A Thanksgiving Thrill

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I've been a Green Bay Packer fan just about all my life, ever since I started collecting football cards in first grade.

I was born on Thanksgiving so every once in awhile, my birthday falls on Thanksgiving, as it did this year. But the Packers don't always play on Thanksgiving — nor, for that matter, do they always play on my birthday when it falls on a Sunday.

This year, however, they played the Chicago Bears tonight, which is both Thanksgiving and my birthday, in order to honor Brett Favre by inducting him into the Packers' Ring of Honor. (Actually, the game is still in progress as I write this so referring to it in the past tense really isn't appropriate, is it?).

And one of the highlights for me — probably the greatest highlight for me — was to see Bart Starr and Brett Favre embrace each other on the turf of Lambeau Field. My two favorite quarterbacks of all time.

I have known for a long time what a struggle it was for Starr to be able to be in Green Bay. He's been battling the effects of some pretty severe strokes, but he looked pretty good tonight.

The two quarterbacks could hardly be more different, I suppose.

I have always admired Bart Starr, going back to when I was a kid. He was the kind of guy who is worthy of admiration. He didn't seek the spotlight the way so many players do today. He didn't put up gaudy numbers — except on the scoreboard, where he was the perfect captain for Vince Lombardi's offense. Lombardi devised the game plan, and Starr carried it out. All he did was win.

Favre was a free spirit, a winner who made the people around him winners by sheer force of will. Favre was a force of nature, refusing to be benched during his phenomenal consecutive games played streak even if you thought there was no way he could be playing.

I suppose my ideal quarterback would be a combination of Bart Starr and Brett Favre.

But since that will never happen, I'll settle for the next best thing. That was what I got tonight.

For this I am truly thankful.

The Incredible Comeback

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Like many other Americans, one of my most cherished Thanksgiving traditions is watching football.

And what happened 40 years ago is as vivid in my memory as anything that happened five minutes ago — because it was the fulfillment of every young boy's fantasy, and I was a young boy.

The Dallas Cowboys have been playing home football games on Thanksgiving since the '60s. On this day in 1974, they had been doing it for less than a decade. In 1974, they had a really special matchup planned — with the Washington Redskins, a rival and the NFC's representative in the Super Bowl two years earlier.

There have been some great games played on Thanksgiving, but none had such an improbable story line.

The Cowboys were losing to the Redskins, 16–3, when quarterback Roger Staubach was knocked out of the game in the third quarter, and Clint Longley, a rookie, was summoned off the bench to fill in.

That particular Thanksgiving, my parents had invited some friends of theirs to come to our house in the country. They came, along with their son who was a few years older than I was. After we all ate dinner, the men gathered in front of the TV to watch the Cowboys and Redskins. I wasn't a Cowboys fan, but I was a Staubach fan as was our visitors' son.

However, when Staubach was knocked from the game and an unknown rookie was called in to run the offense, we lost interest and excused ourselves. I think we went outside to shoot some baskets, but we were soon drawn back inside by the sound of our fathers whooping. Clint Longley was leading a comeback.

He threw a 35–yard TD pass to tight end Billy Joe Dupree to cut the deficit to six points, then Walt Garrison's one–yard TD run gave the Cowboys a one–point lead going into the fourth quarter.

Ex–Cowboy Duane Thomas scored his second touchdown of the game, giving the Redskins the lead again, then Longley connected with Drew Pearson for a 50–yard TD pass to win the game.

It was probably the best Thanksgiving a rookie quarterback ever had.

Thanksgiving Ain't What It Used to Be

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The Nebraska–Oklahoma game on Thanksgiving in 1971
was called the "Game of the Century" by many.

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Today is Thanksgiving Day, a day when traditional football rivalries were renewed in days of old.

Things have changed — not so much in the NFL, where the Lions and Cowboys continue to host holiday games as they have for decades, but in the college ranks. When I was a child, Oklahoma and Nebraska played their annual grudge match on or around Thanksgiving every year. Here in Texas, the Longhorns and Aggies faced off every year — and continued to do so until this season.

Sure, there are some rivalries that are still played during the four–day Thanksgiving weekend.

