may have bigger things on their minds after the hurricane.


5 Georgia vs 3 Clemson in Charlotte 7:30 ABC
biggest game on paper but in reality this game could be meaningless. If Clemson loses, then runs the table in the ACC, they're in the playoffs. If Georgia loses, it will be absolved as losing early to a great team. If they go on to finish 2nd in the SEC, they're in the playoff.

Clemson loses Trevor Lawrence but he missed time last year so new starter DJ Uiagalelei started some games, including a 2 OT loss to Notre Dame. He's not exactly a rookie.

Etienne may be the bigger loss. They have a talented replacement but Etienne did so much in that offense.

Can Georgia finally win a big game?
 
Yeah, I'm a college football junkie and I'll miss this weekend's games. Pretty bummed. But, I'll be camping for the next 10 days with no cell service let alone TV.
 
Not a Clifford fan to this point. Hopefully, he shows me something or I think PSU's O will be a bust unless they go with their backup QB, whoever he is.
 
TDX27 said:
Not a Clifford fan to this point. Hopefully, he shows me something or I think PSU's O will be a bust unless they go with their backup QB, whoever he is.
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Ditto...I will be 100% shocked if PSU is within two TDs against Wiscy in the second half. I really hope I'm wrong but not feeling it.
 
TDX27 said:
Not a Clifford fan to this point. Hopefully, he shows me something or I think PSU's O will be a bust unless they go with their backup QB, whoever he is.
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Not a Clifford fan either. Him running the air raid offense = turnover machine. Unfortunately, Will Levis transferred to Kentucky, so their backups have very little experience.
 
um yeah, i don't ever want to hear another word about UNC QB Sam Howell being a potential successor to Ben.
 
Clifford has had his moments. In 2019 he had a bunch of bug plays with Hamler. Last year they planned to be run heavy. Then starting RB and budding star Journey Brown had to quit football due to a heart issue. Then 2nd string Noah Cain gets hurt in the first game. They had a new OC installing a new offense with almost no practices due to Covid.

Yeah Clifford had a rough year but it was almost a no win situation. Run game sputtering, Freiermuth playing hurt then out for the year. Counting on freshmen WR and RBs.

Clifford does have talent. He was a highly touted recruit. He got benched last year but won the job back and finished strong. I do think he's tough.

They do have some pretty big recruit commits at QB for the future but this year is Clifford or Nothing. I do think he will have a good year overall but maybe not from week one. Lots of changes including a new blocking scheme so the OL may struggle early.

I think PSU will be good by the end of the year but could struggle early. Wisconsin is a terrible first game on the road because they are so dialed in to what they do.

Have to hope the young PSU playmakers step up.
 
Tulane giving Oklahoma a game early on. It'll be tough to hang with them over four quarters, but 14-14 in the 1st is a solid start. Similar situation in Michigan with Western Michigan only down 3 in the second. Michigan fans have to be disappointed with this early start. Penn State-Wisconsin setting offense back 50 years in this game. Was hoping for a better showing from these two highly ranked teams.
 
SteelerFan448 said:
Tulane giving Oklahoma a game early on. It'll be tough to hang with them over four quarters, but 14-14 in the 1st is a solid start. Similar situation in Michigan with Western Michigan only down 3 in the second. Michigan fans have to be disappointed with this early start. Penn State-Wisconsin setting offense back 50 years in this game. Was hoping for a better showing from these two highly ranked teams.
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Disappointed in the slow Michigan start mostly due to 3rd down passing D
The run D looks much improved
Up by 20 now
Was more disappointing is losing our best offensive weapon Ronnie Bell possibly blew out his knee 😞
 
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tapeANaspirin2it said:
1 Alabama vs 14 Miami in Atlanta 3:30 ABC
Bama has a ton of new starters. Can Miami catch them making some mistakes? Will probably look like Ohio State vs Minnesota where OSU's new QB was a bit shaky early. Minnesota led at the half but then OSU pulled away with big plays and refs allowing their DBs to grab on every deep throw Minn attempted.
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Great win by Penn State. Fun 4th QTR. Targeting rules are problematic. Not sure how I feel about the 2 calls against PSU defense in the final minutes.
 
Super Dave said:
Great win by Penn State. Fun 4th QTR. Targeting rules are problematic. Not sure how I feel about the 2 calls against PSU defense in the final minutes.
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I also think the punt catch interference calls were terrible they caught the ******* ball then got hit. That is how you are coached to do it.
 
NC's stud QB and Oklahoma's stud QB didn't look that good today. It's only one game though.
 
College football is increasingly difficult to watch when Alabama goes on the road against a top 20 team and just beats the **** out of them with new QB new RB. It's becoming like a small state high school team that loses one game every three years. I don't have any answers but when one team is guarenteed playoffs every year in a league that large it just loses luster to me.
 
TDX27 said:
NC's stud QB and Oklahoma's stud QB didn't look that good today. It's only one game though.
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The highly ranked QBs heading into the season lead me to believe this is a relatively weak QB class unless some other guys emerge throughout the season.
 
Najee Harris sighting during a Frosted Flakes commercial during Ga.-Clemson game.
 
SteelerSask said:
College football is increasingly difficult to watch when Alabama goes on the road against a top 20 team and just beats the **** out of them with new QB new RB. It's becoming like a small state high school team that loses one game every three years. I don't have any answers but when one team is guarenteed playoffs every year in a league that large it just loses luster to me.
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It wasn't a road game, they played in Atlanta. Which is Alabama's home away from home, because that's where the SEC Championship game is every year.
 
Omar10213245 said:
um yeah, i don't ever want to hear another word about UNC QB Sam Howell being a potential successor to Ben.
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I wouldn't completely write the dude off after one bad game. It's a long season.
 
I see some linking JT Daniels to the Steelers next year. Is he really that much of a prospect?
 
Huge win for Penn State. The defense was phenomenal. Safety Jaquan Brisker would look good in black and gold. He was a huge factor in pass defense and run support. Few safeties come out that can do both. Most are either ball hawks or run stuffers. Brisker is a complete player and tough as he left the field injured a few times and came back.

The protection was spotty at times but Wisconsin DC is former NFL safety and Rex Ryan disciple Jim Leonard so they are a complex defense that blitzes a lot. With that in mind and for game 1 with a new scheme it was pretty good. The OL could be a strength as the year progresses.

Clifford does have talent. Give him a bit of time and receivers who are actually open and he can make plays. Penn State had almost no big plays last year and the have several in this game. Very encouraging and PSU has some great recruiting classes in the pipeline.

You have to give Franklin credit. PSU has been bad on the road. He has made several coaching changes the last few years that may be paying off.
 
oh, and what the hell, @CoolieMan?? i stopped watching the houston-ttech game at halftime because i thought your coogs had the game in the bag, up 2 touchdowns. i just saw that they lost by 17, not a single point in the 2nd half?? tsk tsk, coolie! tsk tsk!

20131231_ajl_aj7_013.0.jpg
 
topseed said:
It wasn't a road game, they played in Atlanta. Which is Alabama's home away from home, because that's where the SEC Championship game is every year.
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they've lost 13 games since 2010. Thanks for your insight Mr. Helper.
 
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