It Is That Time of The Year Again

Having lived in the South for fourteen years now, I still have a hard time accepting something. It never feels like football season when it starts down here. There is no crisp fall air or changing leaves. I do not have to bundle up under a blanket and drink hot chocolate to stay warm. I will tell you what though, when the University of Georgia (UGA) and Oklahoma State University (OSU) tee it up between the hedges tomorrow night, there will be no doubt as to what time of the year it is. The 92,000 screaming fans will let the world know that it is college football season in Athens.

This is the type game I have been waiting 13 years to see here in Athens. It is a non-conference game against an opponent outside of the South, an opponent with a potent offense. Last year's season opener against Colorado State was just a tease. Although it turned out to be a nailbiter of a game, tomorrow's game seems like it will matter a whole lot more. UGA will have sophomore Matthew Stafford starting at Quarterback, and his maturity has grown leaps and bounds since his inconsistent start last year (well with the exception of the photograph of the underage student hoisting a keg over his head at Talledega Raceway last spring). Hopefully, he will have learned to throw with a nice touch, and not make everything a bullet. If he does this, his receivers might do a better job of holding on to the ball this year. UGA has a young team and they will be tested.

OSU last played UGA in the 1946 and 1947 seasons, losing both games. Last year, OSU had the 7th ranked scoring team in the country, and improvement from number 96 the year before. UGA is currently a 7 point favorite, but what will happen tomorrow is anybody's guess. It will also be the first time I will be at a game as a journalist. I am not working for ESPN, so UGA has provided me with a media credential so that I can try my hand at writing about a game. It is too bad that David Schmidly is no longer the president of OSU and will not be here for the game. It would have been fun to interview him.

Pre-Game Notes

Tomorrow may mark the star of legendary radio play-by-play announcer Larry Munson. At 84, he has already decided to work road games because of his declining health. As much as his abilities to call a game have diminished the past few years, there is a certain feeling you get hearing him on the radio. After 46+ years behind the microphone, he will be missed when he is gone...UGA Coach Mark Richt is 6-0 in season opening games, and is 17-0 against con-conference opponents in Sanford Stadium...Since 2003, OSU is 15-1 in non-conference, regular season games. UGA will be the first ranked team (Number 13) that OSU has faced in a September matchup since a loss to UCLA in 2002. OSU is 2-6 when playing a top 25 opponent in the first game of a season...Last year, OSU averaged 409.8 yards per game, good enough for a 16th place rank in the country. This was an improvement over 2005, when OSU averaged 324.8 yards per game (number 92 nationally).