Mississippi State and Ole Miss will play the "Egg Bowl," as always. Alabama will play Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Georgia and Georgia Tech will square off in the latest edition of "Clean, Old–Fashioned Hate." Michigan will play Ohio State. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will renew the "Bedlam Series." Notre Dame and Southern Cal will face each other. Florida will play Florida State.

Yes, sir, still lots of good rivalries — but some of the best are gone. And none of the ones that remain are played on Thanksgiving — at least, not this year.

That's a shame.

Idle: #7 Kansas State

Today

• TCU at #18 Texas, 6:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: When I was growing up, watching this game qualified as a waste of time. (But watching it was never an option unless you were a student on the home campus because, in those pre–cable days, the TCU–Texas game was never televised.)
  
  Long before the day I enrolled in elementary school through my college days (including my graduate school days) and beyond, Texas and TCU played each other every year as members of the Southwest Conference — and Texas rarely lost. More often than not, it was a blowout. More often than not, TCU didn't score — or didn't score much.
  
  But times — and circumstances — have changed. The teams are back in the same conference, and although TCU has struggled this season, this isn't your father's Horned Frogs. They are more competitive than they used to be. They've even played in the Rose Bowl (won it, too).
  
  Of course, Texas has played in Pasadena recently, too — twice, in fact, with victories in both. A trip to the Rose Bowl won't be on the line tonight, but TCU would like to win in Austin for the first time since 1967.
  
  The Frogs might just do it, too. They have the 16th–best defense in the nation and should be capable of stopping Texas' 30th–ranked offense. TCU's offense is, at best, average (57th in the country), but Texas' defense (84th in the country) isn't even that good.
  
  It will probably be regarded as an upset, but I will pick TCU.

Friday

• Ohio at #23 Kent State, 10 a.m. (Central) on ESPNU: This is really an interesting series.
  
  The schools have played each other every year for the last 50 years, and Ohio has won 62% of the time.
  
  Recent history hasn't been favorable for Kent, either. The Bobcats have mirrored that all–time winning percentage in the last 16 years, going 10–6 against the Flashes. Of course, Kent has won more games than it lost only once in the last quarter of a century.
  
  But history is changing, as Michael J. Fox said in "Back to the Future." Kent is 10–1 this year, and the Flashes are already assured of their best record ever, even if they lose to Ohio again.
  
  The numbers suggest that might happen. Ohio (8–3) is rated higher on both sides of the ball, and that includes Ohio's season–opening win over Penn State. On the surface, Kent's record is gaudier, but the Flashes' only loss was to Kentucky, a 2–9 football bottom feeder in the SEC.
  
  I think Ohio will win in an upset.
• #17 Nebraska at Iowa, 11 a.m. (Central) on ABC: When I was a child, Nebraska frequently finished its regular season with a big Thanksgiving Day game against Oklahoma.
  
  That tradition gradually gave way to the Nebraska–Colorado game, which stopped being played when the schools left the Big 12 for other pastures.
  
  Now, the Cornhuskers' season finale is with Iowa — or, at least, that's what it has been in Nebraska's first two seasons in the Big Ten. I don't know if it will become the holiday tradition Oklahoma–Nebraska was, but it has some potential. After all, Iowa may be 4–7, but the Hawkeyes have been successful far more often than not in the last 10 years. It seems like simply a matter of time before they return to prominence.
  
  This year, though, it appears to be no contest. Nebraska's offense and defense both rank in the Top 20. Iowa's defense is #60, and that is the Hawkeyes' strong point. Their offense ranks #110.
  
  I pick Nebraska to improve to 10–2.
• #24 Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan, noon (Central) on ESPN3.com: These schools have met 25 times in the last 35 years, and Northern Illinois has owned the series, winning more than three–quarters of the time.
  
  When Eastern Michigan has the ball, the 100th–ranked offense will be trying to score against the 44th–best defense. As much of a mismatch as that appears to be, Eastern Michigan will be fielding the 115th defense against the nation's 15th–best offense.
  
  I think Northern Illinois should win easily.
• #8 LSU at Arkansas, 1:30 p.m. (Central) on CBS: They call this the battle for the Golden Boot, a trophy inspired by the physical maps of Louisiana and Arkansas.
  
