2024-25 College Football Playoff and Bowl Games: List and Commentary (published 12-17-2024; article #505)

Photograph by M. Fearghail on 10/28/2022, as included in the 8/4/2022 article, updated on 10/28/2022.

Introduction

The conclusion explains why the above photograph was chosen for this article. Bowl games and toilet bowls have something in common.

Greetings, sports enthusiasts! Welcome to the 18th entry in the Sports topic section. Today's edition focuses on the College Football Playoff and the myriad of bowl games. For the third year in a row, this article is a public service to college football aficionados. The previous two public service articles were on December 10, 2022, and December 10, 2023.

Recent Saturdays have been stocked with college football games. According to weekly calculations based on NCAA: 2024 Scoreboard: Football: FBS, between 40 and 75 games were scheduled on any given Saturday since August 31. Those were great football Saturdays, even when my teams lost.

Last Saturday fielded only two lackluster games: Navy trounced Army West Point, and South Alabama beat Western Michigan. Wait! I almost forgot. There were also two obscure bowl games that day, if anyone cared. In the Celebration Bowl, Jackson State celebrated by dominating South Carolina State. The Salute to Veterans Bowl saw South Alabama defeat Western Michigan. Last Saturday, I experienced FWS (football withdrawal syndrome)!

Not to worry! The four first-round games in the College Football Playoff (CFP) will be played this Friday and Saturday! We will jump into that section next.

Watch out for the conclusion! It explains why bowl games and toilet bowls have something in common. Furthermore, it bemoans Mrs. Appalachian Irishman's Saturday morning television selections and proposes renaming the Southeastern Conference to the Sun-Earth Conference.

College Football Playoff (CFP)

Jumping now into the CFP, this is the first 12-team playoff season. I'm sure that a few kinks need adjusting. For instance, Clemson (#16 CFP, 10-3, including an early loss to Georgia) earned the 12th seed in the playoff by upsetting SMU (#10 CFP, 11-2) in the ACC championship game on December 7.

Consequently, the final CFP ranking includes four teams, not in the playoff, that rank higher than Clemson: #11 Alabama, #13 Miami, #14 Ole Miss, & #15 South Carolina. Arizona State is ranked #12 and is the fourth seed in the playoff. Those four higher-ranked schools, especially Alabama, have reason to be upset!

My suggestion is to rank the 12-team playoff based on the final CFP ranking, without giving weight to conference champions. If that were done this year, then the 12 teams would be:

#1 Oregon (Big Ten, 13-0), #2 Georgia (SEC, 11-2), #3 Texas (SEC, 11-2, both losses to Georgia), #4 Penn State (Big Ten, 11-2), #5 Notre Dame (FBS Indep., 11-1), #6 Ohio State (Big Ten, 10-2), #7 Tennessee (SEC, 10-2), #8 Indiana (Big Ten, 11-1), #9 Boise State (Mountain West, 12-1), #10 SMU (ACC, 11-2), #11 Alabama (SEC, 9-3), and #12 Arizona State (Big 12, 11-2).

 

The top four seeded teams would have a first-round bye. The four first-round matchups would be in the first bracket: #12 Arizona State at #5 Notre Dame and #9 Boise State at #8 Indiana. The second bracket would match #11 Alabama at #6 Ohio State and #10 SMU at #7 Tennessee. My suggestion is simpler. That's my opinion. Feel free to make it yours!

Of course, this coming Friday and Saturday, the first-round matchups will be in the first bracket: #12 Clemson at #5 Texas and #9 Tennessee at #8 Ohio State. The second bracket matches #11 SMU at Penn State and #10 Indiana at #7 Notre Dame. Sources: College Football Playoff, College Football Playoff: 2024-25 Bracket, and NCAA: 2024 Scoreboard: Football: FBS.

My bracket would pair off #10 SMU on the road at #7 Tennessee this Friday. Instead, Tennessee travels to Ohio State to take on the Buckeyes this Saturday at 8 PM. I hope that I can go to bed before the game is over, knowing that the Vols have a comfortable lead. Go Vols!

On New Year's Day, in the Sugar Bowl, #2 Georgia takes on the winner of the Indiana at Notre Dame first-round game. The game doesn't start until 8:45 PM on ESPN. I wonder how long I'll stay up, watching that game. Go Dawgs!

Bowl Games

Following the tradition of the two previous public service articles from 12/10/2022 and 12/10/2023, this section lists in a more user-friendly fashion the 47 (count 'em, 47) bowl games. As mentioned, the first two were last Saturday. The final will be on Monday, 1/20/2025, the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

Ready for the exhausting list? Drum roll, please! The following is the user-friendly list of the 2024-25 bowl games:

Saturday, Dec. 14: 2 games
-- Celebration Bowl, Atlanta, GA: Jackson State 28, South Carolina State 7
-- Salute to Veterans Bowl, Montgomery, AL: South Alabama 30, Western Michigan 23

Tuesday, Dec. 17: 1 game
-- Frisco Bowl, 9 PM, ESPN, Frisco, TX: #25 Memphis vs. West Virginia

Wednesday, Dec. 18: 2 games
-- Boca Raton Bowl, 5:30 PM, ESPN, Boca Raton, FL: James Madison vs. Western Kentucky
-- LA Bowl, 9 PM, ESPN, Inglewood, CA: #24 UNLV vs. Cal

Thursday, Dec. 19: 1 game
-- New Orleans Bowl, 7 PM, ESPN2, New Orleans, LA: Sam Houston vs. Georgia Southern

Friday, Dec. 20: 3 games
-- Cure Bowl, 12 PM, ESPN, Orlando, FL: Ohio vs. Jacksonville State
-- Gasparilla Bowl, 3:30 PM, ESPN, Tampa, FL: Florida vs. Tulane
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 2 First Round Game, 8 PM, ABC/ESPN, South Bend, IN: #8 CFP/#10 seed Indiana at #5 CFP/#7 seed Notre Dame

Saturday, Dec. 21: 3 games
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 2 First Round Game, 12 PM, TNT, University Park, PA: #10 CFP/#11 seed SMU at #4 CFP/#6 seed Penn State
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 1 First Round Game, 4 PM, TNT, Austin, TX: #16 CFP/#12 seed Clemson at #3 CFP/#5 seed Texas
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 1 First Round Game, 8 PM, ABC/ESPN, Columbus, OH: #7 CFP/#9 seed Tennessee at #6 CFP/#8 seed Ohio State

Monday, Dec. 23: 2 games
-- Myrtle Beach Bowl, 11 AM, ESPN, Conway, SC: Coastal Carolina vs. UTSA
-- Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, 2:30 PM, ESPN, Boise, ID: Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State

