```


    Boom, boom-boom-boom—


    The noise rolled on; the heat, zing.


    AT&T Stadium was packed to the brim with not a single seat to spare. All ny thousand seats were sold out, heralding the new football season''s start in the most grandiose and raucous fashion.


    Historically, the bama Crimson Tide Storm and the USC Trojans had no deep-seated rivalry, mainly because the two schools were quite a distance apart. In their hundred-year history, they had faced each other only seven times, thest encounter being way back in 1985, with the Crimson Tide Storm prevailing.


    If it weren''t for this "Cowboy Kickoff ssic," neither team would have found themselves under the spotlight together.


    So, what was it that drew such a massive audience?


    "East vs. West."


    On the North American continent, a full-scale rivalry showcased itself between the East Coast, led by New York, and the West Coast, spearheaded by Los Angeles. Theypeted in various aspects including culture, politics, and economy, a fierce, vibrant, andprehensive rivalry that mirrored the "North vs. South" in its craftsmanship but was even more exciting.


    The Trojans, representing the West Coast, embodied the elite, the white-cor workers, the middle ss.


    The Crimson Tide Storm, representing the East Coast, stood for the blue-cor workers, theborers, the general public.


    Such a collision, such an opposition, in the mere eight years since the "Cowboy Kickoff ssic" began, was unprecedented.


    The topic ignited interest on all fronts.


    Then there were the fan bases of both teams, along with countless football fans from NCAA and NFL, eagerly weing the new season. This is what led to the scene at hand.


    Unlike the warm-up match at Bryant-Denny Stadium, which was Crimson Tide Storm''s home ground—with the entire town turning out in support of their team—today''s venue was neutral territory. Every side brought their best efforts to the field, not only supporters of the two teams but also countless neutral fans showed up.


    And so, the atmosphere became charged—


    "Go, Trojans, go!"


    "Roar, Tide!"


    A back-and-forth battle, head-to-head.


    If you listened closely, you could hear the voices of all the fans in the stadium, each cheering for their team, creating an overwhelming wave that shed and swirled above the massive AT&T Stadium. Amidst it all, a grand and powerful passion began to burn.


    Although AT&T Stadium was slightly smaller than Bryant-Denny Stadium, today, here was where it all began:


    The first official game.


    The starting point of the new season.


    The noisier, the more excited; the tenser, the more thrilled; the more turbulent, the more focused—Li Wei loved this burning sensation. He had fallen in love with the taste ofpeting on a stage of a hundred thousand people.


    Why not let the whistle blow now?


    Hum, hum-hum-hum.


    Across the stadium, silence fell.


    As the top seed and reigning champions, the Crimson Tide Storm was the first to take the field.


    The yers crowded at the entrance to the yers'' tunnel, ready to go. rk couldn''t contain his excitement, and although Jacobs also felt his emotions surging, he tried to maintain a poker face to keep from showing his emotions. And then, Li Wei, with an expressionless face, suddenly gave rk a scare.


    Roar.


    rk couldn''t hold back, "Ah!"


    He let out a shriek, and then he couldn''t control himself, "Ah, ah-ah-ah! Li Wei, I''m a part of the Crimson Tide Storm, I''m about to take the field with the Tide! Aah-ah-ah! Aaah-ah-ah!"


    Li Wei''s smile also fully lifted, and he shouted in a low voice, fists clenched, "Roar! Roar! Roar!"


    Again and again.


    rk joined in shouting with Li Wei, and then, one after another, Jacobs looked around frantically as all his teammates joined in the shouting, his heart surging uncontrobly as his voice burst from his throat.


    ```


    ```


    Finally, enter the field.


    "Roar!"


    "Roar!"


    The yers burst out of the tunnel one after another, and mes erupted in the sky, with the whole stadium shouting along, shaking the entire world with their roaring waves.


    Whoosh.


    Crimson Tide, storm.


    When the Trojans took the field, the swirling frenzy of the crowd didn''t fade for a long time,pletely drowning out the Trojans'' own chants of "fight on."


    Zhu Zhu, however, had no interest in observing these moments, his first reaction was to search for someone on the opposing team, until—


    Number twenty-three.


    There he is!


    Wait, that''s it?


    Zhu Zhu sized him up; he himself stood 6.1 feet (185 cm) tall and weighed 215 pounds (98 kg). That number twenty-three was practically no different from him, and visually even seemed a bit scrawnier. It was suitable for a wide receiver because they need speed and agility, but as a running back?


    Haha!


    Zhu Zhu was on the verge of bursting intoughter. This scrawny, unimpressive figure was supposed to rece Derrick Henry?


    The Crimson Tide Storm must be insane, Saban must have gone senile, trying to use a smoke bomb to divert attention should at least involve someone presentable.


    Zhu Zhu couldn''t help himself, his smile bloomed fully, and hepletely rxed, turning to his teammates, chatting andughing, his mood brighter than the June sun.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, audiences around the world, the first game of the NCAA 2016 season is about to kick off, with the defending champions bama Crimson Tide Storm facing the USC Trojans."


    "During this offseason, both teams have gone through some adjustments. From what we''ve seen on paper, the Trojans have finally changed quarterbacks, with Hayden choosing redshirt freshman Danord. Based on the information we have now, he''s the only noteworthy neer. Can the Trojans find their offensive firepower again?"


    "Meanwhile, the defensive group of the Crimson Tide Storm remains outstanding, which is Saban''s biggest basis for contending for the championship this season. Of course, their already weak offensive group took a further hit with Derrick Henry turning pro, and the starter to rece Henry is a new face."


    "He was once... uh, sorry for the pause, I''m checking the information, a mixed martial arts fighter?"


    "Oh, God."


    "Despite the running joke that football is like boxing, football is not about getting into a fight. Saban is making a mixed martial arts fighter the starting running back, Jesus Christ, this might be Old Nick''s biggest gamble since coaching the Miami Dolphins."


    In the studio, there wasughter—


    Clearly, coaching the Miami Dolphins is still a "ck spot" in Saban''s career, a not so pleasant and even humiliating experience.


    But now, it seems people have found a fresh topic to discuss.


    "The game is about to start."


    "The Trojans, who won the coin toss, have chosen the field position, which means the Crimson Tide Storm will be taking the offense first."


    "So now we''ll get to see just what kind of offensive strategy Old Nick has prepared. Maybe we''ll finally get a Rocky in football too?"


    On the field, the offensive group of the Crimson Tide Storm had already taken the stage, huddled in a circle, with Offensive Captain Cam Robinson speaking—


    In football, the captain isn''t that important; he doesn''t necessarily have to be the core of the team, often ying the role of bringing the team together.


    So, the offensive captain isn''t necessarily the quarterback.


    Robinson is an offensive tackle, and a left tackle at that. Since Hertz throws right-handed, the left side is the blind side. That''s why the blind side tackle is even more crucial; he must provide the quarterback with full support and make the quarterback dare to turn his whole back to him.


    That''s Robinson''s position on the team.


    "Hey, guys, our goal isn''t just the Trojans, it''s the championship. And the Trojans are just the first step."


    ```