Thoughts of the Day: October 25, 2021

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning:

GEORGIA OPENS AS 14.5-POINT FAVORITE OVER GATORS Unless you’ve been hanging out with Bill Walton lately (see One Final Pithy Thought), then you are well aware that it’s Florida vs. The World next Saturday in Jacksonville. Actually, it’s the Gators (4-3, 2-3 SEC) against No. 1 Georgia (7-0, 5-0 SEC), the team that Las Vegas has declared a 14.5-point favorite, which has everyone in the world questioning the sanity of the oddsmakers. They wonder why it isn’t 25 or 30 points. Just ask any Georgia fan.

Georgia, after all, already has won another Near National Championship which is why UGa is ranked No. 1 and not Alabama. You know what an NNC is. They happen periodically, like back in 2017 when Tua threw that laser to Devonta Smith for the TD in overtime that snatched the real national title Georgia fans have been waiting for since the last one when Herschel was living on Snickers bars and doing something like 30,000 pushups a day when not running over idiots who stood between him and the nearest goal line. That one was a killer, but it was oh so close so it is an NNC just like 2012 or 2007 or 2002. That one in 2002 was a real classic since Georgia only lost one game that year and that was to – brace yourself – Ron Zook and the Gators. Had Georgia won that one – 8-0 and ranked fifth at the time – it would have been smooth sailing until the national championship game against Miami. Oops.

Those NNCs are so painful, but when it’s been 14,907 days since the last national championship and since then SEC cousins Alabama have won seven, Florida three, LSU three, Tennessee one and Auburn one, you have to hang your hat on something, right? And being able to say you’ve come close so many times is better than being Arkansas, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Missouri, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Kentucky or Vanderbilt, which neither have a national title or an NNC to their names. Okay, the Aggies claim one last year, but it was COVID so it really doesn’t count all that much, not as close as 2007 when everybody rushed the field in Jacksonville in an orchestrated celebration that had Mark Richt’s nose looking like Pinocchio when he tried to say he was clueless that something like this happened. Yep, and the next year there was payback in a BIG way. Florida 49, Georgia 10. Remember those time outs in the last minute that Urban called to remind everybody?

Anyway, I’m not saying Georgia isn’t good. This is Kirby Smart’s best chance to erase 14,907 days (and counting) of suffering, but strange things happen in Jacksonville. Remember Anthone Lott calling time out in 1993? Or how Errict Rhett ran the ball 40 times in 1992 to keep Georgia out of the first SEC Championship Game?

So, maybe Georgia throttles the Gators. Maybe that Georgia defense does a tap dance on Dan Mullen’s game plan. Or maybe a hero emerges for the Gators. Maybe Bainbridge, Georgia’s Dameon Pierce elects to channel Kelvin Taylor (see Florida 38, Georgia 20 in 2014) or Stockbridge, Georgia’s Brenton Cox Jr. channels Brandon Spikes decleating No Show Moreno back in 2008.

You can say no way, won’t happen, but stranger things have been known to occur when the Gators face Georgia in Jacksonville.

Just saying.

The Coaches Top 25 Poll: 1. Georgia 7-0; 2. Cincinnati 7-0; 3. Alabama 7-1; 4. Oklahoma 8-0; 5. Ohio State 7-1; 6. Michigan 7-0; 7. Michigan State 7-0; 8. Oregon 6-1; 9. Ole Miss 6-1; 10. Iowa 6-1; 11. Notre Dame 6-1; 12. Kentucky 6-1; 13. Wake Forest 7-0; 14. Texas A&M 6-2; 15. Oklahoma State 6-1; 16. SMU 7-0; 17. Penn State 5-2; 18. Baylor 6-1; 19. Pittsburgh 6-1; 19. San Diego State 7-0; 21. Auburn 5-2; 22. Texas-San Antonio 8-0; 23. Iowa State 5-2; 24. Coastal Carolina 6-1; 25. North Carolina State 5-2

