Weekend winners
Navy football. It was a very subpar year for the Midshipmen, finishing 4-8, but after Saturday, did you know that Navy played 11 bowl teams? And let's be very frank: Any year - regardless of record - in which the regular season ends with a win is a success for Army and Navy. In that regard, it's got a stake in the greatest rivalry in college football. Sure, the stakes are not the same for Army-Navy as the Iron Bowl in most years or Michigan-THE OSU. But any fan who says they would be happy with 1-11 as long as that one is a win over their rival is being disingenuous. Well, any fan other than those wanting Army/Navy to beat Navy/Army.
The whole Army-Navy experience. Yes, they get two and they deserve it. That was very enjoyable as a fan without a rooting interest. Sure, I played the under - in addition to my pick from Thursday, which lost - because it has now hit an incredible 15 years in a row. Side question: After 15 straight years, don't you ride that buck till it throws you?
Speaking of that, NFL bettors won the weekend. Hugely. OK, here's four basic trends that can detail public success when it comes to NFL wagers. The public loves to bet on the favorites. Favorites were 12-2 Sunday. The public loves overs. Overs were 10-3-1 Sunday. The public loves the Cowboys. Dallas won and covered. The public loves the Packers. Green Bay won and covered in prime time. (Side note: The various 'fun' parlays offered on various sites included a blend of Packers and Davante Adams bets. Cash. Also, if you were wondering what a money line parlay of all the teams favored by more than a TD on Sunday - Chiefs, Saints, Titans, Seahawks, Broncos, Chargers and Packers - paid, it was +355. More cash. Let's just call it an eight-unit Sunday, can we?)
Tom Brady. I'm pretty sure he's winning almost every weekend. He's plus a rushing TD - in an OT win over Buffalo that kept the Bucs in the hunt for the top seed in the NFC. Brady made two first-half throws to Mike Evans that were a hair short of perfect only in the sense that we have been forever taught that nothing is truly perfect. Then you have to remind yourself that dude leads the league in TD throws. And he's 44 bleepin' years old.
Aaron Rodgers. Dude is hardly a spring chicken in pro sports years, but because Brady's still playing on Sundays and staying at Alexian during the week, we forget Rodgers is 38. And Sunday night, he was his typical maestro self with a football. And he got to live the "walking the walk" after "talking the talk." The last time Rodgers faced the Bears, he won and left a lasting imager at Soldier Field when his now-infamous "I still own you" quote was caught on camera. Well, he can complain about Rodgers' tact in that regard but not his accuracy - at least when it comes to the Bears. Last night vs. Chicago, Rodgers had four TDs and zero picks as the Packers overcame a litany of big plays to beat Chicago 45-30. As for Rodgers vs. the Bears, well, it's the seventh time he's had four-or-more TDs and no picks against the division rival, and that's the most for any player vs. any opponent in NFL history.
Johnny Vols Fans everywhere. With the news that Hendon Hooker is returning for another year in K-Town, it's impossible not to be excited for what year 2 of the Josh Heupel experience will bring. You know the rules. Here's Paschall on the big news for the Big Orange faithful.
Jamal Shead. In a crazy and full day of college hoops on Saturday, Shead's Houston bunch lost a nail-biter at Alabama on Saturday night that featured an emotional and controversial ending. A large majority of the team and staff stormed off the floor and some even trashed their bench and sideline. When he saw the mess his teammates created, Shead calmly turned around and started to pick up the trash from an overturned can. The social media ripples are quite cool, if you ask me.
Weekend losers
Urban Meyer. Man, hard to imagine a worse week that culminated with a Sunday shutout. First comes reports that his rookie QB had to tell Coach Liar that the Jags need James Robinson. Then came news that Urban made his staff defend their resumés, reminding them how he's always won and telling them they were losers. Then came Sunday's overwhelming 20-0 noogie from a Titans bunch that looked like they started the "run out the clock" part of their offense with 3 minutes left in the second quarter. And the shots of Urban on the sideline staring at the ground spoke volumes. Loud volumes. I'd be surprised if Urban coached an NFL game in 2022. And that includes the final week of this season, too. (Side note: Not to get too betting heavy, but there may also have been a prop offered of every team in the 1 or 4 p.m. windows Sunday to score a TD. It may have paid at plus-500. It may have turned a great day into a record day for some folks you may know. It was assuredly dashed by the floater Urban's Unit left in Nashville.)
