Your weekly dose of Notre Dame news, opinion, and other stuff.
In the News
Texas and Oklahoma have let the Big 12 know they will not be continuing their media rights beyond 2025. Now, we wait and see if these programs can negotiate an early exit to the SEC. The SEC already voted unanimously (nice backbone A&M!) to bring Texas and Oklahoma aboard.
The Big 12 said to ESPN, “keep our name out ya mouth!”
The Oklahoma State president said, “trust broken!”
Reggie Bush still isn’t getting his Heisman back after the changes from the NCAA.
Arizona State has placed tight ends coach Adam Breneman on administrative leave as the NCAA continues its probe into the Sun Devils program.
For what seems like the 10th straight year, both Alabama and Georgia are favored to win their divisions, according to the SEC media.
From the Archive
It’s almost time for our 2021 list for the top 25 players at Notre Dame. Catch our 2020 list HERE.
The Portal
Quarterback Tate Martell is headed to UNLV. This is his 3rd school since leaving Ohio State and Miami.
The Canes also lost defensive tackle Jalar Holley to the Portal recently, as well.
Former top 150 recruit Greg Emerson has left Tennessee for Memphis.
Helmet Talk
A while back I highlighted the NC State football helmet and the oddity of their logo that doesn’t use enough contrast. Texas Tech is like, “hold my beer!”
Pound for pound this may be the worst logo in the Power 5 conferences. I know Texas Tech has worn an alternate helmet featuring a large riding Red Raider which is okay for what its trying to do. I’m really surprised that they’ve kept this logo for so long and continually wear it so often.
Recruiting
Top 2022 recruit Quinn Ewers is one English class away from being able to leave high school and enroll early at Ohio State where he’ll be able to make NIL money.
Former Notre Dame linebacker target Sebastian Cheeks (.947) committed to North Carolina.
Clemson gained a verbal from corner Jeadyn Lukus (.983). That’s now 3 defensive backs in the Top 100 for the Tigers.
Alabama picked up Shawn Murphy (.972) at the linebacker position.
Cincinnati running back Gi’Bran Payne (.909) committed to Indiana.
Corner Cam Miller (.901) gave a verbal to Penn State.
Antonio Gates, Jr. (.899) is headed to Michigan State. Yes, he’s his son.
House of the Week
Wiz Khalifa living in Sherman Oaks, California just warms my heart. I’d love to see who his neighbors are! Perhaps he could invite them over to help with the 100 joint roller? I know I can barely be trusted around a gum ball machine as an adult if I had that huge thing in my house I’d have no teeth remaining.
They glossed right over and didn’t even talk about the Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster, my heart! We are currently looking into a Ride-On car for my soon-to-be 2-year old and I’m super jealous about this Range Rover. That thing retails for around $700, by the way.
Tunes
Supertramp are one of those bands that hold a special place in my heart. When I was super tiny “Take the Long Way Home” was my favorite song and maybe the first song I remember vibing to in the car with my parents. Although, I have to say “Give A Little Bit” is one of my least favorite songs in history. I can’t even listen to it anymore.
You could say this about a lot of Supertramps songs, but nothing sounds quite like “School.” When I was a freshman in high school (about 5 years before Napster and file sharing, well, changed things) I remember catching this song on the radio and taping it to cassette. Just super pumped! The drop at 1:44 is one of my favorite moments in 1970’s music. I love this track.
On This Day in Sports
It came home. On this day back in 1966, England defeated Germany in the World Cup Final. It remains their last major international trophy as a nation.
At the Cinema
I grew up, like many Americans, with the Miracle on Ice being this mythical and revered event. As a little kid, my dad taped magazine photos from the iconic victory in our garage where I would practice my hockey skills for hundreds of hours. In the early days of 1999, I got the chance to play in a tournament at the now-renamed Herb Brooks Arena.
Except, I got suspended. During my first year of prep school a few kids were able to sneak off campus and buy several bottles of booze that were then passed around the dorms. Long story short, someone snitched and a whole lot of people got in trouble. Including me, who wasn’t able to go to the tournament. Life regrets!
