Category Archives: College Sports

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week IV

Yes, it is true.

Despite the reality that I have constantly chosen Graham Mertz as my perennial whipping boy, I picked the Gators to beat the Vols.

So they did. Rather easily actually.

Meanwhile I predicted that Pitt would win its brawl with West Virginia. Even though they lost to Cincy, who then lost to Miami (Oh). Forgetting all the while that the Panthers’ twice transferred TPQB Phil Jurkovec was a non entity at Notre Dame, then really bad at Boston College. I mean his mediocrity has made Mertz seem a legit Heisman hopeful.

Anyway Jurkovec did what he does in Morgantown, lose. My mistake.

North Carolina, Kentucky and the Cardinals all took care of biz, as it was stated would happen in this space.

Second 4-1 weekend in a row, making the kid 14-6 for the season.

This week’s winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week IV

U of L CardFile: Indiana

So there was Uncle Mo on the IU sideline at the beginning of the second half. He’d changed his garb into a crimson and cream hoodie.

Sharp-eyed observers of the game would have known something would be up. They’d have noticed that he was reaching into his duffle bag after that last play of the 2d Q.

Because what we have here is a classic case that would have been an A+ answer to  a question on Professor Chinstrap’s Psych 431 (Coaching Decisions and Game Momentum) final:

Give an example of how duel coaching decisions can totally turn a game around. Extra credit if both benefit the same team.

Totally dominating the interstate rivalry in the opening half, U of L, up 21 zip, got the ball back with :25 on the clock in the 2d.

HC Jeff Brohm called a timeout before 1st down.

Apparently to decide between taking a chance, and throwing deep. Or taking a knee.

The former made sense — to me anyway. The Cardinals have Jamari Thrash, who was breaking open deep with impunity. (And would have had two scores before halftime, had Jack Plummer gotten him the ball long when JT was wide open.)

The latter made less sense. But was somewhat defensible since U of L got the ball to start the 3d Q.

So, one guy’s take, gamble and throw it loooooooong. See what happens.

Brohm, usually wont to double down and raise rather than fold, but was obviously happy with a three TD cushion, folded. Greed might have been good.

Uncle Mo’s change of haberdashery was telling indeed. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Indiana

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week III

Not to boast or anything like that, your resident “expert,” it can now be said, has reached mid-season form before the Ides of September.

Four up. One down.

Were I to hazard a guess which game of those on the Board, I’d have missed, I’d never have considered the Longhorns would prevail in Tuscaloosa. By double digits, no less. First time that’s happened to The Nick while his roamed the Bama sideline.

But, as it is said, that’s why they play the game.

I’m sad the Johnny Rebs bested the Green Wave in New Orleans. But at least I picked it to happen. Cats did not roll, but overcame EKU, who just the week before surrendered 66 to the Cincy Satterfields. Angst in the Bluegrass?

The Cardinals, they did roll.

And, my guy, Bronconakurskius, Greek God of Pigskin, once again showed he’s paying attention, making sure that, when really necessary, he will make all right with the world, including Fansville. The U 48, the A & M Jimbo Bobby P’s 33. Thank yuh thank yuh vury much.

So, can I get a Huzzah!, 4-1 for the weekend. 10-5 for the season.

This week’s winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week III

The Pigskin Pundit: After Week II

For someone with yours truly’s rooting interests, last Thursday was as good as it gets.

U of L skunked Murray State, as it was supposed to.

And my (and Glorious Editor’s) Detroit Lions prevailed over the defending Super Bowl champs. In Arrowhead.

And, no, I’m not just a bandwagon jumper, just because the Lions are the Flavor of the Month. I’m a Motowner by birth, and long time suffering fan. If through the years, you’ve seen an old fart in the vegetable aisle of the grocery store sporting a well worn Honolulu blue and silver ball cap, it was likely moi. There are a few of us in town. But not many.

Plus there’s this. Beloved former Card Teddy B is Detroit’s backup QB.

Better to be a Lions fan than a Jets fan after Week I.

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The ACC stands four up one down to the League That Cares More. Continue reading The Pigskin Pundit: After Week II

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week II

Nothing says the new expanded college football weekend is but hours away than Wednesdays. Starting with Ryan McGee’s gotta gotta read “Bottom 10” at espn.com (no Spectrum required), then finding out whom the winners of the Big Games will be in this very spot. 

OK, then, where do we stand after the first real week of college pigskin?

Nebraska, whose truly loyal fanbase deserves some joy, spit it out again. Turned it over twice late in the 4th to lose at Minnesota.

Iowa scored on an opening drive TD pass for the first time since, oh, 1991. OC Son of HC wants to keep his job, and his contract mandates the Hawkeyes average 25 ppg, but he only led them to 24.

We spied the not so triumphant, but joyous to savor return of clemsoning. Feelin’ sorry for Dabo? Uh, no.

And the former Louisville RiverBats outfielder who scored the first run ever at Slugger Field is all the rage all the time in the sport.

Coach Prime.

Coach Prime indeed.

Of course, I jumped on that Diss Train. No way that blowhard’s total makeover of a team could beat last season’s darlings, Texas Christian University.

