Three years ago, I asked for your college football-related questions, and the resulting post, for some reason, became the most widely read post to ever appear on Uncle Crappy (the blog). Last year I did the same thing, and the subsequent discussion generated something like 8,467 comments.
Because there’s little else on my mind this week — as usual — let’s do it again. Ask Uncle Crappy (the person) anything at all related to college football — even tangentially — and I’ll do my best to A) come up with an accurate answer or B) make some shit up.
And if you’re feeling ambitious, you can also answer this: The current point spread for Saturday’s game is 18. Will Ohio State cover?
Two years ago, I asked for your college football-related questions, and the resulting post, for some reason, became the most widely read post to ever appear on Uncle Crappy (the blog).
Because there’s little else on my mind this week, let’s do it again. Ask Uncle Crappy (the person) anything at all related to college football — even tangentially — and I’ll do my best to A) come up with an accurate answer or B) make some shit up.
And if you’re feeling ambitious, you can also answer this: The current point spread for Saturday’s game is 12. Will Ohio State cover?
A year ago, I put up the first-ever edition of Ask Uncle Crappy. Because it was Michigan Week, I thought a college football-specific question-and-answer session would be a fun thing to do.
For whatever reason, that post has become the most-viewed post in Uncle Crappy’s history, and it continues to get hits every day.
I don’t know if we can top that, but we’re going to try: Welcome to the second edition of Ask Uncle Crappy: College football edition.
I have a couple questions for you to answer in the comments, and then you can ask me anything — anything — related to college football: trivia, opinion, history. I’ll see what I can do to respond.
Your questions:
1) What was your first football game (we’ll include college or pro here)? Tell me what who was playing, how old you were, where you were, what you remember, how many bratwursts you ate in the parking lot, etc.
2) Which would be better for Rich Rodriguez: A lifetime supply of Pepcid? Or should he go straight to something more potent, like Xanax?
Get your questions and answers in, boys and girls. And thanks for playing.
Howdy, boys and girls, and welcome back to a very special episode of Ask Uncle Crappy.
You might have heard something about this being Michigan Week. That’s going to change the program a bit — we’re going to stick with a college football theme today.
Here’s what you do. I have a couple of questions for anyone who reads this post, and then you ask me anything you like about something that’s at least marginally related to college football. For example: Tailgating? Absolutely fair game. The finer points of body painting? Not something I’m as familiar with, but I’ll give it a shot. Keynesian economic policy and its potential impact on the 2008 presidential elections? Interesting, but probably a topic best saved for another day.
So. Your questions:
What’s your favorite football-related tradition? Looking for personal experiences here. Pro football-related traditions are admissible.
Michigan has the ugliest helmets in the history of football, right? See below.
And don’t forget — my brain is filled with mountains of useless college football crap. Think you can stump me? Give it a shot.
Hm. The Game is over, and it appears I have nothing to talk about. Hey! Bullets!
Good news for us: Penn Brewing is coming back, and very soon. Good news for me (if I may brag just a bit): Of the three reporters in town who did storiesabout Penn’s return, I was one of two who bothered to talk to Tom Pastorius and I was apparently the only one to (duh) ask him about the beer. Ales for the first time? Whooo!
I love me some Thanksgiving, and my tastes are pretty simple — bird, stuffing, taters (no sweet potatoes for me, thanks), noodles, green bean casserole, cranberry salad, wine and pie. Watching football is good too.
We’ll be at the home of Mrs. Crappy’s aunt. That means the meal will be spectacular, but I probably won’t get my noodles.
Mrs. Crappy and I will be having our own Thanksgiving on Friday. This serves a couple purposes: holiday time together (something we always try to do) and mountains of leftovers.
Second and third best football of the coming weekend: Pitt vs. WVU and Cincy vs. Illinois. I’m for Pitt and UC, because I want that Pitt-UC game we’re going to to be a big deal.
Left Hand’s Fade to Black Stout is amazing. I should’ve brought home a case, instead of just a six.
Hm. Looks like I managed to slip some college football in there after all. Sorry.
Sister Jean says it’s go time. And we never argue with Sister Jean.
Because you never argue with a Chicago nun.
