HE MIGHT BE THE BEST BUT HE WON'T WIN THE HEISMAN

 College Football … trying to make sense of it all – and failing miserably, I might add:

CAMERON SKATTEBO … remember the name … if 

you can.

If I was BUBBA CUNNINGHAM, I wouldn’t hire BILL 

BELICHICK before checking first with my … ahem, 

student-athletes. How many would react by going straight 

to the transfer portal? If the answer is few to none, then 

you can be sure they know the potential new football 

coach at North Carolina by his iconic reputation only … 

By the way … someone who knows says Cunningham, 

the Carolina director of athletics, gave outgoing coach

 MACK BROWN a choice … resign or be fired, it 

doesn’t matter … you will be treated the same financially. 

We love you, but not enough to watch JMU score 70 

points, for crying out loud.

WANTED (still) … someone to ask the winning coach a 

decent question after The Big Game … OK, any game.

ASHTON JEANTY (Boise State) for Heisman. Or 

Oregon QBDILLON GABRIEL. Or how about

 BRYSON DAILY, the indefatigable Army quarterback 

built like a linebacker? … I know, I know, the 11-1 Black 

Knights of the Hudson don’t play a schedule worthy of 

CFP consideration … yet think how much fun it would be 

to see the real America’s Team led by Captain America -- 

the quintessential warrior – get another crack at Notre 

Dame. Or, possibly embarrass JASON DAY … and send 

over-rated, under-coached Ohio State on its way … I like 

dreamin’ ...

Comeback Coach of the Year: Tie, between Clemson’s

 DABO SWINNEY and Arizona State’s KENNY 

DILLINGHAM ... the latter for taking a team picked to 

finish last in the 16-team Big 12 all the way to the 

conference championship, a 10-2 record and a place in 

the national playoffs … where he will turn Skattebo loose 

on the field that includes Jeanty but, it says here, no better 

candidate for NFL running back than the Sun Devils’ 5-

11, 220-pound senior who, in the championship game 

agan st Iowa State, ran 16 times for 170 yards … most of 

them after shaking off several would-be tacklers. “I am 

the best running back in the country,” said Skattebo who 

went into the familiar Heisman Trophy pose three times 

during the game … but, sorry about that Cameron … you 

aren’t among the four 2024 Heisman finalists: Jeanty, 

Gabriel, Miami QB CAM WARD and Colorado’s two-

way TRAVIS HUNTER.

As for Dabo Dabo Do … he certainly did … overcoming 

a terrible start … that had some people accusing Swinney 

of all kinds of things like? … Well, he had the only major 

team without benefit of the transfer portal … which 

means he is old fashioned (HORRORS!), refusing to keep 

up with modern, up-to-date know-how … and the game 

had passed him by … so maybe we should consider 

sending him on his way and thanks for the memories … 

So, what happens? Swinney overcomes a distinct problem 

at quarterback. His Tigers beat Top 10 SMU for the ACC 

title and now meet fifth-rated Texas, which is favored by 

10 ½ points … most of any team in a first-round CFP 

matchup … that should be a toss-up.

Congratulations are in order for the framers of the 12-

team post-season extravaganza … They have, at last, 

made all bowl games – yes, ALL – irrelevent … Like, 

who cares who plays in the Fiesta Bowl, no longer a 

stand-alone but just another stop on the road to a 

championship … OK, so Virginia Tech will say it’s 

thrilled – or some other suitable lie – to be facing mighty 

Minnesota in the Jan. 3 Duke’s Mayo Bowl … and James 

Madison will be sort of sincere to be happy to take on 

Western Kentucky in the Dec. 18 Boca Raton Bowl … 

But, it says here only those coaching in these BrandX 

Who Cares? affairs look forward to keeping the season 

alive … because it gives them more practice time … and 

what good leader of young man would turn that down? … 

The bowl myth was exposed to us shortly after Virginia 

completed its 1984 season by beating mighty Purdue in 

the Peach Bowl, then held outdoors … and a raucous 

good time was had by all Hoos because it was UVA’s first 

post-season affair which, of course, made it special … 

However, the more the men of GEORGE 

WELSHplayed well and therefore were rewarded the less 

special it became. Except for going to New Orleans to 

meet Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl … there was little to 

recommend (or get even somewhat excited about) other 

bowl excursions. You could sense most, if not all, of the 

players felt likewise.

Until next time ...