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Sneaky good changes?
So I got to thinking — shut it, Spy — that the consolidation to a Power 4 (the Pac-2/MAC alliance is not powerful) could be a good thing in this way.
The expansion to 12 college football playoff teams with only a Power 4 (should that be a Fantastic 4, a Fab 4, a Forceful 4 … thoughts?) makes the math a lot more simple.
The Power 4 conference champs are a given. Yes, we’re going to have to figure out the future imbalance when playing in the conference title game is a determent, but we all know the conferences are not going to give up the championship game revenue.
Allow the top-ranked Group of 6 (yes, that includes the Pac-2/MAC crew) a spot in the dance. Then, pit the next two top-ranked Group of 6 schools a play-in game on the Saturday night of the Army-Navy weekend for a spot in the dance.
Do the Heisman ceremony at halftime; that thing is too dang long anyway.
But man, the drama of Toledo facing Air Force for a spot to play fifth-ranked Michigan in the first round of the college football playoffs would be aces.
And that still leaves six at-large bids to make sure the name programs get in.
Still, let’s be really clear about a few things.
First, I hate the expansion of the college football playoffs. Hate it.
It waters down the process and devalues the best regular season in sports.
There has maybe been one year in 10 since the bowls were destroyed — and one of those was 2004 when my alma mater was left on the outside looking in — that No. 5 had a legit gripe.
Second, we all knew it was coming, money ruling the world and all.
Third, having six at-large bids in a 12-team field will really make going to the conference championship game and risking injury to key players an issue. For instance, if we had 12 teams in the bracket this year and Georgia lost Brock Bowers or THE Ohio State lost Marvin Harrison Jr. in a conference title game against a two-loss LSU or a three-loss Wisconsin, then that’s a major season loss, even with a championship ring.
So as we prepare for 12 in the CFP, here’s hoping they tweak the original plan of the six highest-ranked conference winners and the six highest-ranked non-conference winners.
Because as we continue to water down the best regular season in sports, do we really need the third-place team in the SEC West or the Big Ten East to get a dance ticket?
Painful week
I went to Auburn. Most of you know this. (And yes, Spy, I graduated. Eventually.)
My wife went to Georgia. Most — if not all — of my cousins went to Georgia. Most of my good friends growing up went to Georgia.
So the complete (bleep)-kicking Georgia has done to Auburn over the last decade makes me sick to my stomach. Heck, I bet Georgia fans look at Auburn right about now the way UT fans look at Kentucky. Or even Vandy.
Of course they want to win, but the hatred or the fear or even the animosity is gone. And it can’t be just from one side, people. A rivalry has to be a two-way venue of venom.
Here’s more from Paschall with the numbers and the details.
Gang, know this: I have an English bulldog that is a wonderful friend who looks just like Uga. And yes we named him Bo Jackson because, well, you take the wins where you can.
But I wonder sometimes if I don’t want Auburn to beat Georgia more than I want Auburn to beat Alabama.
There is the scarcity of it. There is the recruiting part of it. There is the pinnacle — Kirby’s on it; Lord Saban is longing for it — part of it.
So many of my life memories are from Auburn-Georgia games.
My first Auburn game was in ’82 when “sugar was falling from the sky” as Munson described it. (At that point, as a pre-teen who loved Herschel, I was rooting for Georgia, and if the HOPE was in place when I graduated from high school I would have 100% been an UGA student, just for the cost. That said, I am super glad I went to Auburn for so many reasons.)
Speaking of Munson, with all the respect in the world to John Ward, Whosehispants at Kentucky (who did do the Hoosiers scene), Al Ciraldo, Wes Durham, Eli Gold, Jim Fyfe and every other person who has ever sat behind a mic, Munson is Jordan. Plus Tiger.
But to this week, I’m not sure which is more dragging on this one-time rivalry that Georgia has won nine times over the last decade: Auburn’s struggles or Georgia’s excellence.
But, with the abysmal Auburn QB play, there’s simply no reason to expect anything different this weekend.
And I also expect Mike Bobo to be the smartest offensive play-caller this side of Kyle Shanahan this weekend because, well, you know.
So about that
Let’s see, we spent a few hundred (or more) words talking about the QB dearth in today’s NFL.
It’s extreme the divide between the haves and those that do not have. (Side question: That sounds better than have and have nots, right?)
One of those teams that have gone from having to not having is the Jets, who “won” the off season by acquiring Aaron Rodgers, who tore his Achilles four plays into the season.
Now the Jets have Zach Wilson, who has drawn criticism from Joe Namath, Suzy Kobler (who Namath still likely wants to smooth), and every Tom, Joe and Suzy in between. And rightly so.
The Jets reportedly have either made inquiries or heard from a slew of retired dudes like Matt Ryan and Philip Rivers or checked the trade status of every back up this side of the Pips.
Well, now comes news there is a new name in the conversation.
Ladies and gentlemen, Colin Kaepernick wants to be a Jet.
Oh my.
When the nightmare of having a stacked roster pegged around a future Hall of Fame QB becomes the disaster of having saif QB go down for the season happens, it’s fair to wonder what could be worse.
This now became worse for the Jets.
No one wants Colin Kaepernick to take snaps in the NFL, including Colin Kaepernick if the reports about him blowing off multiple tryouts for multiple teams are to be believed.
But now the Jets are faced with the very real question: Will you bring him in for a tryout? And if they don’t, is it because of race or activism?
Yikes.
This and that
— Rest easy Brooks Robinson. You were great at what you did.
— This was a fun Ryder Cup column from London on the pomp (or maybe the primp) and circumstance of the WAGs of the Ryder Cup participants.
— You know the rules. Here’s Paschall on the latest Vols news.
— Kudos to Coty Wamp. To this point, it truly seems she has handled this cop-involved shooting almost perfectly as the county DA.
— Braves played. Braves won. So, anyone else sad that Dingers Tuesday is about to go on a six-month hiatus. (Side note: Hiatus is a good word.) We predicted Mr. Acuña Jr. to go deep last night (at plus-350), which means we have hit five of the last six Dingers Tuesdays and we have now finished well into the plus side of the past seven Jays Plays emails. Who knew?
— Baylor School was the first to drop its hype video in the rivalry week that is Baylor-McCallie. I expect the McCallie version to be every bit as good. This game should be on ESPN if we’re being honest.
— Did you see that Travis Kelce’s jersey sales have skyrocketed — rising more than 400% over the last two days — since Taylor Swift’s appearance at Sunday’s Chiefs game?
Today’s questions
Which way Wednesday will start this way:
Which QB should the Jets sign, Kaepernick or Namath?
Which third baseman, in his prime, would you pick first, Brooks, Brett, Schmidt or Chipper Jones?
Which Wamp has done a better job to this point?
Which rivalry in college football do you miss the most?
Which story line in the Ryder Cup intrigues the most?
Which college sports homer announcer was your favorite? (And yes, mine was Munson even though my favorite team is Auburn.)
As for today, Sept. 27, let’s review.
Meat Loaf would have been 76 today. Mike Schmidt is 74. Gwyneth Paltrow is 51. Paltrow, overrated, underrated, properly rated?
On this day 100 years ago, Lou Gehrig hits the first of his 493 homers.
Rushmore of Lou and/or Rushmore of MLB first basemen. Go.