Championship weekend post script

Championship weekend and the Bowl Selection Sunday Well, the top of the news is that Georgia exacted revenge and thrashed Auburn in Atlanta. My bud Johnny predicted as much, but I was surprised. Oklahoma rolled TCU and Clemson DESTROYED Miami. USC edged Stanford and Ohio State slipped by Wisconsin. It was the buckies W that had the country debating who the 4th playoff team would be. Alabama, who only lost to Auburn, but did not have a stellar schedule resume, or Ohio State, who won the big10 (which still can’t count) but lost twice and one of those was by 31 to IOWA (not even ranked). Frankly, I’m tired of Alabama, but expect that they would be favored against EVERY team in the country by New Year’s Day, especially Ohio State. I’m even more over Ohio State, who seems to get the Notre Dame “pass” almost every time. Last year they were awarded a playoff spot over Penn State, who actually won the conference, and the buckies got demolished by Clemson 31-0.....  You could argue that USC should be in the mix with only 2 losses, but don’t bother. Instead, join me in embracing the EIGHT team playoff. All 5 power conferences get their CHAMPION in. The top non-power 5 team gets a spot (this year it would be UCF at 12-0). Then we have 2 at large openings for last year’s Ohio State or this year’s Alabama. IF we used this format this season we would get Clemson, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio State, USC as the conference champions. Then UCF would be and the remaining two at large bids would be Alabama and Wisconsin. A very nice tournament with the SEC and big 10 getting 2 teams in the field. This will allow for EVERY power 5 conference be to “IN”, it throws a bone to the little guys (UCF this year and Central Michigan last year). It also allows for all the pundits to argue about the eye test and all the other crap that is used to justify our regional biases. What would be the down side? A whole bunch of …nothing. You can still use bowl games for the 1st and 2nd rounds. TV laughs all the way to the bank. The student athletes will not suffer, as real student athletes in the lower tiers of college football have been having 16 team playoffs for YEARS! Will 8 teams solve all the arguing? Of course not. Those 9-12 teams will always be pissed and their supporters outraged. But, we would get at a minimum, the top 4-5 teams for sure, along with some regional balance that makes everyone feel included. And of course the rich will get richer because the money faucets will be pouring cash. Or, another option/idea is to make conference championship games “make or break”. If you lose like Auburn, Wisconsin, Stanford, TCU and Miami, just shut up and go play a bowl game and be thankful. That will happen in any “system” for the most part, but in the 8 team format I am behind, Wisconsin would still slide into the playoff back door with one of the at large slots.

What else happened in the 1 foot in football world? Friendship won the Tennessee state championship for the private schools smallest classification and I enjoyed that outing with my buds Russ and Johnny. Brentwood Academy (with Noah Josey) won the largest classification again. Around the country the big states continued their playoffs (Florida, Georgia, Texas and California primarily).

Now the Bowl games are set and here are some of the one’s that I’m intrigued by: The Bahamas Bowl included UAB, which somehow overcame the flushing of their program by the great state of Alabama politicians (see Roy Moore…). Way to go Blazers The Independence Bowl simply because FSU kept the streak alive – now 36 years and counting. Stop right here and mention that we hired Willie Taggert away from Oregon yesterday. He has done very well but with a small sample size…so, I’m OK with the hire but certainly not blown away.

Stanford and TCU in the Alamo will be interesting, as will the Liberty with Memphis and Iowa State. That one could be called the up and coming coaches bowl. Penn State and Washington should be fun, but the MOST interesting will be Georgia and Oklahoma. I’m absolutely on board with Georgia being a player in the top 10 for years to come, as Kirby is doing everything right. I just don’t think they have the edge that Baker the touchdown maker Mayfield gives the Sooners. Looking forward to that RED out… It will be interesting after Baker wins the Heisman, to see if he can keep his shoes on the ground…