Tuesday, Dec. 24: 1 game
-- Hawai'i Bowl, 8 PM, ESPN, Honolulu, HI: South Florida vs. San Jose State

Thursday, Dec. 26: 3 games
-- GameAbove Sports Bowl, 2 PM, ESPN, Detroit, MI: Pitt vs. Toledo
-- Rate Bowl, 5:30 PM, ESPN, Phoenix, AZ: Rutgers vs. Kansas State
-- 68 Ventures Bowl, 9 PM, ESPN, Mobile, AL: Arkansas State vs. Bowling Green

Friday, Dec. 27: 5 games
-- Armed Forces Bowl, 12 PM, ESPN, Fort Worth, TX: Navy vs. Oklahoma
-- Birmingham Bowl, 3:30 PM, ESPN, Birmingham, AL: Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt
-- Liberty Bowl, 7 PM, ESPN, Memphis, TN: Arkansas vs. Texas Tech
-- Holiday Bowl, 8 PM, Fox, San Diego, CA: #21 Syracuse vs. Washington State
-- Las Vegas Bowl, 10:30 PM, ESPN, Las Vegas, NV: USC vs. Texas A&M

Saturday, Dec. 28: 8 games
-- Fenway Bowl, 11 AM, ESPN, Boston, MA: UConn vs. North Carolina
-- Pinstripe Bowl, 12 PM, ABC, Bronx, NY: Boston College vs. Nebraska
-- New Mexico Bowl, 2:15 PM, ESPN, Albuquerque, NM: TCU vs. Louisiana
-- Pop-Tarts Bowl, 3:30 PM, ABC, Orlando, FL: #13 Miami (FL) vs. #18 Iowa State
-- Arizona Bowl, 4:30 PM, CW Network, Tucson, AZ: Colorado State vs. Miami (OH)
-- Military Bowl, 5:45 PM, ESPN, Annapolis, MD: NC State vs. East Carolina
-- Alamo Bowl, 7:30 PM, ABC, San Antonio, TX: #17 BYU vs. #23 Colorado
-- Independence Bowl, 9:15 PM, ESPN, Shreveport, LA: #22 Army vs. Marshall

Monday, Dec. 30: 1 game
-- Music City Bowl, 2:30 PM, ESPN, Nashville, TN: #19 Missouri vs. Iowa

Tuesday, Dec. 31: 5 games
-- ReliaQuest Bowl, 12 PM, ESPN, Tampa, FL: #11 Alabama vs. Michigan
-- Sun Bowl, 2 PM, CBS, El Paso, TX: Louisville vs. Washington
-- Citrus Bowl, 3 PM, ABC, Orlando, FL: #15 South Carolina vs. #20 Illinois
-- Texas Bowl, 3:30 PM, ESPN, Houston, TX: LSU vs. Baylor
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 2 Quarterfinal Game (Fiesta Bowl), 7:30 PM, ESPN, Glendale, AZ: #9 rank/#3 seed Boise State vs. the winner of bracket 2: SMU at Penn State

Wednesday, Jan. 1: 3 games
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 1 Quarterfinal Game (Peach Bowl), 1 PM, ESPN, Atlanta, GA: #12 rank/#4 seed Arizona State vs. the winner of bracket 1: Clemson at Texas
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 1 Quarterfinal Game (Rose Bowl), 5 PM, ESPN, Pasadena, CA: #1 rank/seed Oregon vs. the winner of bracket 1: Tennessee at Ohio State
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 2 Quarterfinal Game (Sugar Bowl), 8:45 PM, ESPN, New Orleans, LA: #2 rank/seed Georgia vs. the winner of bracket 2: Indiana at Notre Dame

Thursday, Jan. 2: 1 game
-- Gator Bowl, 7:30 PM, ESPN, Jacksonville, FL: #14 Ole Miss vs. Duke

Friday, Jan. 3: 2 games
-- First Responder Bowl, 4 PM, ESPN, Dallas, TX: North Texas vs. Texas State
-- Duke's Mayo Bowl, 7:30 PM, ESPN, Charlotte, NC: Minnesota vs. Virginia Tech

Saturday, Jan. 4: 1 game
-- Bahamas Bowl, 11 AM, ESPN/ESPN2, Nassau, Bahamas: Liberty vs. Buffalo

Thursday, Jan. 9: 1 game
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 2 Semifinal Game (Orange Bowl), 7:30 PM, ESPN, Miami Gardens, FL: the two winners of the bracket 2 quarterfinal games

Friday, Jan. 10: 1 game
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 1 Semifinal Game (Cotton Bowl), 7:30 PM, ESPN, Arlington, TX: the two winners of the bracket 1 quarterfinal games

Monday, Jan. 20: 1 game
-- College Football Playoff National Championship Game, 7:30 PM, ESPN, Atlanta, GA: the two winners of the semifinal games

This article was published before this evening's Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl, featuring #25 Memphis versus West Virginia at 9 PM. For those, if any, interested, Frisco is a town that is a part of the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, metropolitan area. Scooter's Coffee is a coffee franchise that doesn't interest me. The Frisco Bowl is one of the 37 meaningless bowl games that should be flushed down a toilet bowl!

I hope that your eyes didn't cross, while reading the previous list! I should have warned you. Adding the list to this article made my eyes glaze over. My mind briefly turned to mush. I had to go outside and move around for a while, even in the too warm, cloudy, and rainy weather.

I emboldened the ten bowl games that should be played. Those are, in scheduled order, the Liberty Bowl, Sun Bowl, Citrus Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Gator Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Cotton Bowl. The other 37 bowls should simply be flushed like last night's kitsch! As a true Appalachian Irishman, I don't eat kitsch. I don't even know what it is.

I underlined the 13 of 16 SEC teams that are in bowl games. Only Auburn, Kentucky, and Mississippi State were not bowl eligible.

Conclusion

Why did I include the photograph of my toilet bowl and bathroom library? Certain bowl games, about 37 of them, and toilet bowls have something in common. All need to be flushed! If honoring mediocre teams were not the norm, then we would have fewer bowl games. In a capitalist economic system, however, in which wealthy corporations, television networks, and sports fanatics want to flush money down the toilet, well, let them.

Football Saturdays place me firmly in control of the television remote. Favorite channels include those showing football games. My “long-suffering” wife is excluded from her usual lineup of sappy movies, home improvement channels, cooking channels, and 24/7 news channels. I was in control until last Saturday, when Mrs. Appalachian Irishman gleefully returned to her morning to early afternoon shows, much to my aggravation.

As in my public service article from 12/10/2023, this article concludes by calling on the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to rename itself the Sun-Earth Conference (SEC)! This season saw Oklahoma and Texas join the SEC. They joined three other SEC teams that are not in the southeast: Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas A&M. Now, five SEC teams are not geographically in the southeast. That's almost a third of the conference!

