We're now into the thick of bowl season and there are a lot of stories swirling around the world of college football, both locally and nationally. Here, for whatever they might be worth, are a few random observations regarding events this week:
- Prior to the Independence Bowl, I mentioned the fact that the Georgia Bulldogs had been the lone victims of the Texas A&M Aggies in Bear Bryant's first season in College Station. What you may not know about that 1954 game is that Coach Bryant brought just 31 players with him to Athens, Red and Black quarterback Jimmy Harper did not complete a pass until the game was deep into the fourth quarter, and the game's only touchdown was scored on a 16-yard reception by Texas A&M end Gene Stallings, who would later coach both the Aggies and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
- I know many prominent figures in the blogosphere are openly rooting for Mike Leach, who was fired earlier today as the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Personally, I am torn. On the one hand, I have always viewed Coach Leach as rude rather than colorful, but it is equally tough for me to side with Craig James, who comes across as a smarmy character and who played for the SMU Mustangs during the scandal-riddled era that ultimately earned Southern Methodist the death penalty. I feel badly for Adam James, but, beyond that, I throw up my hands.
- Earlier today, I received an e-mail that once again raised the name Romeo Crennel as a possibility to be Georgia's next defensive coordinator. I can't represent with anything approaching certainty that there is anything to the rumor at all, and I certainly would not tell you I have inside information or anything of the sort, but I can't help noticing that a candidate whose name is off the radar keeps being mentioned as a possibility. (Incidentally, the first guy who mentioned the name Romeo Crennel to me did so after first mentioning the name Bud Foster, shortly before Coach Foster's name surfaced publicly as the recipient of an offer.)
- Is it just me, or did Idaho Vandals head coach Robb Akey sound like Billy Bob Thornton's character from "Sling Blade" in his postgame interview following the Humanitarian Bowl?
- Although the Aggies still lead the all-time series with Georgia with a 3-2 record, the 'Dawgs lead the overall scoring by a cumulative margin of 118-80. That translates to an average score of 24-16 over the course of the series, but the Red and Black have won the last two meetings by an average margin of 43-10. The five series games have been played in four different cities, but the Bulldogs have never faced Texas A&M in College Station at "The Home of the Illegal Participation Penalty," Kyle Field.
Look for the latest installment of my "Don't Bet On It!" postseason picks to be coming your way sometime tomorrow, but bear in mind that I jumped out to an impressively awful 1-7 start before the USC Trojans got me back on the winning track in the Emerald Bowl. Perhaps this reflects poorly on me, but, hey, I do warn you not to bet on it, so lighten up, slafa.
Go 'Dawgs!