College Football Odyssey

In 1895, the doctrine of “separate but equal” rocked America and became a landmark Supreme Court decision in “Plessy vs. Ferguson.”  The concept of segregated schools was ratified.   Plessy vs. Ferguson allowed Jim Crow to thrive for almost 60 years.  Not until 1954, did the Supreme Court toss the concept of “separate but equal” on its keister.

The expanded Sun Belt conference offers  21st century testimony to “Separate but Equal” not being a viable concept.   The ascendance of the Sun Belt has been aided by brilliant expansion selections, as attractive teams have gradually been added to the conference.  While App State had always been hell-on-wheels, even in its Division 1-AA heyday, who could imagine that the likes of schools like Coastal Carolina and Louisiana would start big-time flexing of their muscles?

Expansion in 2022 to 14 teams  has resulted in 2 7-team divisions.  One problem:  The power structure is so tilted to the East as to invite comical parody.  In addition to App State and Coastal in the East, 2 newbies, Marshall and James Madison have been traditionally successful programs.  The East is so strong that a traditional powerhouse, Georgia Southern, is generally picked to reside in 2022’s East cellar..  That Southern has won 6 FCS championships speaks loudly as to its historical pedigree.

Meanwhile, the West is anchored by 3 teams that one could charitably say have less-than-mediocre history in Texas State, Louisiana Monroe and South Alabama.  Two others, Troy and Southern Miss, sported traditionally good programs but have fallen on hard times.  Arkansas State formerly was the lynchpin of the West, winning 5 Sun Belt titles in 11 years, but limped to 2-10 in 2021 in large measure to a horrific defense.  As long as that master of platitudes, Butch Jones, is at the helm, the Odyssey wonders if ASU will regain its former stature.

This fall, we would not be shocked if 6 East teams are better than any in the West.  Maybe the Sun Belt should have followed the Pac 12’s recent lead to get rid of divisions.  The gauntlet that the East champion must survive will be nothing like the potential walk in the park that the West champ (likely Louisiana) will enjoy.

Meanwhile,  the 2 giants of big-time football, the SEC and Big 10, are silent as to their future plans to retain divisions as expansion to 16 members is imminent.  One popular theory in the SEC is that a “pod” system will be introduced.  Under the pod system, each school would retain 3 annual rivalry games.  The six additional conference games would mean that in any four-year period each conference member would play each of the other 12 members twice.   The pod system would remedy the current issue is that most teams in the SEC East rarely play teams from the West.  Will the SEC expand from 8 to 9 conference games to make this a reality?  The Odyssey thinks so, even though one of the SEC’s traditional non-conference creampuff games would have to bite the dust.  If the pod system is introduced in either the SEC or Big 10, the current division structure would likely be eliminated.

If only the Sun Belt could blow up its division structure for 2022!

It has been almost impossible to quell my zeal for my passion for college football during the past 60+ years.

Seemingly, the impossible has happened.  The Odyssey is revolted from recent developments:

1. The departures of Texas and Oklahoma compromised the stature of the Big 12 conference.  A year later, USC and UCLA did even more damage to the future of the Pac 12.
2. Money has become an unmanageable gorilla in college football, particularly when it comes to TV broadcast deals.  Paying large sums to players for their NIL (name, image and likeness) also opens up a can of worms.
3. The ease of movement via the transfer portal has had many unintended effects.  The rich seem to have gotten richer.  Alabama poached Jahmyr Gibbs, the 1,200 yard running back from lowly Georgia Tech.  Of course, we should all feel sorry for Alabama’s lack of talent especially after Nick Saban labelled Alabama’s 2021 SEC champion campaign as “a bit of a rebuilding year.”  I am irritated at the players who abandoned the team that helped them develop (unless there is a coaching change).   Georgia Tech, coming off a 3-9 campaign, definitely could have used Gibbs.
4. The hell with many traditional rivalries.  Who can wait for UCLA-Maryland games or USC-Rutgers?  At least my perverse side will delight in seeing how the SoCal teams will fare in the Midwest on a dreadful November day.
5.  The immense amount of travel that teams like USC, UCLA and West Virginia will impose on their football players means even less time on campus for those who actually want to study something.
6. What is the impact on the Olympic sports created by conferences that make little geographic sense?                                                                          Don’t get me wrong.  I will still get excited about many games this fall.  But it will take a long time to get this awful taste out of my mouth.

