Don’t the hours grow shorter as the days go by?
We never get to stop and open our eyes
The words of Bruce Cockburn or Barenaked Ladies — depending on which Canadian music royalty you choose to cite — hit home around this time every season. With every passing season, though — this is my 13th season filling up your timeline with this nonsense — time seems to fly even faster. This season has seemed to last five minutes, and we’re already almost at its end.
The final CYS of each year is always bittersweet. It’s good for all of you, because you get to ignore my dumb jokes for another several months. It’s also somewhat bitter, because the sun is setting on another football season. Sure, there’s the playoff, but to listen to another two months of take factories trying to pretend Indiana doesn’t exist? UGH.
So, for the last time this season, let’s take a spin back through last week’s gridiron stuffs and look ahead to what I’m watching this week — and yes, I realize there are big games, but we’re going to get creative with our watching this week.
• Buffalo is now bowl-eligible, following a 51-48, overtime victory against Ball State. With all the coaching openings going on now, Pete Lembo is now a popular name at mid-major jobs. The buyout for Lembo is significant — as would be expected — but Lembo is an interesting name to follow. For those of you who are fans of any of those schools, though, would a coach who came in and started 6-4 after the team he inherited was 14-23 over three seasons — with a bowl berth — enough to get you excited to a) buy him out and b) have him coach your school? A point to ponder…
• In a similar situation, East Carolina is now bowl-eligible after having fired Mike Houston earlier this season. Blake Harrell has clearly brought an infusion of energy to this program and revived a fairly moribund team, especially on offense. The situation in Greenville highlights a rather interesting “dance” around whether a program that fires its coach and goes on a hot streak should give that person the full-time job or take its chances with the open market. Harrell has absolutely raised his profile with the Pirates’ performance since he put on the main headset. Part of the firing of Houston came on the heels of ECU losing to Charlotte — who has now fired its head coach in Biff Poggi. The Poggi experiment should be the clearest sign out there that hiring guys better suited for Pardon My Take than coaching college football is not the best move.
• Tulane and Army will square off for the AAC title after the Green Wave blanked Navy. Tulane is an interesting study, as they will likely battle Boise State for the non-Power entry into the CFP. Of course, Army are still in that discussion, but the Black Knights would need help to make that leap.
• Jacksonville State looks increasingly likely to host the CUSA title tilt. Liberty now has its destiny back in its control following Western Kentucky’s 12-7 defeat by Louisiana Tech as the Hilltoppers visit Lynchburg Saturday afternoon. The wildly inconsistent Flames could win by 30 or lose by 30, but are favored by a single point tomorrow. The Flames come in off a clunky, 35-34 win in overtime at UMass that cost Don Brown his job.
• Bryce Underwood is now Michigan’s QB of the future after a $10.5-million NIL offer. I’ve already seen the Michigan fanboys out with their traditional “cry harder” references and other insults that ignore the real issue. The real issue? What are we doing? If you’re a fan of a Power school and think this is a great move, fine — do you — but there was a proper line between unpaid labor and unchecked “agency”, and we’ve blown way past it.
• The FCS playoff field drops at 12:30 Sunday, and there appears to be very little drama surrounding it. Montana State won last week at UC Davis in a top-five battle to all but cement the Bobcats as the two-seed. The Big Sky have had a tendency to flame out in the playoffs in years past — and, as our friends at FCS Nation Radio say, North Dakota State is North Dakota State — but Montana State and Davis may cause some problems for the perennial postseason favorites.
And now, on to what I’ll be watching this weekend, while y’all watch SEC schools beat up on FCS opponents, except for the games they play that will likely get Brent Venables sacked:
• Sam Houston (8-2, 5-1 CUSA) at Jacksonville State (7-3, 6-0, -6), noon ET, CBSSN: Remember what I said earlier about how Jax State looked likely to host a conference title game and that Liberty controlled its own destiny? Well…If the Bearkats go into the Alabama piedmont and leave with a win, we have a mess on our hands. To be fair, a lot of that mess would go away — one way or the other — with Liberty visiting Huntsville next Friday, but for those who love a side of chaos with their good football, focus here. For that same reason, watch WKU-Liberty (-1) on ESPN+ at 1:00 (Eastern).
• Charlotte (3-7, 2-4 AAC, -2.5) at FAU (2-8, 0-6), 3:00pm, ESPN+: I’m watching this for the dumbest reason: both Biff Poggi and Tom Herman have been canned. I’m really curious to see how both sides respond. Charlotte has significantly better talent, but the 49ers have clearly not done much with said talent this season.
• #16 Colorado (8-2, 6-1 Big 12, -2.5) at Kansas (4-6, 3-4), 3:30pm, FOX: Remember when I said a couple weeks ago that Kansas had to win out to become bowl-eligible after a thrilling result? Well, here we are — and KU has a chance to do the funniest thing ever by winning a game it has no business winning to keep the streak alive. Do I think they will? No. Would I laugh until the next time I wrote a column if they did so? Yep.
• Butler (9-2, 5-2 Pioneer) at Presbyterian (5-6, 3-4): 1:00pm, ESPN+: Okay, so maybe this is the dumbest reason to watch a game this weekend, but it’s also notable. Presbyterian have not won six games in a season in 10 years, and the Blue Hose can do just that with a somewhat surprising result against the Bulldogs. The Blue Hose went 6-5 in 2014, beating Bluefield, Furman, Western Carolina, Charleston Southern, Monmouth, and Gardner-Webb.
And there you have it, another season in the books. Thank you all for the comments, the rolled eyes at my foolishness, and the support.
I’ll close out this season with a request.
This year has been a lot. People have felt stress over money, politics, and who knows what else. With all the sources trying to divide us, I ask you to use this Thanksgiving season to unite. We only get so many spins around the sun. The next may be the last. Fight for what you can’t get back when it’s gone.
Don’t agree with people? So what? Find that on which you do agree, even if it’s that Around the Horn finally ending is a great thing. (It is. Don’t @ me.) We’ve all been through enough this year. Happiness is a choice. Make it.
While we’re on that topic, I need to remind you that this season can be really sad for people for many reasons. Let those in your life know you care. Make sure they’re okay. Whether you feel called to volunteer, take a plate to an elderly neighbor, or whatever it may be, do that. It will boost your spirits.
Finally, you matter. If you are overwhelmed by the sadness of the season — be it the loss of a loved one or other circumstances — please get yourself the help you need. Reach out to a friend. Call 988. Do whatever you need to do. None of this petty nonsense like sports or politics matters. You do.
May you have safe travels, a warm hug from someone you hold dear, and great food.
Until next year, love y’all. Mean it.
@sportsmatters, Brian Wilmer,
I appreciate your researched, wide lens perspective on University football.
U do some cultural & social history on the Franchises U write about.
Then U present the matchups in a light which could cause fans to enjoy this extracurricular hobby of watching football & seeing the best Divion 1 NCAA Championship Teams cement a berth in the 24 team Playoff.