Its Week 11 Do You Know The Se...

It’s been a stressful week for me and for many of us, and I’m not talking about the election folks. Just a few short days ago I swore off watching football for the rest of the season. It didn’t matter if it was college football or the  professional game because I felt football had let me down. I was at my lowest point. My teams were loosing. My players were being stretchered off the field or disappearing into the blue medical tent (what goes on in there anyhow?). Receivers couldn’t  make catches, quarterbacks couldn’t make throws, kickers were missing field goals. I was screaming at my television and talking in my sleep. Needless to say my picks were ending up in the toilet. The few dollars I won on winning the Workd Series had dwindled to just a fraction of the original amount as college teams failed to cover spreads, were blown out by 20 points or more at home and generally failed to live up to national billing. It was not a fun time for me. 

Eventually however the cloud lifted. I managed to realize that it’s not over yet by a long run. The season is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. There’s several weeks of competition left to enjoy. After a day or two I realized that yes, there were still teams left in Florida that could win a championship and that yes, the SEC could still place three or four teams in the playoffs. My mood began to brighten. We still have so many great match ups to look forward to. Auburn vs. Alabama, Michigan vs. Ohio State, Colorado vs. The World. Yes folks it didn’t take long to realize that life is nothing without football. Saturdays (and any other day of the week) are made for football. I’m happy to say that after three or four hours I was reborn, reinvigorated and happy as can be!! Now if I could just win back that 20 dollars I lost last weekend!!

If you could see thru all the hoopla of the presidential election on Tuesday night you would have seen the first of the 12 team play off selections. It’s important to remember that these selections are fluid and could change which leads me to question why they select anything at all at this early period. Go Figure. Of course the major division 1 schools who are ranked highest  are all in and get first round byes. These teams include Miami, Oregon, BYU and Georgia. Frankly I have no idea why BYU is in there but there you have it. The eight remaining teams, who will all play the first four series of games are Boise State vs.Ohio State, Indiana vs. Tennessee, Alabama vs.Texas and Notre Dame vs.Penn State. I’ll admit I’m confused as anyone on these match up but I think the selection committee needed to throw something out there to keep everyone’s attention focused and the advertising money flowing. It can’t be easy during an election period especially when the fate of world history hangs in the balance right? More on this later but I would expect these selections to change from week to week. Hang on to your hat. 

The Heisman Trophy race is heating up although at this point I think it a bit early to make any kind of rock solid predictions. With many schools having four games left on their regular season schedule plus the playoffs series(if they make it) there is a lot of football left to play and ample opportunities to make or break a season. 

In my mind the “Most Valuable Player” is the player that beat fits an all around effort to be the one individual that makes the difference in either winning or losing a game. Many who win are gifted athletes, players that have dedicated their childhood and early adult lives to the game 24/7 and have been driven by personal commitment and ambition. With the introduction of NIL deals all that has changed. Personal monetary gain is now the priority. Players have little if any loyalty to the schools that recruited them when they were mere children. Transferring between institutions thousands of miles apart with varied schedules and fan bases used to be rare, now it seems the norm. For me, much of the luster of The Heisman Trophy had been tarnished by the transfer portal and NIL. It’s hard to get excited about it. For me it’s just not the same anymore. In the end someone will end up hoisting the trophy in New York City, they’ll get all teary eyed as they thank their coaches and parents and 3rd grade math teachers then they’ll get sucked into the NFL in the first round of the draft and end up being a flop. Sounds syndical I know but that’s the world we live. Gone are the days of Pete Dawkins, Doug Flutie and Tim Tebow. It’s all about following the money now. 

Speaking of following the money, my college game picks are still around 50 percent. Someone told me this week that “you come close a lot” but in my world close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades right? Look for my weekend picks this week as I’m going to go out on a limb and dive into some big games. Alabama vs. LSU will be a barn burner as well as Georgia vs Ol Miss and Michigan at Indiana. Let’s hope my average can improve along with my finances! Play on I say!!

Kev

Kev's Corner Our Staffs Weekly Sports perspective

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