Tag: new normal

College Football Cavalcade: Arkansas Auburn Debacle, The Team That Could Explode

What I think, know and believe, the Arkansas-Auburn debacle, and the team that might explode, in the College Football Cavalcade.

What I think, know and believe about the college football world, the Arkansas-Auburn debacle, and the one team that might be on the verge of exploding, all in the latest College Football Cavalcade.

Sorry if this column sucks, it’s not my fault …

The officials blew the column dead instead of awarding it to Arkansas like they should have. Unlike Auburn, though, after catching the monster break it shanked the chance for the win.

[jwplayer E4rbYaCn]

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– Check out all the past Cavalcades

– The Team That Could Explode
– I Think, I Know, I Believe
– 5 Footballey Opinions
– Sure-Thing Picks of the Century

Because if Arkansas wins another big game, the world as you know it will cease to exist

To whiteboard this, Auburn was down 28-27 in the final seconds against Arkansas and in field goal range. With the clock winding down, Tiger QB Bo Nix fumbled the snap, picked it up, turned, and spiked the ball behind him to stop the clock.

Arkansas recovered what technically was a live ball after Nix fired it into the ground, and that should’ve been it. Hog win, 2-1, Gus Malzahn on a mega hot seat, and …

After a review, it was ruled intentional grounding on an incomplete pass, Auburn ball, field goal, ball game, let’s go take a steam.

And then this got even worse. Instead of simply saying the officials gagged, a blown whistle became the official party line.

Let’s just say Arkansas fans didn’t exactly take any part of this well as they vented on Twitter – and they were in the right.

However, I now get the joy of doing this after hearing it over and over and over and over again, particularly over the last six months.

To the grouchy fans on social media after that all happened …

STICK TO SPORTS.

Yes, there’s a segment of our society that now feels emboldened because, you know, everything, and when it comes to the silly-season rhetoric and buzzwords, no. Hard no.

There’s no “conspiracy” against Arkansas, and no, this wasn’t “rigged” – just like the world didn’t have it out for the program when the revised schedule came out.

Arkansas didn’t get deliberately “cheated” out of the win. It simply got totally hosed by a missed call.

And everybody knows it.

But they haven’t figured out my trick that if you pretend to be totally inept at a household chore, no one will want you to do it

When I first started doing radio appearances on sports shows over 20 years ago, a friend in the business gave me a great piece of advice that I continue to use.

Answer the question you wish you were asked.

It’s a debate tactic that also comes in handy when you’re on a show in Las Vegas and asked about the UNLV backup left guard situation.

I also use this in every day life, especially around the house, like …

Kid: “Dad, did you leave the toilet seat up?”

Me: “Of course I’ll get more Jell-O. Put it on the list.”

My trick was exposed and outed by the family six minutes into the vice presidential debate last week, but I’m not stopping now. To quote Freddie Bauer, when something works for me, I stick with it – and that especially goes for college football.

I will now pivot away from statements I may or may not have uttered or written over the course of the 2020 offseason. So go ahead and call me out, starting with “You said …”

LSU is simply going to reload like Ohio State, Alabama and Clemson do, and be a factor in the national championship chase again.

My pivot response: I’m a fan of Barry Odom’s – he caught a bad break – Eliah Drinkwitz was a great hire by Missouri. It’s going to be a rough year record-wise, but the program is going to be a thorn in everyone’s side.

“You said …” Mississippi State was about to be a thing and KJ Costello was front-and-center in the Heisman chase after the win over LSU.

My pivot response: Why yes, this is going to be a fun and crazy year in the SEC West – outside of whatever Alabama does – and Ole Miss is coming out red hot under Lane Kiffin. The six other non-Tide teams all look like they could beat each other up on any given day.

“You said …”Florida State had the talent in the starting 22 to be a sleeper in the ACC title chase.

My pivot response: I’ve been saying all off-season that NC State could be this year’s Louisville – a program that’s about to revert back to the norm. The Pack might not win the ACC title, but Dave Doeren has created a steady-good program that had one down year.

“You said …”Coastal Carolina was 72 out of 76 teams in the modified preseason rankings.

My pivot response: There aren’t enough bowl spots potentially available for Sun Belt teams. The conference went 3-0 against the Big 12, but the Big 12 is going to load up the bowls with its teams in a year when records don’t necessarily matter for the post-season exhibitions. The Sun Belt might not have the best records as the teams beat each other up, but there will be at least seven teams that deserve the spotlight.

“You said …”The Big Ten had almost no chance of coming back to play in the fall. 

My pivot response: Is it playing yet? No … I’m talking here … it’s Fiumala’s turn … is it playing yet? Has it been able to get through a season? No? You can’t answer the question … why can’t you answer the question? Is … the … Big Ten … playing yet? Okay then …

(Actual pivot response … Get here already, October 24th. I so need Big Ten football already.)

