Thursday Thoughts

Rule Changes
I did like the changes in kickoffs, as I highlighted them in my Wednesday Waffle.  I didn't notice any major injuries, which was kind of the point.

The rule that I really disliked: having to sit out a play if your helmet comes off.  The SEC, obviously, was the first to "exploit" this new rule.  I saw Auburn ripping the helmets off several Clemson players on the bottom of crowded piles, where refs can't see well enough to call a penalty, but they can see it well enough to force the player to sit out: they caught QB Tajh Boyd twice.  I can see that one is going to get out of control.  I am sure Urban Meyer was waiting to pull that one out in a big game at a crucial time.  Congrats to the SEC for being the first to find a way to violate the spirit of the law!  I know we're all shocked it was them.

9 More Weeks
There is certainly a lot of great football to be played between now and November, but I can't wait for those games on November 10th.  Those are the first games played after political ads will stop!  Since my wife became a citizen after the last election, she made me watch a lot of each party's conventions these past two weeks.  Wow, the fact distortions, lies, and politicking were atrocious in the ads prior to the conventions: and both sides just doubled down the last 10 days.  It's going to get ugly.  And we'll all be the worse off when we get through, because there will be no winner, regardless.  There will be no reconciliation of parties, no forgetting of hurt feelings, and no compromises or bargains to be struck in January.  Not to get on a soapbox, but regardless of who wins, I feel America is on the brink of a dark age, where we citizens are to assume the same bickering and incivility as our "leaders" in Washington.  Until we fully get there, post-election: enjoy the football!

Games of the Week
I'm obviously the most excited about Weber State at ...er, Purdue at Notre Dame game.  I've been given an inside tour of the stadium, including a lunch in the media loge, complete with a pep talk by Digger Phelps, highlighter and all, I've chased my kids around on the field, but this will be my first chance to sit in the stands where college football became college football.  Knute Rockne was the first to market the game and make it national.  He was years ahead of his time, and thankfully so.  The game of college football was made what it is today by what happened in that stadium.  I'll be there at the traditional time of 3:30pm Eastern on NBC!

I am interested to see if Georgia is overrated, as they head to Columbia, Missouri to play new conference foe Mizzou.  Upset?  If Mizzou wins, I think we'll quickly learn it wasn't that big of an upset: Mizzou isn't half-bad, and Georgia is, well, overrated as only Georgia can be.  With that said, I still think Georgia wins, but gives up more points than they are accustomed to in the process.

I am also curious to see two ranked Big Ten teams on the road at unranked Pac 12 teams.  Wisconsin plays at Oregon State and Nebraska is at UCLA.  I feel there will be at least one upset between the two, and my money would be on UCLA.  How did the Pac 12 manage to get TWO Big Ten teams to leave the comfort of their home stadiums and MAC opponents???

Utah travels to Utah State for the last time ever, unfortunately.  Their rivalry with the Aggies is another victim of the Utes joining the Pac 12.  Certainly you can't blame Utah for not traveling to Logan every now and again for a game, but it's unfortunate.  The Pac 12 snobbish attitude Utah and BYU despised for so long is prevalent in Salt Lake.  The arrogance of Independent ND that non-BCS teams hated for so long has taken over Provo as well.  I'm excited to see the game, but I'm sad to see it end.  Good luck, Aggies: Utah and BYU will not stand by you anymore, you are on your own.  Make the best of it.

Those are my thoughts for this Thursday...a little late...