Dooley’s Back Nine: Need To Pace Yourself This College Football Season
The Back Nine comes at you after a full football weekend that is only going to get fatter this week.
10. I don’t know if it’s just me, but when I woke up this morning the air smelled sweeter, the heat less oppressive and the birds were singing a happy tune. Or maybe that was just the hawk who was eating a squirrel he killed and ate in our backyard Saturday. Nature is so cool. Well, it’s in our nature to be excited this week, because there is an actual game Saturday and a whole lot of football on the tube this weekend. Maybe it was the long hot summer or maybe it was all the preseason hype, but I can’t remember being this excited for a season to start. Of course, the thing that makes your stomach growl is the nervousness that a new season brings. Eat some wings and get ready.
11. It is pretty impressive to sell out a game against Long Island University, but more than anything Gator fans just want to get together again, tailgate, cheer like maniacs, celebrate Billy Donovan and try to drink responsibly. There are only six of these home games this year, but you still need to pace yourselves.
12. The first Saturday of college football was a good one. Not a great one. The second half of Iowa State-Kansas State was good even though rain washed away the yard lines on the field. Seriously? I was disappointed in Stanford, but will stay away from it from now on. I did have four TVs (one was my laptop) fired up for most of the day.
13. And I was able to find Dan Mullen’s UNLV debut on the Mountain West Network and I don’t even get that. It’s going to be exciting for the former Florida coach because he has no defense but he knows how to score. Idaho State gave up 77 to Eastern Washington last year so a 38-31 win against that team doesn’t impress me.
14. One comment on the SEC going to nine games. As soon as the College Playoff Committee announced that strength of schedule will be a major factor in the next selection, the league acted so quickly commissioner Greg Sankey might have windburn. Now, let’s go ahead with the 16-team playoff next year with the 5-11 model, which is the fairest.
15. It was hardly a great start for Dr. Football. A 1-2 Week Zero? You’re not going to make the playoffs or any money doing that. We will try to do better, but I am not picking the Florida game, because there is no spread and it feels like a layup. I may need some of those eventually:
- Auburn is a 2-point favorite at Baylor and all of the spreads are brought to you by MyBookie.ag, the official betting site of Another Dooley Noted Podcast. Nice plug, eh? Man, part of me thinks Auburn could be a sleeper in the SEC and part of me thinks it may sleep through another season’s worth of fourth quarters. This is a Friday night game and I am taking the Wackos from Waco.
- The big game is, of course, Texas at Ohio State as the ‘Horndogs become the first preseason No. 1 to be an underdog in their opener. The Bucknuts are favored by two, but I think this is the beginning of Arch Manning’s Heisman Trophy campaign. Texas wins outright.
- FSU plays host to Alabama and is a 13.5-point underdog in its newly refurbished stadium. FSU covers the 13.5 the way it covered the upper deck seating last season.
- LSU is a 4-point underdog at Clemson in the battle of the Tigers and Death Valleys. I think Clemson has a real shot at winning it all this year. Give me the orange team to cover.
- Notre Dame is at Miami in another top-10 matchup and the Irish are favored by 2.5 on the road. I think people are confusing this Irish team with last year’s finalists. I’ll take the Ibis-lovers to win.
16. Who wasn’t cheering for Tommy Fleetwood on Sunday. Well, maybe the U.S. Ryder Cup team, because nobody is playing better than the dude right now and that includes Scottie Scheffler. It does crack me up when I hear people say “he really needed that” because, while I know he did mentally, he was handed $10 million for the win. Now, that’s what I really need.
17. Really proud of the Florida volleyball team for winning Sunday against No. 3 Pitt in an intense early-season match. Best player transfers, coach retires, no sweat for the Gators.
18. The first playlist of football season is usually brought to you with a football theme, but I’m in a mood for some older songs that I wasn’t really aware of in some cases. Anyway, here you go:
- “She Talks in Stereo” by Gary Myrick and The Figures.
- “All in My Mind” by Love and Rockets.
- And for an even older one, “Madman Across the Water” by Elton John.
WRUF.com sports columnist Pat Dooley can be heard on “The Tailgate” along with Jeff Cardozo from 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday on 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF.
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News