Please excuse the conceit of this article but I wish to share the best 25 games that the Odyssey has attended over the past 60 years.  After loudly complaining about opt outs and an underwhelming bowl season, the least the Odyssey can do is finish our season’s articles on a REALLY upbeat note.  After you peruse this list, you might better understand our passion for college football.

#1: 2017  Oklahoma 62,  Oklahoma State 52.   Want offense?  Try 38-38 in an absolutely unbelievable first half.  Baker Mayfield and Mason Rudolph both led seemingly unstoppable offenses in a heated rivalry game.

#2  1991 San Diego State 52, Brigham Young 52.  Marshall Faulk was far from the only offense for the Aztecs as speedy SDSU ran “go routes” all night.  SDSU needed to win the game to secure the Western Athletic Conference championship.  The situation was well in hand with a 45-17 lead in front of an enthused, packed house.  What could possibly go wrong?

#3  2001 Hawaii 72, Brigham Young 45   BYU came into its final regular season game 12-0 but jet lagged.  The Cougars’ schedule maker was masochistic as the Cougars had to play an afternoon game in Honolulu after a night game the previous Saturday in Starkville, Mississippi.  The sellout crowd at Aloha Stadium, always fired up to play BYU, were ecstatic as return man Chad Owens went absolutely bonkers. By the end of the first quarter, Owens had a kick return TD, a punt return TD and another long return.  By game’s end, Owens totaled 342 return yards, making a mockery of the former mark of 284 yards held by Minnesota’s Tutu Atwell.   The future King of the anti-Vaxxers, Tim Rolovich, was stellar in piloting Hawaii, hurling 8 TD passes.  All the scoring made the game run so long that ESPN felt compelled to pull the plug before game’s end.

#4 1981  USC 28, Oklahoma 24   What is better than a #1 vs #2 showdown at the legendary Coliseum?  Despite 10 fumbles by the Sooners, losing 5, Boomer was nursing a 24-21 lead with two seconds to go.  At which point,  tight end Fred Cornwall caught the game winner for the Trojans.

#5 1990 Michigan State 28, Michigan 27.  Despite Michigan losing its opener at Notre Dame, somehow the Wolverines ascended to #1 several weeks later.  MSU, as is often the case, played its game of the year against the Maize and Blue.  The game was tied at 14-14 midway through the fourth quarter when fireworks went off.  MSU scored a go-ahead touchdown only to have Desmond Howard respond with a 95-yard kickoff return. State scored another TD before Elvis Grbac found Derrick Alexander for a UM touchdown with six seconds left.  Michigan went for the win with a two-point conversion (no overtime existed in 1990).   Howard was mugged in the end zone by Eddie Brown just before attempting to grab the conversion pass.  Ruled no catch.  Wolverine fans are still waiting for the interference call to be made.  The apology from the Big 10 the following day was small consolation.

#6 1973 Ohio State 10, Michigan 10.  In a battle of undefeateds, top-ranked OSU visited #3-ranked UM during Episode #5 of the 10-year war between Woody and Bo.  OSU could not hang on to an early 10-0 lead in this titanic defensive battle  An injury to Wolverine QB Dennis Franklin was a big factor in OSU winning a 6-4 vote to make a repeat appearance at the Rose Bowl.  The ensuing explosion from Schembechler registered on the Richter scale.

#7  2015 Ole Miss 43, Alabama 37     Fueled by  being +5 in turnovers,  Ole Miss’ 2nd consecutive upset win against the Tide (the Rebels had entered the game being 1-25 on the road against Bama) prompted many talking heads to pronounce the end of the Alabama dynasty.  LOL!

#8 2005  USC 50, Fresno State 42.  In the last Golden Era of USC football, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and Pete Carroll had each become bigger than any Hollywood star.  The two-time defending champions had great difficulty in containing Fresno QB Paul Pinegar before finally surviving in a shootout that provided the 32nd straight victory for the Trojans.

#9 1986 Iowa 39, San Diego State 38.  Believe it or not, SDSU has played in exactly one Holiday Bowl.  BYU had hogged the berth for the Western Athletic Conference champion (and the related Holiday Bowl bid)  but the Aztecs upset BYU 10-3 to claim the 1986 title.  The hometown Aztecs converted a 21-yard field goal with  47 seconds left to grab the lead.  Their ensuing pooch kick did not prove to be genius as Iowa was gifted with excellent field position after Ronnie Harmon’s 48-yard return.  Their ensuing 41-yard field goal sent Aztec fans home sad.

#10 2021 Michigan State 37, Michigan 33.  The archrivals had never met undefeated and as Top 10 teams in late October.  The Wolverines squandered a 30-14 lead late in the 3rd quarter, despite totaling 552 yards of offense. Kenneth Walker III fueled a spirited Spartan rally.  Walker provided the most legendary performance in the intense rivalry as the shifty runner tallied 5 touchdowns on 197 rushing yards.  Michigan’s brilliant defensive end, Aidan Hutchinson, scored on a strip-sack TD in the 2nd quarter only to be overturned after several minutes of analysis.  Later, the Big 10 acknowledged that the officials had made mistakes in the game.

#11 2005 Texas 38, Michigan 37.  Vince Young was on his way to establishing himself as the greatest player in Rose Bowl history.  The Texas QB was unstoppable in the second half as he engineered a last-ditch, comeback win.  His play gave notice as to what happen one year later in yet another epic comeback in the Rose Bowl to dethrone USC for the national championship.

#12 2001 South Carolina 37, Alabama 36.  The Odyssey views Gamecock fans as THE best.  Williams-Brice always rocks despite the anchor of many mediocre seasons.  Alabama held a 36-24 lead with 6 1/2 minutes to go behind a brilliant game from option QB, Tyler Watts.  The Gamecocks responded with two late TD’s to win its first game EVER against the Tide.  Not only did the goal posts come down but they were carted outside the stadium as we were almost hit by a wayward goalpost.

#13 2013 Ohio State 42, Michigan 41.  The Buckeyes arrived in Ann Arbor 11-0 and huge favorites against the Wolverines. QB Devin Gardner had the game of his life and kept the Wolverines alive against a potent OSU offense led by Braxton Miller and Carlos Hyde.  When UM scored in the last minute, Brady Hoke elected to go for 2.  No bueno.

 #14 2001  Ole Miss 35,  LSU 24. Spending Saturday night in Baton Rouge for a rivalry game should be on everybody’s bucket list.  First-year starter, Eli Manning, did not get the memo that he was supposed to be intimidated as he led the Rebels to a comeback victory.  Afterwards on talk radio, fans ripped into the LSU coach for the upset loss, questioning his competence.  The coach’s name: Nick Saban.

#15 1992 USC 31, San Diego State 31.  The Aztecs blew a chance for a program-changing win as USC made a shocking visit to San Diego in the opener.  SDSU’s Andy Trakas missed field goals from 30 and 55 yards in the game’s final moments as San Diego State was pained by another bitter tie.  Skeptics wondered if Marshall Faulk’s gaudy stats were a byproduct of playing against lesser competition.  Faulk’s 220 yards in 27 rushing attempts emphatically answered that question.

#16  1988 Oklahoma State  62, Wyoming 14.   This Holiday Bowl mismatch was less a game than a coronation for the greatest offense of its generation.  The Cowboys’ excellent QB, Mike Gundy, had a stellar receiver to target, Hart Lee Dykes.  I probably should mention that Oklahoma State also happened to have a running back named Barry Sanders. In Sanders’ college finale, he did not disappoint with 222 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns to wrap up what was the best season ever for a running back.

#17  1971 Michigan 10, Ohio State 7.  Billy Taylor’s game-winning TD run  with 3 minutes to go would ordinarily have been the highlight.  Not even close!  When pass interference was not called on Michigan’s Tom Darden in the game’s final moments, Woody went berserk.  The crazy man, totally despised in Ann Arbor,  stormed onto the middle of field, breaking a yard marker over his knees en route. The crazed Hayes provided the greatest moment of theater ever for the ecstatic fans in the Big House.  Goodbye Woody, indeed!

#18 2011 Baylor 50, TCU 48.  Baylor’s opener propelled Robert Griffin III into the Heisman race.  More known for his legs going into 2011, Griffin was 21 for 27 for 358 yards against a Horned Frog team coming off an undefeated year and a Rose Bowl victory.  Griffin’s long-ball accuracy was amazing, particularly against a team with the defensive pedigree of the Horned Frogs.

#19 2016 Arkansas State 27, Georgia Southern 26.  A mid-week game in Jonesboro found many leaving the game early.  Big mistake!!  Like there are lots of entertainment alternatives in rural Jonesboro??  Arkansas State overcame 5 turnovers for their improbable triumph.  On ASU’s game-winning drive, the Red Wolves faced 4th and 16 in their own territory in the last two minutes, having used its timeouts.  QB Justice Hansen, not exactly a speedster, rambled for 18 yards on a desperation scramble.  Hansen later found Omar Bayless in the corner of the end zone with 9 seconds left.

#20 2010 Boise State 33, Virginia Tech 30.  Never has an opener in the BCS era had more buzz than this tilt at Landover, Maryland. Such buzz was partly reflected by two passionate fan bases.  When Virginia Tech’s D took the field with 2 minutes to go, nursing a 30-26 lead, the Hokies left way too much time for Kellen Moore to perform his magic (Moore is the all-time leader in QB victories with 50).  Moore only needed a minute to drive down the field and find Austin Pettis for the 13-yard game winner.

#21 1986 Arizona 34, Arizona State 17.  Since the Pac-8 had expanded to the Pac-10, the bitter rivals were in a frantic race to see who would get to the Rose Bowl first.  Arizona State had been on the doorstep multiple times only to be denied by excruciating upsets to Arizona.   In 1986, ASU Wildcat-proofed their trip to the Rose Bowl.  At 9-0-1, ASU visited Tucson with the Rose Bowl bid in tow.  ASU QB Jeff Van Raaphorst proceeded to throw for 437 yards.  While  not showing in the stats, Van Raaphorst really tossed for an additional 106 yards!  Sadly, for ASU, those 106 went to All American Chuck Cecil in the middle of the fourth quarter while ASU was driving deep in Wildcat territory.  Cecil’s game-turning Pick Six electrified the crowd in a way the Odyssey has never seen.  As ASU walked off the field with their 5th consecutive loss to UA in the Territorial Cup, the Sun Devils suffered the further indignity of being pelted by roses from jubilant Wildcat fans. That the Sun Devils would beat a Michigan team, quarterbacked by Jim Harbaugh, in the Rose Bowl provided great balm.  But ASU fans will never forget those repeated horror shows in Tucson.

#22  2003  Ole Miss 43, Alabama 28.  I doubt that Heaven has got anything over a sunny, Saturday afternoon at the Grove.  Especially when Eli Manning goes berserk, leading the Rebels to a 24-0 lead in the first quarter.  The final score was misleading as the Rebels coasted over their frequent tormentors.  Carrying my infant son on a papoose, I uttered to him at the end of the first quarter: “Don’t expect it ever to be this good again.” Manning has special status in the Odyssey.  I saw Ole Miss play 6 times during his tenure, 3 times as a double-digit underdog:  their record was 6-0, including wins at Death Valley and The Swamp.

#23 1972 Washington 22, Purdue 21.  The ranked Huskies were stunned at halftime, trailing 21-0 at Ross-Ade Stadium.  Gary Danielson’s legs were magic as the Purdue QB would rush for 213 yards.  However, the Huskies had the best-named QB in history, Sonny Sixkiller.  More than just a name, Sixkiller excelled in the second half comeback.

#24. 2016 Oklahoma State 43, Kansas State 37.  The visiting Cowboys overcame a two-possession deficit in the fourth quarter at rabid Manhattan.  It was cool to enter a stadium with turrets named after its still-coaching legend, Bill Snyder.  As we encountered a huge picture of Donald Trump during the tailgate and were deeply moved by the pre-game tribute for the five branches of our national security forces, the Odyssey was pretty sure that Hillary Clinton was not going to carry Kansas the following Tuesday.

#25. 2003 Southern Miss 40, TCU 28.  10-0 TCU visited the Rock in Hattiesburg.  The Golden Eagles’ upset victory propelled Southern Miss to the Conference USA title and prompted the Odyssey to participate in its first ever field storming.

SPECIAL HONORABLE MENTION:  2011 San Diego State 23, Army 20.   Visiting West Point and the banks of the Hudson River on a beautiful September afternoon, while observing the 10th anniversary of 9/11, was remarkable.  At halftime, a USA flag was unfurled to cover the entire field. Army’s 407 yards rushing and 42 minutes of possession could not overcome 3 lost fumbles.  The outcome of the game felt secondary to the celebration of America.

STAY HEALTHY AND SEE YOU IN AUGUST!!

 

Why is ESPN so preoccupied with mind-numbing, endless, unceasing promotion of the CFP semis?  For the most part, the games turn in to total duds and, worse, ESPN devalues the rest of the bowl slate when they act like only the CFP exists.

With heartfelt congrats to UCF, Michigan State, South Carolina and UAB, this bowl season will go down as the worst.  The CFP semis were the worst ever if you were not Alabama and Georgia fans.  Watching paint dry would been a thrill, comparatively speaking.

Bowl games were scraped because of the Omicron variant.  The Odyssey felt particularly bad for NC State fans.  To have a game cancelled within 5 hours of schedule was AWFUL!  Imagine paying for an expensive, cross-country flight and a hotel room only to have a a 12th-hour rug pulled under your feet.  To add insult to considerable injury, the weather for the NC State fans, on the days leading up to the game, was terrible by San Diego’s lofty standards.

Countless opt outs to boot.  We understand a star running back like Kenneth Walker III opting out.  NFL running backs are not forever.  However, for those of you who want to protect your 4th round draft grade, get a clue!

Purists found another reason to dislike Ohio State:  4 of their stars are defacing the “Granddaddy of them All” by not playing this afternoon.  The Odyssey believes that the Rose Bowl is SPECIAL.  If you listen to the Paul Finebaums of the world, they do not comprehend the singular appeal of the Rose Bowl.  The Odyssey has attended 15 Rose Bowls and there is no better way to start the New Year, especially when the sun is out as it will be when Utah takes the field against the Buckeyes.  The San Gabriel Mountains are beautiful.  Pasadena is a vibrant town.  Watching the sun set is totally picturesque.

As if a metaphor for this season’s bowl travesty, the Odyssey attended Thursday night’s Arizona State-Wisconsin tilt with a heavy heart. We much preferred their format where the Mountain West Champion played a Pac12 team. The Group of 5 keeps getting devalued. Instead, Sin City’s game should have been billed the Disappointment Bowl if truth in advertisement was an industry standard. Wisconsin had seemingly righted the ship after 3 early losses before an upset to Minnesota kept them out of the Big 10 title game.

ASU’s season was a mistake-filled disappointment, marred by undisciplined play.  The game turned out to be appropriate for this bowl season, as it started out as a yawner.  Wisconsin built up a 20-6 halftime lead as Arizona State’s offensive playbook seemed to consist of two plays:  “Jayden Daniels scrambles to the right” and Jayden Daniels scrambles to the left.”

To ASU’s considerable credit, the Sun Devils showed up in the second half.  ASU shut down the Wisconsin offense and made the game an interesting 20-13 affair well into the fourth quarter.  With almost 6 minutes left, credit the Badgers’ criticized QB, Graham Mertz.  On a pivotal 3rd and 12, Mertz threw a beautiful ball 30 yards down field for a critical first down.

Allegiant Stadium is an excellent venue.  UNLV should be able to lure some recruits who otherwise would be disinterested in the Rebels.

Maybe the 4 New Year’s bowl games will offer some salvation for this year’s meltdown.  Now that the bowl system has been trashed, there can be no question as to what the best day of the college football calendar is:  No longer on January 1st, the Odyssey cannot wait for 2022’s Rivalry Saturday.  We are already counting down.  HAPPY NEW YEAR from the ODYSSEY! 

Happy Holidays, Conference USA! Let’s take a look at your life raft.

Your Conference was not doing so well before the American Athletic savaged the Conference with 6 poaches.  3 others bolted for the Sun Belt.

UAB was a quality addition to the American, particularly after its Independence Bowl upset of BYU. So is UTSA, as it ascends under Jeff Traylor.

But look at the quality of the American’s other poaches from USA.

Rice:  The Owls cannot draw flies, even in the Texas heat.

Charlotte:  Its charming stadium is the smallest in the FBS.

FAU:  Another program that plays in front of family and friends.

North Texas:  Still pining for the days of Hayden Fry.

So, with 4 “less desirables” leaving for the American and 3 others (Marshall, Southern Miss and Old Dominion) bolting for the Sun Belt, imagine the “quality” of the leftovers in USA.

UTEP: A shame that the program does not deserve the charming Sun Bowl

Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky were so concerned with the mass defections to the American that they flirted with the MAC.

Louisiana Tech: Try getting to Ruston. Not easy!

Florida International: So broke that the program resorted to 2nd-hand equipment.

With only 5 leftovers, who came to the rescue to augment the ailing conference? Independents Liberty and New Mexico State signed up. At least, Conference USA will have a second rivalry game: UTEP vs New Mexico State.

Two FCS thoroughbreds have agreed to join: Jacksonville State and Sam Houston State. The Odyssey does not understand why so many FCS powers want to be a much smaller fish in a larger pond. However, both programs will give Conference USA a touch of class. Badly needed, in our view.

Conference USA’s  desperation has to make UMass and UConn feel even worse.  The left-out 0rphans without a conference.  Although not being sought after by Conference USA is a mixed blessing!  

 

 

Michigan State and Pittsburgh were among college football’s greatest surprises this year.  MSU was picked by many to finish last in the Big Ten East.  Kenneth Walker III and Kenny Pickett led their teams with stellar seasons.  Both just announced they are abandoning their team and will sit out the Peach Bowl.

Both have made a mockery that football is a team sport.  As good as Pickett was, a big part of his success can be attributable to the stellar Jordan Addison fetching his passes.   Walker needed his O Line.

The Odyssey understands that the risk of injury is everpresent and that there are few contracts for most NFL players.  We do understand that Jake Butt’s injury in the Orange Bowl 5 years ago cost him money.  But when players say they want to sit out to “help prepare for the draft”, the lack of transparency is irritating.   When Pickett says “Pitt forever”, laugh out loud.  You can’t have it both ways, Kenny.

How will Pickett and Walker be “preparing for the draft” when Pitt plays MSU in the suddenly debased Peach Bowl?  Likely, on their couches, perhaps with a cold one in hand.

Somehow, the college football world keeps topping itself in shocking developments. As stunning as the coaching exits of Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly were, such news was not as shocking to the Odyssey as Bo Nix announcing his entry into the transfer portal. The Auburn QB had his best year in 2021 before an ankle injury shut him down. Nix led Auburn to victories at LSU, as well as triumphs over Arkansas and Ole Miss.

But those are mere details. Bo Nix was loved as an Auburn legacy. His dad, Patrick, is one of Auburn’s all-time best QBs, leading the Tigers to an undefeated 11-0 mark in 1993. Obviously, Nix had an issue with the Auburn coaching staff. He was not won over by first-year coach, Bryan Harsin. Perhaps Nix was ticked off at Harsin’s early firing of their receivers’ coach or the season-end dismissal of offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.

In this era of instant transfers, players have never had more power. Harsin’s world has flipped upside down. His promising debut started to unravel when Auburn blew a 28-3 lead against Mississippi State on the Plains. To say that their loss to Bama was devastating would not be hyperbole. The Nix loss is another gut punch to Harsin. He may not be able to recover at a program with a very quick trigger finger.

What’s next? The Odyssey wonders. About the only story that could surprise us more is if another legacy star, Aidan Hutchinson, announces that he is giving up his NFL career so that he can be a grad assistant coach at Ohio State.

Never has the Carousel been crazier at season’s end than in 2021.  EVER!

The Odyssey has expressed its disdain at Texas and Oklahoma’s selfish arrogance in their bolt for the SEC.  Not only did the Odyssey take great pleasure that the Big 12 championship game included neither traitor, Oklahoma discovered that one of the first casualties of their move to the SEC was none other than Oklahoma.  Who can blame Lincoln Riley for bolting?  Instead of weekly blood letting in SEC games, he can enjoy weekends at Manhattan Beach (Note to Coach Riley:  With all the big bucks you now have, you can afford a chauffeur.  Traffic in downtown LA is  a touch different than in Norman or Greenville).  If the transfer portal results in Oklahoma being crippled with a mass exodus for Tinseltown, the Odyssey will cry few tears.

I do not understand why LSU hired Brian Kelly.  Sure, he is a damn fine technical coach but on the important Bayou charm scale, Kelly might register a negative score.  Repeatedly showing his questionable character upon his exits from Central Michigan, Cincinnati and Notre Dame, do not expect the Odyssey to be rooting for Kelly.  If Dave Aranda was gettable, that would have been a better fit for the Bayou Bengals.  Notre Dame should do just fine with the youthful Marcus Freeman at the helm.

Normally, the Odyssey abhors the truckloads of cash sent off to fired coaches.  However, given the way that Miami let Manny Diaz twist in the wind for two weeks, I am glad Diaz pockets $8 million on his way out the door.  Particularly, because Diaz was a favored native son of Miami because his old man was once Miami’s mayor.