  I don't think they've been calling it that all along, but it is an old rivalry, dating back to 1906. And, in recent years, it's been a competitive rivalry.
  
  It's also been friendly to the home fans lately. The last four meetings have been won by the home team.
  
  All time, the advantage belongs to LSU, and this season has leaned in that direction as well. LSU still has a slender chance to finish in a three–way tie for the SEC West title with Alabama and Texas A&M if the Tigers beat Arkansas — but, unlike recent years, the Tigers have no hope of playing for the national title.
  
  They still will need an upset by Auburn against Alabama on Saturday if they are to share the SEC West crown — and that isn't likely.
  
  But it will still be a possibility when LSU plays Arkansas.
  
  For Arkansas, though, it is the last game in a season that was expected to be so much different. The 4–7 Razorbacks lost their remaining chance of a bowl bid when they lost to Mississippi State last week, and all they will bring into Friday's game is pride.
  
  The numbers suggest that won't be enough to finish the season on a positive note. LSU has the fifth–best defense in the land, and I think it will be able to stop Arkansas' 54th–ranked offense. On the other side of the ball, it might be a fairly even match; Arkansas' 79th–ranked defense might give LSU's 68th–ranked offense a competitive game.
  
  But LSU appears likely to make the Razorbacks turn the ball over, and that means an LSU victory is probable.

Saturday

• #1 Notre Dame at Southern Cal, 7 p.m. (Central) on ABC: Of all the schools that consider Notre Dame their rival — and there are many — Southern California is acknowledged by most to be Notre Dame's primary rival.
  
  
  
  Between them, Southern Cal and Notre Dame have produced more national titles, more Heisman Trophy winners and more All–Americans than any other rivalry, and, with the exception of the World War II years, they've squared off every year since Knute Rockne roamed the Notre Dame sidelines.
  
  Notre Dame leads the all–time series, but Southern Cal has dominated for the last decade, winning nine out of the last 10 meetings (I suppose, in a way, that makes up for that period from 1983 to 1995 when Notre Dame's only blemish against USC was a 17–17 tie in 1994).
  
  And Southern Cal's quarterback is guaranteeing a victory over the Irish this year.
  
  Not so fast, my friend.
  
  Notre Dame has the nation's sixth–best defense, which should make for some memorable clashes when the Irish are on the field with USC's 27th–ranked offense.
  
  When the Irish have the ball, it should be more competitive. Notre Dame is 50th in offense; USC is 58th in defense.
  
  But the Notre Dame defense has been remarkably resilient. I pick Notre Dame to win the game.
• Auburn at #2 Alabama, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on CBS: For three straight years, the winner of this game has gone on to win the national championship.
  
  You might think that Auburn tends to win when it has a Heisman winner (or, at least, a Heisman contender) on its roster; however, the Tigers didn't win the year Pat Sullivan won the Heisman (1971) or the year Bo Jackson won it (1985), but they did beat Alabama the year Cam Newton won the Heisman (2010).
  
  With no one like Sullivan, Jackson or Newton in the backfield, the numbers suggest that Alabama's second–ranked defense will toy with Auburn's 112th–ranked offense.
  
  Auburn's defense (#74 in the land) might be a little more competitive against Alabama's offense (#44), but I see no reason to think Alabama won't notch its eighth win in the last 11 meetings with Auburn.
• Georgia Tech at #3 Georgia, 11 a.m. (Central) on ESPN: Georgia has won the last three contests in a series known simply as "Clean, Old–Fashioned Hate."
  
  In fact, Georgia Tech has won only once (2008) in the last 11 contests. And there is little, if any, reason to think Tech will log its second win over the Bulldogs since 2001.
  
  Both teams will play in their conference championship games next weekend. The 6–5 Yellow Jackets will take on #10 Florida State, and Georgia will face the representative of the SEC West. Presumably, that will be #2 Alabama — but that has not been determined yet.
  
  The numbers favor Georgia. The Bulldogs' offense is 25th in the nation and should have the upper hand with Tech's #61 defense. When Tech has the ball, the Yellow Jackets' #28 offense should have its hands full with Georgia's #20 defense.
  
