NCAAF 2024 - WEEK TWO

[Brian Fowler]

For only the second time ever, and first time at one of their home stadiums, Michigan and Texas play each other. If nothing else, it's an all-time helmet/uniform game. I'm starting the topic now because it's all I'm able to think about right now.

[RIPPA]

The PAC-12 and Mountain West did not reach a deal in time to extend their partnership into the 2025 season

This means that - almost assuredly - Oregon St and Washington St will be fully independent next year

[hammerva]

In the least surprising news of last week, the guy who claims he would eat shit if Boston College beat Florida State has deleted his social media accounts 

[Mister TV]

 

[Dolfan in NYC]

1 hour ago, hammerva said:

In the least surprising news of last week, the guy who claims he would eat shit if Boston College beat Florida State has deleted his social media accounts 

Don't worry, the guy who wrote the piece titled "How 0-2 Florida State Can Still Make The Playoffs" ate enough shit for the both of them. 

[hammerva]

I mean you can make the playoffs with an 0-2 record if you are a major conference but only if that conference plays to the level of the NFC South last 2 years.  Still early but not sure if that is happening in the ACC 

[Chaos]

We are only one full week into college football season, and parts of my timeline on Twitter are already in the early stages of FLIGHT SZN! The derangement of this time of year is always a fun time. 

[BloodyChamp]

I could see a 2 loss team making the playoffs easy almost, especially as times goes on. If only that meant FSU wouldn’t lose any more I’d just feel great about it . That game was exactly 1 hair of a tier above Willie Taggart level ball. The only thing we didn’t do yesterday was forget basic rules like we did with Taggart that time the WRs kept lining up off the line without asking the ref. 

[Tabe]

16 hours ago, Brian Fowler said:

For only the second time ever, and first time at one of their home stadiums, Michigan and Texas play each other. If nothing else, it's an all-time helmet/uniform game. I'm starting the topic now because it's all I'm able to think about right now.

I'm pretty sure Texas wins this game but I'm definitely pumped for it. The environment in Ann Arbor should be awesome. Probably not first night game vs Notre Dame level but close. 

And then the Lions opening at home against the Rams the next night. Good weekend for football in  Michigan. 

[Brian Fowler]

8 hours ago, Tabe said:

I'm pretty sure Texas wins this game but I'm definitely pumped for it. The environment in Ann Arbor should be awesome. Probably not first night game vs Notre Dame level but close. 

And then the Lions opening at home against the Rams the next night. Good weekend for football in  Michigan. 

Texas definitely should win. They've got the talent and the experience. But if Michigan can keep it close enough that they can keep running the ball and get into the fourth quarter within a score, I like their chances to finish. Gonna almost certainly need some game changing plays from the defense to get there though. Also be real nice to get one of those Donovan Edwards found a big hole and now he's in the end zone, sorry you blinked plays.

[EVA]

I think Michigan’s defense and the home atmosphere have the potential to keep this thing close, especially if, as I have my suspicions, Texas’ big portal class of new skill position players is closer to 2024 FSU than 2023 FSU on Saban’s “if you didn’t pay the right guys, you’re shit outta luck” scale.

Texas was 15th nationally in scoring offense last year, but was 120th in red zone TD conversions. They were also 70th in 3rd down conversions. They lived and died by explosive plays (and did a lot more living, to be fair), and were really not good at all in key situations. If they’re significantly less explosive due to losing Worthy, Mitchell, et al. (and not landing equivalent replacements), and they haven’t improved in critical situations (which would be dependent on Ewers improving as a passer, not just a good scripted deep ball thrower—verdict remains out!—and improving in short yardage running—not helped by the RB  NFL/injury losses!), they could struggle to score more than people are expecting.

I actually think the consensus opinion might be overrating Texas a bit coming into this season, automatically assuming that they’re gonna have playoff-caliber replacements for all those receivers and, especially, key D-linemen they lost.

But, yeah, Michigan has a lot to figure out on offense this week, if they want to actually win. (Hint: run single wing with Orji).

[EVA]

To elaborate on that a little more…Of the 31 red zone TDs that Texas scored last season, 8 of them were Adonai Mitchell catches (25%!).

At 6’2”, Mitchell was a big, physical target in the red zone, on top of being very fast. Who’s catching those balls now? Isaiah Bond is like 5’10”. Silas Bolden is *listed* at 5’8” (read: probably a worked height). In fact, every veteran WR on UT’s roster is listed at 6’ or less.

A couple of the freshman are bigger, but they better hope they come along quick.

[Brian Fowler]

Fun fact: Since the AP poll expanded to 25 teams, Florida State is only the third team to ever be ranked in the top ten in week one and fall out of the poll in week two, joining 2008 Clemson and 2007 Maxsjdezzzz

Sorry my monitor went out and I didn't see who the first ever was.

[Chaos]

8 hours ago, Brian Fowler said:

Fun fact: Since the AP poll expanded to 25 teams, Florida State is only the third team to ever be ranked in the top ten in week one and fall out of the poll in week two, joining 2008 Clemson and 2007 Maxsjdezzzz

Sorry my monitor went out and I didn't see who the first ever was.

