(Editor’s note: Each week we will be running this column promoting the biggest and best college football games each week.)
We begin this week with a hospital, some huge picture windows, kids stricken with cancer, and a warm and loving wave by an entire stadium that includes the the players and coaches from both teams.
It is now aptly named the “Iowa Wave,” and it began in 2017 when the University of Iowa’s Stead Family Children’s Hospital was built.
The hospital’s top floors overlook Iowa’s iconic Kinnick Field, and at the end of the first quarter during every home game, the entire stadium with music blaring turns to those windows and waves to these sick kids standing in the window, many of whom are also waving back or holding homemade signs of appreciation.
Even watching it on television makes it difficult not to have a tear fill the corner of one’s eye.
This weekend, let’s see which team watches its fan base make a dismissive wave of disgust over another desultory performance, and which enthusiastically wave the school colors in celebration of a big victory.
No. 1 Alabama at Texas (FOX, Noon)
Not only will the “Eyes of Texas” be glued to this important Longhorns measuring stick, but the eyes of the entire college football world will be tuning in with Himalayan-high anticipation for this rarified meeting between two of the blue bloods of the sport.
It will be only the tenth time that these iconic programs have clashed on the gridiron, with the first occurring in 1902 when Jack Johnson ruled the heavyweight world, and the Ole’ Rough Rider himself, Teddy Roosevelt, occupied the Oval Office.
The “Sons of Darrell Royal” hold a 7-1-1 series advantage, but the Tide’s lone victory was much more memorable and impactful, occurring during the 2010 BCS Championship game which was the first of Saban’s impeccable run of six national championships at Alabama.
“Saint Nick” captured another during his stay at LSU, and his record of seven championship titles which is likely to grow, puts him in the same unimpeachable category as Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, a number that will forever stand the test of time.
Entering his 16th-season of roaming the Tuscaloosa sidelines, the “Title Town” maestro (179-25 .877) has compiled a record of such dominance that even Alexander the Great would be drunk with envy.
He has been able to consistently orchestrate those Mozartian perfect pitch numbers by choreographing a seemingly endless infusion of blue chip talent that is equal to that of Joel Gray and Liza Minelli in Bob Fosse’s classic movie masterpiece “Cabaret.”
And this edition of the “Sons of Bear,” doesn’t waver from that winning path as the “Sons of Joe Namath” will be a double digit favorites in every regular season game, sentiments that Saban dismisses and despises in his own inimitable way as nothing more than; “Rat poison.”
The conductor of this Philharmonic worthy eleven is the current Heisman Trophy winner, QB Bryce Young, who has a solid chance to match the 1974-75 feat of Ohio State’s Archie Griffin, and become the second player to capture the prized bauble a second time.
The ice-man is, with apologies to Dan Fogelberg, the indubitable “leader of the band,” and Alabama’s surgical dual-threat marksman, who hits his target with the same precision as the Sundance Kid facing the Mexican Army, luxuriates by selecting from a Taliban-like stockpile of weapons.
The Tide’s field general can laser on pair of game breaking wideouts, Jermaine Burton, a Georgia transfer, and his partner Traeshon Holden, while earth movers Jahmyr Gibbs, a Georgia Tech transfer, Jamarion Miller, and Jase McClellan, comprise an offense that can score faster than a young Elvis backstage after one of his early fifties road trips to Arkansas, Louisiana, or Texas.
“If you’re looking for trouble, you came to the right place….”and that might be the theme for the Longhorns in Austin on Saturday.
On D, the Tides Gibraltar-hardened fuel-injected “Sons of Lee Roy Jordan” led by its All-World backer Will Anderson, considered the best defensive player in America, and likely to be the first selection in next season’s NFL draft, his partner Jaylen Moody,and a pair of All-American defensive backs, LSU transfer Eli Ricks, and Jordan Battles, are harder to penetrate than the dour veneer of Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, and baring injuries have the potential to be one of Saban’s better groups. YIKES!
In Austin, the footballers of the “Forty Acres” are listed as the biggest home underdogs (-20.5) since President Jimmy Carter was seeing “giant rabbits” in 1978! WOW!
And after last season’s woeful 5-7 season, that included a six-game losing streak, there is a growing feeling of consternation amongst the Burnt Orange faithful as to the ability of its second-year coach Steve Sarkisian to bring UT, which has celebrated onlyone ten win season since 2010, back into the land of college football relevance.
The question reverberating around Austin is a Texas classic, is he “All hat, and no cattle?”
The Horns pro-style attack which flies by the mantra of “all gas, no brakes,” is directed by its highly touted freshman QB Quinn Ewers, and the Ohio State transfer gets a mega (not MAGA) assist from its electric All-America wrecking ball tailback Bijan Robinson,who is also dangerous catching out of the backfield, while targeting receivers Ja’Tavon Sanders, and star in the making Xavier Worthy, who are headache inducers for any defensive coordinator.
Last year the Texas D, featuring backers Barryn Sorrell, DeMarvion Overshown, and nose Keondre Coburn did the Texas two-step ranking 99th overall, and was shredded more than a large wheel of Parmesan at New York’s Italian institution Carmine’s.
