Weekend winners
Alabama. That was an impressive defensive effort folks. Outstanding – and for Leonard Fournette and his Heisman chances, ouch-standing – in fact. And now remember that the Tide pitched a dominating shutout that limited the explosive Tigers to less than 150 yards of total offense with the nation’s best safety out for the season. Talent. Waves and waves of talent.
Washington. Yes, there was hand-wringing in the Great Northwest when the Huskies were No. 5 rather than No. 4 in the first college football playoff. Then Texas A&M stumbled mightily at Starkville. To hammer home its point, Washington turned a 21-20 lead into 66-20 win over a Cal team that had been undefeated at home.
Andy Reid. Is the man who, according to the LeBatard Show, looks like the guy who stops by the table of sweats, wags his finger at the tray of donuts and says, “Don’t mind if I do,” the second-bets coach in the NFL? OK, Belichick is one. We all concur with that. But after a consistently good career with the Eagles, Reid is showing off his skills in Kansas City. The Chiefs are 6-2, and have been without defensive star Justin Houston all season and won Sunday without quarterback Alex Smith and top running backs Spencer Ware and Jamaal Charles. To ake matters worse, the team’s best wide receiver – Jeremy Maclin – injured his groin in the first quarter, and tight end Travis Kelce was ejected for acting the fool.
Rod Pampling. Winning any golf tournament gets you on the short list of talking points about winning the weekend. When that tournament is on the PGA Tour and the payout is $1.2 million, well, all the better. Now know that Pampling’s win this weekend – his first in more than a decade – came after the tournament made a mistake even letting him in the event. The field was supposed to be cut from 156 because of the limited amount of day light and Pampling was not supposed to be in the tournament.