The Return Of The Old Guard In This New Era Of College Football
![Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier, left shakes hands with Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal after the Hurricanes defeated the Gators during the season opener at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, August 31, 2024 against the University of Miami Hurricanes. The Hurricanes defeated the Gators 41-17. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_408,w_7841,h_4410/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_hurricanes/01j6rgr7rt5y44anjkwx.jpg "Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier, left shakes hands with Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal after the Hurricanes defeated the Gators during the season opener at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, August 31, 2024 against the University of Miami Hurricanes. The Hurricanes defeated the Gators 41-17. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]")
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After the epic that was No. 23 USC vs. No. 13 LSU, the sentiment around the college football world is the old guard has returned and for the better of the college football world.
No. 19 Miami came and drained the swamp of the Florida Gators while Cam Ward also put doubters to bed as he is one of the best quarterbacks in the country and the Heisman front-runner. The defense is stout and has the "U" physicality that's been missing for decades. It further highlights that Mario Cristobal is one of the premier recruiters and coaches at this level.
No. 7 Notre Dame faced one of the most challenging environments and teams in No. 20 Texas A&M at Kyle Field with a loud and proud 12th man, but that wasn't enough to keep the stout defense from showing why they are one of the best teams in the country.
The Trojans battled a difficult Tigers team that seemed to have been bitten by the Brian Kelly curse of not being able to win the big game similar to many games when he was the head coach at Notre Dame.
It feels like when those teams are on top and have the national spotlight, it is better for everyone involved in the sport.
Teams with such rich histories have been nullified over the last two decades due to bad coaching, issues within the program, and being able to get quality players to get to those programs.
The dominance of the SEC left a void for other quality teams to make an appearance. Do not get confused, Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas are still quality teams that also deserve the spotlight as well. It is just refreshing when other teams have hope and are not forced to look at the SEC Championship game as the National Championship game.
This new era of NIL, the 12-team college playoff system, and the transfer portal only highlights what happened this past weekend. There is no denying that this is best for business.
The college football world feels more vibrant than ever. More opportunities will equate to more optimism for players and programs around the country.
The funniest part about this is, it is only week one.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.