But we don’t need to be afraid of Sister Jean — or of rogue yardsticks: There is championship basketball on our screens and the Fourteenth Kind Of Annual Uncle Crappy NCAA Final Four Challenge (Brought To You By Piper’s Pub*) is underway.
As I do every year, this is the post where our picks are revealed and we all begin the painful public shame and humiliation of sports prognostication — and for one lucky contestant, never-ending glory and $50 for drinks and food at the legendary Piper’s Pub. So — who ya got?
As is tradition, we begin with Yours Truly:
Gonzaga and Michigan on one side of the bracket and Houston and … wait for it … Ohio State on the other. Title game is the Zags and my Buckeyes. And the champion? Gonzaga is this season’s Team Of Destiny — but the Buckeyes are winning the title. And they’ll win by a score of 74-68.
Next we have the contestant I’m rooting for: Mrs. Crappy:
Gonzaga vs. Alabama, Purdue vs. Illinois. Illinois beats the Zags for the championship, 82-79.
And now, the rest of yinz guys, pretty much in no particular order:
Strang, who isn’t rolling with her hometown Bonnies:
Final Four: Houston, Texas, Iowa, Ohio State. Championship Game: Houston vs. Texas Winner: Houston (80-77)
Morgantown Socialist Joe:
Final Four: Gonzaga, BYU, Arkansas, West Virginia National Championship: Gonzaga, West Virginia Winner: Gonzaga Tiebreaker: 136
Ex-Pat Pittsburgh Girl, Esq.:
My FKOAUCNFFC (BTYBPP*) picks as selected by pulling my sweet sixteen selections out of a hat: Final Four: Baylor v. WVU, Kansas v. Texas Semi-finals: Kansas v. WVU National Champion: WVU
Aunt Annoyed Angel, who’s been doing this for as long as I have:
Ok, here goes. Final 4: Gonzaga/Alabama, Ohio State/Tennessee. Final 2: Alabama v Ohio State. Winner: Alabama. 73-68I’m well aware that one side of my bracket is very family & personal preference influenced… I just couldn’t get past it no matter how I tried.
And this is a first in the long and storied history of AUCNFFC: Entries from an entire family: AAA’s sister Lianne and the kids who bestowed upon AAA that first A: C and G Haviland.
Lianne:
Ok- here is my info- Final four- Oregon, Baylor, Alabama, Illinois Champ game: Illinois vs Baylor Champion: Illinois (75-68)
Miss C:
final four: Gonzaga, Baylor, Colorado, Houston. Champ game- Gonzaga vs Baylor. Champion- Gonzaga (83-79).
Mister G:
final four- Gonzaga, Baylor, LSU, TN. Champ game: TN vs Gonzaga. Champion- Gonazaga (87-82)
My question for AAA and Lianne: Do the kids have to take you guys out for dinner if one of them wins?
Next up: Cleveland Kelsey, who is as much of a homer as your Uncle Crappy:
FKOAUCNFFC (BTYBPP*)! Final Four: Ohio State, M!ch!g@n, Iowa, West Virginia. OSU/scUM in the championship. OSU wins 72-71
Red Buppy:
Gonzaga over Michigan. West Virginia over Villanova. Gonzaga 71, West Virginia 63. (If this looks like I haven’t paid any attention to college basketball this season, it’s because I haven’t.)
Kewyson, who apparently discovered brevity somewhere between 2019 and 2021:
With Covid rules in play, one never knows – but I stuck with the tried and true (and no Duke Blue) – M*ch*gan / Iowa – with the Team up North prevailing Illinois / Baylor – with Illinois coming through with the win Final victor goes to Illinois – 87 – 83
Styx 4 Curl Girl, another contestant who’s been doing this for a very long time:
Final four: Gonzaga vs. Alabama, Ohio St. vs. Houston Championship: Alabama vs. Ohio St. Champion: Alabama Tie Breaker: 78-72
Good luck everyone!
