I’d like to start off today with a possibly crazy idea. If Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF leave the American Athletic Conference to join the Big 12 along with BYU, should the University of Memphis become independent for football purposes?
Of course, when one thinks of FBS independents, one thinks of Notre Dame. I’m not suggesting that the Tigers possess the prestige of that storied football program. However, Army and BYU have been FBS independents for years, and they’ve done pretty well. BYU’s schedule shows that it’s possible to be independent and still book top-notch opponents.
Maybe do what UConn did? FBS independence and play all other sports in the Big East?
Of course, the main goal of college football is to get to bowls (and to earn the money that comes from being in bowls). Memphis would lose the AAC’s bowl tie-ins if it went independent. Then again, the #1 school in the AAC goes to a less prestigious bowl than the #8 team in the SEC… would it really matter?
The other unspoken goal of college football programs is to get on national TV as often as possible. Would that be harder for Memphis to do without its AAC connections?
I dunno… maybe the negatives would outweigh the positives. It’d certainly be the boldest possible move. One could argue that it hasn’t worked out for UConn, but UConn’s football team sucks whereas Memphis’ is good enough to make a bold move.
Bardog Tavern will be closed Labor Day, September 6, through Sunday, September 12 for repairs. The bartenders tell me that once they reopen, they hope to have the downstairs open for weekend brunch again.
Bardog has a special promotion running through October 2. Buy a Yuengling Lager draft beer and receive a ticket for a drawing to win a Yuengling tailgate package. The banner inside the bar shows photos of a Yuengling-themed grill, cooler, beer pong table, and cornhole boards. The drawing will be Saturday, October 2 at 10:30 PM and you must be present to win.
Man… Georgia’s defense absolutely crushed Clemson last night. It was a pleasure to watch! I can’t remember the last time I saw that many sacks. I just checked Georgia’s schedule and they do not play Alabama or Texas A&M during the regular season. The only ranked opponent they have left is Florida on October 30. Looks like the Dawgs have a cakewalk to the SEC title game.
Memphis 901 FC picked up 3 valuable points in league standings yesterday. Two goals in stoppage time gave Memphis a 3-2 victory over Birmingham. The club is now only 4 points out of the playoffs in the USL’s Central Division.
Folks from Mississippi Wildlife Preservation will be at Bass Pro at the Pyramid from 2 to 5 today educating people about wildlife on the Mississippi. The presentation is free and you’ll get to touch raptor wings and feet.
I guess I’ll go get one more Bardog visit in before it closes for the week. Back tomorrow with more news.