On Monday night at some point, I’ll click over the widescreen to check out how defending national champion Ohio State is making out in its season opener at Virginia Tech. Yeah, the Big Ten squad has many good quarterbacks, but the Hokies of the ACC is a very sneaky squad at home at night.
Friday night, I’ll pick my dear wife Karen up at the door of SMG come quitting time and pull on over a few blocks to Syracuse University. We’ll park in our favorite still-cheap lot — $6 last year because it’s down the biggest hill — and walk up to buy a bite to eat and some beverages at the Sheraton tailgate shindig. Then we’ll head over to the quad to watch Otto the Orange and the marching band before heading inside to watch SU take on Rhode Island at 7 p.m.
The cover.
Yes, I’m ready for some football.
Hey, that’s the cover of Central New York The Good Life Magazine’s September edition above. I wrote the cover story about how the locals celebrate the season here, high school, college and NFL.
That would be Syracuse University this Friday.
Yeah, Karen and I did it enough to hold onto our Syracuse Orange season tickets for the seventh season in a row now, despite last year’s awful 3-9 performance last year. Third-year coach Scott Shafer needs a solid season from senior quarterback Terrel Hunt, who’s back from an injury that ruined last season, and lots of young guys. The Orange needed a miracle missed chippy FG by FCS foe Villanova to win last year’s opener in overtime after Hunt was ejected from the game for throwing a punch in the first half. The Rams aren’t as good as the Wildcats.
Tailgating, Syracuse Orange style.
Anybody that knows me at all realizes that I’ll be equally excited for the Saturday noon start down in College Park, Md., between my alma mater Terrapins and Richmond. Thankfully, the folks at ESPN decided to broadcast this one between the Big Ten heavy and the FCS wannaplay on The U. Maryland is on the flip side of The Cuse, coming off a winning season. But a regular-season finale loss at home to new league rival Rutgers and a bowl game defeat in San Francisco to Stanford dampened somewhat the giddiness of a 4-0 start and a 4-4 inaugural Big Ten season that included wins at Michigan and Penn State.
So there we have it.
College football is back this weekend. It’s a beautiful thing.
Who’s your favorite college football team, and why? Do you expect your team to have a good, average or bad season, and why? Who do you think is the favorite to win the national championship?
Mark Bialczak 
Congrats on the cover Mark. I’m looking forward to reading the story!
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Thanks, Francis. I appreciate that!
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Congratulations on your story! I’m a Texas Longhorns fan. I’m also a New Mexico State Aggies fan because I graduated from there. They’re terrible at football! As for NFL, I’m a diehard Dallas Cowboys fan! I’m excited for the first game against the New York Giants this coming Sunday.
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Good luck for all of your squads, Amaya. I love this season. My Terps and the Orange both won, but Syracuse lost its starting quarterback with a torn achilles in the first quarter and now will go with a true freshman the rest of the season. Oh, boy. Texas looked awful againt Notre Dame. Sorry! I hope your Cowboys … No, I don’t. I’m a Jets fan, but the Giants are my No. 2 NFL squad. Keep in touch!
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Oh no! Yea Texas didn’t do so well on Saturday. Oh a Giants fan
I think I dislike the Redskins and Eagles more though.
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Jets fan the most. Don’t forget. 😉
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Ok that’s not so bad. 🙂
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Nice cover story…congrats from a Nittany Lion, bleeding blue and white, no matter what ! ☺
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We play each other in Baltimore this season, Van. That should be interesting, the Raven’s huge stadium likely full to the tippy top and half-and-half Terps and NIttany Lions rooters!
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That stadium..rocks the aggressive fans. My daughter lived near the Inner Harbor, and used to warn me not to be on the streets when the Ravens fans let out. She was so right. Interesting, indeed !! ☺
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Oh, my! I’ve never been to Ravens stadium. Just old Memorial Stadium in the ’70s and ’80s, Van.
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It was best described as a sea of purple-clad drunkenness descending on the city ! lol…we timed our restaurant visits to avoid them.
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Smart move, Van. Avoid the marauding.
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If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear someone had done up Phyllis Diller in orange and blue on that cover!
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A very young version, Bill. 🙂
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Yes, of course!
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Congrats on the cover story, Mark!