College Coaches have really nice severance packages

Rivalry weekend – one to be Thankful for! The best game was the Iron Bowl. I went over to Jason’s and watched the first half with he and Marye. It turned out to be a glorious day for the War Beagles from Auburn, as they not only beat their RIVAL Bama, but took down their 2nd #1 ranked team in 3 weeks. The Noles beat the Gators, in a fairly anticlimactic game. FSU is playing LA Monroe this week (cancelled or postponed from earlier because of the hurricane) in hopes of keeping the 36 year bowl streak going… Rumor has it that Jimbo is off to Texas A&M. Good for him. Despite winning a national championship, he never felt like a good fit to me…he was the guy to follow the GUY, coach Bowden. That usually is complicated at best. No idea who FSU might go after if he does bolt. The best coaches in the country are Saban, Dabo and Urban, with James Franklin and Gary Patterson not too far down the list. Chip Kelly took the UCLA job, which left the Gators trying to land Scott Frost into the boat. It appears that the UCF coach will go “home” to Nebraska instead of Gainesville. BTW, the UCF vs USF game was tremendous. Clayton and I watched the very exciting finish.

Back to the Florida Gators. After casting towards Kelly and Frost, they hired Dan Mullen. Very good coach with UF ties, and a safe hire (unlike Tennessee). I think they may be “settling” a tad, but who else is out there really? Stoops? Dream on… Dan will do well, but he better bring his AAA game, because Kirby Smart is building Georgia into the beast of the East…another BTW, nephew Coach Baker played a significant role in Georgia’s dismantling of Georgia Tech. He was a consultant on the triple option, which he knows intimately from his o-line coaching at GA Southern. Way to go Coach Baker/Nate!

What else is there to mull over? Miami lost to Pitt, so they have no margin for error in their ACC Championship game against Clemson, but it has still be a great season for the Canes …boo. Oklahoma and TCU in the big12 which has the silliest CCG…always will be a rematch with on 10 teams. Ohio State took down Michigan, so they face off against Wisconsin in the big10 (another academic sports conference that ridiculously math challenged). Stanford and Southern Cal play in the Pac 12, but unlikely that the winner cracks the “final four” playoff berth. Auburn and Georgia go at it again in Atlanta this time, should be a dandy as we say down south.

My Bulldogs could not beat St Augustine, so a fantastic season comes to an end. Great run with lots of young players to look forward to next season. Going to Tenn Tech on Saturday to watch Friendship Christian play DCA for the private league level 1 championship. Finally, the coaching circus at Tennessee is hard to fathom. The new AD appears to be so out of the loop with this fan base (or under the power of the Haslam’s) that he really thought SChiano would be a good fit. He would not have, but the bringing up “possible” link to Sandusky was disgusting. We convict folks now a days without any due process, just social media burnings. So, Mullen – NO. Gundy – NO. Doeren – No. Brohm – no! And all of these rejections are just eating at my UT fan neighbors, as I think it would me as well. Mike Leach, is the most interesting college coach of them all. A lawyer (like Terry Bowden at Akron) who does not filter his comments at all  He is risky, but a terrific offensive football mind! One can hope  BTW, Kevin Sumlin is a very good football coach. Did not deserve to be fired by A&M and will have done better than Jimbo over the same time period, if Fisher goes to College Station – just my prediction. If Jimbo thinks the ACC is rough, wait until he gets SEC West every week.

The debacle has given Jason Rowell, Mark Plumb and I plenty to text about! Also, cold blooded treatment of Eli. It is a business in the NFL, but still harsh. I was at the Swamp when Eli brought a mediocre Ole Miss team in and he single handedly (slight exaggeration) beat UF that day.

The end of an era

A lost weekend November 20, 2017 We had planned to visit central Florida this past weekend, but my dad’s health took a nose dive so a return to Crestview took priority. Gators beat UAB and Noles beat Delaware or some team like that. Not worth watching, but I did watch short glimpses. The weekend was a blur because it was TWO weekends as we drove down to Crestview on Saturday Nov 11th and I did not even think about doing an entry last week. On the drive down through Alabama, listened to Auburn pummel Georgia. The night before, Crestview played sloppy but edged Gulf Breeze in the 1st round of the 6A playoffs. This past Friday night, I was able to go to the Bulldogs game against Pensacola Escambia, along with Sharon, Denton, Autumn and Clayton. My brother Marty and nephew Christian also sat with us at the game. Crestview made plenty of mistakes against a very athletic Escambia Gators team, but prevailed 44-34. It was a blast!

