Got the pleasure of watching Air Force stomp the hell out of University of Northern Iowa. Expected a close game beforehand, but Air Force won 48-17. And the last 14 points for UNI were garbage time. It’s been a long time since I saw a college game in person, and the AFA does it right.
On an alma mater note, Iowa State picked on Southeast Missouri State. Next week is the greatest heartbreak game of the year, Iowa. At Iowa. Here’s hoping it’s not the usual bloodbath.
Speaking of Iowa, the Hawkeyes beat South Dakota State today, 7-3. Wow, you’re thinking, that’s a low-scoring defensive battle, with a touchdown beating a field goal.
No, actually, it was a field goal and two safeties beating a field goal, which is about as defensive as it gets. SDSU is an FCS team–granted, a good FCS team (Final Four the last two years). But still, this doesn’t seem entirely encouraging sign for Iowa.
Some headline writer has a great sense of humor:
(ETA: click on the image to see the whole picture)
Sortof a rant, but not worthy of the Pit.
I’m at Tyson’s-1 yesterday while my wife is shopping. Figured I’d hang out at TGI Fridays, which has like 20 TVs on. Score! First real day of college football, and I’m looking for Georgia/Oregon. And looking, and looking…
All the TVs, with the exception of a couple with some third tier game on were showing either soccer or track and field. Even the big honkin’ huge TVs right over the bar. Track and field! On a Saturday afternoon!
Ok; I’ll ask the bartender. She said she’d “see what she could do.” I got the impression she saw me as some weird guy asking for some esoteric show no one had ever heard about. “Georgia something on TV? Whatever.” But she came through, and the game was on and I ordered wings and gave her a nice tip.
30 minutes later, my wife through at Tysons-1, we now hop over to Tysons-2. I visited the bar at Bowlero while my wife shopped the Galleria. I figured I’d have a couple of drinks and watch college football. I mean, there’s a full bar and the place has like 50 TV screens. And yesterday being the first real day of the college football season with all sorts of ranked teams playing, I’d be in football heaven, right?
NOT.
All but 1 or 2 of the TVs were on the NFL Network. Which, being a Saturday before the NFL season actually starts, was only playing a replay of one of last season’s games. Ok, no worries, I’ll just ask the bartender to switch one of the TVs to the Georgia/Oregon game.
She asked me what channel it was on. I told her “ABC.” She looked at me like I had grown a third eye in the middle of my forehead. “ABC? What’s that?”
Ok, it’s only a channel that’s been available for like 80 years. I tried to explain it was the local ABC network channel. It’s free. Everyone gets that channel. Channel 7, but it might be different on whatever system they were using.
She looked confused but said she’d try. She disappears for 10 minutes with nothing happening. I figured I’d ask the other bartender about what’s up with no college football on 50 TV screens of a sports bar? He looked up at the TVs all showing that stupid year-old NFL replay, and said, “there’s football on right there–what’s wrong with watching that football?”
Are you serious?
I tried to explain the concept of college football and the start of the season, and ranked teams, and he had no idea what I was talking about. By then the lady bartender came back and said “I don’t think we get that channel, and anyway we can’t control the TVs.”
What the everlasting hell?
I left. No drink ordered.
I’ve had SO MANY similar experience around here on Saturday afternoons. I get the feeling that there’s like 10 people in NOVA that even know the existence of college football.
USC had three yesterday!
I am an FSU alum, still in shock. We won!!!
Well, we didn’t lose. Lots of good things out of that game and lots of things that cause me concern.
Good things, Jordan Travis is amazing. We finally have a QB again. Running game was solid and effectively used. The transfers were solid contributors and have definitely made this team stronger. Offensive line overall is a serious upgrade over the last few years.
Bad things, still too many sloppy penalties. Defensive depth is a serious issue. And no defensive turnovers - we need that aggression back. Norvell’s game management is going to give me a heart attack - the missed opportunity at the end of the first half, the “going conservative” in the penultimate possession (the 3 and out), and then the jet sweep at the goal line (another missed chance to get 3 solid points on the board). We had two different gimmes to make it a 2 score game and blew both of them.
We ended up winning because LSU dropped 2 punts that we recovered AND a heroic effort to block the PAT. If this thing had gone OT, I think we would have lost. We had a chance for a statement win and settled for a miraculous squeaker.
We are waaaaay better than the last 5 or so years. If we can stop losing the easy ones, a winning record and a bowl game are the minimum we should expect. But we are a year or more away from being ready to compete at the elite level again - let alone go after a title. We ain’t “back”, but we are headed in the right direction.
All that said, it’s a W and they all look good in the team record. FSU 2-0 for the first time since 2016. Had to look it up - turns out that’s also the last time we started 1-0!
Biggest news in the first AP Top 25 poll of the regular season: Florida debuts at No. 12 after defeating No. 7 Utah at home (which fell to 13th).
Notre Dame fell out of the top 5, moving from 5th to 8th after their loss to Ohio State.
Oregon and Cincinnati dropped out of the poll, snapping a run of 45 consecutive poll appearances for the Bearcats.
The SEC has eight ranked teams, almost a full third of the entire field.
Sad Longhorns fan; really thought we had a chance to pull off an Appalachian State there.
That missed sack was a HUGE play.
And they got spanked by Marshall today. That should take care of their Top 25 aspirations.
Well, It’s ND, so they’ll probably get bumped up 7th. 
That Marshall win was pretty!
I watched the first quarter, then did something else. I came back to the game while they were reviewing and making excuses, but they never showed it again! I completely missed it. Weird. Normally they run the shit out of plays like that.
I was really hoping Bama would fail.
And the Irish go down at the hands of the Thundering Herd.
Tough 0-2 start for the new coaching regime at Dame.
Iowa State is currently leading Iowa 10-7 in Iowa City, with 7 minutes to go. I’m ready to be let down again, but LET’S FREAKIN’ GOOOOOOOO!
I literally yelled at my TV.
Coming up with only one touchdown out of five trips to Alabama’s red zone didn’t help either.
Appalachian State just pulled off an Appalachian State by knocking off ranked #6 Texas A&M
ND being 0-2 shows how silly it is to have preseason rankings. Those are based on nothing more than reputation and the previous season record. I say don’t have any rankings until there are at least 3 games in the books.
My favorite team, Michigan State, had a good effort though Akron moved the ball pretty well early. My second favorite team, whoever is playing Alabama, wasn’t so lucky.
ND’s coach the first in school history to lose his first 3 games (going back to the Bowl last year).
Ouch!
USC, 6th INT for the season (3 were pick-six!) in 5 quarters played! 