On the Plate … Thanksgiving '04

Fat & Happy

It's Thanksgiving morning. I'm about 20 minutes away from tuning into UConn at Rutgers (yes, the football game). This game and the two mutt NFL games on today clearly serve as appetizers for tonight's main entree - The Backyard Brawl: WVU @ Pitt. The Mounties are giving 3 on the road. Interesting? Indeed. Who do I like? No idea. That decision will be made after downing some cold beverages and consuming 7 pounds of grub. And frankly at that point, I really don't care who I have action on, as long as I have some action, and I'm relacking on a couch by a fire watching the game. And I'm smoking a pipe. And I'm holding, but not reading, a novel. And I'm sipping brandy. And I'm wearing a rope. Obviously. That's the only way I do it.

Maybe it's just me, but it's been kind of a weird week. Don't get me wrong - when you cut me open, college hoops come out of my veins. But I don't know if I am ready for the preseason NIT and the Maui Invitational to get hoops into full primetime swing just quite yet. I'm still itching for some more oblong ball. I have to admit I am definitely sad about the football season coming to an end. Yea, I know that we've got 762 bowls to look forward to, and believe me I am, but it just seems like the season went ultra fast this year. I don't know. Anyway, we've still got some gems left in the mix: SEC Championship, UVA at V-Tech, Irish at USC, and V-Tech at Miami. And don't forget about tomorrow's biggin: Texas A&M at Texas. See that, I already feel better.

2-second roundup from last week's gridiron junk...

• Steve Spurrier is officially heading to South Carolina. How about that Hootie Johnson tip I dropped on you kids 2 weeks ago? Not bad, huh? You gotta understand that the CSG only rolls on the inside tip. I'm that damn good. Right. Hey, I don't understand people that are arguing that Spurrier made a bad decision, that he should have waited for another job to open up, that he is going to struggle at USC like Lou Holtz did. First, Lou Holtz is 237 years old and isn't a name that gets kids attention. Spurrier is. Kids remember the Gators of old. And kids will want to replicate that in Columbia. Hell, if Chuck Amato can get studs to come from south Florida to NC State, then Spurrier should have no problem getting badasses to come to USC, right? Right. He's still Steve F'ing Spurrier. South Carolina will be a Top 15 team before you can blink. And he'll be wearing the visor and his kids will be jawing like crazy and they'll score 80 points on Vanderbilt. Just wait. All of this is coming from a dude who hates that bastard too. Damn.
• I want Notre Dame to beat USC next weekend so that Auburn can play for all of the loot on January 4 in Miami. But part of me now wants USC, OU and Auburn to all finish undefeated so that the BCS gets xrapped on for another year. What a joke. I agree with what Kirk Herbstreit said last week on College Gameday. He suggested that a committee be formed, kind of like the tournament selection committee, that would watch game tape from the beginning of the season of the top 8 or so teams and then rank them accordingly for the bowls. Not a solution to the current problem but better than letting the coaches and AP decide.
• Congrats to Utah for finishing the season undefeated and hopefully busting the BCS. Fiesta time indeed. The sombrero thing in Salt Lake City last weekend was brilliant.
• As close as I was to putting my face through someone's windshield last Saturday night after Florida beat FSU, I thought it was totally awesome that the UF kids carried Ron Zook off the field on their shoulders. I can't emphasize this enough. Totally respected it. Clearly the kids like Zook. And clearly Zook can recruit. UF just needs someone to take that talent and mold it into a cohesive unit. UF didn't think that person was Zook. But why wouldn't UF have waited until the end of the year to make a decision, talked to Zook about a change, and offered to keep Zook on the staff in some major capacity outside of being head coach? I don't understand it. UF. F UF. What do I care? I love when they suck.
• In the UF @ FSU game, it was fitting that the last play of the game, and the hope of the Noles faithful, was squarely in Chris Rix's hands. And it was even more fitting that he threw an interception on that play. Goodbye Mr. Rix. Thanks for four miserable years.
• That is the last time a Tommy Bowden-coached Clemson team will beat South Carolina. You heard it here first.
• How about "teams" Michigan last weekend? They got handled. And, of course, I thought they were good bets. I'm an idiot. Were we in a time warp? Ohio State and Penn State score 35-plus points each. Say what?
• Can I get a what-what for my Iowa State and Oregon State calls last week? I gave myself one only because of the debacle that was the Spartans and Wolverines.

0.5-second roundup of this week's hoops action...

UNC's loss to Santa Clara can't stop me from writing this...the Heels are scary good. Why? Defense. Check out Roy's boys playing Lawrence, KS-style D up in the mugs of their opponents. Everyone knew that they can score. But apparently they can play wicked defense too. It's frightening.

How about Bill Self's Jayhawks nearly wetting the bed against Vermont last week? Typical. I can see that Coach Self is going to keep me guessing for another year.

Strong showing at the Maui Invitational for Iowa. They beat Louisville and Texas only to lose to UNC in the final game. The Hawkeyes need all of the big wins they can get. Anything short of a ticket to the Big Dance and coach Steve Alford is on his way out of Iowa City.

Speaking of fat and happy, I'm giddy that Rick Majerus has joined the ESPN crew. I love that guy. Is there a more opposite duo on TV right now than Majerus and Steve Lavin on the same set? It actually works quite well. Lavin's west coast-biased ineptitude has been getting blanketed by Majerus' boatload of knowledge.

Picks for this weekend...

Colorado (+3) at Nebraska - This one is simple the way I look at it. Anytime you are getting points from the Huskers, take them and run. Love the Buffs.

Texas A&M (+10.5) at Texas - I like the Aggies only because I hate the Longhorns. And 10.5 seems like a lot for a blood match. And this IS a blood match. Watch the 'Horns lose and Mack Brown get fired. Happiest Thanksgiving ever.

Wake Forest (+6) at Maryland - 3 things here. 1) A team is getting six that has lost more close games than I can remember. 2) The line is skewed because of what happened to Wake last week in Miami. 3) That large freak, The Fridge, is chirping about how important this game is for the season. Translation: his kids have given up on him. I like Wake. A lot.

Have a great holiday everybody. Be safe and I'll talk at ya on the flip.