Week 3 - Ten things I think I think

This is coming out on a Wednesday night (sorry) so let's give you a mini look at what's coming up this weekend

Writing is hard. I feel like writers already know this, but us novices learn it the hard way.

Life happened this weekend and my Sunday (and Monday, and Tuesday) just got occupied. So you get a much later release than I would have wanted … but let’s use this to our advantage and take a peek at what’s coming up. Casey Jones edition - trouble ahead, trouble behind - of Ten Things.

10 - Here come the Cougs

Winning the Apple Cup against your hated in-state rival is sweet enough, but given the context of what UW has put WSU through since declaring for the Big Ten and sinking the Pac-12 battleship, well, this one tastes pretty damn sweet for the Cougs.

Jake Dickert rolled into the postgame press conference with a cigar and a Diet Coke. Good for him. Great for this program who - in the spirit of the G5 soul-snatching that’s been going around (more on that later) - has to be thinking, ‘why not us’ if WSU is able to get on a heater and run the table.

By the way, if you haven’t seen John Mateer play, this guy can scoot. Not the biggest guy - listed at 6’1” which might be generous - but he’s gritty and makes things happen at the quarterback spot. If WSU can avoid a letdown against San Jose St on Friday night (fishy line in that game, Cougs just -11), this sets up a 4-0 team at Boise State next Saturday. That’s a big one.

Photo courtesy of Greg Woods with the Spokesman-Revie..

9 - UCLA will finish 18th in the B1G

Someone has to do it. The new-look Big Ten has eighteen (!) teams. Someone is going to finish dead-ass last and through the first three weeks of the season it looks like these Bruins are the leading candidate.

Yes, Purdue did just lose a game 66-7 at home. But that was a get-right game for Notre Dame. UCLA just got pantsed by Indiana 42-13. The difference between these two schools is that at least people in West Lafayette care. No one in Los Angeles could care less about this fire tire of a season that’s starting to cook in Westwood. Bruins are a three-TD underdog at LSU this weekend. Then Oregon comes to town. Then they have to go to Penn State. You get the idea. This thing is about to get worse in a hurry.

Tough scene for my good friend Wayne Cook who I do the Wednesday CSN podcast with (you can check those out here if you’re so inclined). Wayne used to play QB for the once-mighty Bruins in the early 90s, and he definitely cares, probably too much. What if Chip Kelly knew back in the winter that this team was going to stink and that’s why he bolted to call plays in Columbus? Dirty game, but checks out.

Speaking of teams that stink …

8 - Florida State is 0-3

Not the first time Mike Norvell has had an FSU team sitting at 0-3. The 2021 team started 0-4 before they limped to a 5-7 season, and it gave us this image of Seminole alum Brooks Koepka:

Cal comes to town Saturday, and the ‘Noles are less than a field goal favorite. Playing in front of the FSU faithful is literally the worst thing that could happen to these guys, because it’s going to be raining boos at Doak Campbell unless/until something good happens.

Bonus hot take: I’ve got Brooks as the next golfer to win the career grand slam. He still needs two legs (Masters & British), and other guys like Spieth (PGA) and McIlroy (Masters) just need one, but BK is my guy. Big game hunter.

7 - Did Texas A&M find a quarterback?

I know what you’re going to say, it was against Florida and it shouldn’t count. But man did Marcel Reed look good last weekend.

Threw for 178 yards of 11/17 passing. Two tuddys through the air. Ran for another score and had 13 totes for 83 yards. Surrounded by a ton of SEC athletes, he looked like the fastest guy on a wet track at the Swamp last Saturday. Connor Weigman’s shoulder is supposedly ok, and sounds like the Bowling Green starter is going to be a game-time decision.

Look, I’m obviously not at A&M practices and Mike Elko knows a lot more about football than we do. But Reed looked dynamic against a bad team last weekend, and Weigman has always just looked aiight to me. Take a peek at the Aggies remaining schedule away from Kyle Field: conference road games at Miss State (very winnable), at South Carolina (gettable), and at Auburn (gettable). By SEC standards, that’s pretty manageable. If Reed is, in fact, the guy, we might have to watch out for these guys.

6 - I’m seeding my side yard

Listen, this can’t be all be football all the time. I laid down some shade fescue mix in the side yard, where I’ve had a ton of success with winter rye. Problem is that’s only a seasonal fix. Once it warms up in late spring, all the rye curls up and dies, and I’m left with dirt for the rest of the summer and fall.

So I’m trying something new. Getting the shade fescue into the ground before the leaves start falling so it’ll take root and grow underground during the winter. My family and I spend a lot of time out here, especially once it cools down and we get the firepit going.

We’ll check this space in a month from now and see how it’s looking. I do love growing me some grass, not gonna lie. For now, here’s the before pic:

And if you are unaware, we have a podcast called ‘Hand in the Dirt’ where Surber, Felder, and I talk about this stuff a lot. It’s a gardening podcast about football, but really it’s a lifestyle podcast. You can check it out here if you’re interested. We also have coozies for sale.