Now it is on to St Augustine, who is a nasty good team. The last time my Crestview Bulldogs traveled over to St Augustine was in 2002, when they made the only state championship game in my lifetime. Pete Adams and I drove over to the game and Duane Smith was there, on his way back to North Carolina. Rivalry weekend will have my TV working hard. Egg Bowl Thanksgiving night, with Dan Mullen maybe on the way to Knoxville afterwards…other cross state rivalries include Georgia vs Tech, My Gators vs My Noles, South Carolina and Clemson, and of course the Iron Bowl!

Football is coming to an end to fast, but as of this post and Thanksgiving holiday, it will be the first since my dad passed away. Something is missing and that something is you dad…

Tally Trip

Sunshine Trip Report November 7th Well, it was wonderful to go back to Tallahassee to watch the Noles play. Flew into to Panama City and drove over to Cairo and was up early for the short drive to the Capital city. Went by Tyler and Beth’s house, hoping to see 9 month old, baby Cullen. My timing was poor as the little fella had just been tucked away for a nap! Before the day was over, I had almost 6 miles of steps in, as parking anywhere near the stadium these days, requires a parking pass. So, I parked over near where Josh lived his freshman year. The moss in the majestic Live Oak trees was sweet nostalgia. Tally is a beautiful place. Some big plays propelled FSU to a close victory over Syracuse. I was sunny and 85 and fairly low humidity, so it was pleasant in the shade and warm hoofing it to and fro. Tyler had us hooked up with Champion Club seats, so the full buffet and all the amenities that it afforded. Far cry from my early Seminole games in my little white Ford Courier truck! I left the game just before the end, to meet the in-laws and pick up Sharon. We wanted to get to the Chipley area before dark and look at a few parcels of land that we are pondering…then on to Crestview to check on dad and mom.

Back to football. Crestview had a game scheduled against International School of Broward. It got cancelled by FHSAA for some reason. That is now THREE scheduled games that Crestview did not get to play. Two were nixed by the hurricane and now this. So, the extra “bye” week saw them rise to #17 in the state and 140 in the country. The playoff brackets were released on Sunday, and Crestview hosts the Gulf Breeze Dolphins this coming Friday night. I remember some good games against Gulf Breeze in years past! The Florida Gators went to Mizzou and I guess, decided not to get off the bus. The Tigers destroyed the UF. I guess they are just quitting now. Hope they get Scott Frost, but with UCF contending for one of the BIG bowls, doubt they will get him any time soon, if at all. Oklahoma won Bedlam and the MIGHTY big10 fell apart, as Iowa routed Ohio State and Penn State fell to Mich State. All big10 teams have at least 2 losses except Wisconsin, who is the their version of the SEC East…no real tough opponents yet. Georgia vs Auburn, Oklahoma vs TCU and Notre Dame visits Miami this coming weekend, so it will be fun. Laz Index gripe: RANK SCHOOL NICKNAME REGION CLASS RATE W L SCHED S-RNK DISTRICT POWER 1 IMG Academy (Bradenton) Ascenders na Ind 2.030 7 0 1.837 1 0 159.41 2 Armwood (Seffner) Fightin' Hawks 2 6A 1.938 10 0 1.414 43 7 146.71 3 Venice Indians 3 7A 1.920 9 1 1.511 11 11 146.90 4 American Heritage (Plantation) Patriots 4 5A 1.880 8 0 1.462 23 16 148.80 5 St. Augustine Yellowjackets 1 6A 1.856 9 0 1.371 80 4 148.04 6 Cocoa Tigers 3 4A 1.845 8 1 1.452 26 0 148.37 7 Winter Park Wildcats 1 8A 1.831 10 0 1.367 86 3 140.08 8 Bartram Trail (St. Johns) Bears 1 7A 1.813 7 3 1.541 4 3 148.13 9 Raines (Jacksonville) Vikings 1 4A 1.809 9 1 1.317 130 0 146.58 10 Miami Central Rockets 4 6A 1.803 8 2 1.483 15 16 140.64 11 Tampa Bay Tech Titans 3 7A 1.799 9 1 1.358 96 9 140.53 12 West Florida (Pensacola) Jaguars 1 5A 1.798 9 1 1.399 56 1 141.90 13 Crestview Bulldogs 1 6A 1.795 7 0 1.433 35 3 148.47 14 Madison County (Madison) Cowboys 3 1A 1.789 9 0 1.389 67 0 141.25 15 Miami Northwestern Bulls 4 6A 1.787 7 2 1.511 10 16 142.98 While I’m proud that my Bulldogs are recognized by LAZ as the 13th best team in Florida (out of ~500) the #12 team is West Florida, a team that Crestview ROUTED 38-20 in September. The Jags may be the best team in Pensacola and cross classification rankings are not easy, but come on! I failed to mention that Mt Juliet lost to Riverdale. They were undefeated, but in the playoffs, every week is elimination week…hate it for young coach Perry.