This article welcomes the SEC newcomers, but it also asks, “Why can't the Southeastern Conference be renamed the Sun-Earth Conference?” That way, any team under the sun and on the Earth could join!

What say you?

Saturday, 12-7-2024, Pearl Harbor Day: Hawkins County Trip & SEC Championship (published 12-11-2024; article #504)

Photograph by M. Fearghail on Saturday, 12/7/2024, at 1:14 PM. The view looks north.

Introduction

On Saturday, December 7, the 82nd anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day, this Appalachian Irishman and his reliable 2006 Frontier took a road trip to Hawkins County, Tennessee! We returned home about midway into the first quarter of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship game. In all, it was a good “man day.” Mrs. Appalachian Irishman had the invitation to accompany me, but she declined. Her priorities were doing three loads of laundry and visiting with her father and sister.

Welcome, dear reader, to the 106th article in the Heritage topic section, which is also the 17th entry in the Sports section. The story begins with stops and visits in Hawkins County. Transitioning, it ends with the SEC championship game.

Saturday's weather, unlike today, was seasonably cool and sunny, perfect conditions for a “man day” adventure! Today's weather is cool, windy, and blustery. The morning dusting of snow melted quickly. Coming down in big flakes, the falling snow was enjoyable to watch.

Picky Aside

As a picky digression, the Imperial Japanese air force struck Pearl Harbor early on the Sunday morning of December 7, 1941. Last Saturday, therefore, was the 82nd anniversary of that infamous attack, not the 83rd as several online articles state incorrectly.

The first anniversary was on December 7, 1942. Last Saturday marked 83 years since the attack.

Trip to Hawkins County

Moving past that picky aside, let's hit the road and drive up to Hawkins County! Wanting to leave the house by 8:45 AM, I cranked my truck at 8:57 AM to start the trip.

What delayed me? I guess it took 12 minutes to thoroughly “mow” (trim) my unruly beard and mustache hair! Those wild hairs wouldn't trim down without a fight!

Homeplace

The first stop was at the homeplace, included in the previous photograph. Arriving at 10:03 AM, the roofing contractor was already waiting on me. A few minutes after I arrived, the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) contractor arrived. I had arranged to meet both contractors at 10 AM.

My wife and I had visited with my youngest brother and his family on Saturday, November 30, which was also Granny Molly Gertrude Archer Ferrell's birthday in 1892. After a fine meal and great visit, we checked on the homeplace. The condensate removal pump for the furnace was not working. A small amount of water had drained onto the basement floor.

The local HVAC contractor, whom I consider to be a friend, replaced the defective pump. Thankfully, the pump had not leaked more water onto the basement floor. Whatever tinkering that I had done to the old pump the previous Saturday must have fixed it temporarily.

Farther back, on Saturday, October 12, my wife and I met my youngest brother and his family in downtown Rogersville for Heritage Days weekend. As usual, Main Street was crowded with vendors and bipedal shoppers. I didn't recognize anyone. For my wife and me, we bought chicken sticks and lemonade from a food vendor, paying $13 each for two chicken sticks and $8 for one 32-ounce lemonade, which we shared. That was $34! The shock of that expense thwarted any interest in further vendor shopping. The six of us, however, enjoyed the sunny and warm weather. Standing near the old White Store building, we had a good, long visit.

Afterward, my wife and I drove to check on the homeplace. At least one shingle on the northeast corner of the roof had blown off, due to the remnants of hurricane Helene that blew through the area from September 25-30.

The roofing contractor, a new friend, who had arrived before me, had already inspected the roof. He and I are the same age. Looking eye-to-eye and shaking hands, we agreed on the roof work that is being scheduled as of this article's publication date.

Just before the two contractors left, the man, who mows the field behind the house and harvests the hay, dropped by. The four of us conversed on various topics for a while. Thankfully, this fine man keeps the field looking great.

As I was finishing several chores outside, in the basement, and inside the house, our good neighbor from across the road knocked and came inside to greet me. Standing in the kitchen, we talked about recent and upcoming life events. He said that his wife, who remained at home, was doing well. We swapped yarns about trivial domestic disputes with our wives. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, by not being present, missed a chance to defend herself! His wife did too!

Just before leaving, I called my good friend, Bill, and photographed the house and land in the previous image. The house has some age and wear and tear, but it's still standing, just like me!

My Friend, Bill

The article from 6/20/2024 mentions Bill, my friend since grade school, and his mother. His mother attained the spry age of 90 on Saturday, June 29. My wife and I drove up and spent time with Bill and his mother on her birthday. Still able to get around and drive locally, Bill's mother still has that look in her eye that used to tell us boys that we were in trouble! We reminisced about childhood memories and enjoyed cake and ice cream.

Bill and I visited for a good, long while, and we conversed openly on several topics. I always enjoy seeing Bill. Since we talked for so long, and I wanted to visit my youngest brother and his family, Bill said that he would tell his mother, who lives next door, that I didn't want to bother her with my glib, Irish tongue! In honesty, Bill said that his mother would talk with us for so long that I might not get to visit my brother and family.

Youngest Brother's House

Leaving Bill's, I paused along the side of the road to call my youngest brother. Unable to reach him, I left his wife and him voicemails. I almost decided to drive through downtown, on Main Street, to reach their house. I'm glad that I didn't.

Knocking on the door, upon my arrival, I found no one home. A neighbor's dog came into their yard to greet me. I could hear their two dogs barking from within their sheltered pen behind the house.

Later on, my youngest brother returned my voicemail. His wife, their two daughters, and he had gone to the Christmas parade, which started at 4 PM. It's a good thing that I chose to take the bypass, instead of driving through Main Street! Downtown would have been blocked to traffic for the parade.

Leaving their house, my truck decided to drive through St. Clair and Morristown, to reach Highway 25E. From there, I got onto Highway 11W at Rutledge.

Hungry and with the need to clean bird droppings that splattered directly onto the driver's side windshield, I stopped at a local convenience store. A damp paper towel cleaned the bird splatter. The Coke and corn dog, which cost just over $3, held me over until supper.

SEC Championship

My ol' truck and I returned home about 4:40 PM. The SEC championship football game had started at 4 PM. My “long-suffering” wife knew to have the television on the game.

After playing with and petting Molly, our nine-year-old “puppy,” I went inside, washed my hands, and did a few other things. Once I'd settled down, I started watching the game. Eventually, after supper, Molly joined us inside. The three of us watched most of the game.

Who won the game? Georgia defeated Texas in overtime, 22-19! Great win, Bulldogs! I wish, however, that you would learn how to play a consistent game. Coming from behind in the second half or winning in overtime is getting old.

