Well Written Content Week Three Preview: Basking in the Afterglow

[texifornia 56522]

Time for a lovely three game sweep against what should be badly overmatched opponents before our bye and the big difficulty spike. Time to enjoy the college football landscape from the top.

Even if there's only two ranked-vs-ranked games (and they involve BC and Arizona, so not exactly blueblood battles), it's still college football. And who knows who this week's NIU could be?

Thursday game

Arizona State @ Texas State - 7:30 / 6:30 ESPN
This game is shockingly more than a co-ed must watch, and has turned into a really cool football game. ASU feels like they're a Big 12 contender after dusting Wyoming and Mississippi State. GJ Kinne has TSU (I refuse to use their stupid preferred acronym) looking at an outside shot for the G5 Playoff bid.

Friday games

The Big 12 delivers up some fun football again! It's a Sunflower State double feature.

UNLV @ Kansas - 7 / 6 ESPN
The Runnin' Rebs have already taken one Big 12 scalp, but beating a wounded Lance Leipold team at home is a much trickier proposition

#20 Arizona @ #14 Kansas State - 8 / 7 Fox
One of our two marquee matchups is a lame duck "non-conference" matchup between two Big 12 rivals. Noah Fifita and Tetairoa Mcmillan bring star power, but KSU is probably the better team.

Saturday games

#24 Boston College @ #6 Mizzou - 12:30 / 11:30 SECN
Is this actually the best game in this timeslot? No. It's on SECN for crying out loud. But it's the only ranked matchup of the whole Saturday, so let's give those Jesuit boys their flowers before Mizzou punches BOB back to the football junkyard.

Memphis @ Florida State - 12 / 11 ESPN
Rankings be damned, Memphis is probably the best G5. Florida State blows. This one could get very funny, very fast if DJU can't unfuck himself and the rest of the team continues to come together as well as a mint chip and liverwurst sundae.

LSU @ South Carolina - 12 / 11 ABC
Does LSU suck for real, or was this just Brian Kelly pulling out one of his usual first game disappearing acts before winning 10 games? South Carolina's defense looks for real, but LaNorris Sellers is much more athlete than QB.

#4 Alabama @ Wisconsin - 12 / 11 FOX
Another case of "that bad, or just not their night?" gets resolved with Bama. The problem is, the Luke Fickell express hasn't exactly taken off down the tracks in Madison, so will we really learn that much?

-

#9 Oregon @ Oregon State - 3:30 / 2:30 FOX
Civil War! Oregon has played footsie with losing to two teams from Idaho before figuring their shit out late. Oregon State's lost their coach and a lot of their talent from last year (thanks for Silas Bolden, guys), but they're competent, and they're fucking pissed. Reser Stadium will be electric if UO can't find a way to silence the crowd early.

West Virginia @ Pitt - 3:30 / 2:30 ESPN2
Backyard Brawl! For real this time! These teams aren't good but this rivalry kicks ass. 

Texas A&M @ Florida - 3:30 / 2:30 ABC
Stoppable force, meet moveable object. Can Napier overcome the severe brain injury he seems to have been dealing with during his whole time at Florida and start DJ Lagway and beat a badly limited A&M squad? Loser's season starts to tank very hard here.

Tulane @ #15 Oklahoma - 3:30 / 2:30 ESPN
Last week's Tulane performance beats this very wobbly OU squad. But can they do it away from home the week after after the officials stole a ranked win out of their hands?

Notre Dame @ Purdue - 3:30 / 2:30 CBS
Can Marcus Freeman bounce back from another excruciating performance against a bad (well, now ranked) opponent? He's actually pretty good at that, so we'll see.

-

The late games are ...not so good. At least a Texas blowout will be fun.

#5 Ole Miss @ Wake Forest - 6:30 / 5:30 CW
Look, this game was going to be a blowout even before Wake blew a monster lead against UVA last week. But I am attending it in person, so it gets mentioned. Also, weird timeslot and on the CW - it has some chaos game potential.

UTSA @ #2 Texas - 7 / 6 ESPN
Typing "#2 Texas" was so satisfying. UTSA is terrible, Texas is good, this one's going to be a mudholing.

Colorado @ Colorado State - 7:30 / 6:30 CBS
CSU isn't great (and Tory Horton might be dinged up), but hoo boy does Jay Norvell HATE Colorado. If it stays close, keep it in the rotation.

