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Weekend winners
› Every one involved in the big Orange offense. Yes, Kent State was KentCake on the schedule, but there are patsies and pastries everywhere. And UT’s offensive machine was record-setting in terms of points in a quarter (37), points in a half (65) and yards (740) in a 71-0 win.
› The Chris Sale-led Atlanta Braves. We have been on the sailing on the S.S. SaleForCy for at least six weeks. Heck, we even posed the question in August if a Cy Young could mean an invitation to Cooperstown for the Braves lefty, which ESPN posed over the weekend. The Braves taking two of three from the Dodgers was huge, and Atlanta is now even with the Mets for the last NL wildcard spot.
› NFC South foes, the Saints and the Bucs. Each is 2-0, and each thumped NFC front-runners Sunday, with N.O. drubbing Dallas and Tampa going on the road to down Detroit. Man, if the Falcons lose tonight, that’s a two-game hole in two division rivals.
› The athleticism of the modern version of the NFL wide receiver is a thought here, especially with the amazing highlights guys like Davante Adams and Calvin Ridley put on tape. Justin Fields — I have always loved him as a prospect, since his days in Cobb County — and the Steelers are, too. But let’s give the final spot to Jim Harbaugh and the 2-0 Los Angeles Chargers. More NFL come Tuesday with the power poll.
› Memphis, which went to FSU and won outright, now has to be the leader among the non-Power Four crew in the playoff picture, right?
Weekend losers
› UTC football. Yes, the first two were against higher division foes, even if the Mocs were in a winning position before letting the Georgia State game slip away. But a home loss to Mercer leaves UTC headed into the bye 0-3 and facing some serious unknowns.
› Football officiating. Hey, there’s 100% truth that officiating, umping or reffing today’s athletes at the speed of today’s games and with the technology of today’s replays is tougher than ever. But the avalanche of replays and reviews were over-the-top. The thrilling LSU comeback over South Carolina was appallingly badly officiated, and in addition to replays every three plays, the reviews took three-plus minutes. And let’s not even get started with the number of close games decided on back-breaking calls late. (Looking at you, guys working the Chiefs-Bengals game.)
› My tastes in TV. Wow, the Emmys came and went. I watched the monologue from the Levys (B-to-B+) and the first presentation with the stars of “Only Murders in the Building” (Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez). A fav: Short asked Martin, “What’s it like to look like someone who has fallen and can’t get up?” with Martin retorting to Short, “How does it feel to look just like a retired women’s tennis champion?” That said, since my viewing habits bounce between the Game Show Network, sports and NCIS-types of reruns, I was 0-fer on any of the winners and very few of the nominees.
› Every survivor pool picker — like me — who had the Ravens. I’ve asked this before, and I am sure we will ask it again, but is Lamar Jackson going to be a Super Bowl winner?
› Shedeur Sanders. Coach Prime’s boy led the Buffalos to a thumping of rival Colorado State but snubbed the CSU QB’s handshake attempt after the game and clearly said, “You can’t (bleep) with me” to the CSU QB. What a punk. Win or lose, shake the man’s hand.
› Georgia’s iron grip on an SEC title spot. Do I think the Dogs are the best team? Yes, I do, but wow, as UGA was slow to start and limped to a 13-12 win — yes, winning on the road in the SEC when you play a C-minus game is a character trait great teams must have — the rest of the league frontrunners looked stout. Especially Bama at Camp Randall.
The opposite of stout
Bye, Billy Napier.
Leave the orange and blue gear at the door, please.
(Side question: Ripping a page from the staffing directory of his Jedi master Nick Saban, anyone wanna bet that ol’ Billy Bob will be a defensive “analyst” on Kirby Smart’s staff sooner rather than later?” Discuss.)
Napier’s Gators faced a must-have game against an uncertain SEC-foe with a first-year coach and a QB2 starting.
Granted, Texas A&M QB2 Marcel Reed balled out, and the Aggies had a ton of skilled players who capitalized on the litany of Florida miscues, but still.
The fact remains that Napier at home had to have his crew ready. They got waxed. And it looked like he and his staff had no idea what the play with the QB rotation was or should be.
It was 20-0 at halftime and 33-7 with less than six minutes left in the third of a 33-20 final that was misleading.
For a smidge of perspective, Steve Spurrier lost five games in The Swamp by a combined 25 points in his legendary career coaching his alma mater. Napier is 0-2 in The Swamp by 37 combined points in the last three weeks.
Napier, who has roughly a $26 million buyout that could be less depending on his role in the legal proceedings brought by former recruit Jaden Rashada, is 12-16 at Florida. He’s an eye-bleeding bad 7-15 vs. power five conferences.
Florida has allowed an average of 38 points over its last eight games, and the river of Gator faithful streaming from The Swamp on Saturday was an even clearer sign.
(Side question: Are we looking at an FSU vs. UF season-finale to see which team finishes 3-9 and which finishes 2-10? Discuss.)
It’s no longer if Napier gets sacked; it’s when.
And moreover, who is next? We have a list of names below, and some are nuts.
But here’s where I start:
I make Nick Saban say no. Three times over. And I remind him, “Winning nattys at three schools has never been done, Dark Lord.”
Thoughts?
(And of course Lane Kiffin will assuredly be the front-runner, but is Florida a better job than Ole Miss right now? Discuss again.)
This and that
› I really don’t give a flip about the royal family, but I felt old when I read the headline that Prince Harry is 40 for some reason.
› You know the rules. Here’s Paschall on the Vols’ 65-point first half. Great Paschallian stat in that story: UT has scored 50 or more in three straight to open a season for the first since time since 1913 when the Vols dropped 58, 95 and 75 on the juggernaut start of Carson-Newman, Athens and Maryville, respectively.
› Speaking of which, here’s a fun email over the weekend from longtime (and I mean LONG-time) regular Sportsman: “Not sure the Vols should have been playing Kent St. By my count, the UT cheerleaders did almost 500 pushups in about 3 hours. I’d count that as a loss. My brother-in-law was a drill instructor at Parris Island for 18 months, and I don’t believe he made even the worst recruit do that.”
› Did you see The NY Times story that LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne has made almost $10 million in NIL money?
Today’s questions
Weekend winners and losers. Go.
As for multiple choice Monday, we have two this week, and one is fill in the blank.
› Which of the Emmy winners last night do you/did you watch that you would recommend to the Mrs. 5-at-10 and me?
As for the true MCM query, let’s go here:
› Who will be the head football coach in Gainesville come Signing Day February 2025?
— Lane Kiffin
— Kyle Whittingham
— Urban Meyer
— Nick Saban
— Billy Napier (I kid, I kid — that dude is cooked and may not see Saturday)
— Other (and fill in the blank)
As for today, Sept. 16, let’s review:
Happy Birthday to my mother-in-law, who is a swell lady and is a wonderful Nana to the little 5-at-10s. Today she’s, well, never mind that. Momma didn’t raise no fool.
The Mayflower departed on this day in 1620.
Golf’s first recorded hole-in-one was carded by Tom Morris at Prestwick’s No. 8 in Scotland on this day in 1869. Spy, did he use a 3 hybrid or 4 iron?
David Copperfield is 67. He makes the Rushmore of magicians, right? (I think we have done that one.)
Amy Poehler is 52.
Elgin Baylor would have been 90.
Tim Raines is 64. He’s one of the Rushmore of leadoff hitters, and I am pretty certain we have done that one.
Orel Hershiser is 65.
Rushmore of the best single pitching seasons of the last 50 years, and does Hershiser’s 1988 masterclass that included his record-setting streak of scoreless innings make it?
Go and enjoy the day.