The Mountain West featured the best and worst coaching performances of 2021.  Blake Anderson made a curious lateral move in leaving Arkansas State for the Cache Valley.  However, Utah State’s 10-3 record and Mountain West championship was beyond belief.  The over/under win total for the Aggies in August was 3.5.  Colorado State rectified a horrible hire in Steve Addazio.  Addazio had a mediocre record at Boston College and had no ties to the region.  To boot, his run-first approach was at odds that CSU’s recent history of producing excellent wide receivers.  His 4-12 record as Rams’ coach well matched his dour personality.  I am excited for CSU that Mike Norvell was hired though anybody other than Addazio would have been a step forward.  With their splashy stadium, CSU should be a major player in the Mountain.

Jim Mora must REALLY want to coach (or need the money) when he took the UConn job.  Given that UConn has no conference to play in, the Husky job seems like a road to nowhere.

At this minute, Oregon, Virginia and Nevada are on the clock.  Where will the Carousel stop when the music ends?  Stay tuned.

If the University of Texas athletic department were instead a woman in the 16th century, assuredly UT would be forced to wear a scarlet letter in public.  For no administration has done as much damage to college football for its own selfish interests than Texas in the 21st century.

The former Big 12 conference was terrific before the Texas got too big for its britches and established the Longhorn Network in cahoots with ESPN.  When the Longhorn Network announced its plans to air high school games, Texas A&M (and others) cried foul.  Missouri followed A&M out the door to the SEC.  Colorado escaped to the Pac12.  Nebraska found a lucrative financial haven in the Big 10.

The revamped Big 12 was still a strong, viable conference with the additions of TCU and West Virginia.  For the second time, the Longhorns pulled the rug under the Big  12 by bolting for the SEC in July (with help from accomplice Oklahoma).  Again, remaining members of the Big 12 were imperiled.  The second time around, the Big 12 again did its best to mitigate damage by adding BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston.  Still, the Odyssey remains pissed that Texas again did not give a damn about the general good of the region and its Big 12 brethren.

Therefore, the Odyssey attended Texas’ finale against K-State on Friday with a grim satisfaction.  The Longhorns were riding a 6-game losing streak (its longest since 1956 which was the catalyst in hiring the legendary Darrell Royal for the 1957 season) and were greeted by indifference of a half-full stadium in their home finale.  All of the Stadium’s references to  the Longhorns’ many conference championships further mocked the current state of the program: 25 in the Southwest Conference (yet another conference Texas was instrumental in breaking up) but none since their last Big 12 championship in 2009.

That the Longhorns could hold K-State scoreless in the second half and hold off the Wildcats 22-17 did not seem just to the Odyssey.  K-State likely would have been victorious if started QB Skylar Thompson had not been sidelined.  The Wildcats’ reincarnation of Darren Sproles in Deuce Vaughn could not overcome their total lack of a passing game.

The sad thing about having disdain of the Longhorns for their many traitorous actions is that there is lots to like in the Texas program.  Its band is absolutely terrific as its pre-game show is worth the price of admission.  Its legacy songs of “The Eyes of Texas”, “Deep In The Heart of Texas” and “Fight Texas” would warm the heart of the coldest souls.

So, please excuse the Odyssey if we do not root for Texas in the SEC.  Our hope is that Vandy will enjoy the company in the bowels of the augmented superpower.

There are many huge games on rivalry weekend.  The Odyssey will not be in attendance for any of them.  Instead, we will be in Austin to see if the Texas Longhorns can break their 6-game losing streak against Kansas State.

Just the mention of the word “Kansas” should give all Longhorn fans the shakes after the events two weeks ago.  Texas made a Kansas QB, Jalon Daniels, scheduled for a redshirt, into a national star in a stunning 57-56 overtime loss. Daniels, forced to scramble out of the pocket, found walk-on fullback, Jared Casey, for the game-winning 2 pointer.

The aftermath:

Kansas fans in Austin were chanting “SEC” after the game.

Casey is making commercials thanks to NIL.

Matthew McConaughey has gone into hiding.

Steve Sarkisian is making regular phone calls to his agent to make sure his buyout language is ironclad.

Texas does catch a potentially big break.  Kansas State QB, Skylar Thompson, is listed as questionable.  Even if Thompson plays, he is likely to be less than 100% – a big deal since Thompson’s legs have been an important element to the Wildcat offense.

Kansas State would love to win this game.  A victory would tie the all-time series at 11.   Who knows how many more KSU-Texas games will come off in the future.

The Odyssey wishes all a HAPPY THANKSGIVING (especially in the Sarkisian household).