I had a whole thing prepped on 2006, but then I teased the idea of Gold(en) nicknames in our Obligatory Predictions Competition
, so it’s time to just pay that off instead. Maybe next week I’ll have my life together.As a reminder, the question on the floor:
I would like you to name, for me (or for yourself, have some pride), any D-1 colleges that have, currently or historically, included “Gold” or “Golden” in their nicknames for football and/or men’s basketball. BONUS points for any school that has
used multiple nicknames including “Gold” or “Golden”.
This was, of course, inspired by the Tulsa Golden Hurricane playing the East Carolina Pirates AND by Thumpasaurus’s Venn diagram a few weeks back.
What follows is a list of those schools and their nicknames.
Yes, I’m breaking this up so you have time to think.
- Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Golden Lions)
- California (Golden Bears)
- Canisius (Golden Griffins)
- Central Florida (Golden Knights from 1993-2007)
- Florida International (Golden Panthers, 1987-2010)
- Georgia Tech (football as the “Golden Tornado” from 1917-1929)
- Kent State (Golden Flashes)
- Marquette (Golden Eagles — but BONUS: they have also been the Golden Avalanche in football, as well as the short-lived “Gold” in 2005)
- Minnesota (Golden Gophers)
- Oakland (Golden Grizzlies)
- Oral Bob’s House of Learnin’ (Golden Eagles)
- Southern Mississippi (Golden Eagles)
- Tennessee Tech (Golden Eagles)
- Tulsa (Golden Hurricane)
Others, in the interest of pedantry:
- Colorado (“the Silver and Gold” until 1934)
- Nebraska (the “Old Gold Knights” in 1890, apparently)
- Toledo (informally, the “Blue and Gold” prior to 1923)
Friday Evening
Don’t Watch This
Lhvl Crdnls at #2 Miami Fluoride Hurricanes (-13.5, O/U 50.5) [6pm, ESPN]
#20 UW-Stout Blue Devils at #9 UW-Whitewater Warhawks [7pm, WIACtv]
{VB} #17 Penn State at Washington [9pm, BTN]
{USL Champ} Lexington vs. Sacramento Republic [5pm, Paramount+]
{USL 1} Charlotte Independence vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves [6pm, ESPN+]
{Liga MX} Puebla vs. Xolos [8pm, TUDN]
NWSL} Bay FC vs. North Carolina Courage [9pm, Prime]
{NWSL} Seattle Regin vs. Utah Royals [9pm, Prime]
{USL 1} Alta vs. Richmond Kickers [9:30pm, ESPN+]
{Liga MX} Tigres vs. Necaxa [10pm, Universo]
{Liga MX} Atletico San Luis vs. Atlas [10pm, TUDN]
{MHKY} #13 Minnesota at #8 North Dakota [7:07pm, NCHCtv]
Here, some non-rev sports
{MHKY} #3 Michigan State at #1 Boston
6pm | ESPNU
{VB} #23 UCLA at #9 wisconsin
7pm | BTN
Watch That
#25 Nebraska Cornhuskers at Minnesota Golden Gophers
7pm | FOX | UNL -7.5 | O/U 47.5
San Jose State Spartans at Utah State Aggies
8pm | CBSSN | USU -3 | O/U 63.5
Red-Hot Friday Slop
North Carolina Tar Heels at California Golden Bears
9:30pm | ESPN | Cal -10 | O/U 47.5
I hope you’re happy to see soccer, volleyball, and hockey, if just for one week. I felt nothing writing it.
Personally, I’m not terribly jazzed about Nebraska-Minnesota, but this is the kind of Big Ten football that gets some folks all hot and bothered. Plus, because Minnesota schools are currently on what’s called “MEA Break” here (a fall break brokered by the state teachers’ union), so this isn’t even getting in the way of local high school football.
Instead, I’m going to see San Jose State try to put up video game numbers on scuffling Utah State, who hired Bronco Mendenhall away from New Mexico and has celebrated that by giving up an average of 47.7 ppg in their three losses to Texas A&M, Vandy, and Hawai’i. Not sure if Spartans WR Danny Scudero is healthy, but if he is, it’d be wise to start him in your fantasy league.
