FOOTBALL DOWN SOUTH

Football quote of the week

“There is nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you.”

Woody Hayes, Ohio State

THE BEST      Alabama continues to be the most consistent college football team around. On Saturday they stomped into Shields Watkins Field and demonstrated how to make 120,000 fanatics, dressed in orange, quit singing Rocky Top. Alabama is talented, deep, and well coached, and baring some freak mental breakdown, should run the table all the way to a repeat National Championship.

THE GOOD   Winning is always good, and close wins are even sweeter. Clemson managed to outlast N.C. State 24–17, and Ohio State nipped Wisconsin 30–23. Neither win was pretty, but both teams managed to stay undefeated and in the race to get stomped by Bama.

THE BAD       As much as it pleases me to be able to say something nice about my friend Ken Walslaben’ s Syracuse Orangemen, it has to be in the context of a complete meltdown of Virginia Tech. VT should have stayed in Blacksburg. By wallowing around with Arkansas until he Hogs pulled it out, Ole Miss managed to snatch another defeat from the jaws of victory. To paraphrase Churchill, “Never has so much been spent by so many, for so little result.”

THE UGLY     The Folding Irish of Notre Dame continued to play in Hurricane Matthew, losing at home to a so-so Stanford Cardinal. There is no joy in South Bend, and the new version of The Victory March bounces from the Golden Dome to Touchdown Jesus. “Cry, cry for old Notre Dame, Wake up the echoes, lamenting her shame.”

AND THE BULLDOG REPORT      Skip Johnson’s beloved Citadel continued their undefeated season by upsetting #5 ranked Chattanooga. I hope Skip is enjoying.

The Citadel’s Bulldogs were the only winners. The Georgia brand continued to play like Grant Carter’s potted plants, this time losing between the hedges to Vandy. Look for Kirby Smart to be back on defense by years end.

My Mississippi State brand of Dawgs managed to play BYU down to the last minutes of the game. State is just a couple of linemen away from being a pretty decent football team. One thing I have to give them, is they haven’t given up, unlike many of their fans.

NEXT WEEK              The Texas A&M v Alabama game in Tuscaloosa will decide who wins the SEC West. Both teams are undefeated and highly ranked. If the game were in Kyle Field, I’d think the Aggies might squeak by, but like I said, Bama is talented, deep, well coached, and used to winning. Should be worth watching.

Arkansas is coming off a win and traveling to play Auburn in Jordan Hare. Auburn needs a win to keep the vultures off Gus’s back, and I suspect the Tigers will outscore the Razorbacks.

Washington puts its undefeated season and playoff hopes on the line when they host Oregon State in Seattle. On paper, the edge goes to Washington, but there’s a lot of balance in the Pac 12, so anything could happen. My son Sam has decided he’s really a Washington fan, and that can’t bode well for the Huskies.

Ole Miss will try to re-tighten the wheels on their faltering wagon Saturday night in Baton Rouge. Do you think Ed Orgeron would like to win this one?

My Dawg’s will visit Kentucky for the weekly “who cares” game. I think we’ll win, just because we usually can beat the Wildcats.