Sarkisian, in a brilliant move, hired former TCU headman, and defensive wizard Gary Patterson to serve as a consultant to provide his expertise with the hopes of plugging that colander eleven.
This blue blood clash kicks off in Austin at 11 a.m. central time, which creates a headache for Saban the control freak, (wait until USC and UCLA joins the SEC and he has to play a game in that time zone) but fear not, by 1 p.m. CST, the Texas faithful in Darrell Royal Memorial Stadium will have its coach on the clock.
No. 20 Kentucky at No. 12 Florida (ESPN, 7 p.m.)
Kentucky football traces back to 1915 when President Woodrow Wilson was contemplating the League of Nations, and during those 107-seasons of gridiron history, the Wildcats have had only four 10 win seasons,but two of them have occurred in the last four years under the wizardly stewardship of coach Mark Stoops.
The Kentucky headman (60-53) who is entering his tenth season in Lexington, is currently tied with Bear Bryant as the two winningest coaches in school history, and until he captures that record victory, he intends to have his mother in attendance so she can witness the historic milestone.
“I want my mother to be there, and for her to have two sons who are the all-time winningest coaches at their respective power 5 programs.” (Brother Bobby holds the record for most wins with the Sooners of Oklahoma.)
But the Cats Saturday night visit into the raucous and frenzied cauldron of the Swamp in Gainesville has suddenly, and exponentially, become nearly as difficult an assignment as attempting to coax Donald Trump to cut back on his Diet Coke consumption.
The “Sons of George Blanda,” who have been hampered by an inexperienced offensive line, are directed by its talented dual-threat Penn State transfer QB Will Levis, who still has a tendency to force the ball at the worst possible time.
And with the continued suspension of its 1000-yard tailback Chris Rodriguez, and injuries to fellow tailbacks JuTah McClain, and Ramon Jefferson it forces the footballers from the Blue Grass State to lean heavily on Kavosiey Smoke to carry the load and tryto take the pressure off its QB. Yikes!
On D, the attacking and blitzing Wildcats are reflective of the personality of its coach, and its trio of backers J.J. Weaver, DeAndre Square, and Jacquez Jones flies to the ball while hitting with the concussive force of the recently deceased Heavyweight Earnie Shavers, forcing the opposition’s offensive coordinators to reassess its game plan.
In Gainesville, with apologies to Jay McInery, it was a “Bright Lights Big City” smashing Broadway debut for Florida’s new head man Bill Napier, but the question remains can it be repeated.
One late night at Jilly’s in New York City, Pete Hamill, the legendary newspaper editor and author repeated Dizzy Gillespie’s line about talent to Frank Sinatra, “A true professional can do it more than once,” and Sinatra loved it.
On Saturday night we’ll find out if the Gators are able to respond in that same Gillespie way, and open its season 2-0 by having defeated a pair of top-20 teams. WOW!
The driver piloting the spiffy Blue and Orange polished Porsche-like spread attack, is its scintillating, nuclear powered dual threat QB Anthony Richardson, who is already drawing comparisons to former Auburn Heisman winner Cam Newton.
The electric rocket-armed leader of the “Sons of Steve Spurrier” who is more dangerous on the run, is assisted by a pair of quality earth-movers Montrell Johnson, and Trevor Etienne, while his wideout trio; Ricky Pearsall, Xavier Henderson, and Justin Shorterare steady and solid chain moving targets.
On D, the “Sons of Wilber Marshall” anchored by backers Brenton Cox, Amari Burney and safety Trey Dean fearlessly fly to the ball in an intimidating bone jarring style.
In this important SEC East matchup, in which Kentucky has won once in the Swamp since 1979, we think, with apologies to Elvis, that it will be “A cold Kentucky rain,” for the visitors from Lexington, as Mark Stoops has to wait at least one more week for his mom to witness him pass the Bear, as Florida shows proves Gillespie’s theory and shows it’s a legitimate player on the national scene.
No. 16 Arkansas at South Carolina (ESPN, Noon)
Sam Pittman, the homespun head man of the Razorbacks, reminds one of North Carolina Senator Sam Irvin, the chairman of the 1973 Watergate Committee, who introduced himself to the nation the following way, “I’m just an ol’ country lawyer from North Carolina.”
In truth he was a brilliant “Constitutionalist” and a graduate of Harvard Law School.
And in a similar fashion, Pittman, the Hogs folksy coach, who also speaks from the heart, is changing the losing culture of Razorback football, and the results have his players, and its Fayetteville faithful believing that the days of Arkansas football irrelevancymight just be officially kaput.
The well-liked former offensive line guru, also isn’t afraid to have some fun, as evidenced by the fact that last year when the Hogs were invited to the Outback Bowl, its first bowl appearance since 2016, its coach purchased a bowling ball signifying the Hogs bowl eligibility, named it Larry, then had it placed in the Razorbacks trophy case.
Awesome!
But these “Sons of Frank Broyles” are intent on proving to the college football world that they are not like Malden’s Norman Greenbaum, who penned the classic “Spirit in the Sky” one hit wonders.
The Razorback’s dual threat (6-3, 245) field general QB KJ Jefferson, who performs with a certain Steve McQueen duende style, while cocooned by an experienced o-line, is the maestro conducting this Fayetteville revival.
And under the guidance of its offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, the Arkansas offense flows in perfect Wallenda-like balance featuring a steamrolling road chewing running attack led by tailback Raheim Sanders, and Jefferson, and accentuated by deep-threat aerial assault featuring Matt Landers, Jadon Haselwood, and Ketron Jackson.
On D, the “Sons of Billy Ray Smith” have more depth than Aristotle or the Nuclear Science department of MIT, anchored by its linebacking trio of Bumper Pool (is there a better name in college?), Drew Sanders, and Chris Paul, who fly to ball and hit with the same angry ferocity of a freshly delivered federal subpoena to Mar-a-Largo.
In Columbia, the spirit created by its first year head coach Shane Beamer, the son of Frank, the legendary HOF head at Virginia Teck is best summarized by Gracie Slick of the Jefferson Airplane, when she shouted in 1969 from the early Saturday morning stage at Woodstock, “It’s a new dawn people.”
One of the main reasons for that dawning optimism revolves around its new sharpshooter, QB Spencer Rattler, the Oklahoma transfer, and one time Heisman frontrunner, who needed a fresh start after losing his job in Norman last season, and reuniting with Beamer his former OU assistant coach has been as seamless as Frank Sinatra singing “My Way” at the Copa.
The charismatic rocket armed leader who needs to work on his proclivity of forcing the ball leading to unnecessary mistakes, is assisted by his high-cotton tailback Marshawn Lloyd, and a pair of chain moving targets Jalen Brooks, and Antwane Wells.
On D, the “Sons of Tom Addison (a former Patriot), anchored by the linebacking trio Debo Williams, Blake Carroll, and Jordan Veneziale is solid and disciplined, but will not cause any sleepless nights for opposing offensive coordinators.
In a game that will feature more hits than a Beatles convention, and with apologies to Elton John, the “Country Comforts” coach of the Razorbacks begins the season 2-0 as the Hogs steadily climb in the polls.
No. 9 Baylor at No. 21 BYU (ESPN, 10:15)
When Dave Aranda’s Baylor Bears completed its remarkable turnaround from its 2-7 Covid-filled season to capture the 2021 Big 12 Championship with an astounding 12-2 season, this Waco Kid (sorry Gene Wilder) who directed that resurrection, was hotter than a glassblower’s furnace, as he fielded employment offers from nearly every major coaching opening in America.
But to the delight of the Bears faithful, he signed an extension which runs to 2029, deciding to return and continue to build upon the success he started. With apologies to “Good Will Hunting,” How about them apples Brian Kelly, and Lincoln Riley?!
But if the “Sons of Mike Singletary” are going to repeat as champs, it will be behind its stifling turbo-charged, rib cracking Ukrainian-like D, featuring nose Siaki Ika, his partner Jaxon Player, a Tulsa transfer, backer Matt Jones, and TJ Franklin, who overall are harder to penetrate than catacomb vaults of the Vatican.
On offense, the “Sons of Del Shofner” under the command of its new starting QB Blake Shapen, who took over at the end of last season for an injured Gerry Bohannon, and led the Bears to its victory in the Big 12 title game, as well as its bowl game, was officially stamped the starter job during fall camp.
Protected by an offensive line that is harder to penetrate than the security around Queen Elizabeth, (it surrendered an eye-popping miniscule total of 18-sacks last season) opening the path for its “Eveready” ground assault that features tailbacks Taye McWilliams,Qualan Jones, and Richard Reese, while aerial show of its wideouts Monaray Baldwin, and Hal Presley, provide comforting chain moving targets.
The last time the Bears of Baylor paid a visit to Provo, Ronald Reagan was in the final year of his first term, in the George Orwellian year of 1984, which coincidentally was the same year the Cougars won its only the national college football championship.
But there’s been a resurgence in Provo as the Boys from BYU, under the direction of coach Kalani Sitake have quietly carved out a spectacular two-year 21-4 run, making them an appealing addition to the Big 12 starting next season.
The commander of these Mormon flavored footballers is its dynamic dual-threat junior QB Jaren Hall, whose ability to accurately hit his target while on the run has the pro-scouts in full drool.
The Cougs field general is assisted by tailbacks Christopher Brooks a Cal transfer, and Lopini Katoa, but its pair of starry comfort targets, receivers Gunner Romney and Puka Nacua are questionable for this hugely important game
On D, the “Sons of Jason Buck” anchored by backers Ben Bywater, Payton Wilger, and Max Tooley are big, fast, and physical and have potential to be one of the nation’s best.
That said, we think that the Waco Kid’s Baylor Bears sends the faithful of the Latter-day Saints back into its palatial church for some prayerful contemplation regarding its Big 12 future.
Last week: 2-2
Season record: 2-2
That’s it from cyber-space. We’ll be up and running with week three Wednesday night, until then, Peace, and listen to the music.
