Labor Day weekend! One of the most anticipated holidays for college football fans. Doesn’t hurt to get that Monday off as well. It’s the first week of the year that we really feel the presence of the season. Forget that zero week offering which served as a mere appetizer for most fans – although that Nebraska flop against Northwestern was like ordering the crab claws at market price (doh!). It’s time for the main course, and we want the finest meats and cheeses!
Bring out Notre Dame at Ohio State. Is this a filet mignon? Based on that 17 point spread, it looks like all I need is a butter knife to cut through this one. How can a team ranked number 5 in the country be a 2+ touchdown dog to the second ranked team? Is there that big of a gap between 2 and 5? Maybe I need the butter knife because Notre Dame is really, well.. butter. Won’t take long to find out, because the heat will definitely be turned up quickly in the Big Horseshoe. This is one of the only big season opening games in recent years to be held on campus. Let’s hope it’s a good one.
Garson! Next, I want Oregon vs Georgia. Oregon is ranked 11th you say? What about Georgia? Is this the new Bama? Can they lose 15 players to the NFL draft (5 in the first round) and still be a national championship contender? Sounds like a quality cut, savory and tender, but I think I’m going need some steak sauce – pass the A1. Then here comes Oregon… Mario Cristobal-less Oregon. Bo Nix led Oregon. The Dawgs will probably have a nice pool of slobber at their feet as they walk out of the tunnel with Nix on the other sideline. Nix is 0-3 against his old deep south rival and is serving as our slow-cooked pork roast for this meal. A Justin Herbert led Duck squad couldn’t beat a freshman Nix and Auburn in the ATL a couple of years ago, and this is different offering of SEC. Not sure if the roast is ready or done… We’ll find out Saturday night.
What’s for dessert? Cincinnati @ Arkansas? Never heard of it, but I’m always up for trying something new. Should be pretty good; has a little “ranked team matchup” sprinkled on top. For Cincinnati, this is a must win game if they plan on being in the end of year conversation. I’m of the opinion that it’s very difficult to replace QBs lost to the NFL draft. Everyone doesn’t have a Mac Jones sitting on the bench after their Tua gets drafted. As for Arkansas, they have a returning QB, but lose an absolute stud at WR spot. The Razorbacks have quite the road in front of them in the toughest division in college football, and a win against the Bearcats will do a lot to set them on the right path. For Cincinnati, it’s back-to-back SEC games for them after their semifinal showdown with the Tide. All I can say is good thing they don’t play them in back-to-back weeks – welcome to the SEC. Interesting flavor, but I think it’s missing something…
Some great games on the plate, I mean slate this week. If you are like me, you are going to enjoy the meal even though they aren’t serving your favorite dish. Sometimes, you miss the dining experience so much, you relish the moment enough to make the meal better. Let’s hope this week’s serving is good enough to inspire a good tip.