Sez Me …
The Southeastern Conference will lose the college football battle for the same reason the South lost the Civil War: Money.
It doesn’t have enough of it. It’s not going to have enough of it.
Oh, it’s going to get by, but not as a whole. Some schools, such as Texas, Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss and maybe a few others, will have the wherewithal to compete with the Yankees. But not enough of them. And for how long?
Most of the poorest states in the nation reside in the South, and, with NIL and the transfer portal all the rage now, cheating the system with a few hundred thousand from car dealers isn’t cutting it anymore.
So many of these kids come from poverty and may have been happy with chump change at one time. But not anymore. Can this be a reason why Nick Saban “retired” from Alabama?
“In this day and age, the culture we have now in college football, paying players, name, image and likeness, it’s an advantage for the Big Ten,” Saban now says. “You’ll never convince me otherwise. The North. Because people in the South would not go to the North unless you paid them.”
It’s being said Texas — a university, mind you — will have a $40 million NIL payroll, which means this is Steve Sarkisian’s last stand. But Texas is the nation’s richest program (estimated worth: $2.2 billion), and was before it joined the SEC.
Indiana. Ohio State. Michigan. The last three national football champions come from a 300-mile radius well north of the Mason-Dixon line.
There are 16 schools in the SEC. Some will remain solid. A few are strong enough. But the days of the conference running amok in collegiate football are ending.
Money doesn’t talk. It screams. The South doesn’t have enough of it. Never did.
The North didn’t win because it wanted it more. It won because it had more. …
Miami QB Carson Beck graduated from Georgia two years ago and played in the national title game. Alma mater dear. …
The NFL coaching carousel needs seat belts. Ten fired? Eighteen canned over the past two seasons? Bomb techs have more security. …
Mike McDaniel is the perfect choice as OC for Jim Harbaugh (if Mike doesn’t take a head coaching job). The exact opposite of Greg Roman. Jim has adapted with the times. …
Jesse Minter, a superior defensive coordinator, may be a great head coach with the Ravens. Then again, he may not. Hasn’t done it. …
Remember what my daddy always said (and it applies to everything in life): “You don’t know what a captain’s like until you get on the water with him.” …
Did Bo Nix really break his ankle on a kneel-down? Priests have to be deeply concerned. …
If Denver beats the Patriots with Jarrett Stidham at QB, it will be because of the incredible altitude advantage. Also, a secular miracle. …
Your starting cornerback goes out at the end of the game and you bring in a guy who has hardly played and you don’t help him with a double-team? Shame on Buffalo. …
The Bills play the Wild Card game at Jacksonville on a Sunday and then have to travel to play a Saturday divisional playoff game in Denver, while the Broncos are coming off a bye? …
The 49ers had to win in Philly on a Sunday and fly back home before visiting the coming-off-a-bye Seahawks on a Saturday. Draconian, stupid, unfair scheduling. …
There should be no playoff byes. Nor should there be Saturday playoff games. …
It’s hard to win in Seattle, where you can’t hear. It’s harder to win in Denver, where you can’t breathe. …
The Broncos have enough of an altitude advantage without the officials adding 2,000 feet. Buffalo should have won the game in regulation. But there’s no excusing Josh Allen’s four turnovers. …
Allen has 15 fumbles in 15 playoff games. I think he got screwed by the officials’ incredible inconsistencies in Denver, but, Superman, you’ve got to clean it up. Sean McDermott is gone because Allen can’t do it alone. …
Denver, with a very aggressive defense, was the most penalized team in the NFL. They did not commit a defensive penalty vs. Buffalo. Something for The League office to be proud of. …
Of course, if receivers could catch, all points might be moot. Among all these divas, how many “great” receivers remain? None in the AFC. …
One of these days — I can only hope — the NFL will realize the outcome of games should rest on players and coaches, not officials. …
Three of the top four scoring defenses have cracked the NFL’s final four. All this creative offensive genius stuff and it comes down to stopping the other guy. Big surprise. …
At the end of 2023, I thought rookie CJ Stroud was playing quarterback as well as anyone I saw all year. I don’t know how high Grace is, but he’s fallen from it. …
And I don’t want to hear about the cold. Light snow, not sticking. Football weather. Stroud was awful. Drake Maye wasn’t much better, but good enough. …
Patriots-Texans made more turnovers than Pillsbury. What a mess of a game. …
I’m a fan of DeMeco Ryans, but I lost some respect for him when, down 28-16, with six minutes left and one timeout, he punted at New England. To quote the great Jerry Magee: “Give-up play.” …
Ben Johnson went off-script. Forget hindsight. He should have gone for two. …
Caleb Williams deserved better. Matthew Stafford was not of MVP caliber. …
I don’t care if Mike McCarthy — Mike McCarthy! — is their new coach, the Steelers are not advancing in the playoffs with Aaron Rodgers at QB. Even if it means getting uncomfortable and wet, Aaron should just retire and go listen to dolphins make love. …
Luis Arraez has the highest batting average among all players over the past five years. I believe in batting average. …
Happy 100th to Mel Brooks. Our greatest funnyman. Genius. …
RIP, John Brodie. A terribly underrated quarterback of my youth. And a professional golfer. …
It’s a 4-hour, 43-minute drive from Milan to Cortina. In good conditions. Plan accordingly. …
Separated at birth: Brock Purdy and Gopher Smith of “The Love Boat.” And both were drafted last. …
There’s a rumor the Raiders may be interested in trading their No. 1 overall pick to the Ravens for Lamar Jackson. If it happens, Vegas won’t win a Super Bowl any time soon (nor will Baltimore). Mike McDaniel, beware. …
“Natty.” Stop with the “natties.” “Natty” stinks. …
“Natty” champion Fernando Mendoza will skip the NFL Combine for a Wall Street gig. So now it will be up to a pro day to expose his warts. A coven of witches has fewer. …
Mohamed Toure will play his eighth year of football at Miami, a university founded in 1925, when Toure was a redshirt freshman. …
The Aztecs got screwed at Grand Canyon. But they should try playing better. …
Most coaches in interviews: “Nobody’s gonna outwork me.” Philip Rivers to the Bills: “Nobody’s gonna outtalk me.” We can’t say Philip can or can’t be a good head coach. …
A one-score win is a win. A one-score loss is a loss. Get it?