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The Monday After: Georgia offense showing out signals Dawgs may be even more dangerous in 2022 season

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The Monday After: Georgia offense showing out signals Dawgs may be even more dangerous in 2022 season

One of the most difficult aspects of Week 1 is not overreacting to everything you see. It’s just … it’s tough not to do that when you’ve waited so long to see teams in action, and then they’re right there in front of you … in action. Your brain is desperate to reach a conclusion about players, coaches and teams in general. These guys are great, these guys suck and those uniforms are nice. 

But even with that in mind, and with a concerted effort on my part not to overreact to anything I saw this weekend one way or the other, I could not escape one particular thought while watching Georgia dismantle Oregon 49-3 with surgical precision: What if Georgia is better this season?

It wasn’t the overall ability on display; that was evident last season when the Bulldogs won a national title. There were very few teams in the country capable of matching them in the talent department, and even after losing so many key parts to the NFL (as well as the transfer portal), I knew Georgia had plenty behind it. It didn’t take long for the Dawgs to flex in your face, as five-star freshman Malaki Starks showed you how he earned all five of those stars and probably deserves a sixth with an early interception.

No, what stood out more than anything was the Georgia offense. Last year’s Bulldogs offense didn’t receive much credit. It had a former walk-on at quarterback in Stetson Bennett, and this is the era of the Five-Star Prototype QB. If you don’t have one, most dismiss your offense entirely. So nobody noticed that the Georgia offense finished third nationally in offensive success rate (Alabama was 18th), seventh in points per possession or eighth in EPA (expected points added) per play last season. Those who did dismissed it as a byproduct of being paired with an otherworldly defense that took the pressure off and handed Georgia excellent field position all year. There was certainly truth to it.

Georgia’s average starting field position last season was its 31-yard line, which ranked 24th nationally. That’s certainly an advantage, but it was tied with Clemson, another team with an otherworldly defense that gave its offense every advantage. Yet, the Clemson offense didn’t quite compare to Georgia’s, did it?

On Saturday, Georgia didn’t have that benefit. Its average drive began at the Georgia 21.7-yard line, but that didn’t stop the Bulldogs from scoring seven touchdowns on nine possessions. Those seven touchdown drives averaged 76.6 yards. This was not an offense taking advantage of a short field. Their success rate of 63.1% ranks third nationally but first among teams that played FBS opponents (Miami and Baylor rank first and second). And Georgia’s FBS opponent was ranked No. 11 to start the year.

The other unexpected aspect of it was that Georgia’s passing attack was what thrived. Bennett was throwing the ball all over the field, and the Bulldogs had a 29.7% explosive play rate (6th nationally so far). Now, it’s not as if Bennett was chucking the ball downfield or anything; the average air yards on his passes was only 5.06 yards. It was a lot of short passes with big gains afterward.  But we’re not evaluating Bennett as an NFL prospect, we’re evaluating him as a conductor of the offense, and he and Georgia made beautiful music together.

I came into the season thinking Georgia would reach the College Football Playoff again, but it didn’t have the horses to beat both Alabama and Ohio State. If the offense I saw face Oregon is the same one that shows up all season, it’s time to reevaluate.

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Is Georgia better this season? It just might be.

Worst Scheduling Decisions of the Week

This one goes out to the ACC, which had not one, not two, but three of its schools playing road games against Group of Five opponents this weekend. Virginia Tech was on the road to face Old Dominion, while NC State made a trip to East Carolina and North Carolina went to the mountains to play Appalachian State. The intrepid trio managed to escape with a 2-1 record, but it very easily could’ve been 0-3.

East Carolina missed a field goal and an extra point in a 21-20 loss to NC State. Appalachian State failed to convert on two different 2-point conversions in a 63-61 (sixty-three to sixty-one) loss to North Carolina. And none of these games should’ve been played.

I get it. It’s an admirable thing to do for these ACC schools. Playing in-state rivals from smaller leagues in their stadium is a genuinely nice thing to do and a great show of solidarity. The problem is there’s a thin line between admirable and stupid, and the ACC is not in a position to do the admirable thing.

The league is locked into a bad television deal for roughly the next billion years. The most feasible way to increase revenue in that time will be money from the new College Football Playoff contract — money that will likely be broken down by how many teams you get into the playoff. The ACC’s reputation isn’t the best right now, and scheduling games it could lose like this won’t help.

Sure, you can mock the SEC for playing FCS teams late in the season. You can roll your eyes at all those home games against MAC teams the Big Ten plays in September. But guess what? They win those games, go to bowls and improve their conference’s reputation.

Be a little more selfish, ACC. You’re a Power Five conference. Act like one.

Facial Hair of the Week

Looking good, Brad Robbins. Looking good. Robbins might have a lot more time to work on his facial hair this season, because after watching Michigan put up 51 points against Colorado State, he might not be asked to punt often.