U G L Y we aint go no alibi

The worst season continues For the Seminoles, who were destroyed on Friday night by Boston College…in football. There were no silver linings, just complete domination. This team has quit on Jimbo. The FSU roster is full of highly touted “4/5 star” players, who are losing to teams with 2 and 3 star talent, without anywhere near the depth.

For the Gators, who were blown out by a very good Georgia team in the Cocktail Party. Franks still looks tentative and in way over his head. It was so bad, that on Sunday the University of Florida fired the coach. The same coach who took them to Atlanta in his first 2 seasons, to play for the SEC championship. What have you done for me lately? The impotent offense cannot be tolerated in Gainesville and coach did not endear himself to the orange and blue faithful, nor the administration.

He also spurned the old ball coach’s offer to consult on the offense. Not cool and not a good career move. Spurrier revolutionized the SEC with his aggressive offenses and at a minimum could have helped. Oh well.

Ohio State played a fantastic 2nd half and especially 4th quarter to come back and beat Penn State. Not a fan of OSU, but that was clutch football. Still think their loss at home to Oklahoma should keep them down lower than they are…Notre Dame handled NC State and again, as much as I hate to admit it, played like a Top 10 team…dang it.

Tennessee again found a way to lose a close game. Would of, should of, could of. Butch has lost this team, but the error of margin is so thin, that this team could EASILY have a stellar record. The games against Florida, South Carolina and now Kentucky, all could have gone the VOLS way, they were that close at the end. Then UT would be 5-2 with losses to Georgia and Alabama, the #1 and #2 teams in the nation. It is not only the losses, but how they keep finishing weak that will cost Butch the job… I heard from Durham that the Firebirds beat their strongest opponent to date, and now are off to the playoffs. The only highlight of my football weekend was the Friday Night Lights variety.

Crestview beat arch rival Niceville 35-14 at the fish heads home bowl. That wrapped up the district title and the highest seeding in the Panhandle for the 6A playoff bracket. The updated MaxPreps rankings shows my Bulldogs as the #159 in the country and 18 in the great state of Florida. I’m confident that this is the highest ranking WE have ever attained. The LAZ index, a Florida power rating, has CHS up to #17 in the state, all classes combined. Finally, they have had Niceville in the top 5 all season, in spite of the thrashing they took in Texas. Watching on Facebook is fun, as all the other viewers can provide comments and “howdy” to everyone else. A virtual reunion of sorts! All sorts of folks from my hometown, and a lot of names are recognize and remember, even though I left 39 years ago. My dad played for Crestview, my uncle Harold was the starting center on the basketball team and played football. My cousin Rick Jellison and I played at the same time, as did cousin – law Greg Boshell. Mike and Mark Josey, Larry Josey, on and on. My ROOTS are planted deep down there.

Also down in Florida, Mt Dora Christian Academy continues their best football season ever, still undefeated and on to round two of the Sunshine Athletic conference playoffs. Locally, Friendship finished the regular season undefeated, as did Mt Juliet. Noah Josey and Brentwood Academy did the same. The smaller number of teams in Tennessee allows for quicker playoffs than back in Florida. The World Series has been fantastic! Hope it goes 7 and Astros prevail. The first weekend in November looks like this for me: Fly down to Florida on Friday night, while Crestview plays the International School of Broward (Ft Lauderdale), and crash in Cairo with the in laws. On Saturday AM, slide down to Tally to meet up with Tyler and Frank for the FSU game with Syracuse. Noles are 5-2… Excited to spend the time with the cousins, but expect a LOT of empty seats at Doak Campbell…I need some new stadium cups to annoy my wife. Did I mention that she and Autumn took our / MY Charlie Ward cup to Knoxville to use as the cat food cup. Talk about using a Rembrandt for a table cloth! How mean or ignorant can you get? Gators play Mizzu under interim coach Randy Shannon. DO not expect much fight from Florida, but hope I’m wrong. Bedlam, the battle for Oklahoma looks to be the best national game this weekend.

