Month: October 2025

Most folks will consider today Halloween and think of “Trick-of-Treaters”.  Here is Curmudgeon Central we consider the possibility of going out with martini glasses in hand and venture forth as “Trick-or-Drinkers” – – and then we just forget about it.  The main focus around these parts today is Football Friday so let me get right on it.  Here is last week’s “Betting Bundle” result:

• Spreads and Totals:  2-4-0
• Season to Date:         14-23-1            Yuck!

And …

• Money Line Parlays: 1-2                   Profit/Loss = $0
• Season to Date:         8-13                 Profit = $164

The Linfield University Wildcats got back on the winning path last weekend defeating Pacific Lutheran by a score of 31-15.  The season record stands at 4-2 meaning the Wildcats are one win away from another winning season in football.  As a Division III school, Linfield plays a 9-game regular season schedule meaning that five wins is a winning season.  This week, Linfield plays host to the Pioneers of Lewis and Clark College; the Pioneers have a season record of 5-2 but have lost their last two games.  Go Wildcats!

My “sleeper team” for 2026 is Georgia Tech; the Yellowjackets extended their season record to 8-0 (5-0 in ACC conference games) with a 41-16 win over Syracuse.  As you might conclude from the score, Tech was in control of the game from start to finish.

 

College Football Commentary:

 

Brian Kelly was fired as the head coach at LSU after losing at home by 24 points to Texas A&M last weekend.  That was the third loss in 4 games for LSU, and it was more than the alums and boosters could take.  Kelly’s buyout is reported to be $53M but not paid out in a lump sum; nonetheless, $53M is a nice parting gift for a defrocked coach.

Kelly is not exactly a beloved figure in the world of college football; his departure from Notre Dame where he claimed he was leaving to go to a place where he could win a national championship had a hollow ring to it from the start.  His departure opens another major coaching job for the offseason in college football and one that would seem on the surface to be highly desirable.

Here is the good news:

• LSU is in the SEC and is one of the highly regarded teams in the SEC.
• There is a winning tradition at LSU.
• There must be some very rich alums because several outlets have reported that the entirety of Kelly’s $53M buyout will be funded by a single private donor.

Here is the bad news:

• The AD that hired Kelly also hired Kelly’s predecessor (Ed Orgeron) and had to fire Orgeron with buyout money due on Orgeron’s contract.
• The Governor of Louisiana has inserted himself into the coaching search – and by extension into the football program – announcing that the current AD will not be hiring the next football coach because the governor is not happy with how things are going in Baton Rouge.  He is specifically not happy about the contracts given to coaches that have such large buyout clauses in there.
• The fanbase has high expectations and gets very upset when those high expectations are not met.

Just this morning, I read that LSU has also fired the AD involved in all of this, Scott Woodward.  Interestingly, he too leaves LSU with a buyout owed to him except his is a paltry $6.3M.  Hiring a coach at a “top-shelf school” is never a simple process, but I think the LSU search process is going to prove to be interesting to watch – – from afar.  When politicians get involved, things never get simpler…

Those elements alone would make it interesting to follow the trajectory of the LSU coaching search starting in December.  But there is a bigger picture here as well; even before the coaching bloodletting that happens every year in late November/early December, there are a lot of quality openings available and there may not be as many highly desirable candidates for all those openings.  That tells me the Law of Supply and Demand might just make it extremely expensive to get a quality candidate to sign on the dotted line both at LSU and at some other schools.

Off the top of my head, here are some of the jobs that are sure to be available in another month, and a few others inserted that might also be vacated:

• Arkansas
• Auburn – maybe
• Florida
• Florida St. – – maybe
• LSU
• Oklahoma St.
• Penn St.
• Stanford
• UCLA
• Va Tech
• Wisconsin – maybe

There you have eleven potential openings at recognizable schools; if one of them “poaches” a head coach from another school – – say the rumor of Lane Kiffin leaving Ole Miss to go take the job at Florida comes true – – that does not reduce the list from eleven to ten because that would just substitute Ole Miss on the list above and take Florida off the list above.  My point is that I don’t think there are eleven top-shelf coaches who are either out of work or are laboring well beneath their coaching potential for those schools to sign up.

Let me compact the list above for a moment and consider only Florida, Penn St. and LSU – – the three schools on the list that have either won national championships recently or have been serious contenders for that honor.  Are there three names that leap to your mind to fill those jobs?

• Jimbo Fisher remains at loose ends drawing down his $75+M buyout from Texas A&M.  He has been in the arena – so to speak – of top-shelf college football before but has never delivered the goods.
• Jon Gruden says he is itching to get back on the sidelines.  He is 62 years old and his last interaction with college kids as a coach was in the 1980s as a position coach at a small college.  Also, the Bill Belichick Experience at UNC might make an AD nervous about hiring an “old NFL guy”.
• Urban Meyer is employed as a talking head on football programs and has not seemed all that excited about returning to the coaching ranks in the past couple of years.

            I think observing the college football game of Musical Chairs this year will be more interesting than it has been in recent years.  Get your popcorn ready…

How many unbeaten teams are left in college football this year?  There were 15 back on October 10^th; there were 6 as of last week; none of those 6 lost last week so the list remains:

1. BYU
2. Georgia Tech
3. Indiana
4. Navy
5. Ohio St.
6. Texas A&M

Here are some comments on a few of last week’s games; I’ll start with the SEC:

Ole Miss 34  Oklahoma 26:  This was the second loss of the season for the Sooners and both losses were to SEC opponents.  Ole Miss improved to 7-1 here and the Rebels are going to be favored in all the remaining games.  That win just might assure Ole Miss of a CFP slot.

Auburn 33  Arkansas 24:  That is two close losses in a row for Bobby Petrino in his audition for the head coaching job at Arkansas.  Meanwhile, maybe this win saved Hugh Freeze’s job at Auburn?

Alabama 29  S. Carolina 22:  The Gamecocks led 15-14 at the start of the 4^th quarter; Alabama needed to rally to stay unbeaten in SEC games here; the Tide’s only loss this year was in Week 1 to Florida St.

Vandy 17  Mizzou 10:  Both teams were 6-1 to start the game and both had a conference loss; Vandy is now one of 4 SEC teams with only one loss in conference.  Vandy will take on Texas – – another of the one conference loss teams – – this week in a game that might see Vandy getting serious attention from the CFP selectors.

Texas 45  Mississippi St. 38 (OT):  The Bulldogs are 4-4, but Texas had to score 24 points in the 4^th quarter to force OT here.  Mississippi St. has been in one-score games with Texas and with Tennessee and lost both.   Here is a stat I ran across when reading about this game:

• Division 1-A teams had lost 429 consecutive games when they trailed by 17 or more with 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter until this game.

Texas A&M 49  LSU 27: The Aggies remain undefeated for 2025 …  LSU led 18-14 at the half but collapsed in the 3^rd quarter giving up 21 points.  The Aggies’ defense held LSU to 60 yards rushing in the game.  That embarrassing loss led to the end of the Brian Kelly Era in Baton Rouge.

Tennessee 56  Kentucky 34:  The Vols have two losses in conference games.  There is a total of 6 teams in the SEC with one loss or no losses as of today; that will change as head-to-head games take place so Tennessee is not out of the picture entirely, but they will need help to get near the top of the heap.  A win this week over Oklahoma is essential.  Meanwhile, Kentucky is 2-5 for the season with all five losses coming in conference games.

Moving on to the Big-10:

Rutgers 27  Purdue 24:  Losing a Big-10 game at home against Rutgers should be embarrassing.

Indiana 56  UCLA 6:  This was a rout from the beginning; it was 35-3 at halftime.  The Hoosiers’ defense did the job here holding UCLA to 201 yards of offense and 1 for 11 on third-down conversions.

Oregon 21  Wisconsin 7:   After two shutouts in a row, the Badgers finally scored with 7:57 left in the 4^th quarter of this game.  The Wisconsin offense was miserable, gaining only 196 yards on offense for the day.

Iowa 41  Minnesota 3:  The Hawkeyes are 4-1 in Big-10 games and that one loss was to Indiana by only 5 points.  Iowa has this week off and will face Oregon a week after this.  Both Iowa and Oregon have one loss in Big-10 games; if Iowa were to win that game, the Hawkeyes could well be 10-2 at the end of the season and be seriously considered for the CFP.

And in Big-12 action:

BYU 41  Iowa St. 27:  The Cougars remain unbeaten in 2025.  They were road underdogs in this game but won convincingly.

Texas Tech 42  Oklahoma St. 0:  Tech is 7-1 this season.  Oklahoma St. continues on a miserable season arc.  The Cowboys are 1-7 for the year and have lost all 5 conference games on their schedule to date.  One of those losses came against Tulsa who lost last week to Temple (see below).

Cincy 41  Baylor 20:  Cincy is 7-1 for the season and 5-0 in conference games; the Bearcats are tied with BYU atop the Big-12 standings here.  The only loss on their record was in the opening week to Nebraska.   With last week’s win over Baylor, Cincy is now averaging 38.3 points per game.   Looking ahead, the Cincy/BYU game on November 22^nd should be a big one and it is in Cincy.

Houston 24  Arizona St. 16:  Houston is 7-1 this year.  That loss was a Big-12 game, but the rest of the Cougars’ schedule is not outrageously difficult.  Keep an eye on Houston …

Utah 53  Colorado 7:  This game got out of hand almost immediately.  The score at halftime was 43-0.

Now for two ACC games:

Wake Forest 13  SMU 12:  This was SMU’s first conference loss for 2025; the Mustangs have a total of 3 losses so the only way they get any interest from the CFP folks is for them to win the ACC Championship outright.  That will not be an easy task; two of their final four games are against teams ranked in the top 25.

Virginia 17  UNC 16 (OT):   Virginia is 7-1 and undefeated in ACC games and they should be favored in all four remaining games.  If they take care of business, they will play for the ACC Championship.  Meanwhile the Tar Heels’ record dropped to 2-5 (0-3 in conference) with this loss.

And now a few random games of interest to me:

Memphis 34  USF 31:  Memphis scored 17 points in the 4^th quarter to pull this one out.  Both teams were 6-1 at the start of the game and both aspired to be in the CFP as the “best team not in a Power-4 conference”.

