Remember this feeling
posted by LW, Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Not just the start of Clemson's season, but the start of college football season.
If you love college football -- and I'm estimating 99.9 percent of the folks here do -- then you know the giddy feeling you feel right now, one day from the start of it all.
Remember this feeling. Store it away so you can recall it late in the season when the anti-playoff folks are trying to feed us the standard baloney about a playoff ruining the regular season.
This is college football, the sport where 80,000 fans would show up if two heated rivals were playing Tic-Tac-Toe.
What we're feeling right now has very little to do with the BCS and whatever is going to happen in November.
We'd have this feeling regardless of what the postseason looked like. So remember this feeling.
On the topic of the BCS, here's an extremely intelligent essay on what needs to happen for it to die.
In short, a team from one of the "weaker" BCS conferences -- that's you, Big East and ACC -- needs to go undefeated and get shut out of the title game. The perceived indignity and injustice could lead to revolt, which could lead to a crumbling of the system.
I think it's a solid premise. Teams such as Utah, TCU and Boise State have made compelling cases that they're just as strong as the teams from the lesser BCS conferences, but in the end no one really cares what the MWC and WAC think because they have no clout.
But what if, say, Clemson went undefeated but ended up being excluded in favor of, say, a one-loss Florida or Alabama? Chaos. Splendid chaos.
How much more can Rich Rodriguez have on his plate? Now comes news of real-estate deals gone bad, and this fiasco involves some folks with Clemson ties (including Ron West).
I remember hearing about this last fall. Didn't sound good then. And doesn't sound good now.
Anytime any of you Clemson fans get ticked at a sports writer or columnist ripping one of your coaches, read this column and you'll realize it's not nearly as bad as it could be.
Good gosh ... what did Rick Neuheisel do to T.J. Simers? It's really funny stuff, but also fairly over-the-top.
It's usually a waste of time listening to anything Rick Neuheisel has to say, but it's the start of a new season, and I'm the optimistic sort, so I stopped by UCLA.
Once again I left disappointed, which is probably the best way to prepare for another season of Bruins football.
The guy almost never tells the truth, everything so sugar-coated the malarkey turns to muck, Monday unfortunately no exception.
ZING!
Here's an extended piece on Syracuse point guard, er, QB Greg Paulus.
How many people out there are planning on tuning in to Saturday's game between Syracuse and Minnesota simply to watch Paulus? Oh ... there's that Spence fella, too.
Looks like Justin Tuggle will be the guy at QB for Boston College on Saturday for the start of the Magnum Era.
Here's a look at Frank Spaziani in his younger (pre-towel) days:
Wow ... I'd forgotten Miami's Travis Benjamin piled up 274 all-purpose yards last year against Florida State.
Herbie thinks Miami goes to Tallahassee and wins. I see what he's saying, but I'm taking the 'Noles.
He has an interesting take on FSU, though:
"A lot of people are excited about FSU . . . I need to see that to believe it," he said. "I don't know what it is that they're overly excited about outside of Christian Ponder. I don't see a lot of skill. I don't see a lot of proven playmakers at wide receiver. I think the offensive line probably will become a strength. The defense is missing a lot of playmakers. I know they won nine games last year, but I don't think they're going to win nine games [this season]."
He did, however, praise quarterback Christian Ponder.
"Overall, he seems to have an understanding of what they're doing, and he has enough athletic ability to get out of some trouble. So, I like him. But what's been missing from Florida State the last five or six years is playmakers at wide receiver, dominant defensive ends and corners who can cover. Going into this season, I don't see a ton of difference-makers."
This article says N.C. State is better than North Carolina.
Travis Sawchik of The Post and Courier writes about "Clemson North" and calls Middle Tennessee "the artist formerly known as Middle Tennessee State."
Good line.
In The State, Paul Strelow has a piece on the development of the OL.
We hear the same stuff every year about them being more physical and cohesive and all that, but I tend to think this year there's actually something to it.
The Independent-Mail has a look at the emergent Brandon Clear.
I spoke with Clear a couple weeks ago and was extremely impressed. You're not going to find a more respectful, well-spoken dude. Not that it has anything to do with what he does on the field, but still ... he represents well.
In the Seneca paper, Kyle Parker hopes to hit a home run in his debut.
LW
For questions or comments on this blog entry, please visit The West Zone message board.
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I'm guessing some of you are somewhat geeked about the start of the season.
Not just the start of Clemson's season, but the start of college football season.
If you love college football -- and I'm estimating 99.9 percent of the folks here do -- then you know the giddy feeling you feel right now, one day from the start of it all.