Speaking of Rodgers and his mouth, someone apparently forgot to mention his less-than-truthful COVID conversations through the fall to NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth, who right before halftime was effusive in his praise of Rodgers' honesty. Uh, Chris, may want to check some of the game notes before broadcast, pal. Here, from USA Today, is Collinsworth's second-quarter quote: ""He doesn't care. Have you seen a guy, and in particular this year, be more honest about everything? You may not agree with everything he says, but we have heard from the beginning of this entire season exactly what he thinks about everything." Maybe he should have stopped a "He doesn't care."
Time. We offered last week that SI missed a chance for their sportsperson of the year, picking Brady over "The Fan." But at least Brady was defensible. Time's Person of the Year? That's Elon Musk, and that's a rotten call, I musk say. (Whaddya think Spy?)
Steve Harvey. Gang, can we just find someone else to host the Miss Universe pageant? No offense, Steve, and I think you are funny on Family Feud - he's no Richard Dawson, because no one ever will be, but he's likely No. 2 behind Dawson and ahead of all the other folks who have hosted one of the all-time great game shows through the years - but c'mon man. It was not that long ago (2015, maybe) that he announced Miss Colombia as the winner when Miss Phillippines won, and last night Harvey said "Congratulations Portugal" when the final two were from Paraguay and India. He said the producers were trying to rick, and if that's the case, then they just need to shut the whole thing down and move along.
Mike Leach. Hypocrite much, Mike? Leach, who is refreshingly honest - a value that I treasure and try like the dickens not to discourage or even shade - in an industry that is predictably guarded and clichéd, swung his sword as only the pirate can. But being honest is not a free pass from being wrong, either. Leach blasted players who decide to opt out of bowl games. Yes, it can be a tough decision. Yes, it puts player above team. But we have to remember that this is a business decision, first and foremost.,And while we're here Mike, how many teams did you leave for a new business opportunity in your coaching career that started at Cal Poly and weaved through Iowa Wesleyan, Valdosta, Lexington, Norman, Lubbock, Pullman and now Starkville?
Baltimore. Man, if I was a Ravens player, I'd seal myself in bubble wrap. Almost every meaningful Ravens player is dealing with some sort of injury now that Lamar Jackson hurt his ankle in Sunday's loss to the Browns. If Jackson's injury is serious, the Ravens are cooked, because Jackson on bad wheels is like making Steph Curry be a post player.
Bonus pick: Nolan 4/5 girls basketball coach. Dude blew a game his team should have won going away because he made poor calls - forcing a round predetermined offense into a square hole is dumb coaching - and his motivational skills were dreck. Good thing it's a voluntary spot or he may be on the hot seat.
Bowling frame
Let's bowl.
It's time. Let's do this.
It's time for the annual "Bowling for Bowls of Bowl Game Success, Bowler Optional" contest.
Deadlines are before the first bowl game, which hit in full flush later this week. These lines are final and the ones we will use. Yes, when half of Auburn's team elects to sit out the bowl game - yes, wrote this last week, and more on that in a bit - that will change the number in Vegas.
But, sadly, this ain't Vegas.Scoring is easy. Get the designated point value for a correct pick against the number. No lost points for a miss.
