Empty the Call Sheet (Oct. 27)
Yogi's weekly Sunday newsletter written each week on the plane home from his game
Don’t miss a moment.
With any scroll of your phone on social media there will be a sage and stoic post reminding us of that exact phrase.
With the quickly moving calendar in college football, the same rings true.
Good times go by quickly.
Special times go by rapidly.
Memorable times would be great if they could slow down.
From 30,000 feet, I'm thinking about that exact thought and three stories jump out to me after leaving a sold out Indiana game as Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers rolled to another double digit win over Jedd Fisch’s Huskies in his first year.
Saturday’s excitement began midweek, as ESPN College GameDay rolled into Bloomington with fanfare, celebrity and hope. By the time the sun rose on Saturday the lawn in front of Memorial Stadium, otherwise known as ‘The Rock’ was packed, Lee Corso’s sweatshirt was buzzing and the crisp fall air felt absolutely perfect for an autumn Saturday. The crowd lived up to the hype, waving Cig towels that made The Rock feel like a Steelers game. While there were no Terrible Towels in the stadium the vibe was evident on TV.
A Pick 6 kicked off the game for IU and the decibel level hit a mark it likely hasn't seen since 1967. Guy Haberman met the moment on air and Hoosier alum Rhett Lewis was phenomenal once again on the sideline. As we took off from the tarmac Saturday evening, I started to realize that Week 9 was concluding and there were only 3-4 games guaranteed for most college football seniors left in their football lives. I began to reminisce about old teammates, like UW offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll or former Pitt WR Larry Fitzgerald. I smiled thinking about the pure joy we had with one another, from running 6 a.m. sprints to moving apartments in July, to of course, competing on the grandest of stages in the sport we all loved.
I haven’t met a former college football player that wouldn’t love to go back for one more summer, one more season. So to the current players reading this, don’t miss a moment. Enjoy this coming full-padded Tuesday practice, enjoy this coming Friday’s team meal and as the countdown to senior night officially begins, I’d recommend to learn as much about your teammates as you possibly can. Remember, good times go by quickly.
Thankfully today’s airlines have quality internet and allow for football fans to stay connected to games in-flight. On the first leg of our path back to Los Angeles, I turned on Big Ten Network to listen to good friend and fellow analyst Anthony Herron. He’s always dialed in and I’m not sure if anyone enjoys calling games more than him. It’s almost like you can feel his radiant smile through his voice. Late in the Iowa vs Northwestern game, the Wildcats made a change at quarterback and Ryan Hilinski started to take snaps. He ripped a seam ball down the left hash and I flashed back to him doing the very same thing at the Elite 11 Finals years ago. Ryan was one of the top prep quarterbacks in the Class of 2018 and had a personality that was beautiful. I had known his family for almost a decade, as both of his older brothers, Kelly and Tyler, were big time high school quarterbacks and went through the Elite 11 circuit. Tyler would sign with Washington State and when he got his chance on the field, found incredible success. Who can’t recall him being carried off the field as the Cougs beat Boise State in 2017? It was magical, almost dreamlike for him, let alone any QB.
If you follow sports or support mental health, you are aware of Tyler’s story and that he is no longer with us, having died by suicide on January 16, 2018. His parents have become friends and heroically have shared Tyler’s story with hundreds of audiences and thousands of athletes. I cannot imagine what they and their two sons have gone through after losing their beloved son and brother, but I also know they are pouring into the world educating others on mental health. This weekend I wore my Hilinski’s Hope hoodie to our game and every time I wear it my heart breaks and I’m also in awe. Heartbroken because Tyler is no longer with us, but in awe of this family and how they are impacting the world.