Air Force @ Baylor - 7:30 / 6:30 FS1
Because we all want to see America triumph over evil

San Diego State @ Cal - 10:30 / 9:30
ACC After Dark! Cal is in prime position for a letdown game against a good G5 after ruining Hugh Freeze's whole season on the Plains.
 

 

Edited September 10 by texifornia

[closetojumping 62246]

I love CFB, so this week is fine, but I certainly understand the lamentation that this is the shittiest week of the season. You have to love it to be interested in anything that isn't your team. 

-Texas State struggled against Lamar and then pummeled UTSA. How good is Texas State? You got me. 

-Barry Odom will be somewhere else this time next season. UNLV might be a 10-2 type team. How much does losing Kotelnicki hurt Kansas? 

-Arizona was incredibly overlooked this offseason by everyone. The QB/WR1 battery there looks dominant. KSU plays sound defense, but do they have the dudes for this one? Those are dudes at Zona. 

11am Games

-How in the hell do you not even mention the Mike Norvell Bowl? We have a chance to watch one of the whiniest fanbases in all of college sports commit unity seppuku if Memphis rolls into Tallahassee and beats FSU. The QB at Memphis is good and the QB at FSU should be working as a bouncer somewhere. 

-North Texas beating Texas Tech might cause me to have an aneurysm from laughter.

-The South Carolina front 7 looked damned good against UK. The freshman DE looks excellent. Can "The Best Offensive Line In College Football" actually show a fucking pulse on the road? GTFO out with that moniker. SCar has a shot to make LSU one dimensional and then unleash the hounds. 

-Bama kept shooting themselves in the dick against USF. I assume we see the same ol'Bama and they blow Wisconsin out. 

-Missouri lost 5-6 defensive players to the NFL draft, their DC to LSU, and, I believe, several other defensive coaches. It seems like we're just assuming a reload here? Is that what Mizzou does? I think Drinkwitz is a buffoon but so is BOB. I am hoping to see the same BC offense that showed up two weeks ago. Fuck SEC solidarity. Give me as many losses for CFP contenders as we can get.

2:30 Slate

-Hudson Card may not have thrown a ball that hit the ground last week. Has he turned a corner? Purdue only needs to get to 20 points to win.

-The Civil War is where we see Oregon get serious and remind everyone that they are actually a top 5 team. Right?

Later Bouts

-The total for the Ole Miss/WF game is 63.5. That may be covered at halftime. 

-Georgia State struggled to beat Chattanooga last week. Vanderbilt heads into SEC play 3-0 after this game. Who had that on their bingo card?

-As good as Air Force usually is, they're objectively bad this year. I watched them get slapped around by SJSU and things are grim there. The troubling part about that is that I'd assumed they'd pummel Baylor and really get Baylor's 2024 spiral humming. 

-You probably intended to avoid the CU/CSU match-up, but I don't think there is a way to lose watching this game. A CU blowout gets that rollercoaster back on track. CSU winning is good in all kinds of ways. Something like last year would at least be entertaining.

-Kent State lost to St. Francis (PA) last week. Tennessee might score 100 points on them and make their story insufferable in the media. 

-Georgia might wind up with 10 or more sacks against a Kentucky team that quit on Saturday. How do rally around Mark Stoops at this point? This one looks really, really hideous.

Edited September 10 by closetojumping

[texifornia 56522]

8 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

I love CFB, so this week is fine, but I certainly understand the lamentation that this is the shittiest week of the season. You have to love it to be interested in anything that isn't your team. 

-Texas State struggled against Lamar and then pummeled UTSA. How good is Texas State? You got me. 

-Barry Odom will be somewhere else this time next season. UNLV might be a 10-2 type team. How much does losing Kotelnicki hurt Kansas? 

-Arizona was incredibly overlooked this offseason by everyone. The QB/WR1 battery there looks dominant. KSU plays sound defense, but do they have the dudes for this one? Those are dudes at Zona. 

11am Games

-How in the hell do you not even mention the Mike Norvell Bowl? We have a chance to watch one of the whiniest fanbases in all of college sports commit unity seppuku if Memphis rolls into Tallahassee and beats FSU. The QB at Memphis is good and the QB at FSU should be working as a bouncer somewhere. 

