Life then Football

The 2011 NFL season will start like no other. We all held our breath, hoping the players and owners would come to an agreement, they did. The tidal wave of free agency then ensued and fans saw nothing but dreams of a trip to Indy flashing in their heads. Then, as the final days until the 2011 NFL season kicks off and the anticipation grows, our hearts will grow heavy with the whispers of our past coinciding with the countdown to kickoff. When you turn on your TV Sunday morning one channel will offer a chance to reflect on the past and another will literally kickoff a future (Sounds really dramatic but think about it for a second). The spectrum of emotions will vary for person to person,  just remember to take a second to think about life then football.

Transitioning back to football mode, the college season kicked off this weekend. Week 1 lived up to the hype with some spectacular games (Baylor vs TCU), big wins (Boise St and LSU),  great individual performances (Robert Woods-17 rec, 177 yards, 3 TDs) and the introduction of new uniforms (I can only describe Marylands new uniforms as a Bengals and Steelers jersey mating, then their kid mating with an old NFL Europe jersey). With that being said, 4 of my 5 “prospects to watch” played this weekend.

Matt Barkley (QB-USC): Barkley heaved the ball 45 times, completing 34 of them (17 to WR Robert Woods) for 304 yards. A majority of those were on quick slants, WR screen evident by his 6.8 yards per attempt. Barkley did however show a quick, strong release and really wore the “C” on his chest well leading the Trojans to a 19-17 win over the Golden Gophers.

Trent Richardson (RB-Alabama): I could lie and write something about how I saw Richardson gain a ”tough” 37 yards on 13 carries but I think that 2.8 yards per carry speaks for itself. Richardson did find the endzone 3 times however. I hope to get my first look at Richardson on Saturday against Penn State (3:30est, ABC)

Justin Blackmon (WR-OK State): Blackmon had 8 receptions for 144 yards but it not score any of Oklahoma’s 61 points.

Zach Brown (LB-UNC): I’d like to take a moment and thank my local cable provider for freezing when I tried to play this game on my DVR. Brown finished the day with 6 tackles and 1 sack.

Cliff Harris (CB-Oregon): Harris is suspended and Chip Kelly stated on Sunday that there is “no timetable” for his return.