Up next are the College Football Playoffs! If interested, check out the College Football Playoff: News: “College Football Playoff Selection Committee Announces Final Top 25 Rankings of 2024,” 12/8/2024! In the first round, 9-seeded Tennessee goes on the road to take on 8-seeded Ohio State on Saturday, December 21. On New Year's Day at the Sugar Bowl, 2-seeded Georgia takes on the winner of the Indiana at Notre Dame game. I'm excited! Go Vols! Go 'Dawgs!

Conclusion

Well, that's a wrap, sports fans! Further, I trust that those, who find value in family heritage, enjoyed the story about my trip to Hawkins County.

After my mother went to see Jesus, my father said, “Boys, we're just trying to keep things going here.” He was speaking about life at the homeplace without his wife.

Mom and Dad, I'm still trying to keep things going there. I love and miss you both, but I will see you again.

On the first Saturday in October 2024, what did the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers have in common? (published 10-6-2024; article #493)

Photograph by M. Fearghail, 10/1/2023, 2:00 PM. Included in the 10/2/2023 article.

Introduction

Yesterday, the first Saturday in October, what did the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers have in common? This sixteenth entry in the Sports topic section answers the question! The conclusion explains why the above photograph is included in this article.

On my mind are the recent ravages of Hurricane Helene, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, tomorrow's first anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel, and the ad nauseam politics of the current presidential election cycle. Draft articles on each topic are in the works. I hope to finish and publish them in a few days. Sports distracts us from those other profound and frequently frustrating topics.

Alabama Lost by Five Points to Unranked Vanderbilt

Yesterday afternoon, the #1 AP-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide was shocked by the unranked Vanderbilt Commodores in Nashville! The televised game started at 4:15 PM eastern time. My wife and I watched the Georgia-Auburn game, which started at 3:30 PM. We did, however, catch some of the Alabama-Vanderbilt game. I was amazed to learn that the halftime score was Vanderbilt 23, Alabama 14!

At times, I switched channels to check the score. I thought, “Surely, Alabama will find a way to beat hapless Vanderbilt.” After all, on Saturday, September 28, the then #4 AP-ranked Crimson Tide beat the then #2 AP-ranked Georgia Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa by seven points. That loss frustrated me. Georgia needs to stop sleeping through the first half and awakening in the second half.

Yesterday, in the second half, Alabama scored 21 points, but Vanderbilt scored 17. Vanderbilt beat Alabama by five points! The final score was Vanderbilt 40, Alabama 35.

A good summary of the game is found at “No. 1/2 Alabama Football Falls 40-35 at Vanderbilt,” Roll Tide, 10/5/2024. I enjoyed watching Vandy fans swarm the field and begin to tear down the goal posts. Vanderbilt was not hapless that day.

Tennessee Lost by Five Points to Unranked Arkansas

Last evening in Fayetteville, the unranked home team Arkansas Razorback upset the #4 AP-ranked Tennessee Volunteers. The televised game started at 7:30 PM. My wife, Molly (our ol' puppy), and I watched the game, until Molly's bedtime (about 8:30 PM) and my wife's bedtime (about 9 PM). I stayed up to about 11:30 PM, watching the rest of the game.

The halftime score was Arkansas three and Tennessee zero. In the third quarter, the Volunteers (Vols) scored two touchdowns to the Razorback's one, making the score Tennessee 14, Arkansas 10. I thought that Tennessee could hold on to win. I was wrong!

In the fourth quarter, the Vols could not score. The Razorbacks scored a field goal and a touchdown. (The two-point attempt failed.) The final score was Arkansas 19, Tennessee 14. Tennessee lost by five points.

The game is summarized at "#4 Vols Come Up Short in 19-14 Loss at Arkansas," UT Sports, 10/5/2024. I wish that Tennessee had been able to win the game. Instead of sadness, I had to smile and laugh to myself a little, as I watched Razorback fans cover the field and begin tearing down goal posts. Tennessee just did not play well enough to win.

For some reason early this morning, I remembered, when I was 11, that my parents, brothers, and I visited with Granny and Papaw Wood. Uncle John and Aunt Mae Livesay (Granny's sister), who lived within walking distance, had family visiting as well. It must have been around Thanksgiving in 1971. That December, Tennessee faced Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. I remember talking with the adults about the upcoming game. One of them said, “Tennessee better watch out for those Razorbacks. Those hogs can be pretty mean.” Why do I still remember that? Was I worried? On Monday, December 20, 1971, Tennessee defeated Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis by one point. The final score was Tennessee 14, Arkansas 13. Source: Sports Reference: Tennessee Volunteers Bowls.

Conclusion

Yesterday, Alabama and Tennessee, top-five ranked Southeastern Conference (SEC) teams, were each defeated by five points by unranked conference teams! Have two SEC teams, ranked in the top five, ever lost before to unranked conference opponents on the same day? Never before. According to “Chaos hits AP Top 25 with 4 teams ranked in the top 11 losing to unranked opponents,” Associated Press (AP), by Josh Dubow, 10/6/2024, “This marked the first time that two SEC teams ranked in the top five lost to unranked conference opponents on the same day. . . .”

Why is the photograph of my Georgia Bulldogs yard flag included in this article? Yesterday, the #5 AP-ranked Georgia Bulldogs defeated the unranked Auburn Tigers, 31-13. At halftime, Georgia was ahead 14-3. It was a better start. Both teams scored touchdowns in the third quarter. In the 4th quarter, Auburn got a field goal, but Georgia scored a touchdown and a field goal. Georgia's offense and defense are not as good as they were last year. The team is still a work in progress. Still yet, it was a solid win at home for homecoming. Yesterday, top-five-ranked Georgia beat its unranked conference opponent. Top-five-ranked Alabama and Tennessee lost to their unranked conference matchups.

Our good neighbors across the road have up their Tennessee yard flag. I may change our yard flag, from Appalachian Irishman to Georgia Bulldogs. Chuck is another good neighbor. He's a polite Alabama fan. On one of our front porch rocking chairs sits one of Molly's toys, a small red elephant with blue ears. Georgia could face Alabama again in a championship playoff game.

Go Dawgs! Go Vols! Tennessee is my second favorite college football team, behind Georgia. I dislike Alabama. I like Chuck.

6-25-2024 Sports Update: Men's College Baseball “World” Series & Stanley Cup (published 6-25-2024; article #482)

8/23/2019 photograph by Dave Adamson on Unsplash. Free to use under the Unsplash License.

Introduction

Breaking news: Both sporting events were on Monday evening, June 24, 2024. The University of Tennessee Volunteers men's college baseball team won the college baseball “world” series championship! The Florida Panthers won the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup championship.

Welcome to the 15th and somewhat sarcastic entry in the sports topic section. What did Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I watch last evening? The conclusion will tell you.

