WELCOME BACK TO PREGAMIN’ HERE’S YOUR JAM OF THE WEEK
IDK MAN, THIS FEELS LIKE THE RIGHT VIBE FOR THE WEEK DON’T MAKE ME ANALYZE IT
Rock M-ixology
The theme of the week? Getting back to basics. I thought about quite a few
thematic angles I could take for this drink — cocktails to heal the pain (of a dislocated ankle), cocktails for agricultural workers, cocktails for courage — but ultimately I think we need to foster an environment of doing things that work well. That means a zone run scheme. That means good defense. That means no penalties. That means bourbon and lemon juice.
Let’s make a Maple Bourbon Smash.
2 oz bourbon of choice, 1 oz lemon juice, 1 oz maple syrup
shake vigorously over ice, strain into chilled glass with pebble ice
Now if you’ve ever made a Maple Bourbon Smash, you may be asking yourself right now, “wait, where’s the orange juice? the bitters? this recipe seems incomplete?”
And you’d be exactly right! I have no earthly clue what I was doing when I put this drink together, but this recipe is not right and I could taste it. It was somehow both way too sweet and too sour, not balanced at all and generally not super pleasant to drink. I also doubled up this (incorrect) recipe and felt miserable afterward… I can’t imagine how I’d have felt if I’d actually finished the damn thing.
So if you’re going to make this drink in the future might I recommend the following (correct) recipe:
2 oz bourbon of choice, 1 orange wheel, 1/2 oz maple syrup, 1/2 oz fresh orange juice, 1/4 oz fresh lemon juice, 4 dashes of Angostura bitters, 1 1/2 ounces chilled seltzer (optional)
muddle bitters and orange wheel in the bottom of a glass. add to shaker with bourbon, lemon juice and orange juice. shake ingredients vigorously over ice. strain into chilled glass with pebble ice. top with optional seltzer, if preferred
I did not make this version of the drink, but it sounds worlds better than whatever I had.
An inauspicious omen!
- Texas A&M’s greatest rival, Texas, is now back in the same conference as the Aggies, and that rivalry has quite a bit of bad blood tied to it. Legend has it that Bevo, Texas’ famous longhorn, has been kidnapped at least twice by Aggies, potentially once during a veterinary visit.
- The list of non-sports/non-politics alumni from Texas A&M is miserable. I might have reflected on this last year, but it’s very true. When the most non-athlete/politician/military leader to come out of your school is Rip Torn, you know know the artists are avoiding your school like the plague.
WELCOME BACK, TIGER FANS! THINGS ARE… FINE? Mizzou is 6-2 and with the most outside of outside shots at a CFP bid. Have the vibes improved at all since their loss to Vanderbilt?
Josh Matejka, Deputy Site Manager: Eh… maybe. I think the Vanderbilt loss was bad enough that we officially entered a collective period of mourning. And at this point, I think a lot of Mizzou fans have reached the acceptance stage. Mizzou isn’t going to the playoff. They may still win a few games before the postseason, but you can’t reasonably expect your team to escape A&M and Oklahoma without a loss when you’re down to a true freshman QB. I think everyone feels good about watching the defense for a few more games, and the prospect of getting to see Matt Zollers come of age is nice. But obviously that’s not where we all hoped to be in early November.
Sammy Stava, Staff Writer: Yeah, the vibes have deteriorated a bit. Mizzou is a good, but not great team. That’s just who they are at this point. It’s pretty annoying because the Alabama and Vanderbilt games were totally winnable. And now, the CFP is highly unlikely. Sure, the Tigers can still have a good season — but there will be something left on the table with this team.
True Deck, Football Writer: I think the bye week gave the vibes an opportunity to mellow out. It would’ve been interesting to see the Tigers go straight into the A&M game without a bye, with emotions high. But now that it’s cooled off, Missouri has an opportunity to lock in and play at home, which it does best.
We’ve had two weeks to adjust to the idea as “Matt Zollers: QB1.” What excites you most about this new era? What worries you?
Josh Matejka: A renewed passing game, perhaps? Beau Pribula looked shaken for his last few games, maybe because of his reliance on his ability to scramble and pick up yards with his running ability. Zollers, in contrast, is a pure pocket guy with the athleticism to make things happen if he absolutely needs to. His ability to throw the ball into the middle of the field was a welcome surprise in Nashville, and I think it’ll aid him as he gets up to speed. Of course, as can be expected with a talented, bold freshman QB, I think we can probably expect to see some boneheaded turnovers over the next few weeks. Good thing the defense is elite!
Sammy Stava: Matt Zollers flashed plenty of talent and potential in the loss against Vanderbilt to replace Pribula. What excites me the most? I think the future is extremely bright. What worries me? Yeah … relying on a true freshman QB the rest of the way in the SEC isn’t exactly ideal. There will be some growing pains.
True Deck: I’d say the most exciting part about Matt Zollers’ game is his pass presence. He’s shown that he can be comfortable in the pocket more so than Beau Pribula, on a much smaller sample size. I think he has the potential to be a really good passer this season and for years to come. On the other side of it, let’s hope Zollers can stay healthy. The Tigers can’t afford another injury at QB.
Texas A&M might be the best team Mizzou will face all year. Are the Aggies really the class of the SEC?
Josh Matejka: I can sit here and say I think Alabama is more talented than A&M, but hey! You can’t argue with what the Aggies have done to this point. Until someone proves otherwise, Mike Elko has got the best team in the best conference. Maybe it’s that they’re Big XII refugees like us, but I don’t have much a problem saying that Texas A&M is the SEC’s best at this point in time.
Sammy Stava: Alabama and Georgia might be just a step ahead of them even with one loss, but you can’t argue with the Aggies resume up to this point. They’re undefeated and No. 3 for a reason. Texas A&M is elite and legit.
True Deck: I’m going to say no. I don’t think A&M has played against enough talent to really say that it is the class of the SEC. At this point, I’d give it to Alabama or Georgia. Despite having one loss — Alabama’s not even coming in the SEC — I think they’ve proved that they can compete, and probably win against anybody. They’ll be surefire quarter/semifinalists in the College Football Playoff.
PICK ‘EM! Mizzou is a -6.5 dog heading into this game, surprising no one. Can you see that holding up in the game?
Josh Matejka: I do think that Mizzou’s defense is good enough to hang with anyone. And I mean anyone. But I just can’t see the Tigers mustering up enough points to make this upset happen. I think it’ll be a tight one heading into the fourth quarter, but either Marcel Reed busts a big play or Matt Zollers makes a crucial mistake that ices it for the Aggies. I’ll say 27-17, with the Aggies adding a late score to cover.
Sammy Stava: First time I’ll pick against Mizzou this season. The expectations aren’t high for this one, but hey, maybe that’s a good thing. It’s arguably a house money type game for the Tigers. In reality, it will be a tough situation for Matt Zollers to step into. Mizzou’s defense will make this competitive throughout, but the Aggies will pull away late. 30-21, TAMU. Here’s hoping I’m wrong.
True Deck: I think if there was any time for Mizzou to turn its season around, it’s now. I do believe that Matt Zollers is a better passer than Beau Pribula and it’ll show on Saturday. If Missouri wins, it’ll have to be sloppy. Give me the Tigers to shock the world, 23-19.
