My very brief live blog during the ASU-New Mexico State Game:
1st Quarter: Wow ASU’s offense looks sharp. Maybe they’ll be better than the 5 win team I predicted. Even Manny Wilkins looks like a player this year.
2nd Quarter: Wait, the Aggies are only down by 1 at halftime? Will Todd Graham survive all four quarters as ASU’s coach? How is Blake Barnett not in the game yet?
Early 3rd Quarter: Did I just see someone hand Barnett another set of transfer papers on the sideline? Maybe not playing is safer for him after all considering the ASU offensive line doesn’t feel like blocking? (I’m kidding, I’m kidding)
Mid-3rd Quarter: Great throw by Wilkins on the 60 yard TD. ASU should win this comfortably now. But are the fans going to be happy after the lackluster effort throughout?
End-3rd Quarter: OK this game is pretty much wrapped up now. But why hasn’t ASU subbed anyone out on defense yet?
Looks like ASU still hasn’t substituted at all in this game defensively, which is mind-blowing at 101 degrees at kickoff.
— SunDevilSource.com (@SunDevilSource) September 1, 2017
Mid-4th Quarter: A Blake Barnett sighting! Up 37-19…and he goes 3 and out. Oh and I noticed that Todd Graham is wearing a full headset for the first time I can remember!
Final Score: 37-31 ASU after a final play NMSU Hail Mary-ish TD
-Overall I wasn’t impressed. This team isn’t going to come close to winning 6 games if the offensive line doesn’t block and the defense doesn’t substitute. Also NMSU had too many big plays against what was supposed to be an improved D under new coordinator Phil Bennett. A 6 point win against a lousy New Mexico State team doesn’t exactly inspire confidence for a big season. Sorry for the honesty, ASU fans.
-For NMSU, at least Jaleel Scott had a catch-of-the-year nominee! Literally that was one of the most ridiculous catches I’ve seen in a long, long time.
So we already have the catch of the year and it’s August 31. JALEEL SCOTT. #NMSU pic.twitter.com/IqrqLgbfS3
— Alex Kolodziej (@AKolodziejFRS) September 1, 2017
-Hey college football schedule makers…if you’re going to promote one game on a Thursday night to open the season, you can do a heck of a lot better than Ohio State – Indiana.
Glad ESPN could waste money on Megacasting Indiana-Ohio State instead of keeping writers around.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) August 31, 2017
-Indiana did lead at halftime and midway through the third quarter but remember what I told you on Monday about overreacting when teams get behind early on the road. Ohio State is really talented…and Indiana is Indiana.
-I’ll NEVER get tired of Lee Corso’s headgear predictions on College Gameday. I wish this guy could live forever. He’s still doing pretty darn well at 82 years old though!
-Before I give you my best bets for the week, I can admit that I would’ve had Tulsa +17.5 vs. Oklahoma State on Thursday. Whoops! Glad that one doesn’t count against my record. The Cowboys are for real…yet I still believe in my projected future UofA coach, Phillip Montgomery’s Tulsa team. Oh yeah – take the OVER in all Oklahoma State and Tulsa games. You’ll win the majority of the time.
CFB WEEK ONE BEST BETS
Last Week: 1-1
Season Record: 1-1
Colorado State +4 vs. Colorado (and I would even consider the Rams straight up)
Wyoming / Iowa Under 49.5 total points
Michigan / Florida Under 43 total points
Northwestern / Nevada Under 60.5 total points
South Alabama +23.5 at Ole Miss
Georgia Southern +34 at Auburn
LSU -14.5 vs. BYU
Tennessee -3 vs. Georgia Tech
-Seriously, if Michigan with no offense…and Florida with…uh…10 starters missing goes over the total, I may have to quit making these best bet predictions. Can I change my Gators pick from Wednesday’s column?
-Oh how I wish any of the six University of Arizona football home games I’ll attend this season will compare to last year’s finale. Remember ASU fans? I hope to attend 500 college football games in my lifetime and don’t think I’ll ever see another one like it.
-I’d like to thank all of you non-ASU fans who made it this far in the column.
-Imagine paying full price for the dumpster fire that was a Week 4 preseason game though. The Giants-Patriots 40-38 thriller was about the only one worth a half price ticket.
-So the Jets went 2-2 in the preseason. Wanna bet they won’t top that total in the regular season? They arguably have the least offensive talent of any NFL team in the last 25 years. And the Patriots went 1-3. Oh yeah…and the Browns went 4-0. #Meaningless
-I watch A LOT of college football and I’ve never heard of QB Kyle Sloter (from Southern Miss) who ripped apart the Cardinals 4th stringers on Thursday night. But if you think I’m going to analyze anything else about the 30-2 Broncos win, you’re reading the wrong column.
-Look for my OFFICIAL (aka revised) NFL predictions in Monday’s blog. Hint: the Jaguars are no longer winning the AFC South nor making the playoffs.
-How ’bout those D-Backs! They demolished the Dodgers three times this week and made MLB’s best team look pedestrian. I told you crazy fans not to give up when they went through a rough patch the other week.
-Is a Cubs-Diamondbacks NLCS a potential matchup as compared to a pipe dream? I would love to watch my Cubbies clinch the pennant at Chase Field.
-Finally, this week’s reason I love Twitter. After an opening possession field goal from the Buckeyes, notorious Ohio State troll and former ESPN analyst Mark May tweeted:
STRIKE UP THE BAND! THE BUCKEYES SCORED!……First time since November 26th 2016 HA! @OhioStateFB @OhioStAthletics
— Mark May (@mark_may) September 1, 2017
Haters gonna hate. Wonder what good ‘ole Mark will have to say now after the 2nd half thrashing OSU gave the Hoosiers.
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Cohen's Corner 