This Is the End, My Only Friend, the End 🎶🎶🎶

As prices for the Natty soared well over $3,000 for the cheap seats, most of the country was more than happy to stay in the comfy confines of their own cribs or local watering holes to watch this one. I chose the latter.

Sports bar on the Riviera

By now, the nation knows the Cinderella story of the Indiana Hoosiers, who beat Miami in a hard-fought, close game. The team was led by this year’s college football poster boy and Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza.
Final score: Indiana 27–21.

The camera spent more time on her than the game!

Butcher Dan in his boujee suite.

The McCools converted from Mountaineerdom!

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Season in Review

• 11 FBS games – BGSU, Illinois, Liberty, Temple – 4 new home stadiums, plus Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the Peach Bowl

• 4 FCS games - SIU & North Dakota State - 2 new stadiums

• 1 D2 game

• 1 high school game

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Next Season

• Zero Week – Rio de Janeiro: NC State vs. UVA

• Labor Day Weekend – Syracuse and Buffalo home games

• 9/19 – Michigan State @ Notre Dame

• 10/17 – Idaho @ Montana

• 11/7 – UGA @ Ole Miss

• TBD – UTEP & NMSU double-header weekend

• TBD – LMU & LT double-header weekend

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Ginger Award – Curt Cignetti

In the world of NIL and the portal, coaches and programs must use the current rules to their advantage. Indiana—one of the all-time losingest programs in college football—turned itself in just two years from the laughingstock of the Power Five into a National Champion.

Credit goes to Coach Curt “I Win” Cignetti.

When he left James Madison University, he brought over key players from that program and aggressively attacked the transfer portal. He built this team not through the traditional high school recruiting model, but through this mythical portal thing we’re all dealing with now.

I’m not a fan of how the portal has zero guardrails, but its most positive outcome has been the leveling of the playing field in college football. Any program with deep pockets and a keen eye for talent can succeed in this new world order.

Indiana is not loaded with former 4- and 5-star athletes. In fact, they had zero 5-stars on this year’s roster.

Outside of Heisman-winning QB1 Fernando Mendoza, there are no household names—and that’s by design. Cignetti got these young men to buy into the team concept first. This team is unified, disciplined, and focused. Miami may have had more individual talent, but they lacked the team-first mentality Cignetti built in Bloomington.

So Coach, along with your Natty trophy, please accept our Ginger Trophy for your badass performance over the past two years.

"I win, google me"

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Bieber Award – Miami’s Sideline Circus

The famous trio of Miami Hurricane alumni—Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis, and Ed Reed—inserted themselves on the sideline for the Natty.

Nothing wrong with legends of that magnitude gracing the sidelines of their alma mater for a big game. What was wrong is what it became.

Those guys became the show. They got as much pub as many of the players, and possibly even more than Coach Cristobal. Worse, they took it upon themselves to coach players up, get in their faces, and try to inspire and instruct them.

Michael Irvin turned into a full-blown side circus, running up and down the sideline acting like he was… high on life or something.

Before Miami’s final drive in the fourth quarter—when they still had a chance to win—Ray “Killer” Lewis was seen in the face of Miami QB1 Carson Beck, offering inspiration or instructions like, “Win or die, son!”

Beck then promptly went out and threw a game-losing interception to an Indiana DB.

Miami, this isn’t the 1980s or 1990s anymore. Move on. Keep these fossils in the museum so they don’t interfere with your game plans. And while you’re at it, stick your new Bieber hardware in that same museum.

A relic from the past!

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Next Up

There’s a possibility of tailgating at the Super Bowl in Santa Clara. Otherwise, I’ll be enjoying trips to warm places and spending time on the Redneck Riviera to recharge for next fall.

Come see me on the Riviera this off season!

I’ll also be spending time on Tailgate Connect, which continues to grow nicely over the past two years.

Happy Tailgating! 

Semi Excitement

I had the privilege of attending the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, GA Friday night for the College Football Playoff semifinal between Indiana and Oregon. It honestly felt like the game was already over when I boarded my connecting flight in Denver on Thursday, as the majority of my plane was adorned in Indiana crimson, with only one lone Duck fan in sight. More of the same when I landed at Hartsfield International — and again at my hotel.

On Friday, while making my way to our tailgate near Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the whole town was wearing red. Our tailgate was easily 10-to-1 Indiana fans, and as you may have seen on TV, the stadium was at least 90% Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers.

Let’s put things in perspective. Prior to the 2024 season, Indiana had the most losses of any Division I program in the history of college football and an all-time winning percentage of just .420, perennially fighting for the bottom of the Big Ten. Heck it was just last year that they brought back their mascot after a 55 year absence. Indiana has long been known as a basketball school, largely thanks to the late, great Coach Bobby Knight. In fact, save for Notre Dame, the entire state of Indiana is known for basketball — the Pacers, IU, Purdue, Butler, Larry Bird and of course, Hickory High.

IU fans clearly don’t know how to react to these newfound riches after the remarkable run of the past two seasons under head coach Curt Cignetti. The guy wins — just Google him. Many IU fans I spoke with admitted they had little to no interest in the football program prior to last year. Now, they are the nouveau riche of college football, trying to balance euphoria with not becoming too annoying.

Before kickoff, I attended and helped check guests in at our Tailgate Connect–affiliated tailgate in ATL, The Tailgate Party Committee, run by Big Lee, LaRonda, and a staff of awesome people. For $70, guests were treated to fresh-smoked meats, sides, an open bar, and great music from DJ Erock. There was a giant screen for the pregame show and a slew of other activities.

Tailgate Party Committee Tailgate with the Brothers Lusk

More action at the gate!

