NEW First Down Rule

[sjt18]

They will schedule more tv time outs or make the current ones longer

It has been a bit but I believe the time "saved" would be around 12 minutes. That doesn't sound like much but it is in terms of plays. And it is in terms of 30 second ads. That is 24 additional guaranteed commercial spots per game. That adds up to a lot of money each game.

 

[Woodlawn VOL]

If the aim is to reduce head impacts then cutting a few plays a game doesn't really help.

We are having less and less head impacts. That is a bs excuse, just like them staying they are worried about the length of the game. If they were that worried about the length of the game they would cut out so many commercials. They just like to mess with the rules, they can’t quit. The game is fine, quit messing with it! Most people are sick and tired with the constant tampering of the rules. GBO

 

[sjt18]

We will have to agree to disagree. I’m all for these types of rule changes.

Why? It does NOT benefit the players. It does NOT benefit the fans. It benefits advertisers, broadcasters, and university admin.

So you want less football so ESPN can make more money?

 

[ALLVOL 4LIFE]

Thi$

Agreed

 

[ArmchairQB]

Looking at this purely from a self-serving offensive perspective… we go fast and move the ball a whole lot right? We’re not going to stop going fast because of this. Only now, instead of a stoppage to reset the chains and then we snap a couple seconds into the next play clock, the clock is going to be running while that’s happening. So, even with identical production, our time of possession should go up. Right? And our opponents have that much less time to score and keep up. Of course they’ll be doing the same thing. But I think “we are better at gaining yards and scoring points than you” is kind of our thing. So I’m curious how this plays out.

 

[sami]

Claim is it will shorten the game. The truth is that it will keep the game length the same but allow for 10 to 15 more commercials

I've said this for the last 25-30 years. Every single rule change that is ever made in pro or big time college sports, you can be sure that the primary consideration is always how the bottom line is affected. Without exception.

The reasons they give for any change might be 'improving the product for the fans' or 'player safety', but if you look beyond the given narrative, it is clear that no rule passes that doesn't have a financial angle beneath all the blather.

This one is no exception, and you nailed it. Another reason might be that ratings show that the length of games is negatively affecting viewership, but you can bet that $$$$$$ was the main impetus for the change.

 

[joevols89]

Well, I HATE it! Stopping the clock on first down has always been a unique part of college football.

To be honest, running the clock caters to “run” offenses & the old “Three yards & a cloud of dust”. - I know, I know: It’s the defense’s job to stop them. But, it makes it much easier for a rushing team to just milk away a game with the clock constantly running.

Plus, college ball is not the NFL - or soccer!

I love it. NFL has perfected the length of football games.

The goal is to keep a game from running 45 minutes over the next tv time slot. They aren’t going to do this and just continue to add commercials if they’re still going over tv time slots. It’s bad for business when games get pushed to ESPN News.

 

[GetEmVols]

You won't notice after the 1st quarter of the first game.

You will notice when the game ends in 2.5 hours

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

I see this as a good thing for Heupel's offense, if it's working as we like it.

Heupel likes to "shock and awe" teams with a couple of quick scores and a lead. We've done that well.

Now, with a lead we can run, dink and dab, get a first down or two, eat a little clock and our opponents start to feel the "clock crunch" and get antsy to crowd the box, cover short......... and there's a mistake we can throw over.

What we need to do is get the lead ASAP and we've been pretty good at that. Then the clock is our REAL friend this year.

 

[LTVol]

Nope . . . Going to be like the NFL until 2:00 to go in the half when it reverts back. It'll make it easier to manage and probably cut 7-10 plays out of the game . . . but those were just going to be kneel downs for us in Victory formation anyway.

So we’ll only have 83 plays per game vs 90!

 

[LTVol]

One thing we can all agree on . . . It'll at least be nice to not have to go find a stream to see our kickoff while we wait for East Carolina vs. Syracuse to finish a 4 hour game.

If it eliminates those situations it will be worth it for that alone.

 

[bpalmer28]

Making time for more ads, probably. Brace for 15 minute commercial breaks every 5 minutes.