The Associated Press Top 25 Poll: 1. Georgia 7-0; 2. Cincinnati 7-0; 3. Alabama 7-1; 4. Oklahoma 8-0; 5. Ohio State 7-1; 6. Michigan 7-0; 7. Oregon 6-1; 8. Michigan State 7-0; 9. Iowa 6-1; 10. Ole Miss 6-1; 11. Notre Dame 6-1; 12. Kentucky 6-1; 13. Wake Forest 7-0; 14. Texas A&M 6-2; 15. Oklahoma State 6-1; 16. Baylor 6-1; 17. Pittsburgh 6-1; 18. Auburn 5-2; 19. SMU 7-0; 20. Penn State 5-2; 21. San Diego State 7-0; 22. Iowa State 5-2; 23. Texas-San Antonio 8-0; 24. Coastal Carolina 6-1; 25. BYU 6-2

UF BASEBALL/SOFTBALL STUFF Freshman shortstop Deric Fabian made his presence known as the Gators split a pair of 7-inning exhibition games with Georgia Southern over the weekend. Fabian homered in both games as Kevin O’Sullivan used 12 pitchers in a 3-1 loss and a 7-6 UF win. Older brother Jud Fabian went 3-7 for the doubleheader with Wyatt Langford going 4-5 with a home run. Hunter Barco pitched two hitless innings, striking out four of the six batters he faced.

Florida’s softball team won a couple of 5-inning games against Florida Southwestern (14-0 and 7-3), which was the national juco champion last year. Baylee Goddard had three home runs while Charla Echols and Kendra Falby each had four hits. In Florida’s exhibition games this fall, Falby is 6-6 in stolen bases. Rylee Trlicek has been Florida’s most dominant pitcher in the fall. She went 3-1/3 innings against FSW, giving up one hit while striking out six.

THE SEC AFTER WEEK EIGHT

Alabama (7-1, 4-1 SEC): Bryce Young threw for 372 yards and two touchdowns and Brian Robinson ran for 107 and three TDs in Alabama’s 52-24 win over Tennessee. Next week: Open date

Arkansas (5-3, 1-3 SEC): Wide receiver Treylon Burks ran for 56 yards and a TD and caught four passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns in the Razorbacks’ easy win over D1AA Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Arkansas needs to win one of its next four games to become bowl eligible. Next week: Open date

Auburn (5-2, 2-1 SEC): Next week: vs. Ole Miss 6-1, 3-1 SEC)

Georgia (7-0, 5-0 SEC): Paul Finebaum thinks DT Jordan Davis should be in the Heisman Trophy discussion. On “Get Up” Friday morning Finebaum said, “He’s the head of the best defensive line I’ve ever seen at the University of Georgia. Will he win it? Probably not. He’s the best player. He represents that defensive line and I think he deserves a lot of consideration.” Next week: vs. Florida (4-3, 2-3 SEC) in Jacksonville

Kentucky (6-1, 4-1 SEC): Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated thinks UK head coach Mark Stoops should be a leading candidate if Miami axes Manny Diaz. Stoops was the secondary coach at The Ewe from 2001-03 when the defensive backfield included Sean Taylor and Ed Reed. Next week: at Mississippi State (4-3, 2-2 SEC)

LSU (4-4, 2-3 SEC): A week after torching Florida for 321 rushing yards, LSU managed only 77 against Ole Miss. Next week: Open date

Mississippi State (4-3, 2-2 SEC): Will Rogers bounced back from last week’s Alabama debacle by throwing for 384 yards and four touchdowns to lead MSU past Vanderbilt. Next week: vs. Kentucky (6-1, 4-1 SEC)

Missouri (3-4, 0-3 SEC): Offensive lineman Case Cook, defensive back Mason Pack and defensive lineman Chris Turner have suffered season-ending injuries. Next week: at Vanderbilt (2-6, 0-4 SEC)

Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1 SEC): Matt Corral didn’t have to carry Ole Miss with his arm (18-23 for 185 yards and a TD) because the Rebels ran for 266 yards, led by Snoop Conner who ran for 117 and Jerion Ealy who had 97. The Ole Miss defense had five sacks, one interception and two fumble recoveries. Next week: at Auburn (5-2, 2-1 SEC)

South Carolina (4-4, 1-4 SEC): The Gamecocks managed only 185 yards in losing 44-14 to Texas A&M, which led HBC Shane Beamer to say postgame, “We’ve certainly got some issues we’ve got to figure out.” No. Really? Next week: Open date