Fourth-and-Goal Punt of the Week

Congratulations to Rutgers, a college football program that cannot stop making history. Not only was Rutgers the first school to play a college football game, but on Saturday, it became the first college football team to punt on fourth-and-goal from the opponent’s 43-yard line.

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After facing a first-and-goal from the Boston College 10 in the first quarter, an offensive pass interference call backed the Knights up to the BC 23. A holding call on the next play pushed them back to the 33. That was followed by an incomplete pass, a false start and a holding call.

What’s crazier? While I don’t know for sure that Rutgers is the first team in history to punt on fourth-and-goal from the 43 (I’m not sure where I could even look it up), I am confident Rutgers is the first team in history to punt on fourth-and-goal from the 43-yard line in a game and win the game. That’s what the Knights did, beating Boston College 22-21. Maybe we should add not scheduling home games against Power Five opponents to the ACC’s new scheduling rules too?

The Back Team of the Week

It happens every year. A team that’s been down the last few seasons has a big win to start the new campaign, and we officially declare they are back. Well, in this case, it’s Florida State’s players declaring they’re back after a 24-23 win over LSU in the Caesars Superdome. I don’t believe it, but I’m happy to play along strictly for the vibes.

Listen, it’s a huge win for Florida State and one Mike Norvell and Co. needed. But nothing I saw between the Seminoles and Tigers Sunday night leads me to believe that either one of these teams will be anything special in 2022. That’s not to say they won’t flirt with being ranked all season long, and honestly, that should be enough for both. But Florida State isn’t BACK. It’s simply on the right track.

Superstar of the Week

Remember last season when Florida fans were begging for Dan Mullen to put Anthony Richardson in over Emory Jones? It wasn’t that Richardson was lighting it up when he did get the opportunity; it was more that Gators fans had seen enough of Jones and thought there was a higher ceiling in Richardson.

Well, the ceiling was on display against Utah. I saw people comparing Richardson to Vince Young and Cam Newton following his standout performance (168 yards passing, 106 rushing, 3 total TD), and while we’re putting the cart way in front of the horse there, I can at least see the vision.

Of course, I also wonder what unintended side effects Florida’s 29-26 win over No. 7 Utah could have. It was Billy Napier’s first game in charge and Richardson’s first as the starter. It ended with a win over a top-10 team. I fear, however, that it could raise expectations in Gainesville prematurely.

Stat of the Week

I sometimes wonder if Iowa football exists solely to let fans who hate their team’s offensive coordinator remember that it could be worse.

Low Key Game of the Week

Each week in The Monday After, I will highlight a great game that won’t get much national attention because it wasn’t a matchup featuring highly-ranked teams. This week, we tip our cap to Houston’s thrilling 37-35 win over UTSA in triple-overtime.

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I went into Week 1 with this game circled on the schedule because it intrigued me. Houston this year has high expectations because it is one of the most experienced teams in the G5, and people see the Cougars as a real contender for a New Year’s Six bid and an AAC title. I also wanted to see what UTSA looked like coming off an exciting season but without star running back Sincere McCormick and offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr.

I did not think the game would be as incredible as it was, but my primary takeaway is that both teams are legitimately good and could wind up winning their respective conferences this season.

College Football Playoff Projection of the Week

Just a reminder, this is not what I think will happen at the end of the season, but rather my guess as to what I think the selection committee would do if releasing rankings this week.

  1. Alabama
  2. Georgia
  3. Ohio State
  4. Oklahoma

Until the next Monday After!

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NFL must pay $4.7 billion in damages in ‘Sunday Ticket’ case, jury rules

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NFL must pay $4.7 billion in damages in ‘Sunday Ticket’ case, jury rules

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury in U.S. District Court ordered the NFL to pay nearly $4.8 billion in damages Thursday after ruling that the league violated antitrust laws in distributing out-of-market Sunday afternoon games on a premium subscription service.

The jury awarded $4.7 billion in damages to the residential class and $96 million in damages to the commercial class. Since damages can be tripled under federal antitrust laws, the NFL could end up being liable for $14.39 billion.

The lawsuit covered 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses in the United States who paid for the package of out-of-market games from the 2011 through 2022 seasons on DirecTV. The lawsuit claimed the league broke antitrust laws by selling its package of Sunday games at an inflated price. The subscribers also say the league restricted competition by offering “Sunday Ticket” only on a satellite provider.

The NFL said it would appeal the verdict. That appeal would go to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and then possibly the Supreme Court.

Should the NFL end up paying damages, it could cost each of the 32 teams approximately $449.6 million.

“We are disappointed with the jury’s verdict today in the NFL Sunday Ticket class action lawsuit,” the league said in a statement. “We continue to believe that our media distribution strategy, which features all NFL games broadcast on free over-the-air television in the markets of the participating teams and national distribution of our most popular games, supplemented by many additional choices including RedZone, Sunday Ticket and NFL+, is by far the most fan friendly distribution model in all of sports and entertainment.