Men's College Baseball “World” Series Champions

The first pitch last evening was just after 7 PM, on Monday, June 24. The setting was Omaha, Nebraska. In the final game of the series, Tennessee defeated Texas A&M by a score of 6 to 5. In baseball, this was the University of Tennessee's first national title and their first appearance in the championship series, since their defeat in 1951.

Local media outlets have been jubilantly decked out in Tennessee orange. A parade is scheduled for early this evening: “Parade announced! Here's when you can celebrate Tennessee's College World Series win,” WBIR-TV (Knoxville), by Tom Barclay, published 6/24/2024, updated 6/25/2024. If local readers attend, don't look for my wife and me. We won't be in the crowd.

For the entire scoop of all that you need or don't need to know, see “Finishing 'unfinished business' — how the Vols conquered the 2024 Men's College World Series,” NCAA.com, by Mike Lopresti, 6/25/2024.

Why have I placed “World” in quotation marks? It is not a men's college baseball “world” series! It is a men's college baseball national series! All the NCAA Division I schools are in the United States.

“National” Hockey League, Stanley Cup Champions

Last evening, our cable television provider really wanted us to watch the Stanley Cup ice hockey game. It must have been televised about the same time that the men's college baseball final championship game was aired.

During my childhood years, I used to follow ice hockey. Since then, my interest has warmed and melted the icy enthusiasm of my youth. According to “Panthers' journey from NHL punch line to Stanley Cup champs,” ESPN, by Greg Wyshynski, 6/24/2024, last evening, the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers and won the “National” Hockey League's Stanley Cup Championship. Did I hear a yawn? As an aside, research indicates that the Stanley Cup is named after Lord Frederick Arthur Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada from 1888 to 1893. I had always wondered how the cup got its name.

For any reader wanting to know, the Florida Panthers' home is the town of Sunrise, Florida, in Broward County. The town is west of Ft. Lauderdale and north of Miami. The city of Edmonton, the home of the Edmonton Oilers, is the capital of the western Canadian province of Alberta.

Why have I placed “National” in quotation marks? It's not a “national” professional ice hockey league. It's an international professional ice hockey league! The “National” Hockey League includes several teams from Canada and the United States.

Conclusion

What did Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I watch last evening? It was the usual line-up: episodes of Gunsmoke, M*A*S*H, and Star Trek. Molly, our ol' puppy, seemed to be interested in the Star Trek episode, amidst her goings out and comings in and “Got 'Ems” games!

When does the college football season start?

2023-2024 College Bowl Games List and Commentary on the 12-2-2023 SEC Championship Game (published 12-10-2023; article #444)

Image by jorono from Pixabay. Free for use under the Pixabay Content License.

Introduction

As a public service to American college football enthusiasts, this article lists the forty-two (count 'em, forty-two) college football bowl games from 12/16/2023 to 1/1/2024. The national championship game on 1/8/2024 makes 43 total games. By the way, this is the 14th article in the Sports topic section.

This may become an annual public service. I am reminded of my article from 12/10/2022, titled “2022-2023 College Football Bowl Games: List and Commentary.” I still think that ten bowl games are enough! Those ten games are emboldened.

2023-2024 College Bowl Games

The source for the following list is “2023-24 college football bowl game schedule, scores, TV channels, times,” NCAA.com (as updated on 12/8/2023). Southeastern Conference (SEC) teams, in bold underline, are in nine games, down from eleven last year.

The ranked teams in the list are from the final College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings on 12/3/2023. Source: “College Football Playoff Selection Committee Announces Final Top 25 Rankings of 2023.” College Football Playoff, 12/3/2023.

The following is my redacted and easier-to-read list of bowl games, based on the NCAA list referenced above. Warning! Your eyes will glaze over, and your mind will start turning to mush, if you read through the entire list! I suggest that you only glance through it. I will offer a few pithy comments after the list.

Saturday, Dec. 16 (7 games)
-- Myrtle Beach Bowl (Conway, SC): Georgia Southern vs. Ohio (11 AM, ESPN)
-- Celebration Bowl (Atlanta, GA): Florida A&M vs. Howard (12 PM, ABC)
-- New Orleans Bowl (New Orleans, LA): Jacksonville State vs. Louisiana (2:15 PM, ESPN)
-- Cure Bowl (Orlando, FL): Miami (Ohio) vs. Appalachian State (3:30 PM, ABC)
-- New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque, NM): Fresno State vs. New Mexico State (5:45 PM, ESPN)
-- LA Bowl (Inglewood, CA): UCLA vs. Boise State (7:30 PM, ABC)
-- Independence Bowl (Shreveport, LA): Texas Tech vs. Cal (9:15 PM, ESPN)

Monday, Dec. 18 (1 game)
-- Bahamas Bowl (but renamed temporarily the Famous Toastery Bowl) in Nassau, Bahamas (but relocated temporarily to Charlotte, NC): Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion (2:30 PM, ESPN)

Tuesday, Dec. 19 (1 game)
-- Frisco Bowl (Frisco, TX): Marshall vs. UTSA (9 PM, ESPN)

Thursday, Dec. 21 (1 game)
-- Boca Raton Bowl (Boca Raton, FL): USF vs. Syracuse (8 PM, ESPN)

Friday, Dec. 22 (1 game)
-- Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa, FL): Georgia Tech vs. UCF (6:30 PM, ESPN)

Saturday, Dec. 23 (7 games)
-- Birmingham Bowl (Birmingham, AL): Troy vs. Duke (12 PM, ABC)
-- Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, AL): Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois (12 PM, ESPN)
-- Armed Forces Bowl (Fort Worth, TX): Air Force vs. James Madison (3:30 PM, ABC)
-- Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise, ID): Georgia State vs. Utah State (3:30 PM, ESPN)
-- 68 Ventures Bowl (Mobile, AL): Eastern Michigan vs. South Alabama (7 PM, ESPN)
-- Las Vegas Bowl (Las Vegas, NV): Northwestern vs. Utah (7:30 PM, ABC)
-- Hawai'i Bowl (Honolulu, HI): San Jose State vs. Coastal Carolina (10:30 PM, ESPN)

Tuesday, Dec. 26 (3 games)
-- Quick Lane Bowl (Detroit, MI): Bowling Green vs. Minnesota (2 PM, ESPN)
-- First Responder Bowl (Dallas, TX): Texas State vs. Rice (5:30 PM, ESPN)
-- Guaranteed Rate Bowl (Phoenix, AZ): Kansas vs. UNLV (9 PM, ESPN)

Wednesday, Dec. 27 (4 games, 1 SEC team)
-- Military Bowl (Annapolis, MD): Tulane vs. Virginia Tech (2 PM, ESPN)
-- Duke's Mayo Bowl (Charlotte, NC): North Carolina vs. West Virginia (5:30 PM, ESPN)
-- Holiday Bowl (San Diego, CA): #15 Louisville vs. Southern Cal (8 PM ET, FOX)
-- Texas Bowl (Houston, TX): #20 Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M (9 PM, ESPN)

Thursday, Dec. 28 (4 games)
-- Fenway Bowl (Boston, MA): #24 SMU vs. Boston College (11 AM, ESPN)
-- Pinstripe Bowl (Bronx, NY): Rutgers vs. Miami (Fla.) (2:15 PM, ESPN)
-- Pop-Tarts Bowl (Orlando, FL): #18 NC State vs. #25 Kansas State (5:45 PM, ESPN)
-- Alamo Bowl (San Antonio, TX): #12 Oklahoma vs. #14 Arizona (9:15 PM, ESPN)

Friday, Dec. 29 (4 games, 2 SEC teams)
-- Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, FL): #22 Clemson vs. Kentucky (12 PM, ESPN)
-- Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl (El Paso, TX): #16 Notre Dame vs. #19 Oregon State (2 PM, CBS)
-- Liberty Bowl (Memphis, TN): Memphis vs. Iowa State (3:30 PM, ESPN)
-- Cotton Bowl (Dallas, TX): #7 Ohio State vs. #9 Missouri (8 PM, ESPN)

Saturday, Dec. 30 (4 games, 3 SEC teams)
-- Peach Bowl (Atlanta, GA): #10 Penn State vs. #11 Ole Miss (12 PM, ESPN)
-- Music City Bowl (Nashville, TN): Auburn vs. Maryland (2 PM, ABC)
-- Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, FL): #5 Florida State vs. #6 Georgia (4 PM, ESPN)
-- Arizona Bowl (Tucson, AZ): Wyoming vs. Toledo (4:30 PM, Barstool)

Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 (5 games, 3 SEC teams)
-- ReliaQuest Bowl (Tampa, FL): #13 LSU vs. Wisconsin (12 PM, ESPN2)
-- Citrus Bowl (Orlando, FL): #17 Iowa vs. #21 Tennessee (1 PM, ABC)
-- Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, AZ): #8 Oregon vs. #23 Liberty (1 PM, ESPN)
-- College Football Playoff Semifinal, Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA): #1 Michigan vs. #4 Alabama (5 PM, ESPN)
-- College Football Playoff Semifinal, Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, LA): #2 Washington vs. #3 Texas (8:45 PM, ESPN)

Monday, Jan. 8, 2024
College Football Playoff National Championship Game (Houston, TX): winners of the semifinal games (7:30 PM, ESPN)

My Pithy Comments

The ten bowl games that are sufficient are the Gator Bowl, Sun Bowl, Liberty Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, Orange Bowl, Citrus Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl. The list is chronological, by when each bowl game is played this year.

Thus, thirty-two bowl games can, well, just flush down the toilet bowl. Of course, it's all about the money and following the money. Lackluster teams, several with 6-6 records, that don't deserve bowl appearances are awarded bowl games. It's similar to giving medals to children for simply competing, even if they don't finish in first, second, or third place. See, if interested, “College Football Win-Loss Records & Trends,” 2023-2024 season, TeamRankings (undated, no author listed).

Let's do a little basic mathematics. Research indicates that the NCAA Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) is composed of eleven conferences and includes 128 teams. Since there are 42 bowl games, not factoring in the National Championship Game, then 84 teams are in those games. Thus, almost two-thirds, or 65.6%, of the 128 FBS teams are in bowl games. Only forty-four teams are excluded. Again, I say that ten bowl games are sufficient! Let the FBS top 20 teams, the top 15.6%, compete in ten bowl games!

Stepping off my soapbox and onto a humorous note, the Bahamas Bowl on Monday, 12/18/2023, is renamed temporarily the Famous Toastery Bowl. This year, the game will not be played in the Bahamas. It is relocated temporarily to Charlotte, North Carolina! I didn't know that the Bahamas was in North Carolina. Apparently, the stadium in Nassau, Bahamas, has an “out of order” sign on it.

I call it the Rat's Mouth Bowl. I am referring to the “Boca Raton Bowl” on Thursday, 12/21/2023. The name of the city, Boca Raton, Florida, “... comes from boca de ratones, a Spanish term meaning 'rat’s mouth' that appeared on early maps and referred to hidden sharp-pointed rocks that gnawed or fretted ships’ cables.” Source: “Boca Raton, Florida, United States,” Britannica, last updated 11/23/2023. I hope that the University of South Florida (USF) and Syracuse enjoy playing in the Rat's Mouth Bowl.

The Sun Bowl on Friday, 12/29/2023, should drop that Tony the Tiger part. If not, I may drop it from my list of ten bowl games.

Finally, I figured out this year that the Arizona Bowl on Saturday, 12/30/2023, is not televised from a literal barstool. No, in fact, Barstool Sports is a real online entity, apparently. I had to do the research.

12/2/2023 SEC Championship Game

We have two good neighbors, whose first names are Chuck. One is an Alabama fan. Another neighbor nicknamed him “Alabama.” This “Alabama” Chuck is mentioned favorably in the articles from 10/22/2022 and 12/1/2023. I saw Chuck a couple of days ago. I shook his hand and said, “Good win.” He was polite and gracious. The teams were matched evenly. The game could have gone either way. Generally, I despise Alabama fans, but I like our neighbor, Chuck, an Alabama fan. He, unlike other Alabama fans I have known, has class.

On 12/2/2023, Georgia's SEC Championship Game loss, 24-27, to #8 Alabama did not surprise me. I knew that it would be a close game. That was my only sad Saturday this season. Tennessee Vols (10-4) fans had four sad Saturdays. Two were expected, losses to Alabama and Georgia, and two were not, losses to Florida and Missouri. Georgia's mistakes and inability to throttle Alabama's running game resulted in a three-point loss. Georgia's missed field goal, which bounced out off the right upright instead of in, was a key factor. The Dawgs' fumble near their end zone gave Alabama a field goal. That was another key factor.

I plan, Lord willing, to watch the Orange Bowl game on Saturday, 12/30/2023, at 4 PM on ESPN. The #6 Georgia Bulldogs face the #5 Florida State Seminoles. Go Dawgs!

On Monday, New Year's Day, I hope to watch the Citrus Bowl game at 1 PM on ABC. The #17 Iowa Hawkeyes take on the #21 Tennessee Vols. Go Vols!

Conclusion

Well, yesterday, Army beat Navy, 17-11. I watched a few minutes of the game, after I had another Tony's Best Clips haircut, went to the Tractor Supply, and filled my truck with gas. The weather was rainy, like today.

Georgia's loss to Alabama knocked them out of a potential third national championship in a row. Georgia won national championship titles the last two years!

