Topsy-Turvy College Football

While my family and I were visiting relatives in Lexington, Kentucky, the top-ranked Louisiana State University college football team was in town to play the much-improved University of Kentucky Wildcats. I watched the entire game, which began UK’s way but gradually looked as if LSU would pull away to an easy victory. But then, something happened in the second half. Kentucky unexpectedly began to show new life and energy, while LSU made stupid mistakes that aided their opponent. At the end of regulation, the game was knotted up at 27, and overtime was called. With each overtime period, LSU committed a crucial penalty that kept the Wildcats alive in the game. Finally, in the third overtime period, Kentucky was able to score and then stop the Tigers to pull off an unexpected upset! Naturally, like they usually do whenever they pull off an upset at home, the Kentucky fans swept onto the field and pulled down their own goalposts! Since my Florida Gators will be there this Saturday to play them, I hope UF will be able to win and save them their “new” goalposts. The irony about the LSU-Kentucky game was that LSU let a solid lead disintegrate in the fourth quarter through sloppy play, just as the Gators blew their lead against the Tigers the previous Saturday.

Not only did #1 LSU lose, but so did #2 California a little while later (against Oregon State). That left Ohio State, South Florida, and Boston College the three top-ranked teams in the country (I’ve already extolled USF and BC on previous entries)! Of course, last night South Florida had to go and lose to Rutgers, further muddling up the picture.

This weekend will see some important matchups. The greatest, for me, will be Florida vs. Kentucky and Tennessee vs. Alabama (at Tuscaloosa). The Gators need to win the remainder of their Southeastern Conference games while the UT Volunteers (whose coach Phillip Fulmer I admire) need to lose at least one more game. So this Saturday, I’ll be pulling for Alabama (whose coach Nick Saban I don’t admire), something I hardly ever do!