3rd Saturday in October

For a long time, the "Third Saturday in October" had a special excitement around it. Tennessee vs Alabama usually meant a great matchup. Not so much anymore. The demise of Tennessee and the domination of Alabama (not just Tennessee) leaves us with a lot less excitement around that spot on the calendar... Well, only one of my teams lost this weekend. Not a great slate of games this weekend, at least from my recliner, as the Gators were off and not Friday Night Lights (on Facebook) with my Crestview Bulldogs. Florida State is now 2-4 on the season, as they let the Louisville game slip away. Pitiful really. Jimbo Fisher then invited a heckling fan to come down out of the stands to face him…ugly in Tally. Hard to say exactly what is so wrong. Yes, the starting QB is out, but it is FLORIDA STATE, there are supposed to be 3 other guys (5 stars) just waiting to get their chance. Nope. Lamar Jackson, please go on to the NFL. Next up, a Friday night at Boston College.

Sorry Noles, but I am far more excited about the Crestview @ Niceville game. Cancelled all plans Friday night so I can cast this one on the big screen.

Last Friday night, I took in the Lebanon at Wilson Central game. Lebanon has been awful since I moved here 5 years ago, but they have really turned it around this season. I have now been to all the Wilson County stadiums for Friday Night lights. 19-7 Blue Devils by the way.

Gators had the bye week to get ready for Georgia, who also scheduled their bye week before the Cocktail Party. Line is probably Dawgs by 20, but I haven’t given up on Florida just yet. They have that “puncher’s chance”. About 3% worth, but better than zero.

Kentucky got steamrolled by Miss State and now they get Tennessee. Poor Vols and poor Cats. BTW, Miss State hammered LSU but somehow they are ranked below Bengal Tigers… Oklahoma squeaked by Kansas State and UCF continued its roll by beating Navy. Notre Dame destroyed Southern Cal dang it. Penn State demolished Michigan. Think about how good James Franklin is, he made VANDERBILT good! Penn State and Ohio State this week, should be a good one. The fighting Irish better not sleep on the NC State Wolfpack. Cmon Pack!

While Noles and Gators struggle, Miami remains undefeated albeit barely. To make matters worse for Tally and Gville fans, USF AND UCF are both still undefeated and ranked. The pundits think the Bulls are better than the Knights, but I don’t. I have watched them both play and I like the fire power that UCF brings every week. OH how I wish we had some of that offense in Gainesville and Tallahassee! The “War for I-4” will be for a bunch of marbles this season! It will be on the Friday night of Thanksgiving weekend! Winner hosts AAC champ game the next week in their home stadium.

Titans pulled out a very ugly w against the woeful Browns. Titans are average at best, but the NFL is a roller coaster ride. No Alabama teams in the NFL, that just crush the opponent every week. In the same way that if I sell stock, the stock price will immediately sky rocket, WHEN I drop a fantasy football player from my roster or starting line up, 100% that the players will have career day. EVERY SINGLE TIME!

DURHAM Road Trip

Durham: It was a football kind of weekend. Crestview steam rolled Fort Walton Beach 56-14. I didn’t watch the entire game, but a good bit of it on Facebook while sitting in my brother’s living room. On Saturday AM, we drove over to Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh and watched the Firebirds play the Raiders. Christian played a lot and played very well, from his outside linebacker spot – kind of a hybrid DE/OLB. Several good open field tackles! Terrific facility and it was a cloudy cool morning.

