Fifth Quarter Conversation - Wrapping up College Football Week 1

Written by John Hoben

Monday, 04 September 2006

Fifth Quarter Conversation - Wrapping up College Football Week 1 The 2006 college football season is officially off and running with approximately 74 finals in the books (involving Div 1 Schools) and one, Florida State at Miami set to wrap up week one tonight. After viewing more games on television and the Internet than my old eyes can stand, I noticed a few things worthy of comment both good and bad.

A few words for Dan Hawkins, the former Boise State coach and current head man at Colorado University. You have been wined and dined by the exclusive Boulder Country Club set and the ritzy Ski Lodge Crowd in Aspen since your hire last December. These are the same people who put up the multi-million dollar contract Hawkins couldn’t get in Boise. The same Dan Hawkins who studies Zen and other Eastern Philosophies. The master of calm. While meditating think about this. You are now a coach in one of the biggest and best football leagues in the land, the BIG XII. Conference. A National Championship has been won in Boulder. Tradition has been established. And you lose to Montana State in your first game 19-10. Montana State, a fine school with great football tradition of its own I am sure but here is the issue. They are a Div-1AA school from the Big Sky Conference with less scholarship players than Colorado. You are playing Montana State for a tune-up. A lopsided score is expected. You don’t let the Montana States of the world hang an L on you. Can we assume the Honeymoon is over in Boulder?

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Fortunately for Hawkins, he doesn’t work for Arkansas Athletics Director and member of the CFB Hall of Fame Frank Broyles who fired coach Jack Crowe following a close loss to The Citadel, a Div 1AA Southern Conference member following the 1992 opener for the Razorbacks. Speaking of Arkansas, Houston Dale Nutt, the current head coach of the Razorbacks didn’t help his job security after Saturday night’s nationally televised game with The University of Southern California on ESPN losing 50-14. The game had been hyped as a revenge match following last years embarrassing 54-point loss to the Trojans in Los Angeles. On Saturday, USC took advantage of five Arkansas turnovers giving the Trojans a short field and turning them into easy points.

I give Saturday nights MVP award to the 107,000 in attendance at the Cal-Tennessee game. The Golden Bears were flustered all night by crowd noise, the Volunteer’s defense and a great performance by Quarterback Erik Ainge, nephew of Boston Celtics great Danny Ainge. Once during the Broadcast Erik was addressed as Danny by the play-by-play announcer but quickly corrected by the color guy. The big win over Cal will ease some of the pressure off Volunteer’s Head Coach Phillip Fulmer. When asked about the pressure in a post game news conference Fulmer indicated the pressure didn’t bother him at all. “Our Soldiers in Iraq face pressure,” Fulmer said. “This is football. It’s just a game and games aren’t pressure.”

It looks like Louisville has lost RB Michael Bush for the season. Bush, a back with a great combination of power and speed broke his leg on a scoring play in the third quarter.

Looking ahead to the weekend, it appears we will see a rematch between Ohio State at Texas. If this game is anything like last years game, we fans will be in for a treat. The Palms Sportsbook, Las Vegas has installed Texas as a 2 ½ point favorite. College Football action continues Thursday September 7th with Boise State hosting Oregon State on the blue turf. The line on the game favors the Broncos with an 8-point chalk.

Get the latest college football point spreads here.