I have said it before and I will say it again. The new FBS post season is so much more enjoyable these days. Even though the playoff implications are limited, there will still be plenty of drama this week. I thought I was done traveling for the year, but it is very tempting to see one of these games live.
Some members of the 9 O’Clock club are heading to the Big 10 Championship. I considered it, but that’s a whole weekend commitment and the wife’s patience is thin at this point. The ACC Championship is a long drive for me but is doable. And, I could crash at my son’s place, softening my wife’s ire. However, I think the Cavaliers are going to roll over Blue Devils. Plus, I would rather be watching Indiana versus Ohio State.
That leaves me with Troy at JMU. I loved the Harrisonburg experience and I can do it without spending Friday night in a random Airbnb. It is, however, a long night. Additionally, Dukes’ fans represent and the tickets are running about $70. And, even though the Sunbelt is the Funbelt, I think Troy gets taken to the woodshed in this one. Nonetheless, I have put the game on my watchlist. If tickets drop Friday morning, it’s conceivable that I end up back on the road.
Last Week: On the beach, looking at Boobies
Blue-footed Boobies that is. Apparently, the appeal of glass blowing and furniture making is limited with our sons, so they suggested an overseas trip for Thanksgiving rather than schlepping to Mom and Dad’s in the Historical Triangle. After a lengthy deliberation, the Galapagos Islands was the destination of choice. It was a good trip, but not without its challenges.
- My wife discovered, at the airport, that your passport must have more than six months to expiration to enter Ecuador. Unfortunately, her’s had only three. To our amazement, she snagged an 8am appointment the next day with U.S. State Department, got a new passport, as was in Ecuador the next day. Thanks to great support from Bev, her college roomate, our holiday was saved.
- The islands are really unique. The range of landscapes from white beaches to black volcanic craters was amazing.
- Hiking 10 miles up and down said crater is better suited for thiry-somethings then those of us nearing our sixties. Flirting with heat stroke is also not great.
- The sea lions are charming at a distance – up close not so much. Despite keeping to the two meters of distance rule, one of them still did not like my pasty white body snorkeling on “their” beach. Visions of an Eucadoran ER flashed through my eyes as he aggressively came at me in the water. It was probably my shrill scream and not my underwater reflexes that saved me from a nasty bite.
- Still, swiming with sharks – white tips, black tips and hammerheads, is awfully hard to beat even if the water temperature made my manhood disappear quicker than all the sea turtles we saw.
- Our finish in Quito was relaxing right up until our ride to the airport. The Fiestas de Quito celebrates the founding of the city. It also jams up the Olde Towne tighter than Pirates’ owner Bob Nutting’s wallet. Despite us hauling our bags up hills in a oxygen depleted haze (note: Quito elevation is ridiculous) to make for an easier Uber pickup, our driver had eaten up an hour of our time and still hadn’t got to us. We bailed and miraculously found a cab driver who would have given Lewis Hamilton a run for his money. He got us to the airport in the nick of time.
- However, our angst did not end there. Avianca, our airline, had announced on Friday a recall of all their Airbus a320 planes and cancelled roughly 70% of their flights for the next two weeks. So, even though we had boarding passes, we did not breathe easy until we landed in DC.
- Despite the ups and downs, it was a top tier vacation and one we will never forget.
Thoughts on this weekend
- For a moment, let’s give some recognition to the CUSA finalists, Jacksonville State and Kennesaw State. The former entered the FBS in 2023 and the latter in 2024. Playing in a conference championship this soon is an amazing achievement. Kennesaw State’s game day experience has a ways to go, but their stadium is just different enough to be interesting. The Jax State band could compete with any Power 4 school. They are that good. If you live in the Atlanta area, this is a game worth checking out in person.
- For the rest of the country, North Texas versus Tulane is the game to watch. Hell, the Green Wave’s sweet uniforms are reason enough to check this one out.
- Georgia versus Alabama. The SEC Championship as it should be.
- Indiana at Ohio State. Pulling for the Hoosiers because, let’s be honest, for the vast majority of Indiana’s football history they have been a doormat. Root for David and not Goliath.
That’s all I got. ENJOY THE GAMES THIS WEEKEND!
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