“You said … “Before the season, Texas was a top ten team and should be deep in the mix for the College Football Playoff.

My pivot response: You know, we’re sitting here focusing on a Texas team that can’t tackle, continues to underachieve, and is lucky to not be 0-3 in the Big 12 when we could be focusing on issues that matter to American families at their kitchen table, like this ….

– The Team That Could Explode
– I Think, I Know, I Believe
– 5 Footballey Opinions
– Sure-Thing Picks of the Century

NEXT: The team that might not be on the verge of blowing up

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

College Football Cavalcade: The New Normal Bowls, Playoff, Fans, Schedules

What I think, know and believe about college football, and the new normal we’ll have to live with, in the latest College Football Cavalcade.

What I think, know and believe about the college football world, and the new normal we’ll all have to live with, all in the latest College Football Cavalcade.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– Check out all the past Cavalcades

Sorry if this column sucks, it’s not my fault …

Just like getting into an LSU home game, there are no CDC wellness checks – the column wants you to get through it faster and easier. However, there still aren’t any alcohol sales.

[jwplayer ofnu5DDC]

– College Football New Normal, Part 2
– College Football New Normal, Part 3
– I Think, I Know, I Believe
– 5 Footballey Opinions
– Sure-Thing Picks of the Century

If the “new normal” includes lighter traffic and few people in my way … okay

I’m well aware that “the new normal” is right up there with “it is what it is” and “that’s 2020” and “it’s not you it’s me” as nails-on-a-chalkboard phrases that have to be eradicated from our planet, but it applies.

There is a new normal to college football.

Things had to be worked on and tweaked to get this season up and working, and by necessity, we’re now seeing what’s possible to make things better in a sport whose norms and traditions are equal parts charm and restraint.

So as this weirdest of seasons rolls on, what about the new college football normal should stay, what needs to snap back once we return to the old normal, and what else has to be worked on?

From the playoff, to fans in the stands, to bowls, to a whole slew of other aspects of the college football world, here’s how things have changed this year, starting with the No. 1 most fundamental thing that 2020 has taught us …

College Football Will Always Be Fine

College football people despise change.

They’re not as bad as baseball blowhards, but anything that interferes with what fans are used to – uniforms, fight songs, traditions – gets met with the biggest brick wall of resistance.

However, as we’ve learned in 2020, college football finds a way no matter what.

This virus is ripping through college campuses with outbreaks that aren’t close to being contained – and college football is still played.

Racial unrest, a bitterly divided nation, an economic meltdown, death and destruction, some schools not playing, some players not playing, players rising up with demands, Vin Diesel’s heartthrob dance track – once the ball gets kicked off, it’s college football again and everything is fine.

It’s actually not fine in a whole lot of ways, but the games steamroll on no matter what.

So the next time you hear some old Farty McFarterson whine about how any sort of change or advancement or hair cut or jersey number 0 will be the end of college football as we know it …

College football will still be played. It might be different, but it’ll be fine.

College Football Playoff

There are two sides to this.

On one, just get through the season.

Just getting everyone on the field and hoping the campaign reaches the finish line is hard enough, much less dealing with the post-season logistics.

So for now, don’t get crazy. The College Football Playoff goes on like any other year, and out of whoever is out there and whatever happens, the committee will come up with the four best teams

On the other side, this is the year to blow it out, but not up.

How are we really supposed to judge the difference between the SEC, Big Ten, and Pac-12 teams when they’re only playing conference games? You don’t think it matters?

Sun Belt 3, Big 12 0 in head-to-head matchups.

It’s not happening, but this is the year – of all years – to make the tweak.

Expand it to 8, all Power Five conference champs get an automatic invite, so does the top-ranked Group of Five champ, and then the committee gets to choose two wild-cards.

First round on the home field of the higher seeds, then the CFP goes off as normal. It’s not that hard, and to go off the first blurb, it’ll all be fine.

But the old normal is sticking around … for now.

Longer Season

Not more games, but an actual longer time to get those games in.

The danger here would the greedy athletic director business types who’d see an opportunity to make more money to add more games, but the more stretched out the season, the more time players have to rest and recover.

Coaches love the compact schedules, especially in the Big Ten and Pac-12.

Routine, routine, routine, routine, routine – get into a groove, and keep everyone focused.

However, starting in late August and going through mid-December with more off weeks and more spread out games is a plus. Make it a 16-week regular season to get in 12 games. The teams would be healthier, and TV would love, it.

– College Football New Normal, Part 2
– College Football New Normal, Part 3
– I Think, I Know, I Believe
– 5 Footballey Opinions
– Sure-Thing Picks of the Century

NEXT: New Normal, Part 2. Conference Only Seasons, Bowl Games, Fans

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6