College Football Lesson #4.....Depth

I know this lesson is long on content and short on links, but its likely to be the most important lecture that I give this semester - so take notes:

We all know that injuries are commonplace in today's high-intensity game, additionally there may be times when the starters are just having an off day, and still there are other occasions where the starters should never have been on the field to begin with and its time to give someone else a shot. In all such cases, it is an absolute necessity to have a solid back-up that can step into a difficult situation and perform effectively….that, my friends, is quality depth on the roster.

That same concept applies to the Syracuse Orange football fan’s season. By now, you have come to realize that you were swindled by GRob and Dr. Gross over this off-season, and that the summer of optimism has become the autumn of embarrassment. I know its hurts to be scammed by a couple of charlatans...but its ok…because you (if you had listened to my previous lesson) were already focused on developing a back-up plan for this season. If you failed to start one last week, it is not too late. I hear the pleas: “...but Professor Boss, I don’t know how to establish solid depth.” I know you don’t, so here is a 5 step guide to help you put GRob and the pumpkins on the bench, find a new team to cheer for, and save your college football season:

Focus on the task: Do not pay any attention to the Dr. Gross and GRob propaganda machine. That time is better spent listening to T3I or watching reruns of Junkyard Wars. Memo to the SU hill: shut your traps and win some games fellas.
Scout the nation: For a general overview, jump over to College Football News and do some research, there are an abundance of successful teams and great stories out there on the national landscape. However, limit this initial scouting to teams that can actually win games…why waste time reading about a team that has no chance of being competitive (you’ve already traveled that road…)
Narrow in on a target: Almost any justification (Note: Enemies of the Idiots are strictly forbidden) used to establish quality team depth is a good one, here are few ideas if you need a little help: the arch rival or your boss’ favorite team, a school with classic uniforms, your wife/girlfriend’s alma mater, or maybe a team coached by a guy you’d like to see on our sidelines.
Development: Now that you have selected a team(s) that warrants your rooting interest, you need to cultivate an artificial affinity for them. While it takes strong recruiting, hard work, and solid coaching to develop depth on the football field, thankfully from the armchair/desktop, it is much easier. First, log onto your team’s athletics homepage, learn about their traditions, rivalries, stadium, players and coaching staff. Next, tap into the local newspaper beat writer, he is a great resource with which you can catch up and stay current with the team and their upcoming opponents. Last, pick up a new hat(s). This is a time-tested technique that fans of horrible teams have successfully used to confuse people as to where their lifelong allegiance lies…more hats equals more depth.
Preparation: Always a key. When is your team playing? Is the game on TV in your area? Is the schedule cleared? You don’t want to wake up the morning of the your adopted team’s rivalry game, only to be blindsided with a phone call reminding you about Uncle Fred’s 90th birthday party later that day.

There you have it, a 5 point path to reinvigorate your football Saturdays, remember there are only 12 of them left, don’t let them go to waste.