“We will certainly contest this decision as we believe that the class action claims in this case are baseless and without merit.”

The trial lasted three weeks and featured testimony from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

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“Justice was done. The verdict upholds protection for the consumers in our class. It was a great day for consumers,” plaintiffs attorney Bill Carmody said.

During his closing remarks, Carmody showed an April, 2017, NFL memo that showed the league was exploring a world without “Sunday Ticket” in 2017, where cable channels would air Sunday afternoon out-of-market games not shown on Fox or CBS.

The jury of five men and three women deliberated for nearly five hours before reaching its decision.

Judge Philip S. Gutierrez is scheduled to hear post-trial motions on July 31, including the NFL’s request to have him rule in favor of the league because the judge determined the plaintiffs did not prove their case.

Payment of damages, any changes to the “Sunday Ticket” package and/or the ways the NFL carries its Sunday afternoon games would be stayed until all appeals have been concluded.

The league maintained it had the right to sell “Sunday Ticket” under its antitrust exemption for broadcasting. The plaintiffs said that only covers over-the-air broadcasts and not pay TV.

Other professional sports leagues were also keeping an eye on this case since they also offer out-of-market packages. A major difference though is that MLB, the NBA and the NHL market their packages on multiple distributors and share in the revenue per subscriber instead of receiving an outright rights fee.

DirecTV had “Sunday Ticket” from its inception in 1994 through 2022. The league signed a seven-year deal with Google’s YouTube TV that began with the 2023 season.

The lawsuit was originally filed in 2015 by the Mucky Duck sports bar in San Francisco but was dismissed in 2017. Two years later, the 9th Circuit, which has jurisdiction over California and eight other states, reinstated the case. Gutierrez ruled last year the case could proceed as a class action.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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US Olympic and other teams will bring their own AC units to Paris

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US Olympic and other teams will bring their own AC units to Paris

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. Olympic team is one of a handful that will supply air conditioners for their athletes at the Paris Games in a move that undercuts organizers’ plans to cut carbon emissions.

U.S. Olympic and Paralympic CEO Sarah Hirshland said Friday that while the U.S. team appreciates efforts aimed at sustainability, the federation would be supplying AC units for what is typically the largest contingent of athletes at the Summer Games.

“As you can imagine, this is a period of time in which consistency and predictability is critical for Team USA’s performance,” Hirshland said. “In our conversations with athletes, this was a very high priority and something that the athletes felt was a critical component in their performance capability.”

The Washington Post reported earlier this month that Germany, Australia, Italy, Canada and Britain were among the other countries with plans to bring air conditioners to France.

Olympic organizers have touted plans to cool rooms in the Athletes Village, which will house more than 15,000 Olympians and sports officials over the course of the games, using a system of cooling pipes underneath the floors.

The average high in Paris on Aug. 1 is 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). The objective is to keep the rooms between 23-26 degrees (73-79 degrees Fahrenheit). The rooms will also be equipped with fans.

“I want the Paris Games to be exemplary from an environmental point of view,” Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has said about the plans for the Olympics.

According to the International Energy Agency, fewer than 1 in 10 households in Europe has air conditioning, and the numbers in Paris are lower than that. The study said that of the 1.6 billion AC units in use across the globe in 2016, more than half were in China (570 million) and the United States (375 million). The entire European Union had around 100 million.

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The Olympics mark the most important stop on the athletic careers of the 10,500-plus athletes who will descend on Paris, which has led some high-profile countries to undercut environmental efforts for the sake of comfort.

“It’s a high-performance environment,” Australian Olympic Committee spokesman Strath Gordon explained to The Post.

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

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Panthers outlast Hurricanes in 4th OT in 6th-longest game in NHL history

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Panthers outlast Hurricanes in 4th OT in 6th-longest game in NHL history

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers seemed determined to keep playing. And playing. And playing.

The teams opened their Eastern Conference final playoff series with Florida’s 3-2 victory in four overtimes early Friday, with the game ranking as the sixth-longest game in NHL history.

Matthew Tkachuk’s goal came at the 19:47 mark of the fourth OT to end this one, which marked the 15th four-overtime game in NHL history and the longest game in franchise history for each team.

The longest game in NHL history came on March 24, 1936, when the Detroit Red Wings beat the Montreal Maroons 1-0 in the sixth overtime on Mud Bruneteau’s goal at 116 minutes, 30 seconds of extra play.

Florida’s previous record for longest game was 104:31 in Game 4 of the 1996 Stanley Cup final against Colorado. Carolina’s previous record was 114:47 for Game 3 of the 2002 Stanley Cup final.

The only good news for the teams is they had an extended break before this series began. Carolina closed out New Jersey exactly a week earlier, while Florida eliminated Toronto a day later.

But this game ended roughly six hours after Thursday night’s puck drop, and the teams have a Game 2 in less than 48 hours.

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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