Tag: #Saturday

THANK GOODNESS for the return of college football!! Glad to be able to lay down on a couch and not be accused of something weird. Also, turning on the TV to see a REAL coach on the screen ( see, even ZT needed some CFB to clear out the unwanted political deluge from his head ). ZT notes the Cash Box #1 song this week in 1984 was “What’s love got to do with it” by Tina Turner. Spot on because we still LOVE college football regardless of the changes…. and we have more this season.

2024 will start the first 12-team playoff and interesting to think a 3rd place finisher in a realigned major conference could be in the sweet spot for the playoffs with a little extra rest while watching #1 & #2 play for a conference championship. 29 new head coaches in 2024 including Alabama, Texas A & M, Washington, UCLA, Mississippi State, Michigan, Oregon State and the REAL Trojans of Troy to name a few. How about Nick Saban on ESPN College Gameday as an employee, not a guest….. 2024 will be one to remember!!

Got some rule changes for 2024. First, the 2 minute warning. Is the purpose really to let coaches know there are only 2 minutes before it’s halftime or the game is ending? Nope. With the NIL and $$$ paid to buy TV/Streaming rights, the real purpose is to let the networks know they have less than 2 minutes to turn a profit on the game currently being broadcast. Nothing more, nothing less. Wonder if that My Pillow guy will show up with some deals on sheets or slippers? Second, the helmet communications will be shut off with either 15 seconds left on the play clock or when the ball is snapped. QB’s had noted it was causing PTSD when the coach (seeing a full blitz from the backside coming) and yelling “He’s dead!, get the back up throwing now!” into their ear, so good move. Also, note 1 player from each side with the live earpiece has to wear a green sticker on that helmet. ZT noted the last time he saw a sticker on a helmet it was an “X” and that meant you weighed too much to run the ball. ( Thanks for that note from your 6th grade football days ZT ).

Enough of the background, time for some prognostications as ZT has to go back and study for his first of 3 fantasy football drafts....

#10 FSU Seminoles vs. Georgia Tech Yellowjackets – Noon – Aer Lingus Stadium Dublin, Ireland

Since we are feeling the music, one of ZT’s favorites is “Apache” by the Sugarhill Gang. Appropriate for this this one as expecting the Seminoles to “Jump on it” and scalp the Yellowjackets in Ireland. FSU HC Mike Norvell will have Clemson transfer D.J.Uiagalelei ( to be know as “DJ U” the rest of 2024! ) leading the charge and word is the WR’s have been SOLID in August practice. Note Punter Alex Mastromanno is a preseason All-American…hopefully not to be used too much this week. Out of the gate, FSU should be an ACC contender…time will tell. The Yellowjackets will NOT likely be in the hunt for the ACC title but their first goal is to have back-to-back winning seasons after the 2023 7-6 campaign and a win in the Gasparilla Bowl over UCF. GT QB Haynes “underwear” King can get this team in the End Zone ( 37 passing TDs last season) but the Tech Defense usually reciprocated with the 128th ranked run defense last season. 2nd Year GT HC Brent Key says King “hands down is the best QB to ever play here.” Pretty strong noting Joe Hamilton (1996-99) was a Davey O’Brien winner and Heisman runner up. Maybe since Key was only 18 at the time, he didn’t remember Hamilton. Unfortunately, even if Joe Hamilton was playing, it wouldn’t matter. Seminoles 34 Georgia Wreck 17

SMU Mustangs vs. Nevada Wolfpack – 8pm Reno NV

Mustangs vs. Wolfpack….oh, THAT wolf pack…Nevermind!….They were 2-10 in 2023 and should be at least that good this season. No need to name any players..IT JUST DOESN’T MATTER….their NIL is primarily from gamblers anonymous with the slogan “Here’s some money, just get help and get to the transfer portal.” Will be fun to see if Texas transfer Saivon “code” Red can boost 1st year HC Jeff Choate team. SMU was solid in 2023 at 11-3 and they have QB Preston “Kidney” Stone back at 100% after a leg injury late last season. SMU needs to ramp it up as they move from the AAC to the ACC. It will be a good warm up. Mustangs 41 Wolves of Reno 17

ZT Out…….working on a pork rind sponsorship if he can negotiate out of having to wear a pig suit on Fridays in front of a local Piggly Wiggly store….Economy is tight so may have to be oinking for dollars….

Piedmont Padre is in and channeling some Eminem in a music-centered week Zero!!

”Guess who’s back, back again? Angry Gator’s back, tell a friend! Guess who’s back. Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? (Nanana, I wish it were 1996….Nanana or 2008…Nanana ). I’ve created a monster ‘cause nobody wants to see the Pastor no more. They want anger, I’m chopped gator. Well if you want anger, this is what I’ll give ya. A bit of cynicism mixed with some losing seasons. Some wins would jump-start my heart quicker than a shock. When I get shocked at SEC Nation by Finebaum….When I’m not whining about bad recruiting….When I’m throwing the controller ‘cause my team keeps losing…..”. Courtesy of Piedmont Padre the Rapper

YES, it is back. College Football is back!! Well, sort of. It’s Week Zero. Which makes “ZERO” logical sense. Zero isn’t a real thing. It’s Zero. Which means nothing. It doesn’t exist. Coaches sometimes justify terrible first seasons by saying something like “That wasn’t really year one, that was year zero.” I would love to get paid $7 million a year to have a year that evidently didn’t happen. And yet, here we are. Nothing fits the craziness of 2024 better than beginning a season on ZERO. Our world may blow up, so why not? So, let’s begin Week Nothing…

…….and there really isn’t much here…Hmmmm. Almost nothing.

In that spirit, I now much of nothing of the following teams, so I will just randomly pick off my gut ( no scores):

Montana State > New Mexico, SMU > Nevada, Hawaii > Delaware State

Now, back to the real zero/nothing……

Florida State University/Clown School ( not a jab, but a real thing…ok, and a jab too).

FSU vs Georgia Tech

On the Emerald Isle, two teams from the coastal conference on the Atlantic Ocean ( that now has teams based on the Pacific Ocean), will battle each other on the other side of the ocean—because, well, hmmmm….let’s just say because it’s Week Zero and 2024. So of course we play in Ireland!! And yes, I know this isn’t a brand new thing for Week Zero. Remember, I am angry!

Anyway, the winner of this new European Divisional Matchup of the ACC gets a trophy in the shape of a giant beer mug that is filled with Lucky Charms (okay, I made that up, but you have to admit that would be a pretty cool trophy). According to FSU’s 2023 ACC Championship rings, they were 13-0 – yeah (and I am actually one of those persons who believe FSU was wronged….although I wasn’t unhappy about the wronging). Well, while I doubt FSU is what they were last year, I do think they are still FSU and Georgia Tech is still “The Varsity Tech.” FSU 33 Georgia Tech 16

That’s all I got this week. Trust me, I’ll have more next week! See you next time for another edition of “The Gator Football Misery Index.”