Life In A Northern Town

The state of North Dakota has been on my bucket list for a long time for several reasons. First, I’ve been enamored with the North Dakota State Bison football program—they’ve utterly dominated the FCS level for the past 14 years, winning ten national championships in that span. Second, despite all my travels, North Dakota was one of only two states where I had never spent any real time. (Airports and drive-throughs don’t count!)

This past weekend, I finally checked both items off the list. And I’ll admit it: I also kind of dig the movie Fargo with Steve Buscemi and William H. Macy.

I was joined by my old Army buddy, Colonel John “Bourbon Boy” Holter. We scouted out downtown Broadway on Friday night to get a good recon of the locals we’d be amongst on game day. We even connected with the ESPN crew calling Saturday’s game for a beer.

Charles "Buck" Arbuckle and his ESPN Crew having a beer with me and the Colonel.

With Saturday morning temperatures below zero and a noon kickoff, we were up early and at a very hearty tailgate by 9:30 a.m. We joined the famous Herd Attack Tailgate, one of the original Tailgate Connect partners, and their partner tailgate the Silent Z, Tim Hagar, Moonshine Mandy, Bear, Pyle the Marine and Andy the unofficial Mayor of Fargo were just a few of the characters who took great care of us and ensured we had an amazing time. They have a tricked out ambulance as the centerpiece of their set up,

With the Arctic chill, the tents were fully flapped, heated, and sitting at a toasty 75 degrees inside. Shots of all kinds of concoctions were served on a communion tray—with crackers in the middle—so naturally we had to indulge in this religious experience. Great stories were shared on how this group came together and some of their epic tales.

The Herd Attack and Silent Z tailgate crews

The Frozen Tundra, we come bearing gifts and the Silent Z crew

Inside the FargoDome

Once inside the FargoDome, the elements were no longer a threat. The Mighty Bison faced Illinois State in the second round of the FCS playoffs. The Bison were favored by 22.5 points, and because of that, many fans didn’t bother showing up—the Dome was maybe 65% full.

On their opening drive, NDSU connected on an unreal 78-yard touchdown pass. I turned to the Colonel and said, “Sheez, I hope this isn’t going to be a blowout.”

Well… I got more than I bargained for.

Illinois State ended up statistically dominating the game on offense, and defensively shutting down the Bison after that opening drive. What kept things close was that the Redbirds QB threw five interceptions, two of which resulted in Bison touchdowns. Redbird star wide receiver, Daniel Sobkowics, scored three touchdowns—I even met his dad Sunday morning at the airport and discussed the game.

With NDSU ahead 28–21 and one minute left, Illinois State scored. In the gutsiest move since Maverick wowed Viper, they went for two and the win. They converted, took a 29–28 lead, and held on—stunning Bison Nation.

Illinois State now moves on to face UC Davis in the next round.

The venerable Fargo Dome, the final statistics and the Redbirds celebrating their biggest victory in school history

Conveniently, after the game we crossed the street and posted up at Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the SEC Championship and the rest of the action around the country.

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Around the Country

ACC Championship

Duke shocked the conference and beat Virginia in OT 27-20, knocking the Cavs out of playoff contention. With five losses, Duke did not qualify for the playoff.

SEC Championship

Georgia physically dominated Alabama in the Mercedes-Benz Dome, winning 28–7, getting revenge for the loss they suffered early in the season in Athens,.

Big 12 Championship

Texas Tech went full “Guns Up” and blasted BYU 34–7 proving they are one of the best teams in the country.

Big Ten Championship

Curt Cignetti just wins—Google it. Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes found this out firsthand as Indiana knocked off the No. 1 team in the country, 13–10, in a bruising contest.

American Athletic Conference Championship

Tulane topped North Texas, securing the Group of Five playoff spot.

Sun Belt Championship

James Madison defeated Troy on Friday night and secured their spot in the 12-team playoff.

