High Notes - 2017 Week 1

College football roared back last weekend for its second week of action last week - Week 1, because we learned a lot in college. As usual, the landscape of campus based contests were dotted by high profile neutral site games, and one in particular caught my eye.

In Landover, MD, two teams from adjacent states renewed a rivalry for the first time in a dozen years. Conference realignment has broken up more rivalries than it has started, and West Virginia/Virginia Tech, who used to be rivals in the Big East is among them. The two last played two years after Virginia Tech left for the ACC, and the rivalry has laid dormant until this year.

I'll admit there are a few things that made this game stand out to me. The renewed rivalry aspect is the biggest. I also have a soft spot for rivalries involving West Virginia. Historically West Virginia seceded from Virginia after Virginia seceded from the Union, so it's got that aspect similar to Kansas Missouri (which we also lost to realignment) and Cresap's War, a realignment gain.

The atmosphere just outside of DC seemed electric, fueled by requited rivalry, a damn good game, and if I were a betting man, a good deal of alcohol. These two need to keep playing, either in this fashion or, ideally, on their respective campuses.

Elsewhere in the week's high notes: SEC Network's commitment to showing halftime of games they air allowed me to catch a few shows last week. Missouri State visited Missouri and went Band on the Road, and while both shows were good, FCS Missouri State gets the nod for putting on a great show on the road.