Three Things I Think

Take A Knee
I think taking a knee with over five minutes left in the game may be controversial, but it is definitely the right thing to do under the right circumstances.  #1-ranked LSU was pounding Mississippi 52-3 on Saturday when they had a 1st and Goal situation at the 1-yard line primed to keep running up the score.  LSU then took a knee on four consecutive plays to give Mississippi the ball back with a couple of minutes instead of going for additional points.

Jordan Jefferson (9) and the LSU Tigers ran and "kneeled" the Ole Miss Rebels
this past Saturday on their home field, 52-3.

Ole Miss fans were booing and the ESPN analysts were criticizing the LSU team for rubbing the blowout in the faces of the Mississippi fans, players, and lame duck coach, Houston Nutt, who has already been told he will be fired after next week's game.  Here's the thing, Ole Miss, next time you start to complain about someone taking a knee with more than five minutes left in the game, try making the game competitive during the first 55 minutes.  What you should be doing is thanking LSU and its merciful coaches for not running up the score and humilliating you even more on your home field.

No Bowling for the 'Canes
I think if Miami was 10-1 and potentially headed to a BCS bowl instead of being 6-5 and potentially headed to the Fight Hunger Bowl, then they would not have self-imposed a bowl ban for this season.  Quick background - reports surfaced earlier this year that Miami football boosters had supplied parties, tattoos, and prostitutes to Miami football players for years.  The NCAA is currently investigating the allegations, but Miami took the initiative to essentially ask the NCAA to take it easy in assessing the eventual penalties once the investigation is completed by foregoing the benefits and additional revenue that come with a bowl game.  However, if the NCAA's recent treatment of USC is any indication, Miami should expect no leniency and no mercy from the NCAA.  Along with dozens of revoked scholarships, USC is now completing its second year of a two-year bowl ban after the NCAA found a culture of non-compliance and improper benefits provided to football players.  Ironically enough, if USC had taken a self-imposed bowl ban two years ago like Miami is doing this year, then maybe they'd be eligible for a BCS bowl this year just as they are leading the Pac-12 South and riding high after a huge road win at Oregon on Saturday.

Jay Paterno (left) and the Penn State football coaching staff have had to refocus
their football team on their way to a potential B1G Ten Championship.

Penn State Follower
I think I am going to be a Penn State football follower this week.  I loved Jay Paterno's (Joe Paterno's son and Penn State QB Coach) response to a question about his reaction to the B1G Ten conference removing his father's name from the B1G Ten Championship Game Trophy: "Let's get there and win it and put it back on...We'll bring a nice yellow post-it note and we'll put it right back on there."  It's been hard for me and I think for a lot of non-Penn State fans to separate the recent despicable sexual abuse allegations of former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky with the fact that the Penn State football team still has a season to finish and potential B1G Ten conference championship to win.  The consequential fallout that have engulfed the college football (and news) world have dwarfed the fact that Penn State still has a good football team this year, made up of players, family and coaches that had nothing to do with those horrific acts and allegations as well as any potential cover-ups that may have taken place.  With Jay Paterno's attitude of focusing on football and highlighting the winning spirit that has historically made Penn State such a notorious institution in the midst of multiple issues that are out of the football team's control at this point has made me even more interested in the Penn State-Wisconsin game this week where the winner will earn the right to play Michigan State for the right to raise the B1G Ten trophy in December - or apply any post-its as they may see fit.