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College Football Playoff – First Round (Dec. 19–20)

• Alabama at Oklahoma
  
  

• Miami at Texas A&M
  
  

• Tulane at Ole Miss
  
  

• James Madison at Oregon

First round Byes - Indiana, UGA, Texas Tech and Ohio State

Bieber Award – Penn State Coaching Search

Penn State fired James Franklin back in October, just one season after he took the Nittany Lions to the Final Four of the College Football Playoff. You’d think they had a replacement lined up. If they did, it didn’t go well.

While other big programs were locking up top candidates, Penn State stalled. National Signing Day arrived and they still had no head coach. They ranked 150th in recruiting—behind 14 FCS programs, for crying out loud.

It became a full-blown soap opera as the Penn State faithful demanded to know what the administration was doing.

Ultimately, they lucked into Matt Campbell from Iowa State, who has done an excellent job during his decade in Ames. It’s safe to say he was not their top choice—the very public rejection by BYU’s Kalani Sitake said enough.

So now in Happy Valley, PA, we can hear the chant "We Are!" Bieeeeeeberrr!

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Ginger Award

Easy one. I give it to myself for being crazy enough to come to Fargo in the winter with temps below zero for a football game. I humbly accept this honor for such an act of bravery, courage and stupidity!

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Next Up

I’ll be heading back to Baltimore for the annual Army–Navy weekend festivities, joined by 75–100 of my closest Frostburg State friends. We’ll be pregaming at the famous TailGoat tailgate at the Horseshoe Casino parking garage.

You can join us here:
https://www.tailgateconnect.com/army-navy-tailgate

Happy Tailgating!

The Decision

 As the final weekend of the regular season of college football approached, key games were played across the country that would help decide the participants for numerous conference championship games and spots in the 12-team College Football Playoff. It was also the first weekend of the FCS playoffs and the second weekend of the Division II & III playoffs. As I mentioned last week, I took a rare week off from traveling to a game and enjoyed the comforts of my own home, surrounded by my adoring harem, being fed grapes and libations, and fanned with peacock feathers while lying on the couch with the remote control in hand.

Around the Country:

Big Ten – In what is simply known as The Game, Ohio State got the proverbial monkey off their back and defeated Michigan in Ann Arbor, handily securing their spot as the top team in college football at this point in the season. Michigan had won the last four meetings in one of the top rivalry games in all of college football. Ohio State will face Indiana next Saturday in the Big Ten Championship Game. In a game with little national consequence, Minnesota defeated Wisconsin to take home the Paul Bunyan Axe trophy. The most notable part of that game was the absolute blizzard it was played in.

The Europeans enjoying the Tailgate Connect Rutgers Tailgate

SEC – On Friday, the country witnessed the University of Texas knocking off previously undefeated Texas A&M by a score of 27–17. Texas, with three losses, still believes it has an outside chance of making the College Football Playoff. On Saturday, in perhaps one of the ugliest offensive games I have witnessed, Oklahoma defeated a feisty LSU squad 17–13 in Norman, Oklahoma. By all accounts, Oklahoma has secured a berth in the College Football Playoff, as they had arguably the toughest schedule of all Division I teams. In another classic rivalry, Alabama had all it could handle from an inspired Auburn team, narrowly escaping with a 27–20 victory. Alabama will face Georgia next Saturday in the SEC Championship. Vanderbilt, behind their brash quarterback Diego Pavia, who backs up his smack talk with results, took down the mighty Volunteers of Tennessee in Knoxville to claim state supremacy. Vanderbilt, with two losses, also stakes a claim for a Playoff berth, but is clearly on the outside looking in.

ACC – Miami took care of business by annihilating Pitt 38–7 at Pitt’s home field. Miami is in position to secure a College Football Playoff berth as well. Elsewhere in the ACC, in the Commonwealth Cup, the University of Virginia knocked off rival Virginia Tech to secure a spot in the ACC Championship Game. This is Virginia’s best season in many years. Perhaps the biggest upset of the weekend came when SMU was knocked off by Cal a week after Cal had fired its coach, knocking SMU out of ACC Championship contention.

Big 12 – In the Territorial Cup, the University of Arizona traveled to Tempe and knocked off the slightly favored Arizona State Sun Devils 23–7. Texas Tech traveled to Morgantown, West Virginia, and put the biggest home beatdown on the Mountaineers since 1891, winning 49–0. Texas Tech will face BYU in the Big 12 Championship next weekend.

The view from my couch

Group of Five (GoF) – In the American Conference, the University of North Texas and Tulane both easily defeated their opponents and will face off in the Conference Championship next week, with perhaps the winner earning a bid to the College Football Playoff. Their biggest competition is James Madison, who continued to steamroll their opponents in the Sun Belt Conference by demolishing Coastal Carolina 59–10.

FCS – Yale, in the playoffs for the first time ever (due to Ivy League restrictions), found themselves down 42–14 to Youngstown State with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. Most people would have assumed the game was over, but Yale mounted perhaps one of the greatest comebacks ever, coming all the way back to defeat the Penguins 43–42. They now advance to the second round of the FCS playoffs.

Division II – My beloved alma mater, Frostburg State, traveled to Cal State Pennsylvania and walked away with the victory, advancing to the third round of the Division II playoffs. They will face Kutztown State next Saturday.

The Heineman clan celebrating the Frostburg win

Conference Championship Games

Conference	Teams Playing	Date & Time (ET)	Location
Southeastern Conference (SEC)	Georgia Bulldogs vs. Alabama Crimson Tide	Saturday, December 6, 2025 — 4:00 p.m. ET	Mercedes‑Benz Stadium — Atlanta, Georgia
Big 12 Conference	Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. BYU Cougars	Saturday, December 6, 2025 — Noon ET	AT&T Stadium — Arlington, Texas
Big Ten Conference	Indiana Hoosiers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes	Saturday, December 6, 2025 — 8:00 p.m. ET	Lucas Oil Stadium — Indianapolis, Indiana
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)	Virginia Cavaliers vs. Duke Blue Devils	Saturday, December 6, 2025 — 8:00 p.m. ET	Bank of America Stadium — Charlotte, North Carolina
American Conference (AAC / “Group of Five”)	Tulane Green Wave vs. North Texas Mean Green	Friday, December 5, 2025 — 8:00 p.m. ET	Home field of team with best conference record — likely Yulman Stadium, New Orleans
Conference USA (CUSA)	Kennesaw State Owls vs. Jacksonville State Gamecocks	Friday, December 5, 2025 — 6:00 p.m. CST (7:00 p.m. ET)	AmFirst Stadium — Jacksonville, Alabama
Sun Belt Conference	James Madison Dukes vs. Troy Trojans	Friday, December 5, 2025 — 7:00 p.m. ET	Home field of divisional winner with best record
Mountain West Conference	Boise State Broncos vs. UNLV Rebels	Friday, December 5, 2025 — 8:00 p.m. ET	Host stadium to be announced
Mid-American Conference (MAC)	Western Michigan Broncos vs. Miami RedHawks	Saturday, December 6, 2025 — Noon ET	Ford Field — Detroit, Michigan

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Bieber Award

This week’s winner is Lane Kiffin, and all the drama he created around this hallowed weekend of college football with his decision on whether to stay at Ole Miss, which is in the College Football Playoff, or leave for more money to SEC rival LSU. Despite all the great games on TV throughout the weekend, the college football world was dominated by the news of his decision. This is reminiscent of LeBron James’ “The Decision” when he took his talents to South Beach to chase a championship with a bought team in Miami. There is no doubt Lane is a very good coach who has done a great job at Ole Miss, but he is a man prone to leave excellent programs for what he believes are greener pastures. Let me remind you of what he did to the University of Tennessee after only one year, jumping ship to USC. Karma bit him in the ass a year and a half later when he was fired on the tarmac after losing a road game under then-athletic director Pat Haden. As of this writing, Kiffin made his final decision to leave, after having made all kinds of crazy demands to Ole Miss before he officially departed. He was given a proper Mississippi send off by angered fans when he and the four coaches he stole from Ole Miss boarded a private jet for LSU. Mr. Kiffin, just make sure when the movers come to your house in Oxford, Mississippi, that they also have room to take your giant, life-size statue of the Bieber trophy. Just remember: LSU expects a national championship every year, whereas Ole Miss was content with 10 wins each season and a bowl game.