What does Chachi say? Chachi Says:
Gonzaga v Texas Houston v Baylor
Final Gonzaga v Baylor
Gonzaga 86-79
No Cardinals and no Panthers? No problem for Calipanthergrl:
I have watched like 20 minutes of MCBB this entire season. But I’m in! Here are my entirely laughable picks: USC/Michigan & Syracuse/Purdue. Michigan/Purdue. Michigan (84-73)
My #CnCShow partner Carla knows college football. Does she know college hoops as well?
Next up is Dudders, the baddest woman in all of Pittsburgh:
I would like to join that basketball event you host each year! I like to randomly pick teams and not do any research. Final Four: Purdue, WVU, Gonzaga, Alabama. Final Two: Gonzaga and Purdue. Gonzaga❤️
She added in a subsequent message that her tiebreaker is 91-88.
My former colleague North Coast Matt:
Final Four: Gonzaga, Alabama, Houston, Illinois Championship Gonzaga vs. Houston Champion Gonzaga total combined score: 157
Your defending AUCNFFC champ, the Sports Chump:
Against my better judgment, I’m going chalk. Give me all number one seeds in the Final Four.
Illinois, Gonzaga, Baylor and Michigan with Gonzaga beating Baylor in the final game 82-67.
But what do I know?
Pgh Rugby Ref has taken over Kewyson’s claim to the most-verbose contestant each year:
The day the brackets came out I completed one quickly, without any research or thought (other than no number 1s in the Final Four). After I looked at my selections, I figured there was no chance of winning (hell, I might even Blutarsky). All week I had the intention of putting in some effort for a real bracket (I’m sure you know about intentions and what road it paves). It’s a little more than an hour before deadline, and no extra work has gone into selections, so you get my original choices: Virginia over Colorado West Virginia over Arkansas Virginia Final score total 124
A blast from the past: M Fulk:
Hey, why not?
Final Four: Kansas vs. Alabama, Purdue vs. West Virginia Championship: Alabama vs. Purdue Champion: Alabama Tie Breaker: 80-85
Spoon, on behalf of his basketball-playing boys:
Kids picked this one. I’ll think about getting them Piper’s if we win.
Final Four: Gonzaga vs. Alabama, Ohio St. vs. Clemson Championship: Alabama vs. Ohio St. Champion: Ohio St. Tie Breaker: 77-75
Susan, who did, in fact, get in just under the wire:
Hopefully getting in under the wire: Iowa, Michigan, Ohio St, Ilinois. Michigan/Ohio St. Michigan. 151. Please do not reject based on my winner.
Dish, who is an actual person and not a restaurant on the South Side:
Gonzaga over Alabama, Illinois over Arkansas. Gonzaga over Illinois, 83-77. I did at least 90 seconds of research for this!
My Penn State friends are partial to hockey and football, but TraiLion paid more attention to the Lions’ hoops season this year than she would probably admit. Her picks:
Ohio State over Illinois, Iowa over Michigan, Iowa over Ohio State (sorry). 112 points.
The lion’s spouse JCK158:
Gonzaga over FSU, Baylor over Illinois, Gonzaga over Baylor, 158.
It’s excellent when you guys provide me with your own nicknames. Right, Scooter (38 seconds from being defending champions)?
Gonzaga, Alabama, Baylor and Illinois Gonzaga and Baylor Baylor 150 F the Mutant Twins
As to Scooter’s final comment: If you know, you know.
And finally, we have Juan, oh he of little basketball knowledge. He is entered each and every year against his will (or, at least, without his awareness); I couldn’t find picks from Phil’s Mom, so we’re going with the virtual version of the Penny-Flipping Method — ESPN’s random bracket generator. And while it’s not going to win him a damn thing, I’m going to be pulling for these picks anyway:
To be clear, this is my Bobcats vs. Texas Southern on one side and Purdue vs. Liberty on the other. And in what would be a championship matchup for the ages, Purdue will beat OU in the title game. And no, I’m not picking a tiebreaker. C’mon now.
And there you go, boys and girls. I have to say that I’m disappointed that I didn’t get any TikTok entries; that might be a thing we’ll work on for 2022. As is always the case, if I missed your entry, it’s nothing personal — I’m just an idiot. Let me know and I’ll add you to the list. Let’s all enjoy the hell out of the hoopage. And good luck to everyone. Especially me Mrs. Crappy.