Possibly 2003 Auburn? Started the year ranked 3rd and lost back to back to USC and Georgia Tech. 

[RIPPA]

There is petty and there is Eastern Kentucky announcing they are wearing white uniforms just to prevent Western Kentucky from being able to wear their white uniforms during a planned "white out"

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/2024/09/04/western-kentucky-football-white-out-game-eastern-kentucky/75073994007/

Which BTW - is the second week in a row this has happened between rivals (last week was Florida and Miami)

 

[Log]

I always wondered when someone would not give in to an opponent's uniform change request. I knew a lot of them were based on the visitor agreeing to the change.

Famously, haven't a few NFL teams said no to the Cowboys wearing white at home?

[EVA]

Ok, so apparently I wasn’t going crazy on Monday night when I noticed that no sound of the FSU band could be heard over the thundering PA music all night. Apparently that’s been a mini-controversy this week, and the band just had to release a statement about it.

 

[Mister TV]

2 hours ago, Log said:

I always wondered when someone would not give in to an opponent's uniform change request. I knew a lot of them were based on the visitor agreeing to the change.

Famously, haven't a few NFL teams said no to the Cowboys wearing white at home?

In the NFL the home team has the choice of what color they want to wear, the visiting team has no say, there was a stretch in the 70's and 80's where the NFC East teams would wear white at home so the Cowboys had to wear their blue jerseys, which supposedly were "bad luck". In college the visiting team must agree on wearing a color jersey if the home team wants to wear white, but the SEC has a rule that overrides that so LSU can wear white in conference games. 

Edited September 5 by Mister TV

[Brian Fowler]

5 hours ago, Chaos said:

Possibly 2003 Auburn? Started the year ranked 3rd and lost back to back to USC and Georgia Tech. 

Nah I was just making a joke. It was Michigan after they lost to Appalachian State.

[Tabe]

6 hours ago, RIPPA said:

There is petty and there is Eastern Kentucky announcing they are wearing white uniforms just to prevent Western Kentucky from being able to wear their white uniforms during a planned "white out"

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/2024/09/04/western-kentucky-football-white-out-game-eastern-kentucky/75073994007/

Which BTW - is the second week in a row this has happened between rivals (last week was Florida and Miami)

 

This is the kind of stuff I love about college football. 

[EVA]

Michigan finally publicly addresses the MOU thing with Sherrone Moore.

If I were to bet money, they are haggling over how to define “termination for cause.” I’m sure Michigan would love to be able to fire him and not owe him a dime if he/they get hammered by the NCAA in the cheating scandal. And I’m equally sure Moore would like that not to be the case.

[Tabe]

Michigan has a history with coaches not under contract. They hired Brady Hoke without one. They offered the job and he accepted. Then they announced his hiring without signing him. So he held them up for more money. And that's how he came to make $4m a year instead of $2m.

[EVA]

A+ agenting

[Brian Fowler]

41 minutes ago, EVA said:

A+ agenting

Nope, F athletic directing. Dave Brandon really really really wanted to be able to say Hoke took the job without asking what the salary is was the way Bo did in 1969. I assume Brady's agent's eye turned into cartoon dollar signs at that exact moment.

[Brian Fowler]

So, it's a really boring cliche but I really think Michigan has to force Texas to play a slow, physical game. It's not that I think Texas can't play and win that style, but I just don't see how Michigan can win a faster paced finesse match. Gotta force them into less possessions, gotta keep a lid on the passing attack, etc. 

The stakes are interesting. Given the new playoff format, neither team truly needs to win today. Both would be in with a conference title, and both also have a tough enough schedule and big enough name brand that they almost certainly get an at large bid at 10-2. But Texas I think are a lot closer to needing it than Michigan. Michigan isn't expected to really contend this year, while Texas is suppose to be one of the best teams in the country, and to have finally turned a corner last year after a long down stretch. A loss and suddenly "Texas is back" jokes at least start warming up again. 

The two programs have a lot of similarities as well. Both are amongst the bluest of blue bloods, both went decades without a national championship before finally breaking through (1997 and 2005) and both hit prolonged down periods in the mid-late 00's. In a lot of ways Texas is exactly where Michigan was two years ago. Finally won a conference title for the first time in years, made the playoffs, lost in the first game, and now have to prove it wasn't a fluke and try to get over the hump. Except Michigan was on the all-cupcake non-conference diet. This is the third year in a row Texas is in a huge early season non-conference game with playoff implications (and it'll continue that way with a home and home with Ohio State the next two years and then Michigan returning this visit in 2027) while Michigan hasn't had won in years. I'm not sure that actually matters for this game (Michigan has played in a ton of huge games recently, even if they weren't early season affairs.)

Texas should win, if they are the team they are thought to be and are going to have the season that they expect to have, and it's possible if they get going early it won't be close. But if Michigan's defense stymies Texas early and the running game gets going... Plus if Michigan does win, it really changes expectations this year, and they are back in the discussion of title contenders for at least a week or two.