“The University of Louisville is on a collision course with the National Championship. The only variable is time.” – Coach Howard Schnellenberger

I never heard anyone laugh the day Howard Schnellenberger first uttered those words. If you laughed, I didn’t hear you. Eyebrows were raised.  Heads turned sideways.  Then it was watch and wait time.  The legend continues.

Not long before Coach Howard Schnellenberger took over as the Head Football Coach at the University of Louisville in 1985 many folks were laughing.  In the few years before Coach Pipe took over, Coach Bob Weber was dealing with waning support.  Tickets could be purchased at Convenient Food Marts for $3.  Not many were. Some say there was serious talk of shuttering the football program that was relegated to playing in an ancient minor league baseball stadium.   These days, as you look to the west just south of the U of L campus as you are driving on Interstate 65 in Louisville, you see an L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium.  This is the home of the Louisville Cardinals Football Team.  This is The House that Howard Built.  

This photo was taken on October 1, 2011.  Two former Miami high school quarterbacks, Teddy Bridgewater of U of L and Rakeem Cato of Marshall, squared off.  The Herd won that day 17-13.  Since then, the end zone in this picture has been added with more seats.  There was a time when the sight of a stadium like this wasn’t even yet a pipe dream.

Your old Uncle Dan can tell you about what happened 40 years ago.  The Homecoming Game of 1983 at the old baseball stadium didn’t bring very many people back home.  The attendance that day was 17,064.  That was a day that saw the Louisville Cardinals  defeated by the Southern Miss Golden Eagles 27-3.  I was probably there.

My Dad graduated from Southern Miss.  When the Golden Eagles and the Cards got together in Louisville in the late 70s and early 80s, my Dad was usually in attendance.  So was I.  I wish I could remember more.  Two of these contests do stand out vividly in my mind, like a file cabinet drawer opened up with a Cardinal Red folder sticking out of it.

The 1979 game between U of L and USM, both Independents in the world of college football at the time, ended in a 10-10 tie.  I remember a Southern defender intercepting a last minute pass to seal the tie.  What can I say?  You can’t expect much for a three dollar ticket.  Attendance that day was 13,085.

Two years later on November 21, 1981, history was made in old Cardinal Stadium for the game against Southern Miss.  There were television cameras strategically placed around the grounds.  Below the cameras on tripods in the stands and placed on each side of the stadium and end zones were banners that had ABC SPORTS on them.  For the first time in the history of University of Louisville Football, ABC was in town for a regionally televised game primarily meant to be seen in the south.  Why?  In the previous two weeks Southern Miss had beaten #15 Mississippi State 7-6 and #20 Florida State 58-14.  Southern Miss was waltzing into Cardinal Stadium ranked #9 in the land.  Their record was 8-0-1.  In the fifth game of the season USM tied #7 Alabama 13-13.

A trip to Louisville was going to be a piece of cardinal pie for the Golden Eagles, right?  Not exactly.  After playing in 71 degree weather the week before in Tallahassee, Southern Miss ran out of the dug out onto old Cardinal Stadium and the temperature was 31 degrees.  Snow flakes were flying along the third base line.  Some of you remember that if you were along the first base line on offense you were happy.  You were in the end zone.

Southern Miss had a running game a team can only dream about these days.  Reggie Collier was the quarterback and Sammy Winder and Ricky Floyd were behind him.  They were all great.  Except on this day they were not.  Louisville upset Southern Miss 13-10.  The boys from Hattiesburg never got started good.  They were too cold.

The hearty U of L crowd that day of 12,940 made more noise than that place had heard in a while.  Maybe that was the genesis of the Crunch Zone?  I can only believe so.

Look, for someone who was there when this program was nearing life-support to witnessing the hiring of a legend in Coach Howard Schnellenberger to seeing a science fiction looking stadium rising from the ground to watching one of Howard’s boys take over the reigns as Head Football Coach in former U of L QB Jeff Brohm and absolutely shell the corn to a 5-0 record moving into October this season is a script I could not make up.  But I am glad I can write about it.  I am glad I was there for it.  Like being there on the cold November day in 1990 when a freshman named Jeff Brohm had to replace injured starter Browning Nagle and help the Cards defeat Boston College 17-10 in old Cardinal Stadium (thanks in large part to LB Mark Sander and a defense that picked off five of Glenn Foley’s passes).  Attendance that day?  37,636…about as many as you could pack into that old relic.  The 1990 Cards finished 10-1-1 after a 34-7 victory over Alabama in The Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Now?  Why not?  Yes.  I think the Louisville Cardinals will beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday.  Look, the Duke Blue Devils played Notre Dame to the last minute losing 21-14.  Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham is not exactly the most frightening place to play a road game.  There are guys in that crowd afraid they’re going to get something on their tie.  Louisville’s home crowd has been waiting for a game like this for a long time and some of them will be half-naked and half-baked.  One guy will be holding up a large capital D and another piece of cardboard meant to resemble a FENCE.  That’s goofy crazy this many years on.

