2020 Week 10
December 1, 2020
Well, we had Turkey Day and Rivalry Weekend and another few dozen games canceled. I was especially disappointed to learn that Minnesota and Wisconsin won't be playing for my favorite trophy, Paul Bunyan's Ass.
The biggest rivalry game of the weekend was the traditional matchup between Alabama and Auburn for that greatest of all medical inventions, the Iron Bowel. Wish I'd had one of those during days at ABC when they had a chili bar next door to the studio. I'm sure my good friend Roone Arledge wished I'd had one too.
The Iron Bowel game itself wasn't that entertaining as Bama laid a hurting on Auburn and Bo Jackson's son Bo Nix, 42-13. But it was interesting to see that Tide coach Nick Satan wasn't able to be at the game due to the virus. I wasn't even aware that dark lords like Nick had immune systems in the first place. Next thing you know they'll be telling us Coach Satan needed the Iron Bowel too, so maybe it's good the Tide triumphed.
There were several great finishes that really excited the 300 or so home fans in attendance. I really enjoyed Baylor driving in the final seconds to kick a field goal to beat Kansas City State in Waco. And Washington came back from a 21-0 deficit against last minute foe University of Texas at Houston to score a late TD to win 24-21. It was a bitter loss and a long cross-country flight back from Seattle for U.T.A.H.
The Big Ten had a few games that were not canceled. The Michigan State Fighting Chippewas jumped all over top ten rated Northwestern and held on to win 29-20. Penn State got their first win of the season at Michigan, 27-17. It's great to see a matchup between two such downtrodden programs. I'm just sorry someone had to win.
Oklahoma State outscored Texas Tech 50-44. At first I thought it was a basketball score but Tech's hoops defense wouldn't have allowed 50 points.
Speaking of hoops scores, MACtion football is starting to feature lopsided women's basketball scores. Ohio clobbered Boweling Green 52-10. And Kent got pounded by Buffalo, 70-41. Relegation seems to be working quite well for the Bills.
In Louisiana there was a high scoring game of a different sort as Louisiana bombed Louisiana-Monroe, 70-20. It's unusual to see a game where one team scores 10 touchdowns. It's even more unusual when the foe got 10 safeties.
Notre Dame continued their fine season with a hard-nosed win at North Carolina, 31-17. I predict Ian Book will be the most famous Ian in college football since Miami legend Geoff Ian Biss, aka the I Biss.
Iowa State won down in Austin over Texas, 23-20. I'm still not sure about these overtime rules and I guess this non-conference tilt had their own rules where it ended in a field goal shootout as Texas missed a field goal and the Cyclones hit one to win it.
With all the changes in schedule I'm glad that Rivalry Week did feature some longstanding rivalries and trophy games. Iowa kicked a couple late field goals to beat Nebraska 26-20 and took possession of the Zeroes Trophy. Ole Southern Piss retained a lead most of the game and knocked off Mississippi State to maintain possession of the most coveted bidet in the SEC, the Egg Bowel.
The Pac-8 featured two traditional rivalries that came down to the end. Oregon State scored a touchdown in the final minute to upset archrival Oregon, 41-38 in the game formerly known as the "Civil War" but now known, after a complex committee process, as the "Washington vs. Washington State game".
Cal was trailing 24-17 when they scored and looked to tie Stanford at the end of their rivalry matchup, but the extra point was blocked, apparently by the trombone player.
Next week we'd normally have conference championship games but instead it looks like we'll have a bunch more cancellations then a few rescheduled games and Coach Corso hanging out on camera on the porcelain throne ready to explain it all to you. Can't wait!