Post by Uncle on Aug 24, 2023 18:10:43 GMT -6
The Vikings will be playing their 3rd and final preseason game vs Arizona on Saturday, 8/26, in a game where it doesn't matter who wins or loses...
...but there will be some College Football on Saturday, 8/26, too...and guess what? The games do matter!
It's the start of the 2023 College Football season, the final one that will feature a five, "full" Power 5 Conferences and decades-old rivalries before realignment really starts to take hold next year.
While we have to wait until Labor Day Weekend and Week 1 to get a full slate of College Football action (and trust me, it's a good slate across the entire Labor Day weekend from Thursday 8/31 to Monday, 9/4 - more on that next week), there are still a few decent reasons to tune-in this Saturday...
Saturday, 8/26 - Early Afternoon Games
Navy vs #13 Notre Dame - 2:30PM ET (NBC); spread is ND -20.5 (game in Dublin, Ireland)
Since the Vikings/Cardinals preseason game starts at 1PM ET, you could possibly flip over at halftime to watch some "international" college action. There is some "buzz" in South Bend to start the 2023 season. The Fighting Irish started sluggish in Marcus Freeman's 1st year in 2022, but they had a very strong 2nd half (winning on the road @ #16 Syracuse, at home vs #4 Clemson, playing #6 USC tough on the road and beating a very hot #19 South Carolina team at the Gator Bowl) and roll into 2023 with former Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman, who has already thrown for nearly 13k yards in his college career. It will be interesting to see how Notre Dame attacks offensively against a stout Navy defense: on one hand, ND has a brusing Junior RB, Audric Estime, who won't be outrunning anyone at the next level but should be a great short yardage back, and on the other there's Hartman, who's known for his RPO/long-mesh attack. Will the Irish try to dominate the trenches or air it out with Hartman in Ireland? On the defensive side of the ball, I think the big name to watch is Notre Dame Senior DT Rylie Mills: #10 on Feldman's 2023 "Freak's List", he's reportedly bulked-up to 306 lbs and with his freakish athleticism on the inside, he could cause all sorts of problems for the Midshipmen. The Fighting Irish also have two other 2024 Draft prospects on the defensive side of the ball also on Feldman's 2023 "Freak's List": CB Cam Hart and DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste.
Saturday, 8/26 - Evening Games
Ohio @ San Diego St - 7PM ET (FS1); spread is San Diego St -2.5
A team from the MAC playing on the road against a team from the Mountain West...why should anyone tune into this matchup of non-Power 5 schools? One reason: Ohio QB Kurtis Rourke. He's the younger brother of Jaguars QB Nathan Rourke, who's battling for a QB2/QB3 job behind Trevor Lawrence this preseason and has looked good. Kurtis won the 2022 MAC Player of the Year award, despite having his season ended by an ACL injury after 11 games and had a great year statistically: throwing for 3,257 yards and 25 TD's against only 4 INT's with a 69.1% completion rate, while also rushing for 245 yds and 4 TD's. What's even more interesting is that Rourke's 2022 Y/A (yards-per-attempt) was 9.2 which was 4th best in FBS in 2022, ahead of Caleb Williams at 9.1, which indicates Rourke isn't just dinking-and-dunking his way to chunk yardage - he's throwing the ball down the field and with a nearly 70% completion %, that's impressive. He'll be on the road against a traditionally good Aztec defense and I wanna see if he'll be a name to watch come the 2024 Draft season.
San Jose St @ #6 USC - 8PM ET (PAC12); spread is USC -30.5
The probably #1 overall 2024 Draft pick, USC QB Caleb Williams, will be featured in the nightcap. We won't get to learn too much from this "cupcake" home matchup vs the Spartans, but one thing we might find out is if Lincoln Riley finally has a decent-enough defense to seriously contend for a shot at a National Title. The knock of Riley from Oklahoma to USC has been that while he's a great offensive mastermind and has had several Round 1 QB's under his helm, his defenses have ultimately let his teams down when it mattered the most, including the 2022 PAC 12 Championship game loss to Utah and the Cotton Bowl loss vs Tulane. USC features a bunch of defensive transfers from other schools, along with preseason All-American S Calen Bullock: a 6'3", 180 lb DB who figures to be near the top of the 2024 Draft safety class. San Jose St. counters with QB Chevan Cordeiro, a 6th yr Senior who played very well in 2022 - throwing for 3,250 yards with 23 TD's to only 6 INT's.
