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Random thoughts on Big 12 football

Posted by: Tony Bleill

Thursday, August 28, 2008 9:59 AM

If Friday night isn't the best night of the school year, it has to be in the top three. The opening night of the prep footbal season is filled with energy and excitment, and more than a few nervous stomachs.

The Big 12 Conference season, it seems to me, will be more competitive at the top than it has been in many years. Folks certainly will give Normal Community and Bloomington the nod, based partly on history, but Champaign Central and Danville should be good enough to threaten for one of the top spots.

We'll return in this space twice a week (usually Wednesdays and late-night Fridays) to provide some analysis, opinions and tidbits of information. So here's the preseason edition of Random Thoughts:

--Is this the year Champaign Central finally wins a playoff game? I'm betting it is because I think the Maroons will win enough games in the regular season to host a first-round postseason game. Even if they don't, you can rest assured the Maroons won't be playing on the road against an unbeaten team, as they did last fall against eventual state champ Metamora.

--I know some hoops-minded folks are stoked about the Bulls-Jazz game on Oct. 17, but I think it stinks. Why? Check the date. That's the same night as the Battle of Champaign, arguably the most appealing night of high school sports every year. Since I started covering the Battle in 1997, I've witnessed a bunch of classic games, very much the equal of the tense tussles the schools have waged on the basketball court lately.

There's little doubt the NBA exhibition game at the Assembly Hall will draw some people away from the Battle. And that's a shame.

--Speaking of the Battle, that's one night I can't wait for. There's even more intrigue this year because seemingly half of Central's coaching staff played its high school ball at Centennial: Patrick Rouse, Tyler Rouse, Morgan Turner ... This should be fun.

--Some interesting comments from Centennial coach Mike McDonnell this week. He said he likes the current squad's approach, and that the team's lack of stars could be a benefit. "We had some stars last year -- and not necessarily earning the right to act that way -- and it deteriorates your teamwork. We don’t have that this year. We’ve got a lot of competition, and a lot of guys who are contributing. They want to contribute and want to win as a team. The attitude is completely different."

--As for Urbana, you have to check out their new uniforms. The helmets are black with sparkly orange dust in the paint, and the jerseys are tight-fitting, just like the college guys wear. Central also is sporting new duds, using black as the prominent color. Pretty cool.

--If you're in the Decatur area on Friday evenings, you can hear me on the US101-FM pregame show, which runs from 6-7 p.m. each week before the Decatur station's Game of the Week. I'll be talking Big 12 football each week in a taped segment. You can also listen live online at us101decatur.com.

--I'll be at Normal West-Central on Friday, and we'll have some observations in this spot late in the evening. And don't forget to check out our prep football special section, which runs in Thursday's News-Gazette.