There Is A Major Rule Change Coming to College Football
In NCAA breaking news the rules committee has approved a rule change in college football that would go into effect in 2024 which would keep the clock running once a first down is made and aligns with the NFL’s rules.
The Clock Was Always Ticking! What The Heck…
I’ve watched a thousand college football games and bet on even more, yet, I wasn’t even aware the clock stopped after a first down was made. I stress, “was made” because the first time my intel team told me about this I’m thinking, why the hell would they stop the clock after the first down? Why not stop the ticker after the second, third, and fourth downs while they’re at it?
Breaking: For the first time since 1968 clocks will no longer stop on first down in NCAA games. PROP approves rules changes for all except — surprisingly — Division III, which pushed back. https://t.co/fcTBTaw42u
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) April 21, 2023
Ah, but you see it’s not stopping the clock after the first down, it’s stopping the clock after a first down… is made. It’s the little things that keep me up at night. But this is not so little when it comes to college football. Oh, no, this rule has been on the books for over 50 years and it was intended to give a team that’s trailing a bit of time to settle and game plan.
More Rules, Less Play Time, Less Injury Exposure
But starting in 2024 the clock will only stop ticking if a first down is made within two minutes of each half. The rule change will reportedly decrease the number of plays by seven which also means the length of the game will decrease by about a minute.
There will be more rule changes to shorten the game which will ultimately decrease injuries. Speaking of which, this rule change will prevent about 96 exposures per player over the course of a regular season.
Personally, I want the one foot in bounds when catching a pass rule changed. If you want these kids prepared for the NFL then make the schoolboys do it just like the pros do it – two feet in bounds, baby. Every time I see a college receiver catching a ball with just one foot in bounds, it kinda feels like he cheated. Is it just me?
D-3 Says Not for Me
There’s always that kid who doesn’t want to play nice in the sandbox. He’s the one who has the ball but he’s going to take it home and ruin everyone’s day if he doesn’t like the rules. Well, D-3 football is that kid because they don’t want to abide by the rule change, and dammit, they’re not gonna!
I hear a collective yawn and I’m with you. But we are seeing more FCS, D-2, and D-3 kids making it to the pros. Yes, I know it’s rare but the 49ers quarterback, Trey Lance, chosen third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, is from an FCS school.
@lit_streams #treylance #nfl #draft #call #niners ♬ original sound – LIT_STREAMS
Cornerback Joshua Williams, chosen in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, already has a Super Bowl ring with the Chiefs and he hails from D-2’s Fayetteville State. There are approximately 50 D-2 players on NFL rosters.
And the best D-3 player I can think of – trust me, there aren’t many – is the former center for the Tampa Bay Bucs, Ali Marpet. He too has a Super Bowl ring and is the pride and joy of Hobart College in Geneva, New York.
Bucs’ Ali Marpet has retired at the age of 28.
He played all his seven seasons with Tampa Bay pic.twitter.com/OZR0oG4sZJ
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) February 27, 2022
And that’s all I’ve got for college football news today but if you hear of any NCAA rumors, make sure to drop your ol’ buddy E.Z. a line and help a brother out.
Until next time, let’s ride!