As soon as the game was over, Marty, Christian and I headed to Duke to catch the Florida State game. By the start of the 2nd quarter the fog had burned off and it was beautiful warm day. Duke is now 0-20 against the Noles in football, but this one was close to being that first W…Blue Devils are very well coached, but FSU is for some reason, not FSU. They held on to win 17-10 in front of a good, but ~65% capacity stadium, many of which were leaving long before the game was really decided. Guess they really are basketball kind of folks. Nole host Louisville this weekend. Hope they play a little better than they did last year, when Lamar Jackons won the trophy that night!

As we walked back to the car, I watched the end of the Tennessee v South Carolina game on my phone. Vols, as they are accustomed to doing, squandered a wonderful chance to win an SEC conference game. The freshman QB was pedestrian and the Vols Defense finally wore down. Horrible clock management at the end and the most puzzling part, was no RPO for this highly mobile QB, OR no touch for John Kelly (AGAIN) at the end. He is a ferocious runner, and not many guys tackle him one on one. Butch just can’t do what the folks in Knoxville need him to do. Great recruiter and probably a strong coach back at the Group of 5 level. After dinner, we loaded up and drove to Bunn, NC for the Firebirds SECOND game. It was over an hour drive and the Gator – Texas A&M game kicked off about the time we got there. Phone was recharged, so I watched the Firebirds live and the college game on my phone. Gators have a “pedestrian at best” QB in Franks and I am keenly aware of all the players that are suspended and injured, but would of could of should won that game, but didn’t. Bye week before the Cocktail party in Jacksonville. Georgia will be a huge favorite… The Titans kept me up late Monday night, but go the W over Indy. Up and down is the only way to describe them. With Clemson, Washington State and Washington getting upset this weekend, a lot of radio talk now about Notre Dame. What a free pass they get every year. Lost to Georgia by one at home and only good win is against Michigan State. Reckon I need some cheese with my whine. Also think Va Tech is over rated, but that guy is apparently a really good young coach. Their game with Miami will be for a place in the ACC title game. The New York Yankees have always been my LEAST fav baseball team. Their mercenary approach to buying championships is lame. However, a former co worker and friend of mine, KEVIN MORAN, loved his Yankees with so much passion. Kevin dies suddenly last week and so, in his memory, I'm OK if the Yankees win it all this season...

Dabo is my fav coach now. what a class act.

Notre Dame vs USC on Sat night. Can't stand Notre Dame (although that was Kevin's TEAM in football). They get some much free pass every season! Go Trojans!

I Beat Biddle and McGrotha

I Beat McGrotha! I did. Way back when in Tallahassee when Bill McGrotha was the institutional Sports Editor for the Democrat. Got my young man mug in the mullet wrapper in late 1988 when I was not yet 30 years old. Had 3 jobs and two sons. LOVED Tally back then!

 Last week I Beat Biddle. Biddle is a Sports something another for a Nashville TV station and he has a contest that I stumbled upon. So, I’m a pretty big deal!  For all the picking I’ve done (for a while I was in a snail mail “league”) and all the contests I’ve been in, I have never gambled on football. Well, I have bet on specific games with friends and family, but I have never stepped into the world of putting my money on the line, against the spread and all that good stuff. I think I would do pretty well, but I don’t want to mess up my enjoyment of the game worrying about a late pick six or field goal …

Rough start to ROCKTOBER Florida botched a PAT hold and fell to LSU by one in the Swamp. Boy do they miss Luke Del Rio. The tribute to Tom Petty was solid. If I were a gambler, I'd take A&M this weekend...sadly. Florida State came roaring back to take the lead over Miami with just over a minute to go, only to let the Canes zip down the field and win with 6 seconds left. They also dearly miss their QB Francios. No tears for UF or FSU, as programs at their level are expected to have depth at every position, including QB. Noles are 1-3…1 and 3…dang. The best news for me over the weekend was that Crestview steamrolled Milton Friday night. Spotted them 7 and then dominated. The FWB Vikings are next, before a bye week and then NICEVILLE!

Titans, also without their starting QB (theme right now isn’t it!) only put of 10 and lost to Fins 16-10. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Watched nephew Nate Baker coach up the GMC Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon at Austin Peay. GMC pulled away from Hocking College thanks to a couple of pick 6es late. Way to go coach! Here is Nate coaching up his Offensive line!