  Georgia has beaten Tech four of the last five times they have played in Athens, and I pick Georgia to win this one as well.
• #20 Michigan at #4 Ohio State, 11 a.m. (Central) on ABC: I think most people would call this a classic football rivalry. And it seems fitting that both teams are ranked.
  
  That hasn't always been the case, but it sure seemed to be when I was growing up.
  
  
  
  Historically, Michigan leads the series, but Ohio State has more than made up for it in the last 75 years. Michigan still leads the series overall, but the Buckeyes bounced back, especially in the Woody Hayes era.
  
  Well, that's what happened in the past. What do the numbers tell us about this year?
  
  The elite units for both teams are on defense, and of the two, Michigan's is ranked higher (#12) than Ohio State's (#38). Neither offense has been overly impressive. Ohio State's is ranked higher (#45) than Michigan's (#67).
  
  That points to a close, low–scoring contest, and my thoughts turn to other factors, such as the home field advantage (Ohio State has won five in a row at home against Michigan) and motivation.
  
  Ohio State is unbeaten but also prohibited from playing for the conference title — and that could be all the motivation the Buckeyes need. Michigan could play for the conference crown if Nebraska loses to Iowa on Friday — and the outcome of that game will be known before Ohio State and Michigan kick off — but it is unknown right now.
  
  In what may be regarded as an upset, I will pick Michigan and its defense to prevail.
• #5 Oregon at #16 Oregon State, 2 p.m. (Central) on Pac–12: You might not know it from Oregon's success in recent years, but as recently as 2007, Oregon State led the all–time series.
  
  Then Oregon started its current four–game winning streak and seized the lead. And with the fourth–best offense in the country, you have to figure that Oregon will be favored to put some points on the board — even though Oregon State's defense is ranked #26.
  
  The Pac–12 has been known for its offenses over the years so I'll go with the flashy offense in this matchup and pick Oregon to win.
• #6 Florida at #10 Florida State, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC: Seems like old times.
  
  Well, not quite. I mean, it's great for this rivalry that both teams are in the Top 10 — but 15 years ago or so, both of these teams would have been in the Top Two.
  
  In the tradition of great Southern defenses, both schools Florida State has the top–ranked defense in the nation, and Florida has the fourth–ranked unit. But Florida State's offense (#14 in the nation) seems much better–prepared to face a Top 10 defense than Florida's (#104).
  
  The good news for the Florida offense is that banged–up QB Jeff Driskel is slated to rejoin the team but may not play.
  
  Regardless, I'll take Florida State at home.
• Missouri at #9 Texas A&M, 6 p.m. (Central) on ESPN2: Recent history favors Missouri in this game. The Tigers have won five of the six games the schools have played in the last 10 years.
  
  All eyes will be on Johnny (Football) Manziel, the freshman phenom who has led the Aggies to their #5 ranking in offense and will be making his case for the Heisman Trophy.
  
  The Aggies won't wind up in the SEC Championship game, but they'll finish strongly as Texas A&M should have little trouble with Missouri.
• #11 Stanford at #15 UCLA, 5:30 p.m. (Central) on Fox: If everything happens just so, this could be a preview of the Pac–12 title game.
  
  UCLA has already clinched its division, and Stanford, with its win over Oregon last week, could be the Bruins' opponent.
  
  That is highly unlikely — but only because Oregon probably will turn back Oregon State today. Stanford and UCLA should know the outcome of that game before they kick off their own.
  
  In the past, UCLA has had the advantage in the series, but Stanford has won the last three contests. It is worth remembering, though, that, when Stanford beat UCLA in Los Angeles in 2010, it was the first time the Cardinal had beaten the Bruins there since 1996.
  
  In the tradition of Pac–12 powers, UCLA does have a Top 20 offense (#16) — but Stanford has a Top 20 defense (#18). That sure sounds a lot more appealing than the matchup that will occur when Stanford's offense (#85 in the nation) takes the field against UCLA's defense (#80).
  
  I expect this to be a close game, but I'll go with the home team, UCLA.
• #13 South Carolina at #12 Clemson, 6 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: I really have to give South Carolina credit.
  
  The Gamecocks lost their star running back, but they have persevered and enter this game with a 9–2 record and a three–game winning streak. But the three teams this squad has beaten in that winning streak (Tennessee, Arkansas, Wofford) are not as good as the team they will face on Saturday.
  