Might rename the award as The Kiffin

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Next up – “I will be taking my talents to Fargo, North Dakota” for the second-round FCS playoff game between North Dakota State and Eastern Illinois. This will be the 49th state I have spent several days in, leaving just one more to go: Vermont. It will be a balmy –6° Saturday when I wake up.

Happy Tailgating!

Causeway Classic and More

After watching my Oklahoma Sooners on TV Saturday morning, I jumped in the family truckster and raced westbound on I-80 to Davis, CA, for the 73rd edition of the Causeway Classic. UC Davis and Sacramento State are a mere 20 miles apart, separated by a stretch of causeway on I-80. Davis leads the all-time series with 48 wins to Sac State’s 23. Both schools are members of the Big Sky Conference at the FCS (D1-AA) level. Eight years ago, I attended this classic for the first — and until now, only — time and witnessed one of the purest college football games I’ve ever seen.

With a 1:00 PM kickoff, I unfortunately missed the tailgate with some of the Aggie Tailgaters. They taunted me with their group picture below, fully aware I missed the soirée. The stadium was over capacity and there was electricity in the air as both teams battled for a spot in the FCS playoffs, which would be announced on Sunday.

The Aggie Tailgaters showing me what I missed out on!

Both teams entered the day fighting for position in the 24-team bracket. Davis came in at 7–3, while Sac State sat at 7–4. The game itself was nothing short of epic, with multiple lead changes and momentum swings. Davis jumped out to a 14–0 lead, only to allow two quick scores to the visiting Hornets. The Aggies added a field goal late in the half to take a slim lead into the locker room.

In the third quarter, the Hornets came out buzzing and scored two touchdowns — with one missed PAT — to take a 27–17 lead into the fourth. Davis answered with two more touchdowns and held on to win 34–30, securing a gritty victory and a spot in the FCS playoffs.

Side note: Monte Vista High School grad and former Cal Bear Nate Rutchena delivered a monster game with twelve tackles at middle linebacker for UC Davis.

Rutchena having a monster game, who doesn't like free grog, the Weisbrods babysitting me.

Around the Country

SEC

While most of the conference essentially took the week off playing cupcakes, the Tigers from Columbia, MO  made the trek to Norman, reigniting an old Big 8 rivalry. It was a defensive slugfest as the Sooners bottled up Mizzou All-American running back Ahmad Hardy, holding him to 57 yards a week after his record-breaking performance. Mizzou’s defense was also up for the challenge, limiting Oklahoma’s struggling offense for a second straight week. The Sooners managed to be just a bit better and more opportunistic, grinding out a tough 17–6 win.

ACC

Georgia Tech played itself out of a playoff spot by being upset at home by the Pitt Panthers. Before mounting two comeback attempts, they found themselves down 28–0 browns. Pitt won the contest 42–28.

Big Ten

USC vs. Oregon — a mini Pac-12 revival game. ESPN College GameDay once again made the trek to one of its five favorite spots in Eugene. Oregon was favored, Oregon won, USC lost. For me, this is like reporting on the outcome of a battle between Al-Qaeda and ISIS. USC now essentially has no shot at making the 12-team CFP.  In a somewhat somber note, UCLA played its final home game at the storied Rose Bowl. They will be playing in So Fi stadium starting next fall.

Lil John and his crew reveling one last time at the Rose Bowl

Big 12

In a tight game in Cincinnati, BYU — behind the Bachmeier brothers — edged out the Bearcats in a physical matchup, assuring the Cougars a spot in the conference championship game.

Group of Five

James Madison squeaked by the Cougars from Wazzu, improving their chances of becoming the Group of Five representative in the CFP.

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Traditional Rivalry Games

The Game – Yale upset Harvard.
The Rivalry – Lafayette defeated Lehigh.
The Brawl of the Wild – Montana State bested Montana.
The Big Game – Stanford destroyed Cal, and Cal subsequently fired their coach.

