Pressure Cooker!

"Georgia head man Mark Richt & his Bulldogs will be feeling the pressure this weekend!"

We kick off the most exciting sporting season of the year this weekend. College football at it's finest! For those that don't get it let me take you on a journey into a world where 100 year old traditions are still alive and kicking. Where people set their clocks to their favorite schools fight song. It got so crazy last year that an Alabama fan went so far as to poison the 130 year old Oak Trees at Toomer's Corner where the Auburn fans traditionally celebrate by using toilet paper to roll the trees.

There's nothing more exciting than being on a college campus on a fine crisp Autumn Saturday morning like the legendary announcer Keith Jackson would say. Hearing the band play your schools fight song and taking part in traditions that date back to the late 1800's is what it‘s all about. However, the most important tradition of them all is winning and it has to start this weekend especially for the guys sitting at the top of the pile.

This game is like a constantly moving chess board. You can't afford to just pay attention to your team, you've got to watch everything in front of and behind them. It's critical to stay in the win column because an early or late loss could potentially be deadly. The playoff starts tonight with the Thursday night games on tap!

Nobody will be in a bigger pressure cooker this weekend than the #19th Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday night in the Georgia Dome. The Dawgs lock it up with #5 Boise State in prime time with the entire 2011 college football season resting in their paws.

Here's why! If Boise State wins this one game they’ve got a bee line shot to the national title game without having to go into hostile territory the rest of the regular season. This is the only game of any significance that they’ll play on the road, if you will, in 2011. Actually it’s on a neutral field in Atlanta. Many will say that Atlanta is a road game. Yeah, it’s a road game for Georgia as well because they aren’t playing at home “Between the Hedges” as I eluded to in my article entitled, “Playin’ At My Crib With My Ball” last week. In college football there is not greater advantage than playing at home. The good teams hardly ever lose at home. There’s a huge difference between playing at home and playing down the street at your cousin’s crib.

The pressure rests square on the shoulders of the Dawgs because the Broncos could potentially be ranked in the top 2 at seasons end without even lifting a finger after this weekend.

Here’s why! Every team in the top 6 has to play one another before the regular season is over with the exception of, guess who, Boise State! Here they are: 1. Oklahoma 2. Alabama 3.Oregon 4. LSU 5. Boise State 6. Florida State. This is how it breaks down. This weekend #3 Oregon plays #4 LSU in Dallas at Cowboys Stadium. Somebody has to take an "L" and move out of the way. Then on September 17th #1 OU travels to #6 Florida State. Somebody takes an "L" and goes to the crib short. Lastly, on November 5th #2 Alabama (if they're still undefeated and not ranked #1 by then) hosts LSU who‘ll still be in the top 5 if they hadn‘t already been assaulted by that SEC schedule.

While Boise State patiently sits in the cat bird seat letting all the big dogs knock each other off. Their toughest games would have been Georgia and #14 TCU at home because the Mountain West Conference decided in February to move what would’ve been a TCU home game to Boise because the Horned Frogs are leaving the conference in 2012. Power move at it's finest!

So as I said last week, outside of those two games Boise State plays #50 Air Force, #82 Colorado State, #38 San Diego State, #111 UNLV, #88 Wyoming, #103 New Mexico and #75 Toledo from the MAC to essentially get to New Orleans and the BCS National Title game! Really?

Needless to say the entire football universe will be watching to see if the traditionally under performing Bulldogs and Mark Richt will show up and restore order to the world of college football.

I don’t dislike the Bronco’s more so than I despise their schedule and how unfair it is for them to even be considered a top 5 team when they’re essentially playing at the YMCA all season. I’ve got tall respect for Utah who stopped crying about being left out and joined the PAC 12 this year. Step your game up and play a legitimate schedule and I’ve got no problem with you playing for a national title! Remember this, anybody can win a bowl game when you’ve been off for 30+ days. Both teams are out of rhythm and it’s anybody’s game to win at that point. However, you’ve got to earn the right to get there.

Happy College Football Season!
Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport