College Football 2013: The Season Begins, Let the Tears Begin to Fall!

[WrathOfTinyKittens]

It's now being reported that Trevor Knight has the starting spot... http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/08/20/report-trevor-knight-not-blake-bell-to-be-sooners-starting-qb/

[sperry]

It's now being reported that Trevor Knight has the starting spot... http://collegefootba...rs-starting-qb/

Yeah I posted about this last tnight, but it turned out this morning, that as usual, the local media is clueless. No starter has been named yet. Trevor Knight played with the 1st team yesterday at practice. Blake Bell is playing with the first team at practice today. Probably won't find out until Monday of next week who actually go the job.

[S John]

In honor of college football only being a week away:

I came across this video the other day (I was at this game and I remembered this and laughed again). Pitt has a super lame 'tradition' of playing Sweet Caroline at home games. WVU fans mock appropriately.

I've probably mentioned this before but the backyard brawl in Pittsburgh was a GREAT time because WVU brought as many fans as Pitt did. So you're really integrated in the stands and the trash talk is just unbelievable. It's a blast. Pitt has a microscopic fan base so they never travelled well to WVU so if you see it there its much like any other WVU home game, but in Pittsburgh was a very up-close kinda rivalry. I still hope Pitt loses every game they play.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

Less than a week away from Rebels/Dores in Nashvegas!! Getting psyched! :commie:

[S John]

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/college-national/a-coaching-salary-analysis-do-schools-get-what-they-pay-for-700657/

Pretty interesting article on NCAA coaching salaries from the Pittsburgh newspaper.

[Rhom]

Brett Bielima's wife gets pumped up for the season.

[Ded As Ned]

Brett Bielima's wife gets pumped up for the season.

That there made my day

[Ken Stone]

Damn, Brett married out of his league.

[Rhom]

Damn, Brett married out of his league.

Sure did.

[Ramsay B.]

Georgia at Clemson saturday. It's tough to win there but hopefully the Bulldogs pull it off. What a game to kick things off.

[S John]

Clemson might be the most consistently overrated program in college football. Just as a broken clock is right twice a day, I'm sure that one year the voters will be right and Clemson will actually have a great team. But I fully expect them to fold like an accordion any time they play a decent team outside of the ACC.

[Ramsay B.]

Clemson might be the most consistently overrated program in college football. Just as a broken clock is right twice a day, I'm sure that one year the voters will be right and Clemson will actually have a great team. But I fully expect them to fold like an accordion any time they play a decent team outside of the ACC.

While that may be true, my team(FSU) can't win in Clemson so I hate them. FSU has been overrated a lot in the past few years so I can't really talk shit in that department.

[Ded As Ned]

4 more days!!! (or 2 I guess if you're playing on Thursday).

[WrathOfTinyKittens]

Trisk - True of a lot of teams this year. In the Big 12 OSU, TTU, TCU, and until only a few days ago KState hadn't name starting quarterbacks. Even OU's QB battle lasted until last week officially.

At OSU, KSU, and TCU two quarterbacks are expected to play. At Tech the presumptive starter got a back injury in fall camp and now a pair of true freshmen, one of them a walk-on, are competing for the starting spot.

[S John]

WVU is also playing 2 QBs in game 1.

[WrathOfTinyKittens]

Hadn't heard about WVU... Do you think they're making the right call?

[Gold Storm]

Brett Bielima's wife gets pumped up for the season.

I wonder what she wore for Wisconsin's games?

[Ded As Ned]

Hadn't heard about WVU... Do you think they're making the right call?

Would depend on if they are wanting to see both in-game to see who performs better, or if this is the long-term plan. Since their first game is against William & Mary, I don't really see any problems with doing an in-game evaluation type thing.

If it's the long term plan I generally think two-QB systems don't work out very well. (Hint, hint, Mr. Stoops. Although Max Smith will probably destroy his shoulder first time he is tackled and solve the problem for you)

[S John]

Hadn't heard about WVU... Do you think they're making the right call?

I think its just for the first game - and for the record I would be unhappy with a 2 QB system. I've never liked that set up. WVU has 3 QB's. Redshirt freshman Ford Childress, junior Paul Millard (seen limited action as Geno's backup), and junior Clint Trickett (transfer from FSU, saw playing time there behind EJ Manuel). All three guys bring more or less the same skillset, so its not like there is a mobile guy and a true pocket passer who you might switch out based on the situation. Its definitely my understanding that WVU intends to have a clear #1 QB, but since the first game is against William & Mary I think Dana feels comfortable splitting the reps between two or three of the guys before making a final decision for the OU game.

Since Childress has 4 years of eligibility and didn't stand out as significantly better than either of the other two, he will most likely sit at #2 or #3 on the depth chart. By all accounts he is pretty good and has all the measureables but both of the other guys have game experience. I'd bet by the time Childress' number comes up, he'll be a good QB, but for now the battle is really between Trickett and Millard.

A lot of WVU fans seem to want it to be Trickett because Millard never looked all that impressive in a back-up role. So obviously there are a bunch of chicken little's running around over on the WVU board who are worried that since Trickett hasn't yet clearly beaten out Millard that we don't really have a QB. But I don't think that is really fair to Millard who really only played in mop-up duty throwing to 2nd and 3rd string receivers behind a 2nd string line as an underclassmen. Its actually not very fair to Trickett either because he is new and learning the O, whereas Millard does know the system. So maybe Trickett is a better QB, but Millard simply understands his job better at this point and the first game will help sort it all out.

I personally don't care who wins as long as there is a clear starter by week 2. Holgorsen runs a system and the QB's job is just to distribute the ball to the skill players and make a few big throws.

WVU is also very deep at RB this year thanks to a couple of transfers and some new recruits. Our 1st string last year, Andrew Buie, who had a 300 yard game against Texas is redshirting because 4 other RB's beat him out in camp. I think that is a pretty good sign and it certainly makes things easier on a new starting QB that we should be able to run the ball, whether that ends up being Trickett or Millard is no skin off my nuts. I expect whoever it is to have a pretty good year. Its a QB friendly offense and Holgs has stated that the guy who gets the job will be the guy who makes the least mistakes. Neither guy has to step up and fill Geno's shoes, they just need to be serviceable within the offense.

[Suttree]

And on that note, Oregon State has finally name Sean Mannion over Cody Vaz. He's a junior to Vaz's senior, and he has a higher ceiling. And Vaz was so awful in that 4th quarter against Texas that it feels like justice.

Not to mention Cody Vaz just got sacked...again.

But seriously the two QB system seems to be working pretty well for NW. Curious to see how it will go in person when they come into Memorial to start the season againt mys Cal Bears. Between that and the launch of Sonny Dyke's Bear Raid offense it should be an exciting evening.