Don’t want to ruin the lede for Wednesday’s Pigskin Prognostications, the first of the season with a full slate of games.

Which shall be the usual boffo read, and most fun to write.

I would be remiss were I not to mention in this the premier Pigskin Prattler how deafening the silence was on Saturday.

My phone was not ringing.

Which meant that my arch nemesis, the one and true Sultan of Schadenfreude, Bookstore Billy was not calling.

I knew he was locked into the opening foray of pigskin as I was. I guess he wasn’t happy how the games were playing out. Which I indeed was.

Anyway, more on Wednesday.

 * * * * *

Jack Plummer, formerly the second best plum(b)er in this town, tossed a couple TD passes for the Panthers in their final preseason game. 21/29. 278 yards. 125.4 QBR.

Hmmm.

Guess, contrary to anything I might have thought, he’ll make the roster, possibly overtaking Andy Dalton as Bryce Young’s backup. Taxi squad anyway.

 * * * * *

The NCAA in its infinite wisdom — which is on display once a millennium — is eliminating the spring transfer pigskin portal.

Coaches will know their rosters after spring.

One must assume that wealthy class is most pleased.

Seems to me some kid is going to want to move when falling in the March depth chart. And will find some crafty barrister who will file suit for a restraint of trade violation or some such cause of action.

Which he’ll win.

We’ll see.

One thing the ruling body might consider, which would actually make sense for all. The institutions. The coaches. The players.

Change the dates of the winter portal until after bowl season.

Makes too much sense apparently.

I mean what could be more fun than practicing for the postseason, building up an appetite for victory in the Pop Tarts Bowl, and recruiting at the same time?

Speaking of the portal. In the Big Ten, 15 starting QBs commenced their education at other schools.

 * * * * *

My JM Atherton HS Rebels won their opener.

20-7 over Country Day.

 * * * * *

My two favorite media moments of the weekend.

Watching ESPN Bottom 10’s marvelously funny and astute Ryan McGee’s video of his hip hop-ish mashup to the tune of “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”

And the snippet Jesse Palmer passed along during the Dublin game.

Seems he and Louisville’s own Katie George hit one of those Irish links courses a day or two before the game. When they asked one of the caddies after the round, what they owed him, he deadpanned, “An apology.”

 * * * * *

One of the premier sports sites, forget which one, listed their expert’s choices for the Top 5 players/ groups at each position in the ACC.

U of L was not heard from in any of these categories. QB. RB. Wideouts. TE. OL. Interior DL. LB. Safety.

But, sitting at #1 on Edge Rusher list: Ashton Gillotte.

#1 in CB list: Quincy Riley.

Then again, while Tyler Shough didn’t make the signal caller upper echelon — or so they say — one continually overrated D.J. Uiagalelei did.

Yo, Bookstore, how’d DJU fare Saturday?

Asking for a friend.

 * * * * *

A full swing of things starts Thursday. Tar Heels visit Gopherland. Predictions in the usual time slot day before.

We bronconagurskians shall be mired in tabula rasa mode no longer. (Which I mention, having seen that phrase used in an article the other day, and realized I never had.) Any feign being erudite.

— c d kaplan