This is U of L’s time.  This coming from a man with a master’s degree from the school and little desire to root for the Cards outside the fact that I enjoy football and want to see our local teams do well.

Still.  I will be glued to a screen somewhere far away from Kentuckiana when the Cards take on Notre Dame Saturday night.  I doubt many in Massachusetts will know what I am yelling about.  I refuse to chant out the spelling of the name of any mascot with only one vowel in it.  But I will say this.  Go Cards!

Speaking the rights.

Danny Johnson

Charlie Brown has a determined look on his face.  Lucy has talked him into believing she will hold the football on the ground so he can kick it.  He wants to have faith in her.  He really does.  Nothing is more important on this day that Charlie putting a toe to the leather.  He wants to watch the ball take off and soar.  He wants the ball to take flight and fly over the telephone poll or the clothes line or whatever he is aiming for with a determination he will never bring to math class.

Charlie Brown believes Lucy this time.  Lucy subtly made her earnest case that this time she will do the right thing.  Charlie looks where Lucy will hold the ball.  Charlie Brown then turns away from that spot and counts the steps he will use to bring his might forward in order to make proper toe to leather contact.  His heart is racing.  His palms start to sweat.  Everything in front of him looks suspended in silence.  Then, as we know, he takes off.

Yes.  When he arrives to the spot of his portent of glory with Lucy holding the ball, suddenly she removes the ball from the hold with a sneer on her face.  Charlie Brown, in mid-swing of his leg, realizes all that is happening and he has but one retort.  “AAUGH!!!”

Welcome to Indiana Hoosier Football.  Not exactly the refrain given by Coach Norman Dale before he took the court for the first time as the head coach of the Hickory Huskers.

Last Saturday night I found myself belly-laughing when the craziest thing I have ever seen on the Memorial Stadium field as the Indiana Hoosiers were playing the role of most gracious host to the 1-2  Akron Zips.  It was near the middle of the third quarter.  The ever polite Hoosiers kindly gave the Zips a 10-7 advantage.  Then, as the Akron kicker was about to kick off giving the ball back to the Hoosiers, he did a smart thing trying to keep the ball away from the best kick returner in all of the land.  He kicked a line-drive in the opposite direction of Hoosier lighting that is Jaylin Lucas.  So what happened to the ball?  The ball struck a Hoosier on the front line of the kickoff team and bounced back into the hands of an Akron Zip.  I laughed out loud.  Funniest thing I have ever seen on a field I have been visiting for fifty years.  Later in the quarter, Louie Freeman intercepted an Akron pass and took it 22 yards to pay dirt.  Indiana 14-10.  That play and a missed 32 yard field goal by the Akron kicker on the last play of the game tied at 17 were what eventually led to a Hoosier victory 29-27 in, gulp, 4 overtimes.  Or in the parlance of Charlie Brown, “AUGHH!!!!!”

That is how the season is playing out for the Indiana Hoosiers.  AUGHHH!  It seems to be getting worse all the time.  The next home game is not until October 21st.  I got a text message today about that game.  Me, a season ticket holder, got a text message today.  The message told me I was being given FIRST ACCESS to buy more tickets.  A two for one deal!  Starting at $30!  $15 each.  That is what we paid to watch Anthony Thompson run in 1988.  AUGHHH!!!!  This spells nothing but trouble for Indiana Hoosier Football.

This act of benevolence by the IU athletic department is true Big Ten Arrogance.  What they should send me is a thank you card for purchasing 2 seats that are now worth 8 seats.  Arrogance I tell you.  If they don’t invite me back to the press box, we can turn to this page and know why.  Ain’t that America for you and me.  John Cougar Mellencamp is the last guy I ever thought I would be quoting.  Things are that bad in Bloomington.

You have no idea how much it bothers me to have written the preceding paragraphs.  Your resident neighborhood Hoosier Homer is in shreds.  I’m just speaking the rights.  If things get better in a hurry, I will write about the post that got away from me and how wrong I was. That is a precarious spot I can only dream will find me.

On to this week’s picks!  You will notice my omission of Indiana in the list of games I am picking.  Those of you have read this space often will know why.

Last week:     9 winners    5 losers

Season:        42 winners    14 losers

Here we go.

Kentucky beats Florida…at home the Cats are better suited for a noon kick in Lexington than the Gators.

USC beats Colorado…In the this is the reason college football is in trouble department, this games kicks of at 10 AM local time in Boulder and 9 AM for those watching on the West Coast.  How dumb is that?  Television Greedy Dumb.

Boston College beats Virginia…At BC, the Eagles bounce back from their butt whipping by the Louisville Cardinals.

Georgia beats Auburn…On The Plains, this could be interesting.

Texas beats Kansas…The Horns are playing well.

Michigan beats Nebraska…Oh what a game this once was.  Where have you gone, Turner Gill?

Mizzou beats Vandy…The Tigers are pretty good.

Ole Miss beats LSU…It is in Oxford and the Rebs have to have it.  The Tide made the Rebs look silly last week.  That won’t happen two weeks in a row.

Oregon beats Stanford…Kicks off at 3:30 local time.  Imagine that.

Iowa beats Michigan State…The Hawkeyes were shut out last week at Happy Valley.  They are back at Kinnick Stadium this week to prove to their fans that they still have something in the tank.

Notre Dame beats Duke…Oh I hope the Dukies win.

Tennessee beats South Carolina…I love it that there is another part of the world where USC does not mean Southern Cal.

Alabama beats Miss. State…They have to.

Washington beats Arizona…Michael Penix, Jr continues to pass his way to the Heisman Trophy.

Get after it.  I suppose I have here.

Danny Johnson

Last week I was in the rafters of this place.  Actually I was in the press box and it was a great experience.  The end result was Louisville 21 Indiana 14.

This was my office for the day.  The food was great.  The people were decent.  You are not in a press box to make great friends.  Everyone is too busy for that.  All of us have an agenda for the day.  It is either written down or planted firmly in memory.  You watch the game.  You hope you have something to contribute to someone who may be reading or watching or listening and then you move on.

But I did enjoy my vantage point.  I was asked today what the coolest thing about being in the press box is.  Silence.  That was my answer.  Behind the glass and in a comfortable seat with more room than you’ll find elsewhere to watch the game, the quiet that goes with it is perfect.  You can think.  You can work.  You can’t root for either team, as you are instructed not to before the game.  You are reminded this is a “working” press box.  You have to cuss under your breath when your team makes a play call that just ruined the day.

Another thing I enjoyed last Saturday was being seated above this goal line.  It was a heartbreaking place in the 4th quarter.  But at least I got a clear view of a 4th and Goal from inside the one for the Hoosiers that made me pause and ask myself if I actually need to be doing all this or not?  I am a Homer.  I was a quiet Homer in press box.  Still, this old Homer was mortified with a play call that saw most of the Louisville defense in the Hoosier backfield before the IU running back who was handed the ball could figure out which Cardinal was going to tackle him.

I hemmed and hawed a bit.  But I think this was the worst thing on a field that I have seen for the Hoosiers since Scott Bonnell missed that 26 yarder against Purdue in 1989.  Some will think I need to mention the 2020 Gator Bowl when the Hoosiers imploded at the end and lost to the Tennessee Vols  23-22.  Yep, that one belongs.

Oh well. On the upside, Indiana found a quarterback in Tayven Jackson.  Now…if Indiana can only keep him.

Guess what?  It starts all over this weekend.  Another opening kick-off.

Get your popcorn ready.

Last week: 10 winners and 4 losers.

Season total: 33 winners 9 losers.

So what will it be this week?

Indiana beats Akron…The Hoosiers need to run the ball.  And please, don’t run the option.  It might work against Akron.  But it ain’t working against anybody with defensive speed up front.   Hope the lights are fresh on the Hoosier side of the scoreboard.

Swissconsin beats Purdue…I hope I am terribly wrong here.  Still can’t stand Bucky.

Ole Miss beats Alabama…I did not see this coming.  But I just don’t think Bama can stop Jaxon Dart.  Sorry Brother Tim.  I picked your boys to win it all.  What do I know?  I know it is not over yet.  It will be Saturday night.

Kentucky beats Vandy…The Dores will give them a game.  They always do.

Florida State beats Clemson…Yes, in the presence of Howard’s Rock.  That aberration that was last week’s game against Boston College was wake-up call for the Seminoles.  The will be WIDE AWAKE against Clemson.

Marshall beats Virginia Tech…Uh-oh.  Homer is at it again.  This is a big game in Huntington.   remember seeing the Herd beat Purdue at The Joan a few years ago.  The place loves the big boy conference teams when they come calling.

Louisville beats Boston College…I doubt there was much butt that did not get chewed after the abysmal second half that almost got away from the Cards against the Hoosiers.  Jeff Brohm might send Indiana play caller Walt Bell a Christmas card before season’s end.

Oregon beats Colorado…In Autzen Stadium?  Are you kidding me?  The boys from Boulder can’t do it again.  Can they?

UCLA beats Utah…This will be a fun one to watch.  The Bruins are going on a PAC-12 farewell tour.  And it will be a successful one.

LSU beats Arkansas…Evening game in Baton Rouge.  The Tigers won’t be looking at their trip to Oxford next week just yet.

Penn State beats Iowa…Two mules fighting over a turnip!  I love it.

Notre Dame beats Ohio State…A man can dream.  Why not?

North Carolina beats Pitt…The Tar Heels go up and down the field against the Panthers.

Minnesota beats Northwestern…I deserve a soft ball too.

I’ll be in Bloomington for the Indiana-Akron game.  Hopefully the report will be better.  I think it will be a good showing by the Hoosiers.  They are wearing black jerseys and britches.  More importantly, they are wearing Red helmets with the “Block I“.  Be still my beating heart.

Have a great weekend!  Speak the rights when you need to.

Danny Johnson

It was tough to watch how the Indiana Hoosiers lost to the Louisville Cardinals 21-14 Saturday in Lucas Oil Stadium.  How tough?  When Tayven Jackson turned around to hand the ball off to Josh Henderson on 4th and goal at the half yard line, I knew what the result would be and I immediately thought about Lewis Grizzard.  I knew he had been there with his beloved Georgia Bulldogs.  For the first time, I completely understood.

I LOOK FOR MORE FOLKS IN LUCAS OIL STADIUM AGAINST INDIANA TODAY.

Last week the Crimson Tide let me down.  Unlike others, I don’t think BAMA is out.

Last Week:  11 winners   3 losers                                                                                             Season    :  23 winners   8 losers

The Indiana Hoosiers have to beat Louisville if they plan on packing for a trip at the end of the season that means they get play another game.  I have felt that way since the ink on the schedule was wet.

What’s up with these ACC-Big Ten matchups?  This isn’t basketball.  Michigan steered clear of it, just like they never open the season with a Big Ten opponent.  But they are Michigan and you are not.

Indiana beats Louisville

Florida State beats Boston College

LSU beats Mississippi State

Penn State beats Illinois

Alabama beats South Florida

North Carolina beats Minnesota

Duke beats Northwestern

Georgia beats South Carolina

Virginia Tech beats Rutgers

Tennessee beats Florida

Kentucky beats Akron

Ole Miss beats Georgia Tech

Pitt beats West Virginia

Colorado beats Colorado State

That’s all folks!   Kind of in a hurry.

Enjoy the day and speak the rights.

Danny Johnson

I tell my high school English students that there are some circumstances in life that come along and one piece of advice will go a long way.  Act like you’ve been there before.

Tough spots are tough spots.  You know the old saying.  When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

You will be hard-pressed to find a football man who is a more ardent supporter of the Indiana Hoosiers Football Team and Coach Tom Allen than yours truly.

I am a football man.  I have seen 72 of the FBS schools play in person in my day.  I am a football man.  Have attended games at SEC, Big Ten, C-USA, PAC-12, MAC, and ACC stadiums and let’s not leave out Notre Dame Stadium.  I am a football man.  I have never seen a game in Assembly Hall. We could keep going.

After Indiana’s 23-3 loss to Ohio State in the season opener, I thought I was going to implode in Section 9 of Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.  The score was 7-3 with just a few minutes left to go in the first half and the Hoosiers had the ball looking to add more points.  They failed miserably.  The didn’t act like they had been there before.  When your best running play of the day goes for 13 yards against a stout defense, you run it again.  The Hoosiers did not run it again.  When you are apparently playing for a first down with time to spare on a clock you want to see run out of time, you milk the play clock.  The Hoosiers did not milk the play clock.  When you run three running plays and find yourself at 4th and three on the opponents’ 40 with less than two minutes left in the half, you don’t gamble with a passing game that can’t get out its own way.  The Hoosiers gambled with a passing game that couldn’t get out of its own way.  When you just denied a pass to the best receiver in the country, you don’t act like Braveheart and hoist an imaginary sword and act like you are forcefully returning it to its scabbard and draw a 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty.  The Hoosiers acted like Braveheart and drew a 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty at the worst possible time.

All of this nonsense took place in the space of a few minutes when the Hoosiers decided we must not belong here.  Playing Ohio State, the Hoosiers were at home and still acting like they had never been there before.  I think I believed more in the team than they believed in themselves.

Living in an Indiana county that borders the Ohio River and whose southern tip sits 14 miles from Louisville, you better know I have heard from Louisville fans leading up to Saturday’s Indiana-Louisville game at Lucas Oli Stadium in Indianapolis.  Some Cards fans have been gracious.  Some have thought they were being gracious by saying Indiana might give Louisville a good game.  Others have poo-pooed the Hoosiers with vehemence.

Seeing how Indiana Football acted on their own home turf against Ohio State with a chance to make something happen only to pee down their leg, I’m not sure who is right.

My advice to the Indiana Football team before the U of L game is go be football players.  Don’t be Hoosiers.  Be football players and ACT LIKE YOU’VE BEEN THERE BEFORE!  Do that and you will find your way back home again.

And tell Braveheart not to bring his sword.

Speaking the rights.

Danny Johnson

Last week was an exercise in Hoosier Footballdom.  We will get to that later in the week when there is more time and more space since last week’s Ohio State game.

But thank you Buckeye fans for showing up.  Photos like this are rare in Memorial Stadium.  I enjoy them.

Last night the Indiana Hoosiers played the Indiana State Sycamores.  The Hoosiers won 41-7.  It should not have been this close.  When you root for IU, you take 41-7 or 2-0 in your favor and celebrate nonetheless.

The best part of the evening was hanging out with this guy, my old friend Kelly Samons.

Let’s get to this week’s games!

Last week 12 winners and 2 losers.  Indiana and Purdue kept me from 14-0.  I know, the homer had no business picking Indiana to beat Ohio State.  The homer is a dreamer and a believer too.

Wake Forest beats Vandy…  In Winston-Salem, this one will be clase.

Georgia beats Ball State…  Of course they do.

Nebraska beats Colorado… Matt Rhule has something up his sleeve and the Buffs aren’t ready to pull it off in consecutive weeks, are they?  Sorry Prime.

Notre Dame beats NC State… Remember when they two played in a monsoon as the remnants of Hurricane Matthew where moving through the Research Triangle?

Virginia Tech beats Purdue…It is in Blacksburg.  If the Boilers can’t beat Fresno on the Northern Plains, it won’t work out on a different farm.

Iowa beats Iowa State…Two mules fighting over a turnip.  Football still lives somewhere.

Ole Miss beats Tulane…How good can these Rebs be?  We get a taste today.

Michigan State beats Richmond…Itsy bitsy Spiders need not apply in East Lansing.

Miami beats Texas A&M…The Jimbo and Bobby Show would make great reality TV and I’ve never watched one of those shows.  Where are cameras when we really need them?

Michigan beats UNLV…It’s against all odds for the boys from Vegas.

Arkansas beats Kent State…Met a former Kent State fullback from my day last week in Bloomington.  Great guy.  Still can’t pick the Flashes today.

Marshall beats East Carolina…Homer alert…Homer alert…Go Herd or Go Home!

Bama beats Texas…In Tuscaloosa?  Yes, this will be embarrassing for the Horns.

UCLA beats Sand Diego State…The boys from Westwood make the drive to San Diego and come back ready to go the beach tomorrow.

Have a great weekend, all!

Before we go, a shout out to the North Harrison Cougars for defeating the Charlestown Pirates last night.  This Friday will be a good one in Blevins Stadium as the 4-0 Cougars invade the home artificial turf of the Brownstown Central Braves who are also 4-0.  The Braves will need to make sure their chin straps are buckled tight.

Speaking the rights.

Danny Johnson

First things first.  The North Harrison Cougars defeated the Corydon Central Panthers tonight 42-6.  The Cougars are 3-0 on the season.  Go Cougars Go!

Right now I’m watching Louisville having a hard time with Georgia Tech.

Jacob Merritt for Ohio State.  I am for the Hoosiers.

Tomorrow the last college football season we still recognize begins in earnest.  There will still be a PAC 12 this year.  USC and UCLA will still be members.  So will Oregon and Washington.  That all changes next year.  I am still struggling to make sense of this.  Word came down today that Stanford and California will join the ACC next year.  Last I heard, ACC stands for Atlantic Coast Conference.  See what I mean.

Let’s get to the games.

Indiana beats Ohio State…I was going to leave this one alone until I talked to Mom about it.  She said she still believes in miracles.  I BELIEVE.

Kentucky beats Ball State…UK is pretty darn good.

Purdue beats Fresno State…This is a daunting task for the Boilers.  This will be a big win for them.

Iowa beats Utah State…Another classic 20-3 Iowa defensive gem.

Washington beats Boise State… Michael Penix begins his air assault.

USC beats Nevada…Look out for the Trojans.  They may be one of the last four.

Alabama beats Middle Tennessee…Milroe at QB for the Tide is a good move.

North Carolina beats South Carolina…Drake Maye will be on fire.

Wyoming will beat Texas Tech…CBS visiting Laramie in primetime?  Wow.

Illinois beats Toledo…The boys from Champaign will be ready here.

Penn State beats West Virginia…Classic matchup with a great deal of history.

Tulane beats South Alabama…The Green Wave still rising after the bowl win over USC.

BYU beats Houston…We know the Cougars will win this one.

UCLA beats Coastal Carolina…Not much of a home opener.  NC Central shows up in The Rose Bowl in two weeks.  Not impressed.

I have to believe this is the first time in my lifetime, if ever, that ABC, NBC, and CBS will be showing college football night games on the same night.  That tells you how powerful this college football is.

I will be in Bloomington tomorrow with my good friend Adam Disque.  We worked together at Medora many years ago.  He is a good Hoosier.

Speaking the rights.

Danny Johnson

So I didn’t make it to the Jackson County Fair this year.  A couple things got in the way.  Plans to visit Topsail Island, NC and look at the Atlantic Ocean with my dear wife, Carrie, will always win out.  We did get home in time to perhaps make it up on Friday.  Too much to do and too blasted hot made this a no-go.  That makes me sad too.  There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING like THEE Jackson County Fair (my apologies to Ohio State aficionados, but only today).

I know the Paul Crockett Memorial at The Brownstown Speedway on the Jackson County Fairgrounds was held during the fair.  I get wistful each and every time I think about Paul Crockett.  I loved that man.

Twenty-five years ago I wrote a column that appeared in this very publication.  I made an allusion to my childhood growing up in Brownstown being somewhat like that I saw on television in the form of the fictional town of Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show.   As a child I lived on the last proper street on the East side of town.  That was Jackson Street.  And yes, the old Jackson County Jail was a two minute bike ride from my house.

It really was like Mayberry.  I know the town police officer, Russell Martin, was not anything like Barney Fife.  But I can tell you that Russell pulled me over on my bike once.  He thought I was going to hurt myself flying down Walnut Street as I was heading down the hill toward the Library and Town Hall.

That library was so important to me.  Miss Maude McMahan was the town librarian.  She was also my next door neighbor on Jackson Street across from, well, Cross Street.  Miss Maude broadened my literary horizons.  Though I was only ten, she led me to a book by George Plimpton called Paper Lion.  Plimpton was a participatory journalist.  He found a way into experiences like no else before or since.  In this case, he was invited to the Detroit Lions training camp.  He played quarterback, sort of.  Years later a film starring Alan Alda by the same name was made.  I have seen it too.  But you better know that I was thinking of Miss Maude, though she was no longer with us, when I met George Plimpton in 1987 some nine years after Maude turned me on to his work.  Plimpton gave me advice I carry to this day.  I wish Maude would have lived long enough to hear about it.

Just like Mayberry and Floyd’s Barbershop, I had my barbershop.  It was Paul Crockett’s Barbershop.

Paul Crockett, if you don’t know, was a dirt track racing legend.  I can’t begin to tell you all the tracks he raced or all the personalities he encountered in racing circles.  We don’t have enough time for that here.

What I can tell you is that as a child, when I was not getting my haircut in Crockett’s Barbershop, I was in Paul’s shop listening to the old men in the shop and the stories they told.  I’d get a bottle of pop out of the old chest soft-drink machine and sit and listen so intently that on some occasions my pop would be warm before I had even gotten to it.

But for me, the best part of those visits was when Paul Crockett would grab a rag and whip it about the seat of the “second” chair in the barbershop that was empty.  Only then, at Paul’s behest, would I beamingly take my place in it.  I never asked.  He invited me to sit there.  I sat there and listened intently to Paul’s stories about racing against Jim Curry, Russ Petro, Ira Bastin, and more.  It fills my soul today to know I was there.

I moved from Brownstown in 1979.  More than a decade later I was walking through town just looking around and reminiscing.  As I was walking through an alley that led toward Paul’s shop, I walked on toward the main drag.  A voice called out to me.  It was Paul.  “Hey John Henry!  Where have you been keeping yourself the last ten years?”

And one last time, I was in the presence of greatness that was Paul Crockett.

Marshall hosting Coastal Carolina last season on October 29th.

Thankfully, my attitude will change a bit when the toe hits the leather for the first time in the 2023 College Football Season.  The annual speaktherights.com College Football Preview is usually finished by now.  Truth is, I’ve had a hard time getting here.  Looking at what has happened to the PAC-12 Conference recently has made me a little uneasy.

This is what happens when you change The Rose Bowl.

I wish it were that simple.  Maybe it is.  I ordered the program from last year’s Rose Bowl.  It was the last one to feature the winner of Big Ten against the winner of The PAC-12.  This tradition had been in place since 1947.  On New Year’s Day I could always depend on The Granddaddy of Them All to take me back and hold me in the present at the same time.  That feeling was special.  No more USC vs. Michigan in the traditional Rose Bowl. The harsh reality of the last REAL Rose Bowl program was the teams it featured.   The game was played between Utah and Penn State.  Utah joined the PAC-12 in 2011.  Penn State started playing football in the Big Ten in 1993.  Not exactly two teams steeped in Rose Bowl lore.

Tradition.  That word has seemingly gone out the window and I am left looking even more intently at the past.  That is certainly something I can do without.  But I can’t help that.  It really makes me sad.  So many things that I loved about college football are or will be history and left to the memory and YouTube.  I feel for Washington State fans.  They lose their conference next year.  No more looking forward to seeing the likes of USC or UCLA in Pullman.  No  Washington to play against in the Apple Cup.  I doubt they can keep that game.

The good thing, I tell myself, is that when the season starts and it is their 11 against our 11 on the field and that is what it is all about.

You know I am a homer.  I will forever root for and never pick against the Indiana Hoosiers when I am making my weekly predictions here.  If I think the Hoosiers are in trouble, I’ll give them a pass that week and pick another of the weekly 14 games that focuses on winners and losers that week.  No.  No.  No.  And No.  I will not mention point spreads  or overs and under or anything that has to do with gambling.  I am doing everything I can to stay optimistic about this game.  The last thing I want to do, if my team is winning, is to worry about how many points they are winning by.  Winning is tough enough.

Shame on me.  I know.  It was a lightbulb moment and I could not turn it off.

The second game of the season was a portent of the season to come for the Hoosiers.  After winning the first three, including a conference tilt against Illinois in the opener, the Hoosiers spent most of the rest of the season rather wet.

Fortunately, I was nice and dry in the press box.

Writing all this does have its advantages, even if it is only for non-conference games (so far).

The Illinois game was exciting.  Those that made the excitement that night are mostly gone from Hoosierland.  Connor Bazelak is on his third team in as many years this season.  He moved over to play quarterback for the Bowling Green Falcons.  I’m not sure what that tells us?

Call me crazy.  I still believe that Tom Allen is going to lead the Hoosiers out of the tough times to find a better day again.  I truly do.  Coaching changes, including bringing in one of the best O-line coaches in America in Coach Bob Bostad.  Last season they fired the O-line coach six games into the season.  Not this year.  The O-line Whisperer is in Bloomington and it will make a great deal of difference.

Watching the Big Ten Network, when I truly have the patience to do so, I have seen a graphic that says “INDIANA only returns 46% of its Offensive productivity”.  You know what I say to that?  GOOD!  If Indiana was returning 95% of their offense, I would be worried sick.

On offense, I suspect Tayven Jackson will win the QB job.  Do you really transfer from Tennessee and not win the starting nod at Indiana.  Are you following me?  I’ve been wrong before.  So has Indiana.  The receivers on this team have me fired up too.  Providing they have been slinging the ball as much as I hope they have, timing has to be their friend.  That and, please, show us some imagination on offense.

Defensively, I love the play of Noah Pierre.  He is all over the field.  Anxious to see how Andre Carter does.  He comes to Bloomington by way of Western Michigan.  MACsters can play football too.

Aside from the Hoosiers staying healthy this season, two things stand out to me as keys to the season:

1.  Beat Louisville in Indianapolis on September 16th.  The Cardinal folk think this is an easy noon kick and a time to visit an NFL Stadium gift shop.                                                            

The last time the Hoosiers played at the Oil Drum, they ran out to this paltry crowd.  There must be more Hoosier fans there this year.  It will be a red place, my fear is the Cardinal Red will be dwarf the Crimson.  This game is important on many levels of this season.

2.  Get the ball to Jaylin Lucas.  As a freshman last year, he was a 1st Team All-American Return Man.  A friend of mine with close ties to the Hoosiers spoke to me on the condition of anonymity and said, “The Hoosiers have to get Lucas the ball.  He has to touch the ball 15-20 times a game.  And I am not talking about bubble screens that telegraph the defense and you wonder who will end up with the ball.  No.  We have to be more creative than that.  Use him everywhere to give the defense something to think about.  Backfield.  Direct snap.  Wide.  Get him the dang ball!”

I heard that pep talk and I was ready to find a helmet!

Pardon me, I was just daydreaming there.

So next year the Big Ten will have USC, UCLA, Washington, and Oregon.  There may be more.  I am delighted I was able to be on the field at The Rose Bowl five seasons ago to take this picture.  The paint job on this was not finished yet.  If you look closely at the field, there was still a great deal of paint to be spread on a Thursday before USC-UCLA.

One last rant.

Last year, leading up to the BCS National Championship game between Georgia and Texas Christian, a game the Bulldogs won 65-7, I saw this on television.  I came unglued.  It was the first time I had ever seen a college team referred to as a “franchise”.  I put this photo and following on “twitter”:

Reflections of light out the door and out the window, just like college football.  Schools are now deemed franchises?  Keith Jackson had it right talking to Fowler and Herbstreit the last time Keith saw a Rose Bowl and said “too much coverage…” of college football’s demise.

I tagged Herbstreit, Paul Finebaum, and couple others with my tweet.  ESPN left it alone.  Tim Brando retweeted it.  And I thank him for giving it legs.  It was heard.

When Max Duggan was stepping behind center on the game’s first play from scrimmage, ESPN color commentator Kirk Herbstreit said: “Duggan is the face of the fran…uh..of of the offense.”  Herbstreit fumbled.  I just smiled.

Keith Jackson was right, you know.  TV money rules and casts tradition aside.  Glad I have seen this game the last 50 years the way I have been able to.

PREDICTIONS?  Uh, yes, got those too.

SEC

East

1.  Georgia….I only wish Indiana had their schedule.  If they had Penn State, Michigan, and Ohio State year after year, the Bulldogs would be happy with BCS appearances right now.  Don’t talk to me about tough SEC schedules.
2.  Kentucky…Yes.  Watch that QB lead this team like Joe Namath.
3.  Tennessee…Rocky Top indeed.
4.  South Carolina…Younger Coach Beamer is a good one.
5.  Florida…Tom Petty still sounds great in The Swamp.
6.  Mizzou…SEC tradition!  Oh, never mind.
7.  Vandy…Hope they prove me wrong.

West

1.  Alabama…Two plays.  That’s it.  Nobody remembers.  A field goal that limped over against UT and a 2 point conversion made by LSU that would have been thwarted, had SOMEONE on the Bama sideline called timeout to focus against a team in a hurry to win.  Fear not, Brother Tim.  The Tide wins out again.  And we are reminded of why TCU had no business in the BCS Semi-final last year.
2.  LSU…Brian Kelly has done better than I ever dreamed in Baton Rouge…so far.
3. Ole Miss…  10-2 or 9-3, as long as Coach Kiffin doesn’t go sniffing around for another job.
4.  Texas A&M…Can Bobby Petrino and Jimbo make it through the season?
5.  Arkansas…They still wear those awful Hog-hats.
6.  Miss. State…Missing Mike Leach.  Good luck to this team.
7.  Auburn…Coach Freeze thaws out and gets back to the SEC.

WINNER: ALABAMA

NATIONAL CHAMPION: ALABAMA

The BIG TEN

Look, the Big Ten Conference et al has no respect for Indiana University Football.  Save the 2020 Covid season of only conference play, in the last 7 years Indiana has had to lead the season off with a conference opponent the most times and is the only one to play one conference opponent multiple times in this stretch to lead the season off.  Which team have they had to play twice?  Ohio State.  The Hoosiers begin this season with Ohio State calling on Memorial Stadium on September 2nd. Guess how many conference games Michigan has opened with during this time?  NONE.  Hate to go Phil Steele on you, but, you heard it here.

East

1.  Michigan…If Coach Khaki can keep it together.
2.  Ohio State…Hold my nose.
3.  Penn State…The Broken Record of college football divisions.
4.  Indiana…IF they beat Louisville.  I know.  I am a homer.
5.  Maryland…They have a great QB and great coach.
6.  Michigan State… Indiana beat them at home last year in Sparty snow.
7.  Rutgers… Sounds like something what clogs up your drain.

West

1. Iowa…I know.  I know.  Yes, I like the Hawkeyes.  Ferentz era ending soon?
2. Minnesota…Goldy is great.
3. Illinois…Coach Bielema is awesome.
4. Swissconsin…Can’t stand the team.  Really have disdain for their fans.
5. Nebraska…Matt Rhule to the rescue.
6. Purdue…Indiana has to beat this bunch.
7. Northwestern…Where do we even start?

WINNER:  MICHIGAN

Atlantic Coast Conference

I have not seen the Louisville Cardinals play in a long time.  I do know I saw their current head coach, Jeff Brohm, throw the ball around for Coach Howard Schnellenberger and that was a trip for sure thirty years ago.  No more Coastal and Atlantic Divisions in the ACC.

1.  Florida State
2.  Clemson
3.  North Carolina
4. Miami
5. Louisville…Glad Jeff Brohm is back home.  This might be the place where local boy CAN do well and stay around.
6. Pitt
7. Duke…They’re on to you.
8. NC State
9. Syracuse
10. Wake Forest
11. Georgia Tech
12. Boston College
13. Virginia Tech
14. Virginia

WINNER:  FLORIDA STATE

PAC-12   Winner:  USC…Still hope Washington’s Michael Penix, Jr. does well.

Big 12     Winner:  Texas…Parting shot as they head to the SEC.

AAC        Winner:  Tulane…What a great bowl win over USC last year.  A game like                                                        that is why I still enjoy college football so much.

CUSA      Winner:  Western Kentucky…Tyson Helton is a great Head Coach.

MAC       Winner:  Toledo…Soft spot for the Rockets thanks to old friend Coach Lauterbur.

Mt. West Winner:  Bose State…Who else?

Sun Belt  Winner:  Marshall… Duh! Got to go with THE HERD!  Go Herd or Go Home!

Next weekend College Football begins!

I am looking forward to next Saturday’s smattering of games before it all starts in earnest on September 2nd.

Enjoy.

Speaking the football prognosticating rights.

Danny Johnson