SHORTER KICKOFFS: HERE'S WHY.
John Pruett, venerable sports writer for the Huntsville Times, has an article up in which he says the new rule that moves the kickoffs back five yards is the biggest change to college sports in a generation or so.
I respectfully disagree.
I thought the change to the clock last year allowing the clock to keep running in many situations where before it would have been stopped, was the biggest change in games I've ever seen. Not only did it cause teams to burn time-outs more quickly (including in the ridiculous case of just before the first first down snap of a new series!!), but it dramatically shortened games and (more importantly) reduced by far the number of snaps of the ball the offenses got.
Exhibit A: Auburn vs South Carolina last year.
Auburn had the ball for every snap of the third quarter.
Let me repeat that, because it's a factoid as bizarre as was that game where neither the Buffalo Bills nor the team they were playing (the Rams?) punted a single time.
AUBURN HAD THE BALL FOR EVERY SNAP OF THE THIRD QUARTER.
That would have been all but impossible before the rules changes last year.
(And, heck, SC had the ball for nearly every snap of the FOURTH quarter, once they finally managed to get it back!)
Now THAT's a rules change with an impact!!
By contrast, this new longer kickoff rule is simply one attempted antidote for last year's ridiculous clock changes.
In sum: Last year they took away a bunch of offensive snaps from the game. So this year they set it up for teams to need fewer snaps to score.
The games will be shorter, but now it won't take as long to score.
I'm not happy about this.
If we're going this route, then, heck-- let's just play the entire game like it's OT, and have both teams start every possession on the opponent's 25 yard line!
John Pruett, venerable sports writer for the Huntsville Times, has an article up in which he says the new rule that moves the kickoffs back five yards is the biggest change to college sports in a generation or so.
I respectfully disagree.
I thought the change to the clock last year allowing the clock to keep running in many situations where before it would have been stopped, was the biggest change in games I've ever seen. Not only did it cause teams to burn time-outs more quickly (including in the ridiculous case of just before the first first down snap of a new series!!), but it dramatically shortened games and (more importantly) reduced by far the number of snaps of the ball the offenses got.
Exhibit A: Auburn vs South Carolina last year.
Auburn had the ball for every snap of the third quarter.
Let me repeat that, because it's a factoid as bizarre as was that game where neither the Buffalo Bills nor the team they were playing (the Rams?) punted a single time.
AUBURN HAD THE BALL FOR EVERY SNAP OF THE THIRD QUARTER.
That would have been all but impossible before the rules changes last year.
(And, heck, SC had the ball for nearly every snap of the FOURTH quarter, once they finally managed to get it back!)
Now THAT's a rules change with an impact!!
By contrast, this new longer kickoff rule is simply one attempted antidote for last year's ridiculous clock changes.
In sum: Last year they took away a bunch of offensive snaps from the game. So this year they set it up for teams to need fewer snaps to score.
The games will be shorter, but now it won't take as long to score.
I'm not happy about this.
If we're going this route, then, heck-- let's just play the entire game like it's OT, and have both teams start every possession on the opponent's 25 yard line!
posted by Van Allen Plexico at 6:23 PM
1 Comments:
Van, while I agree with your take on the clock changes -- which I think robs football fans of valuable viewing minutes -- I have to disagree with your assessment of the kickoff change.
As kickers have become ever more proficient at kicking the ball through the end zone, kickoffs have become more and more meaningless. The kickoff has the potential to be one of the most interesting plays in the game -- two groups of guys going full speed into each other.
I think the rule change will make games more exciting, AND I think you'll see more of each team's most talented players on the field for returns rather than waiting on the sideline for the touchback. For instance, at Texas A&M, Coach Franchione is already talking about putting our speedy tailback, Mike Goodson, in on kickoff returns. I don't think that would have happened without the new rule change -- or at least, it wouldn't have meant as much.
I feel they should reverse the clock changes they made last season, but I'm in favor of moving the kickoff back.
Trace
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