2023 Week 11
November 13, 2023
We had some very fine matchups this past weekend as the big boys are starting to go up against each other.
Penn State hosted a coachless Michigan team in a top 10 battle and the Wolverines won 24-15. The aftermath was even more interesting. During my days at ABC when Cosell had the habit of tying one on and saying inappropriate things. So we put the Monday Night Football broadcast on 7 second delay. Fox doesn't do that - after the Michigan/Penn State game the Fox people interviewed some Michigan fan who apparently had had a few too many and wandered on the field, then he said a few bad words and they cut away. It could have been worse, Howard sometimes discussed his preference for hookers who had bait and tackle if you get my drift.
Highly rated Florida State held off Miami 27-20 in a renewal of their classic rivalry. That gives the Noles another step up in the SEC South. Georgia had an easier time with highly rated Ole Southern Piss, sticking a catheter into the Rebels in a 52-17 route.
The Iowa Huckeyes are putting together another great offensive effort as they ran up 22 points on Rutgers in a shutout win. A 22 point margin is nearly insurmountable for a team like Rutgers as it's an 8 score lead. Elsewhere in the Big Ten Illinois and Indiana had a very entertaining game. The Illini won 48-45 in overtime, which means Coach Butthead needs just one more win to make it to a bowel.
Washington struggled for a half with the University of Texas at Houston, but put things together in the second half to overtake U.T.A.H. 35-28. Well mostly put together. A Huskie player ran back an interception but dropped the football at the 1. You'd think a team led by Penix would handle balls better.
Washington's archrival Oregon managed to slow down the USC offense enough to take a 36-27 victory in Eugene. The two teams look likely to have a rematch in the title game for the Pac-8.
Coach Prime Directive is still struggling. Colorado got nipped by Arizona 34-31. Arizona is having a fine season and should return to being a true power in the WAC.
The biggest collapse of the week was by Oklahoma State, who came off their big Bed Lamb win over the Sooners by getting annihilated by expansion state Central Florida, 45-3. The biggest surprise of the week was Texas A&M firing coach Jim Bob Fisher after slaughtering Mississippi State.
Sometimes school fire coaches early so they can get ahead of the crowd going after big name coaches. Two decades ago Florida fired their coach so they could go after R Ban Meyer. Then a decade ago Ohio State announced their interim water boy wouldn't be back so they could go after R Ban Meyer. Then the Jacksonville State Jaguars canned Coach Marrone so they could go after R Ban Meyer. So I predict that Texas A&M fired Coach Fisher so they be first in line in the Mel Tucker sweepstakes. Because that's what an Aggie would do.
One of the best games of the weekend took place along Tobacco Road, where North Carolina nipped Duke in overtime 47-45. That was a football score but it brought back many memories of overtime ACC basketball games where the teams struggled to break the 40-point mark.
We are about to embark on one of my favorite weeks of the year: SEC cupcake week where SEC powers play weak foes to strengthen their record going into the final week of the regular season. Alabama plays Chattanooga, the Aggies host Abilene Christian, LSU plays Georgia State, Georgia takes on mid-major Tennessee, and Missouri looks forward to flaying Florida. Should be an exciting prelude to Rivalry week!