OT: College Football

by Matt Gardner on Aug 30, 2011 8:01 AM EDT in Ramble On

I know that many of you that frequent this site are diehard college football fans, so I thought it would be appropriate to put up a post where you could all discuss your predictions for the upcoming season.

For the record, I'm an unreformed fan of the Washington State Cougars. Born and raised in the state of Washington (but educated at a small school far away from the Pacific Northwest), I've never broken my allegiance to the Crimson and the Gray. And that takes a lot of doing when you win only five games in three years. (Especially after winning 10-games in 2001, 2002, and 2003, while going to the Rose Bowl and beating Texas in the Holiday Bowl...all while being a season ticket holder). Annnnnyway, while I spend the fall pulling for my beloved Cougs to finally right the sinking ship, who will you be following and what are you hoping for this year?

So, for Keith Jackson, Edward R. Murow, Drew Bledsoe, Jack Thompson, Gary Larson (The Far Side), Paul Allen, Jason Gesser, Rueben Mayes, Bobo Brayton, Ron Cey, John Olerud, Mel Hein, Craig Ehlo (so sorry you couldn't stop Jordan), George Raveling, Mark Rypien... and even Ryan Leaf (we still love you for 1997), here is the "Washington State University Fight Song", along with "All Hail Washington State"

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I Attended My First West Virginia Mountaineer Game....

in 1980 at the age of 10. I have been a die-hard fan ever since. I am an author for the SBNation Blog, Smoking Musket, which is dedicated Mountaineer Sports.

Also, I really love college football. Short of the major race days, I love spending Saturdays watching all the games with my kids. Further, I have a gambling habit (as you know) and I run a free pick ’em site for the last 10 years or so called pennywisepicks.com. It started as an experiment to track how my wife and I did wagering and just expanded from there.

I have always liked Washington State, dating from the Mike Price years. I would love to see that program get turned around.

Now is the time boys to make a big noise.
No matter what the people say,
For there is naught to fear, the gang's all here,
So hail West Virginia, hail.

by JP Fanshawe on Aug 30, 2011 8:22 AM EDT reply actions

I literally have no reason to leave my house for the next three months...

College football + horse racing = a very unproductive me.

"A bad day at the track is better than a good day at the office."

And Down The Stretch They Come | @PressThePace

by Matt Gardner on Aug 30, 2011 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions

And Just Because, Here's Our Fight Song....

Now is the time boys to make a big noise.
No matter what the people say,
For there is naught to fear, the gang's all here,
So hail West Virginia, hail.

by JP Fanshawe on Aug 30, 2011 8:26 AM EDT reply actions

Uh, That Didn't Work....

Listen to it here.

Now is the time boys to make a big noise.
No matter what the people say,
For there is naught to fear, the gang's all here,
So hail West Virginia, hail.

by JP Fanshawe on Aug 30, 2011 8:30 AM EDT up reply actions

How is West Virginia looking this year?

Seems like the Big East will be wide open.

"A bad day at the track is better than a good day at the office."

And Down The Stretch They Come | @PressThePace

by Matt Gardner on Aug 30, 2011 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions

I Think WVU

will win the Big East. Of course, I am biased, but if Holgorsen’s offense is as-advertised, and our defense is even remotely as good as it has been the last six years, things are looking rosy for the Old Gold and Blue.

Now is the time boys to make a big noise.
No matter what the people say,
For there is naught to fear, the gang's all here,
So hail West Virginia, hail.

by JP Fanshawe on Aug 30, 2011 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions

Nothing tops the 1-AA Playoffs

Having sat through more than my fair share of 1-AA (I refuse to call is FCS) playoff games, I can honestly say that knowing what’s at stake makes the playoff games far more compelling than anything outside of conference championship and BCS bowl games. Yeah, yeah. I know, the athletes aren’t as good. But I love knowing that these kids are real students, but when you’re still watching guys like Brian Westrbrook, Darren Sharper, etc, there is still plenty of talent out there.

And I can’t list William and Mary’s famous alumni, you can just read the signatures on the Declaration of Independence if you want to find out the who’s who.

No one ever believes me how good 1-AA is, but oh well.

by TFTribe on Aug 30, 2011 9:17 AM EDT reply actions

I love the lower divisions of college football...

Mainly due to the playoffs.

I went to a D3 school so I know what you mean about the student athletes. Most are playing just because they love to play, and you can see some really great football at all levels.

"A bad day at the track is better than a good day at the office."

And Down The Stretch They Come | @PressThePace

by Matt Gardner on Aug 30, 2011 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions

My Family Have Had Residence In Billyburg

since 1991! We adopted the Tribe years ago….there is nothing like an autumn day at Zable, with drinks at the Greenleafe before, and after!

We usually get to at least one game a year, two if they get a playoff game. We should hook up sometime.

Now is the time boys to make a big noise.
No matter what the people say,
For there is naught to fear, the gang's all here,
So hail West Virginia, hail.

by JP Fanshawe on Aug 30, 2011 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions

Man. I’d love to except I live and work in the Midwest and South now. We always used to tailgate in the Dawson Courtyard before, at halftime, and after games. I sure do miss those games. Me and my friends were the reason they started searching everyone since we would sneak in at least a case of beer. The Corona Bottle Incident was what put us over the top. But that’s a long story.

I still remember being at the 2004 Semi-Final game where JMU ran roughshod over the Tribe in the first night game at Zable. But that feeling was offset by beating Delaware in the Quarterfinal game when the last second flag route was batted down by the Tribe D! Running onto the field and running over a campus cop on my way there is one of the best memories I have of Tribe Football.

Godbless Jimmye Laycock.

by TFTribe on Aug 30, 2011 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions

My Brother and I Were At That Game...

We bought tickets from a kid in the parking lot and it turned out they were in the heart of the JMU student section!

I take my two sons each summer to the Tribe baseball camp, which they love. I love Williamsburg, especially that time of year. Sorry to hear you aren’t in the area anymore.

Now is the time boys to make a big noise.
No matter what the people say,
For there is naught to fear, the gang's all here,
So hail West Virginia, hail.

by JP Fanshawe on Aug 30, 2011 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions

I love the lower divisions of college football too...

Wait, Tulane is actually considered part of the upper division?
Anyway, I remember 1998 as if it were yesterday. Shaun King running roughshod over opposing defenses, Tulane’s defense forcing turnovers instead of looking like they were playing with two men down. Good times, good times. It has been a long time between bowl games. At least they brought the sky blue back to go along with the dark green.

by hammer1649 on Aug 30, 2011 2:00 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah, Ive dealt with similar things with Wazzu the last few years....

We always have hope that one of these years it will get better, don’t we? I’d take a trip to any bowl game this year.

"A bad day at the track is better than a good day at the office."

And Down The Stretch They Come | @PressThePace

by Matt Gardner on Aug 30, 2011 8:57 PM EDT up reply actions

North Texas baby

Graduated from there…my brother did too…as did my parents. Guess you can say I’m a legacy. We have been mostly bad for 30-35 years, with the occasional good run (four bowl games in a row ‘01-04). I listen to just about all of our games via the net – until they get out of hand and we’re down by 20+ anyway. Heheh

Personally, I’m more of a college basketball guy, but i still love the gridiron. I enjoy following all the “big” schools too. Sort of adopted UCLA since moving to LA after college.

by LAEagle on Aug 30, 2011 11:14 PM EDT reply actions

I love the Mean Green nickname...

If your nickname is going to be a color, at least make it a tough sounding color. Stanford Cardinal… Harvard Crimson… to plain. North Texas Mean Green, now you’re talking.

"A bad day at the track is better than a good day at the office."

And Down The Stretch They Come | @PressThePace

by Matt Gardner on Aug 31, 2011 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Kind of a dual personality

Since we’re both Mean Green and Eagles. We’ve been kinda known as both for almost 40 years, but lately have really tried to push the Mean Green nickname over our Eagle mascot.

The Mean Green name came from our dominating defense back in the 60’s when Joe Greene walked our sidelines. The urban legend is we took our nickname from him, but this is a falsehood we’ve been trying to dispell for years.

by LAEagle on Aug 31, 2011 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions