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In Denver, they are buzzing about the growing legend of Travis Hunter after last night’s 31-26 triumph over the Bison.  However, John Denver’s attentions are elsewhere.

As in Morgantown, West Virginia.  Penn State pays a rare visit on Saturday.  Shades of long, gone times when the Eastern schools were largely independent and battled each other to win the Lambert Trophy, the reward for regional supremacy.

Joe Paterno wanted to establish a formal Eastern football conference but could not pull it off.  Hello, Big 10!!

Last year, the Mountaineers paid a visit to Penn State and were spanked 38-15.  Not only did West Virginia get spanked, but the Nittany Lions scored a “tack it on” touchdown in the game’s final seconds.  Certainly, salt in the wound.  Did James Franklin know that Penn State was a 20-point favorite and want to appease the local betting public?  Let’s get 60 Minutes to investigate!

This year’s game rates to be closer.  Penn State started as a 10.5 point favorite but the line has dropped to 8.  Penn State QB Drew Allar has an opportunity to quiet critics.  Although Allar did throw for 325 in last year’s WV triumph, the Penn State offense was both conservative and quiet in defining losses to Ohio State and Michigan.

The spirit of John Denver might be celebrating tomorrow.  Behind dual threat QB Garrett Greene and an experienced D, the Mountaineers have a real chance to put a damper on the playoff hopes of the Nittany Lions.

If the upset occurs, can you blame the locals if they burn a few couches?  After all, when your squad is 2-35-1 since 1956 against their historic tormentors from State College, a victory is something to be fired up for.

Let’s do some simple math:

There will be 64 SEC Conference games.  Even if Vandy goes 0-8 every year, 56 added losses will be incurred.

With Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC, some of the conference’s numerous traditional powers will be saddled with more losses than in the past.  Simply put, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Arkansas and South Carolina  are not going to absorb all those additional 56 losses.

This presents a real problem to Oklahoma.  The Sooners have had 3 periods of marked dominance in their storied history

Bud Wilkinson’s teams in the 1950’s were awesome.  Their 47-game winning streak is still an all-time record.

Barry Switzer’s wishbone laid opponents to waste.

Bob Stoops ruled the Big 12.

It is hard to see how the Sooners can ever reach such peaks again in the SEC.  The SEC schedule maker wanted to make this point in 2024!  Look at OK’s conference schedule.

9/21 Tennessee (the Josh Heupel reunion fest)

9/28 at Auburn

10/12 Texas

10/19 South Carolina

10/26 at Ole Miss

11/9 at Missouri

11/23 Alabama

11/30 at LSU

OMG!  OMG!   The Sooners could have a very reasonable squad and wind up somewhere between 1-7 and 3-5 against that Murderers’ Row.  Exactly who did OU piss off at the SEC office?

Oklahoma has always had the guts of its roster come from Texas.  In the NIL era, can OU keep up with the deep pockets of Texas and A&M?  We shall see.

In 2027, do not be surprised if Sooner faithful look wistfully at the “old days.”  Sometimes, it is preferable to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond.  Will those in Norman react in terror when the SEC announces the addition of a 9th conference game when their benefactor, ESPN, sweetens the pot?  Stay tuned.

This year’s conference race in the Big 12 is unprecedented!  In the HISTORY of college football.  Hyperbolic?  Not at all.

The Big 12 has bloated to 16 members.  How many legitimate title threats are there in the first year sans Oklahoma and Texas?  No less than 12!!!

Three of last year’s newbies look to be also rans:  Cincinnati, Houston and BYU.  One of this year’s Four Corner schools, Arizona State, appears to be at least a year away.

That leaves 12 with a legitimate shot in the opinion of the Odyssey!  Utah, Oklahoma State and Kansas State are in the preseason Top 20 with Kansas also getting significant attention.

Don’t discount the “next 8!”  An experienced West Virginia squad has a chance to make a statement in a long-awaited opener against former rival, Penn State.  Iowa State can make noise in their CyHawk rivalry game against a highly touted Iowa squad.

How can you count out Deion’s crew when the Buffs rate to have two of the top 5 picks in next year’s draft?

Arizona has one of the most reliable QBs in college football in last year’s “find” of the year in Noah Fifita.

When the dust settles, we suspect Iowa State will surprise folks.

Each week of conference play will have exciting, closely contested games.  The Odyssey can’t wait!

No doubt Name, Image and Likeness (“NIL”) has transformed the college football landscape.

I remember my surprise in early 2015 when Dan Enos announced his resignation as the Central Michigan coach, after a 5-year tenure, to take the Offensive Coordinator gig at Arkansas.  Head coaches voluntarily accepting an assistant job elsewhere was a very rare occurance.  More like man-bites-dog news.

Shockingly, 5 such moves have been made since the end of the 2023 season!