Navy 42  FAU 32:  Navy remains unbeaten in 2025 and may need to be considered by the CFP selectors as the best team outside the Power 4…

Temple 38  Tulsa 37 (OT):  Remember Tulsa beat Oklahoma St. leading to the firing of Mike Gundy there.  That loss by the Cowboys looks even worse now than it did back on 19 September.  Tulsa is now 2-6 with losses to Temple, East Carolina and New Mexico St.  Tulsa’s only other win was over Abilene Christian – – a Division 1-AA team.

North Texas 54  UNC-Charlotte 20:  UNT is 7-1 this year and could be part of the CFP selection committee deliberations in December …

Central Michigan 38  UMass 13:  The Minutemen have yet to win a game in 2025.

South Alabama 38  Georgia St. 31:  Both teams were 1-6 at the kickoff.  Georgia St. is in the running for the Brothel Defense Award and a slot in the SHOE Tournament.

Delaware 31  Middle Tennessee St. 28:  This is Delaware’s first year in Division 1-A and their record so far is 4-3.  Congrats to the Fightin’ Blue Hens.  Meanwhile, Middle Tennessee St. is slogging through 2025 with a record of 1-7.

Here are the main contenders for the Brothel Defense Award in 2025:

• Sam Houston gives up 38.9 points per game
• UAB gives up 38.9 points per game
• Oklahoma St. gives up 38.9 points per game
• Georgia St. gives up 40.8 points per game.

              And here are the 12 teams I am starting to follow a bit more closely as they begin to show signs of sufficient ineptitude as to garner consideration for the SHOE Tournament:

• Boston College           1-7
• Colorado St.                2-6
• Georgia St.                  1-7
• Middle Tenn St.           1-7
• Nevada                        1-7
• Oklahoma St.              1-7
• Oregon St.                  1-7
• Sam Houston              0-7
• South Alabama           2-6
• UMass                         0-8
• UNC-Charlotte            1-7
• UTEP                          2-6

 

NCAA Games of Interest This Week:

 

I cannot find any games this week with outrageous spreads – – 5 TDs or more.  At least for the moment, the cupcake games are on the shelf.

I do note however that there are three really big games on the slate for this weekend between teams ranked in the Top 25.  Those games will be magnified in their importance because as of next week, the CFP mavens will start with their own Top 25 rankings and – – like it or not – – those are the only rankings that matter at all.  Here are the three big games that I will have some comment about below:

1. Vandy at Texas
2. Oklahoma at Tennessee
3. Cincy at Utah

Oklahoma at Tennessee – 2.5 (55.5):  This spread opened at minus-4.5 points and has been eroding all week long.  Both teams must have this game; a loss puts the Sooners to bed in terms of the SEC race and/or the CFP; the Vols are not in quite the same dire straits, but if they lose, they too will need divine intervention to contend for anything meaningful in the college football post season.

• Last week the Sooners faced a ranked Ole Miss team and lost.
• This week they face the Vols ranked at #14
• Next week, they visit #4 ranked Alabama
• Two weeks from now the Sooners are at home to face #19 Mizzou
• Three weeks from now Oklahoma hosts an unranked but talented LSU squad.

The Sooners have zero room for error. I think the Vols find a way to deal with the Oklahoma defensive line and if they do that, I think the Vols will win the game comfortably.  Give me Tennessee to win and cover; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Wake Forest at Florida St. – 10 (51):  If Mike Norvell wants to keep his job, he will not have his Seminoles lose at home as a double-digit favorite.

Ga Tech – 5 at NC State (59):  My “sleeper team” takes another step toward the ACC Championship Game …

Penn St. at Ohio St. – 20.5 (44.5):  No one – – and I mean NO ONE – – back in August had this game as a 3 TD spread.  For the record, Ohio St. is minus-1500 on the Money Line.

Army at Air Force – 1 (49):  Service academy games tend to go down to the wire …

Vandy at Texas – 3 (47):  This is my College Game of the Week.  Vandy has this game and a game against ranked Tennessee in front of them.  Like Vandy, Texas has only one loss in conference so this game will elevate the winner in the SEC cadre and demote the loser.  Texas was thought to be one of the top two or three teams in the country back in August; that has not panned out in the least – – but a win here for the Longhorns would set up their upcoming games against Georgia (Nov. 15) and Texas A&M (Nov 28) as Games of the Week.  Here, give me Vandy plus those points; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Cincy at Utah – 10 (54.5):  The Bearcats need this game to say unbeaten in Big-12 action.  The oddsmakers seem unimpressed with that need …

Washington St. – 3.5 at Oregon St. (47):  This is the only possible game this week for the PAC-2 – – which is actually the two least desirable football programs that used to be in the PAC-12.

Virginia – 6 at Cal (53):  That is a long trip for the Cavaliers, but they need the game to remain unbeaten and on track for the ACC Championship Game.

Texas Tech – 7 at K-St. (51):  Tech is still in the mix for a potential shot at the Big-12 Championship which confers status in the CFP; K-State is not mathematically out of it, but they need some miraculous interventions over the final few weeks of the season.

Miami – 11 at SMU (50.5):  SMU must have this game to remain relevant in 2025; Miami needs this game to get the losing taste out of its mouth.  This has lots of potential impacts on ACC standings.

West Virginia at Houston – 13 (48.5):  Rich Rodriguez “came home” to West Virginia this year and so far, the Mountaineers are 2-6 overall and 0-5 in Big-12 conference games.  That return home is about a meaningful as Welcome Back Kotter was.  I think the Mountaineers’ pain will continue here; I think Houston will dominate this week; I like Houston to win and cover at home; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Kentucky at Auburn – 11 (45):  One of these teams will notch their first SEC victory of the season.  Hoo-Ray…

Mississippi St. at Arkansas – 4 (66):  Are the Bulldogs yet ready to win a close game instead of losing one? (See above)

Navy at North Texas – 7 (66): Navy has yet to lose in 2025 and they are a full touchdown underdog on the road here.

Oklahoma St. at Kansas – 24 (55.5):  Kansas being a 24-point favorite over any team other than the Alabama Asthmatic Institute is difficult for me to process.

USC – 6 at Nebraska (59):  Here are two teams lurking outside the Top 25.  They should produce an entertaining game this week.

Georgia – 7 vs Florida (50):  This game is in Jax and is billed as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”.  The administration of “breathalyzers” to permit or deny admission to the stadium would make for some very strange TV shots of the “crowd” at the game.

 

NFL Commentary:

 

The Vikings’ backup QB, Carson Wentz, is out for the rest of the season because he needs surgery to repair his non-throwing shoulder, but the rehab time is somewhere between 6 and 8 months depending on which report you choose to accept.  That puts the Vikes in a delicate situation.  Look, I am not going to try to argue that Carson Wentz is a misunderstood and misevaluated talent at QB; he is not.  However, his surgical need puts the Vikes in a delicate situation:

• Starting QB, JJ McCarthy missed all 17 games last season with an injury.
• He has also missed all but 2 games this year.
• In the 2 games he has started, he has played one great quarter and seven mediocre-to-miserable quarters of football.

So, what might the Vikes do if McCarthy starts over the next week or two and drops a colossal stinker or two on the record?  Well, with Wentz hors du combat, the backup for JJ McCarthy would be Max Brosmer and you would be excused if you might not know his full set of credentials.  He is a rookie who has appeared in two games this year when the outcome was well beyond doubt.  Brosmer is sort of a “local kid” having played in college at Minnesota.  McCarthy is slated to start the game with Brosmer as the #2 guy on the sidelines; will the Vikes seek to acquire more QB talent now or will they play wait-and-see with McCarthy before deciding how to deal with their QB issues over the offseason?

The Arizona Cards won their first two games right out of the box.  Since then, they have lost 5 games in a row and the total margin of loss for those 5 games has been 13 points.  If that trend continues through the end of the 2025 regular season, there will likely be stories of Cards; fans cutting themselves to bleed out when the season is over.  Should the Cards season involve a regression of the team to the mean, they could be poised to rise up and claim a playoff slot.  You make the call …

Last Monday night saw the Chiefs disembowel the Commanders.  So, here is how the Washington Post handled things on Tuesday morning.  Above the masthead on the Front Page, the Post declared:

“Commanders can’t keep up with Chiefs”

Folks, that is a great example of putting lipstick on a pig.  Yes, the score was 7-7 at halftime, but the reason for that was that Patrick Mahomes threw 2 INTs in the first half which stopped Chiefs’ offensive drives.  [Aside: One INT was a great play by Marshawn Lattimore; the other was purely a lucky deflection off Travis Kelce’s hands into Bobby Wagner’s hands.]  The Commanders’ offense was not doing much and the Commanders’ defense outside of those two plays was playing at a mediocre level.  In his mandatory halftime sideline interview, Andy Reid correctly noted that all the Chiefs needed to do was to clean up a couple of plays and things would be all right.  And was he ever right …

In the second half, the Chiefs did not give the ball away and the Commanders’ defense never stopped the Chiefs’ offense until it didn’t matter.  Here are the second half possessions by the Chiefs:

• 8 plays             80 yards          4:42     TD
• 8 plays             75 yards          4:45     TD
• 13 plays           109 yards        7:02     TD
• 8 plays            23 yards          4:30     PUNT
• 1 play              minus-2 yard   0:12   END OF GAME

At one point in the game, ESPN had a screen graphic that said the Chiefs had outgained the Commanders by more than 200 yards to that point.  At the end of the game the final tally was:

• Chiefs’ Total Offense = 432 yards
• Commanders Total Offense = 260 yards

This has nothing to do with “keeping up with the Chiefs”; this has everything to do with a porous Commanders’ defense and an offense that is not good enough to camouflage that weakness.

Last night, the Ravens exposed the Dolphins for the sub-standard team that they are.  In the first half, the Dolphins moved the ball seemingly at will between the 20 yardlines and then squandered scoring opportunities with uncanny certainty.  In the first half, the Dolphins outgained the Ravens 225 yards to 109 yards – – and the Dolphins trailed in the game 14-6.  I think the Dolphins team needs a reset desperately.  It will not be enough to replace the coaches and/or the GM; this team needs to figure out which members of this roster are worth taking into future battles because it seems clear to me that the entire Dolphins’ roster is deficient in talent and also in focused desire to win.  How did they win so convincingly last week?

