Gang, we have an overflowing mailbag. You guys are awesome. We expanded the entries because so many are timely — especially with the start of college football. Deal? Deal.
So yeah, great news …
Yes, college football is starting, but that’s not it.
No more political conventions.
Hip-hip, you get the idea.
Business to be handled:
Rushmore of the best NFL nicknames — Big Tuna (Bill Parcells), Papa Bear George Halas, Iron Mike Ditka and Bum Phillips.
Rushmore of saddest moments in Disney movies — “Ol’ Yeller,” “Bambi,” “Dumbo.”
Rushmore of Amy Adams films — “Arrival,” “Talledega Nights,” “American Hustle” and “Julie and Julia” (and that is with apologies to “American Hustle” and “Charlie Wilson’s War,” which I liked more than most).
Rushmore of iconic sports venues in the U.S. — Augusta National and Churchill Downs are no-brainers. (Side note: These first two are half the Rushmore of places I have been where any group you approach could be speaking any language from around the world. The other two are Yellowstone — especially near Old Faithful — and Disney World.) I then go Indy and the Rose Bowl. It’s the Granddady of the ’em all, after all.
From Bill
So you bag on the left and you bag on Trump? Are you even an American or some gutless position-less (blank) who wants American to become communism?
You (bleeping) suck!
Bill,
Thanks for reading, and do you kiss your momma with that mouth?
As for the sway, I call ’em like I see ’em. And if the election were today — which would be national news since it’s a Friday in August — I would write in a vote. Maybe Back-Up QB. Or Spy, who may or may not be older than Biden. That said, I have no intention of getting political today. Truly. I watched a grand total of maybe 30 minutes of the DNC all week.
But our two biggest issues heading into November are this as I see them:
First, 60% of Americans in the middle are not voting for either candidate. They are voting against the other candidate. That’s mind-blowing in the greatest country on Earth, with more than 300 million folks walking around.
Second, the headline on the TFP main page completely sums up all political posturing I have heard all summer: “Harris summons American to reject political divisions, warns of consequences posed by Trump win.”
Both sides are blaring the “we must come together; the other side sucks” message.
My head hurts. Let’s go back to talking about the SEC football tie-breaker.
From Terry
Jay, I thought you would have more college football previews in the 5-at-10. There are so many things going on.
How do you think our Vols will do? Is Bama’s run over? Will Georgia get back?
Who will make the playoff? What’s the best thing that could happen? What’s the worst thing?
Man, you really let me down.
Terry,
Chill. We have college football decked up in earnest every day next week, some specifically on the topics above.
But, rapid-fire style:
> Your Vols will be very good; playoff-contender good;
> Bama has the biggest swing this side of the Flying Dutchman at Six Flags; 7-5 is real, as is 10-2 and being in the playoff;
> Georgia never left. In fact, here’s a rule following link to Paschall on the Dawgs from today’s edition;
> My playoff predictions will be next week; likely Wednesday;
> Best thing that could happen (for me) is AU’s Peyton Thorne remembers how to play QB1 the way he did in East Lansing where he threw for 46 TDs and more than 6,000 yards in a smidge more than two seasons; for the sport, they hire Nick Saban as College Football Kingpin (what would the best title be?) and let him run this thing with a iron fist. Like MLB needed Kenesaw Mountain Landis after the Black Sox, Lord Saban is the hero college football needs;
> Worst thing is pretty easy for me. This story — that a former Colorado coach claims Deion Sanders had him call PIF and lobby the Saudis and their infinitely deep pockets to fund Coach Prime and Colorado’s NIL ventures — is a possibility, or God forbid, a reality. Imagine PIF trying to sportswash its image with a college football spinoff like what happened in golf with the LIV.
Thoughts?
From Dave
Jay, what’s your off-the-wall prediction for college football this year, and since my team sucks — Florida — whose bandwagon should I join?
Dave,
Wildest prediction: SEC gets five teams in the playoff and everyone has kittens, and we are moving to 16 way, Way, WAY sooner than anyone thought.
Now the more interesting part, the bandwagon conversation. First, do not leave the Gators. Period. Stay true. Wear your colors. That’s who you are. (Even as frustrating as it can be to be an Auburn fan — heck, I’m worried DCS is going to eventually rule it is child abuse for anyone to raise their kids Auburn fans and securing a lifetime time of fan frustration — I could never leave because, I believe in Auburn and I love it, and if I changed schools, I would have to replace half my wardrobe.)
So here are a few bandwagon options:
First, if you are local, follow the Mocs. They are the easiest crew to follow around here, plus as a Gators fan, you get the chance to root heartily for a season-opening upset over the Vols. UTC tickets are affordable. They sell beer at Finley. And they should be pretty stout this year — the Mocs, not the beer, per se. Plus, you have multiple avenues of plausible deniability to the bandwagon accusations.
As for Power Four programs, which is actually Power Three, because you can’t jump on an Ole Miss bandwagon or a Missouri bandwagon or any other SEC wagon for that matter out of principle, here is one from each of the other three:
ACC — Georgia Tech. More on the Jackets in a moment;
Big Ten — Nebraska, which has five-star Dylan Raiola as QB1, and Matt Ruhle, who is the next guy in the long line of great college coaches who bombed on Sundays, is going to turn it around in Lincoln;
Big 12 — Arizona, which still feels strange, but they have a fun QB-WR tandem, and let’s face it, you can cheer for everyone to beat Coach Prime, right?
From J-Mac
We talked some on Thursday’s 5@10 about divisions in the SEC. I think most people are in favor of it. If we did east and west of the Mississippi, who do you think would be the stronger division? I can see two favorites every year in the east but a toss-up every year in the west. Your opinion?
J-Mac
If you do it geographically, the divider would be the Alabama-Mississippi border.
The East — Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vandy.
The West — Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M.
That feels pretty fair, no, even the West would be a bit stronger right now since Florida and Auburn are a bit down.
But in truth, that is so cyclical, it should not be a deciding factor. From the mid-1990s into the mid-2000s, Florida and Tennessee were the powerhouses, no? Then the West grabbed control and ran.
But how’s this for a crazy scenario:
Divide the SEC into four divisions. The West (Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M), the Midwest (LSU, Missouri, the Mississippi schools), the Central (Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky and Vandy) and the East (Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee).
SEC schedule is your three division foes, three games against the corresponding finisher in each division (division winners from last year play; teams that finished fourth in the division last year play, etc.) and two traditional rivals. You may have overlap, but if the current SEC tie-breaker is any indication, there’s an app for that.
Now, eliminate the FCS foes and go to an 11-game, regular-season schedule, and on the Saturday after Thanksgiving play SEC semifinal games with West vs. Midwest and Central vs. East.
Think ESPN — or Amazon — would not pay a billion (or more) for 10 years of covering those games?
From JL
Georgia Tech? Really? Sorry, Jay, you are so wrong about this game. FSU will blow Tech out.
JL
Could be. FSU has a ton of speed. But I like this Tech bunch, and I think Brent Key is going to turn this thing around.
The wildcard for this game — and Tech’s season — is Haynes King, the A&M transfer who was a boss last season but also threw way, Way, WAY too many picks.
That said, I’m married, so I’m pretty used to being wrong.
Happy college football, everyone, and have a great weekend.