MMQB: College Gridiron Recap (& One Baseball Thing)

footballoldI shall get to college pigskin in a moment. First, this diversion.

THE most valuable player on this college football Saturday past was neither a college student, nor a football player, nor an athlete who even took the field in his sport of endeavor.

Hernan Perez, come on down.

Perez plays baseball. He’s a September call up for the Detroit Tigers, who watched MLB’s most significant weekend series — Tigers @ KC — from the dugout. On Saturday however, he changed the course of the game, the series and, possibly, the season.

The game was tied in the 6th, when Royal Salvador Perez scored from third on a line out, when second sacker Ian Kinsler’s throw to the bag went awry.

Except that KC’s Perez — the one playing in the game, perhaps related to Detroit’s Perez, but who knows? — never tagged up. The infielder in the dugout, Hernan Perez, noticed the base running error, and alerted the Tiger coaches. Detroit manager Brad Ausmus asked the umps to review. They did. The run was disallowed.

The game stayed tied. Detroit broke through for the key W. With a week to play, Detroit holds a thin 1 1/2 game lead over KC for the division crown.

Now, back to football.

* * * * *

Come on, Brady Hoke, sing it with me. If only just for old times sake.

Hail! to the victors valiant/ Hail! to the conqu’ring heroes/ Hail! Hail! to Michigan/ The leaders and best!

The list of this weekend’s winners from the battered, bewildered and heretofore beleaguered Big Ten: Indiana — over a SEC school no less — Purdue, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers, and Wisconsin.

I trust you have already noted that conference flagship schools — that would be Ohio State and Michigan — aren’t on the list. The Buckeyes, needing a rest after their 66 zed thrashing of Kent State the week before, took the day off.

So, too, the Wolverines. Except Hoke’s charges had a game in the Big House. Which they lost. To Utah. Making Michigan somewhat less than “The leaders and the best,” as the only league school to taste defeat this weekend.

The L has vaulted Brady Hoke1 to the very top of my Dead Man Walking list.

* * * * *

Of national basketball powers, it is oft said as the calendar turns to autumn, and the school’s football fortunes flag, that “it’s time for hoops.”2

In a little town called Chapel Hill, it’s chorus.

East Carolina 70, North Carolina 41. The Pirates registered 789 yards of O.3

Roy Williams, come on down.

* * * * *

This week’s Dewey Beats Truman Award goes to the Cal Berkeley Athletic Department Shop.

It sent out an email to its constituency, heralding a W over Arizona, imploring the faithful to celebrate the victory by purchasing new school gear. Unfortunately, the Bears coughed up 36 4th Q points to the Wildcats, losing on a 47 yard Hail Mary as time expired.

* * * * *

The Wide Left, Wide Right Award goes to Kansas State kicker, Jake Cantele.

He missed three FGs in the Wildcats loss at home to a beatable Auburn Tiger squad.

That said, he’s a stand up guy.

After the game, here’s what he tweeted,

“At the end of the day if it had to happen to someone, I’m glad it was me and not any of my teammates. I can handle it & we will get better✌️

Very cool, dude.

* * * * *

A most interesting story appeared at espn.com about Hal Mumme, and his importance in the evolution of college football offenses.

You can read it here.

As for Claude Bassett, well, uh, his contributions haven’t received much adulation.

* * * * *

Clemson might have pulled s patented clemson® against Florida State, but . . .

. . . frosh QB Deshaun Watson is the deal, and shall lead the Dabo Swinney’s to many Ws in the seasons to come.

* * * * *

Kudos to the Indiana Hoosiers, whose fans shan’t be thinking Crimson & Crean, for at least a few more days anyway.

The Hoosiers bested Mizzou of the vaunted SEC in Columbia. It’s IU’s biggest W, since, well, arguably “Run, John, run.”

* * * * *

Meanwhile, my favorite whipping boy, Charlie Weis, has his Kansas Jayhawks at 2-1, after a W over one of the directional schools from Michigan.

Perhaps it’s his renewed focus.

Sayeth Coach Weis, “Because I sleep in my office and I have the computer off, I’m oblivious to the real world. I barely know what’s going on with ISIS, to tell you the truth.”

* * * * *

I am now advised by my canine, Her Majesty Abbey, that it’s time for her morning constitutional.

I’m outta here.

— Seedy K

One thought on “MMQB: College Gridiron Recap (& One Baseball Thing)

  1. You have a dog? A cayut lover like you has a dog?

    As for baseball, you are witnessing the wrong league. After years of ineptitude, the biggest story in the sport should be my Bucs. Catcher Russell Martin drove in the winning runs in the 2 Pirate victories over their primary competition this weekend, the Brew crew. After his heroics and fine play over the last several years, the fans yelled “Pay the Man”. However, the mantra from the front office continued to be that they would not offer Martin an extension and try to sign him for the next 4-6 years. They are prepared to let him go as a free agent where the Yanks or some big $$$$ club will snare him for 5 years plus at $15-18 M per.

    I know catchers go quickly when they lose it, and Martin’s career stats don’t justify such money. But the big market teams can get 2/2+ years out of him and then eat the last half of the contract. No big deal. But if the Bucs have to eat 2+ years of a deal costing them $40-$50 million on a non-productive player, they will go back to the bottom of the barrel.

    It will be interesting to see if the blue-print the Pirates have in place only paying players for their relative ability to produce NOW and not in the past can continue to improve the teams outlook in the future. A new-day Billy Ball, if you will.

    As for foots & ineptitude, the Cards probably looked more Kragthorpian this past weekend than they have since the Stevester was shipped Out of Town. Hopefully, CBP can fix “it”, but the combo of an inexperience and flinching QB with a hapless right side of the line looks like it may be even more than his genius can overcome. This week proves nothing, but starting at Syracuse and Clemson, we will know much more. Can somebody say “Parker”? Please?

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