 

[temptn]

If they want to speed up the game, quit reviewing every play.

 

[CAVPUT]

Well, I HATE it! Stopping the clock on first down has always been a unique part of college football.

To be honest, running the clock caters to “run” offenses & the old “Three yards & a cloud of dust”. - I know, I know: It’s the defense’s job to stop them. But, it makes it much easier for a rushing team to just milk away a game with the clock constantly running.

Plus, college ball is not the NFL - or soccer!

At the pace we play, it won't impact us that much. The ground and pound teams who fall behind against us will be in deep doo doo. Having said that, we darned well better be better on defense goin' forward.

 

[Pride85]

Nope . . . Under 2:00 to go in each half, the old rule is in effect. We would have been able to play it the exact same way against Bama.

I stand corrected. Then it essentially has zero effect on UT. Thank you for letting me know.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

A lot of offenses will be rushed to get off a play. We won't.

Think of Jimbo trying to get one of his complicated plays off in time?

Also our defense is used to this and then some from practice.

 

[Emperor VOLpatine]

Well, I HATE it! Stopping the clock on first down has always been a unique part of college football.

To be honest, running the clock caters to “run” offenses & the old “Three yards & a cloud of dust”. - I know, I know: It’s the defense’s job to stop them. But, it makes it much easier for a rushing team to just milk away a game with the clock constantly running.

Plus, college ball is not the NFL - or soccer!

We run the ball more than we pass and if I remember correctly the clock still stops on 1st down in the last 2 minutes so it won't effect GW drives either. So I don't have a problem with it personally

 

[vegasvolfan]

Well, I HATE it! Stopping the clock on first down has always been a unique part of college football.

To be honest, running the clock caters to “run” offenses & the old “Three yards & a cloud of dust”. - I know, I know: It’s the defense’s job to stop them. But, it makes it much easier for a rushing team to just milk away a game with the clock constantly running.

Plus, college ball is not the NFL - or soccer!

Good thing we have a decent run defense

 

[BanditVol]

I also hate it. Its one thing that made college football unique vs. the NFL, and now it won't be that way. At least they kept it for the last two minutes though.

 

[HiltonHeadVol]

wonder if they will wait on the chain gang to move... I see controversy brewing

You may be teasing a bit, but it certainly would provide an available avenue to bleed the clock by chain crew (if they were so disposed). The clock will stop in last 2 minutes of 2nd and 4th quarters, so practically speaking what this may really be preventing is the "bigger comeback" of more than 8 point deficits that we have seen recently (see Tulane - USC) So it would add another twist for any of us who love "conspiracy chaos" surrounding our beloved game.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

We basically have free agency in college now so why not just turn it into the NFL? Why not require WRs to have both feet down for it to be a catch?

 

[FLVOL_79]

 

[KTrain]

Good point about the end of the bama game. It would have gone to OT and who know what would have happened there.

I get what you all are saying but the whole dynamics of the game would have played out differently from first quarter and throughout , not just the last minute. So it going to OT probably wouldn't have happened, UT running away with the game may have happened. UT was up by 21 to 7 so why not say with this time change, Alabama would have ran out of time in first half to make up ground. Also the last 2 minutes reverts back to the past norm anyway.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

Well, I HATE it! Stopping the clock on first down has always been a unique part of college football.

To be honest, running the clock caters to “run” offenses & the old “Three yards & a cloud of dust”. - I know, I know: It’s the defense’s job to stop them. But, it makes it much easier for a rushing team to just milk away a game with the clock constantly running.

Plus, college ball is not the NFL - or soccer!

I'm glad. We can run it right down our opponents' throats

 

[rdk4121]

I think it helps uptempo offenses. These O's that need 8+ minutes to score are the ones that are going to be in trouble. There will be less time on the clock, so less time to score Fiddy-one.

The only thing that might change is Heup will need to use his timeouts more wisely and not carry them with him to the locker room as often.

This undoubtedly helps us. This essentially keeps our defense off the field, as there will be less plays in a game, as our drives will take a longer amount of time if the clock is always running.