...but there will be some College Football on Saturday, 8/26, too...and guess what? The games do matter!
It's the start of the 2023 College Football season, the final one that will feature a five, "full" Power 5 Conferences and decades-old rivalries before realignment really starts to take hold next year.
While we have to wait until Labor Day Weekend and Week 1 to get a full slate of College Football action (and trust me, it's a good slate across the entire Labor Day weekend from Thursday 8/31 to Monday, 9/4 - more on that next week), there are still a few decent reasons to tune-in this Saturday...
Saturday, 8/26 - Early Afternoon Games
Navy vs #13 Notre Dame - 2:30PM ET (NBC); spread is ND -20.5 (game in Dublin, Ireland)
Since the Vikings/Cardinals preseason game starts at 1PM ET, you could possibly flip over at halftime to watch some "international" college action. There is some "buzz" in South Bend to start the 2023 season. The Fighting Irish started sluggish in Marcus Freeman's 1st year in 2022, but they had a very strong 2nd half (winning on the road @ #16 Syracuse, at home vs #4 Clemson, playing #6 USC tough on the road and beating a very hot #19 South Carolina team at the Gator Bowl) and roll into 2023 with former Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman, who has already thrown for nearly 13k yards in his college career. It will be interesting to see how Notre Dame attacks offensively against a stout Navy defense: on one hand, ND has a brusing Junior RB, Audric Estime, who won't be outrunning anyone at the next level but should be a great short yardage back, and on the other there's Hartman, who's known for his RPO/long-mesh attack. Will the Irish try to dominate the trenches or air it out with Hartman in Ireland? On the defensive side of the ball, I think the big name to watch is Notre Dame Senior DT Rylie Mills: #10 on Feldman's 2023 "Freak's List", he's reportedly bulked-up to 306 lbs and with his freakish athleticism on the inside, he could cause all sorts of problems for the Midshipmen. The Fighting Irish also have two other 2024 Draft prospects on the defensive side of the ball also on Feldman's 2023 "Freak's List": CB Cam Hart and DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste.
Saturday, 8/26 - Evening Games
Ohio @ San Diego St - 7PM ET (FS1); spread is San Diego St -2.5
A team from the MAC playing on the road against a team from the Mountain West...why should anyone tune into this matchup of non-Power 5 schools? One reason: Ohio QB Kurtis Rourke. He's the younger brother of Jaguars QB Nathan Rourke, who's battling for a QB2/QB3 job behind Trevor Lawrence this preseason and has looked good. Kurtis won the 2022 MAC Player of the Year award, despite having his season ended by an ACL injury after 11 games and had a great year statistically: throwing for 3,257 yards and 25 TD's against only 4 INT's with a 69.1% completion rate, while also rushing for 245 yds and 4 TD's. What's even more interesting is that Rourke's 2022 Y/A (yards-per-attempt) was 9.2 which was 4th best in FBS in 2022, ahead of Caleb Williams at 9.1, which indicates Rourke isn't just dinking-and-dunking his way to chunk yardage - he's throwing the ball down the field and with a nearly 70% completion %, that's impressive. He'll be on the road against a traditionally good Aztec defense and I wanna see if he'll be a name to watch come the 2024 Draft season.
San Jose St @ #6 USC - 8PM ET (PAC12); spread is USC -30.5
The probably #1 overall 2024 Draft pick, USC QB Caleb Williams, will be featured in the nightcap. We won't get to learn too much from this "cupcake" home matchup vs the Spartans, but one thing we might find out is if Lincoln Riley finally has a decent-enough defense to seriously contend for a shot at a National Title. The knock of Riley from Oklahoma to USC has been that while he's a great offensive mastermind and has had several Round 1 QB's under his helm, his defenses have ultimately let his teams down when it mattered the most, including the 2022 PAC 12 Championship game loss to Utah and the Cotton Bowl loss vs Tulane. USC features a bunch of defensive transfers from other schools, along with preseason All-American S Calen Bullock: a 6'3", 180 lb DB who figures to be near the top of the 2024 Draft safety class. San Jose St. counters with QB Chevan Cordeiro, a 6th yr Senior who played very well in 2022 - throwing for 3,250 yards with 23 TD's to only 6 INT's.
... and neither is this Chris guy.