College football week 7 thread: Talking Seattle Conference Change Blues

Fat Noon Kickoff is stupid. For decades, most college football fans have taken the mindset of getting errands done in that noon to 3 pm window because, for decades, noon was the Wisconsin Illinois game with Pam Ward behind the mic. Now they want people to change their viewing habits because they say so. It’s like Major League Baseball deciding afternoon games are the prime time again.

 

We'll never be THAT lucky again.

 

I dunno. There have been noon Central time kickoffs in the NFL since time was, and based on personal observation, it hasn't seemed to cramp the drinking style of Bears, Vikings, Packers and Chiefs fans one little bit.

 

College football in many cases also has a great deal of people hauling ass from a 5-hour radius and more of them than you might think do so the day of the game.

On the other hand, the opening time slot is glorious if you are watching from home. Minimal FOMO on other channels, able to get on with your day afterward.

 

The key there, Michael, is the time zone. Central time zone has always had to look at things a little differently because TV caters to the East.

 

The difference between a 1 p.m. and noon kickoff is minimal as far as tailgating time goes, and I'm sure fans of both Penn St. and Ohio St. have dealt with those before. For that matter, both schools have seen their share of noon kickoffs when they've played sacrificial lambs on their schedules, like Temple and the directional schools, to satisfy both ESPN and the Big Ten Network.

 

And for all the anointing of Williams as a can't miss prospect - the same has been said of many a USC alum in the NFL. When Carson Palmer is the gold standard of NFL success for a college program - you have problem. The biggest issue is Williams line and receivvers are so much better that what he will face in the NFL - where mistakes will cost him dearly.

 

That was definitely what I thought about Stroud. But he's proven to be better than I thought so far.

 

UAB plays Memphis at home Saturday week. We just found out that it's the 11 am game on ESPN2. First, that's a breakfast tailgate. You have to be down there at 8 or 9 in the morning to tailgate it. If a fan is driving in for the game they will have to leave at O dark thirty or come in and spend Friday night. Second, Memphis is probably our biggest old time rivalry, going back to the Great Midwest conference. We're their daddy in football, and they've beaten us consistently in hoops. We are now back in the same conference.

The two teams are resuming play in the Battle for the Bones, for a trophy modeled on a rack of ribs, for my money one of the best of such trophies. There is an accompanying BBQ contest between the schools - which is going to be completely hosed by this start time. As dixie says, the league spread 'em for the TV money... but we're not happy about it.

As to pre-game alcohol consumption, Kahlua in your coffee at a breakfast tailgate is a fine start on the day's drinking. I'd rather be the three o'clock game on ESPNU than early on ESPN2, though. Bah!

 

It's 5 p.m. here Saturday vs. UCLA. Almost the perfect time, start tailgating at noon, the game ends about 8 and we can go back to the TG and have a beer and listen to the postgame show on radio while waiting for traffic to disperse, then drive home in 10 minutes.

 

8:24, based on averages so far. Probably will creep up a bit with cannon fodder off most schedules and tighter games on the whole.

 

Three decades ago, when there were normal everyday apartments near Bryant-Denny and not formalized tailgate palace rentals, my best friend had one a block west of the southwest ramp. His parents, season ticket holders from the other side of the state, got their own lodging for every home game but would set up the postgame party at their son’s place, to which he would invite a handful of us. Homemade heavy appetizers made with a mother’s love and good company, greatly enhanced by air conditioning and a TV tuned to other games. None of us were smart enough to realize we were sitting on a gold mine, so somebody else got the credit and the megabucks developing “gameday condos.”