Sunday morning coffee:
Don't know about you, but I wore out my
remote control Saturday. And then I dreamed about college football
last night, mostly about what might happen when Manziel takes his
Johnny Football show to Tuscaloosa this Saturday. Listen, I'm not
counting the kid out. He is the truth.
I am left with these three impressions
from Saturday:
• There is no reason, none
whatsoever, Texas A & M's Johnny Manziel should not be a leading
candidate, if not the leading candidate, for the Heisman. The award
goes to the most outstanding player in the country and it says
nothing about the most outstanding upperclassman player. The kid has
it all, including instincts that remind at least this writer of Joe
Montana.
• The luck of the Irish has returned
to South Bend, Ind. No way Notre Dame was supposed to win that game
against 4-5 Pitt. The Irish are a really good team. Brian Kelly is an
outstanding coach, and, yes, Notre Dame is still in the national
championship hunt. BUT, the Irish aren't in the same league with
Alabama — or LSU for that matter. The speed differential is
obvious.
• Every great team faces a moment of
truth, a time when it stares down defeat. Alabama had that moment
Saturday night. Bama's winning touchdown drive was one for the ages,
one that people will talk about for years and years. Given the
circumstances, it was as good as it gets. Lost in the last-minute
heroics of Alabama was the fact that LSU Zach Mettenberger came of
age last night. He was outstanding.
••••••••••••••••
Funny, how after 40-something seasons
of watching Mississippi football, I find myself watching each weekend
with the Egg Bowl at least in the back of my mind. I began this
season thinking there was no way on turf that rebuilding Ole Miss,
under first-year coach Hugh Freeze, could possibly hang with Dan
Mullen's much more experienced and deeper Bulldogs. Week by week,
that opinion has changed, especially since the game will be played at
Oxford.
I would have had State a 14- to
17-point favorite back in August. That's down to 3, at best, now.
What do you think?
•••••••••••••••••
And, no, I have no answer for what has
happened in Hattiesburg, other than it's almost like a perfect storm.
USM lost a four-year starter and star at quarterback and has started
four different Qbs due to injuries and performance issues. The new
coaching staff approaches the game far differently than the old one,
and obviously the players have not adjusted. The schedule was
front-loaded with all the far more difficult games in September and
early October. Confidence was shattered. Nothing has happened to
restore it. A talent vacuum exists on the defensive side of the
football. Still, 0-9 in Conference USA is, well, unthinkable.
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