1-point games
Bahamas Bowl: MTSU vs. Toledo (-9.5)
Tailgreeter Bowl: Northern Illinois vs. Coastal Carolina (-9.5)
Boca Raton Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. App State (-2.5)
New Mexico Bowl: UTEP vs. Fresno State (-12.5)
Independence Bowl: BYU vs. UAB (-6.5)
Lending Tree Bowl: Eastern Michigan vs. Liberty (-7.5)
L.A. Bowl: Utah State vs. Oregon Sate (-7.5)
2-point games
New Orleans Bowl: Marshall vs. Louisiana (-5.5)
Myrtle Beach Bowl: Old Dominion vs. Tulsa (-9.5)
Idaho Potato Bowl: Kent State vs. Wyoming (-3.5)
Frisco Bowl: San Diego State vs. UTSA (-2.5)
Armed Forces Bowl: Missouri vs. Army (-3.5)
Frisco Classic: North Texas vs. Miami of Ohio (-3.5)
Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii vs. Memphis (-5.5)
Camellia Bowl: Ball State vs. Georgia State (-4.5)
Quick Lane Bowl: Western Michigan vs. Nevada (-2.5)
3-point games
Military Bowl: East Carolina vs. Boston College (-3.5)
First Responders Bowl: Air Force vs. Louisville (-1.5)
Holiday Bowl: UCLA vs. NC State (-1.5)
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: West Virginia vs. Minnesota (-4.5)
Fenway Bowl: SMU vs. Virginia (-1.5)
Pinstripe Bowl: Maryland vs. Virginia Tech (-1.5)
Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona State vs. Wisconsin (-6.5)
Arizona Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Boise State (-9.5)
4-point games
Gasparilla Bowl: UCF vs. Florida (-7.5)
Birmingham Bowl: Houston vs. Auburn (-2.5)
Liberty Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Mississippi State (-8.5)
Cheez-It Bowl: Iowa State vs. Clemson (-1.5)
Duke's Mayo Bowl: South Carolina vs. North Carolina (-6.5)
Alamo Bowl: Oregon vs. Oklahoma (-4.5)
Music City Bowl: Purdue vs. Tennessee (-3.5)
Peach Bowl: Michigan Stae vs. Pitt (-3.5)
Gator Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Texas A&M (-5.5)
Sun Bowl: Washington State vs. Miami (-1.5)
5-point games
Outback Bowl: Arkansas vs. Penn State (-3.5)
Citrus Bowl: Iowa vs. Kentucky (-2.5)
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Notre Dame (-2.5)
Rose Bowl: Utah vs. THE Ohio State (-6.5)
Sugar Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Baylor (-1.5)
Texas Bowl: Kansas State vs. LSU (-2.5)
7-point games
Cotton Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Alabama (-14.5)
Orange Bowl: Michigan vs. Georgia (-7.5)
For 10 points, who wins the national title?
Go.
This and that
- Not sure where it falls in the winning and losing sides of the weekend, but Dan Lanning, the former Georgia DC, is the new Oregon head coach. Gotta admit, I would have expected Oregon to land a bigger name. On the flip side of that, I saw a stat that the 2015 Alabama coaching staff now ranks as the 1927 Yankees. Saban's 2015 crew had six current major college head coaches: OC Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss), DC Kirby Smart (Georgia), O-line Mario Cristobal (Miami), WRs Billy Napier (Florida), Des Mel Tucker (Michigan State) and grad assistant Lanning (Oregon). Saban is officially The Natural. "There goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was."
- So Quinn Ewers is headed home to Texas to play for the Longhorns. Side question: If he signed a $1 million NIL deal with businesses in and around the Columbus area who supported THE Ohio State, how much of that do you think he collected and/or will keep? Also, how long before these NIL deals come with transfer clauses? Worried about the portal, let the shadow corporations (i.e. boosters) who are putting up these NIL offers add a line about "null and void" if you transfer.
- Speaking of the transfer portal, would the last recognizable name at Auburn turn the lights out. Bo Nix? Transfer portal. Tank Bigsby? reportedly headed to the transfer portal. Defensive stars Zakoby McClain, who led the free world in tackles this year, and corner Roger McCreary, who will zoom up draft boards during the scouting process, did not report for bowl practice and almost assuredly will opt out to get ready for the league. Merry Christmas.
- Congrats to Bryce Young for winning the Heisman. But his speech included how he has "always been ruled out and kind of doubted." Uh, someone get Paschall on the blower because if memory serves, Young was like the No. 1 or 2 ranked player in the country coming out of high school and is at Alabama. That's not the pedigree Rudy pitched when they made the movie, Bryce.
Today's questions
Weekend winners and losers go.
As for multiple-choice Monday, of the above bowl games which name is the most ridiculous? And did we ever expect to get to a place that Frisco has two bowls with it in the name?
As for today, it's Dec. 13, so should we start the 12 days of Christmas today. I say yes.
So what's the most famous First in sports? (And yes, it can be a 1.)
Or should we try to be lyrical on this in step with the song. "On the first day of Christmas, my sports fans gave to me, 'A final round Masters badge.'
Thoughts?
As for Dec. 13, Taylor Swift is 32 today.
Did you know that on this day, "Driving Miss Daisy" was released.
Rushmore of movies with a flower in the title. Go.