Remember this feeling. Store it away so you can recall it late in the season when the anti-playoff folks are trying to feed us the standard baloney about a playoff ruining the regular season.
This is college football, the sport where 80,000 fans would show up if two heated rivals were playing Tic-Tac-Toe.
What we're feeling right now has very little to do with the BCS and whatever is going to happen in November.
We'd have this feeling regardless of what the postseason looked like. So remember this feeling.
On the topic of the BCS, here's an extremely intelligent essay on what needs to happen for it to die.
In short, a team from one of the "weaker" BCS conferences -- that's you, Big East and ACC -- needs to go undefeated and get shut out of the title game. The perceived indignity and injustice could lead to revolt, which could lead to a crumbling of the system.
I think it's a solid premise. Teams such as Utah, TCU and Boise State have made compelling cases that they're just as strong as the teams from the lesser BCS conferences, but in the end no one really cares what the MWC and WAC think because they have no clout.
But what if, say, Clemson went undefeated but ended up being excluded in favor of, say, a one-loss Florida or Alabama? Chaos. Splendid chaos.
How much more can Rich Rodriguez have on his plate? Now comes news of real-estate deals gone bad, and this fiasco involves some folks with Clemson ties (including Ron West).
I remember hearing about this last fall. Didn't sound good then. And doesn't sound good now.
Anytime any of you Clemson fans get ticked at a sports writer or columnist ripping one of your coaches, read this column and you'll realize it's not nearly as bad as it could be.
Good gosh ... what did Rick Neuheisel do to T.J. Simers? It's really funny stuff, but also fairly over-the-top.
It's usually a waste of time listening to anything Rick Neuheisel has to say, but it's the start of a new season, and I'm the optimistic sort, so I stopped by UCLA.
Once again I left disappointed, which is probably the best way to prepare for another season of Bruins football.
The guy almost never tells the truth, everything so sugar-coated the malarkey turns to muck, Monday unfortunately no exception.
ZING!
Here's an extended piece on Syracuse point guard, er, QB Greg Paulus.
How many people out there are planning on tuning in to Saturday's game between Syracuse and Minnesota simply to watch Paulus? Oh ... there's that Spence fella, too.
Looks like Justin Tuggle will be the guy at QB for Boston College on Saturday for the start of the Magnum Era.
Here's a look at Frank Spaziani in his younger (pre-towel) days:
Wow ... I'd forgotten Miami's Travis Benjamin piled up 274 all-purpose yards last year against Florida State.
Herbie thinks Miami goes to Tallahassee and wins. I see what he's saying, but I'm taking the 'Noles.
He has an interesting take on FSU, though:
"A lot of people are excited about FSU . . . I need to see that to believe it," he said. "I don't know what it is that they're overly excited about outside of Christian Ponder. I don't see a lot of skill. I don't see a lot of proven playmakers at wide receiver. I think the offensive line probably will become a strength. The defense is missing a lot of playmakers. I know they won nine games last year, but I don't think they're going to win nine games [this season]."
He did, however, praise quarterback Christian Ponder.
"Overall, he seems to have an understanding of what they're doing, and he has enough athletic ability to get out of some trouble. So, I like him. But what's been missing from Florida State the last five or six years is playmakers at wide receiver, dominant defensive ends and corners who can cover. Going into this season, I don't see a ton of difference-makers."
This article says N.C. State is better than North Carolina.
Travis Sawchik of The Post and Courier writes about "Clemson North" and calls Middle Tennessee "the artist formerly known as Middle Tennessee State."
Good line.
In The State, Paul Strelow has a piece on the development of the OL.
We hear the same stuff every year about them being more physical and cohesive and all that, but I tend to think this year there's actually something to it.
The Independent-Mail has a look at the emergent Brandon Clear.
I spoke with Clear a couple weeks ago and was extremely impressed. You're not going to find a more respectful, well-spoken dude. Not that it has anything to do with what he does on the field, but still ... he represents well.
In the Seneca paper, Kyle Parker hopes to hit a home run in his debut.
LW
For questions or comments on this blog entry, please visit The West Zone message board.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
Donnie Patterson. Donnie Patterson is the founder of Patterson Tax Service, located in Easley, S.C. He has been active in tax preparation since 1970, and offers a full range of tax and bookkeeping services.
Larry Williams. Larry has covered the daily beat at Clemson since 2004. Williams, who worked for the Charleston Post & Courier from 2004-08, joined Tigerillustrated.com in November of 2008. He may be reached by email at ldubya08(at)gmail.com. Replace (at) with @.