And with that segue, let me turn to last week’s NFL games and some brief comments on those games.

Bills 40  Panthers 9:  There was total domination here; the score was 40-3 when the 4^th quarter began.  To put an exclamation point on the futility of the Panthers here, they scored a meaningless TD in that 4^th quarter and then proceeded to miss the PAT.  The Bills’ much-maligned defense showed up loud and proud in this game registering 7 QB sacks.

Ravens 30  Bears 16:  So much for the Bears’ 4-game winning streak …  It was a great week for the Ravens; they won, and all the other AFC North teams lost.  Tyler Huntley – – not Cooper Rush – – led the Ravens to the win and Lamar Jackson is rumored to be able to return in the next week or two.  [Aside: He returned against the Dolphins four days after last week’s win over the Bears.]  Do not count the Ravens out in the AFC North race.  I will not be shocked if the AFC North champ this year is 9-8-0 and that final record is well within reach of the Ravens if they get healthy and stay that way for the balance of the regular season.

Eagles 38  Giants 20: It was a good week for Eagles; they won and all the other NFC East teams lost.   Jalen Hurts threw 4 TD passes in the game and the Eagles had two running backs each gain over 100 yards in the contest.  Consider these stats:

• Eagles averaged 8.4 yards per rushing attempt in the game
• Jalen Hurts’ 4 TD passes came on 15 completions for only 179 yards
• Eagles outgained the Giants by 201 yards in the game.

Jaxson Dart is fun to watch, but he was over-matched in this game.

Chiefs 28  Commanders 7:  See commentary above …

Pats 32  Browns 13:  Myles Garrett must be asking himself, “WTF?”  Garrett recorded 5 sacks in the game, and the Browns were still blown out.  I am not surprised that the Pats’ defense held the Browns’ scoring down; I am surprised that the Pats were able to put 32 points up on that excellent Browns’ defense.

Dolphins 34  Falcons 10:  The Falcons should be ashamed of themselves.  As of today, the Falcons are playoff pretenders.  The Dolphins’ defense has not been stellar this season, but somehow, they held the Falcons to 31 yards rushing in the game.

Jets 39  Bengals 38:  The Bengals are another team that should be ashamed of themselves, and they too are now playoff pretenders.  They gave up 39 points and 502 yards of Total Offense to the 2025 version of the NY Jets; that should be grounds for a lawsuit where the club claws back the paychecks from all the defenders.   The Jets were trailing by 14 points with eight minutes left to play in the fourth quarter, but they pulled off the shocker after Breece Hall threw a game-winning touchdown pass [That is not a typo, Breece Hall threw a TD pass to put the Jets ahead with 1:54 left to play)].   Here is a stat I ran across at CBSSports.com:

• Bengals have scored 38+ points in four games in the last two years.
• Bengals’ record in those four games is 1-3-0.

Texans 26  Niners 15:  I guess the injury list finally became more of a burden than the Niners could bear.  The Texans’ defense was excellent – – as usual – – and the Texans’ offense was efficient and effective in the game – – as is not usual at all.

Bucs 23  Saints 3:  It was just another day at the office for the Bucs’ defense; it created 4 turnovers and sacked the QB 4 times and produced this win despite seeing the Bucs’ offense outgained by the lowly Saints.  This was a defense dominated game on both sides; the two teams combined to produce only 479 yards of Total Offense.  Saints’ rookie, Tyler Shough, got to see live NFL action for the first time here.  Here is Shough’s stat line:

• 17 of 30 for 128 yards with 0 TDs and 1 INT

By the way, the Saints attempted 51 passes in the game and scored one field goal.  Perhaps that is because they tried to run the ball 15 times and only managed 48 yards rushing.

Broncos 44  Cowboys 24:  The Cowboys’ defense was sliced and diced from start to finish.  The Broncos averaged 6.4 yards per rush attempt.  Dak Prescott did not help the situation in this one; his passing total was 188 yards, and he threw 2 INTs.

Colts 38  Titans 14:  This game was never in doubt.  In case you had not noticed, this is the third loss in a row for the Titans by double digits and the Titans have had two ignominious streaks of that kind already this season.

Packers 35  Steelers 25:   The Steelers led 16-7 at the half but the Packers dominated the second half – – particularly the 4^th quarter where they scored 21 points.  Jordan Love led the way for the Packers throwing for 360 yards and 4 TDs.  It is now time to question the Steelers’ defense a bit.  Yes, they still lead their division, but they have given up 30+ points in 4 games this year before Halloween has arrived.  The adage holds that defense wins championships; the Packers’ defense needs to be more central to the team’s success than it has been so far in 2025.

 

Games This Week:

 

There are four teams enjoying a BYE Week this week:

• Browns:  Have they seen enough of Dillon Gabriel yet?  Could Shedeur Sanders be significantly worse?  The 2025 season is over for the Browns, and it is time for them to start thinking about the 26 and 27 and 28 seasons ahead…
• Bucs:  They appear to be on track for their fifth consecutive NFC South Division championship.  They have been hit hard by the injury bug but if they get well, they could be a tough out in the playoffs.
• Eagles:  They have a nice lead in their division, but they also have a brutal schedule ahead of them.  The Eagles do not dominate opponents; their record is 6-2-0 but their point differential is only +23.
• Jets:  Hey, they won a game last weekend and they cannot possibly lose a game this weekend.  As my grandfather was wont to say, “Thank God for small favors.”

            Before I get to the games specifically, there are three games this week with double-digit spreads and another one where the spread is 8.5 points – – sort of the moral equivalent of a double-digit spread.  In the NFL’s unceasing quest for parity, that is not something that the league wants to see out there in the open.  Just under 30% of this week’s slate of games have been deemed as blowouts by the oddsmakers.  The suits on Mahogany Row do not like that …

Bears – 2 at Bengals (51):  The Bears’ defense is battered; the Bengals’ defense is just brutal.  The question here is simple:

• Which defensive unit will be more noxious than the other?

Looking at the Total Line, the oddsmakers think that both defenses will be ineffective to put it politely.  The Bengals should be hugely embarrassed having lost at home to the Jets last week; how might that manifest itself?

Niners – 3 at Giants (49):  The Niners are beat up; someone somewhere has voodoo dolls of the Niners’ players and also has an abundance of needles to stick into those dolls.  I think this is going to be a defensive game, so I’ll take the game to stay UNDER the Total Line; put it in the “Betting Bundle”.

Falcons at Pats – 5 (45):  The Falcons are one of those teams that is not very good but has the capacity to play excellently every once in a while.  Is this one of their excellent weeks?  Will they find a way to get the ball into Bijan Robinson’s hands more than 9 times?

Colts – 3 at Steelers (49.5):  No one has figured out how to stop the Colts this year; the Steelers’ defense is trying to live off the reputation in Pittsburgh of great defensive teams; that is not working.  The Steelers have lost two games in a row; the Colts have only lost once this year, but that loss was on the road.  I like this game to go OVER; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Panthers at Packers – 13 (44):  The good news for the Panthers is that Bryce Young will play this week.  The bad news is that this game is in Green Bay and the Packers’ defense is always loaded and locked to play there.  I never pick NFL games with double-digit spreads even though this one is tempting.  I think the Packers win this one comfortably.

Vikes at Lions – 8 (48):  The Lions are coming off their BYE Week; the Vikes are still looking for competent play at the QB position.  That is a fat number, but I think the Lions’ rested defense is going to make life miserable for JJ McCarthy.  I like the Lions to win and cover at home; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Broncos at Texans – 2 (40):  I thought for a moment about this being the Game of the Week.  The Texans’ defense won the game for them last week; that unit can hold the Broncos’ offense down in this game.  The problem is that the Texans tepid offense will have plenty of difficulty dealing with the Broncos’ defense.  The Broncos lead the NFL with 35 sacks registered so far; the Texans’ OL is not their strongest unit; CJ Stroud may be running for his life here.  The game is important to both teams as they try for position in their divisions; the game is more important for the Texans who trail the Colts by 3.5 games this morning.

Chargers – 10.5 at Titans (43.5):  The Chargers have a history of blowing up as huge favorites.  Disgruntled fans have even invented a word for that behavior; they call it “Chargering”.  If the Chargers were to lose this game as double-digit favorites, I think Jim Harbaugh’s head would explode like one of those “bunker-buster bombs”.

Jags – 3 at Raiders (45):  The Jags have lost two games in a row and trail the Colts by 2.5 games; they cannot afford to lose to the lowly Raiders.  However, the Raiders are coming back off their BYE Week and could get both Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers back from injury here.  In addition, the week off was probably worthwhile respite time for Maxx Crosby who is clearly the best defender on the Raiders’ roster.  Neither of these QBs has delivered on pre-season expectations.  Here are some stats about the Jags if you are tempted to bet the favorite in this game:

• The Jags are 2-12-0 in their last 14 road games
• This might be a trap game for the Jags; they may be peeking ahead in the schedule to see the Texans next week.

In a week with lots of mediocre games, this one probably deserves to be the Dog-Breath Game of the Week.

Saints at Rams – 14 (44):  The Rams are tied for the lead in their division, so they need a win here.  The Saints need to see more of Tyler Shough at QB to determine if they have an asset on their hands or not.  This game should give both teams what they need…

Chiefs – 1 at Bills (52):  This is obviously the Game of the Week. It could well be an advance peek at teams that will meet in the AFC Playoffs down the road.  The Chiefs have won 3 games in a row; the Bills came off their BYE last week and demolished the Panthers.  Just sit back and enjoy this one…

(Sun Nite) Seahawks – 3 at Commanders (48):  Jayden Daniels is in; Terry McLauren is out.  If the Seahawks’ defense made the trip with the rest of the team, it could be a long night for the Commanders.  On the flip side, the Seahawks offense has been clicking this year, and the Commanders’ defense has shown to be “exploitable”.  Here is an interesting morsel:

• In 2025, the Seahawks are 3-0-0 on the road AND 3-0-0 against the spread in road games.

(Mon Nite) Cards at Cowboys – 2.5 (54):  The Cards had last week off and if that offense is rested and ready, it should score on the Cowboys’ pathetic defense.  And the Cowboys will score too.  Jerry-World might run out of fireworks by the third quarter in this one.  The Cards’ defense is decent; it gives up 79 yards per game less than the miserable Cowboys’ defense.  Is that enough to give the Cards an edge?

So let me review this week’s “Betting Bundle”:

• Tennessee – 2.5 over Oklahoma
• Vandy +3 against Texas
• Houston – 13 over West Virginia
• Lions – 8 over Vikes
• Steelers/Colts OVER 49.5
• Niners Giants UNDER 49

And here are two Money Line Parlays just for fun:

• Ga Tech @ minus-210
• Minnesota @ minus-170
• Virginia @ minus-200           $100  wager to win $252

And …

• Broncos at +115
• Lions @ minus-470
• Chargers @ minus-500         $100 wager to win $213

Finally, let’s hear from Bill Walsh:

“Good talent with bad attitude equals bad talent.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

I mentioned earlier this week the FBI arrested various people related to the NBA for illegal  gambling activities.  This is the sort of story that produces drips of evidence – – the story du jour if you will.  Here is the latest “dripping”:

• According to ESPN.com and CBSSports.com, Terry Rozier owes the IRS about $8.2M.
• Terry Rozier’s contract for the 2025/2026 NBA season pays him $26.6M fully guaranteed unless he does something truly stupid like getting convicted of gambling on NBA games.
• Over the course of his basketball career, his contractual earnings amount to $160.5M – – according to Spotrac.com.

I understand how some athletes get into financial straits due to bad investment decisions and how other athletes get into financial straits due to being fleeced by unscrupulous agents and representatives.  But getting in debt to the IRS to the extent of more than $8M indicates to me either a failure to file a tax return or filing one that was outrageously inaccurate.  And the avenue to avoid any of those possibilities is wide open.

Unless the NBPA is completely asleep at the switch, the union provides its members with a vetted list of agents and accountants and others who can provide assistance to players on matters financial.  The union “certifies” certain folks of that stripe and I must assume that part of that “certification” is that the financial advisor/assistant does not do things like fail to file tax returns.  The current President of the NBPA is Fred Van Vleet who is also an active NBA player – – who happens to be injured at the moment.  My point is that Terry Rozier has easy access to the means by which he passes muster with the IRS – – and he managed not to avail himself of said means.

• Unfathomable!

Moving on …  I know that World Series is tied at two games apiece as of this morning meaning that the Series will return to Toronto for at least one game on Friday this week.  The winner will be decided either Friday or Saturday meaning that the baseball offseason is about to start and it could be the most interesting one in decades.  There are some intriguing names on the “free agent list” this winter; teams need to be focused on potential means to improve their position and standing in their divisions.  That will mean committing significant dollars to specific players.

At the same time, the extant CBA expires on December 1^st, 2025.  That means that teams will be considering putting a lot of future expenditure on their books without knowing the structure of the new CBA.  And that new CBA might be

1. Very different from the current CBA structure – – AND/OR – –
2. May only come into existence only after a work stoppage of unknown duration.

Notwithstanding the uncertainty that will overhang this MLB offseason, there are several free agents that ought to garner attention from multiple teams.  Here are seven players that I know will be free agents and who I suspect will be sought after commodities once order is restored on the CBA front:

1. Pete Alonzo:  He signed a 1-year deal for $30M last year; I suspect he will want a long-term deal this time around.
2. Shane Bieber:  Seems to be fully recovered from his Tommy John surgery in 2024.
3. Alex Bregman:  Even without the CBA uncertainty, he would probably be a late signer because he is represented by Scott Boras.
4. JT Realmuto:  His career has peaked – – but he is still a valuable commodity as a reliable defensive catcher.
5. Kyle Schwarber:  Never hurts to become a free agent after hitting 56 home runs in the previous season.
6. Eugenio Suarez:  Hitting 49 home runs and driving in 118 runs last year will certainly make a few GMs sit up and take notice.
7. Kyle Tucker:  Had some injury issues in the last two seasons but he is not yet 30 and is solid in the field as well as productive at the plate.

Switching gears …  One of the entrants in the Breeders’ Cup Classic that will happen this Saturday is named “Nevada Beach”.  For the record, he is trained by Bob Baffert, and he will be ridden by Mike Smith; his morning line odds were 20-1.  I think the name of the horse is a bit strange.

• Nevada is a landlocked state.
• There is lots of sand in Nevada but not a lot of “beach”.

Finally, please heed the conclusion here by Dorothy Parker:

“Razors pain you;
Rivers are damp;
Acids stain you;
And drugs cause cramp.
Guns aren’t lawful;
Nooses give;
Gas smells awful;
You might as well live.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

For a while last night, folks watching the Dodgers/Blue Jays Game 3 of the World Series might have thought that someone had figured out how to stop time.  Only once in the history of baseball has a World Series game taken 18 innings to declare a winner – – and in that one other time in 2018, the Dodgers were involved as well.  In the bottom of the 18^th inning Freddie Freeman sent everyone to bed with a walk-off home run giving the Dodgers a 6-5 win in Game 3 and a Series lead of two games to one.

While Freeman is the “hero of the game” for his game winning shot, Shohei Ohtani more quietly achieved another exalted status in the game.  Ohtani had 4 hits in the game – – two doubles and two home runs; only once in the history of baseball has a player had 4 extra base hits in a World Series game and that happened in 1906.  It’s been a while …  Oh, by the way, Ohtani also drew 5 walks in the game.

The Blue Jays used 9 pitchers in the game; the Dodgers trotted out 10 hurlers.  Jays’ pitchers threw 298 pitches; the Dodgers’ pitchers served up 312. The Series schedule calls for Games 4 and 5 to be played in LA with no rest days inserted.  Both pitching staffs will be earning their keep in this Series.  Iin case you are wondering, neither of the pitchers listed as starters in Game 4 tonight (Shane Bieber for the Jays and Shohei Ohtani for the Dodgers) threw any of those myriad pitches last night.  Both bullpens are hoping that both starters can log at least 7 innings tonight.

Moving on … The UFL will look very different in 2026; three of the 8 teams in the league have been disbanded and there will be three new cities added.  The teams that are no more were:

• Memphis Showboats
• Michigan Panthers
• San Antonio Brahmas

The Showboats’ demise was almost a foregone conclusion with or without a major overhaul of the league structure.  At the end of the last UFL season the Showboats’ average home attendance was less than 4000 fans per game; I don’t care how the league structures its player salary ladder, 4000 fans per game will not feed the bulldog.

In place of teams representing those parts of the country, the new teams will be:

• Columbus Aviators
• Louisville Kings
• Orlando Storm

And in addition to relocating 37.5% of the teams in the league, the UFL will “rebrand” two Texas-based teams:

• The Arlington Renegades will become the Dallas Renegades
• The Houston Roughnecks will become the Houston Gamblers

One can look at these changes as normal evolutionary steps that new leagues need to experience in order to take root and flourish; alternatively, one can look at these changes as desperation moves attempting to keep the UFL out of bankruptcy court.  The league says that the rebrandings here seek to exploit areas with “stronger sports infrastructure and fan engagement”.  That sounds like a well-crafted announcement of league strategy, but maybe there is something about the new locales that makes sense.  All three new cities have smaller stadiums that are modern and have “fan amenities”.

The smaller size will avoid the “bad optics” of a UFL game taking place in a 50,000-seat facility with an attendance of 10,000.  Even though that attendance figure is significantly above what the Showboats played in front of, that crowd would rattle around in a “major stadium” like a BB in a boxcar.  For example:

• Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus seats 27,000
• Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville seats 15,304
• Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando seats 25,000

All three of these facilities are also home to soccer teams so the sightlines for football will be natural ones.

There is one other UFL change for 2026.  No longer will the eight teams be broken up into conferences of 4 teams each.  Rather the league will determine its playoff teams simply by “best record”.  The UFL playoffs have 4 teams that play in semi-final games and a single final game slated for 13 June 2026.  Frankly, that modification makes a lot of sense to me in a league with only 8 teams.

Finally, consider this from Oscar Wilde:

“I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.”

But don’t get mw wrong, I love sports………

 

 

The big sports news over the weekend – – bigger than the World Series and bigger than any football game or performance – – was the FBI announcement of the arrests of a couple dozen individuals including NBA players and coaches related to illegal gambling activities with alleged participation by Organized Crime.  This is a big deal for the NBA in addition to it being a big deal for those people facing indictment and prosecution in the matter.

This sort of thing can no longer be waved aside as an “isolated incident” as the NBA tried to do last year when it banned Jontay Porter for life because he engaged in making sure that his stats for a specific game/specific games stayed UNDER the available prop bet for that evening.  In announcing these arrests, the authorities allege that is exactly what Terry Rozier did.  Remember, Rozier is innocent at this point in the world of jurisprudence – – but the public reaction to any and all of this is far less than positive.

• [Aside: I know in this world of 24-hour news cycles that the “Tim Donaghy matter” is considered pre-history, but that matter is also a blot on the image of the NBA as an up-and-up proposition.]

I have said here on multiple occasions that I prefer college basketball to NBA basketball as an entertainment vehicle because college players don’t “dog it” nearly as much as NBA players do.  If I turn on any random NBA game this week, I will be certain to see two things:

1. Players jacking up three-point shots at least every other possession – – AND – –
2. Players loafing on the court when the ball is not destined to come their way during the current possession.

In that past, I just chalked up the second situation as a form of “on-court load management” where the player was simply saving his energy and waiting his turn to have the ball and to have everyone’s attention focused on him.  Not necessarily so anymore, now that on-court loafer might just be making sure his stat totals for the evening stay UNDER the given number.  If you think I am being cynical here let me remind you of two observations:

“The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.”  [George Bernard Shaw]

And …

“Cynicism is an unpleasant way of saying the truth.”  [Lillian Hellman]

This is a big deal for the NBA because the NBA is a big revenue entity for one simple reason; it is entertainment that appeals to a sufficiently large audience to attract fans and sponsors.  That is why it exists; if that element erodes, the NBA will dry up and blow away.