No report from Durham on the Firebirds, but rumors of player suspensions have been floating…Will get to catch them this Saturday, supposedly TWO games! Can't wait. Me and the Noles invade Durham...my 1-3 Noles... Oklahoma goes down to Iowa State…wow. Michigan goes down to in state rival Sparty, and Washington State straight up beats Oregon on the road. South Carolina looks to have found their mojo, just in time for a trip to Tennessee. Kentucky escaped Mizzu, in part thanks to a ref who WALKED to get the ball as the clock wound down… that was weird and ugly for Mizzu. JJ Watt and Odell Beckham Jr went down with season ending injuries… OBJ was my best fantasy player…toast!

Rocktober is here!

Rocktober is here! It was an awful weekend for football in the state of Tennessee. UT, Vandy, MTSU and Memphis got smoked on Saturday and on Sunday, the TITANS gave up 57 points to division rival TEXANS. I was in Texas all weekend, so while I flinched for the state, I was surrounded by Baylor and Texas fans in Waco. I heard the Durham Firebird won on Saturday (X2 according to brother).

Driving from Dallas to Waco, I was able to listen to Crestview High School again on Friday night. My Bulldogs beat up on Choctaw. I’m 56 and it is still fairly rare that we beat the big green Indians. The once feared Milton Panthers are next on the schedule. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ The Gators were in a battle with Vandy, but managed to pull away. WE lost Luke Del Rio for the season, dang it. He was our best chance, not from an athletic perspective, but from an understanding of the game. Now, we go back to Franks. LSU comes to the Swamp on Saturday afternoon, reeling from losing to TROY…yep.

Florida State sucked up the field most of the day, but somehow squeaked out a W vs Wake Forest. Noles looked pitiful. Can’t blame it all on the rookie QB, because the running game was lame. Up next, the CANES come to town! Miami beat Duke in Durham, so look out…I simply don’t have confidence in this Jimbo lead bunch.

On the National scene, it is still Clemson and Alabama at the top of the heap. Nobody in the ACC is close to Clemson, as they showed in Blacksburg. In the SEC, Auburn and Georgia are the closest to Alabama, but not really. The Tide is SO much stronger, deeper and better coached…

Southern Cal lost to Coach Leach’s Washington State Cougars, so drop them and Sam Darnald. In the big12 (with 10 teams) Oklahoma and TCU are the unblemished. The PAC now boasts only Washington (very well coached), while the big 10 (with 12 teams) has Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin still undefeated and Ohio State with a strong 1 loss roster. My opinion is that Wisconsin is good but not great, but will be in the Championship game (conference). Which coach gets fired first? Butch or Ed? @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ On a rare Sunday college game, I will go to Clarksville, TN (campus of Austin Peay) to watch Georgia Military play Hocking College. Go Coach Baker!!

Anchor Down and FSU out of Top 25 Vandy poked the bear and got flat out demolished. I expected a better game than that…

FSU just got whipped at home by a good but not great NC State team. And, while bummed, I was not at all surprised. Sad but true... Florida continues to be the luckiest team in the country and I feel a little bad for Kentucky fans…At least Del Rio will get the start against Vandy. Probably not as strong an arm as Franks, but a much more confident QB. Vandy will be tough Saturday, despite how awful Bama made them look. The suspended players now have felony charges...oh boy... Empty stadiums in some college football venues, as we fans are indeed fair weather at times, not just the climate of course.

************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* The real issue to address is the NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. When Kapernick did it, it angered me because I considered it a publicity stunt. I will have a hard time not thinking of him as a punk and do not think he is good enough to be a NFL QB, but I’m not a GM. Then the CHIEF EXECUTIVE TWEETER got involved. NEVER has democracy had a leader determined to polarize a country than this. I guess Mr. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation riled up some folks, but good for Abe. After the tweets, I’m all for the NFL folks to do what they want, just to spite this Tweeting Donald. I’m a patriot and I sure wish they would find another way to make their point, other than “defiling” the national anthem. But, they have the right, as long as their employer(s) allows it. I long for leadership that UNITES this country, and it appears that we are at least 3 ½ years away from the possibility. Use terms like “SOB” in private if you must, but don’t tweet that crap. This from a man who says “punch her in the pu***”. And somehow has so many of the far right worshiping him…God help us. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& In prep ball Mater Dei continues to roll and hold onto the MaxPreps top spot. If they run the table with that schedule, they get my vote. The IMG all star team is #2 and have just as impressive a resume. St Thomas Aquinas and Grayson out of Atlanta also have #1 caliber schedules and resumes. Crestview beat West Florida, who was ranked higher and favored, so at this point, it sure looks like my Dawgs are one of the better teams in north Florida (Navarre and Niceville will have their say eventually). Speaking of Dogs, Georgia showed Miss State who the big dogs are in the SEC. A trip to Neyland will not likely be fun for the Vols, who barely escaped UMASS… in football. The Firebirds won big!

