It’s been an exciting college football season filled with great games, exciting teams and elite whining.

First Place…

Let’s start with the most obvious whiner(s): Every single person discussing the Oregon/Colorado blowout outside of a football game context. Yes, Every. Single. One. Of. You. To the white folk cheering on Oregon simply just to see Deion Sanders and his revamped program lose for one specific reason; you are the worst. To the blindly loyal, hypocrite Deion groupies who throw around the race card whenever someone roots against Colorado; you are second worst.

Let me spell out the truth for you. Deion Sanders does not actually care what the Oregon coach said during his pregame speech, his postgame speech, his pre school graduation speech or his wedding speech. If you know Deion at all (and I don’t mean personally), you know that that man cannot be offended. He’s oozing with self-confidence. Your words, my words, Oregon’s coach’s words do not give him a moment’s pause. You don’t need to be offended for Deion. He’s fine.

Similarly, Oregon’s coach does not care what song Colorado dances to after a victory. He doesn’t care that they’re flashy and resemble their head coach with flare and arrogance. And he most absolutely, positively does not care that a majority of that Colorado squad is not white. You know how I know this? Because Oregon’s roster is identical.

Coaches find ways to motivate players. Using doubters, trash talk or any other form of negativity has irrationally motivated athletes for decades. Do you really think Deion believed the Colorado State coach was insulting Deion’s mother? Of course not, but it allowed Deion to make the game personal for him and his players. Oregon and Dan Lanning took Colorado’s brash and bravado and did the same.

It’s moronic how any opinion on Deion and Colorado is boiled down to race. Are there racists weighing in? Probably, but whether or not someone is rooting for or against Colorado on Saturday does not qualify as racism.

I’ll help with an example… I wanted Oregon to win Saturday, and I don’t even like Oregon. I didn’t want the Ducks to win because I wanted Colorado and Deion to lose. Not at all. I did, however, want all the irrational, over-the-top, Deion fan boys to lose. They’ve been insufferable. They treated an overtime victory over a 25 point dog like they won the national championship. They aggressively attacked a Colorado State safety for a cheap shot against Travis Hunter like it was a criminal offense. It was a cheap shot. That’s it.

To turn rooting against Colorado into some form of modern day discrimination is unbelievably petty and pathetic. It’s football. Oregon wanted to win. They won. Colorado asked for the smoke and the Ducks delivered it in heavy doses because Colorado wasn’t close to as good. That’s it. That’s the entirety of what happened last Saturday.

This week, though? This week I’ll be rooting for Colorado because I don’t like USC. Am I all-of-sudden less “racist” than I was a week ago?

Second Place…

Poor Ryan Day would’ve reigned supreme any other week if not for the drama in Eugene. Day coming after poor Lou Holtz had me in stitches. Day did not look like a head coach secure in his role at one of the premiere football programs in the country. No sir. He looked like a man that has allowed the pressure of two consecutive Michigan losses and no national championships to put him on edge. I mean who cares what a retired 80 year old has to say about your team? I’m probably alone on this but I thought that outburst made Day look weak and vulnerable. I guess that makes sense considering the whispers swirling around Columbus aren’t even whispers anymore. Day must produce soon (beat Michigan) or he could be out.

Third Place…

Me. Big Noon is the dumbest collegiate marketing/programming thing going. I apologize if I’m alone on this, but who wants to watch a premiere matchup week in and week out at noon? I sure don’t.

Penn State is my team. The two biggest matchups of their season will be on FOX at noon. Are you telling me there are more eyeballs at noon than in prime time at 7 or 8? (This could entirely be true. I have no clue.) I got kids, too many of them, in fact. Three of them play sports. I’m lucky if I can sit on the couch before 5 or 6 on a Saturday. Big Noon is dumb. I hate it. Please someone kill it. I’m begging you.

*****

Thursday Night Pick; Packers +2.5