The NFL regular season is finally here and that means it’s time to get out the chips and guacamole. Oh, and it also means that the October LSAT must be close (officially less than a month away).

Although there’s no better excuse to put off studying than to watch the fourth quarter of a Monday Night Football game, the NFL can also provide some good takeaways for LSAT test takers. For instance, there’s the preseason—a long and tedious process in which each game mirrors an LSAT practice test. As the preseason ends for NFL players, it starts for all the October LSAT test takers, and here’s what this means:

Four weeks before the NFL opener marks the end of training camp and the beginning of the preseason. Four weeks before the October LSAT should also mark the start of your LSAT preseason. What exactly is LSAT preseason? It’s time to start easing off on the homework drills or questions and start focusing on timed LSAT practice tests/sections.

The NFL preseason and LSAT preseason both mean no more rowdy nights and no more acting a fool. If you lack self-control, you may want to adopt the guidelines that the Dallas Cowboys have set up for Dez Bryant. This should give you a nice set of rules to live by over the next few weeks of LSAT prep.

In the words of Miami Dolphins running back @Reggie Bush, “The preseason doesn’t count, but it does matter.” LSAT practice tests are no different. Whether you score a 180 or crash and burn, your LSAT score doesn’t count, but it most definitely will affect how you perform come LSAT test day. If you skip reading comp on LSAT practice tests, you’re not going to magically ace it on October 6.

Like NFL preseason games, practice LSAT tests give you the opportunity to perform a dry-run under pressure. Sure, you don’t have 90,000 pairs of eyes on you, but it’s amazing how much anxiety can build from simply timing yourself. You’ll find yourself rushing and making silly mistakes, so it’s important to get used to the pressures of being under the gun.

There you have it: four meaningful lessons learned from the start of the NFL season. So the next time someone disparages you for spending hours on your couch watching NFL Sunday Ticket, let them know that pro football is the muse from which you draw your LSAT inspiration.