Big college football game tonight. Even though many of you won't read this 'til it's over, let's talk some football. And maybe a few other things.
1
It's SEC vs. SEC. That part is new, but the rest is not. The SEC is going to win Div. I football's Game For All The Tostitos. Again. And for reasons that include both the timing of this blog and my really terrible picking record, I'll quickly move past my pick for this game (LSU by 10) and make another for next year: The SEC wins again. Bold, I know. But the best players are in the SEC (though USC's 2012 team will have an argument), the biggest budgets are in the SEC, the most oversigned recruiting classes are in the SEC and the most coveted coaching jobs, from head coaches down to the lowest assistant, are in the SEC. Next year it might be LSU, it might be Arkansas and it might be South Carolina, but I'm pretty sure it will be the SEC again.
2
Urban Meyer is officially on the job at Ohio State, which is now officially operating on an SEC budget. The Buckeyes can't play for all the Tostitos next year, but Meyer's mission is to have them in the Big Game not long after. It's going to be fun to watch the whole thing play out, and the Michigan rivalry is going to be very fun. Michigan plays Alabama at neutral sites in the next two season openers, a game that's great for both programs and for fans everywhere. This Meyer - Brady Hoke battle is going to be waged 365 days a year, mostly in Ohio but not always, for the next several years. Michigan-Ohio State stands on its own for many historical reasons, but adding in the whole SEC thing in the form of Meyer, Michigan-Alabama and the possibility that Ohio State or Michigan might sometime soon play an SEC school in this Big Game makes for a really exciting thought. Is this rematch the best thing for college football and this flawed system? Probably not. Is the rise and dominance of the SEC in general good for college football. Absolutely yes. It's raising the level everywhere else.
3
I covered a national championship football game this year: Wisconsin-Whitewater vs. Mount Union, again, for the Div. III title. One of my favorite stories from that week is that Mount Union wanted to play music during its final practice, and after asking around ended up sending someone to the mall to buy CDs, which were played through Salem Stadium's PA system. I don't think Alabama and LSU had such problems in the leadup to this game. Both Mount and Whitewater basically had open practices leading up the game. I doubt Nick Saban had anyone within three miles of any of his practices all year, even the ones before the Georgia Southern game. It's just a game, right? No. Most certainly not.
4
It's kind of disgusting that college football extends until January 9 without a playoff in its highest division; it's also puzzling that this game needs to be played on a Monday night. What was wrong with a 9 p.m. ET slot last Friday? Anyway, the end of the bowl season is always a sad moment for football junkies. Jumping ahead and counting tonight, I caught all or part of 34 of the 35 bowl games this season. Even I had to draw the line at UCLA-Illinois. The good news is that some schools in the south are just over a month from spring practice. S-E-C, S-E-C, S-E-C...
5
Just as a programming/housekeeping note, I hope/plan to get back to blogging more regularly soon. Now that football season in Ohio and the holidays are over, that should be easier. I'm going to be covering a lot of college basketball and a lot of NFL Draft over the next couple of months and both of those things should spark some interesting debate. Have a question, an idea or an argument? Send it here or look me up on Twitter @FSOhioZJackson
One more note on tonight: Trent Richardson is an incredible talent. Tonight is his final college game, and he has a chance to be a fine NFL player. But the Browns won't and shouldn't take him at No. 4 in April. Not a running back -- any back -- in today's NFL, and not with as many needs as the Browns have. It's just not prudent. Just thought I'd throw that out there now.
Enjoy the game.