Hot Take
Zoo maps need to be geared more towards adults and not children. Visiting a handful of zoo’s in recent years it’s a bummer to see any maps that are poorly laid out or not drawn with accurate enough paths to exhibits. So far, the Pittsburgh Zoo has been my favorite for its layout. And one intimidating escalator near the parking lot.
Trivia
Name the 4 quarterbacks who threw for at least 2,200 yards during the 2020 season with 3 or fewer interceptions.
Programming note: This will be the last Rambler of the year as we transition to in-season football content. Fall camp opens next weekend for the Irish. We’ll be back some time in 2022.
Watch out zoos!
I go hard against these silly-ass maps.
Ok St prez said (in part): “It is difficult to understand how an Oklahoma institution of higher education would follow the University of Texas to the detriment of the State of Oklahoma.”
Lol, is it that difficult? Lots of money. Also a misguided reach to say “damaging to Ok State” means “detrimental to the state of Oklahoma” on a move that will certainly benefit OU.
Eh. I’m not convinced it’s going to work out so great for the Sooners, other than the money. At a minimum, they can probably wave goodbye to winning the Heisman most years. On the plus side, they’ll no longer have to wait until the playoffs to get exposed.
Competitively, you’re right, there were advantages for the status quo.
But Oklahoma was smart enough to see the status quo is ending, with Texas antsy since what like 2010 to either jump to PAC or SEC, if OU doesn’t look out and jump with Texas, then they’re stuck outside of the true power conferences.
And, like you mentioned, the money.
I was just amused the perspective of the OK St. President who apparently was caught off guard that OU would be looking out for its own self-interests than those of OK St as well.
I understand this sentiment, but I also think that if OU did not jump with Texas that they would have been an attractive brand for other conferences. I think that the Big Ten would have overlooked their AAU criteria to obtain a team like OU. The big negative in this scenario, though, would be that OU would lose regular games in the state of Texas which may have had an effect on recruiting that state.
I’m hoping for a rematch of that crazy Alabama “wrecking ball” mom against the entire OU crowd when those two teams meet.
ESPN needs to make this happen.
https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/1910031-alabama-mom-jumps-over-crowd-to-fight-oklahoma-fan.amp.html#referrer=https://www.google.com&csi=0
Also, a fare thee well to the Rambler. Thanks for helping guide us through the long off-season. Always looked forward to these on Fridays
Welcome!
Your musical tastes resonate well. I have long appreciated the dystopian nature of “School”.
I know the arguments (conference expansion is about brands or subscriber numbers), but I sometimes wonder if the ACC should take a look at some of the smaller Texas schools like SMU, TCU, or Baylor — these smaller private institutions seem to be more of a fit for the ACC than conferences like the BIG Ten or SEC, and it would give the conference a footprint in the Texas recruiting world. One of these schools seems to fit the mold of the other ACC schools than a school like WVU.
Anyway, just thinking out loud.
If you’re the Big 12 don’t you make sure that OU and Texas lose multiple games this year and then you prop up OK State and TCU/Baylor and make sure one of them gets in the playoffs?
NCAA Board of Governors to hold a constitutional convention in November, per the AP:
https://apnews.com/article/sports-college-sports-3281efb20193646235ef7ab5a0a92c9f?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP_Top25
I’ll go Mac Jones, Trevor, Zach Wilson and Ian book
Zach Wilson and Ian Book are correct answers.
Getting half the answers correct is a fitting end to the off-season rambler
Does Quinn ewers early enrollment help or hurt Nd games 2022-2023? Any chance two 5 star qbs creates a qb controversy that envoelpes the program and stunts their growth? Nah probably not
TRIVIA ANSWERS
Ian Book
Zach Wilson
Kellen Mond
Grayson McCall
Do you get some kind of been-around-here-a-while head pat if you read the first part of the Herbs Brooks story and knew Eric didn’t get play?