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College Football Has Arrived No more countdown clocks....it's time to kick the pig. The college football season gets underway on Thursday night with a battle of the Carolinas, a SEC tilt in Nashville and the USC Trojans looking to rebound on the Hawaiian Islands. What a beautiful way to start. Those games lead into a fantastic opening weekend slate which is highlighted by a Top 10 slugfest between Georgia and Clemson in Death Valley. Awesome....we've been waiting for this week since Bama put the finishing touches of a woodshed job on Notre Dame in the BCS title game. I got fired up beyond belief after completing my SiriusXM Camp Tours....from August 1st thru the 22nd, I slept in my bed three times. In between, I had the chance to visit and broadcast at Clemson, South Carolina, Nebraska, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Stanford, UCLA and USC. I loved every visit...and it only added to my enthusiasm as we get ready to unveil the 2013 college football season. The pre-season polls are a waste, but it gives us something to chew on until we find out who can really play. There is absolutely no surprise that Alabama was the pick by the coaches and media, but as Nick Saban has mentioned a few thousand times....it's time to go earn that ranking. He's 100% right. The Tide might be the two-time defending champs, but none of that matters until they prove they are the best in 2013. I don't know if Bama is going to win it again, but I do think they will have the biggest influence on the team that will hold the crystal ball for the final time. This is the final year of the BCS....next year, we go to a new 4-team playoff format which still hasn't been finalized.....all we know is that there will be four teams selected to compete on the field for the championship. I don't want to fast-forward the season, because it goes by so quickly....too fast for my taste, and I want to savor every week. In case you need to know my whereabouts on the airwaves.....As usual, I will be hosting College Sports Today on SiriusXM 91, weekdays from 3-6, ET. I'll also be hosting the SiriusXM Tailgate Show on Saturday mornings from 9-noon. I'll have my "Southern Fried Football™ Report" every Thursday AM (9:05 AM, ET) on the nationally syndicated John Boy & Billy Show...and you can also catch me with Jeff Kent on WRFX- 99.7 FM in Charlotte, NC every Monday & Friday at 4:45 & 6:45. Plus, you can catch my "Packman on Sports" TV commentaries weeknights on the 10pm newscast on MyTV12. So buckle your chinstrap....it's time for some football! Talking heads are making pre-season picks, so I'll give you some of mine..... I like Bama and Ohio State in the BCS national title game. I don't know if they are the two best teams, but I think their respective schedules give them the best chance to make it. Louisville has a favorable slate, too....but their weak strength of schedule will come back to haunt them in the end.....I think there could be upwards of five teams that end up with one loss that will still be ranked higher than Louisville. If Georgia can start off 2-0, watch-out....the Dawgs could be lined up for that special season in Athens...but that's a really big "IF". Clemson has received a bunch of buzz about being a Pasadena sleeper.....I have to see better defensive play before putting the Tigers in that camp. The opener with Georgia is a must-watch football game....I like Clemson to win the Atlantic Division and beat Miami for the ACC title. After visiting the Texas Longhorns and talking with Mack Brown, I truly believe the Horns are primed for a big run in the Big 12. I was surprised that they were picked 4th by the media, especially with 19 starters back.....Texas has to get past Oklahoma, which has owned and embarrassed them the past few years....plus, OK State is going to be loaded, too. What does Texas A&M do for an encore? Does Johnny Football play for the Aggies? Can they beat Bama again? Lots of questions; shortly, we get some answers....A&M will be good and I expect Manziel to play....I don't think they beat Bama and playing with a target on their chest will prove to be tougher than anticipated in College Station. LSU is flying under the radar.....we learn a bunch about them in week one when they play TCU in Arlington. The Tigers have won 41 consecutive non-conference regular season games. The UGa-South Carolina winner in week 2 will play Bama for the SEC championship. Steve Spurrier has dominated his rivals the past few years......can he continue to do so? I say, "yes". I really enjoyed spending time out west.....Stanford is a beautiful place, incredible academic institution, and by the way....they have a kick-ass football team, too. I love David Shaw and his style of physical football is counter to the