Perhaps the least surprising move was Chip Kelly’s bolt from Westwood to Columbus.  Allegedly, Kelly had a sour taste when it came to recruiting.  Worse, reports indicated that UCLA’s NIL buckets were not exactly overflowing.  Given his New Hampshire link with Buckeye head man, Ryan Day, Kelly found an excellent fit.

Another laggard in NIL money has reportedly been Boston College.  Not an easy place to win at in the best of times, Eagles’ head coach, Jeff Hafley, bolted to Green Bay for a coordinator gig.

Georgia State’s woes go much deeper than lack of NIL money.  The Odyssey attended their 2021 home opener against Army and was appalled at the lack of fans.  Worse, Georgia State is located in an NFL town and is not even the top college dog locally with Georgia Tech several miles to the North.   Shawn Elliott bolted Georgia State after 7 years to be the Tight Ends coach at South Carolina.

Kane Wommack vacated head man status at South Alabama to being the co-defensive coordinator at Alabama.  Mildly surprising since South Alabama is far from being the perennial dumpster fire that exists for Sun Belt mate Louisiana Monroe.  Mobile is a great town and their stadium is one of the Sun Belt’s finest.

The decision of Wommack was partly based on money.  A coordinator in the SEC will often make much more than a head coach gig in the Sun Belt.  Consider LSU.  Their horrid 2023 defense demanded big changes.  The Bayou Bengals wooed Mizzou defensive coordinator Blake Baker to the sweet tune of $2.5 million.

Buffalo head man Mo Linguist also bolted for Tuscaloosa as he will be the co-defensive coordinator.

NIL has clearly increased the gulf between the haves and the have nots and has been a key element in decimating the Mid American Conference.  Blow outs of non-conference cupcakes will increase.  Thus, a modest request to the SEC:  Please increase conference games from 8 to 9 (and damned what the athletic director at Kentucky moans about! “Oh, it is such a tough league, blah, blah, blah”)

Our last post indicated that the Michigan football schedule was “arguably the toughest” in 2024.  IF UM’s is not, we are sure whose is:

The Florida Gators!

Thank God Samford is on the schedule since the Gators’ other 3 non-conference games are:

Miami

UCF

@ Florida State.             OUCH!

Check out their SEC games:

Texas A&M

@ Mississippi State

@ Tennessee

Kentucky

Georgia (at Jacksonville)

@ Texas

LSU

Ole Miss             DOUBLE OUCH!!

OK, the Odyssey rarely errs but we think a potential retraction is in order.   This schedule is murder and probably harder than what the Ann Arbor boys will face.  What a perfect setup to get Billy Napier fired, rightly or wrongly.

As soon as the confetti settles at the national championship site, a slew of college football writers come out with their “Way Too Early Top 25.”  In the case of the Michigan Wolverines, most such articles have the Wolverines between #5 and #7 in the coming year.

Are you kidding me?  The folks in Ann Arbor don’t know who their coach is.  They don’t know if their starting QB, JJ McCarthy, is returning.  They don’t know if the 2024 UM team will be sanctioned.  That is a LOT to not know.

Here is what we DO know.  About 15 stellar players are going to get drafted and/or be on NFL rosters this fall.

Have you checked out their schedule in  2024?!?!  Arguably, the toughest in college football, which includes

USC

Oregon

Washington

Ohio State

Texas

Two additional games fall into the “tricky” category.  The Big House’s first visitor will be a pesky Fresno State squad.  In addition, MSU has a good new coach in Jonathan Smith.  The Odyssey can not begin to count the number of so-so MSU teams that played by far their best game of the year against Michigan.

The Odyssey puts very long odds that Michigan will finish 2024 in the Top 10.

Let the Odyssey scream from the highest rafter:  Paul Finebaum is good for college football, especially for those crazies south of the Mason-Dixon line.  We have taken guilty pleasure listening to the deceased Tammy, Legend, IMan, etc.  Finebaum has done an admirable role as the Jerry Springer of college football

But the Mouth of the South has one irritating blind spot.  He has forgotten that the Civil War ended in 1865, particularly when speaking (often disdainfully) of the Michigan Wolverines.  He has been outwardly dismissive of the Wolverines’ history, saying that 1/2 of a National Championship in 70+ hardly represents success.

This concept  of “national championship or bust”  is outrageous to the Odyssey.  We would argue that Alabama’s season was a wild success.  The Tide won the SEC by ending Georgia’s 29-game winning streak in the state of Georgia after a rough start to 2023.  Washington had a fantastic season, extending their winning streak to 21 games, despite the strength of the 2023 Pac 12.  Texas finally shed its perennial tag of underachiever by winning at Bama and stomping Oklahoma State in the Big 12 title game.

