I walked into two stores Saturday morning — a WalMart and a Kroger. In both places, I saw a glorious sight.
Children wearing South Carolina Gamecock jerseys. Their parents donning an assortment of Georgia Bulldog and Clemson Tiger regalia.
And, of course, the obligatory Alabama Crimson Tide contingent. There were others.
Georgia Tech shirts. Georgia Southern shirts. Tennessee Volunteers gear. I even saw a Nebraska Cornhuskers hat.
Oh, wait. That was mine.
Here’s what it told me — after last Saturday’s appetizer and Thursday and Friday’s hors d’oeuvres, we get treated on this Labor Day weekend to the full course meal.
College football is officially back, and in full throttle mode. And the first week of the season has always felt like a national holiday.
We associate this time with the beginning of fall. But in the Augusta area, temperatures are expected to climb into the mid 90s. Hardly fall like.
But that doesn’t matter. What matters is the action that’s happening on the gridiron. That’s the proof that our country’s greatest game (my biased opinion) has returned.
Now, so much is different, even this season. Conference realignment has kicked in. We’ve got an expanded playoff. We’ve got opening week games literally through Monday. So much to watch that, if you’re an old school college football lover like me, it might make your head spin.
But here are a few things I think are worth looking for as the season begins in earnest.
An SEC dark horse rising?
As much as people talk about the SEC being the nation’s premier conference, when you really boil it down, it’s been Alabama and Georgia really dominating the championship conversation. And this year, there’s no real reason to think that they won’t be in the mix again — especially Georgia. But with Alabama being a little bit of a mystery with Nick Saban watching from home or a luxury skybox, or anywhere other than his familiar sideline perch, and Kalen DeBoer taking his place.
If you ask me, it means the SEC is a bit more wide open than it has been in a while. And not just because of Saban’s absence, but because of the SEC’s additions. Texas and Oklahoma — former Big 12 powers — join the SEC party. And while Oklahoma has been a pretty consistent stalwart in the national landscape, it’s Texas that seems to be all the rage when talking about which newcomer is more likely to shake up the SEC.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers and his fourth-ranked Longhorns began their SEC and national title quest in earnest against Colorado State Saturday. Oklahoma dominated. Alabama looked like Alabama, but Western Kentucky is no juggernaut.
Clemson and Georgia were locked in a tight battle for about two quarters before the Bulldogs started looking like the Bulldogs have looked for the last six or seven years.
Watch for teams like Ole Miss and Texas to emerge. Don’t be surprised if one of them finds themselves in Atlanta at the end of the year. But also, don’t be surprised to see the old familiars, Georgia and Alabama, vying for it all again.
Speaking of conference changes…
There’s no more Pac 12. We’ve gotta learn how to say “Power 4” now instead of “Power 5.”
The Big 12 is unrecognizable from what it was just one, two years ago. Teams from California and Oregon now are part of the Big 10 of all places.
Who would’ve thought that 20 years ago?
Yet, here we are — and more conference shifts, alignments and realignments are coming. How’s it going to impact the national championship picture? With a new 12-team playoff setup, it’s plausible that a two-loss, non-conference champion could end up playing for, and winning it all. How crazy is that?
Back in the day, each Saturday used to feel like a single-round elimination playoff game. Every Saturday used to mean something, we said. But I think it still does. The new format doesn’t change that. I think it only ensures that a true champion can be crowned. It reduces — not completely eliminates — what I used to call “pollster politics” having to be the deciding factor of who wears the moniker of national champion.
As fun and nostalgic as it used to be to argue about who should and shouldn’t be No. 1, I’m glad we’re in an era where we’re more likely to prove it all on the football field.
Yeah, it’s a little annoying thinking about Oklahoma in the SEC or Oregon of all teams in the rugged and rough Big 10. But even when change is annoying doesn’t mean it has to be bad. Let’s have fun watching how it all plays out.
An increase in parity
There used to be a time when you could tell what you were gonna get from a team simply by hearing its name.
I remember a time when, if a FCS school — any FCS school — was playing a team from one of the “big boy” conferences, it wouldn’t just be an automatic win for the larger school, but it would be a blowout.
But time and time again, we’re seeing more “upsets” occur from year to year. Some of you remember when Appalachian State showed up to the Big House and pulled off the Big Shocker of knocking off Big, Bad Michigan. Well, you also can probably now testify that such games aren’t as shocking now as they were 17 years ago, because they happen much more frequently.
The “smaller” teams have more talent because more high-level players would rather spurn the “big school” experience to get more playing time from Day 1 at smaller schools. That creates more parity.
But also, Name, Image and Likeness brings it too. It levels the playing field between the former “haves” and “have nots” in the major college football recruiting world. Whereas, before NIL, you had to have a ton of big school prestige to get those 4-and-5-star recruits, now NIL packages can help those smaller, less prestigious programs compete for top-notch talent.
Again, more parity.
Some college football traditionalists frown at it. They want to be able to still pick a big blowout game based on the name of the school.
They want to continue to believe that “Directional Michigan” should never have a shot at pulling out a win in Ann Arbor.
But this new way isn’t bad. It still gives us plenty to talk about. It’s just that conversation has changed.
I believe one day soon, the bowl game system that we currently know now will be a thing of the past. I think it’s already trending that way with the best players opting out in order to not risk injury for the NFL, or simply out of just pure lack of interest.
I don’t know what will replace it. But we’re quickly coming to a place where college football may soon be a tale of two leagues. Again, is it different? Is it kind of strange? Yes. But it won’t be any less exciting or conversation-inducing.
It’s just the way things are.
Regardless of what’s catching your attention this season, ain’t it good to just be back in this season again?
Happy College Football Season! Let’s enjoy it while it lasts, because we all know one thing about it hasn’t changed — and that’s the fact that the season always goes much faster than we all want it to go.
