We’re all aware of the narrative. Jarryd Hayne is a national treasure and has opened the US to a litany of awful Australian impressions that end up drifting between English, New Zealander and South African (think Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond).
Apart from the Hayne Plane, there are many reasons to watch football this week from NFL to all ranks of college football. Write them down, and make your sporting life that much better.
Rex Ryan versus Bill Belichick XIV
The Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots went 9-4 against the New York Jets in the Rex Ryan era, but with Ryan now coaching the Buffalo Bills don’t expect the bravado and allure of this rivalry to die down.
Ryan and Belichick represent polar opposites of the coaching spectrum. Ryan is the common folk’s coach who talks a big game and often backs it up, all the while being refreshingly relatable to fans. Belichick on the other hand is unlike you or I, he is the villain of the NFL, and while success does breed contempt so does his dismissive attitude and utter confidence in his coaching abilities.
Expect plenty of trash talk leading up to and after a game that will be determined by the Bills’ answer for tightend Rob Gronkowski and Belichick’s game plan for the Bills’ week one revelation, quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
Green Bay versus Seattle, NFC Championship rematch
The ill-fated decision to slide on an interception return, a fake field goal pass for a touchdown and a successful onside kick recovery. This is what it took for the Seahawks to beat Green Bay in the NFC Championship the last time these two met. One can only hope we will see something similar but even without these events, this should prove to be one of the games of the week.
Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch’s mother had some less than favourable words for Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevel this week, saying “he should be fired” and is the “worst play caller ever”. Whether this helps or hinders Lynch’s campaign for more touches is yet to be seen.
As for the Packers, if the Seahawks All-Pro safety Kam Chancellor continues his contract holdout, look for Aaron Rodgers to target backup Dion Bailey, who struggled in his start last week against the Rams.
Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck rebound
Fair or not, Manning and Luck will forever be linked to one another. The all-time great Manning, who was cut in favour of drafting the once-in-a-generation prospect Luck. While the demise of Manning’s abilities has been referenced – most notably his arm strength and albeit limited mobility – he has often found ways in which to cover his flaws and exceed.
But after last week’s dismal performance, faith in Manning is at an all-time low as he faces a tough ask against a Kansas City defence that has the potential to be the best in the league.
Luck on the other hand was anointed in the off-season as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, often taking Manning’s place in the ‘Big Three’ alongside Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.
Luck disappointed in week one, completing on 53 per cent of his passes for two touchdowns and two interceptions in a 14-27 loss to Buffalo.
While Buffalo will most likely be a top five defence by season’s end, how Luck responds against an equally stout Jets defence will be crucial in the Colts’ push for home field advantage in the playoffs.
College Football
Division 1 – USC versus Stanford
The Trojans are looking to return to championship contention but will have to beat Stanford, who have made a habit of playing spoiler over the past two seasons.
In 2014, unranked Stanford beat USC’s crosstown rival UCLA, who were ranked ninth at the time and in 2013, the Cardinals upset the second ranked national title favourite Oregon. The last five meetings between the two teams have been one-possession games and the Stanford defence will need to keep it close against a high-powered Trojan offence that has averaged over 600 yards per game in 2015.
Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan is yet to beat USC (0-2) but after a disappointing loss to Northwestern in Week 1, rebounded with a career high 341 yards against Central Florida last week.
Honorable mentions: #2 Alabama versus #15 Ole Miss, #18 Auburn at #13 LSU. (While all teams here are ranked top 25, they’re SEC which means I’d be more surprised if they weren’t.)
Division 1AA – North Dakota State versus North Dakota (2-0, first in Big Sky conference)
This is the 111th meeting between The Bison and the Fighting Sioux dating back to 1894 but only their first game since 2003.
NDSU have won the past four 1-AA National Championships and while North Dakota aren’t in the top 25 rankings, the Fighting Sioux received 248 votes placing them at 27th in the STATS poll. A win over in-state rivals would place North Dakota comfortably in the top 25 rankings and more importantly, secure bragging rights between two schools only 70 miles apart.
Honorable mention: #9 Montana State at #15 E Washington (would have been higher if not for Eastern Washington’s 0-2 start).
Division 2 – #6 Sioux Falls versus #7 Minnesota-Duluth
The biggest implications of D2 football are in Sioux Falls this week as the Cougars host the Bulldogs in a game that has the potential to be a playoff eliminator for the loser. Minnesota Duluth finished 2014 undefeated in the conference alongside Minnesota-Mankato, the only team to beat Sioux Falls last year.
USF missed out on playoffs in 2014 as Duluth and Mankato didn’t play each other and thus both finished undefeated; this fact isn’t lost on the Cougars who are looking for a statement victory this week.
Honorable mention: #3 Ferris State at #16 Grand Valley State.
All that being said, Jarryd Hayne is the single greatest formulation of matter in the history of the universe.
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