As I am in the midst of convalescence from a medical speed bump, I am forced to enjoy these first few weeks of college football from the confines of the DFT West Coast HQ. I will have to live vicariously until mid-September through those who are actually at tailgates and games. And so, this was the scene from my recliner:
The unofficial start of college football commenced on Thursday night with 23 FCS games, most of which were carried on the ESPN+ app. I was in heaven, bouncing from game to game. The FCS level provides a little more purity to the game, as there is less of the NIL-fueled team-hopping temptation that has taken over the FBS level of college football.
The game of the night on Thursday, in my humble opinion, was the upset by the University of West Florida Argonauts over the Southern Illinois University Salukis in Pensacola, Florida. West Florida had just moved up from Division II to the FCS level and knocked off a team that nearly made the FCS playoffs last year. The final score was 34-31.
On Friday night, the FCS action continued, and there were two excellent games. In one, Cal Poly beat the University of Idaho for the first time after dedicating its new John Madden Center sports facility. The Mustangs won on a 4th down, 35 yard touchdown strike with 4 seconds left on the clock.
The other game featured one of the worst collapses I had seen in a long time. Villanova held a 10-point lead over William & Mary with less than a minute to go. Somehow, William & Mary came back to actually win the game in regulation. A field goal, an onside kick resulting in 7, and another field goal after a turnover put them on top of the scoreboard at the end, 35-32.
Saturday was a feast for the eyes, as there were eight FBS games starting at 9:00 a.m. Pacific with the annual Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland.
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| Tailgate Connect partner was throwing in my Fatherland! |
The Fighting Belichicks of the University of North Carolina knocked off the Horny Toads of TCU, 15-10. Most people tuned in in hopes of getting a glimpse of Belichick's granddaughter-aged girlfriend.
In one of the more meaningful games of the day, the University of Virginia matched up with NC State in a game that was originally supposed to take place in Rio de Janeiro. However, after the schools declined to deliver bags of unmarked dollar bills to the kings of the favela of Rio, that venue was scrapped, and the game ended up being played in Charlottesville. UVA picked up right where they left off last year with an impressive 34-8 victory over North Carolina State.
In one of the best Group of Five matchups of the year, Memphis came away with a 31-27 win over UNLV in Las Vegas.
In somewhat of an embarrassing showing, USC played San Jose State at the Los Angeles Coliseum in front of what looked to be 15,000 to 20,000 people at best. Allegedly, tickets were going for as low as $8 prior to the game. This is not what we expect from one of the premier programs in the nation. They ended up winning the game, but didn't come close to covering the spread.
I also had my first beer in a month!
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| My Son in law is a horrible influence |
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| Tailgate Connect in Fargo yesterday at NDSU! |
Bieber Award: College Football Has Officially Lost Its Mind
DFT Nation, I think we may have officially jumped the shark.
We now have players who have finished their college careers, signed NFL contracts, gone through NFL camps and, in some cases, gotten cut, trying to come back and play college football. And while the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC have all agreed to block these former pros, the courts keep stepping in with injunctions that essentially tell the conferences, "Not so fast."
These guys can potentially walk back into college locker rooms and take roster spots, playing time and NIL money from kids who stayed, worked their asses off and earned those opportunities.
And then there's Lane Kiffin, who has been more than happy to exploit the loophole and recruit former NFL players for LSU while the rest of college football is trying to shut this circus down. But then again, character issues and Lane Kiffin have been synonymous throughout his coaching career.
At some point, we have to admit this isn't college football anymore. It's a revolving door between college and the NFL, and the courts are making a bad situation even worse.
For polluting what used to be the sanctity of college football, this mess earns the DFT Bieber Award.
Ginger Award: Never Too Old to Play the Game
This week's DFT Ginger Award goes to 47-year-old Justin Buzzard, who decided that apparently having a wife, three kids, a full-time job and a few decades between him and his last college football game wasn't enough to keep him off the field.
Buzzard, a pastor from Silicon Valley, walked on at San José City College and earned himself a spot on the Jaguars' roster as a defensive end. While most of his teammates are young enough to be his kids, Buzzard has been showing up every day, putting in the work and proving that he's not just there to collect a jersey.
While college football seems determined to find new ways to become ridiculous, here's a guy who isn't chasing NIL money, a transfer or a shot at the NFL. He's simply chasing something he thought he'd lost decades ago.
At 47, he's taking the hits, battling through the aches and proving that sometimes you just need to say, "Screw it, I'm going to give it a shot."
For having the guts to chase a childhood dream when most people his age are worried about their golf handicap, Justin Buzzard gets this week's DFT Ginger Award.
As an aside, I am hopeful I will get to see him play in two weeks when SJCC plays at Sierra College near my West Coast HQ.
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| The old "Buzzard" |
Next Up
More recliner time next weekend. :). Don't forget to check out https://tailgateconnect.com/ for your tailgating needs.
Happy Tailgating!