  South Carolina has won three straight against Clemson, but the Gamecocks have really struggled at Clemson, where they trail in the all–time series, 16–9–1.
  
  The marquee matchup in this game will come when Clemson's sixth–ranked offense is on the field against South Carolina's 13th–ranked defense. Clemson's defense isn't anything special (#69 in the country), but it seems likely to be able to handle South Carolina's offense (ranked 93rd in the country).
  
  I expect Clemson to win.
• #22 Oklahoma State at #14 Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: I know from my years in Oklahoma that the "Bedlam Series," as the athletic rivalry between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State is known, attracts insane amounts of attention.
  
  When I lived in Norman, OU probably had its worst football seasons in at least a couple of decades, if not more. But Oklahoma State was probably worse, and the record in my four years there was two wins for OU, one win for OSU and one tie.
  
  
  
  (That, incidentally, was after the Barry Switzer era had ended. Under Switzer, OU fans probably took victories in the Bedlam Series for granted. After all, he was 15–1 against the Cowboys.)
  
  Nevertheless, people absolutely flocked to the games. In Okie hearts, only two games really matter on the annual football schedule — the Texas game and the OSU game. Nebraska used to be a rival until the Cornhuskers departed for the Big Ten.
  
  Both schools have had better football teams in the years since I left Oklahoma. This year, OSU is ranked third in offense, and OU is ranked 11th. Defense has not been either team's strongest point, but OU is ranked 41st and OSU is ranked 54th.
  
  I'm inclined to give Oklahoma the edge — the Sooners are at home, they've beaten OSU seven of the last nine times they have met in Norman, and their defense is better than OSU's.
• Connecticut at #19 Louisville, 11 a.m. (Central) on Big East: Not surprisingly, Louisville leads the series, 5–3 — largely on the strength of a 3–1 mark at home.
  
  For a 4–6 team, Connecticut is in the Top 10 in defense (#9). Louisville (9–1) is ranked #32. Offense has been neither team's strength this season, but Louisville's (#42) has been far better than Connecticut's (#109).
  
  Most of the time, teams score on offense and, considering that Louisville's has been so much more effective than Connecticut's, I'll pick Louisville to win.
• #21 Rutgers at Pittsburgh, 11 a.m. (Central) on ESPN2: Historically, this series has belonged to Pittsburgh — except for the last seven games, five of which have been won by Rutgers.
  
  But 8–1 Rutgers need not be cocky about facing 4–6 Pittsburgh. Records can be deceiving. Rutgers' only loss came against Kent State (which lost to lowly Kentucky in September), and Pittsburgh took Notre Dame to triple overtime before finally losing.
  
  Both defenses are ranked higher than the teams' offenses. Rutgers' defense is 14th in the nation (Pittsburgh's is 39th). On offense, Pittsburgh is ranked 58th, and Rutgers is ranked 96th.
  
  These teams have seldom played in November; when they have played this late in November — and they've only played on or after Nov. 20 twice before — Pittsburgh usually wins.
  
  So, in what is likely to be seen as an upset, I pick Pittsburgh.
• Idaho at #25 Utah State, 2 p.m. (Central) on ESPN–Plus: Idaho's only win this season came against New Mexico State.
  
  Utah State, on the other hand, pounded New Mexico State, and its only two losses were by extremely thin margins to Wisconsin and BYU.
  
  Utah State is ranked #21 on both offense and defense. Idaho, on the other hand, doesn't make the Top 100 in either category.
  
  I feel safe in predicting that Utah State will win comfortably.
• #25 Mississippi State at Ole Miss, 6 p.m. (Central) on ESPNU: Known as the Egg Bowl, Mississippi State has won five of the last seven contests.
  
  But their victory in Oxford in 2010 was the Bulldogs' first since 1998.
  
  The series dates back to 1901, but only since 1927 has it been known as the "Battle for the Golden Egg." And that is what the winning team receives — a trophy shaped like a golden egg.
  
  For many years, the teams played in Jackson, a more centrally located site (and more of a neutral one, too), but the series was moved back to the campuses in 1991. Ole Miss leads the series overall, but Mississippi State has a 12–9 advantage since the series returned to the campuses.
  