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My Alma Mater

Frostburg State won its first-round game in the Division II playoffs against Johnson C. Smith.

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Bieber Award

UAB — or UABieber — takes this week’s award for an incident that isn’t funny, but is certainly Bieber-worthy. UAB freshman Daniel Mincey allegedly stabbed two teammates during team breakfast several hours before the Blazers’ final home game of the year against USF. The two players are in stable condition in a Birmingham hospital — where, as we know, they love the Governor.

Mincey, instead of enjoying a good training-table breakfast with his teammates, is now enjoying some delicious state-issued cuisine while sporting an orange jumpsuit. The motive remains undisclosed, but let’s assume his teammates rejected his overtures for what was on their plates, so he took matters into his own hands and went full slasher. Maybe he should switch to Sanka?

In addition to the shackles around his wrists and ankles, he now gets some new Bieber hardware he can show off to his new cellies.

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Ginger Award

Rice University earns the Ginger Award for its creative attempt to boost attendance in its game against North Texas by giving out free beer to students 21 and over. Their usual student turnout is around 800 per game, and while the gimmick helped, it didn’t exactly create a stampede. A total of only 1,246 free beers were handed out.

Students were limited to one beer at a time but could jump back in line as quickly as they could chug. I give Rice credit for the effort — but the students? Almost Bieber-worthy for consuming such a paltry amount of free beer. Heck, one of my backyard parties with 20 good friends could crush that volume easily.

So Rice, you’ll now have a Ginger statue in your very bleak trophy case — a 12-ounce bronzed beer can!

A great idea wasted on nerds!

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Next Up

No games fall within a reasonable time or distance for me next weekend. So between my Clark Griswold Christmas light duty, I’ll be catching a number of key games from DFT West Coast HQ.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Tailgating!

It's all about the crimson!

This past Saturday I made my fourth trip to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to witness a Crimson Tide home game and tailgate. This time it was against one of my top teams in my stable of polygamy: the Oklahoma Sooners. The good news? The team colors are almost identical, so I didn’t stand out too much or look like I was there to get my ass kicked.

I made the five-hour drive up from the Redneck Riviera, leaving at “O Dark Thirty” on Saturday morning. I spent my pregame hours at our Tailgate Connect tailgate—the infamous Bama's Ultimate Tailgate Team (aka B.U.T.T.) run by Randy Darby and his crew. With over seventy of our guests and a large number of regulars, the scene was festive. I mostly behaved, since I had to drive after the game.

The chairman of B.U.T.T. and his lovely wife Wendy lording over their kingdom!

The menu consisted of chicken, beans, biscuits, fruits, desserts, and ample libations. I met many of our TgC guests and visitors who came from afar to check a bucket-list experience off their list. I also had the pleasure of spending time with Karie Dombrowski, OU super fan and her husband Dave of MLB fame. I tried to keep Dave’s identity under wraps, but Philly fans sniffed him out immediately.

TL- R, BUTT sign, Dan & the Dombrowskis, shotgun Randy and Bama fans from Ohio

This was the second time the teams have met since Oklahoma joined the SEC. Last year the Sooners upset Bama in Norman. This time, the Tide had revenge on their mind. Most of the fans were very courteous to me before the game—well hell, I was sporting my OU gear, but the colors are virtually the same as Bama’s. I had the good fortune of sitting with my lifelong friend Alabama Al and his family and friends once again. Prior to kickoff, we were treated to a low altitude flyover of a squadron of Marine AH-1Z Vipers. Throughout the game , there were tributes to current soldiers and veterans that were Alabama alumni.

Bryant Denny in all its majesticness, the AH Vipers flying over, and my boy Alabama Al

Statistically, Bama dominated the game and held OU’s offense to just 206 yards. Oklahoma—without their star edge rusher R. Mason Thomas and top defensive back Gentry Williams—did not have their best defensive output against a Bama team that had struggled to run the ball all season. However, the defense forced two turnovers and made key stops when needed. The special teams added another turnover, all of which resulted in scores for the Sooners.

