By Mike Luce
1. Mike McNeely.
Hero to Gators fans, walk-ons, producers for human-interest story pieces, and “bashiers” everywhere, Mike McNeeley of Florida had a good weekend. He sparked the Gators, 3-3 going into the weekend, to an upset win over rival Georgia in the World’s Largest Cocktail Party by taking a fake field goal off the right edge for a touchdown. To top it off, he worked his usual shift at the local supermarket on Sunday. What a story.
2. Oklahoma.
The Sooners rushed for 510 yards in a 59-14 laugher over Iowa State, with three players rushing for over 100 yards. We thought this sounded pretty impressive until we learned that OU became only the second offense to accomplish that feat – this year. Ho hum. Oklahoma will face #13 Baylor on Saturday for a chance to re-enter the race for the Big 12 title and playoff spot.
3. Indiana.
A graduate assistant at IU showed some love for the women of sports media on Saturday, with several ladies appearing on the team’s placards used to signal in playcalls. While entertaining, maybe the Hoosiers should take a page from Oregon (which pioneered the unbreakable visual codes under Chip Kelly) and stick to furry rodents.
4. The Big 12.
The eight-member Big 12 is sneaking up the rankings. Although #6 TCU and #9 Kansas State have been on the radar for a few weeks, #10 Baylor and #16 Oklahoma are starting to pick up steam.
5. The Big Ten West.
#15 Nebraska, #25 Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota will try to inject some drama, and possibly spark some interest in the conference’s morose fan base, down the stretch. As the weekend wrapped, each team has only one loss and all will face off starting with Iowa vs. Minnesota in Week 11.
In the East, #11 Ohio State and #7 Michigan State will vie for the Big Ten’s playoff spot which will, almost without a doubt in our opinion, get slotted in with the SEC, Pac-12, and Notre Dame or Oklahoma in January.
6. Vincent Testaverde.
Yes, Vinny Testaverde’s son plays quarterback. We did a triple-take at this headline. Vincent (Don’t Call Me Vinny) Testaverde took the field for Texas Tech after Tech’s starter went down. The freshman had a very Testaverde-esque outing, going 15 of 26 for 116 yards and an INT.
7. A $47,190 Helmet.
Someone picked up the headwear from Chris Davis, Auburn’s kick returner in last year’s amazing Iron Bowl, for a tidy sum on Sunday. (Not to be outdone, another bidder walked off with Babe Ruth’s 1934 contract for $278,300.) In case you’ve forgotten, the runback by the Tigers of Alabama’s game-winning field goal attempt was easily the best play of the 2013 season, maybe ever.
98. Michigan’s Next AD.
The University of Michigan is reportedly targeting Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips to replace Dave Brandon, who resigned (under duress, presumably) from his position. We’d advise Phillips to stay home. Not only is the UM job a thankless chore, university president Mark Schlissel has “yet to move forward and define a specific job description.” Doesn’t that sound worrisome? Shouldn’t the list of responsibilities start and end with “Direct the athletics department”? Maybe one other item: under “Other duties as assigned” should appear “Restore respectability to one of the nation’s most storied football programs.” Good luck, Jim!
99. Maryland Team Captains.
In one of the goofier pregame stunts, the Terp team captains refused to shake hands at the coin flip. Just like that, bombastic sports radio commentators everywhere had plenty of material. We should all take a breath and recognize that college football is played by college kids, and college-aged kids do silly stuff, on the field and off.
100. Laquon Treadwell.
Our best wishes for a healthy recovery go out to Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, who suffered a broken leg in the fourth quarter of the game while sprinting toward the end-zone for what might have been the game-winning touchdown. (Caution: the video is pretty nasty.)
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Mike Luce is our man on campus – every Friday and Monday. He welcomes your comments.
Posted on November 3, 2014