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3 W's, red flags, white helmet, karma, Kanell & Van Halen
By: Patrick Burnham - The Osceola
One of the many great things about college football is that we get a chance to reset our expectations and beliefs each week based on what we see each Saturday. Every week is indeed a season for both football teams and their fan bases.
As for fans and for those of us who cover the sport, we live for Saturdays and for those of us that love the sport we also come away from each of those Saturdays with new opinions (some stronger than others) about our favorite team or teams or just college football in general. Those opinions can make for great water cooler talk, debate and, yes, even arguments. People feel strongly about college football. However, each game has a shelf life of exactly a week, but what we see each week can and most likely will impact what we think going into the next game or games — and to me that is one of the fascinating and fun things about college football.
We get a chance to reset our thoughts, beliefs and opinions every seven days. What I think this Tuesday, I may or may not think next Tuesday.
Having provided my weekly introduction and disclaimer for this column. Here are 11 things I think, I think about FSU and college football after week 3 of the season.
1. FSU is 3-0 and that is the main thing coming out of this game. However, Boston College lost this game more than FSU won it. The Eagles committed a school-record 18 penalties and still were on the brink of pulling off the biggest upset of the 2023 college football season with less than two minutes to go in the game. The biggest penalty? FSU's quest to climb back to the top of the ACC if it had lost as a 23-point favorite. No harm, no foul as the old saying goes.
We didn't see many yellow flags against the Seminoles in Boston, but we did see some red ones. Of course, defeating the team in Orange who will be lining up on the other side of the field and at home this weekend would make all of us color blind again.
2. Way too many quarterbacks have had career games vs. FSU over the last several years either with their arm or legs. The Seminole defense made BC QB Thomas Castellanos, using his arm and legs and making just his second career start, look like the best player on the field Saturday.
3. FSU did target Keon Coleman several times, but he didn't have a single catch against BC. I am little confused by the fact that they couldn't find a way to scheme Coleman open more when he lined up as the outside receiver against a team that played most of the game with a single-high safety. I am equally as confused by FSU's defensive alignment on BC's fourth-and-1 conversion on their second drive of the game, which resulted in a field goal. The Seminoles lined up without a player at the LOS in either the A gap or B gap to the strong side of the formation and the defenders responsible for those gaps lined up 4 yards off the ball. They should have just conceded the first down.
Back to Keon for a second. I think we all know he was referencing having been only targeted three times vs. BC and it's probably not the right thing to do. However, these college players have platforms to voice their opinions and brands to build especially in the NIL era. College players have long emulated pro players on the field and off. And pros take their gripes to Twitter on a regular basis. I am sure we will see more of this in college football moving forward as the game becomes more professional football-like.
4. I think the thing that could most likely blow FSU's chances of reaching its potential this season are blown coverages. It's been a consistent theme so far this year and was one of our, or my, concerns coming into the season. FSU ranks 110th in pass defense after three games. There was also a lot of guys taking bad angles to the ball followed by bad tackling, but then again that seems to be an epidemic in college football because very few teams tackle in practice anymore.
5. I think I need to take a deep breath and remind myself of my first takeaway: FSU did win the game. I think I might not be the only one that needs to be reminded of that. It's harder to win a football game than most people think, and I think this was a reminder of that. Could I be overthinking? The answer to that for me and those of you that have similar questions won't be answered until Saturday afternoon at around 3:30 pm.
6. Having said that, I have had a good feeling about FSU vs. Clemson all season, until Saturday afternoon, but after a couple of days of flushing Boston out of my system, I still do. I think the BC game should and will serve as a wake-up call for the Seminoles' veteran-laden team and a reminder you can just show up and roll out your helmet (gold or white) and win. So, with that, I think I still feel good about FSU. And I still think Dabo has some Karma due after his comments about FSU and Mike Norvell dodging the Tigers in 2020. This is the kind of Seminoles team, especially on offense, that could leave Dabo feeling a little nauseous on Saturday night.
7. I think FSU had a football fashion fail on Saturday. FSU has one of the most iconic helmets and helmet decals in all of college football. When I was watching games on Saturday night, I didn't recognize the FSU highlights when they came on the screen. And I am pretty sure that was only because of what they were wearing.
