The loathing has settled in like the Plague and it’s only Week 3.
After Ohio State got trounced (is there a more descriptive adjective?) by Virginia Tech in Columbus last weekend, I now know that the rest of the season will only get worse, my stomach turning boat-dock knots each time the offensive line snaps the ball or an opposing offense is driving on the underwhelming defense. I watched last week’s game in a bar and had to get progressively drunker with each series only to stem what I saw as the sky crashing down upon the Olentangy. It was horrible, but at least I was hammered by the end of it. I was numb. Also, it was a Michigan bar I was watching the game at, so I sought refuge in their more obvious misery.
Week 3 seems too early to begin to worry about your college football team, but it’s actually perfect: postseason glory is settled by this point. Lose a game here and your program’s almost guaranteed not to be in contention for a playoff spot come December. I’m sure UCLA and Michigan State fans can “hear, hear” me on this one.
This week’s games aren’t heavy with primetime contests like last week’s, but a few games could send more fans into the depressing depths that they, too, won’t see their team in the vaunted playoff in January. The rest will give others an even more hopeful snapshot of their program’s chances. I, of course, envy the latter.
Here are the five which could make-or-break or only add fuel to hope’s fire.
No. 21 Louisville vs. Virginia, ESPN3: 12:30 p.m.
Supposedly, Virginia’s better than they have been, routing Richmond and keeping it close against an enigmatic UCLA squad. Louisville, however, has found new legs under Bobby Petrino, and its No. 21 ranking seems a bit unjust. The Cardinals battered Miami in its opening game and did a very Louisville thing by putting up 66 on Murray State. They already have two 100-plus yard rushers and their sophomore quarterback Will Gardner looks above competent. I’d bet that the Cardinals have another rout under their belts that they’re waiting to spring in Charlottesville that inches them closer to the cream of the crop in the ACC, even if Louisville fans know that this joy is fleeting and ephemeral once an SEC job opens up for Petrino to flee to in the next couple of seasons (Arkansas round deux for Petrino?). Remember to temper that enthusiasm until season three with Petrino, Cardinals fans–if it gets to that.
No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 24 South Carolina, CBS: 3:30 p.m.
During a relatively slow non-conference weekend, the Georgia-South Carolina rivalry is the marquee match-up, but despite the rankings affixed to each team, being the best game could be misleading. On a macro scale, Georgia holds a lopsided advantage in the history of the rivalry, boasting a 47-17-2 all-time record against the Gamecocks (exempting the Gamecocks’ recent success in the game). Also, the Bulldogs look like the No. 6 team in the country, crushing Clemson 45-21. The Gamecocks…Not so much. After getting napalmed in Williams-Brice by Texas A&M, Steve Spurrier’s team squeaked by East Carolina 33-23. The defense still looks porous. It could get ugly, but maybe it will more resemble the close games of 2009 and 2011 than the South Carolina romp in 2012. Spurrier prays to his beloved 9-iron that it does.
Purdue vs. No. 11 Notre Dame, NBC: 7:30 p.m.
The only reason this game is on here is because Purdue barely resembles a collegiate football program and Notre Dame’s offense hasn’t missed a beat since Everett Golson came back from his year-long suspension. The team has averaged nearly 40 points per game, while Purdue’s given up an average of 36 through its first two. Blowouts are fun, even if it’s the Golden Domers putting on the fireworks display.
Tennessee vs. No. 4 Oklahoma, ABC: 8:00 p.m.
At times, I feel sorry for my dad who’s a University of Cincinnati alum. He’s seen the Bearcats’ previous three head coaches treat the gig as a stepping stone to more lucrative jobs, Butch Jones’ move to Knoxville two seasons ago being the most recent. But through some divine force that has made these coaches program rejuvinators–or the fact that they had to live in southwestern Ohio for several years–guys like Jones have made bigger programs like Tennessee relevant again. The Volunteers’ game against the Sooners seems like the perfect way to make the statement with his young, promising squad. They did to it to a good South Carolina team last year; however, springing the upset in Knoxville is way different than pulling it off during a night game in Norman.
No. 9 USC vs. Boston College, ESPN: 8:00 p.m.
The college football media cycle right before Week 1 is a washing machine spinning recklessly with the last bits of gossip and controversy right before actual games can be dissected. USC’s was particularly groan-worthy: Josh Shaw made up a hero story; a former player called the head coach a racist. Juicy, juicy stuff. But the Trojans’ first two results, which includes a win in Palo Alto over a ranked Stanford team, makes all that other stuff seem so superfluous now, now that the team’s rolling and throwing–to receivers like Nelson Agholor and Juju Smith–heading into the season’s gut. USC looks like a Trojan squad of old: a destructive offense lead by a powerful run game and scary receiving corps, with a do-anything defense that can sack, strip and intercept. Should be fun to see where the Trojans finish come season’s end.