College Football 2017 Week Zero thread

[Steak Snabler]

Don’t like the name, but that’s what they’re calling it since most everyone starts next week. All times Eastern and all lines from Vegas Insider.

Oregon State (+3.5) at Colorado State, 2:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
Portland State (no line) at BYU, 3 p.m., ESPN
Hawaii (pick 'em) at UMass, 6 p.m., NESN
South Florida (-20) at San Jose State, 7:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
Rice (+31) vs. Stanford (at Sydney), 10 p.m., ESPN

There’s also a handful of FCS games on TV this weekend:

Texas Southern at Florida A&M, noon, ESPNU
Chattanooga vs. Jacksonville State (at Montgomery), 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Colgate at Cal Poly, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Sunday
Richmond at Sam Houston State, 7 p.m., ESPNU

 

[Donny in his element]

Will take a gander of ESPNU Saturday just to see the Marching 100.

 

[dixiehack]

By God, here's a man who understands how this **** works.

I'd load up on South Florida.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Only freaking Notre Dame could go 4-8, lose a first-round-caliber starting quarterback, and be knocking on the door of the preseason AP top 25.

 

[User 11148]

Only freaking Notre Dame could go 4-8, lose a first-round-caliber starting quarterback, and be knocking on the door of the preseason AP top 25.

Have you ever heard of the Texas Longhorns?

 

[Donny in his element]

Only freaking Notre Dame could go 4-8, lose a first-round-caliber starting quarterback, and be knocking on the door of the preseason AP top 25.

Florida State in the later Bowden years parlayed some of those 9-4 and 7-6 seasons in an historically weak ACC into Top 20 preseason rankings. We now know this as the SEC West treatment.

 

[Chef2]

What in the blue hell is Hawaii doing playing at UMass?

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

Don’t like the name, but that’s what they’re calling it since most everyone starts next week. All times Eastern and all lines from Vegas Insider.

Oregon State (+3.5) at Colorado State, 2:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
Portland State (no line) at BYU, 3 p.m., ESPN
Hawaii (pick 'em) at UMass, 6 p.m., NESN
South Florida (-20) at San Jose State, 7:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
Rice (+31) vs. Stanford (at Sydney), 10 p.m., ESPN

There’s also a handful of FCS games on TV this weekend:

Texas Southern at Florida A&M, noon, ESPNU
Chattanooga vs. Jacksonville State (at Montgomery), 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Colgate at Cal Poly, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Sunday
Richmond at Sam Houston State, 7 p.m., ESPNU

Is this week sponsored by Coke Zero? At the very least, can we get a Coke Zero bottle in place of the regular Coke bottle atop Nick's lectern this week?

 

[DanOregon]

I know I should be excited about Bama-FSU, but I figure the loser of that game will drop no lower than 5 and not be in jeopardy of costing their conference a slot in the playoff.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Stanford didn't win a game by more than 25 points all last season and now is playing without McCaffrey and with the QB situation still very much unsettled.

 

[exmediahack]

Stanford didn't win a game by more than 25 points all last season and now is playing without McCaffrey and with the QB situation still very much unsettled.

That rice +31 is juicy. Especially if the first half is 17 points or so.

I'll have to check Rice's returning starters and QB situation. If they have a returning QB, that's nearly free money.

 

[Steak Snabler]

That rice +31 is juicy. Especially if the first half is 17 points or so.

I'll have to check Rice's returning starters and QB situation. If they have a returning QB, that's nearly free money.

They do not have a returning QB, but do return all 5 offensive linemen.

 

[Neutral Corner]

I got one for you. UAB is back this season. They have not played a down the last two seasons. No one knows how to predict this season. Generally all the predictions are for dead last in the conference, and I've seen a number of predictions of #130 of 130. Last I heard Vegas had the over/under at 2.5.

Bill Clark has been building this team for two and a half years now. He didn't want to start a team full of 18 and 19 year olds, so they heavily recruited Jucos. The NCAA stopped the clock for players who signed with UAB, so kids with academic issues to fix or injuries that needed to be rehabbed signed and got that straight without needing to redshirt. The team is a lot more talented than anyone expects (or believes). O-line is 300 lbs. all the way across for the first time that I know of at UAB.

The opener is Alabama A&M, a so-so SWAC team. Game three is Coastal Carolina in their first D-1 season. Both of those are home games. I think three wins is a done deal. Four or five is what I expect to see, and six is not impossible. It's a friendly schedule.