I am an FSU grad and that is the first time since before I started going to school there that I couldn't recognize my own alma mater on TV. Did I mention how iconic the gold helmets are? Programs like FSU don't need gimmick to get the attention of recruits or their own players, they simply need to keep winning, something Mike Norvell has been very good at over the last 16 games.
8. I think that Danny Kanell is right and the deeper we get into the season the business of football at Colorado is becoming more about the show off the field for Coach Sanders and family than the show on the field. It will be interesting to see if Oregon and USC can shut the King of Quack the duck up over the next two weeks.
Sidenote: Deion's comment that he is the best coach in college football on "60 Minutes" is a bit delusional. Hell, I am not even sure he was the best head coach on the sideline in Boulder on Saturday night, and I am not sure Colorado State's head coach in the best head coach in college football with the last name of Norvell.
9. I think the tune has changed in Gainesville with Gators defeat of the Volunteers at home. I know it's a Tom Petty town, but it seems to have more of a Van Halen Big Bad Bill(y) is Sweet William Now kind of vibe this week. Florida's win over Tennessee also has me thinking the Gators' demise, as most have predicted, to be greatly exaggerated.
10. My ACC Power Rankings after Week three of the football season (1-14): UNC, FSU, Louisville, Duke, Miami, Clemson, NC State, Wake Forest, Syracuse, Pitt, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Virginia.
11. After three weeks I think this could be one of the most entertaining years when it comes to who wins a conference championship and who wins the national championship this season. Not any one single team in college football has looked unbeatable so far this season and some of these conference races are going to be very interesting. The ACC has four teams in the top 25 this week and NC State, Louisville and Clemson are just a win or two in a row away from the rankings. I am not sure there is a favorite right now in the SEC West and the SEC East is an upset of UGA from being a free for all. The PAC-12 looks wide open with eight teams in the top 25 this week. The Big 12 only has two teams ranked but 10 teams who are 3-0 or 2-1. The Big Ten East has three teams in the top-10 and the West side is the equivalent of the old ACC Coastal. Buckle your seatbelts, the 2023 season is lining up to be one heck of a roller coaster ride.
And after three weeks, I think this would have been a really good year to introduce the 12-team College Football Playoff. Can you imagine the discussions?
3 W's, red flags, white helmet, karma, Kanell & Van Halen
By: Patrick Burnham - The Osceola
One of the many great things about college football is that we get a chance to reset our expectations and beliefs each week based on what we see each Saturday. Every week is indeed a season for both football teams and their fan bases.
As for fans and for those of us who cover the sport, we live for Saturdays and for those of us that love the sport we also come away from each of those Saturdays with new opinions (some stronger than others) about our favorite team or teams or just college football in general. Those opinions can make for great water cooler talk, debate and, yes, even arguments. People feel strongly about college football. However, each game has a shelf life of exactly a week, but what we see each week can and most likely will impact what we think going into the next game or games — and to me that is one of the fascinating and fun things about college football.
We get a chance to reset our thoughts, beliefs and opinions every seven days. What I think this Tuesday, I may or may not think next Tuesday.
Having provided my weekly introduction and disclaimer for this column. Here are 11 things I think, I think about FSU and college football after week 3 of the season.
1. FSU is 3-0 and that is the main thing coming out of this game. However, Boston College lost this game more than FSU won it. The Eagles committed a school-record 18 penalties and still were on the brink of pulling off the biggest upset of the 2023 college football season with less than two minutes to go in the game. The biggest penalty? FSU's quest to climb back to the top of the ACC if it had lost as a 23-point favorite. No harm, no foul as the old saying goes.
We didn't see many yellow flags against the Seminoles in Boston, but we did see some red ones. Of course, defeating the team in Orange who will be lining up on the other side of the field and at home this weekend would make all of us color blind again.
2. Way too many quarterbacks have had career games vs. FSU over the last several years either with their arm or legs. The Seminole defense made BC QB Thomas Castellanos, using his arm and legs and making just his second career start, look like the best player on the field Saturday.
3. FSU did target Keon Coleman several times, but he didn't have a single catch against BC. I am little confused by the fact that they couldn't find a way to scheme Coleman open more when he lined up as the outside receiver against a team that played most of the game with a single-high safety. I am equally as confused by FSU's defensive alignment on BC's fourth-and-1 conversion on their second drive of the game, which resulted in a field goal. The Seminoles lined up without a player at the LOS in either the A gap or B gap to the strong side of the formation and the defenders responsible for those gaps lined up 4 yards off the ball. They should have just conceded the first down.