At one point, Erock played ABBA’s Fernando, which took me a few seconds to figure out why he was killing the upbeat vibe (think Heisman Boy), then it hit me. There was a lot of attention being paid to the Indiana contingent, who were clearly in the majority.

After finishing my duties at check-in, I joined my friends — the Lusk Bros from Minnesota — along with our good friend Evan Williams. After a solid number of rounds with Evan and some seriously righteous chow, and some fun people watching, we made our way to the stadium to watch the spectacle unfold.

Oregon received the opening kickoff and promptly threw a pick-six on its first play from scrimmage, immediately going in the hole. The Ducks answered on their next possession to tie the game at seven apiece, but that was the last time this contest resembled anything competitive. Indiana rattled off 28 unanswered points before halftime, sending Hoosier Nation into full ballistic mode, while the few Oregon fans in attendance fell silent.

Indiana, led by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando “Iceman” Mendoza — who simply does not make mistakes — added a few more scores in the second half. Oregon scored as well, but it was all academic. Final score: Indiana 56, Oregon 22. The Hoosiers are headed to the national championship game next Monday night in Miami.

Inside the Benz

Indiana’s opponent will be the University of Miami, who will essentially enjoy a home game with the title contest being played in their own stadium. Miami ended Ole Miss’s improbable playoff run Thursday night in an exciting Fiesta Bowl nail-biter. The game came down to a final passing attempt by Ole Miss that fell incomplete. If not for Lane Kiffin’s Bieber-worthy moves, who knows — Ole Miss may have prevailed with a full coaching staff. That said, Miami played well enough to earn the win. Final score: 31-27.

Ginger Award

This week’s Ginger Award goes to Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and Indiana quarterback Nando Mendoza. These two young stars are the epitome of what college athletes should be. Both are grounded in faith, family, and team — foundations that are clearly unshakable. If you listen to their interviews, you’ll come away impressed. It’s never about them; it’s always about the team.

They each landed in systems that accentuated their unique talents and allowed them to grow into the players they are today. In an era where NIL money and self-promotion dominate headlines, it’s refreshing to see two exceptional leaders take center stage in college football.

Bieber Award

Demond Williams Jr. earns this week’s Bieber Award for managing to light the college football world on fire in under 48 hours. After the sophomore QB signed a massive NIL deal to stay at the University of Washington, Williams abruptly announced he was entering the transfer portal anyway — sparking legal threats, agent drama, and national embarrassment for everyone involved. Less than two days later, he reversed course and decided to stay put.

The end result? Burned trust, unnecessary chaos, and a masterclass in selfish, poorly thought-out decision-making at a time when leadership and maturity actually matter. Typical behavior from a player who hasn’t earned that kind of leverage yet. At least he’ll have his Bieber hardware to fall back on after he burns through the $4 million NIL payout.

Next Up

I will not be “taking my talents to South Beach” like LeBron. Tickets are starting at $3 grand right now. Instead, I’ll be posted up in a sports bar somewhere along the American Riviera Monday night, rooting hard for the Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers. My tailgating season is likely over — unless I somehow find myself at the Super Bowl next month.

Happy Tailgating!

 

CFP Postseason Report

I’ve taken a much-needed hiatus the past few weekends to indulge in food, family, and festivities during the holiday season. So I have no new shenanigans or knowledge to share with you on that front.

After the first two rounds of the 12-team CFP Playoff, we’re down to four contenders: Miami, Oregon, Indiana, and Ole Miss.

The first round of the playoffs consisted mostly of lopsided contests. Alabama knocked off Oklahoma, while Ole Miss and Oregon easily dispatched their respective Group of Five opponents, Tulane and JMU. Miami also took care of Texas A&M.

In the quarterfinals, Miami’s defense stifled Ohio State in a shocker in the Cotton Bowl. Oregon ran roughshod over the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl, while Indiana throttled Alabama 37–3 in a rainy Rose Bowl in Pasadena. In the Sugar Bowl, perhaps the game of the year, Ole Miss — behind QB1 Trinidad Chambliss — upset the Georgia Bulldogs.

This leaves us with the following matchups for the semifinals this coming weekend:

• Indiana vs. Oregon — Peach Bowl - Friday
  
  

• Ole Miss vs. Miami — Fiesta Bowl - Thursday
  
  

The winners will meet in the Natty on 1/19 in Miami.

Congratulations to Montana State for winning the FCS National Championship in Nashville on Monday night over Illinois State. It took one overtime and a blocked extra point for the Bobcats to secure their first natty in over 40 years.

In the Division III Championship, Wisconsin River Falls upset the dynasty that is North Central on Sunday in Canton, Ohio.

Brdy's Navy at the Military Bowl in Annapolis, MD

Raydio Carlucci and his off spring at the Rose Bowl

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Bieber

Lane Kiffin — for forcing six Ole Miss assistants to abandon their team to perform duties for him at LSU during this ill-timed portal period. (he poached all of them when he abandoned ship after the regular season)

Don’t get me started on the portal, but two-faced Lane mandated they all abandon their posts and join him full-time so they can go portaling. Ole Miss is making a historic run and could very well beat Miami this weekend and make the Natty.

The poetic justice would be a big middle finger to Lane the Stain if Ole Miss pulls this off while he abandoned ship prior to the start of the playoffs to get his Big Easy payout at LSU.

So, Lane, you have the distinction of being the first person ever to win two Biebers within a 30-day period.

Congrats, Lane Bieber!

Next Up

I’m heading to ATL to attend the Peach Bowl and a Tailgate Connect–affiliated tailgate on Friday. I’ll be pulling for the upstart Hoosiers.

Happy Tailgating!