Football

  I didn’t watch a ton of football this past weekend. But what I did watch was beyond surreal in parts, and exciting for sure. And I am talking about both the collegiate and professional ranks. 

Sure, when the dust cleared for the colleges, the top four unbeaten squads remained that—unbeaten. Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan and TCU. Ohio State and Michigan, square off next week, likely ending any playoff hopes for the loser, barring some miracles regarding Georgia and TCU, as well as the teams directly below them. In essence, the loser requires big time help to make the Final Four. 

Ditto for TCU. The Horned Frogs cleared a big hurdle when they downed Texas in Austin. Are they a championship caliber team? Hard to tell, because I believe this is a down year for the Big 12. The boys from Fort Worth still have to down Baylor and last-place Iowa State, then beat the team which finished second in the conference for the 2022 title. That group includes the aforementioned Baylor Bears, Kansas State, Texas and Oklahoma State. Not exactly world beaters, but nonetheless very capable of pulling off an upset. 

Returning to the Big Ten, the winner of the Buckeyes and Wolverines wins the East, and faces the winner of the West. That is somewhat complicated, as four teams sit with 4-3 conference marks and Wisconsin is 3-4. It is conceivable that Iowa, Illinois, Purdue and Minnesota along with Wisconsin could all end up with identical 5-4 records. I would love to see that tiebreaker system. 

I did see the conclusion of the Oregon-Washington game from Eugene. The Huskies handled the Ducks, jeopardizing the once-promising chances Oregon had to possibly invade the Final Four. In a scheduler’s delight, which will have the folks at FOX and ESPN very happy, the top four teams in the conference square off this weekend. Utah heads to Oregon, while USC travels to Pasadena to play UCLA in the Rose Bowl.

With this weekend’s game, USC has completed its conference schedule. Notre Dame comes to Southern California for the two teams’ regular season finale. Then there is the conference title match in Las Vegas, which could include the Utes, Ducks, Bruins, Washington or Oregon State if the sky falls. It still would take a lot to happen before the Pac-12 to reach the playoffs, with the four unbeaten ahead of them and a bevy of SEC teams still ready to pounce. 

What is certain is that Georgia plays LSU in the SEC Championship battle. LSU is surging, but they have a formidable final game at Texas A&M, no matter how poorly Jimbo Fisher’s team has fared this season. The Bulldogs travel to Lexington to take on Kentucky, then host Georgia Tech. Georgia should handily win the games, yet each is a trap for the Bulldogs as they set their sights on the Tigers and winning the National Championship.

So while we are in the next-to-last weekend of college football’s regular season, very little is decided and a whole lot can happen to change the current rankings and final pairings. With losses by Georgia or TCU, the whole fabric of the four teams in the playoffs changes. If you are a true college football fan, this is your time. 

And maybe I am a bit prejudiced here. I think the most underrated team is Alabama. I know that the Crimson Tide has two road losses this year—both on game-winning plays at Tennessee and LSU. By the margin of four points, Alabama could be 10-0 and potentially headed for a showdown with next door neighbor Georgia. Instead, Nick Sabin and his troops should get a nice New Year’s Day bowl game as a consolation prize. A down year in Tuscaloosa, which could at least be partially salvaged by whomping on Auburn in two weeks. 

I watched a bit of the Tide’s game at Oxford, where they came from behind and prevailed over a rough Mississippi team. Remember, Alabama still has the Heisman Trophy winner from last year leading the team at QB—his name is Bryce Young and he is one heck of a football player, one who is destined to make a lot of money in his future playing on Sundays. 

While I don’t have a vote in the Heisman balloting, I have my own clear favorite. He is Stetson Fleming Bennett IV, currently the quarterback for the undefeated and defending champion Georgia Bulldogs. 

His stats may not be gaudy. And he is undersized, listed at 5’11”. What he is is tough and talented. For without his leadership and play-making ability, Georgia wouldn’t have won the crown last season and wouldn’t be in position to win it all again. I watched him make a move last week versus Mississippi State where he faked the defender out of his socks en route to an easy touchdown. 

Nothing would make me happier than for this kid to win the championship and the Heisman Trophy to end his college career. Looking at him, he doesn’t possess the physique of a prototypical NFL QB-see the Mannings, Dan Marino, John Elway, all who would have towered over the diminutive Bennett. In fact, Bennett looks like he would be a great college offensive coordinator right now, with a future of becoming a very successful collegiate head coach some day. 

Yet I am reminded that while it was in a different era, another Georgia QB who was not tall, managed to make a Pro and College Football Hall of Fame career. Francis Asbury Tarkenton, a home boy living in Athens, matriculated at his hometown college and was a third round draft choice of the Minnesota Vikings. He was listed at 6’0” and he ran for his life and could throw the ball with tremendous accuracy. I am going to guess that Bennett and Tarkenton have talked about the things they have in common now and might in the future. 

I will just point out a few things more in the collegiate ranks. Check out the story of the Gallaudet University Bison football team. A school primarily for deaf students, the Bison has cowed its way into the Division III play-offs this season. While they have drawn Delaware Valley, ranked #8, this is a winning season. Gallaudet is know for the creation of the huddle due to the players impairments.  (The origin of the ball and stake calls in baseball is attributed to Gallaudet, too). Seeing them overcome so many obstacles, I am especially enthralled with the Bison—their long-snapper is 5’ 4”—I am taller than him!! Count me as a fan of the kids from DC this weekend and going forth. 

A couple of more college football notes. The Centennial Conference only sent one team to the Division III Playoffs. Perennial power Mt. Union remained undefeated with a desperation heave that bounced off a Baldwin-Wallace defenders helmet, resulting in a game-winning score. 

Ithaca defeated Cortland in a battle of the unbeaten for Cortaca Jug 2022, held at Yankee Stadium. An eye-popping 40,232 witnessed this event. Both teams made the NCAA’s. 

Williams beat Amherst in a battle of the under .500 NESCAC schools. The Colby White Mules ended a 4-5 season with a loss to Bowdoin College in the 133rd renewal of their ancient rivalry. Such a promising start ended in a dud. 

Yale’s win at Princeton gave the Tigers their first loss. The Bulldogs square off with Harvard in The Game, with the Ivy League title on the line with a Yale win; should they lose, Princeton can still be Ivy champs. So much to report. 

I know a lot happened with pro football, most notably the wild ending of the Minnesota-Buffalo game, the loss by Philadelphia to Washington on Monday night, and the surprise comeback by the Packers over the Cowboys. I could write a book on this wagon and the past weekend. 

Plus the World Cup begins in Qatar next week. The United States is not expected to get very far. My soccer fan friends says the USMNT uniforms are “disappointing.” Nonetheless, its players have the support of that noted English soccer coach from Kansas, Ted Lasso; there are billboards and full page ads in local papers for each player who made the squad. I bet that isn’t the case with Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese super star embroiled in a fight with his club team, Manchester United. (You should see the Peyton Manning Frito-Lay commercial regarding football/soccer-it’s hilarious)

Yeah, I know that Aaron Judge deservedly won the American League M.V.P. That’s great and I hope that the Anthony Rizzo re-signing is an omen for Judge’s return to New York.

However, this blog was about something else. Football.