Also in Durham, the Dukies beat rival UNC over the weekend and now they get MIAMI on a Friday night special. Trip to Tejas on the weekend agenda!

Vols and their Achilles BOOT OR: POOR OLE ROCKY TOP…

Years ago in this blog, I would make fun of UT coach Fulmer (Fat Phil), and his replacement Lame Kiffin. At the heart of my ridicule was a rivalry, between the Vols and the Gators. UT was strong under Fulmer and not only beat the Gators from time to time to claim the East, but even beat the Noles in the national championship game (without Weinke!). Over time, Tennessee started sliding, starting with Kiffin’s short stay and then Derrick Dooley. Butch Jones came in and has recruited very well, every year. With the East down for at least the last 5 years, UT could and should made their way to Atlanta – at least the last 2 seasons. Even with Josh Dobbs on point, they could not get to the SEC championship game. Instead, we had Mizzu twice, South Carolina and the Gators the last 2 years.

I’m more familiar with the UT program now, having lived in Tennessee for 5 years. I admire and respect their fans and even have a VOL in the family, as my Autumn is a junior in Knoxville. So, it was OK when UT beat the Gators last year in Neyland, to get the oh for Eleven monkey off their back. I don’t have the same disdain that I used to have for the reasons stated above – they are not as formidable a rival and I really love many of their fans. I’ve been following college football for nearly 50 years and I can’t think of another series where one team (UT) just finds ways to lost to the other (UF), year after year. The beauty of football is that one play can make one coach the hero and the other, “burned in effigy”. No way Tennessee should have let the Gators heave a game winning 63 yard bomb on the last play of the game, but they did. Now, the VOLS have to beat Georgia in 2 weeks, or Butch is likely gone. Their schedule is rough, with Bama coming up, and both Kentucky and Vandy playing much better this season. Throw in a wounded LSU and it is going to be tough for UT… Florida got lucky, again. They are not a good offensive team, not be SEC or even CUSA standards. Jim is hard to figure, came into Gainesville with offensive guru reputation, but has not shown it at all so far. Florida fans want electric offense! We also want as clean a program as we can get, but it feels like weak control at best. 9 players suspended and possible felony charges on the way…ugly. Georgia is on the rise and FSU is not looking to slip anytime soon. An uphill climb for UF.

A trip to Lexington Saturday night is up next. The Gators are 30 and zero against the Cats in the last 30 tries…but I don’t think they can get to 31. Kentucky is better coached, even if they are not quite as talented. Vandy beat KState and it was what we expected. A defensive slug fest and a close game. Dores are impressing me with their fight and discipline, but the TIDE comes rolling in on Saturday…yikes. Clemson throttled Louisville and even without DeShaun Watson, I have them as my #1 team, right there with Bama. Oklahoma, Penn State, Michigan, Ok State and USC are all in the mix for a playoff spot, as is Washington.

Texas played very well in LA against the Trojans, so the future really will be bright again in Austin in a year or 2. Miami and FSU was postponed, so we still don’t know enough about either team in term of Top 10 worthiness…stupid Irma! Noles get NC State this weekend and better bring their A game.

Colorado and Washington and USC and Cal highlight the west coast action. Cal could be trouble… Arkansas and A&M play to see which coach can rival Butch for the hottest seat in the SEC… Mississippi State embarrassed LSU with a beat down and now get to test themselves in Athens against Georgia. Should be a dandy! TCU and Oklahoma State will be the premier match up in the big12… Michigan will have its hand full with Purdue, at least for 2-3 quarters.