Sunday, August 17, 2008

Questions to be Answered...

As college football fans everywhere get ready for the upcoming season it is important to look back and remember what made last season so special. Was it the opening weekend upset of Appalachian St. over Michigan, or was it Standford's upset of USC? Could it have been the curse of the number one position (teams in that spot were upset week after week), or the miraculous accomplishments of Heisman winner Tim Tebow (the first QB in college football history to score over 20 TDs both rushing and passing)? Even the casual fan will admit that last season eclipses any other in recent history, but the question remains: can this season even come close?

I believe that the answer to that question is...yes. The Heisman race this year will be just as intense, with Tebow trying to join Archie Griffin as the only player to ever win it twice, and Michael Crabtree, Chase Daniels, Pat White, and Chris "Beanie" Wells trying to rain on his parade. The season is packed with crucial inter-conference games, such as Ohio State vs. USC in September and Auburn vs. West Virginia in October. It will be interesting to see how Utah fares against Michigan, and Appalachian St. against LSU on opening weekend. Will the season kick off with another monumental upset?

Who is going to rain on the BCS parade? Will BYU be able to make a solid case in the Mountain West Conference that it should be graced with BCS glory, or will Utah smash their dreams as the two teams meet for the Holy War in their respective last games of the season. Most importantly, how will West Virginia fare in the Big East Conference? Will South Florida get the best of the Mountaineers yet again, or will they finally over come the stumbling block that the Bulls have been the last two years. The West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh game on November 28th may be the de-facto Big East Championship, not that either of those teams need any more of a reason to rip each other apart. The most important question may be whether Pat White will remain healthy. Both of West Virginia's losses last year came when #5 was standing on the sidelines. It will be critical for him to stay healthy and provide that much needed leadership for the West Virginia offense.

Either way, the final outcome of the season is irrelevant, at least for now. The important thing is that college football fans can start to hope again, hope that their team just might run the table, hope that they beat that bitterly-hated rival, and maybe, just maybe, end up playing in the national championship game at the end of the season. (...except Ohio State fans. After two consecutive national-championship game thrashings, it might be time to sell your buckeyes gear and buy "In Rod we trust!" t-shirts.)

1 comment:

Powerfoot, you ask? said...

This is awesome...keep up the Mounty spirit!