-North Texas beating Texas Tech might cause me to have an aneurysm from laughter.

-The South Carolina front 7 looked damned good against UK. The freshman DE looks excellent. Can "The Best Offensive Line In College Football" actually show a fucking pulse on the road? GTFO out with that moniker. SCar has a shot to make LSU one dimensional and then unleash the hounds. 

-Bama kept shooting themselves in the dick against USF. I assume we see the same ol'Bama and they blow Wisconsin out. 

-Missouri lost 5-6 defensive players to the NFL draft, their DC to LSU, and, I believe, several other defensive coaches. It seems like we're just assuming a reload here? Is that what Mizzou does? I think Drinkwitz is a buffoon but so is BOB. I am hoping to see the same BC offense that showed up two weeks ago. Fuck SEC solidarity. Give me as many losses for CFP contenders as we can get.

2:30 Slate

-Hudson Card may not have thrown a ball that hit the ground last week. Has he turned a corner? Purdue only needs to get to 20 points to win.

-The Civil War is where we see Oregon get serious and remind everyone that they are actually a top 5 team. Right?

Later Bouts

-The total for the Ole Miss/WF game is 63.5. That may be covered at halftime. 

-Georgia State struggled to beat Chattanooga last week. Vanderbilt heads into SEC play 3-0 after this game. Who had that on their bingo card?

-As good as Air Force usually is, they're objectively bad this year. I watched them get slapped around by SJSU and things are grim there. The troubling part about that is that I'd assumed they'd pummel Baylor and really get Baylor's 2024 spiral humming. 

-You probably intended to avoid the CU/CSU match-up, but I don't think there is a way to lose watching this game. A CU blowout gets that rollercoaster back on track. CSU winning is good in all kinds of ways. Something like last year would at least be entertaining.

-Kent State lost to St. Francis (PA) last week. Tennessee might score 100 points on them and make their story insufferable in the media. 

-Georgia might wind up with 10 or more sacks against a Kentucky team that quit on Saturday. How do rally around Mark Stoops at this point? This one looks really, really hideous.

Shit, I totally read right past the Memphis - FSU game on the list. That's worth adding 100%.

Edited September 10 by texifornia

[texifornia 56522]

And while BC is the center of the cfb world (sort of)

 

[Valmy77 13094]

18 hours ago, texifornia said:

Arizona State @ Texas State - 7:30 / 6:30 ESPN
This game is shockingly more than a co-ed must watch, and has turned into a really cool football game. ASU feels like they're a Big 12 contender after dusting Wyoming and Mississippi State. GJ Kinne has TSU (I refuse to use their stupid preferred acronym) looking at an outside shot for the G5 Playoff bid.
 

What is their stupid preferred acronym?

[texifornia 56522]

Just now, Valmy77 said:

What is their stupid preferred acronym?

TXST - I guess not to steal Texas Southern / Tarleton State's thunder? It's dumb.

[Evil Bill Obrien 3191]

18 hours ago, texifornia said:

GJ Kinne has TSU (I refuse to use their stupid preferred acronym) looking at an outside shot for the G5 Playoff bid.
 

Sorry for being respectful to Texas Southern who had the TSU monicker first…

 

[GreenspointTexas 9567]

21 minutes ago, texifornia said:

And while BC is the center of the cfb world (sort of)

 

Michigan did too

[texifornia 56522]

17 minutes ago, Evil Bill Obrien said:

Sorry for being respectful to Texas Southern who had the TSU monicker first…

 

They aren't even in the same tier of football or region of the state, they'll almost never come up in conversation together. And TXST isn't an acronym, it's just a sad jumble of letters.

[Valmy77 13094]

We should go by UTex so people won't confuse us with Utah Tech.

[Armybrat 40741]

36 minutes ago, Valmy77 said:

What is their stupid preferred acronym?

Mrs. Brat & my oldest son, both grads, prefer SWT.

Edited September 11 by Armybrat

[Js1 85110]

3 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Mrs. Brat & my okdest son, both grads, prefer SWT.

I knew one of the geezers would chime in that it’s SWT

[TrashMaster G 17388]

50 minutes ago, texifornia said:

And while BC is the center of the cfb world (sort of)

 

Great.  Now I want meatballs.

