Tradition! College Football celebrates it with tailgates, school songs and ridiculous trophies like Oaken Buckets and Rusty Hatchets. Tradition! But as much as the game heralds its history, college football is always changing. From conferences merging (Big Eight and SWC in the dustbin of history) to bowls sprouting up and withering away (Bluebonnet Bowl, anyone?)... to rules about players (freshman eligibility, non-medical redshirts) and teams (non-repeat rule in Big Ten, television appearance maximums)-- college football is as fluid as any sport. Tradition! I grew up following the college football of the 70's and 80's... where the national championship was decided on New Year's Day by four or five bowls with strict conference affiliation. Tradition! Not knowing that ten years before the national title was decided by Thanksgiving's final regular season ballots... the SEC wasn't locked into the Sugar Bowl... we knew the Heisman winner before the dinner... and Chris Schenkel was the Keith Jackson of college football. Tradition! Today the game is morphing again-- and I don't know what we'll see ten years from now: perhaps a playoff? 16-team superconferences? Paying players percentages of jersey sales? Just like the last 30 years, the only tradition in college football is change. Tradition!
Maryland kicks off the Randy Edsall era with a Monday night matchup against a mess in Miami. Player payoffs, yacht cruises, escort services-- what happened to the simpler times of the 100 dollar handshake? The Hurricanes will be minus quarterback Jacory Harris-- but backup Stephen Morris led the 'Canes to a last-minute touchdown against the Terps last year. Danny O'Brien has had a whole spring and summer to digest the new offense-- while Kenny Tate is entrenched in the similar role of X-factor... albeit a little closer to the line of scrimmage. Terps open the Edsall era in style, 24-20.
Virginia faces William & Mary-- the rebuilding era enters year two for Mike London...and the Cavaliers are still smarting over a loss to the Tribe two years ago. The only thing more unsettling to the Charlottesville faithful than losing to an in-state FCS opponent would be running out of Pinot Grigio and Brie. Cavaliers pour on the points with a sharp cheddar, 34-18.
#13 Virginia Tech opens the season against Appalachian State-- and after last year's 0-2 start one would think the Hokies wouldn't overlook a local high school. They lost to James Madison! In Blacksburg! And they welcome a school known for one of the biggest opening day shockers of all time-- Appalachian State struck a blow for the little guy by beating Michigan in the Big House four years ago. Logan Thomas takes over for Tyrod Taylor at quarterback-- and one must have patience with the new signalcaller as Taylor took time to grow from a raw talent into the 2010 ACC Player of the Year. Hokies make molehills out of the Mountaineers, 37-14.
Navy defeats Delaware, Georgetown falls to Davidson, Howard slips at Central Michigan, James Madison shocks North Carolina, Richmond loses at Duke.
Last Year: 51-24... the tradition of winning continues.
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