Next season, the College Football Playoffs will include a 12-team bracket, expanding the current four-team bracket. The top four teams will receive a first-round bye to the quarterfinals. The six highest-ranked conference champions will get automatic bids. The remaining 7th through 12th ranked teams will round out the 12-team format. Sources: “College Football Playoff Expands to 12 Teams Beginning in 2024.” College Football Playoff, 12/1/2022, and “How the 12-team College Football Playoff will work: Teams, schedule, bids,” NCAA.com, by Maya Ellison, 12/3/2023.

Oklahoma and Texas will join the Southeastern Conference next season. Source: “SEC announces football schedule for 2024 with Oklahoma, Texas joining league.” USA Today, by Erick Smith, 6/14/2023. The SEC started with ten teams. Arkansas, not in the southeast, and South Carolina joined in 1991. Missouri and Texas A&M, neither in the southeast, joined in 2012, making fourteen teams. Oklahoma and Texas will make sixteen teams, eliminating the east and west divisions.

I thought that “southeastern” meant “southeastern.” I end this article with four questions.

First, geographically, how are Arkansas, Missouri, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Texas in the southeast? Second, if not, what could we rename the conference? Third, how about the Sun-Earth Conference? That name would fit for any college football team that is on the earth and under the sun!

This article calls on the Southeastern Conference to rename itself the Sun-Earth Conference. What do you think?

9-30-2023 College Football Review: the Georgia & Tennessee Games (published 10-2-2023; article #432)

Introduction

Welcome, dear reader, to the lucky 13th article, in the “Sports” topic section. To international readers, Americans call soccer what you call football. This article is my review of the college football games that the Georgia Bulldogs and the Tennessee Volunteers played last Saturday. Each team defeated different in conference rivals. To Tennessee fans, don't worry, I compliment and criticize both teams equally. The Georgia Bulldogs is the team that I follow first. My second favorite team is the Tennessee Volunteers.

First Time Out

Let's take our first time out. The technical time out, in the next paragraph, is in smaller font.

As a brief technical delay, the article of 9/24/2023 -- about my hike and podcast at Seven Islands State Park, on 9/21/2023 -- mentioned the “crawlers” or “bots” from Singapore. Thankfully, as of two days ago, the high number of daily views from Singapore have stopped! Yesterday morning, at 8:03 AM, analytics showed the following view totals, by nation, for the last 30 days (September): Singapore 16,900, United States 2,290, Israel 130, Russia 125, Germany 116, United Kingdom 114, China 57, Greenland 53, Canada 47, Ukraine 25, India 17, France 14, Netherlands 13, New Zealand 10, Ireland 8, Sweden 8, Australia 7, Belgium 7, Poland 7, and other nations 87. That's 20,035 views last month. Singapore accounted for 84.35% of those views! I disregard those Singapore views as illegitimate “crawlers” or “bots.” Thus, legitimate views last month totaled 3,135, which is about normal, on a monthly basis. Analytics hasn't shown any views from Singapore, since 9/29/2023. I am so happy! I hope that my 9/24/2023 warning, to Singapore, stomped their “crawlers.”

Article Continues

Please excuse the previous technical delay. Let's return to the review of the two football games, which were played on 9/30/2023!

Review: Georgia's Win at Auburn

Last Saturday, at 3:30 PM our time, the Georgia Bulldogs faced off against the Auburn Tigers, in Auburn, Alabama. The Bulldogs were in enemy territory. The living room and bedroom televisions were on the game. I watched it alone, while Mrs. Appalachian Irishman visited her father and sister, who live nearby. Thankfully, only the Good Lord could hear my fussin'! I'm sorry, Lord!

Second Time Out

Pausing, for an informational timeout, I'll mention the yard flag, in the photograph that follows. A couple, a bit older than my wife and me, live across from us. They are good neighbors. Stan, the husband, has an orange and white Tennessee Volunteer yard flag, in their front yard, near their sidewalk. It was there last football season. I see it, when I look out my home office windows. Tennessee is his favorite college football team, as it is for most folks around here, including Mrs. Appalachian Irishman. Yes, we live in a divided house, during college football season!

What could I do? What did I do? I purchased online, at the Georgia Bulldog's Store, a red, white, and black Georgia Bulldogs yard flag, and I bought a yard flag pole, at the nearby Home Depot. My Georgia Bulldogs yard flag has been waving proudly, in the front yard, near our sidewalk, since last Tuesday!

Photograph by M. Fearghail, 10/1/2023, 2:00 PM.

The windows, to my home office, are behind the rocker swing, on the front porch. I can now see my Georgia Bulldogs yard flag (up close) and my neighbor's Tennessee Volunteers yard flag (in the distance). It's “fair and balanced” now!

Article Continues

Unranked Auburn (now 0-2 SEC, 3-2 overall) had lost, on the previous Saturday (9/23/2023), at unranked Texas A&M, 10 - 27. This game, against Georgia, was Auburn's SEC home opener. I had expected Auburn to challenge Georgia, since the Bulldogs have not been playing with the desired consistency, but I anticipated a Georgia victory.

As Georgia head coach, Kirby Smart, has said, any road win, in the SEC, is a good win. I agree. Georgia won, 27 - 20, but it could have been a better win.

Georgia's mistakes gave Auburn 17 points. The game was tied, 10 - 10, at halftime. Auburn doubled Georgia's rushing yards (Georgia 107, Auburn 219). Georgia more than tripled Auburn's passed yards (Georgia 313, Auburn 88). Auburn rotated two quarterbacks, who could both rush. For example, Thorne rushed 61 yards on one play! That series led to an Auburn field goal. Georgia's quarterback, Beck, threw an interception that led to an Auburn touchdown. A Georgia fumble gave Auburn another touchdown. That's how Georgia's mistakes gave Auburn 17 points.

Beck was 69.6% in pass completion, which was good. It was his first start in an SEC away game. Georgia's tight end, Bowers, had a great game! Georgia's defense needs to learn how to stop the run, especially running quarterbacks.

After the win, Georgia remained #1, in both the AP and Coaches polls. Other top five football teams had better wins, on Saturday. #2 Michigan dominated unranked Nebraska (Big Ten conference rival), winning 45 - 7. #3 Texas took down #24 Kansas (Big 12 conference rival), 40 - 14, in a convincing win. After the game, I had speculated that the top three could be #1 Michigan, #2 Texas, and #3 Georgia. If Georgia had moved down in the polls, then the team might have been motivated to play more consistently.

Next up, on 10/7/2023, Georgia takes on Kentucky, at home. Kentucky, unbeaten, is ranked #20, in both the AP and Coaches polls, after having defeated Florida, at home, last Saturday.

Go Dawgs! At least you won. Play consistently!

