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It's early but the NCAA rules committee has seemingly gotten it right with the new timing rules.

Through the first weekend, teams are averaging 68.6 plays per game, down only 3.3375 plays per team from last season (6.6675 total per game). That's tolerable because the loss of plays is minimal and, despite that, scoring is up.
Again, it's early but teams are averaging 30.84 points per game. If it holds up that would break last season's record of
28.38 points per team.

The big difference is in length of game. So far games have lasted only 3 hours, 8 minutes on average. That's down
from 3:22 last season. I've taken my shots at the rules committee in the past as being too meddling. So far its
"fixes" have worked. After covering two games I haven't noticed the quality or the pace of the game being disturbed.

• Everyone seems to be bashing the ACC, but what about the Big East? It went 4-4 in the opening weekend, including
embarrassing losses by Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Louisville and Syracuse. Yes, Louisville and Syracuse. The Cardinals
losing to Kentucky is no surprise but being run out of its own building is disgraceful. A lot of us thought the
Orange would show better against Northwestern but Syracuse lost by 20.

Quoting comedian Jay Mohr: "Is that a football conference or France?"

Six of the seven teams in action this week are favored (Tennessee Tech-Louisville is off the board but we're still
assuming the Cardinals as a favorite):

Upset alerts: Watch for West Virginia (-8) going to East Carolina and Pittsburgh (-13) at home against Buffalo.

Also watch for Cincinnati (+21 1/2) traveling to Oklahoma. Bearcats coach Brian Kelly says this game is a measuring stick for the Big East
season. Don't be surprised if the Bearcats play this one a lot closer than anticipated.

• This might be the mantra for the season: "The little guys are tired of being the little guys and the big guys are
getting a little fat." That's Fresno State quarterback Tom Brandstater to The Sporting News after beating Rutgers.
Not sure if Rutgers qualifies yet was one of the big guys getting fat but the quote works for me.

• That was Fresno's 13th victory since 2001 over a BCS conference school.

• Iowa State used 11 true freshmen in its season-opening win against South Dakota State. Not a big deal until you
consider that the 11 accounted for 26 of the Cyclones' 44 points.