Thanks.

[Tex Long 4348]

TXST is technically not an acronym. It uses two letters each from two words, and unless you pronounce it as a word - maybe "text" or "tikst" or the like - it even fails that test. Maybe you could call it an initialism or some such term, but it's not even the first two letters of one of the words. 

 

NOTE: Old guy here, I still think "Texas Southern" when I see TSU.

[Evil Bill Obrien 3191]

12 minutes ago, texifornia said:

They aren't even in the same tier of football or region of the state, they'll almost never come up in conversation together. And TXST isn't an acronym, it's just a sad jumble of letters.

I guess god forbid a school tries to have its own identity and not have to share stuff like acronyms/symbology, hand signals and such…am I right OKST and TTU fans?

 

[Tex Long 4348]

1 minute ago, Tex Long said:

TXST is technically not an acronym. It uses two letters each from two words, and unless you pronounce it as a word - maybe "text" or "tikst" or the like - it even fails that test. Maybe you could call it an initialism or some such term, but it's not even the first two letters of one of the words. 

 

NOTE: Old guy Geezer here, I still think "Texas Southern" when I see TSU.

 

EDITED FOR ACCURACY

[Evil Bill Obrien 3191]

10 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Mrs. Brat & my oldest son, both grads, prefer SWT.

SWT throwback gear and uniforms are the best, kinda wish they would bring back the SWT Maroon and Gold more because they are objectively better

 

[UTkicker 55]

56 minutes ago, texifornia said:

TXST - I guess not to steal Texas Southern / Tarleton State's thunder? It's dumb.

SWT for the olds.

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

How does NTSU fit into all of this?

[BurntEyes 5834]

There are 4 games I'm very interested aside in from UTSA v Texas because of my disdain and curiosity.

1) Memphis at FSU I picked Memphis to make the playoffs. I've seen FSU play. I won't say it's a high level of confidence but Memphis can definitely win this game. 

2) ND @ Purdue This is a match up of 2 bad teams. How bad is ND? I know they are bad. I hope they are absolutely shitty and this game will truly let me know the depths.

3) aggie @ Florida I shouldn't need to explain why a second game of shit football teams is on my list. I'm hoping for a close game that Florida wins late. It helps aggie prop of their delusions and increases delicious tear count.

4)CU @ CSU One was a Texas opponent. One is a dumpster from which fumes of gas are flowing like a river. With CSU bring a lighter to the party? I hope so.

Bama @ Wisky is going to give me better insight. SC @ Swamp thing will too. 

It's isn't a great weekend for big match ups but God damn there is a lot of joy to possibly be had if enough things swing the right way. Also going to get a much better feel for what the season and conferences might really be.

Edited September 11 by BurntEyes

[BurntEyes 5834]

43 minutes ago, Evil Bill Obrien said:

I guess god forbid a school tries to have its own identity and not have to share stuff like acronyms/symbology, hand signals and such…am I right OKST and TTU fans?

 

I'm sure the Buffaloes agree with you. Deion will ask why your calling him Deion and not focused on his child's terrible music. 

[closetojumping 62246]

Notre Dame's embattled QB, Riley Leonard, has a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. ND fans are clamoring for Angelli and the staff won't say whether or not Leonard will play. There's a chance that this season turns into a full blown dumpster fire for ND, even with the shitty schedule.

[Helobious 9481]

9 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Notre Dame's embattled QB, Riley Leonard, has a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. ND fans are clamoring for Angelli and the staff won't say whether or not Leonard will play. There's a chance that this season turns into a full blown dumpster fire for ND, even with the shitty schedule.

I don’t see how losing Riley Leonard would be a negative for their team. 

[HenryJames 65890]

1 hour ago, texifornia said:

And while BC is the center of the cfb world (sort of)

 

I put some meatballs in your mom's cup last night.

[closetojumping 62246]

10 minutes ago, Helobious said:

I don’t see how losing Riley Leonard would be a negative for their team. 

I am not sure I said that losing Leonard would be a loss. The coaches playing an injured player will be a locker room and fanbase issue. That should be pretty obvious. Beyond that, Angelli had a good bowl game and they still went out and paid good money to bring a guy in over him. A QB controversy of any sort plays a role in the season's outcome for a team. 