league he plays in....and that's what makes the PAC-12 fascinating. Both ends of the spectrum are covered between Stanford and Oregon....but the PAC-12 has quality depth. It wouldn't surprise me to see more than half of their conference crack the Top 25 consistently throughout the season. Lane Kiffin's starting line-up at USC looks like a Top 10 team.....his lack of depth because of NCAA sanctions drops them a notch lower. I really enjoyed talking with Jim Mora at UCLA.....his kids are first-class and Brett Hundley is a star. I think the Bruins will be better than they were a year ago when they made it to the PAC-12 championship game.....but the schedule is nasty. The Bruins have road trips to Stanford, Oregon, USC at the Coliseum and even a visit to Nebraska. If you want a sleeper in the Pac-12 South....look to Arizona State. The Big 10 needs all the help it can get.....the Buckeyes are primed to bring back some national prominence. The schedule is laid out perfectly....and of course there is the regular season-ending trip to Michigan. Nebraska wants to be in the elite department again.....but the defense has to make major improvements for that to happen. It wouldn't surprise me to see Big Red in the Big 10 title game....but the pick is Ohio State. Closer to home here in Charlotte.....I'm excited for all the 49er fans that have been praying and dreaming that college football could come to their school. Brad Lambert makes it official this week, when the Charlotte 49ers play Campbell in their brand new stadium on Saturday. There won't be any scene that sheds more tears of joy in college football...than the 15,000 that show up for the first game in school history. When I was in Los Angeles last week hosting my SiriusXM show, I was spared the temptation of going to Dodger Stadium to root against the NL West-leading club.....they were playing in Miami at the time of my visit. However, I saw a quote by team President Stan Kasten (who I respect as a baseball mind) that made me realize why I root so hard against the guys. Kasten said, "There's no franchise in any sport anywhere that has had the impact on popular culture or society as large as the Dodgers." Bull-sh*&^%$t. Hey, Stan....I can't find anybody in the world that was born since November of 1988 that has ever seen your team play a World Series game.....we're closing in on nearly a quarter of a century....the latest generation.....that has even seen your team compete for anything. The Dodgers are playing great baseball....but it's still August. The Magic Castle is usually closed in October......sorry, Stan.....just the facts. I read where Washington Redskins GM, Bruce Allen, called the NFC East....."the SEC of the NFL". I wonder if he meant by that statement that only half of the division is worth a damn when it comes to winning a championship? Surely he didn't imply that from top-to-bottom, that division is the best in the NFL? Last year, the Skins won it by going 10-6.....the Eagles were abysmal, and the Cowboys and Giants were average at best. In the past 15 years, every team in the NFC South and the NFC West has made it to the Super Bowl....so, what is Bruce Allen talking about? The Redskins and Cowboys have combined for 3....count 'em, 3 playoff wins in that time period. The Eagles and Giants are the only ones that have won meaningful January games. Allen is out to lunch.....but I have been impressed with his team in the pre-season. After watching the Carolina Panthers' third pre-season game against the Ravens, I'm not sure what to make of this team? The defense was scoring at will....the offense can't put any semblance of a drive together....and the special teams looked top-notch. Go figure? What do you make of this team after three pre-season games? I don't know if I should laugh or cry when I'm watching these guys. I know that the final week of pre-season football is here....and that's a good thing for every NFL fan. August NFL football is an acquired taste. I've watched the new FOX Sports 1 shows that debuted this past week.....and I've got good news and bad news. I like the FOX Daily Football Show.....it has the potential to get even better after its opening week of shows. The FOX Live show at 11pm has potential, too. It will take time to iron out the kinks, but there are some elements of the program that are fun and informative. However, there is a clunker in the new line-up and it involves Regis Philbin and the unending cast of talking heads that provides no humor or insight. It's even worse that ESPN's original "Cold Pizza" show, that was a train wreck. Today (Sunday) is Regis' 82nd birthday.....something tells me he is wishing he never signed up for this mess. I was surprised that he didn't fall asleep during the show last week. |
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