Opening Thoughts on Opening Weekend

Wow. What a great way to kick off a return to football with an AMAZING series of games over this Labor Day weekend. My full thoughts will come later this week, but I would be remiss if I didn't, in some way, the App State game. For now, I'm just going to copy and paste what I wrote on a messageboard I post at in refrence to the Greatest Upset of All Time:

Me: I played DI-AA ball, and I can't seem to stop smiling at the whole situation. Forgetting that I played left guard, and my left tackle was an insufferable Michigan fan, this is a MASSIVE blow to the entire stability of college football like what already has been said.

If I were the AD of App State, I would scrap the football recruiting budget to next to nothing, and send every kid I wanted to come here a tape of the game. Now, a kid who might get a partial or perferred walk-on spot at say a Michigan will be giving a second look at upper tier DI-AA teams. A LOT of luster has just been knocked off of DI-A, whether they admit it or not. Most of what people have always said is the difference is the two, is size, but mostly speed. When I was recruited, I got offers at DI-AA schools, but good DI schools all told me I was too short to play either D or O line. The gap is closed as far as speed goes, and the size gap is falling as well.

I just love the utter stupidity of Michigan's scheduling, thinking that if they were going to play a 'lesser division team' that they might as well get the best. Look, these kids are back to back national champions in a PLAYOFF format. They know big games, they know how to win, and they were probably insulted by being the opening day game in the Big House. Don't piss off Southern boys, a lesson I thought Ohio State had taken back to the Big 10 a year ago. I guess not .

Then, I felt the need to post again...

Me: Red dotter who said my claim that the luster has been knocked off of I-A schools, pay attention to what I say next. I'll even use NCAA 200whatever language so you can grasp what I mean.

For your blue chippers, your 5 and 4 star prospects, there probably won't be a huge shift in recruiting numbers. But, the low 4 stars to three star players will be thinking that I can either take a partial scholarship, and go to Big State U, and constantly compete with full ride players who WILL get more attention from coaches and support staff because the school has more money tied up in their success, OR I can go to an App State, not a bad football school, but smaller, and not only get ALL of my ed paid for, but fully develop as a football player, because I am the equivalent of a blue chip here.

College football is a business, and players are quite dispensable assets, and every coach/player/AD in the nation knows it. If you think that Rudy happens every day, you're nuts. People, in the past, would opt for the Big State U for the chance to make it on the field, and be part of great tradition. Putting into words the actions of App State...F Tradition.

Kids who saw that game will take another look at that letter from App State, from Montana, from New Hampshire. This has proven that this IS high level football, in the face of whatever tradition you hold dear. (Name Redacted) is right, this is someone spitting in the face of established norms, and it could potentially change everything. This would effect not only I-AA teams, but the vaunted depth of I-A teams would take a major hit, as All-State kids won't be satisfied standing on the sidelines of Big State U, waiting in the wings for an opportunity that may never come, all for the privilege of wearing the jersey as the greats who came before.