Review: Tennessee's Win over South Carolina

The local television news media had been running segments, about how to make fried chicken. Volunteer fans were being encouraged to eat fried chicken, to help Tennessee (3-1, #21 AP, #19 Coaches) defeat the invading (unranked, 2-2) South Carolina Gamecocks (or Game Chickens, as I call them.) Mrs. Appalachian Irishman served fried chicken, for our 6 PM super. That was before the game, which started at 7:30 PM our time. It was good fried chicken. I never did hear the Game Chicken's rooster crow.

Last season, on Saturday, 11/19/2022, the Tennessee Volunteers (9-1, #5 in both AP and Coaches polls) lost to South Carolina (unranked, 6-4), in Columbia, South Carolina. Tennessee's only loss had been to #1 Georgia. South Carolina's four losses were to SEC teams (Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, and Florida). South Carolina had a “buzz saw” offense that sliced through Tennessee's almost non-existent defense. Tennessee's offense could not keep up. Tennessee scored 38 points, but South Carolina scored 63, a 25 point victory.

This season, it was time for Tennessee to eat some Game Chicken! They did. It was a 21 point victory, 41 - 20! Georgia, at home, had defeated South Carolina, 24 - 14, in a come from behind win, on Saturday, 9/16/2023. Tennessee beat South Carolina much more convincingly than Georgia had done.

Our adult niece (the daughter of Mrs. Appalachian Irishman's younger sister) and some friends, from Nashville, attended the game. Our niece shared her photograph of the stadium, below, with Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, who shared it with me.

Photograph by our niece, from the southwest corner, on 9/30/2023.

Tennessee led 24 - 10 at halftime. The Volunteers out rushed and out passed the Gamecocks. Tennessee's quarterback, Milton III, threw two interceptions. One led to a South Carolina touchdown. Milton III, however, was 65.6% in pass completions. South Carolina's quarterback, Rattler -- whose rushes had given Georgia fits -- was sacked six times. Rattler threw one interception that led to a Tennessee touchdown. The Volunteer defense restricted Rattler's rushing much better than the Bulldog's defense had done.

Tennessee's only loss was to Florida, at the swamp, on Saturday, 9/16/2023: Gators 29, Volunteers 16. As I've already mentioned, on 9/30/2023, Kentucky (unranked and 4-0) beat the visiting Florida Gators (ranked #22), 33 - 14. If the Vols had beaten the Gators, at the swamp, this year, where would they be now, in the polls? Tennessee's loss, this year, to Florida will stick out, like a sore thumb, just as their loss to South Carolina did last year.

After an open date, this coming Saturday, Tennessee takes on Texas A&M, at home, on 10/14/2023. The date will celebrate the birthday of the youngest daughter, of my youngest brother and his wife. I hope that Tennessee celebrates a victory over A&M also.

Go Vols! You beat South Carolina far more convincingly than Georgia did!

Conclusion

Mark those calendars! On Saturday 11/18/2023, week twelve of this college football season, the Georgia Bulldogs invade Neyland Stadium, to take on the Tennessee Volunteers. I want to see the Volunteers win, unless they're playing Georgia. Go Dawgs! Beat Tennessee!

Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I are a divided house, during college football season. She is welcome to buy a Tennessee yard flag and another yard flag pole. I'll plant that pole near, but behind, my Georgia Bulldogs yard flag!

Well, that's this Appalachian Irishman's world of sports update, for now. Y'all keep turnin' right and goin' straight out there, ya hear?

Saturday, 12-17-2022: Big H BBQ Christmas Bash (at Cherokee): Cherokee Lady Chiefs Defeated Phelps (KY) Lady Hornets, 58-34 (published 12-19-2022; article #380)

Introduction

Greetings to local, state, national, and international readers! Thanks for visiting. Locally, we have a little bit of winter. The low this morning was 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The high may reach into the low 40s. Yes, I know that we could have a cold day, if the high were in the low 20s. We can have real winter in northeast Tennessee. Sometimes it falls on a weekend. To local readers, it ain't cold yet! I'll let you know when and if it gets cold around here.

This article, a sports update, was inspired by the text that I saw from my youngest brother this morning. I turn off my cell phone every day around 5 PM. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman tries to remember to do the same. Yesterday, however, I turned off my cell phone a little before 5 PM. That will teach me!

Text from My Youngest Brother

Early this morning, once I'd turned on my cell phone, I saw the text that my youngest brother sent yesterday at 4:57 PM. In it, he shared that their oldest daughter was on television! He sent the website link. (See below.)

At 6:53 AM today, I replied to my brother by text. We exchanged brief pleasantries. His final text expressed that their youngest daughter, on the Bulls Gap Middle School Lady Bulldogs basketball team, “can't buy a spot in the newspaper,” but that their oldest daughter, on the Cherokee High School Lady Chiefs basketball team, “gets in there every time.”

I still wish that my hometown newspaper would include articles and photographs about the Bulls Gap Middle School Lady Bulldogs basketball games. I mentioned both of our nieces in the article from 12/6/2022. (That article mentioned the CoachT.com website that includes the Cherokee Chiefs' 2022–23 Girls' Basketball Schedule). The Bulls Gap Middle School 2022-23 Basketball Schedule is not updated to show scores.

The Saturday, 12/17/2022, Round One Bash

Cherokee High School is currently hosting the Big H BBQ Christmas Bash (12/17-20/2022, Saturday-Tuesday). The first round games were two days ago on Saturday.

WJHL-TV

The text from my youngest brother included the WJHL-TV article and video. Our niece is mentioned prominently in the televised video “Hosts win at Day 1 of Big H BBQ Christmas Tournament.” WJHL-TV News Channel 11 & ABC Tri-Cities, by Nick Dugan, 12/18/2022.

The commentator states that our niece hit “the runner off the backboard!” Nice basket, number 30!

The Rogersville Review

We subscribe to The Rogersville Review, my hometown newspaper. Today, I logged into our account and saw the article and photographs. The article should be in a future edition of the newspaper. The article is “Lady Chiefs Roll Past Lady Hornets to earn round one win in Big H tourney,” The Rogersville Review, by Randy Ball, 12/18/2022.

I selected the photograph below as one of two that includes our niece. The photograph and caption are by Randy Ball.

Ariel Ferrell passing.

The photograph looks as if our niece is passing the basketball directly to me! Did I catch it?

Conclusion

The second round game of the Big H BBQ Christmas Bash is today at 8 PM. The Cherokee Lady Chiefs host the Happy Valley Lady Warriors. The Lady Chiefs are overall 7-5 and district 1-1. The Lady Warriors are overall 3-5 and district 0-1.

We hope that the Lady Chiefs defeat the Lady Warriors! Go Chiefs!

I know that both our nieces practice good sportsmanship. That's how their parents are raising them.