Is it run the damn ball, Bobo, time this week?

I know, I know.  I just posted something about Georgia’s offense needing to be more explosive in the passing game and here I am talking about running.  That said, looking at what I can find out about UAB, it appears their base offense defense has five DBs… and two of their leading tacklers, Keondre Swoopes and Mac McWilliams, are a safety and a cornerback, respectively.

They do blitz a lot and have nine sacks in three games to show for it.  But they’re also 85th nationally in tackles for loss.  On top of that, they rank 131st in opponent 3rd down conversion rate and 83rd in opponent red zone conversion rate.

Why wouldn’t you go out and try to establish the run against these guys?

Sweet deal

While Cal, SMU and Stanford are taking shaves to join the ACC, Oklahoma and Texas are getting checks… from Mickey.

… According to the SEC’s responses to questions provided in writing by the USA TODAY Network, a set of such modifications to the SEC’s football schedule “includes the Universities of Oklahoma and Texas becoming part of the SEC’s schedule.”

This money will be coming from ESPN, which is taking over the SEC’s featured Saturday afternoon/evening football TV rights package from CBS, beginning in 2024.

And there is more from ESPN.

Each school’s agreement with the SEC states: “The Institution has represented to the SEC that ESPN, Inc., or an affiliate of ESPN, Inc., has agreed to make a transition payment to the SEC, over and above all rights fees and other payments otherwise payable to the SEC by ESPN, Inc., and its affiliates, earmarked and designated for distribution to the Institution.” The agreements do not say how much this payment will be, and the schools and the SEC declined to comment about the amount.

Meanwhile, Texas and OU are getting other payments from ESPN under contract modifications that will shut down agreements for so-called third-tier rights to events including football and men’s basketball but primarily involving sports such as volleyball, women’s basketball, softball and baseball, and with OU, wrestling and gymnastics. Those rights will convey to the SEC, and, in turn, to the ESPN-owned SEC Network.

Texas’ Longhorn Network was created in 2011 under an agreement with ESPN and the entity now known as IMG College that had been scheduled to run through 2031 and guaranteed Texas a total of nearly $300 million. Because the guaranteed annual rights fee was set to increase each year, from 2024-25 through 2030-31, Texas had been set to collect a combined total of nearly $125 million.

The amendment covering the terms of the network’s wind-down includes a payment from ESPN to Texas that is set to be made on or before June 21, 2024 “in exchange for certain institutional rights throughout the 2024/2025 academic year.” The amount of the payment was redacted from a document obtained from the university, which declined to comment on the nature of the institutional rights it is providing to ESPN.

OU’s agreement with ESPN began with the 2022-23 school year and had been set to guarantee the school $2 million a year for three years.  Similar to the Texas arrangement, the contract between Oklahoma and ESPN has been changed to include ESPN agreeing to make a payment to the university on July 1, 2024 “in exchange for certain institutional rights throughout the 2024/2025 academic year.” Also as with Texas’ deal, the amount of the payment was redacted from a document obtained from the university, which declined to comment on the nature of the institutional rights it is providing to ESPN.

Two things from that:  (1) anyone who says there isn’t enough money in college football to fund everything is a liar and (2) it raises the level to which schools — SEC schools in particular — are beholden to ESPN.  (As part of their deal, Oklahoma had to agree not to modify or cancel its upcoming series with Michigan and Nebraska, for example.)

If there’s one rule of thumb for 21st century college athletics, it’s that money talks.

“Going to Notre Dame could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

If, like me, you were part of the throng of Georgia fans who traveled to Notre Dame for the 2017 game, you’ll be pleased to know that you left a mark ($$).

The color scheme inside Notre Dame Stadium will be the story before and potentially after the game. Freeman said he’ll notice the breakdown of fans before kickoff, who’s wearing what and in what volume. That imagery fades after the first snap, but Notre Dame wants to win the margins of Saturday night and the actual game…

Notre Dame will put LED wristbands on every seat, part of a digital light show with each wristband coordinated by location in the stadium. Notre Dame already added light shows to night games. It first experienced that impact in the return game at Georgia three years ago. This is all a long way from flyovers, “Crazy Train” and honoring professors on the video board.

“Part of it is FOMO,” Wells said. “But the other part of it is people having ownership. That’s what we’ve got to really dig deep into people’s psyche, this is your place too, take ownership of it. And don’t let anybody else come in here. Let’s make sure this place, home field advantage for our team, not anyone else.”

There’s plenty more where that came from, including limiting the risk of visiting fans buying tickets directly from the school, as well as carefully tracking the secondary market.

… On his computer, Nowlin has a dashboard with every seat in the stadium, color-coded as the tickets are bought, sold and resold. Blue represents a transfer. Pink represents the secondary market. The chart should let Nowlin anticipate problems before they play out on national television.

“The secondary market where we’ve seen the most turnover is an Ohio State section,” Nowlin said. “That’s a positive for us and what we’re looking for. We’ve done everything we can to prevent it from being in that (Georgia) area. Our technology is there, our strategy is there.

A reminder of what “that (Georgia) area” looked like:

(Photo: Jeff Haynes / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

Y’all, give yourselves a pat on the back.  You done good.

On to Phase 2

If, like me, you think the coaches hammered it into Carson Beck over the offseason to avoid turning the ball over über alles, it’s pretty clear the lesson took.

May I be so bold as to offer the next subject for indoctrination?

The SEC's most explosive offenses ahead of WK3 (passes 20+, runs 10+)

1. LSU
2. Ole Miss
3. Alabama
4. UK
5. Tennessee
6. SCar
7. TAMU
8. Auburn
9. Georgia
10. Miss State
11. Vandy
12. Missouri
13. Florida
14. Arkansashttps://t.co/ZenJMliWIG pic.twitter.com/wGut8lUcI3

— Clark Brooks (@SEC_StatCat) September 15, 2023

When Kentucky’s offense is more explosive than Georgia’s, Athens, you’ve got a problem.  Fellas, it’s time to unleash the hounds, so to speak.

UAB’s comin’

And, according to one of their beat writers, here’s what they’re bringing:

Jacob Zeno has certainly shown what he’s capable of. What have been your initial impressions of him this year?

Dudley: “Zeno can definitely sling the ball around but has made mistakes at critical times in both of UAB’s losses. Louisiana brought a heavy pass rush last week, and Zeno was visibly rattled and bounced around the pocket a bit too much at times. Given time by his offensive line, Zeno has the talent and ability to shred defenses.”

What’s been your take on the way the defense has played thus far?

Dudley: “They have overwhelmingly underperformed this season. Not much can be gained from the opener. the Blazers faced a run-heavy FCS team that passed only six times. But UAB’s defense gave up almost 350 passing yards at Georgia Southern and more than 300 yards on the ground against the Ragin’ Cajuns.”

Although it’s just three games in, has your opinion changed in any way, shape, or form regarding what kind of season the Blazers can have?

Dudley: “Yes. Before the season, the experience that UAB returned was thought to be valuable enough to get the Blazers to 3-0 before heading to Athens. The primary concerns are the offensive and defensive lines. The season could spiral if there is not significant improvement made by both.”

Evidently they can’t stop the run, can’t stop the pass and their quarterback wilts under pressure.  Maybe I’m missing something here, but this would seem an opportune time for this Georgia team to show up from the opening kick.

Musical palate cleanser, clubbin’ time

Here’s The Cash Box Kings, with their ode to hitting nightspots on Chicago’s South Side, “Down on the South Side”:

“Hitting” in both senses of the word, I guess…