What a glorious weekend it will be
Published 5:58 pm Friday, September 2, 2016
For college football fans, an opening weekend doesn’t get much better than this one.
We are getting a lineup of topnotch games with matchups that seem to be dreamed up by a 13-year-old playing a NCAA video game.
Things got off to an interesting night Thursday night when Tennessee beat App State 20-13 in overtime, but just barely. I keep watching the replay of Mountaineer outside linebacker Kennan Gilchrist stuffing Vols quarterback Joshua Dobbs at the goal line with one of the prettiest tackles I have ever seen.
Saturday morning gets an early start with Boston College playing Georgia Tech… In Dublin, Ireland, at 7:30 a.m. No one will judge you for popping open a cold one this early. It’s the Irish way to have a brew with breakfast.
We get to have a good look at Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines at noon when they take on Hawaii in Ann Arbor. I’ll be flipping back and forth from this game to Oklahoma versus Houston, a game that also kicks off at noon. I’m eager to see what Houston brings to the table this season after their very convincing 38-24 over Florida State in the Peach Bowl.
At 3:30 p.m. we get LSU against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. What a beautiful idea. I fully expect LSU to obliterate the Badgers with a healthy dose of Leonard Fournette, but it will be a fun game in a legendary location.
It won’t matter how close or intense that game is, though, because when 5:30 p.m. rolls around, I’ll be watching my Georgia Bulldogs face off against North Carolina in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome. The Dawgs will be starting quarterback Greyson Lambert, but I have a feeling we will be seeing freshman Jacob Eason jumping in there for a few series. There is no question he is the most talented quarterback on the Georgia roster, and I hope by the end of the season, he’ll be the clear-cut No. 1 quarterback in the SEC.
The night wraps up with the USC Trojans meeting top-ranked Alabama at Arlington, Texas, and Clemson traveling to Auburn for a Tiger v. Tiger matchup. I hope Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson passes for a thousand yards and rushes for another thousand.
Sunday isn’t for the NFL this weekend, it’s for Notre Dame clashing against Texas. If Charlie Strong can coach his team to a win here, I think that will go a long way for the Longhorns this season.
And on Monday comes one of my favorite matchups in a long time: Ole Miss vs. Florida State. There are high expectations for both teams this season, and lots of talent that will be a blast to watch. I have a feeling the Noles will take this one, but seeing the Rebels win it would be even more exciting.
Like I said, an opening weekend of college football doesn’t get much better than this.