OU’s “short-shorts” kicker Tate Sandell was money again, going 3/3 on field-goal attempts and 2/2 on PATs. His final field goal came late in the fourth quarter to give the Sooners a 23–21 lead. The Sooners’ defense held steady, forcing a turnover on downs with just over a minute to go to seal the victory. Not looking to seek out those same well-wishers from before the game, I beat feet down East University Avenue to my F-150 and high-tailed it out of Tuscaloosa. I could hear Dixieland Delight blaring in the background or was that the mob chasing me to Montgomery!

Back on the Riviera (30A) on Sunday chillaxing.

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Around the Country

SEC – In a shocker, the downtrodden South Carolina Gamecocks took a commanding 30–3 lead in the second quarter over #3 ranked and undefeated Texas A&M. And in perhaps one of the largest collapses in modern history, what the Gamecocks “gotteth, they gaveth” right back. The Aggies scored 28 straight points and escaped with a 31–30 win. There’s no way to describe the despair of Gamecock Nation after that defeat.

ACC – ESPN College GameDay traveled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to feature the Notre Dame vs. Pitt matchup. Although Notre Dame is independent, they play a partial ACC schedule every year. The Irish handled their business, marching out of Steel Town with a 37–15 win. Star running back Jeremiah Love needs to be a front runner for the Heisman. He is perhaps the most exciting player in college football this season.

Big Ten – You all know how much this pains me to give credit to USC and Lincoln Riley, but the Trojans staged an amazing comeback in their ranked matchup versus Iowa. Down 21–3, the Trojans mounted a miraculous comeback, scoring 23 straight and prevailing 26–21. Next up for the Trojans is a battle for a playoff spot against the Oregon Ducks.

Big 12 – The Arizona Wildcats traveled to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats. The Wildcats found a way to Bear Down and came out of the Queen City with a 30–24 victory.

Group of Five – In Annapolis, Navy upset the highly favored South Florida Bulls by a final score of 41–38 in an exciting battle. This now leaves the door wide open for James Madison to lock up the Group of Five playoff bid—assuming they take care of their business.

The Cliffside Boys (Goodfellas) and friends at West Point the prior week.

The Donnelly contingent at Annapolis for the big win over UCF.

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Bieber Award

This week’s Bieber goes to Louisiana safety Tyree Skipper, who apparently missed the memo that the post-game handshake line is not Thunderdome. After Louisiana’s 42–39 win over Texas State on 11/8, things got spicy in the Bayou as players from both sides started jawing, shoving, and generally forgetting they were supposed to act like adults.

Skipper took it up a notch—or ten—by swinging his helmet at the Bobcats like he was auditioning for a spot in the next Gladiator sequel. The Sun Belt brass wasn’t amused, handing out 13 suspensions and ending Skipper’s season—and college career—on the spot. Moral of the story: when the final whistle blows, take your helmet off your head, not to someone else’s. He can now place his helmet on a shelf for the rest of his career—right next to his Bieber statue.

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Ginger Award

This week’s Ginger Award is a solemn one—a tribute to Coach John Beam, the Laney College legend who didn’t just coach football; he lifted souls. You may remember him from Netflix’s Last Chance U, where his grit, compassion, and refusal to give up on overlooked players made him a beacon for underdogs.

Beam was gunned down on the Laney campus in a targeted shooting by 27-year-old Cedric Irving Jr., who had played high school football in Oakland (though not directly under Beam). The news cracked open a deep wound in the community: the coach who helped so many young men find second chances paid the ultimate price.

For over 40 years, Beam was more than a coach—he was a mentor, a father figure, a lifeline. He guided dozens of players to Division I programs and even the NFL. Community leaders, former players, and Oakland itself are reeling. Rest in peace, Coach Beam. You gave your life to give others a shot—and now your memory demands we do more: fight for safer campuses, fight for the kids you believed in, fight for your legacy. Your impact goes far beyond any playbook.

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Next up: Back to Cali for the 72nd rendition of the Causeway Classic next Saturday as UC Davis hosts cross-town rival Sacramento State.

Happy Tailgating!