But there is a key element in the form of entertainment that the NBA provides; it is – – or is presumed to be – – unscripted.  That is what separates sports like the NBA, the NFL and MLB from sports entertainment entities such as WWE and Roller Derby.  Point shaving or stat shaving begins to erode that key element that separates sports from sports entertainment.

Naturally, this circumstance has generated passionate comments from folks who view spots gambling as a bad thing.  According to them, the fact that all the major sporting enterprises in the world are in bed with the sports gambling enterprises of the world is the cause of all this.  Even if I were to try to agree with that, I must ask how it might be cured such that the sports can continue to exist.  And I reject the idea that somehow and someway there needs to be a ban on gambling.  That is simply not going to happen any more than Prohibition served to remove alcohol from US society.  People bet on things; some may not like that, but it happens to be the case.

What might come next in this matter?

• Adam Silver might have to be awakened from his slumber.  The league has already investigated some of the activities that are part of these arrests but it “found nothing unusual”.
• Perhaps there needs to be leverage exerted on sportsbooks to limit player prop bets.  That will be a heavy lift because player props are popular wagers for now.
• The NBA itself and NBA fans everywhere need to light candles in church praying that this contagion does not spread to involve other active players.

And I do have one other practical question, specifically for Terry Rozier who is alleged to be the player who assured an UNDER bet in a specific game:

• What motivated you to think about doing something like that in the first place – – if indeed you did so?

According to Spotrac.com, Terry Rozier will make $26.6M for this NBA regular season and for prior years he made a total of $160.5M.  The statement by the FBI said that in one circumstance about $200K was wagered on Rozier’s prop bets.  That is a drop in the bucket as compared to earnings; so, why jeopardize the earnings for drippings?

Finally, Newt Gingrich moved in different circles than the NBA and NBA fans, but his comment here might resonate with NBA folks as of this morning:

“Until someone is prepared to lay out the systemic problem, we will simply go through cycles of finding corruption, finding a scapegoat, eliminating the scapegoat, and relaxing until we find the next scandal.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

Time flies when you are having fun; it seems like only yesterday that I wrote a Football Friday but here we are again; time for more fun.  As is customary, I will begin with a review of last week’s “Betting Bundle” – – and for the first time in a while the review will be a positive experience:

• Spreads and Totals:  4-1-1
• Season To Date:        12-19-1

And …

• Money Line Parlays:             2-1       Profit = $292
• Season to Date:                     7-11     Profit = $164

The Linfield University Wildcats stumbled in their attempt at yet another winning football season last week.  The Wildcats lost at home to Whitworth by a score of 30-20.  The Wildcats record for the season now stands at 3-2 and they will seek to extend that record this weekend by visiting Puyallup, WA to take on the Lutes of Pacific Lutheran.  Go Wildcats!

My “sleeper team” for 2025 has been Georgia Tech and the Yellowjackets have been wide awake all season to date.  The record is 7-0; Tech is ranked in the Top 10 or Top 12 depending on the poll you choose to peruse.  Last week they defeated Duke in Durham, NC and I will have more to say about that game below.

 

College Football Commentary:

 

We are far enough into the 2025 season to step back and think about what we have seen on the field so far and to assess where observations appear to contradict various pre-season assumptions and projections.  The thing that stands out to me is this:

• 2025 was seen as a year with significant depth at the QB position and that the 2026 NFL Draft would be heavily weighted toward QBs in the early rounds.
• Based on what I have seen so far, I am not sure that is even close to accurate.

There were five QBs all of whom received accolades and assertions of excellence back in Jully and August and none have been overly impressive:

1. Drew Allar – – Penn St. – – now injured and out for the season
2. Cade Klubnik – – Clemson – – Tigers are 3-4 and Klubnik has looked ordinary
3. Arch Manning – – Texas – – compared to expectations, he has been awful
4. Garrett Nusmeier – – LSU – – looks good not great to me
5. LaNorris Sellers – – S. Carolina – – Gamecocks are only 1-4 in conference games

Frankly, I have been more impressed with Diego Pavia (Vandy), Dante Moore (Oregon) and Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) than any of the “Pre-season 5”, but none of them jump off the screen to tell me they are the next John Elway.

I mentioned Cade Klubnik and LaNorris Sellers above; juxtaposing those two names and the schools they represent makes me wonder if fans in the State of South Carolina have been targeted for suffering by the football gods in 2025.

• Clemson was ranked in the Top 5 back in August.  The Tigers are 3-4 overall; they have lost 3 conference games so far and are only 1-3 at home.
• South Carolina was ranked in the Top 15 in August.  The Gamecocks are only 3-4 overall and are 1-4 in conference games.

            How many unbeaten teams are left in the 2025 season?  Just two weeks ago there were 15 undefeated teams; if I have counted correctly, there are only 6 remaining in that category this morning.

1. BYU
2. Georgia Tech
3. Indiana
4. Navy
5. Ohio St.
6. Texas A&M

Here are some comments on a few of last week’s games starting in the ACC:

Ga Tech 27  Duke 18:  Tech is still undefeated at 7-0 for the season.  This game was tied at 10-10 to start the 4^th quarter and then all the action erupted.  Tech is one of three ACC teams without a conference loss; the others are Virginia and SMU.  None of those three teams play one another this season so tie-breaking for the pairing in the ACC Championship Game could be interesting.

Louisville 24  Miami 21:  That is the first loss for the Hurricanes in 2025; they were ranked at #2 in the country when the game began.  Both teams are now 5-1 for the season; and the only loss for both teams has been a conference game.  Louisville led 17-13 at the start of the 4^th quarter and scored what was the game winner with 13:27 left to play.  Here are the Miami possessions in the 4^th quarter:

• INT
• TD
• INT

Those were only 2 of the 4 INTs thrown by Miami QB, Carson Beck in the game.

Cal 21  UNC 18:  The Bill Belichick experience rolls on in Chapel Hill.

Stanford 20  Florida St. 13:  That is 4 losses in a row for the Seminoles and all 4 of the losses were to conference foes.  The natives are restless tonight in Tallahassee …

Moving to the SEC – – where there were some interesting results from last week:

Vandy 31  LSU 24:  Diego Pavia threw for 160 yards and a TD.  He was also the leading rusher for Vandy with 86 yards and 2 more TDs.  Vandy’s only loss in 2025 was to Alabama; LSU has two conference losses so far meaning they need some miraculous outcomes to be pertinent relative to the SEC Championship Game

Oklahoma 26  South Carolina 7:  The Sooners remain relevant in the SEC; they are 6-1 overall and 2-1 in the conference.  Their defense held South Carolina to 225 yards Total Offense and only 55 yards rushing in this game.

Georgia 43  Ole Miss 35:  The Rebels led 35-26 at the start of the 4^th quarter; then, the Bulldogs scored 17 points in the final frame.  Here are the three Ole Miss possessions in the fourth quarter:

• 3 plays             0 yards            19 seconds      PUNT
• 3 plays             1 yard              56 seconds      PUNT
• 5 plays             12 yards          38 seconds      DOWNS

Texas A&M 45  Arkansas 42:  The Aggies remain unbeaten for the season, but Arkansas looked competitive in its first game under Bobby Petrino.

Texas 16  Kentucky 13 (OT):  Texas had 179 yards Total Offense and recorded only 8 first downs in the game and still came out the winner.  The Longhorns have only one loss in SEC play this year.

Alabama 37  Tennessee 20:  Alabama and Texas A&M are the only SEC teams with perfect conference records so far in 2025.  This was Tennessee’s second conference game loss.

Mizzou 23  Auburn 17:  Mizzou is 6-1 and relevant in the SEC with only 1 conference loss.  Auburn is 0-4 against SEC competition.

Next up will be the Big-10:

Indiana 38  Michigan St. 13:  The Hoosiers continue to roll and are unbeaten in 7 games.  Indiana extended Coach Cignetti’s contract through the 2033 season with $93.25M in new money.  The contract reportedly has an unusual wrinkle as explained here by CBSSports.com:

“If Indiana reaches the College Football Playoff Semifinal, the university has 120 days to negotiate a new contract that would put him in the top three earners nationally. If they fail to come to terms, the buyout Cignetti would have to pay to leave will drop to zero. “

Ohio St. 34  Wisconsin 0:  The Badgers have failed to score in both of their last two games.  The last time Wisconsin was shut out twice in a row was in 1977.

Iowa 25  Penn St. 24:  Not a lot of offense here; the teams combined for 579 yards Total Offense.  The Iowa ground game was dominant rushing for 245 yards and averaging 7.4 yards per carry.

The Big-12 is next up …

Ariz St. 26  Texas Tech 22:  This is the first loss for Tech in 2025, and it is a conference loss.  Both Arizona St. and Texas Tech now have one conference loss – – as does Houston – – and they are looking up at BYU and Cincy who remain undefeated in Big-12 competition.

BYU 24  Utah 21:  They call this game “The Holy War”.  It is usually a hard-fought game with a tight score.  This game fits that description perfectly.  This was Utah’s second conference loss in 2025.

And now for some games with things that interested me …

Buffalo 28 UMass 21:  UMass remains winless in 2025. The Minutemen led 21-20 late in the game – – to no avail.  Here is how to invent ways to lose a game:

• UMass led 21-20 and intercepted a Buffalo pass with 59 seconds remaining.
• However, the Minutemen were flagged for celebrating the pick, forcing them to start their drive at their 10 yardline instead of the 25.
• Two running plays created a third-and-15 situation.  Then an incomplete pass forced a punt from the end zone giving Buffalo the ball at the 50-yardline.  The UMass possession only took 18 seconds off the clock.
• From there, Buffalo completed three quick passes resulting in a TD – – and a meaningless 2-point conversion – – with 20 seconds left in the game.
• UMass loses again …

UTEP 35  Sam Houston 17:  Sam Houston remains winless.  This was only the second win in 2025 for the Miners.

James Madison 63  Old Dominion 27:  At halftime, the score was JMU 28 and ODU 27.  Then came the deluge …

Temple 49  UNC-Charlotte 14:  I said last week that it was embarrassing for a team to be a 12-point home underdog to the likes of Temple.  It is even more embarrassing to lose by 35 at home to Temple.

