The lede cannot be buried.
There is but one all consuming issue, a singular question that has and shall continue to have the college pigskin planet abuzz until a definitive answer is revealed.
Are Bill Belichick (74) and Jordon Hudson (25) still a couple?
There are conflicting reports.
Meanwhile, last weekend ON the gridiron, there were at least a couple anomalies.
The Marshall/ Old Dominion game featured a good old fashioned Nick Saban Kick Six.
Which was far from the truly old fashioned — and game winning
— play which came during John Hopkins’ W over Muhlenberg. A play that hadn’t been seen since the actual playing days of Bronco Nagurski.
A Fair Catch Free Kick.
Which is just what it says it is. A team when getting the ball back calls for a fair catch it can attempt an unimpeded FG, either in classic place kick style or, yes, a drop kick.
Such was allowed in college football until 1950, when for some reason it was outlawed.
Only to be reinstated this season.
The last one: Marquette in its win over Michigan State in 1939.
This Saturday past, Kaleb Wayt was the Blue Jay who booted it through the uprights for the victory.
Of course, yes, there is a reason I’ve been beating about the bush, not weighing in on my predictions from last weekend.
Because they sucked.
IU escaped the Golden Gophers. U of L throttled Stanford. That was it on the plus side.
Arizona, Northwestern and Florida State fell. The last one — mercifully for Seminole fans — cost Mike Norvell his job.
My less than stellar slate did not cost me mine.
Yet.
Glorious Editor might still be at the beach.
As protection, I’m blocking any calls or texts from him.
2-3 for the weekend makes it a truly serious run of the mill 39-25 for the campaign.
CoachSpeak of the Week: “I don’t expect to win enough games to be put on NCAA probation. I just want to win enough to warrant an investigation.” — Nebraska’s Bob Devaney
This week’s winners:
Brigham Young @ Utah. Holy War. Battle of the Beehive State. Call it what you will. This one’s huge. Top Ten matchup. The Utes haven’t lost. Something only UCLA and Miami can say. So much for the departure of Kyle Whittingham being a big deal, a program breaker. The Cougars only L was at Disney World. Their second, Salt Lake City. Utah.
Miami (Fla) @ Notre Dame. I am on record as having opinionated that Mario Cristobal, as good a coach as he may be, is incapable of winning “the big one.” Something always seems to go wrong at a critical juncture. And, I’m not the only one who has viewed strange occurrences to visitors to South Bend. So, why am I choosing the Canes here? Because the thought of them knocking the Irish out of the playdowns is too sweet. Irish, goodbye CFP, hello Pop Tarts. Miami.
Oregon @ Ohio State. Fascinating, this one. Quack has underperformed. Losing both coordinators does that often. The Buckeyes are more than a bit tweedly their own selves. Major QB out. Legit backup now starring in Derby City. Though not overly confident, going with the guys at home. Ohio State.
Alabama @ Louisiana State. Though it has adversely affected my W/L record, I simply cannot bring myself to pick a team coached by You Know Whom. Alabama.
Kentucky @ Tennessee. Once upon a time this was a rivalry game. True. You can look it up. Then the Cats started playing the Cardinals and that last weekend slot was filled with red & black not orange. UK last won in Knoxville in ’20, which was their first there since ’84. Cats only prevailed twice in Lexington in the intervening years. But the Big Blue have a new coach, if you haven’t been paying attention, and they remain legitimately in the CFP conversation. The Vols only Ls have been a couple by three points. Gee, that sounds eerily familiar. I’m thinking upset. UK.
Louisville @ Georgia Tech. U of L should win. It says here U of L shall win. The great hope is they can escape Hot ‘Lanta without surrendering a multitude of chunk plays. That I’m not predicting. Louisville.
— c d kaplan