The fact that you need that explained in paint by numbers fashion is fucking irritating, even for you.

[Helobious 9481]

6 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

I am not sure I said that losing Leonard would be a loss. The coaches playing an injured player will be a locker room and fanbase issue. That should be pretty obvious. Beyond that, Angelli had a good bowl game and they still went out and paid good money to bring a guy in over him. A QB controversy of any sort plays a role in the season's outcome for a team. 

The fact that you need that explained in paint by numbers fashion is fucking irritating, even for you.

I’m just saying I think it could rejuvenate the team/fans. Florida was staring a disaster season in the face. Their terrible QB Mertz gets hurt, Lagway impressed, and all of a sudden they have at least a pulse again now that both will play. Same thing could happen to ND.

[Evil Bill Obrien 3191]

1 hour ago, Doc Daneeka said:

How does NTSU fit into all of this?

They get stuck being a directional school forever and better like it

[Vertigo 20267]

1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

Notre Dame's embattled QB, Riley Leonard, has a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. ND fans are clamoring for Angelli and the staff won't say whether or not Leonard will play. There's a chance that this season turns into a full blown dumpster fire for ND, even with the shitty schedule.

Mild shock face that Riley Leonard wasn't going to last 3 games running QB power 15 times per game after being on the shelf all last year to injury. 

[texifornia 56522]

Some random streaks could be broken this week:

 

[Underdog 28457]

On 9/10/2024 at 4:40 PM, closetojumping said:

Georgia might wind up with 10 or more sacks against a Kentucky team that quit on Saturday. How do rally around Mark Stoops at this point? This one looks really, really hideous.

Pffft, UK is gonna shock the nation, baby… 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

predicting 6 first downs in the game for the Cats! 

[Wulaw Horn 18980]

Is this the worst week of college football?  It’s pretty bleak. It can get a lot more fun if aggy loses to Florida and OU continues to flounder about against Tulane- both those things would be fun. 
if Wisconsin can make it interesting or aggy Florida finds amusement you can get through the day with somewhat interesting viewing in all the time periods, but if Bama throttles Wisconsin or aggy looks like less than warmed over dog shit against Florida destroying my urge to point and laugh then you have massive holes in the schedule with nothing all that compelling going on. Maybe I will play with my kids or pay attention to the wife or something like that if the worst case scenario happens. 
Also, am at 70% through the first 3 weeks picking against the line. Both picks and money management. I fully expect to regress hard to the mean this week- I think I like 2 lines in the entire board- just a brutal week if you are into the game within the game. 

[Elmer_Fudd 22109]

7 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

Is this the worst week of college football?  It’s pretty bleak. It can get a lot more fun if aggy loses to Florida and OU continues to flounder about against Tulane- both those things would be fun. 
if Wisconsin can make it interesting or aggy Florida finds amusement you can get through the day with somewhat interesting viewing in all the time periods, but if Bama throttles Wisconsin or aggy looks like less than warmed over dog shit against Florida destroying my urge to point and laugh then you have massive holes in the schedule with nothing all that compelling going on. Maybe I will play with my kids or pay attention to the wife or something like that if the worst case scenario happens. 
Also, am at 70% through the first 3 weeks picking against the line. Both picks and money management. I fully expect to regress hard to the mean this week- I think I like 2 lines in the entire board- just a brutal week if you are into the game within the game. 

I'd also add I'd love to see South Carolina beat LSU. 

[texifornia 56522]

Watch Grid up - I also completely missed the mid-September Apple Cup because it's not even on TV, it's a Peacock game.

https://www.jasonkirk.fyi/p/watch-grid-32-novelty-junk-foods

[texifornia 56522]

 

 

[ClubWhatever 12087]

Heard on OTF this morning that Florida has like 15 players on the injury report including their star RB.  Napier is coaching for his job on a week to week basis but Elko may luck out here.

[HtownHorn 14487]

I will say that after watching the extended highlights of the Oregon-Boise State game, the Broncos got fucked multiple times by the officials. The worst coming on the KR for a TD by Oregon where the returner clearly dropped the ball before crossing the GL, but the officials upheld the ruling after review. All this to say, Oregon has struggled for two weeks and really should be 1-1.

OSU is averaging 300 yards rushing per game and the Oregon defense was just toasted by Ashton Jeanty.

