2013 College Football Week 1 (Continued)

Thursday is the BIG DAY!

 

    So, tomorrow, Vandy kicks off the season against Ole Miss, and then the season will be in full swing by the end of Labor Day weekend. The excitement and anticipation is at its highest.

    I was checking the mailbag for this week to see what some of you were commenting about and I had a couple of comments/questions worth tackling today, so lets get it started. (And by the way, any of you can submit your questions/comments.) Send to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or post them on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day

   Lenny Jones writes: First time submitting a question and I just started following your blog a couple weeks ago... I like it. So you are a Noles fan, and I know you must have seen the depth chart released this week for the Pitt game.... What's your take on the changes to the defense?

   Thanks Lenny for the question and glad you are following. First off, I think it's hard to look at the depth chart and not get excited about the changes. Am I a little nervous? Maybe, but I am definitely more excited than nervous. All this talk about FSU becoming a 3-4 based defense is interesting. If you remember earlier this year before the spring game, the coaches insisted that they would stick to their 4-3 base style defense but would add some different looks and formations to it..... Well, it appears as though the 4-3 formation for the Noles may be something we don't see every series. So, I think the excitement level is pretty high because this defense will look so different from what we have been used to for the last three seasons under Mark Stoops (And under Mickey Andrews before Stoops). As far as the little nerves I get from reading about the changes? Well, I think those will be put to rest on Monday night. Granted, it is Pitt.....And FSU should dominate them on defense, but it will be interesting to watch and see if the defense has some blown coverage and some miscues. Think back to Mark Stoops' first season at FSU. At the start of the season, FSU had some big mistakes, but by season's end the Noles were a very solid defensive team. I think if this unit can pick up the system as fast as the coaches claim they are, then the Noles will be in real good shape by mid season (hopefully in time for Clemson). I wonder if the media will keep count of how many blitzes Coach Pruitt dials up.... I am willing to bet that FSU will blitz more in this one game than they did the entire 2012 season.

 Jill Zimmer from all the way in Seattle, Washington writes: Where was your UT pick man?!?!?!?! No love - geeze!!!!!
 

    Well, I don't know what I was thinking by leaving the University of Texas out of my week one picks........... Oh wait, you must be asking about the University of Tennessee. Okay, I get it. Since I get a lot of Vol fans reading because of where I live, I guess I should include the Vols in some of my posts every week. And I think most Vol fans are pretty excited about their new coach, so let's get week one out of the way. UT hosts Austin Peay. Now, be careful..... On the surface, this game looks like a walk in the park for the Vols, but make no mistake about it, Austin Peay will be ready to........... Okay, I cant.... Tennessee should blow them out.... No Problem in week 1 or week 2 against Western Kentucky. If Butch Jones loses either one of those games, he should just pack his bags and get out of Knoxville as fast as he can....
     Thanks Jill, for your question and reminder. And to Vol Nation, I apologize for leaving you out of the discussion in Week 1. I hope everyone enjoyed this segment as much as I did.

    David Graves writes: Can Georgia stop Clemson? Can Clemson stop Georgia? I think that this one will come down to who has the ball last? 37-33 Georgia even though I won't be surprised if Clemson wins. Could go either way and turn on a turnover late!
   

 

    David, thank you for the prediction and comments even though I don't think you knew I would post it for everyone to see... I see your point. Both offenses will be very good. The defense will be the big question mark. Whose defense will show up or get that one stop that changes the game? I am sticking with my gut feeling here, and I think Clemson's defense has come a very long ways since 2011. In 2012, you saw Clemson's defense improve every week as they learned a new system. By the bowl game against LSU, they were no longer intimidated by the SEC. This Clemson defense has a lot of confidence and I think that will be the difference in this game. But as you said, it really could go either way. The only way this game could surprise me is if one or the other wins by double digits.

    Thanks for the question and comments. Keep them coming. You can send to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or post to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day. Don't forget to give us a 'LIKE'.