As we said at the outset of Part 1 of our preview, the weekend was too big to be contained:
“Anyone who has read this space for the last few years knows we try to develop a theme when looking at the biggest college football games on the national landscape each week. With such an amazing schedule for week one of this season, I started thinking “shame on you people for looking for a theme…or really shame on me for trying to find one.” However, in the midst of consecutive night of insomnia #3,462, it hit me like a bad 2am infomercial. Well, it was actually was a bad infomercial…for survivalist food kits. I mean, there is no excuse to leave the house this weekend with such a plethora of great games, but we all need nourishment, and for only $150 we can get storage tubs full of things like freeze dried cereal, powdered drinks, beans and rice and 10 pizzas, that by the way, have a 20 year shelf life. Yum.”
The schedule of games is worthy of so much attention this weekend, that we are breaking the preview into two parts. So, as the “preppers” say, let’s SIP (shelter in place), find the remote and grab our bucket o’ food for the games and Part 2 of the preview.
College Football Preview; week 1, Part 2
USC vs. Alabama; Saturday 8pm EDT ABC
Break out one of the high-end, “forever” pizzas from the tub for this one. Maybe even throw in some of the never-goes-bad pasta. Two of college football’s blue bloods meeting at Jerry World in Arlington, TX is cause for celebration. They have 27 national title claims between them and some historic matchups, including the 1970 game when the Trojans’ Sam Cunningham rushing performance did more to integrate college football in the south than any previous march or protest. Both teams are breaking in new quarterbacks. Both teams have talent to burn at the skill positions. The real test is upfront where USC has one of the top offensive lines in the country, anchored by 6-9 340 Zach Banner. Bama has one of the best defensive front sevens in the nation with Ryan Anderson and Tim Williams. In the side dish/subplot, of course USC also gets to visit an old friend now pacing the Bama sidelines. There is no truth to the rumor that SC will stop by the Lane Kiffin Memorial Lounge at LA Airport on their way out of town.
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