It would really be hilarious to see the Beavers take the Ducks out before they enter B1G conference play.

[texifornia 56522]

 

[texifornia 56522]

 

[texifornia 56522]

Meanwhile in Charlotte

 

[texifornia 56522]

CSU fans are ready

 

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

1 minute ago, texifornia said:

CSU fans are ready

 

And lost. 

[General Specific 3233]

[texifornia 56522]

 

[texifornia 56522]

Meanwhile, at Kirby Smart's School for Kids Who Can't Drive Good

 

[closetojumping 62246]

18 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Meanwhile, at Kirby Smart's School for Kids Who Can't Drive Good

 

The third CB on their depth chart and he's played a lot this season behind Julian Humphrey. 

The Georgia boards don't seem to give a shit and think it's just bad cops in Athens. That would be great and all if this shit hadn't already killed people in their org. Good grief.

Beyond this, Georgia has 3 DLs out for UK, including both starting DTs. They're also lacking one of their TBs. I'm guessing it doesn't matter since Kentucky has like 20 guys out, including Trayanum, his backup, and 3 OLs are all out. But, hey, they'll have Brock Vandergriff out there, perfectly healthy.

[Ignatius 4002]

On 9/10/2024 at 4:40 PM, closetojumping said:

How in the hell do you not even mention the Mike Norvell Bowl? We have a chance to watch one of the whiniest fanbases in all of college sports commit unity seppuku

Jesus this assessment of FSU fans couldn’t be more true. I didn’t realize that until we moved to Atlanta a few years ago…

[TheAuditor 1031]

On 9/12/2024 at 9:20 AM, Wulaw Horn said:

Is this the worst week of college football?  It’s pretty bleak. It can get a lot more fun if aggy loses to Florida and OU continues to flounder about against Tulane- both those things would be fun. 
if Wisconsin can make it interesting or aggy Florida finds amusement you can get through the day with somewhat interesting viewing in all the time periods, but if Bama throttles Wisconsin or aggy looks like less than warmed over dog shit against Florida destroying my urge to point and laugh then you have massive holes in the schedule with nothing all that compelling going on. Maybe I will play with my kids or pay attention to the wife or something like that if the worst case scenario happens. 
Also, am at 70% through the first 3 weeks picking against the line. Both picks and money management. I fully expect to regress hard to the mean this week- I think I like 2 lines in the entire board- just a brutal week if you are into the game within the game. 

This seems extreme,  take up betting on games, it makes them more interesting. 

[texifornia 56522]

 

[WBT 20422]

This was a good read in the Athletic this week on Alabama's first (and until tomorrow only) visit to Wisconsin

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5759237/2024/09/11/wisconsin-alabama-college-football-history-1928/

Spoiler

 

A letter arrived in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on a June day, five months before what was considered one of the most important intersectional college football games of the 1928 season. Alabama football coach Wallace Wade unfolded the handwritten note from Wisconsin football coach Glenn Thistlethwaite, the contents of which included an unusual proposal ahead of the teams’ matchup.

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Thistlethwaite asked Wade to agree to a no-scouting pact. He explained that he believed scouting Alabama “would be an expensive proposition” that would require sending a staff member to spend at least 10 days on the road to watch two games to fully understand the Crimson Tide’s style of play.

“It would be equally expensive for Alabama to scout us,” Thistlethwaite said, according to The Capital Times. “But the main objection to the plan according to the way I view it is the loss of one of the staff for this period of time, at a critical time in the season, the Alabama game coming as it does between the Michigan and Chicago tilts.”

Thistlethwaite asserted that the abolition of scouting would make the game more interesting for the spectator, providing more scoring and added color with neither team drilling defensively to stop their rival’s attack.

Wade promptly wrote back and refused, arguing that Alabama scheduled intersectional games to keep in touch with football as it was played in different regions of the country. That advantage would be lost if he entered into a no-scouting agreement, he said.

In an attempt to placate Thistlethwaite, Wade said he wouldn’t even have that much time to scout because he would be occupied with Alabama’s eight other games scheduled in the Southern Conference — an opinion the Wisconsin State Journal decried as something that could be “taken at slightly less than its face value.”

And so, the gamesmanship began for a highly anticipated showdown with regional superiority and national recognition on the line.