5 - Group of Five is Alive

You knew it had to be at number five on the list. Yes, full disclosure, I went to a G5 school. But right now what’s happening with these ‘little guys’ creeping up on big boy schools is just awesome for the sport. Somebody is going to get a spot in the playoff as the 12 seed. A real, actual seat at the table. And these teams from the AAC, MAC, Sun Belt, CUSA, and MWC are out here body snatching P4 schools.

Last week it was Memphis over FSU, UNLV over Kansas, and Toledo over Mississippi State. The week before it was Northern Illinois over Notre Dame. No one is safe. The drama that this is going to bring coming down the stretch of the regular season will be epic. Conference Championship weekend when the MAC and Sun Belt title games are after-thoughts? Not anymore.

Choose your fighter. Pick a squad - even if you have no real tie to these schools - and just let it ride. For all the gas-bagging that’s going on about how many SEC and Big Ten teams are going to dominate the CFP at-large berths, tell me you don’t want to be rooting for USF or App State to stay perfect in conference play and keep the dream alive to play on the road at, say, Utah in a first-round game in December. Inject this into my veins.

Two G5 at P4 games to watch this weekend: JMU at North Carolina (-10) and Virginia (-3.5) at Coastal Carolina. Sun Belt gonna get somebody on Saturday.

4 - Ole Miss needs to chill with the fake injuries bit

I took my family to a football game last weekend - Wake Forest hosting Ole Miss. The Deacs got blown out 40-6, and the Rebs are a very good football team. They are so good, in fact, that they don’t need to do the fake injury thing against a team they’re favored to beat by three touchdowns.

The rule is the rule, and I get that Lane Kiffin and his staff want to take advantage of anything that’s going to give them a competitive advantage on the field. So what if you’re getting booed on the road? You get to hit pause on an offense that’s starting to get a little momentum and make some defensive substitutions. So, if you want to sell me on the notion that’s good coaching by the Ole Miss staff, I understand the argument. I just think it’s a cowardly way to play football.

So we need to change the rule. If a player comes out for an injury because he’s cramping (even though it’s 65 degrees in the 1st quarter and we all know you’re not actually cramping), make them sit out for the rest of drive. Or the entire quarter.

Am I wrong? Or am I old man yells at cloud? Maybe both. Seeing it first-hand from a team in Ole Miss that didn’t need to do it against the lowly Deacs just made me back away. Let’s be better.

3 - Good night sweet prince

Another week, another Lebowski reference. This one is for Billy Napier:

There was a path if you had beaten Texas A&M. An unlikely path, but a path nonetheless. Instead, you were trailing 33-7 in the 3rd quarter as the rain (and the boos) poured down in Gainesville. Goodnight sweet prince.

2 - Nobody is talking about Missouri

For as much as people are gawking at the SEC having 6 of the top 7 teams in this week’s AP Poll (which is truly crazy if you step back), the team that gets the least amount of love from that contingent is the Missouri Tigers.

We all know why. It’s Missouri. By SEC standards, they’re a small market program. But sleep on these guys at your own peril, because I don’t think they’re going anywhere. Have you seen their schedule? There’s a reason their over/under win total this summer was 9.5 … because other than a road trip to Tuscaloosa, this thing is very gettable. You can sell me on at A&M being tough, but Mizzou will be favored in the other 7 games. The floor for these guys feels like 10-2, and in the SEC, that’s good enough.

Watch these guys, and there’s a lot to like. Maybe the best WR group in the country (yes, really). Everyone knows about Luther Burden but Theo Wease, Mookie Cooper, and the TE Brett Norfleet (6’7”) are all a problem. Their running back Nate Noel - who transferred from App State - finally got going with his first 100-yd game of the season last week. I get that you don’t want to see Missouri in the CFP, but you need to get used to it.

1 - Trey and The Boss

Unquestionably the best thing I saw all weekend. Bruce Springsteen & Trey Anastasio on stage - together - in Asbury Park NJ.

Look, I don’t want to lecture on this. The Boss is 74 years old. He’s earned the right to do - frankly - whatever the hell he wants at this point in life. But he joined Trey’s band (not that band, the Trey Anastasio Band) for ‘Kitty’s Back’ during the Sea.Hear.Now festival. Seeing this - and watching Trey’s expression as he got to jam with his childhood idol - gave me chills.

I’ve seen both of these guys live multiple times. First time I saw Springsteen was in Atlanta in 1999. He played for over 3 hours straight with no set break. I was in awe. I’ve seen Phish play close to 40 times (I know, I know) and I think they’re the best band in the world. So yeah, pretty fucking awesome stuff from these two heavyweights.

Also got me thinking about music collabs we haven’t seen but need. Put me down for a Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) and Andre 3000 (Outkast) album. Let’s just wait until 3 Stacks is done with his flute phase and then give us that fire fire.

Thanks for reading. Will try not to make you wait too long for the next one.