Football 2013

We are less than two weeks from the NFL season.  College football tees it up next week.  High Schools started in Indiana last night.  The Boys of Fall are arriving.

What kind of year will it be?

I have a feeling read option quarterbacks could be in trouble.  Defense is adjusting to the read option, assignment football could reduce the role.  For the uninitated, assignment football means the defense holds it commitment to a single assignment per player, giving the quarterback less to read.  It requires more discipline defensively and could be less effective against traditional style offense.  Read option as a sole weapon could be less effective, bad news for my beloved Seahawks.

I believe there will be more up tempo offense played.  The toll taken on defense is worth the time and effort to install the offense.  The Patriots were ahead of the curve and ran plays the quickest last season.  Chip Kelly joining the Eagles could make them an interesting team to watch.

Crown of the helmet rule will save a life.

College football still intrigues me more.  I think Alabama is still the cream of the crop, tons of talent still returning.  The rest of the college football world is still a wild world, anyone capable of beating anyone any given Saturday.  Look for surprises in the Big Ten and ACC.  Notre Dame will not be what they were a year ago, but give Tommy Rees credit: all he does is win.

I'll still be around baseball fields most autumn weekends.  I want to be outside as long as the weather is good, and I'll watch football when the weather gets bad.  Hopefully, it will still be worth watching.