Go Irish!
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I see that you traded your starting QB to Florida State, Austin. I hope you get some Seminoles luck back in return. 🙂
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The new QB played a lot last year and looked pretty good, so I have a positive feeling about this season!
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Good things for the Irish, who should just buck up and join the ACC for football too and be all-in!
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Go Bucks!
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You national champion! If only I ever get to see the day for my alma mater, Jim. Go Big Ten!
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Congrats on the cover story, Mark! 🙂
YAY for football! Nothing says “Autumn” to me like football! 🙂 I’ve been to MANY high school and college games…no professional ones…but, I have great memories…the temps, the excitement, the bands, the bundling up against the cold temps, the food, the making out ( 😀 ),etc and so on and so forth! 🙂
Have a blast on Friday night! Touchdown! 🙂
HUGS!!! 🙂
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You remember the great things, Caroyln!
I have been to a bunch of NFL games as well as high school and college. They are fun in a different way. I’ve been to games in New York (Jets and Giants), Washington, Baltimore and Buffalo, and all the crowds were big and loving their team. 🙂 My pro team is the Jets, by the way. J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets!
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JETS!!! Go JETS!!! 🙂
How cool to have been to all those professional football games! I’ve been to other pro games…hockey, baseball, basketball…hmm…seems I’m due to get to football some day! 🙂
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I’d say you are owed an NFL game, Carolyn. They are pricey, though! The last one, I went to a Bills game via a tour bus from Syracuse. It was fun not having to drive there myself! 🙂
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If Carrot Top and Veruca Salt, mated, they would make the cover of that magazine.
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Good call on the model, Kerbey!
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Enjoy,Mark!
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Thanks, Paul!
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How cool is that – a cover story!!!! Congratulations!!!!!
Don’t think less of me, I a not a football fan, but I am excited about football because so many people enjoy it, and it’s fun to see so many people having a good time, the camaraderie, dedication and devotion to their favorite teams is heart-warming!!!!
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It’s a good community magnet, SD. No, I don’t think less of you, my Australian-born friend. You have interests different than I, is all. 🙂
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Thanks my friend!!!!!!
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Yay! Football! I hit a few college games up close and personal. IU is best viewed by me on TV. Too much traffic in Bloomington. Do you get the Big Ten Network? I trust you have Nov.21st marked on your calendar.
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Lessee, Nov. 21, my Terps hosting your Hoosiers. We’ll have to chat before that one, Benson. Yes, I get the Big Ten Network, this Maryland alum living all the way up Syracuse. 🙂
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Everybody here is expecting the best season ever, which makes me nervous. Too many people seem to believe that the Ohio State game is the only challenge between our team and the national playoff. That overlooks a lot of good teams. I hope the players aren’t thinking the same way. And congrats on scoring the cover story!
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You guys are always very good, but something happens to keep the season from becoming great. I would be wary as well, Scott. Then again, for the Orange or my Terps, I’d settle for good in a heartbeat. And thanks for your kind words on the cover story.
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Exactly: something happens.
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Well, you made the Final Four last year. That was something happening in Sparty land!
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Yes, and that was especially sweet because it was so unexpected. I just get nervous when expectations are so high at the beginning of the season.
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and it’s all harbaugh, all the time, here. i can’t wait!
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Soon soon soon!
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Can’t wait to get my copy Mark….sure it will be entertaining as usual! This could be a dreadful season for the orange….yet again. But they do have a way of winning or at least playing tough against one team they should get blown out by, so here’s looking forward to that game.
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I think they’re going to be better than that, DJ: Beat other middle-rungers and challenge for six wins and a bowl. If Terrel Hunt stays health and other key players stay heathy is my big caveat — and fear.
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Congratulations on the cover story!
I don’t follow any sports or sports teams. I don’t think I ever attended or watched a college football game.
My younger daughter and I started watching “Friday Night Lights” on Netflix this past spring when she was living here. We both loved the show–but it was despite the football scenes, which I would end up totally not being able to follow. 🙂
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I enjoyed that book written by Bassinger, a Sports Illustrated reporter, and the movie that came from it, Merril. They were good because they were about the hearts of the Texas people, not focused merely on the football.
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Exactly, Mark.
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