Yeah, I'm a homer... but 2.5? I think that's a very safe bet.

 

[exmediahack]

They do not have a returning QB, but do return all 5 offensive linemen.

Yeah, consulted my Phil Steele.

It's weird that these two played to end the regular season last year and open in 2017. That offensive linemen unit coming back could keep them within 31. Especially if Stanford keeps it on the ground.

 

[exmediahack]

I got one for you. UAB is back this season. They have not played a down the last two seasons. No one knows how to predict this season. Generally all the predictions are for dead last in the conference, and I've seen a number of predictions of #130 of 130. Last I heard Vegas had the over/under at 2.5.

Bill Clark has been building this team for two and a half years now. He didn't want to start a team full of 18 and 19 year olds, so they heavily recruited Jucos. The NCAA stopped the clock for players who signed with UAB, so kids with academic issues to fix or injuries that needed to be rehabbed signed and got that straight without needing to redshirt. The team is a lot more talented than anyone expects (or believes). O-line is 300 lbs. all the way across for the first time that I know of at UAB.

The opener is Alabama A&M, a so-so SWAC team. Game three is Coastal Carolina in their first D-1 season. Both of those are home games. I think three wins is a done deal. Four or five is what I expect to see, and six is not impossible. It's a friendly schedule.

Yeah, I'm a homer... but 2.5? I think that's a very safe bet.

I'm happy for you that the Blazers are back. Still amazed they came back from the dead.

 

[dixiehack]

By happy coincidence, today was Rice preview day on Deadspin. It doesn't sound like a team I would want a weekly financial interest in.

http://deadspin.com/rices-best-case-scenario-is-being-average-1797952917

 

[Jake_Taylor]

I got one for you. UAB is back this season. They have not played a down the last two seasons. No one knows how to predict this season. Generally all the predictions are for dead last in the conference, and I've seen a number of predictions of #130 of 130. Last I heard Vegas had the over/under at 2.5.

Bill Clark has been building this team for two and a half years now. He didn't want to start a team full of 18 and 19 year olds, so they heavily recruited Jucos. The NCAA stopped the clock for players who signed with UAB, so kids with academic issues to fix or injuries that needed to be rehabbed signed and got that straight without needing to redshirt. The team is a lot more talented than anyone expects (or believes). O-line is 300 lbs. all the way across for the first time that I know of at UAB.

The opener is Alabama A&M, a so-so SWAC team. Game three is Coastal Carolina in their first D-1 season. Both of those are home games. I think three wins is a done deal. Four or five is what I expect to see, and six is not impossible. It's a friendly schedule.

Yeah, I'm a homer... but 2.5? I think that's a very safe bet.

I think you are right about UAB having more talent than people expect, but Coastal Carolina won't be easy. That's been damn solid FCS program for a while now. And the others who have moved up to the Sun Belt, Appy State and Georgia Southern, have been anything but pushovers for the big boys.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Coastal Carolina's going to be terrible by all accounts. For one thing, their coach is taking a leave of absence for health reasons this year.

They also lost four offensive linemen, their quarterback and their top running back. They have to replace three-quarters of their secondary and their All-America middle linebacker.

 

[Jake_Taylor]

Coastal Carolina's going to be terrible by all accounts. For one thing, their coach is taking a leave of absence for health reasons this year.

They also lost four offensive linemen, their quarterback and their top running back. They have to replace three-quarters of their secondary and their All-America middle linebacker.

Shows how much I paid attention. Guess not the best year to make the jump.

 

[Neutral Corner]

I'm happy for you that the Blazers are back. Still amazed they came back from the dead.

Thanks so much. It helped that we were able to raise over forty million dollars for a team that "no one cared about". They held the official ribbon cutting on our brand new Football complex Monday. $22m worth of offices, weight room, training, nutrition, an indoor-outdoor practice facility. Very nice facility indeed. It has already made a huge difference in recruiting. Once we get past the Mayoral election this coming Tuesday, I look for the Birmingham/Jefferson County Convention Center to announce a bond issue to upgrade the convention facility and attached arena and to build a 45 to 55 thousand seat stadium. If we can get out of Legion Field and into a modern facility we'll really be positioned to compete.

Here's a photo gallery if you want a look. We're proud of it.

Take a tour through UAB's new football operations center and Legacy Pavilion