The Alexander City Outlook

OPINION: 1st week of NCAA football great way to start off season

If you are like me, you have a few family members or friends who aren’t football fanatics. They see your nervous anticipation for the start of the season and wonder why you care so much.

Well, last weekend should have answered their question. The first real weekend of football (which spanned from last Thursday to Labor Day) was as exhilaratingly unpredictable as a Bristol Palin pregnancy test.

Last Thursday started with the Phoenix-like rebirth of BRHS football. The Wildcats took the fight to the Sidney Lanier Poets and walked away with a 21-6 victory despite the fact that my brother and I predicted a loss in last week’s Outlook. In fact, I was told those picks served as motivation for the team. Hey, glad we could help!

Friday night served as a meaty appetizer for college football the following day. In possibly the most shocking score of all, Stanhope Elmore comes back from 13 down in the fourth quarter to defeat the all-powerful Prattville Lions. Meanwhile, Opelika continues its spiral into mediocrity with a perplexing 30-10 loss to Central Phoenix City, and Spain Park is drummed by Hoover 44-0.

Finally Saturday arrives and it does not disappoint. Florida looks amazingly human in a Tebow-less victory. Michigan makes a national splash by handling UCONN. Former AU head coaching target Turner Gill stinks up his debut as Kansas’ head man in a loss to something called North Dakota State. Alabama’s Greg McElroy displays the experience and Auburn’s Cam Newton shows the promise in their respective teams’ wins. Georgia, Mississippi State and Tennessee all do their part to represent the SEC, as well. Meanwhile, LSU head coach Les Miles tried his darndest to rip defeat from the jaws of victory against North Carolina, but it was not to be.

Then there was Ole Miss. The Rebels had a 21-point lead on Jacksonville State (yes, that one) in the second half and allowed the Gamecocks to come all the way back to win the game in double overtime. In the process, JSU converted several fourth downs (including one fourth-and-15) and successfully attempted a couple of two-point conversions. Hey Ole Miss, Vandy called and said to quit embarrassing the SEC.

Sunday was supposed to be the holiday weekend’s halftime, but even that day’s two games were pretty intriguing. First, East Carolina chucked a Hail Mary to a 6-foot-8 wide receiver to beat Tulsa with no time left. Then, former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville led Texas Tech to a win over SMU, despite trying his best to riverboat gamble the victory away late in the game.

By the time Monday rolled around, it seemed that the much-ballyhooed Boise State versus Virginia Tech match up could only fall short compared to the rest of the weekend. But this game turned out to be everything it was meant to be. Actually, it exceeded expectations as Boise State made a heroic, last-second touchdown to officially become a national title contender.

This coming weekend will have its share of hype. Georgia-South Carolina, Michigan-Notre Dame, Alabama-Penn State, Ohio State-Miami and Florida State-Oklahoma will make sure of that. However, my bet is that the week that will be won’t live up to the week that was.

Luke Robinson of the Sportz Blitz is a columnist for The Alexander City Outlook.