Boise St. 56  UNLV 31:  This was the first loss for UNLV this season, and it was a convincing one.  Not a lot of defense here; the two teams combined for 1034 yards of offense.  Boise St. RB, Dylan Riley, ran for 253 yards and 4 TDs on 15 carries.  Wow!  Boise St. will be leaving the MWC this year to join the reincarnated PAC-12; UNLV is probably glad to know that.

UAB 31  Memphis 24:  This was the first loss for Memphis this season, and it was also the first win for UAB after firing Trent Dilfer as the head coach earlier in the week.

Notre Dame 34  USC 24:  Notre Dame ran the ball 42 times and gained 306 yards.  USC ran the ball 29 times and gained 68 yards.  ‘Nuff said.

Oregon St. 45  Lafayette 13:  Oregon St. has its first win for 2025 – – but it needs an asterisk.  It came at the expense of a Division 1-AA team that traveled more than 2000 miles and crossed 3 time zones to play the game.  Even so, Lafayette led 13-10 at halftime.

Here are the latest numbers for those teams contending for the Brothel Defense Award for 2025:

• Sam Houston gives up 38.9 points per game
• UAB gives up 38.9 points per game
• Georgia St. gives up 40.8 points per game

With Halloween just around the corner, there is enough evidence to begin to focus on the miserable teams that should be in my imaginary SHOE Tournament once the season is over.  That tournament is an on-field way to crown the worst team in the country; eight teams will enter, and the losing team must play on until there is an ultimate loser in the tournament – – the SHOE Team where SHOE is an acronym for Steaming Heap Of Excrement.  Here are 16 contenders for that tournament; I will winnow them down over the next several weeks.  I present them here in alphabetical order not any sort of ranking:

1. Akron
2. Ball St.
3. BC
4. Georgia St.
5. Kent St.
6. Middle Tennessee St.
7. Nevada
8. Oklahoma St.
9. Oregon St.
10. Purdue
11. Sam Houston
12. South Alabama
13. UMass
14. UNC-Charlotte
15. UTEP
16. Wisconsin

 

NCAA Games of Interest this Week:

 

Looking for outrageous spreads – – 5TDs or more – – I found only one game:

• Oklahoma St at Texas Tech – 38.5 (56.5)

Baylor at Cincy – 4 (67.5):  Cincy has won 6 in a row and is undefeated in Big-12 games.

UMass at C. Michigan – 16 (47):  Can UMass lose any more embarrassingly this week?  (See above)

Syracuse at Georgia Tech – 17 (53):  My “sleeper team” has been more than merely alert so far this year.

UCLA at Indiana – 26 (53.5):  The Bruins have won 3 games in a row and have only one conference loss.  Nevertheless, they are huge road underdogs this week.

Virginia – 10.5 at UNC:  Do not rule out the possibility of UNC making an appearance on the SHOE list …

Rutgers – 1 at Purdue (59):  Rutgers is a road favorite in a conference game?  Note that Purdue is on my radar as a SHOE team…

Ole Miss at Oklahoma – 4.5 (53): This is a big game.  Oklahoma’s schedule for the rest of the season is entirely against teams currently ranked in the Top 25:

• Ole Miss
• Tennessee
• Alabama
• Missouri
• LSU

The Sooners’ season could skyrocket or spiral into an abyss over the next month or so.  Meanwhile, Ole Miss has seemingly a much easier schedule and a win here would make them very attractive to the CFP Selection Committee.  I think the Oklahoma defense will contain the Rebels’ here; give me the Sooners at home to win and cover; put it in the “Betting Bundle”.

Auburn at Arkansas – 2.5 (56):  Arkansas has already fired its coach, and I think Auburn is seriously considering a similar move …

Texas – 7 at Mississippi St. (46.5):  Texas has only 1 SEC loss and is still relevant in the conference standings.  Mississippi St. has already lost 3 SEC games, but the Bulldogs are 4-3 for the season and back in August, their projected win total was only 3 games.  Mississippi St. is an over-achieving team; they lost close games to both Tennessee and Florida.

Texas A&M – 2.5 at LSU (49):  The Aggies are unbeaten in 2025; the Tigers are undefeated at home in 2025.  Something has to give here, and I think what will give is the LSU offense; the Aggies defense will rise up and halt the Tigers.  I like the Aggies on the road to win and cover; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Mizzou at Vandy – 2.5 (52.5):  Both teams are 6-1; both teams are ranked.  The winner here could sneak into the expanded CFP …

BYU at Iowa St. – 3 (49):  BYU is one of the 6 unbeaten teams left in 2025, and they are an underdog here …  Many thanks to the oddsmakers; I’ll take that helping of points along with BYU; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Alabama – 11 at S. Carolina (47.5):  Remember back after Week 1 when everyone abandoned ship regarding Alabama?  Well, the Tide is undefeated since then and appears to be on track to play in the SEC Championship Game and to get a lot of love from the CFP selectors.

Wisconsin at Oregon – 31.5 (45):  The mystery here is very simple.  Will Wisconsin score this week or not?

Florida Atlantic at Navy – 14 (62):  Navy has not lost in 2025 …

 

NFL Commentary

 

The NY Jets are sort of a punching bag for football commentators – – but they earned that distinction.  The Jets have been a hot mess for at least the last 10 years and after sweeping changes in the offseason with lots of fanfare, they continue to be a hot mess in 2025.  I will not fault the team for moving on from Aaron Rodgers at QB; that had to be done under any and all circumstances.  But to start the season with Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor driving the bus makes me think there is some flawed decision-making upstairs in the Jets’ organization.

Justin Fields was a gamble; he is freakishly athletic from the same mold as Jayden Daniels and/or Caleb Williams. But on-field he has been prone to gaffes much more than he has been prone to winning.  In the event that “a gamble” turns out to go against you, it is a good idea to have a “Plan B”.  Tyrod Taylor is not Plan B.

Look, this is Taylor’s 15^th season in the NFL; the Jets are his 7^th team.  Those two numbers tell a story:

• Tyrod Taylor is not good enough during games to keep around.
• Tyrod Taylor must be a great teammate to be able to stick around all over the league.

The Jets pulled Justin Fields at halftime of their game last week against the Panthers.  His play has been erratic – – that is about as polite as I can be here – – since Week 1 when he looked as if he might take his career on a new vector heading.  I don’t know if the Jets can or will give up on him as their starter – – he has about $29M guaranteed on his contract with the Jets – – but as far as I am concerned, the jury has returned its verdict; Justin Fields is not ever going to be a “franchise QB”.

And on another note … I have heard enough about “team culture”.  When a team is winning, “culture” is always identified as a critical element; when a team is losing, they lack “culture”.

• Buncombe!  (H/T to H.L. Mencken)

The Las Vegas Raiders cleaned house in the coaching and front office ranks over the spring and summer and set out to establish a “winning culture” with Pete Carroll who supposedly did that in Seattle.  Tom Brady was whispering in the ear of owner, Mark Davis, and was supposedly instrumental in the Raiders trading for Geno Smith to reunite him with Pete Carroll.

• Well, if “culture” is so damned important, how come the Raiders are 2-5-0 with a point differential of minus-77?
• Last week, the Raiders threw up on their shoes against the Chiefs.  Is that part of their “culture”?

Last night, the Chargers manhandled the Vikes 37-10.  With JJ McCarthy still on the shelf – – he has spent more time there than any Christmas Elf – – the Vikes once again trotted out Carson Wentz, and it just did not work.  The Vikes won 15 games last season with Sam Darnold and let him go in favor of JJ McCarthy with Carson Wentz as the stopgap.  So, you make the call here; which decision was worse:

• The Vikes letting Sam Darnold walk – – OR – –
• The Jets handing the reins to Justin Fields?

Here are comments on last week’s games:

Rams 35  Jags 7:  The stat sheet was not nearly as lopsided as the score.  In fact, the Jags ran 12 more plays than the Rams, gained more yards per play and out gained the Rams by 87 yards in the game.  However, the Jags also were 2 of 6 on fourth down tries and committed 13 penalties for 119 yards in the game.

Panthers 13  Jets 6:  Justin Fields was benched at halftime; Tyrod Taylor finished the game.  Fields produced 46 yards passing and 22 yards rushing; Taylor produced 126 yards passing and threw 2 INTs.  Bottom Line:

• The Jets do not have a competent NFL QB. 
• So, what’s new?

Don’t look now, but the Panthers have a 3-game winning streak – – however, Bryce Young left this game in the third quarter with an ankle injury.  He was reportedly in a walking boot after the game.

Pats 31  Titans 13:  The Pats held the ball for more than 37 minutes in that game; they outgained the Titans by 132 yards; they forced two Titans’ turnovers.  The Titans led 10-3 at the end of the first quarter and from then on this was an ass-kicking.

Chiefs 31  Raiders 0:  Rumors of the Chiefs’ demise may have been premature …  Declarations that the Raiders are not a good football team are entirely accurate.  It’s one thing to lose in the NFL.  It’s another thing to be embarrassed. The Raiders lost a game that was totally lopsided.  Patrick Mahomes simply sat out the 4^th quarter here because he was not needed.  Here are the results of the five Chiefs’ possessions in the first 3 quarters of the game:

• 9 plays             92 yards          5:46     TD
• 17 plays           84 yards          8:40     TD
• 16 plays           94 yards          6:22     TD
• 11 plays           66 yards          6:00     TD
• 9 plays             66 yards          4:26     Field Goal

Some more embarrassing stats from the game:

• Total Offense mustered by the Raiders = 95 yards.  That is NOT a typo…
• Raiders’ first downs = 3  That is NOT a typo either …
• Chiefs’ first downs = 30  – – Raiders’ Offensive Plays = 30.
• Chiefs’ time of possession = 42:08
• Raiders third-down conversions = 0 for 7

Colts 38  Chargers 24:  The Colts are 6-1 for the season; I did not see that coming.  The Colts lead the NFL in scoring (232 total points or 33.1 points per game).  Daniel Jones threw for 288 yards here along with 2 TDs and Jonathan Taylor ran for 94 yards and 3 TDs.  The Colts lead the AFC South by 2 full games this morning.

