I can spend a Monday arguing about whether a 24-team playoff will change what we love about Saturdays. Then I’ll sit down to write about watching my friend Rick Neuheisel watch his son Jerry, and pretty soon I’m thinking about what it means to be a dad.
Both stories feel right at home here. That’s why I started Show Pony.
If you’ve been reading the free stuff or watching Show Pony Live and wondering what’s on the paid side, I’m opening up two early Black Friday deals.
Try your first month for $4.99 through November 26. Renews at $8.95/month.
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Start with these premium columns
What Rick, Jerry and Northwestern Remind Me About the Joy of Being a Dad — Watching my Full Ride partner take in what his son is doing at Northwestern got me thinking about the pride you feel as a parent and how hard it can be to put into words.
24 Teams, More Money, Same Madness — Schools want playoff access. Boosters are being asked to pay more. I get why those two things go together. I still want to know what happens to the Saturday stakes we’ve spent our lives caring about.
Before You Fire the Coach, Look in the Damn Mirror — Every fall, schools find millions to make a coach go away. Where was that urgency when they were trying to help him win?
A couple of recent reads for everybody
Are They About to NASCAR College Football? — I went back to the column I wrote in May, the one Paul Finebaum had me on to talk about. With a bigger playoff in the conversation, I’m still wondering how much you can change about a sport before the people who built it start to drift away.
The Best Seat in the House — From my seat on the PA at Middle Tennessee to Rick Stockstill getting his shot at Florida State, this one is about the people who make me care so damn much about the game.
Catch up on Show Pony Live
Chris Vannini on the CFP rankings and playoff expansion — Chris and I react to the rankings, talk Alabama–LSU, and look ahead to Wake Forest–SMU.
Dusty Dvoracek on the Holy War, Tennessee–Texas A&M and a 24-team playoff — Dusty takes us into the booth for BYU–Utah and makes the case that a bigger bracket could give us more meaningful games.
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—Chris