One of the things that college football fans like is the distinct differences between their game and the NFL. The rule differences are what separate each brand of football from the other. The Ohio State football team might have a lot of players who eventually become pros, but they aren’t pros yet.
There are some proposed rule changes that would make the college game more similar to the NFL though. They all have to deal with time issues as those involved in college football want to shorten game times. I’m all for that, but I’m not sure about these rule changes.
Four changes are being proposed that deal with the clock. Two of them I deem inconsequential and don’t matter to me. The other two are a big deal in my mind. The first is that the clock would no longer stop after first downs except at the end of each half.
This would be a major change to college football and how coaches strategize their game plans. I actually like the fact that the clock stops after first downs. In my mind, that’s one of the major rules that sets it apart from the NFL. I don’t think it would be wise to change this rule.
The other major change is that the clock would start running after incompletions once the ball is spotted. Again, that’s a huge change. Both of these rules would penalize high-powered offenses like the Ohio State football team by giving them less time with the ball, and consequentially, fewer possessions.
I don’t think changing the rules of the game is what’s needed to speed up game time. How about you limit the number of commercial breaks instead? Do we really need commercials right after the extra point, a kickoff, and then more commercials? That’s overkill.
If you really want to take a page out of the NFL’s book, do what they do for commercial breaks and force companies to fit their ads into a two or three-minute slot during designated times. That way, the games can get done within 3 or three and a half hours instead of four.
What do you think of the proposed rule changes?