Back to Keon for a second. I think we all know he was referencing having been only targeted three times vs. BC and it's probably not the right thing to do. However, these college players have platforms to voice their opinions and brands to build especially in the NIL era. College players have long emulated pro players on the field and off. And pros take their gripes to Twitter on a regular basis. I am sure we will see more of this in college football moving forward as the game becomes more professional football-like.
4. I think the thing that could most likely blow FSU's chances of reaching its potential this season are blown coverages. It's been a consistent theme so far this year and was one of our, or my, concerns coming into the season. FSU ranks 110th in pass defense after three games. There was also a lot of guys taking bad angles to the ball followed by bad tackling, but then again that seems to be an epidemic in college football because very few teams tackle in practice anymore.
5. I think I need to take a deep breath and remind myself of my first takeaway: FSU did win the game. I think I might not be the only one that needs to be reminded of that. It's harder to win a football game than most people think, and I think this was a reminder of that. Could I be overthinking? The answer to that for me and those of you that have similar questions won't be answered until Saturday afternoon at around 3:30 pm.
6. Having said that, I have had a good feeling about FSU vs. Clemson all season, until Saturday afternoon, but after a couple of days of flushing Boston out of my system, I still do. I think the BC game should and will serve as a wake-up call for the Seminoles' veteran-laden team and a reminder you can just show up and roll out your helmet (gold or white) and win. So, with that, I think I still feel good about FSU. And I still think Dabo has some Karma due after his comments about FSU and Mike Norvell dodging the Tigers in 2020. This is the kind of Seminoles team, especially on offense, that could leave Dabo feeling a little nauseous on Saturday night.
7. I think FSU had a football fashion fail on Saturday. FSU has one of the most iconic helmets and helmet decals in all of college football. When I was watching games on Saturday night, I didn't recognize the FSU highlights when they came on the screen. And I am pretty sure that was only because of what they were wearing.
I am an FSU grad and that is the first time since before I started going to school there that I couldn't recognize my own alma mater on TV. Did I mention how iconic the gold helmets are? Programs like FSU don't need gimmick to get the attention of recruits or their own players, they simply need to keep winning, something Mike Norvell has been very good at over the last 16 games.
8. I think that Danny Kanell is right and the deeper we get into the season the business of football at Colorado is becoming more about the show off the field for Coach Sanders and family than the show on the field. It will be interesting to see if Oregon and USC can shut the King of Quack the duck up over the next two weeks.
Sidenote: Deion's comment that he is the best coach in college football on "60 Minutes" is a bit delusional. Hell, I am not even sure he was the best head coach on the sideline in Boulder on Saturday night, and I am not sure Colorado State's head coach in the best head coach in college football with the last name of Norvell.
9. I think the tune has changed in Gainesville with Gators defeat of the Volunteers at home. I know it's a Tom Petty town, but it seems to have more of a Van Halen Big Bad Bill(y) is Sweet William Now kind of vibe this week. Florida's win over Tennessee also has me thinking the Gators' demise, as most have predicted, to be greatly exaggerated.
10. My ACC Power Rankings after Week three of the football season (1-14): UNC, FSU, Louisville, Duke, Miami, Clemson, NC State, Wake Forest, Syracuse, Pitt, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Virginia.
11. After three weeks I think this could be one of the most entertaining years when it comes to who wins a conference championship and who wins the national championship this season. Not any one single team in college football has looked unbeatable so far this season and some of these conference races are going to be very interesting. The ACC has four teams in the top 25 this week and NC State, Louisville and Clemson are just a win or two in a row away from the rankings. I am not sure there is a favorite right now in the SEC West and the SEC East is an upset of UGA from being a free for all. The PAC-12 looks wide open with eight teams in the top 25 this week. The Big 12 only has two teams ranked but 10 teams who are 3-0 or 2-1. The Big Ten East has three teams in the top-10 and the West side is the equivalent of the old ACC Coastal. Buckle your seatbelts, the 2023 season is lining up to be one heck of a roller coaster ride.
And after three weeks, I think this would have been a really good year to introduce the 12-team College Football Playoff. Can you imagine the discussions?