Oops. I wasn’t the only one with egg on my face.

So that was a wrong prediction. As was South Carolina over North. But the ACC was 2-0 over SEC. A good thing.

On the plus side, Utah smacked the Gators, the Cats bashed Ball, and my Cardinals showed serious mettle in coming back to best the Ramblin’ Wreck.

Another 3-2 weekend, to go 6-4 on the season.

As Brian Kelly assured the Bayou Bengal faithful that his team will get better, I am positive I’ll soon move on up to my rightful status as the Pigskin Planet’s most fine predicticator.

This week’s winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week II

Dis & Data: Labor Day Edition

It would make sense that somebody would need to be in my advanced age bracket, or close, to remember A&P grocery stores, recall tagging along to one with your mom and whining when she wouldn’t buy another box of Oreos.

At one time, the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company was the largest retailer in the nation (From 1915 until ’65). And remained the biggest grocery chain for another decade.

Then, as things do, it faded away in the midst of competition.

Kind of like the PAC12, 11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2.

Why have I led with this?

Because the leading snarky moniker for the expanding now bicoastal ACC among the talking heads at The World Wide Leader (Non-Spectrum Edition) and other college sports pundits is All Coast Conference.

Which is cute. And logical.

But this expansion into Big D and the Bay Area needs a new branding, a new logo. So I’d opine. Continue reading Dis & Data: Labor Day Edition

Hybrid Schtick: Hoops + Dis&Dat

There is a now a firm belief, at least among some of the Cardinal hoops coaching staff, that Trentyn Flowers and his dad had their abdication planned all along. If not to Down Under, to somewhere.

That he’d come to town, nab an NIL deal, get some coaching over the summer, film his workouts, and shop them around hither and yon.

Obviously, the staff does not know that for a fact, but believe it to be so in hindsight.

Kinda like Shaedon Sharpe sorta did down the road.

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There are still many fans who won’t move past KP’s unfortunate statement early on that some interpret as him, not buying into NIL.

So, I pass this along. Continue reading Hybrid Schtick: Hoops + Dis&Dat

Footballishness: Realignment Therapy

It’s been a running joke of mine for decades.

Invoked at moments in my mundane existence, when getting in touch with an inner Ken Kesey levity would be nice.

Where are those acid flashbacks now that I really need them, the ones our finger-wagging elders warned us about back in the day ? A few kandy-colored tracers wouldn’t be a bad thing now and again, as long as I’m not behind the wheel.

Little do I want, however, a brown acid bummer. Like the only one of mine experienced at a Chicago concert at Memorial Coliseum. Twas a very weird evening.

Anyway, that’s kind of how it felt to this college football analyst (of my own mind) with all this seismic plate-shifting conference rejiggering. Which kicked way up a notch recently, as if Emeril dumped a whole bottle of hot sauce in the roux he was concocting.

What’s coming this year is relatively benign. Four new schools in the Big Whatever.

But next season we got a transcontinental sea change a comin’. (Mixed metaphor used.)

Bicoastal nonsense. Accepting the non-presence of PAC 0.

With more possibly, hopefully not, on the way.

At any rate, to cope I have just completed Part I of a College Sports Realignment Assimilation Conversion Therapy course, presented by the Bear Bryant Institute. Part II is next summer. Continue reading Footballishness: Realignment Therapy

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Manny’s Game, Women Win, Gym Tidbits ++

OK, truth is I didn’t see Cardinal Manny Okorafor’s breakout performance against Arch Rival up in Land o’ the Big Smoke.

Why not?

Since you asked, I was on a one day rock n roll road trip to Indy to hear Tedeschi Trucks Band, my faves these days, at that great amphitheater in White River State Park. Ziggy Marley opened. I’ll be weighing in on the incredible show in other venues soon. I’ll try to remember to put a link here somehow.

As for Manny?

Well, it turns out he was 6/6 from the field, 4/6 from the stripe, grabbed a half dozen or so boards, blocked a couple shots.

More than a workmanlike effort it would appear. Given he’s still not fully recovered from his foot/ ankle issues, and that due to visa problems he never practiced with his fellow Team Africa mates before the little tourney began.

Most heartening indeed.

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Speaking of Cardinals participating in that event.

Jeff Walz’s team won the women’s side, with a two point get back W over Canada. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Manny’s Game, Women Win, Gym Tidbits ++

Tracking the Cardinals

Can’t say I’ve ever been a huge follower of track and field.

Like most, I’m a once every four year follower, when those Olympic Games are all that.

But, I gotta have some U of L sports to root for. It’s an addiction.

So, with all the equipment from the other spring sports stored away — including yet again, the balls and bats of the Cardinal nine — the NCAA Track & Field Championships have grabbed my attention.

Several Cardinal athletes shall be competing. Both on the track. And in the field.

Synclair Savage will be striving for the Long Jump crown. (I am old enough to remember when it was called the Broad Jump.)

Aliyah Welter will be going for the Pole Vault crown.

ACC champ x3 High Jumper Trey Allen is making his third straight trip to attempt to leap for the whole enchilada.

Bryan Hudson is going to be putting the shot. Continue reading Tracking the Cardinals