Saturday Morning
Don’t Watch This
Washington Huskies at Michigan Wolverines (-6, O/U 50.5) [11am, FOX]
#12 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Duke Blue Devils (-1.5, O/U 60.5) [11am, ESPN]
Central Michigan Chippewas at Bowling Green Falcons (-4.5, O/U 43.5) [11am, CBSSN]
Arizona Wildcats (-1.5, O/U 46.5) at Houston Cougars [11am, FS1]
Eastern Michigan Eagles at Miami Hydroxide Redhawks (-12.5, O/U 46.5) [11am, ESPN+]
Army Black Knights at Tulane Green Wave (-9.5, O/U 44.5) [11am, ESPNU]
#14 Oklahoma Sooners (-5.5, O/U 43.5) at South Carolina Gamecocks [11:45am, SECN]
West Virginia Mountaineers at UCF Citronauts (-7.5, O/U 46.5) [12pm, TNT]
Watch That
#10 LSU Tigers at #17 Vanderbilt Commodores
11am | ABC | Vandy -2.5 | O/U 49
Baylor Bears at TCU Horned Frogs
11am | ESPN2 | TCU -3 | O/U 65.5
UConn Huskies at Boston College Eagles
11am | ACCN | BC -1.5 | O/U 59.5
Just some good regional football this morning, and some tight matchups at that — Georgia Tech-Duke always has the potential to be stupid, UConn-Boston College might be attended by as many as 50 people, and Baylor-TCU should have all the tact and grace of a Joanna Gaines greige kitchen. LOOK, THAT GOOD OL’ CHIP DUN’ BUILT HER A GREENHOUSE, BROUGHT TO YOU BY LOWE’S
Saturday Afternoon
Don’t Watch This
Kent State Golden Flashes at Toledo Rockets (-26.5, O/U 52) [1pm, ESPN+]
Buffalo Bulls (-16.5, O/U 45) at UMass Minutemen [1:30pm, ESPN+]
Troy Trojans (-6, O/U 45.5) at UL Monroe Warhawks [2pm, ESPN+]
#9 North Dakota Nazi War Memorabilia Enthusiasts at #12 Southern Illinois Salukis [2pm, ESPN+]
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes (-25.5, O/U 41.5) at wisconsin badgers [2:30pm, CBS]
{HOKKKK TOOOOO} Michigan State Spartans at #3 Indiana Hoosiers (-27.5, O/U 52.5) [2:30pm, Le Coq]
#4 Texas A&M Aggies (-7.5, O/U 61.5) at Arkansas Razorbacks [2:30pm, ESPN]
#5 Ole Miss Rebels at #9 Georgia Bulldogs (-7.5, O/U 54.5) [2:30pm, ABC]
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Appalachian State Mountaineers (-10.5, O/U 49.5) [2:30pm, ESPN+]
Temple Owls (-11.5, O/U 47.5) at Charlotte 49ers [2:30pm, ESPN+]
SMU Cocaineponies at Clemson Tigers (-5.5, O/U 51) [2:30pm, ACCN]
Northern Illinois Huskies at Ohio Bobcats (-11.5, O/U 41.5) [2:30pm, ESPN+]
#7 Texas Tech Red Raiders (-7.5, O/U 52.5) at Arizona State Sun Devils [3pm, FOX]
#22 Memphis Tigers (-21.5, O/U 64.5) at UAB Blazers [3pm, ESPN2]
UTRGV Vaqueros at #17 Lamar Cardinals [3pm, ESPN+]
Mississippi State Bulldogs at Florida Gators (-9.5, O/U 50.5) [3:15pm, SECN]
Southern Miss Golden Iggles (-3.5, O/U 53.5) at Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns [4pm, ESPN+]
Christ on Sale, WHY
Akron Zips at Balls Tate Robotbirds
2:30pm | ESPN+ | Balls -1.5 | O/U 41.5
Watch That
Texas State Bobcats at Marshall Thundering Herd
2:30pm | ESPN+ | TXSt -2.5 | O/U 66.5
UNLV Rebels at Boise State Broncos
2:30pm | FS1 | Boise -12.5 | O/U 62.5
Old Dominion Monarchs at James Madison Dukes
2:30pm | ESPNU | JMU -1.5 | O/U 47.5
UTSA Roadrunners at North Texas Mean Green
2:30pm | ESPN+ | UNT -3.5 | O/U 67.5
Wyoming Cowboys at Air Force Falcons
2:30pm | CBSSN | AFA -4.5 | O/U 58.5
I Know You’re Watching This, But You Need Jesus
Purdue Boilermakers at Northwestern Wildcats
2pm | BTN | NU -3 | O/U 47
You sick fuck.