Watching Ryan spin the rock for Northwestern, even in a 40-14 loss, brought me to tears as his courage to impact others through his grief is something most of us will never relate to. I recalled how he shared his story with us at Elite 11 while he was in high school and how he was oftentimes more interested in how he could help others than anything else. Listening to Anthony Herron share a part of his family's story is another reminder that sport can impact the world in powerful ways. If you want to support Hilinski’s Hope please visit https://www.hilinskishope.org/
I’m not sure how many games Ryan has left in his football career, but I do know that he has inspired millions with how he has connected to others through the act of throwing a ball and sharing his story with humility and vulnerability. If his career ends after this season one thing is 100% clear – it will never be about the number of touchdowns he throws and it will always be about how many lives he has impacted.
As my second flight takes off from Chicago to the City of Angels, or shall I say Dodgers, I am scrolling through images of my two sons. With Halloween around the corner, the past few years of costumes are naturally showing up on my camera roll. How they have grown is fascinating and how they have evolved in hundreds of ways blows my mind. The same can be said of college football. With a 12-team playoff on the verge of happening and more than 20 teams still having hope that they too can evolve as a program is great for the sport. From Bloomington to Pullman and from Pittsburgh to Eugene there are about 2,000 college football players who are thinking about the CFP right now, and that is incredible. Gone are the times of only blue bloods conquering the final month of the season. Some of us may not like it, some of us may be embracing it. Regardless, it’s here.
Kind of like the final month of the season, a player's final few snaps of his career or trick or treating on Halloween – another season is coming to a close that will be full of memories. If only the weeks, games or costumes could slow down…but until we figure out how to stop time, let’s be sure to enjoy it.
With that, here are some Week 9 thoughts from the sky:
I spoke with Nick Saban for a few minutes on Friday afternoon. We dove into QB transfers, the health of the portal and Elite 11. More on that this week on the Y-Option podcast.
Indiana is no longer just a great story, they are a team who can play with the blue blood greats. Tune in, you’ll enjoy it.
Oregon remains the most improved team in the nation after rolling Illinois 38-9. Every week Dan Lanning’s squad improves. Look out college football as the Ducks are taking up a lot of oxygen, and rightfully so. And in the Heisman Race, so is Dillon Gabriel.
Who needed a win more? Cal, Oregon State, USC, Utah, Arizona or Stanford? It felt like they all needed some positive mojo and a few earned it.
Cal won 44-7 over Oregon State in an old Pac-12 clash. Both the Bears and Beavs needed a win and Justin Wilcox got his squad back on track after losing their last four games by a combined nine points. Both teams enter a bye week at a good time to reset for the final month of the season.
The Trojans and Bears could debate which of them have had more heartache, as the Trojans had lost their previous 3 games and all 4 losses this season are by a total of 14 points. The offense got going early against Rutgers on a Friday night where the Scarlet Knights kicked off at 11 p.m. eastern! Woody Marks is proving to be a consistent playmaker for SC and some NFL scouts are talking about his impact at the next level. Makai Lemon had a massive impact too - I expect Lincoln Riley to continue to feature this physical and explosive sophomore wideout. The Trojans were truly next man up on defense as four starters in the secondary were out. They face UW next on the road in another old school Pac-12 matchup.
Kalani Sitake is making a case for National Coach of the Year and rightfully so. BYU kept it rolling vs. UCF on the road. And how is BYU-UCF a conference game?! Some parts of realignment will never make sense. Props to Jake Retzlaff too, if you missed his story this is worth a read. The Cougars have a week off and then visit Utah. Rivalry anyone?!
Speaking of Utah, Kyle Whittingham’s team continues to struggle, losing at Houston for their 4th straight loss. Picked to win the Big 12 in the preseason poll, the Utes are off to a 1-4 start in conference play.
Arizona left it all on the turf in Tucson and were a late game stop on defense away from a chance to win it. This team continues to compete under Brent Brennan.
Stanford lost a heartbreaker to Wake Forest 27-24 as the Demon Deacons kicked a field goal with 1:48 remaining. With only four games remaining the 2-6 Cardinal need to win out to become bowl eligible.
Hope you enjoy your Sunday and as always, thank you for the constant support!
Much love,
Yogi