Other successes abounded in 2023.  How could Northwestern possibly go 8-5 after two horrible seasons and the dismissal of Pat Fitzgerald?  If you would have predicted that Arizona would lose one game in regulation (31-24 to Washington), you would have been instantly committed.  Newbie James Madison excelled in the upcoming Sun Belt.

According to Finebaum’s ridiculous yardstick, Bo Schembechler was an utter flop.  No natty despite winning 11 conference titles in his illustrious 21-year stint.

Michigan’s national title is cathartic because of all the near misses over the past 60 years.  To wit:

1964:  A failed two-point conversion at Purdue that cost UM a national title in a season punctuated by a 34-7 mauling of Oregon State in the Rose Bowl.

1972:  Ohio State’s TWO goal line stands in Columbus thwarted an undefeated Blue squad, 14-11

1973: The bitter rivals both entered the game undefeated.  Ohio State salvaged a 10-10 tie when Mike Lantry missed two late field games.

1974:  Lantry missed another walkoff field goal in a crushing 12-10 defeat in Columbus.  But was it a miss?  Some observers said that Lantry did make it.

2006:  On the heels of Bo Schembechler’s death, another undefeated clash in Columbus.  The Buckeyes prevail in a 42-39 epic.

2016:  Did JT Barrett get the first down conversion in overtime??  Jim Harbaugh said NO.  The officials said YES.  30-27 double overtime heartbreaker.

Finebaum’s myopia totally ignores that Michigan fans would view their season as a success when upending an undefeated Ohio State team as The Team Up North has often done since 1969.

Finebaum, ever the SEC bullhorn, has been lamenting that Georgia did not make the playoffs…”If Georgia was in, blah, blah, blah. Georgia had an off day in the SEC Championship game, blah, blah, blah.” Memo to Mr. Finebaum:  The Odyssey was in attendance at the Flats in the week prior to the Bulldogs’ pratfall.  The Bulldogs hardly looked national championship vintage in their 31-23 win over Georgia Tech.  Georgia’s defensive line looked human, unlike the previous 2 years.

The greatest symbolic play in Michigan’s 2023 National Championship occurred on Alabama’s final play in the Rose Bowl.  The TIde’s right tackle, JC Latham, is a hulking monster of 350+ pounds of man.  Yet, Josaiah Stewart, UM’s edge-rushing specialist, giving up MORE than 100 pounds, manhandled Latham!!  He pushed Latham backward directly into Jalen Milroe’s path.  Milroe, in essence, was tackled by his own right tackle!   Take that, Paul Finebaum!!

And if you are wondering if we will be tuning into Finebaum’s show today, well, you should already know the answer to that.

The Odyssey is intrigued by a bunch of oddities heading into Monday night’s showdown in Houston:

In the wake of Michigan’s Rose Bowl thriller over Alabama, Maize & Blue faithful could sit back and watch the Sugar Bowl game with some bemusement.  Regardless as to who won, UM would have a 2024 rematch in the regular season (Check out Michigan’s 2024 schedule – BRUTAL!!)

One of the most underhyped games of 2023 involved Washington’s visit to Arizona on September 30.  The 2023 Washington and Arizona squads have played a total of 27 games.  The only game that either team lost in regulation was in Tucson as UW prevailed 31-24.

UW’s winning streak of 21 games is remarkable.  Even more remarkable is that their last 10 victories have all come by 10 points or less.  The Huskies have been Cardiac Kids in a Pac 12 that was the best conference in 2023 (Sorry, SEC).  UW has won 3 straight victories in 2022-23 over Oregon.  That the Huskies easily could have lost all 3 to the Ducks reflects the game day acumen of Kalen DeBoer (and/or deficiencies of Dan Lanning).

The Huskies were 9.5 point underdogs to an Oregon team they had already beat in the Pac12 championship game.  This lack of respect was due, in part, to underwhelming victories over Stanford and Arizona State.  How could an offensive machine like the Huskies not score an offensive TD against the Sun Devils?? One of the most mind-boggling stats of 2023.

When Michigan blew up Alabama’s 4th and goal from the 3, one element was amazing.  Right tackle JC Latham was pushed back by Josaiah Stewart to help trip Jalen Milroe on the game’s final play.  How does this happen when Latham has a 100-pound advantage over Stewart?

UW’s starting QB, Michael Penix, already has experience in beating UM.  As the Indiana QB, the Hoosiers cruised past Michigan, 38-21, during the Wolverines’ sorrowful 2-4 campaign in 2020  –  a season so bleak that the highlight for the Maize and Blue was their COVID cancellation of their game in Columbus.  Penix’s triumph was even more noteworthy in that the IU triumph was the first over UM since 1987.

With so many weird facts, the Odyssey will not be surprised if more surprises emerge in Houston.