GO DEEPER

Why Wisconsin vs. Alabama could be the most significant nonconference game at Camp Randall

Wisconsin (2-0) and No. 4 Alabama (2-0) will meet Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium for a significant early-season nonconference game with College Football Playoff implications. It is a unique opportunity for the Badgers to defend their home field against a premier Crimson Tide program. But it won’t be the first time they have done so.

Ninety-six years ago, on Nov. 3, 1928, the schools clashed at Randall Field in front of an estimated crowd of 25,000, with thousands more listening on the radio. It was a game and a week that featured plenty of pageantry, spectacle and intrigue.

Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium, built in 1917, is the fourth-oldest college football stadium in the country. (Courtesy of Wisconsin Athletics)

It was dubbed the suicide schedule. After all, wrote Wisconsin’s student newspaper, The Daily Cardinal, “What team could hope to survive such a schedule? Notre Dame, Michigan, Purdue, Alabama, etc.”

Yet as Wisconsin began preparations for Alabama week, the Badgers stood at 4-0-1. There had been victories against Notre Dame, Cornell (Iowa) and North Dakota State, as well as a tie against Purdue. Then came an impressive 7-0 victory at Michigan, marking the Badgers’ first win against the Wolverines in 29 years. Suddenly, it appeared as though Wisconsin maintained one of its finest teams in decades. One season earlier, Thistlethwaite’s first at Wisconsin, the Badgers had finished 4-4 overall.

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Wade was entering his sixth season as Alabama’s coach and was regarded as a brilliant football mind. He won a pair of national championships with Alabama in 1925 and 1926. His 1925 team went undefeated and became the first Southern team to win the Rose Bowl.

Alabama’s 1928 squad was not considered to be of quite the same caliber but was formidable nonetheless with its single-wing offense. Entering Wisconsin week, Alabama was 3-1 with a 2-point loss to Tennessee and was coming off a 42-12 drubbing of Sewanee.

Opinions were split about the matchup, which represented Wisconsin’s first intersectional game in 16 years. Some considered Wisconsin a slight favorite. The Daily Cardinal wrote: “Many are inclined to believe that the Crimson Tide will be the victor because of their pile-driving offense. It is quite possible that the Alabama offense might plow through the line for substantial gains.”

What the Crimson Tide had going for them was a starting offensive line, from tackle to tackle, that outweighed Wisconsin by 12 pounds per man. That included a 208-pound center and four tackles all above 205 pounds. After the failed no-scouting attempt, Wisconsin sent a pair of coaches south: freshman coach Glenn Holmes and varsity backfield coach Guy Sundt. They returned “with reports that the Wade eleven is a crew of giants,” according to The Capital Times.

Wisconsin found itself with a different kind of advantage. Thistlethwaite had reinstated halfback Gene Rose and guard Joe Kresky after a one-game suspension for leaving the team while in Chicago on the way back from the Purdue game and failing to return to campus until Monday. Wade, meanwhile, kept two of his star backs behind for a second straight game because they refused to train and made no effort to keep in condition.

Thistlethwaite was no stranger to playing the angles. Before Wisconsin’s 22-6 season-opening victory against Notre Dame four weeks earlier, Fighting Irish coach Knute Rockne discovered the Camp Randall grass hadn’t been mowed in more than a week in an effort to slow down his speedy team. Although Rockne demanded the grass be mowed, Thistlethwaite refused.

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Wade’s biggest concern upon arrival was how the swift change in temperature would impact his players. Alabama was used to a warmer climate. But weather bureau reports stated the temperature in Madison for the game could fall to as low as 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

“He has thought of buying white cotton gloves, using goose grease and equipping each player with an electric heater,” wrote The Birmingham News.

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Wisconsin’s athletic department officials considered the Alabama game to be so important — and student interest in the football program so lacking — that a pep rally was called for the first time in years, at 7 p.m. Friday on the second floor of the Red Gym. Kickoff was 19 hours away, and the mass meeting served to prove the Badgers could provide needed school spirit.

“It is entirely unfair to expect the Wisconsin football team to rise to heights of inspired play without the enthusiasm of the entire student body to buoy it up,” Thistlethwaite had said.

Anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 people showed up, depending on reports. Although arrangements had been made to handle a crowd of 5,000 and some newspaper outlets voiced displeasure with the turnout, the energy was apparent to those in attendance. When Thistlethwaite spoke, according to The Daily Cardinal, “pandemonium broke loose” and required him to motion for the audience to stop cheering after three full minutes.

The varsity band and 33 members of Wisconsin’s football team were present for several speeches during the session, including from Thistlethwaite, team captain Rube Wagner, athletic director George Little, school president Glenn Frank, former Olympic star and Wisconsin alum “Arlie” Mucks Sr. and Major Tom Fox, head of the ROTC program and a former cheerleader at West Point. Bill Momsen, a senior and star athlete, served as the master of ceremonies.

“After this meeting, I challenge anyone to say any word attacking the spirit of Wisconsin,” Momsen told the crowd.

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At the same time, Alabama’s 31 players were a mile away on the Capitol Square at the Park Hotel, known in the 1920s as the only first-class hotel in Madison, with 170 rooms. The Crimson Tide had arrived earlier that afternoon by train, nearly 24 hours after they had left the station in Birmingham, Ala., quietly working through a practice in the stadium and retreating to their rooms. Several members of Wisconsin’s student body helped haul their luggage to the hotel, and Alabama students who made the trip were provided with accommodations at the Wisconsin student union.

The train, dubbed the “Wallace Wade Special,” carried more than 200 people, including the team, coaches, fans, a 50-piece band and Alabama Gov. Bibb Graves, a graduate of his state university and rabid football fan. In deference to Graves’ arrival, Wisconsin Gov. Fred Zimmerman cut his political speaking tour short to attend the game, sit with Graves and be escorted to the Alabama section by the Wisconsin band at halftime for a military salute in their honor.

Shop windows across downtown the night before reflected enthusiasm for the game with signs that read: “Dam that Crimson Tide,” “Fight ‘Em Badgers” and “Beat Alabama.”

This much was certain: Supporters on both sides were ready for a show.

Wisconsin-Alabama in 1928 was the first intersectional game at Wisconsin since its 1912 defeat of Arkansas. (Courtesy of Wisconsin Athletics)

Wisconsin struck first on a soggy field late in the opening quarter, thrilling an exuberant home crowd that paid $3 for tickets and 25 cents for game programs. Fullback Harold Smith ran untouched for a 15-yard score after the Alabama defense bit on a fake run around the end by Smith’s teammate. Smith’s extra-point attempt failed, and Wisconsin led 6-0 at halftime.

Badgers quarterback Francis “Bo” Cuisinier, selected as the team’s most valuable player that season, helped break open the game by returning the second-half kickoff 65 yards into Crimson Tide territory. Kicker August Backus connected on a drop-kick field goal from over the 33-yard line to give Wisconsin a 9-0 lead. Later in the third quarter, Cuisinier scored on a thrilling 18-yard touchdown run to account for the final margin in Wisconsin’s 15-0 victory. Neither team completed more than three passes.

Only once did Alabama threaten, reaching the 2-foot line in the second quarter. But Wisconsin, which had spent the week practicing Alabama’s plays against the Badgers’ freshman team, stuffed Crimson Tide fullback Tony Holm on fourth down for a turnover on downs. The failure to score with a first-and-goal from the 5 was attributed, at least in part, to a disorganized backfield due to Wade’s disciplinary shakeup.

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When it was over, Wisconsin had established itself as one of the top teams in the nation in front of a crowd so rowdy, The Daily Cardinal noted, that “several of Madison’s stalwart policemen staged a private football game with several inebriated gentlemen who insisted on crashing the gate to the field.”

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Wisconsin’s defense would not allow a point for four consecutive games until suffering a 6-0 defeat in the regular-season finale against rival Minnesota, capping an otherwise outstanding season with a 7-1-1 record. Alabama finished 6-3 but went on to claim its third national championship under Wade two years later.

The sentiment as Wisconsin’s players readied for kickoff that day against Alabama was that they needed to play their best game of the season to remain unbeaten. Some things, even a century later, don’t change.

“Wisconsin showed us one of the greatest teams we have ever met in an intersectional game,” Wade said, according to the Birmingham Post-Herald. “Lack of experience cost us a touchdown, but a coach can’t expect to develop a field general in two weeks. Alabama just simply wasn’t entitled to beat Wisconsin.”