There are three games with O/Us over 60 (four if you add Memphis-UAB), and you’re watching Northwestern-Purdue?
…yeah, OK, me too.
Saturday Evening
Don’t Watch This
#8 Oregon Ducks (-17.5, O/U 59.5) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights [5:30pm, BTN]
Washington State Cougars at #18 Virginia Cavaliers (-17.5, O/U 56.5) [5:30pm, The CW]
#21 Texas Longhorns (-12.5, O/U 43.5) at Kentucky Wildcats [6pm, ESPN]
Maryland Terrapins at UCLA Bruins (-3, O/U 52.5) [6pm, FS1]
[RV] West Georgia Wolves at #3 Tarleton State Texans [6pm, ESPN+]
#11 Tennessee Volunteers at #6 Alabama Crimson Tide (-8.5, O/U 58.5) [6:30pm, ABC]
#20 USC Trojans at #13 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-9.5, O/U 62) [6:30pm, NBC]
FAU Owls at #19 South Florida Brahman Bulls (-21.5, O/U 73.5) [6:30pm, ESPNU]
Pitt Panthers (-10.5, O/U 54.5) at Syracuse Orange [6:30pm, ACCN]
#16 Mizzou Tigers (-1.5, O/U 43.5) at Auburn Tigers [6:45pm, SECN]
#24 Cincinnati Bearcats (-21.5, O/U 57.5) at Oklahoma State Cowboys [7pm, ESPN2]
{MLS Decision Day} Eastern Conference games kick off at 5pm CT on AppleTV
Watch That
Georgia State Panthers at Georgia Southern Eagles
6pm | ESPN+ | GaSo -6.5 | O/U 59.5
Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors at Colorado State Rams
6pm | MWN | CSU -2.5 | O/U 53.5
#23 Utah Utes at #15 BYU Cougars
7pm | FOX | Utah -3.5 | O/U 49
If you watch Purdue-NU and then this, I mean…
Penn State Nittany Lions at Iowa Hawkeyes
6pm | Le Coq | Iowa -3 | O/U 39.5
Get help.
Whether the Rams have finally found their footing under new QB Jackson Brousseau—he threw for three scores on 12/18 passing in a 49-21 rout of then-undefeated Fresno State last week—feels almost immaterial: Colorado State is playing Hawai’i, and then let’s throw out all the record books and “should be” statements, knock back a line of blow, and just enjoy.
That, or a couple really good rivalries in the battle for the real GSU and the Mormon slapfighting thing.
I know you’re watching Penn State-Iowa. It’s at least more tolerable than the tongue-baths being handed out in Tennessee-Bama or USC-Notre Dame, I’ll give you that.
It’s late and I’m drunk…
Don’t Watch This
Northern Colorado Bears at Sacramento State Hornets [8pm, ESPN+]
Nevada Wolf Pack at New Mexico Lobos (-11.5, O/U 49.5) [8:45pm, FS1]
Lafayette Leopards at Oregon State Beavers (-22.5, O/U 54.5) [9pm, The CW]
Florida State Seminoles (-17.5, O/U 53.5) at Stanford Cardinal [9:30pm, ESPN]
{MLS Decision Day} Western Conference games kick off at 8pm CT on AppleTV
Watch That
{VB} Penn State at Oregon
9:30pm | BTN
{A-League} Central Coast Mariners vs. Newcastle Jets
11pm | ESPN+
An absolutely reprehensible evening of athletics, and I demand to speak to the manager.
I’ll be morbidly curious to see if Lafayette (at 5-2, receiving votes in the FCS poll) can run with 0-7 Oregon State for a bit, but the Beavs are surely friskier than we’re giving them credit for. Right?
Otherwise, go with your gut. Listen to your heart. Some other anatomy-related advice.
Enjoy the games, everyone.
