Foaming At The Mouth
God, Help Me I Love It So
Saturday was the day I had been waiting for. Week after long week, reading websites with previews and discussions was all I had to stimulate me. Press releases and handouts have no information worth noting, yet I pored over them. I even drove through a rainstorm with a queasy stomach and hangovery head to watch a relatively meaningless practice session (Thanks for coming with, Lancelac!) Saturday was the day all the chatter ended and the real stuff began.
The opening of the college football season!
More specifically, the home opener for Northwestern. I attend all the home games, and last year even went to an away game. This year I have seven home games instead of the usual six so I will be having 16% more fun this fall. The pregame festivites are almost as much fun as the game itself (Note: I took pictures but left the camera out in the suburbs. I'll be editing this post to add them in a few days) There's the crowd! The cheerleaders! The marching band playing fight songs! And beer! Goose Island beer!
The game was a success, Northwestern won by a score of 27 to nothing. So what do we know now that we didn't know a week ago about the Big Ten?
Northwestern (defeated Northeastern 27-0): Some commentators were saying before the season began that this year's defense was the most talented since the glory days of the mid-Nineties. They were mistaken. The defense did not get pressure on the quarterback, did not register any sacks or turnovers, and allowed too many yards, especially through the air. But the offense looks like its on track.
Minnesota (lost to Bowling Green 32-31 in overtime): Amir Pinnix is gonna have to shoulder a lot of the offensive output because it appears freshman QB Adam Weber has a steep learning curve ahead of him. Still, Minnesota should be happy they came back from down 21-0 to take it to overtime
Ohio State (defeated Youngstown State 38-6): Preseason estimates compared QB Todd Boeckmann to a cigar-store indian and there was considerable concern that he'd be unable to keep defenses honest enough to give Chris Wells running room. Boeckmann went 17 of 23 for 225 yards and 2 touchdowns. That'll do.
Illinois (lost to Missouri 40-34): Juice Williams was expected to be the Big Ten's highlight reel quarterback, but he went out with a head injury early. His backup, Eddie Williams, looks promising as he played an uptempo game that kept the Illini close enough to provide a deceptively tight final score.
Indiana (defeated Indiana State 55-7): The Hoosiers were fashionable sleeper pick in the offseason, until Coach Terry Hoeppner died. Indiana's easy dismantling of Indiana State in their first game after the tragic death of their coach bodes well for them. Their passing game looked vicious.
Michigan (lost to Appalachian State 34-32): Actually the most interesting thing I learned from this game is that Div. 1-A is apparently now officially known as the "Bowl Subdivision" and Div. 1-AA is the "Championship Subdivision". Another victory for the forces of not leaving well enough alone. All the other things were stuff everyone knew or should have known before: Preseason predictions are for shit, there are no 'sure things', and most importantly, crazy upsets can and will happen even to the best teams. Also, there are some damn good players, coaches, and programs in Div. 1-AA (Sorry, I'm not doing this 'Championship Subdivision' crap). Anybody who thinks the game is won on paper is a drooling idiot.
Iowa (defeated Northern Illinois 16-3): The suspensions of Iowa's top receiver from last year and one of the backups hasn't hurt the Hawkeyes yet. Iowa's senior RB Albert Young hasn't been getting much ink in preseason, but his 144 yard performance on Saturday shows why that might change.
Wisconsin (defeated Washington State 42-21): Like Ohio State's Todd Boeckmann, Wisconsin's stab at replacing a departed star QB has to be considered a success. Donovan's 284 yards and 3 TDs will quiet any concerns about the preseason QB controversy.
Nothing of note came from the Purdue, Michigan State, or Penn State games. But stay tuned, people, this ride's just gettin' started.
God, Help Me I Love It So
Saturday was the day I had been waiting for. Week after long week, reading websites with previews and discussions was all I had to stimulate me. Press releases and handouts have no information worth noting, yet I pored over them. I even drove through a rainstorm with a queasy stomach and hangovery head to watch a relatively meaningless practice session (Thanks for coming with, Lancelac!) Saturday was the day all the chatter ended and the real stuff began.
The opening of the college football season!
More specifically, the home opener for Northwestern. I attend all the home games, and last year even went to an away game. This year I have seven home games instead of the usual six so I will be having 16% more fun this fall. The pregame festivites are almost as much fun as the game itself (Note: I took pictures but left the camera out in the suburbs. I'll be editing this post to add them in a few days) There's the crowd! The cheerleaders! The marching band playing fight songs! And beer! Goose Island beer!
The game was a success, Northwestern won by a score of 27 to nothing. So what do we know now that we didn't know a week ago about the Big Ten?
Northwestern (defeated Northeastern 27-0): Some commentators were saying before the season began that this year's defense was the most talented since the glory days of the mid-Nineties. They were mistaken. The defense did not get pressure on the quarterback, did not register any sacks or turnovers, and allowed too many yards, especially through the air. But the offense looks like its on track.
Minnesota (lost to Bowling Green 32-31 in overtime): Amir Pinnix is gonna have to shoulder a lot of the offensive output because it appears freshman QB Adam Weber has a steep learning curve ahead of him. Still, Minnesota should be happy they came back from down 21-0 to take it to overtime
Ohio State (defeated Youngstown State 38-6): Preseason estimates compared QB Todd Boeckmann to a cigar-store indian and there was considerable concern that he'd be unable to keep defenses honest enough to give Chris Wells running room. Boeckmann went 17 of 23 for 225 yards and 2 touchdowns. That'll do.
Illinois (lost to Missouri 40-34): Juice Williams was expected to be the Big Ten's highlight reel quarterback, but he went out with a head injury early. His backup, Eddie Williams, looks promising as he played an uptempo game that kept the Illini close enough to provide a deceptively tight final score.
Indiana (defeated Indiana State 55-7): The Hoosiers were fashionable sleeper pick in the offseason, until Coach Terry Hoeppner died. Indiana's easy dismantling of Indiana State in their first game after the tragic death of their coach bodes well for them. Their passing game looked vicious.
Michigan (lost to Appalachian State 34-32): Actually the most interesting thing I learned from this game is that Div. 1-A is apparently now officially known as the "Bowl Subdivision" and Div. 1-AA is the "Championship Subdivision". Another victory for the forces of not leaving well enough alone. All the other things were stuff everyone knew or should have known before: Preseason predictions are for shit, there are no 'sure things', and most importantly, crazy upsets can and will happen even to the best teams. Also, there are some damn good players, coaches, and programs in Div. 1-AA (Sorry, I'm not doing this 'Championship Subdivision' crap). Anybody who thinks the game is won on paper is a drooling idiot.
Iowa (defeated Northern Illinois 16-3): The suspensions of Iowa's top receiver from last year and one of the backups hasn't hurt the Hawkeyes yet. Iowa's senior RB Albert Young hasn't been getting much ink in preseason, but his 144 yard performance on Saturday shows why that might change.
Wisconsin (defeated Washington State 42-21): Like Ohio State's Todd Boeckmann, Wisconsin's stab at replacing a departed star QB has to be considered a success. Donovan's 284 yards and 3 TDs will quiet any concerns about the preseason QB controversy.
Nothing of note came from the Purdue, Michigan State, or Penn State games. But stay tuned, people, this ride's just gettin' started.
VIEW 5 of 5 COMMENTS
Oh, you're gonna hate me during football season. I'm one of those "I just hope everyone (both teams) has a good time" people.