Tennessee (4-4, 2-3 SEC): The wheels came off for Tennessee after the Vols closed to within 31-24 in the fourth quarter against Alabama. Alabama scored the final 28 points to make it a blowout 52-24 win. Next week: Open date

Texas A&M (6-2, 3-2 SEC): For the second straight week, the Aggies had two backs gain more than 100 yards on the ground. Devon Arcane fan for 154 yards and a TD while Isaiah Spiller ran for 102 yards and TD in the Aggies’ 44-14 win over South Carolina. Next week: Open date

Vanderbilt (2-6, 0-4 SEC): Vandy managed only 155 yards, nine on the ground, in the loss to Mississippi State. Next week: vs. Missouri (3-4, 0-3 SEC)

FOOTBALL IN THE MINOR LEAGUES ACC: Wake Forest (7-0) beat Army (4-3) 70-56 as Sam Hartman threw for 458 yards and five touchdowns while running for another TD … Miami (3-4) did Wake Forest a favor in the Atlantic Division by knocking off North Carolina State (5-2) … Pittsburgh (6-1) got 302 yards and two touchdown passes from Kenny Pickett in a solid, 27-17, win over Clemson (4-3). Clemson has lost three regular season games for the first time since 2011 … Florida State (3-4) has won three in a row thanks to a 59-3 blasting of UMass, which is the second worst team in Division I.

Big Ten: Redshirt freshman QB CJ Stroud threw for 266 yards and four TDs in Ohio State’s 54-7 win over Indiana (2-5). It was the fourth game this season with at least four touchdown passes for Stroud, who has 22 TDPs (three picks) in six games … Michigan (7-0) warmed up for its showdown with Michigan State (7-0) with an easy 33-7 win over Northwestern (3-4) … Stick a fork in Penn State’s College Football Playoff chances after a 20-18 9-overtime loss to Illinois (3-5). Nine overtimes, the last six two-point conversions? I miss touchdowns and field goals. That’s a rule that needs to be changed back to the old one.

Big 12: Oklahoma (8-0) had an unexpected tough time with lowly Kansas (1-6) but remained unbeaten and in first place in the Big 12 ... Oklahoma State (6-1) lost its first game of the year to Iowa State (5-2).

Pac-12: Oregon (6-1) kept its playoff hopes alive with a 34-31 win over UCLA (5-3) as Boston College transfer Anthony Brown threw for 296 yards and ran for 79 ... Arizona State (5-2) is back in control of the South after Utah (4-3) lost to Oregon State (4-3), 42-34.

Independents: Notre Dame (6-1) has the best record among the independents after its 31-16 win over Southern Cal (3-4) … BYU (6-2) is 4-0 against the Pac-12 after taking down Washington State, 21-19.

Group of Five: Cincinnati (7-0) struggled but remained unbeaten with a 27-20 win over Navy (1-6). Navy ran 81 plays from scrimmage to Cincinnati’s 51 … SMU (7-0) blew out Tulane 55-26 behind three TDPs from Tanner Mordecai, who has thrown for 29 touchdowns this season … Coastal Carolina (6-1) suffered its first loss of the season to Appalachian State (5-2) … San Diego State (7-0) was outgained 259-229 by Air Force but squeaked out a 20-14 win over the Falcons (6-2) to remain the only unbeaten team in the Mountain West Conference … South Florida (2-5) got its first win over a Division I team since 2019 by taking down Temple (3-4) … UNLV (0-7) gave us a scare by making San Jose State (4-4) rally for 14 fourth quarter points to keep the Running Rebels perfect. Marcus Arroyo is now 0-13 as a head coach.

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: If I want football information, I watch Fox Sports’ “Big Noon Kickoff” with Matt Leinhart, Brady Quinn, Reggie Bush and Bob Stoops, but Saturday I had to watch “Game Day” on ESPN to catch Bill Walton as the celebrity guest picker. Outrageously funny! When Kirk Herbstreit picked Army to beat Wake Forest, Walton quipped, “Oh please! Give him a Coors Light!” And, when it came time to pick Oklahoma State at Iowa State, Walton admitted, “I’m a Space Cowboy.” Really, Bill? Who would have guessed?