National notes

jimraider Since: Feb 17, 2008	Posted on: September 6, 2008 4:02 pm National notes Come on Dodd!!! How can you make any judgements from one week on powder puff games??? This time change is going to have major effects on the fourth quarter in games that are crunching. It will maximize the importance on time outs and make the come back near impossible. Take for instance the Tenn/UCLA game, the last 7 minutes of that game flew by. I can't help but think it would have never reached OT without that timing change. Cutting plays from the games will lead us right back to the boring games of old. Giving the Defenses such an advantage is weak ruling!!! If they want to stop the scoring, get better! Oh well, maybe your right and we should make the WR play with one hand tied behind ther backs too?!? That would be great! [ Reply to Comment ]
harrischamp Since: Aug 25, 2006	Posted on: September 5, 2008 1:16 pm National notes I think week 1 is a bit early to be making such pronouncements. The games get more competitive later - if we're looking at blowouts due to warm-up games/creampuff scheduling (to be fair, I haven't had a full look at who played whom last weekend), then you would expect games to be shorter and scoring to be higher. Correct me if I'm wrong? [ Reply to Comment ]
buffal0_j0e Since: Feb 7, 2008	Posted on: September 5, 2008 1:17 am National notes A lot of us thought the Orange would show better against Northwestern A lot of you must have forgotten that probably the last time the Orange would have had a decent showing against even New York State's finest high school football team, Donovan McNabb was under center. If there's one thing they're good at recently, it's being bad. Of course Northwestern is not very good, but apparently they'll have to work a little harder if they want to reach the Syracuse level of suckiness. [ Reply to Comment ]
deetime Since: Oct 31, 2006	Posted on: September 4, 2008 1:54 pm Jay Mohr quote?? NOOOOOO!! Dodd: we've seen the promos for this not-funny "comic" on your network. Quoting him doesn't do your column much service. [ Reply to Comment ]
duckloveshorns Since: Jan 19, 2007	Posted on: September 4, 2008 1:47 pm National notes You need to drink faster!! [ Reply to Comment ]
ozark Since: Sep 25, 2006	Posted on: September 4, 2008 9:20 am National notes What's the world coming to? A story by DD that mentions ISU and at the same time he doesn't spend 90% of his text space raving about the SEC? Wow. Good notes though, and I agree on the time changes so far as well. [ Reply to Comment ]
ewinter43 Since: Aug 25, 2006	Posted on: September 4, 2008 9:04 am National notes whose bright idea was it to shorten the games anyway? when football is on, i don't have to do any chores. [ Reply to Comment ]
collegeFBlove Since: Aug 24, 2008	Posted on: September 4, 2008 2:11 am National notes and u cant drink a little bit faster to fit the other 2 beers in? hell, i would. all or nothing, or so they say. bong that beer and be trashed by halftime. trust me, ull love it because of the magical invention called "TiVo" [ Reply to Comment ]
UGA_Steve Since: Sep 11, 2006	Posted on: September 4, 2008 1:55 am Fresno St. - The real truth, instead of the fluff So what if that was Fresno States 13 win over a BCS conference opponent since 2001. They have 13 LOSSES in that same time frame. Considering the majority of these games come against middle tier teams or lower from those conferences, that tealls me that in a BCS conference, Fresno is going to be a roughly .500 team. WOOOOOO!!!! Let's just give them a BCS game this year. Seriously, they middle tier conference have only a few decent bowl wins in decades of trying against the better conferences. It's time to give it a rest and see them for what they are, overrated schools that might sneak up on a decent team every now and then, but would get spanked routinely if playing in a major conference. [ Reply to Comment ]
kobe881 Since: Jun 6, 2008	Posted on: September 4, 2008 1:14 am National notes What about the coming arrests to Penn State players AGAIN? [ Reply to Comment ]

Come on Dodd!!!

How can you make any judgements from one week on powder puff games??? This time change is going to have major effects on the fourth quarter in games that are crunching. It will maximize the importance on time outs and make the come back near impossible. Take for instance the Tenn/UCLA game, the last 7 minutes of that game flew by. I can't help but think it would have never reached OT without that timing change.

Cutting plays from the games will lead us right back to the boring games of old. Giving the Defenses such an advantage is weak ruling!!! If they want to stop the scoring, get better!

Oh well, maybe your right and we should make the WR play with one hand tied behind ther backs too?!? That would be great!

National notes

I think week 1 is a bit early to be making such pronouncements. The games get more competitive later - if we're looking at blowouts due to warm-up games/creampuff scheduling (to be fair, I haven't had a full look at who played whom last weekend), then you would expect games to be shorter and scoring to be higher. Correct me if I'm wrong?

National notes

A lot of us thought the Orange would show better against Northwestern
A lot of you must have forgotten that probably the last time the Orange would have had a decent showing against even New York State's finest high school football team, Donovan McNabb was under center. If there's one thing they're good at recently, it's being bad. Of course Northwestern is not very good, but apparently they'll have to work a little harder if they want to reach the Syracuse level of suckiness.

Fresno St. - The real truth, instead of the fluff

So what if that was Fresno States 13 win over a BCS conference opponent since 2001. They have 13 LOSSES in that same time frame. Considering the majority of these games come against middle tier teams or lower from those conferences, that tealls me that in a BCS conference, Fresno is going to be a roughly .500 team. WOOOOOO!!!! Let's just give them a BCS game this year. Seriously, they middle tier conference have only a few decent bowl wins in decades of trying against the better conferences. It's time to give it a rest and see them for what they are, overrated schools that might sneak up on a decent team every now and then, but would get spanked routinely if playing in a major conference.

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Jay Mohr quote?? NOOOOOO!!

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Fresno St. - The real truth, instead of the fluff

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