It is the final trip of the season for me. We are off to see Jacksonville State host Sam Houston State. Fun fact: Jacksonville State is neither in Florida (not that Jacksonville) nor Mississippi (that is Jackson State). It is actually in Alabama, or more accurately, in the middle of nowhere Alabama.
This is the annual Nine O’clock Club trip, assuming they all get their logistics correct and show up in the right city. Judging by the repeated requests of “Where the hell are we going again?” in the group chat, it’s fifty-fifty someone ends up in Florida.
For those unfamiliar with this group, the moniker comes from the inability of club members to stay up beyond 9pm on game days. With a late night on Friday and all day tailgating on Saturday, inevitably heads start drooping and the couch simply overwhelms a member or two. Most of the group does not make it to the end of the Saturday night games.
This year, it will be a particularly tough stretch. The Jax State game is a 7pm kickoff and their homecoming. It means a very full day of tailgating for our group. If the Gamecocks’ tailgates are even remotely close to other homecoming games we have attended (thank you Ball State), some strategic Red Bulls may need to come into play.
San Diego – Stay Classy or Go Eff Yourself?
When I was planning last week’s trip, I knew it had the potential to be a bit of a grind. Getting back from Paris late Monday, followed by a west coast trip on Thursday morning is not awesome. But, I figured at least I would get plenty of sunshine. Instead, I spent the second half in a rain poncho. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t 70 degrees and sunny either.
I will save the full details for the review, but here are some general observations. The stadium is easy to get to and nearly brand new. The team is middle of the road, and the fan base isn’t much. In fact, there were times I thought I was at a WSU game and not at the home stadium of the Aztecs.
The big plus for San Diego State is that, well, it’s San Diego. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. It is going to be a mixed review. And what the local brain trust has decided to do from a real estate development approach isn’t going to make SDSU better in the future.
Who do I like?
Last Week
Two and two last week. My betting season is a lot like Penn State football right now. Mediocrity hailed as an achievement.
- Arizona lost by eight against Texas Tech, but the game was much closer than that. It wasn’t til very late the Red Raiders had locked down the victory.
- I really thought Illinois would hammer Maryland. Instead, they barely covered the 2.5 spread, winning by three. Just enough for me.
- All I needed from Nevada was one stinking, meaningless garbage-time touchdown to win that bet. Instead, they get shut out 27-0. It was particularly frustrating to keep refreshing my phone, watching the Wolf Pack’s last drive of the game putter out inside the UCLA forty yard line.
- Thankfully, San Diego State managed to hold on and cover the spread. WSU had moved the ball well during the game. I thought for sure there was going to be some late game heroics. Instead, the Aztec defense cut their heart out to end it.
Other thoughts on Week 9 of the 2026 season:
The football gods were at it again. Some great games last weekend. Or that’s what I gathered from texts and DMs Saturday. My Airbnb was a sports television desert. Neither their cable package nor Sling connection had ESPN. Let that sink in – No ESPN in 2026.
The only thing I could get were fringe European sports like dwarf throwing and sheep dog trials. No problem, I downloaded the YouTube TV app and signed into my account. Unfortunately, the internet speed was only slightly faster than dial up, and my stream would hang nearly instantaneously.
But this is what I gathered from watching sports highlights Saturday night surrounded by folks boozing it up in Halloween costumes:
- Indiana isn’t good enough to win it all this year. It was a great victory against Minnesota, but like several other games this year, the ball has bounced their way. That won’t hold through three or four playoff games.
- Wisconsin’s time in the Top Twenty-Five was short-lived. Getting shut out by Iowa 30-0 will do that to you.
- The Oklahoma State – Iowa State game was another classic in that rivalry. The Cyclone’s 51-49 was a case study in the beauty of Big 12 defense, or lack thereof.
- I know I said Jax State was my last game of the season, but Miami at Virginia Tech on November 21 is looking mighty appealing. With the prior weekend off, my batteries may be recharged enough for another trip to Blacksburg. My only worry is that ESPN Game Day shows up. That will drive ticket prices through the roof.
The first FBS playoff poll comes out this weekend. Brace yourself for the wild overreactions and claims of injustice. Everyone should relax, there are yards and yards of football left to be played.
Picks for Week 10 later this week.
Tree