Paradise is a sunny January 1 day in the shadows of the San Gabriel Mountains.  The Rose Bowl is not “just another bowl venue” as the Paul Finebaums of the world erroneously spout.  The Rose Bowl is the unique college football mecca which towers over any other venue in the USA.  All right, almost paradise if you park on the golf course, which doubles as the main Rose Bowl parking lot, and have to get somewhere soon after the game, good luck!

The Michigan-Alabama game was the 18th Rose Bowl attended by the Odyssey, with the first coming 52 years ago when another undefeated Michigan team stumbled against a plucky Stanford squad.

From an “x’s and o’s” standpoint, there were 2 interesting elements which would seemingly determine the outcome, one favoring Michigan and the other favoring the Crimson Tide.

ADVANTAGE ALABAMA;  Michigan has a solid group of receivers but no bona fide deep threat.  The strength of Alabama’s defense is their backfield.  They have a Corner named Kool Aid who lives up to the name.  They have a Freshman superstar in Safety Caleb Downs.  Among others.

ADVANTAGE MICHIGAN:  Alabama’s offensive line was, generously, mediocre in the early part of 2023 — especially in that sh*tshow at South Florida.  Their improvement was significant but they would be severely tested against arguably the best defensive line in the country.

Thanks to some creative play calling, the Maize and Blue wound up with 221 yards passing, blunting Alabama’s biggest edge.  Blake Corum caught 2 key passes out of his running back position.  JJ McCarthy made a spectacular catch (!!!) to set up a double pass.  Bottom line:  Michigan was forced to scheme for key passing yardage and did so successfully.

Alabama’s offensive line failed in multiple regards.  Jalen Milroe was sacked 5 times —in the first half!  The Tide’s offense was limited to 288 yards, their second lowest output in the playoff era.  Alabama’s center, who will go mercifully unnamed, was the clear LVP (“Least Valuable Player”)  of the game with numerous bad snaps to Milroe.

BOTTOM LINE:  Michigan better utilized its advantage than did the Tide.

For the Maize & Blue, the Rose Bowl win was sweet on numerous levels.  26 years had passed since the last UM victory in Pasadena.  Jim Harbaugh was the QB for Michigan in a 1987 Rose Bowl loss to Arizona State so the 12th hour heroics must have been extra sweet for Harbaugh.   In Michigan’s 2 previous losses to Saban-led Alabama, neither loss to the GOAT was very competitive.

Michigan had 2 pieces of uncharacteristic pieces of good luck in a venue that often had proved to be their chamber of horrors.  Their 2nd muffed punt of the game in regulation’s final minute came oh so close to gifting Bama with a game-winning safety. In Michigan’s game-tying drive, a key pass was completed despite being deflected by an Alabama linebacker.

The Odyssey will enjoy the national title tilt against Washington.  We do hope that the absence of an SEC team does not cause any Southerners to seek therapy.  Excuse us for not waiting to tune in Finebaum later today.  The dual hater of Harbaugh and UM had predicted a decisive victory for the Tide.  Should be a lot of fun to listen in to hear comments from “the mouth of the South” and his #1 caller, Legend!

Bowl season does not mean a lot for most of the participating squads.  Especially when there are massive opt outs in certain cases.

USC was one of those teams that had large numbers (20 or so) say NO to San Diego’s Holiday Bowl tilt against Louisville.  Seemingly, this was just the latest bit of bad news for a program that had been deluged with recent downers.  The Trojans, picked by some to reach the playoffs, dropped 5 games (and were quite fortunate not to drop a 6th against Cal and a 7th against Arizona).  The shine had totally gone off the hire of Lincoln Riley.  Fans fumed, “Would the guy ever field a squad with a half-decent defense?”

A few weeks ago, 5-star Freshman Malachi Nelson made one of the more head-scratching transfer portal announcements.  Nelson appeared to be the heir apparent to the coveted QB job.  (Riley may not know a thing about defense but his offenses have always been smoking hot).  Even more curious, Nelson was a local guy, prepping at Los Alamitos High School.  Was he fishing for more money?  Quite possibly.

After all this gloom and doom,  the Holiday Bowl provided a shockingly magic elixir for Trojan faithful.  Third-year backup, Miller Moss, came off the bench to throw for 6 TD’s and 372 yards, setting a USC bowl record for TD passes.  The Trojans, who had shown of the heart of the Tin Man during the regular season, played with lots of energy.

Suddenly, the Trojans have a star QB to replace Heisman Winner Caleb Williams.  Suddenly, the talk of KSU QB Will Howard transferring to Los Angeles does not seem at all urgent.  Maybe Malachi Nelson knew that he was far from a lock for QB1 on Figueroa Avenue in 2024.

Suddenly, the arc of the USC program has been dramatically altered.  All due to a “throw away” bowl.