Football Time!

The Hap Hap Hap Happiest Time of the Year! I like Christmas too, but the start of football season is my equivalent of “happy days are here again”… Before I wax on about 2014 and make some predictions/guesses, let me spend a moment basking in the last game of the amateur (kind of) football season last year. Florida State beat Auburn in the final BCS Championship game. I predicted FSU 42-30. The Noles did win, but by a score of 34-31, scoring in the last seconds of the game. FSU was lucky to come back and win the game. Auburn is flat out dangerous under Gus. Sure they struggled early in the season, but by January they could have beaten anyone, FSU included –obviously. The Gators had the worst season in memory (which covers MANY years). Will is on thin ice. Hopefully the new OC from Duke will help UF score some points. Too much talent on that roster to stink like they did in 13. Overall, it was an amazing college football season. The two fantastic finishes by the war beagles against Georgia and the Bama in the Iron Bowl were the excitement peaking highlights for me and I don’t even like Awbie. So next Thursday the college football season kicks off. This weekend the high schools “Put toe to composite”. A monster inter state match up here in Music City has Ensworth hosting Trinity from Louisville. Hoover, the top of the food chain in Alabama hosts Miami Central, while Clay Chalkville completes the FLOR-BAMA double header against the Niceville FISHHEADS. Miami Washington goes to Virginia to take on top dog Oscar Smith, while 2 smaller school juggernauts Buford, Ga and Jax Trinity Christian tangle. There are some other state bragging rights goodies, but to bring it back to Tennessee, a Sunday TV game has Boro powers Blackman and Oakland slugging it out…IF the heat index stays below 104…Beech, with Jacob Jenkins opens with Station Camp, while MY Friendship Christian School Commanders go to Memphis to open with Harding Academy. NCAA – has to be a joke acronym out there somewhere… We now have a 4 team playoff, with a 13 member committee in place to decide which teams get the births in the mini mega bracket. It will not be boring. With all the CASH involved, it will expand to 8 before long – trust me. FSU is getting the nod for preseason #1 from a lot of the folks who get paid to give nods…Alabama is expected to be up there and well they should be. Nick’s squad is loaded and the schedule could not be any more favorable. The PAC has some high expectations for Oregon and UCLA, while Oklahoma’s thumping of the Tide in their bowl game, has the Sooners breathing thin air as far as expectations go, while Baylor should put up Arena offense numbers again. Ohio state and Michigan State are projected to rule the big 10 (that can’t count). Buckies lost over QB for the season this week, but their schedule is so pathetic that they should still coast to at least at 1-loss regular season – at worst. So, what does my crystal ball see this year?

SEC: Alabama and Auburn will decide the West, but Bama has a much more favorable schedule. Beagles could lose a couple of games and still have a better team than they did last year. Don’t count out luck as part of the equation and they had a good helpin in 13. LSU has this Fournette kid who sounds like he may dominate. The Mississippi schools are the ones that intrigue me. State has everybody back and if they are ever going to make noise in the West, this is Mullen’s chance. The Rebs have a better coach and a little more depth. A&M will be good, but the West is just so NASTY! Hogs … well somebody has to bring up the reat. Old Ball Coach will have the Gamecocks ready to rule the east. The USC of the south has to tangle with A&M and Auburn from the West, while Georgia gets Arkansas and Auburn. Slight advantage to Dawgs. Florida gets LSU and Bama. Disadvantage Gators. Mizzu won the East last year but are not getting much love this August. Tennessee, a “top 10 all time” college football program is still rising from the muck that Kiffin and Dooley buried them in. By 15 Butch will be a contender in the East. Vandy lost coach Franklin but will not be the patsy that some folks think. Some pretty good players on that roster. Kentucky is better in year 2 of Stoops, but man the SEC is NASTY tough. USC will take the East and I’m pullin like crazy for UF to win the cocktail party this go around. Hoping my take that UGA QB is a weak link or at least a significant drop off from Aaron Murray. Think Mizzu will beat UGA…Tennessee might too. OK 15 yards for piling on the Dawgs and coach Richt. FSU is loaded and deep. Clemson and Louisville are the challengers in the ACC. The opener next Sat night in Jerry World against Oklahoma State should be a fun shootout – cowboys and injuns style (I know I am totally insensitive and must be a racist too). OK, enough for tonight. Volleyball season is in FULL ON mode and I cheer hard for Autumn and the Lady Commanders!