2013-10-03 16:19

Today it's German Unity Day and all germans do have a day off.

You think any of the FBS coaches do get a day off?

Hard to imagine, especially during the regular season.

If you work 80 hours a week, where does the rest of your live fits in?
What IS the rest of your life?

Unfortunately does, as far as I know, NO University support less working hours by adding more staff to the football department.
Money is at least for the bigger colleges no issue, so that can't be the reason.

So why doesn't it happen?

I think the deeper problem is that the college football coaches did have to be so willingness to offer everything they have to get some steps further on the coaching ladder, that once you reached the top, you don't want to lose that control again.

I can see that kind of behaviour every day on the job with business managers doing basically everything possible to keep control of their business.
At the first glance nothing is wrong with that, except when it starts to wear you down.

Why can't anyone delegate stuff, make some of their staff responsible for it and keep the processes clean and simple.

Being a headcoach will always be a hard working job, but you can do a lot of stuff in 10+ hours a day, 7 days a week.
Is there really so much to keep track off?

I don't know. I quite coaching a long time ago and I have no college experience, so I can't relate, but I had some assistance I trusted and it worked on our level and league.

Anyway. I will enjoy my free day and I will sometimes think about those poor coaches working every day. LOL.

The last week gave us some surprises and it will go on this week.

Did you know, that the SHUTDOWN in the US almost had the service academies by their balls and they almost had to cancel their schedules games, because the traveling cost might have fallen under that SHUTDOWN rules?
At the end it turn out they were cleared to play.
How can it be that those service academies be effected anyway?

Now let's have a look at the BLOCK OF GRANITE TOP GAMES FOR WEEK 6

Saturday, October 5 12:00 PM ET
#25 Maryland @ #8 Florida State
Some of you might have to look twice at the matchup here.
Maryland - ranked? - unbeaten? against Florida State?
Over the past few seasons, this game was over before it started.
Maryland won the last time in 2006.
This season they have at least a chance to win.

Florida State is in a down year and Maryland definitely in an up year.
But are they good enough?

Maryland did show up this season with lots of great players, matured and ready.
But they are not that good at the line of scrimmage, so if the want to win, they have to make plays.

If this would be in Maryland, I would gamble and pick the Terrapins.
But in Seminoles territory?

I go with the Seminoles and I'm hoping for a fantastic game.

Saturday, October 5 8:00 PM ET
#4 Ohio State @ #16 Northwestern
Another two unbeaten teams will face off here.
Ohio State did win against the Badgers last week, Northwestern did beat Maine (FCS).
On paper this looks already decided, and it probably is.

What could make a difference is, it is at the Wildcats home and the Wildcats do have a quite good defense which could score any time the lay hands on the ball.

But the Buckeyes are not known for turning the ball over, so Northwestern better bring their A-game and then some to win this game.

I pick the Buckeyes, but I hope for a close game.

Saturday, October 5 10:30 PM ET
#15 Washington @ #5 Stanford
And two more 4-0 teams.

Stanford looks impressive, but as do Washington.
The Cardinals are really great in scoring and on offense while the Huskies are great on defense.

This will probably be an exciting game and I'm curious to see, who will scramble for help.
Stanford, because they are not able to move down the field, or Washington, because they can't stop the Cardinals?

I go with the Cardinals, since they play at home and I see them as the better team.

Saturday, October 5 7:00 PM ET
#24 Ole Miss @ Auburn
Ole Miss lost against Alabama and that was basically because they could not move the ball.
No scoring, no winning.

They should be better at this game, since Auburn showed some weaknesses on defense, against LSU, were they lost the first time of the season.

In the plus side of this matchup, Auburn plays at home, after a bye week, while Ole Miss had the toughest games of the season last week and they lost.

So can Auburn maybe upset the ranked Ole Miss?

I'm willing to test that and go with the Tigers!

Saturday, October 5 7:30 PM ET
#22 Arizona State vs Notre Dame at AT&T STADIUM in ARLINGTON, Texas
Notre Dame is not that good, we all saw this against Oklahoma.
So what will they do against Arizona State in Jerry Jones football temple?

If that Tommy Rees of the Irish comes 100% and in the past BEFORE the Oklahoma Game, I can't them lose here, but that Tommy Rees of the Sooners games was awful.

I think Arizona State will have a lot of offensive power to stay in the game, and maybe win it.

But as might have Notre Dame. For them is the key the defense, which wasn't that good all season long.

Who will win?

I pick Notre Dame in a close game, because I can't believe Kelly will let his Irish slip that far.

Saturday, October 5 8:00 PM ET
West Virginia @ #17 Baylor
This is only on this list because of one reason.
West Virginia did beat Oklahoma State.

If they would have lost that game, this wouldn't be on the list.

What we have here is: Baylor, which did not play and tough team so far. And the Mountaineers, winning against Oklahoma State and losing against Oklahoma and Maryland so far.

The main question is, how good is Baylor.
They showed a lot of offensive power the past few games, but none of those teams had any defense worth mentioning.

West Virginia was somehow able to stop that high octane Cowboys offense and win.

I give Baylor one big plus here: HOME GAME.

If this would be in West Virginia, I would pick the Mountaineers, but as it is now ... I pick the Bears.

‘Til next time
Jack6 on BLOCK OF GRANITE

Tags: Block of Granite