ALL CAPS PREVIEW-KENT STATE

THERES A SCENE IN ANCHORMAN WHERE RON BURGUNDY AND BRIAN FANTANA ARE STANDING AROUND A POOL PARTY AND RON BURGUNDY SAYS “WE’VE BEEN COMING TO THE SAME PARTY FOR 12 YEAR AND IN NO WAY IS THAT DEPRESSING”

THIS IS MY 8TH YEAR OF WRITING THESE DAMN PREVIEWS. HYPING MYSELF UP BEFORE EVERY SEASON. GETTING THE EMOTIONAL JUICES FLOWING/CHANNELING THE NERVOUS ENERGY ASSOCIATED WITH HAVING MY EMOTIONS BEING DICTATED BY A GROUP OF 18-22 YEAR OLDS TO THE WRITTEN FORM. IF WE’RE BEING HONEST THEY’RE ALL THE SAME PIECE OF PROSE. SOMETHING SOMETHING SOMETHING DISRESPECT SOMETHING BUT IF YOU KEEP HOPE THEN SOMETHING END WITH A PUN.

AND HERE WE ARE AGAIN. BUT THIS ONE FEELS DIFFERENT. MAYBE ITS HOPEFUL. SOME OF THAT HAS TO BE A RETURN TO “NORMALCY” (IN QUOTES BECAUSE WE’RE NOT QUITE THERE YET) FROM THE ODDNESS OF THE 2020 SEASON. IT FEELS DIFFERENT BECAUSE AS SOMEONE SO ELOQUENTLY SAID IN THE COMMENTS LAST YEAR—THAT OUR 2020 SUCCESS FELT LESS LIKE LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE AND MORE LIKE A MILE MARKER ON THE MOUNTAIN ROAD WE ARE ASCENDING.

AND IM NOT GONNA LIE FOR SOMEONE WHOS BUILT THEIR ENTIRE FOOTBALL PERSONA BASED ON SELF-DEPRECIATING HUMOR ITS AN ODD FEELING TO BE CONFIDENT IN THE BONES OF THIS PROGRAM. ITS AN ODD FEELING TO KNOW THAT THIS TEAM IS JUST CHOCK FULL OF DOGS. DUDES WHO ARE ELITE IN EVERY WAY BUT ALSO JUST ENJOY BEATING THE ABSOLUTE PISS OUT OF PEOPLE. LIKE DEMARVIN LEAL CAN BULLY THE SHIT OUT OF YOU PHYSICALLY, RUN AROUND YOU WITH SPEED AND THEN KNOCK THE SHIT OUT OF YOU AND LAUGH WHILE HE DOES IT. AINIAS SMITH WILL HIT YOU WITH ONE OF THOSE GD HEADFAKES AND BREAK YOUR ANKLES AND THEN TRY AND RUN THROUGH YOU AND THEN POUND HIS FEET AFTER GRABBING 5 MORE YARDS. SPILLER WILL RUN TF RIGHT THROUGH YOU.

THE FOUNDATION FOR THIS FOOTBALL PROGRAM IS STRONG. AND THAT FOUNDATION IS MADE OF THIS COMBO OF DUDES LIKE AARON HANSFORD AND JAYDEN PEEVY WHO WERE HERE IN THE OLD REGIME COMBINED WITH DEMANI RICHARDSON AND ACHANE AND WYDERMYER...DUDES WHO DONT KNOW HOW IT USED TO BE BUT DAMN SURE KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE NOW. AND THEN GUYS LIKE HAYNES KING BRYCE FOSTER AND LJ JOHNSON WHO ARE READY TO PUT US ON THEIR BACK AND CONTINUE STRIDING UP THE DAMN MOUNTAIN (HEY THERES THAT PUN BECAUSE OF FOSTER)

ODD FEELING. VERY ODD FEELING.

BUT EITHER WAY IT STARTS THIS SATURDAY. OPPORTUNITY 1. NAMELESS FACELESS OPPONENT. IT’S NOT US AGAINST US. IT’S US AGAINST THEM BUT IT DOESNT MATTER WHO TF THEY ARE. THEY’RE JUST IN THE DAMN WAY. AND DUDES LIKE KENYON GREEN ARE EXCELLENT AT GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF THE WAY.

ITS FOOTBALL TIME IN AGGIELAND FRIENDS. GIRD YOUR LOINS, TAKE A DEEP BREATH, GET YOUR CHANGES OF CLOTHES READY, AND SET REGULAR APPOINTMENTS WITH YOUR THERAPISTS TO PROCESS YOUR EMOTIONS BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY TO ENJOY THIS DAMN SPORT IS TO BE 100% ALL IN.

IT’S TIME.

BEAT THE

EVERLIVING

EVERLOVING

COMPOUND

COMPLEX

FIGHTIN TEXAS AGGIE HELL OUTTA

kent state