It's Almost That Time! Let the...

If you love college football as much as I do this is a very big week. We’re on the cusp of the 2024 season and the excitement is almost at a fever pitch. Just a few more days until the bands play, the players rush onto the field and the student sections go absolutely nuts. It’s a crazy time of year no matter where you are or who you root for. As for me, all I can say is let the games begin!

Everyone I think knows that this year is gonna be vastly different then years gone by. First, this year the college football championship stretches to a 12 game scenario that hopefully will bring some parity to the end of season playoffs that so many people, especially in Florida State’s world, who were up in arms about last year. I’m not saying they might have won but being undefeated in a Power Five Conference they should have been given a chance. Of course we’ll see the usual top performing teams from The SEC, The ACC and The Big Ten but hopefully we’ll see some of the also rans, the teams that are the ssurprises that are long shots and have just as much of a chance to win it all as the Michigan’s the Georgia’s and the USC’s. Also, loosing one or two games will no longer be the kiss of death. Going 12-1 in the season will still give you a credible shot to win The Championship. The new format should prove to make everything more competitive and add quite a bit of interest in the end of season theatrics culminating in a team that no one expected to be there in the playoffs. We’ll have to wait and see. It’s a long season!

Secondly, this year I feel certain is going to big a huge year for the transfer portal participants

We’re gonna see a lot of activity and results by both the players and the schools. i took a bit of time to research the larger transfer portal websites and I can report that they are incredibly active and loaded with players looking to move. What ever happened to loyalty anyhow? It’s obviously a two headed coin as players are seeking to position themselves not only to start and perhaps gain some NFL attention but teams are also looking dominate and win.

I have yet to decide what my personal feelings are on the transfer portal. I think that in essence it can be a good thing however it seems that at this point it’s a complete free for all. There are some players out there, quarterbacks notably, that have transferred several times, seeking that perfect fit for themselves and the team. I don’t think a perfect fit actually exists but then again I’m not a player nor am I coach. I’ll take a wait and see attitude but as for now I’d give the transfer system a c+ for a grade. To be fair I’ll watch three big transfers portal players and see how it works out. Dillan Gabriel at Oregon(125 touchdowns and over 14,000 yards at UCF and Oklahoma), Riley Leonard at Notre Dame(24 touchdowns and 4,400 yards at Duke) and Ohio State’s Will Howard(48 touchdowns and 5500 yards) who transferred over from Kansas State. Frankly, I like the kid with 125 touchdowns and yes I double checked his stats!

Another factor that comes into

play more and more is the deal players get for signing NIL deals. These are payments that a player receives for allowing schools to use his name, image and likeness to promote the team and the school. I couldn’t find a lot of information on what players get how much but there are rumors that many players are receiving 6 figures, some even 7 figure when the numbers add up. Gone are the days when every player showed up in the locker room as an equal. Many players are signing NIL deals while still in high school if you can believe it! Yes folks the times are changing.

Overall I think in the end that the transfer portal and the NIL world will have to be more controlled. Money can turn people into monsters and as a good fishing buddy always tells me, “Money doesn’t make you normal “. 

With all of this I’m looking forward to some great games this year. Hopefully my picks will fare better under the new systems. I’m keeping my fingers crossed an as usual say Play On!!

Kev

Kev's Corner Our Staffs Weekly Sports perspective

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