Browns 31  Dolphins 6:  The Browns’ defense is very good; so, one might just look at the score there and say it was dominant showing by that unit.  But there is another aspect to that score:

• At the kickoff, the Browns were averaging only 13.6 points scored per game.
• The Browns had not scored more than 17 points in a game all season.
• They scored 31 points in this game.

So, what does that say about the Dolphins’ defense?  The Dolphins are 1-6 – – and that win came over the hapless Jets.

Bears 26  Saints 14:  The Bears have now won 4 in a row.  I think the most telling stats from the game are:

• Bears rushing offense = 222 yards
• Saints rushing offense = 44 yards

Spencer Rattler also had a bad day at the office throwing 3 INTs and losing a fumble.

Eagles 28  Vikes 22:  The Eagles are 5-2 but none of their wins have been “leisurely” or “comfortable”.  In this game, it was Jalen Hurts to the rescue.  Here are his stats:

• 19 of 23 for 326 yards with 3 TDs and 0 INTs

The Vikes were in the Red Zone 6 times in the game and scored only 1 TD.  That is not a winning formula …

Broncos 33  Giants 32:  As the 4^th quarter began, the score was Giants 19 Broncos 0.  The Giants managed to score 13 more points in that 4^th quarter and yet lost the game.  Somehow, the Giants’ defense allowed the Broncos to gain 291 yards in the 4^th quarter and score 4 TDs and a field goal.  With 40 seconds on the clock, the Giants scored a TD to put them ahead 32-30 and then proceeded to miss the extra point.  [Aside: That was the second missed PAT of the day.]  The Broncos took the kickoff and got down to the Giants 22 yardline where they kicked the game winning field goal at the 0:02 mark.   I ran across this stat which I have certainly not even tried to verify:

• NFL teams had won 1602 consecutive games when leading by 18+ points with six minutes or less in the 4^th quarter until last week’s Broncos/Giants game.

Packers 27  Cards 23:  The Cards outgained the Packers by 68 yards in this game and the Cards controlled the ball for more than 34 minutes.  The Packers tried to give the game away by committing 10 penalties for 94 yards and Cards’ backup QB, Jacoby Brisset threw for 279 yards and 2 TDs.  The Packers took the lead with less than 2 minutes left to play; the Cards rallied but the final play saw the Packers defense knock down a pass in the end zone to preserve a win.

Cowboys 44  Commanders 22:  Yes, this game was as big a rout as it would appear.  You might be tempted to excuse the Commanders’ defense for giving up 44 points and 409 yards of offense to the Cowboys because the Cowboys have a potent offense.  That would not be a good idea, but you might shrug it off if you are a Commanders’ fan.  In reality, there are three major issues about the Commanders that were fully exposed in this game:

• The defense cannot or will not tackle effectively
• The DBs cannot cover a mattress with a blanket.
• How did the offense not score more against the 31^st ranked defense in the NFL?

Jayden Daniels had to leave the game in the second half with a hamstring injury.  This was not to the same leg that had him miss two games earlier in the season; now he has both legs “compromised”.

Niners 20  Falcons 10:  This was the Christian McCaffrey show:

• Rushing:  24 carries for 129 yards and 2 TDs
• Receiving:  7 catches for 72 yards

Michael Penix, Jr. played like a young QB who still has much to learn …

Bengals 33  Steelers 31:  The Bengals produced 470 yards of offense in the game.  The stat line that stands out here is for Ja’Marr Chase:

• 23 targets … 16 receptions … 161 yards and 1 TD

Lions 24  Bucs 9:  The Lions limited the Bucs to 41 yards rushing; meanwhile the Lions gained 164 yards on the ground and ran for two TDs in the game.  Other than that glaring disparity, the stat sheet for this game would make you think this was a game destined for OT.

Seahawks 27  Texans 19:  CJ Stroud was the Texans’ leading rusher – – two carries for 25 yards – – and that reflects the dominance at the line of scrimmage for the Seahawks defensive front seven.

 

Games this Week:

 

We have six teams taking their BYE Week now:

1. Cards:  Frankly, Jacoby Brissett has played at least as well as Kyler Murray has for the Cards to date.
2. Jags:  They look great one week and truly mediocre the next.
3. Lions:  The Lions are 5-2-0 with a point differential of +64 which is the biggest positive point differential in the NFC.
4. Raiders:  Maybe a week off will allow them to “find themselves”.  Here’s a hint; go look in a mirror; there you are.
5. Rams:  Anything that keeps Matthew Stafford hale and hearty is a good thing for this team.
6. Seahawks:  Do not sleep on this team; that defense is good; it only allows an average of 305.8 yards per game.

Jets at Bengals – 6 (44):  This is the first game on the card this week and it is the Dog-Breath Game of the Week.  The Jets were supposed to have a top-shelf defense; right now they rank 17^th in total defense, 22^nd in run defense and 26^th in points allowed per game.  However, in this game, there is a more important question to ponder:

• Is the Jets’ offense worse than the Bengals’ defense?

I rarely make a pick in the Dog-Breath Game of the Week, but I have a hunch that the Bengals are going to win big here.  I’ll take the Bengals to win and cover at home; put it in the “Betting Bundle”.

Niners at Texans – 2.5 (42):  The oddsmakers must be relying on the Texans’ defense to stifle Mac Jones and/or Brock Purdy because the Texans’ offense has not been anything to rely on in 2025.  At some point, the number and burden of injuries for the Niners will have to catch up with them, no?  I think the wrong team is favored here; I like the Niners to prevail; so, I’ll take them plus the points; put it in the “Betting Bundle”.

Bears at Ravens – 6.5 (49.5):  That spread indicates to me that the oddsmakers sense that Lamar Jackson will be back this week.  The Bears have a 4-game winning streak, and a victory here would be a major positive boost for them and their season.  However, let me give some context to that streak; here are the victims:

• Cowboys:  Marginal defensive unit and no CeeDee Lamb on offense
• Raiders:  Bad team
• Commanders:  Marginal defensive unit
• Saints:  Bad Team

Yes, the Ravens look like a “Bad team” at 1-5-0 and yes, the Ravens’ defensive unit would love to be considered merely “marginal”.  I am tempted to play the game OVER but will resist the temptation.

Dolphins at Falcons – 7.5 (44.5):  The Falcons are an up-and-down team; the Dolphins just stink.  If the Falcons want to be taken seriously as a playoff team, they need to dominate here.

Bills – 8 at Panthers (46):  Here is a very simple question at the heart of game analysis here:

• Can Bryce Young play this week?

If not, it will be the Red Rifle – – Andy Dalton – – at the helm for the Panthers.  Another question with longer implications here:

• Did the Bills find a way to improve their defense over their BYE Week?

Giants at Eagles – 7.5 (44):  I think this is the Game of the Week because:

• It is one of the few Division games this week.
• It should be a revenge game for the Eagles
• The Jaxson Dart story is an interesting one.

Browns at Pats – 7 (41):  Two strong defenses here.  The Pats’ offense is the better of the two outgaining the Browns’ offense by almost 75 yards per game.

Bucs – 4 at Saints (47):  The Bucs are 5-2-0 with a point differential of minus-1.  The Saints are 1-6-0 with a point differential of minus-61 – – worst in the NFC.  The Bucs are on the road for the second week in a row and they played on Monday night last week.  Nonetheless …

Titans at Colts – 14 (47):  Unless the Colts show up hungover, this game should be in the bag before the start of the 4^th quarter.

Cowboys at Broncos – 3.5 (51):  I gave this game serious consideration as the Game of the Week.  The Brocos defense against the Cowboys offense will make this game fun to watch.  I think the team that has the ball last wins the game; I think that will be the Cowboys and their monster kicker; give me the Cowboys plus the points here; put it in the “Betting Bundle”.

(Sun Nite) Packers – 3 at Steelers (45.5):  For all the folks on Football Night In America, PRETTY PLEASE, do not lean into this as an “Aaron Rodgers Revenge Game”.  The Steelers are at home after their 10-day mini-BYE and the Packers are on the road for the second straight week.  Should be a good game …

(Mon Nite) Commanders at Chiefs – 13 (48):  No Jayden Daniels for the Commanders here explains why the line opened at 5 points and then rocketed to this level on Wednesday.  If the Commanders’ defenders continue to tackle and cover the way they have over the last couple of weeks, this game could become embarrassing.

So let me review the “Betting Bundle”:

• Oklahoma – 4.5 over Ole Miss
• Texas A&M – 2.5 over LSU
• BYU +3 against Iowa St.
• Niners +2.5 against Texans
• Bengals – 6 over Jets
• Cowboys +3.5 against Broncos

And here are some Money Line Parlays for fun:

• Niners @ +120
• Bills 2 minus-380                  $100 wager to win $178

And …

• Cowboys @ +150
• Falcons @ minus-400                       $100 wager to win $213

And …

• Texas @ minus-280
• BYU @ +120                           $100 wager to win $200

Finally, let us hear from Duffy Daugherty:

“My only feeling about superstition is that it’s unlucky to be behind at the end of the game.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

Yesterday was International Wombat Day.  That fact creates two questions:

1. What did you do to celebrate?
2. Who comes up with these sorts of ideas?

Starting in 2026, there will be another attempt to create a sustainable professional baseball league for women.  This has been tried at least twice in the past with the first entity – – the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) – – serving as the basis for the movie A League of Their Own.  That league existed in the 1940s and lasted until 1954.  Branch Rickey was part of the effort to found and run the league which had as many as 15 teams participating.  During the existence of the AAGPBL, there was a “rival women’s league” – – the National Girl’s Baseball League (NGPL)- – and those leagues had a modicum of popularity and visibility.  There was involvement of well-known sports figures in those leagues; Jimmy Foxx managed a team in the AAGPBL and Red Grange was the overseer for the NGPL for a while.

The rise of television and televised MLB games in the 1950s basically put the women’s leagues out of business, and women’s professional baseball was dormant until the 1980s.  In the late 80s, a small women’s league was formed – – the Ladies Professional Baseball League (LPBL) – – which was much closer to a barnstorming situation than a stable league organization.  It lasted about a year and went quietly into the night.

