By Mike Luce
We’re jealous of Condoleezza Rice’s weekend schedule. Rice told ESPN that she watches 14 or 15 games every week, including live games on Saturday and recordings on Sunday.
She must start early. As the point person on the College Football Playoff committee for the Big Ten and Conference USA, she’s watching games that kick off at noon eastern though she lives on the West Coast.
We hope she’s perfected her kegs ‘n’ eggs recipe.
Less Cowbell
If Mississippi State fans keep up with the incessant ringing during home games, the Cowbell Compromise may be at risk.
Not familiar with the Cowbell Compromise? Learn more at respectthebell.com.
We know Midwesterners may struggle to understand; the closest Big Ten fans get to the brazen inanity of cowbells is . . . jangling car keys.
Bo Can Crack The Champagne
Bo Jackson’s record in the SEC for best yards-per-carry is safe.
Jackson averaged 6.6 yards per run, best ever in the conference among backs with at least 400 attempts. Georgia running back Todd Gurley’s career mark stood at 6.2 as of Saturday – and that’s where it looks like it will stay.
Georgia has suspended Gurley this week while it investigates possible rules violations linked to accepting cash or other benefits for autographs, memorabilia or “the use of his likeness.”
So it looks likely we won’t see Gurley play again until next year – in the NFL.
And The Winner Of The 2014 Carl Mikovich Duck Commander Independence Bowl Sportsperson Of The Year Is . . .
Sam Burns.
“(Bowl) executive director Missy Setters called me and explained the award. She then said, ‘It’s yours if you accept it.’
“I said, ‘Heck yeah, I accept it.”
Heck yeah, Sam. Heck yeah.
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Picks To Click
#11 Oklahoma (-14.5) vs. Texas, 11 a.m.
We were about to write up our comment by referring to this legendary match-up of rivals by the “Red River Rivalry” slogan. Apparently, the game has been rebranded (again) as The AT&T Red River Showdown. The Nerfing of American continues. We vastly prefer the original: The Red River Shootout.
We talk about this game every year, but this time around we discovered a new nugget: The winning team not only takes home the Governor’s Trophy (which is a blue ribbon steer or something), and the Red River Shootout/Rivalry/Showdown Trophy (some block of wood in circulation since 2003), but also the prized Golden Hat. The Golden Hat!
Our pick: Despite getting burned by the Sooners last week, we’ll back them again.
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#13 Georgia (-3) vs. #23 Missouri, 11:30 a.m.
Our pick: The Gurley-less Bulldogs will still have enough to beat Mizzou.
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#2 Auburn (-3) vs. #3 Mississippi State, 2:30 p.m.
The level of “fratricide,” in Condi’s words, in the SEC this year is off the charts. Four teams from the SEC West rank in the top three!
How many other conferences, much less a conference division, can claim – have ever claimed – that? Okay, maybe we’re being unfair given that Ole Miss and MSU tied for third place overall, but still.
Also: Not saying told-ya-so, but we picked the Bulldogs (listed among “Others Receiving Votes” in the preseason Top 25) as a “team we like.” Then again, we were skeptical of Auburn. Let’s call it a wash.
Our pick:The Tigers. War Eagle.
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#5 Baylor (-8) vs. #9 TCU, 2:30 p.m.
Bettors in Vegas really like Baylor and TCU. We’re confused. We’ll sit this one out.
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#3 Ole Miss vs. #14 Texas A&M (-2), 8 p.m.
Hard to pick against the #3 team in the country, yet something says A&M is somewhat better than #14 and Ole Miss not quite as good as #3. We’ll stay away from this one too.
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Chicken Pick’n
Tennessee Chattanooga vs. Tennessee (-26), 3 p.m.
Colorado State (-2.5) vs. Nevada, 9:30 p.m.
Wyoming (+5) vs. Hawaii, 10:59 pm.
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Mike Luce is our man on campus – every Friday and Monday. He welcomes your comments.
Posted on October 10, 2014