  Mississippi State also was 12–6 against Ole Miss when they met in Jackson every year from 1973 to 1990, so it can be reasonably said that Mississippi State has dominated the series for the last four decades.
  
  The numbers from 2012 suggest that this isn't likely to change on Saturday.
  
  I do think the game will be close. But the highest–ranked unit in the game is Mississippi State's defense (#45). It should be adequately challenged by Ole Miss' offense (#53).
  
  Mississippi State's offense (#68) should be similarly challenged by Ole Miss' defense (#57).
  
  That makes me think turnovers will decide the outcome, and Mississippi State has been far better in turnover margin than Ole Miss.
  
  Consequently, I will go with Mississippi State.

Last week: 16–5

Season: 190–49

The Power of Prayer

I can sympathize with Detroit Lions fans.

Really, I can. As I have written many times before, I have been a Green Bay Packers fan since I was a child.

If you aren't old enough to remember the time before Brett Favre came to Green Bay, there were many grim seasons for the Packers — occasionally interrupted by a season or two that transcended mediocrity — between the Vince Lombardi era and the Brett Favre era.

When I hear the phrase "long–suffering fan," I know precisely what it means. I've been one, and I probably will be one again, perhaps not with the Packers, perhaps with some other team that I follow.

It just seems to me that everyone, at one time or another, knows what it is like to support a team that never — or almost never — wins.

Your favorite team doesn't always win the championship; heck, it doesn't always make it to the playoffs. Football fans here in Dallas (who went into the season thinking the currently 3–7 Cowboys would become the first team to host a Super Bowl) have been coming to grips with that very reality this year.

I'm not talking about narrowly missing the playoffs, either. I'm talking about (seemingly habitually) finishing so far out of the playoff race that you feel like one of the jockeys who rode the horses that Secretariat left in the dust at the 1973 Belmont Stakes.

Around here, of course, football is king. But there are baseball fans here, and life has not been easy for them. Texas Rangers fans know all about that long–suffering jazz. It took them nearly four decades to reach the World Series. Winning one, apparently, is going to take awhile longer.

But even the Rangers' suffering pales when compared to the Lions'.

The Lions haven't had a winning season in a decade. They haven't been in the playoffs since 1999. They haven't won a division title since 1993. They haven't played for a conference championship in nearly 20 years. They haven't won one in more than 50 years.

They recently set a new standard for futility, losing their 25th consecutive road game. Fittingly, that milestone was achieved against a team that had lost all of its games this season.

The Lions' fans know how that feels, too. They went 0–16 a couple of years ago. Only one other team in modern NFL history has lost all of its games, and that was before the NFL started playing 16–game schedules.

When you consider their history, you have to wonder what could possibly entice anyone in Detroit to go to Ford Field where the 2–8 Lions will play the 8–2 New England Patriots tomorrow.

I mean, along with the fact that the Lions just plain stink, as usual, the temperature is supposed to be in the 30s tonight, and the predicted high temperature tomorrow is 48°.

The game is indoors, of course, but the elements won't be too pleasant, even if exposure to them will be brief — there's a 90% chance of rain in Detroit tomorrow, and, even if the only time one must spend in it will be the time it takes to get from one's car to the stadium, who wants to spend any time on Thanksgiving in a cold rain?

It is in just such conditions, however, that a couple of Christian leaders from Detroit are planning to hold a prayer vigil for the Lions.

Apparently, this began when Derrick Hills of the Communications Ministry called a sports radio show and "realized that something needed to be done to make a difference and to help our struggling team improve."

Anyway, tomorrow Hills and a Detroit–area Baptist minister are going to hold a prayer vigil for the Lions near one of Ford Field's gates. It's set for 11 a.m. local time, about 90 minutes before kickoff.

It's probably safe to assume that Detroit will not have reached its predicted 48–degree high by 11 a.m.; it is probably also safe to assume that it will be raining at that time. I'm thinking this prayer vigil could be a good test for the commitment of Detroit football fans to the local team.

"I believe that if we all can come together and pray that we can assist in making the Detroit Lions a truly competitive team who can one day become a Super Bowl champion," Hills said.

Now, I know that there are people who believe — some devoutly — in the power of prayer, but that seems improbable.