Next year, there will be another foray into the field of women’s professional baseball.  The Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) will field four teams next year (New York, Boston, LA and San Francisco).  That is a bold strategy in putting teams into places where there will be stiff competition for attention from well-established MLB franchises.  However, the previous “strategy” of fielding teams like the South Bend Blue Sox and/or the Rockford Peaches did not work.  The announcement that the league exists said that the league seeks an international footprint; that seemed like an over-reach to me until I learned that the league held tryouts over the summer here in the DC area and more than 600 women from ten countries were there to try out.  I must admit that I was unaware that women’s baseball was a big deal here in the US let alone in ten countries.

About ten years ago, Mo’ne Davis was the winning pitcher in a Little League World Series game against boys.  That was a first and that gave her plenty of notoriety at the time.  Mo’ne Davis (now 24 years old) is slated to be part of the WPBL next year.  It never hurts for a new league to have a recognizable figure or two as it launches.  The league will hold a draft next month and the league says it will have Spring Training, a regular season, an All-Star Game, and playoffs right out of the gate.

From the WPBL website, here is thumbnail sketch of Season One for the league:

• The inaugural season will be approximately 7 weeks in total: 4 weeks of regular season play, 1 week of all-star competition, and 2 weeks of playoffs.
• Games will be played from Thursday to Sunday with each team playing 2 games per week.
• The league will begin in May 2026. There will be a 4-day training period prior to the regular season; players are expected to get into regular season shape on their own prior to the season.

For new start-up leagues, there is always the question of financing.  So, here is some more info from the league organizers:

• Players will be paid per game at a rate determined by their selection order in the draft.
• Players will receive a portion of the revenue share from league sponsorship.  [Aside: I must admit that I do not understand what that means.]
• Housing will be provided for all players.
• Some players, with extra payment, will participate in grassroots efforts, clinics, media days, etc. on off days when there are no games scheduled.

This effort is a bold one.  Competing head-to-head with the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Giants, Dodgers and Angels for attention seems difficult to me.  However, the organizers seem to have a plan and a structure in mind that differentiates the WPBL from MLB in ways other than gender.  Maybe this one will work …

Finally, this thought from Jeff Bezos probably resonates with the founders and architects of the new WPBL:

“I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

I do not follow golf; it is not a sport that has ever captured my attention.  Nonetheless, when I see a headline with the name “Jack Nicklaus” in it, I pause to read it and the sub-head because Jack Nicklaus is a name I have recognized for about 60 years.  Yesterday I saw such a headline and when I read it and the sub-head, I was confused because I did not know the backstory.  It appears that Jack Nicklaus won a defamation of character lawsuit against Nicklaus Companies.  Say what …?

Let me do a quick reset here:

• When Jack Nicklaus retired as a pro golfer, he formed Nicklaus Companies as part of his efforts to design golf courses and to be part of various promotional efforts.  In 2007, he sold that company to “a billionaire banker” named Howard Milstein.
• Jack Nicklaus resigned from the company in 2017; sat through a 5-year “non-compete tenure” and resigned from the company’s Board of Directors in 2022.
• Nicklaus Companies sued Jack Nicklaus alleging “tortuous interference” by Jack Nicklaus by diverting business away from Nicklaus Companies to Nicklaus himself.  The case went to arbitration and Jack Nicklaus won the case.
• In this defamation claim by Jack Nicklaus, he alleged that Nicklaus Companies said falsely that he had considered becoming the face of LIV-Golf for a fee of $750M and then spread that falsehood around to media folks.

Jack Nicklaus won the case, and a jury awarded him $50M in the matter because it found that Nicklaus Companies and people associated with Nicklaus Companies “actively participated in the false publishing of facts” and that damaged the reputation and public image of Jack Nicklaus to the tune of $50M.

Moving on …  The college football coaching carousel began its spin early this season and two more seats on the ride have opened up recently.  The bigger news is that Florida fired coach Billy Napier and the unusual wrinkle here is that they fired him after he won the game prior to getting his pink slip; Florida beat Mississippi St. in Gainesville last weekend.

According to reports, Napier will get a buyout of $21M after posting a record of 22-23 at Florida (12-16 in SEC games).  So, is the Florida job a plum or a persimmon?

Well, Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer both proved that one can win big at Florida; the Gators are the only SEC school in the State of Florida and there is abundant football talent in Florida who should want to show their stuff at the SEC level.  That – – along with the fact that Florida was paying Napier $7.5M per year and must recognize that a new coach will cost a bit more than that – – means the Florida job could easily translate into generational wealth.  Those are very attractive aspects of the job.

The downside here is that the fanbase became accustomed to championships under Spurrier and Meyer even though the last championship was in 2008.  Since Urban Meyer left the school in 2010, Florida has run through four head coaches, and none have survived for more than four years.  The Gators have not been part of the CFP since it came into being; and in fact, they have only been to a New Years Day Bowl Game 4 times since 2010.  [Aside: Since 2010, Florida has had more losing seasons (5) than New Years Day Bowl games (4).]  And that is just not good enough for the fans and the alums.  So, maybe the job is one where you move to Gainesville, but you rent a place instead of buying one …

Another coach who was asked to turn in his whistle was at a school with no aspirations for the CFP or even to a New Year’s Day Bowl Game.  UAB fired Trent Dilfer as their head football coach.  Dilfer was the QB for the Ravens in 2001 when the Ravens won the Super Bowl and then had a long career as a TV talking head with stops at NFL Network, FOX and ESPN.

UAB competes in the American Athletic Conference (AAC); Dilfer’s teams posted a combined record of 9-21 at that level of competition.  Last weekend, UAB took the field with an interim head coach on the sideline and proceeded to beat the previously undefeated Memphis Tigers 31-24.  Dilfer brought playing experience to the job; not many college coaches can flash a Super Bowl ring unless they purchased one at an estate auction, but Dilfer’s coaching résumé was thin at best; he had been the coach of a small private high school in Tennessee for four seasons.  That’s it.

Compounding the problem, UAB football had been relatively successful at its level of competition in the years leading up to Dilfer’s hiring.  From 1999 through 2022, UAB was in C-USA, and it had been to minor bowl games in the 6 years prior to hiring Trent Dilfer.  Clearly that recent memory did not resonate with a composite record of 9-21.

Is UAB a good job?  Well reports say that the school paid Trent Dilfer $1.45M as the head coach; so, this is not a position that might create “generational wealth”.  Nonetheless, the fans there might be thrilled to get back to the level of minor bowl games just about every year; there are no CFP aspirations in Birmingham; such aspirations in the State of Alabama are reserved for the institution in Tuscaloosa.

Finally, having mentioned New Year’s Day Bowl Games, let me finish today with this from Lou Holtz whose team got pelted with oranges at the Orange Bowl Game:

“I’m glad we’re not playing in the Gator Bowl.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

The Los Angeles Dodgers are back in the World Series; they will face the winner of the Mariners/Blue Jays Game 7 tonight.  The win that advanced the Dodgers to the World Series featured a superhuman performance by Shoei Ohtani.  Perhaps the baseball gods presaged the miraculous performance with this amuse buche:

• Ohtani struck out the side in the top of the first inning.  Then …
• Ohtani hit a lead-off home run in the bottom of the first inning.

You don’t see that every day.

When he was relieved of his pitching duties, he left, allowing no runs and striking out 10 Milwaukee Brewers.  By game’s end, he had hit three home runs – – in three at bats – – and driven in 3 runs.  Other than serving as the stadium DJ playing walk-up music, it is difficult to identify anything else he might have done Friday night.  Many people have called this the greatest performance ever in the history of baseball.  If it is not, then it is certainly on the short list for that accolade.

Moving on … The NBA regular season is upon us; it all starts tomorrow night when the defending champions – – Oklahoma City Thunder – – tip off against the Houston Rockets at 7:30 PM ET.  Frankly, in most seasons, I do not give a fig about the NBA until at least late February when the playoff races begin to become interesting.  The thought of watching a Wizards/Blazers game in mid-November never crosses my cognitive space.  However, this year feels a bit different; there are a few issues/questions involved that might begin to be answered throughout the season.  For example:

• The Thunder are led by a trio of very young players.  Is this an emerging dynasty?  Was that championship run last season a “one-off”?
• The Celtics have dominated the Eastern Conference for the last 5 years or so, but Jason Tatum will miss most if not all of this season with a torn Achilles tendon suffered in the playoffs last season.  The Celtics also traded away Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in the offseason and saw two key free agents sign elsewhere (Al Horford and Luke Kornet).  So, who will take over the mantle of “Beast of the East”?

I think those sorts of questions are far more interesting than ones involving LeBron James and his plans/desires for the upcoming season.  For the record, here are my current thoughts on those questions – – subject to review and revision as regular season evidence pours in:

• The Thunder ran away with the Western Conference regular season race last year.  Houston and Denver did some major overhauling of their rosters in the offseason and will probably provide the best challenge to the Thunder.  I do not think last year was a “one-off”; I think the Thunder will be a serious contender to repeat as champions because they were/are the best defensive team in the league last year and “defense travels”.
• If Jason Tatum cannot play at all in the regular season, I expect the Celtics to miss the playoffs.  Might they even be so bad this year that they join the “race to the bottom” in search of lots of ping-pong balls for the lottery?
• Who might replace the Celtics atop the East?  The Knicks and the Cavs look best positioned to me for that stature – – but if Joel Embiid can stay healthy and play 65 games or more, the Sixers might make things interesting in the East.  [Aside: Embiid missed two full seasons right after he was drafted; in the nine seasons he has been with the Sixers after that two-year rehab, Embiid has only played 65 games or more twice.  That could be a big ask for Sixers’ fans.]

Speaking of the NBA, the league has yet again decided to monkey with the format of their All-Star Game.  Let me be clear from the outset here; the NBA All-Star Game is not even worthy of being called a travesty; it is an embarrassment for the league.

Having stated my opinion, here is what the newest thinking on that subject is:

• There will be three teams – – two teams made up of US players and the other team made up of international players.  Those three teams will play a round-robin format to determine the champion.

Pardon me while I yawn …

Finally, these words from Frank Deford:

“You can stand at a bar and scream all you want about who was the greatest athlete and which was the greatest sports dynasty, and you can shout out your precious statistics, and maybe you’re right, and maybe the red-faced guy down the bar – the one with the foam on his beer and the fancy computer rankings – is right, but nobody really knows.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………