Ole Miss had an interesting outing in Tuscaloosa, losing a 59-31 decision to the second-ranked Crimson Tide.
The Rebels now return home to face Vanderbilt in a game I think is the single biggest one in Matt Luke's tenure so far.
Basketball media day is Monday, so there's a lot of hoops coverage coming in the next few weeks as well.
The NFL hit the quarter pole Sunday, the Major League Baseball regular season has ended and NBA teams have opened training camps. In some ways, it's the most fun portion of the sports calendar.
Anyway, I'll touch on a lot of that and more in 10 Weekend Thoughts.
1. Ole Miss looked like an improving team in Tuscaloosa.
I don't mean that as a hot take or to create more vitriol. God knows there's plenty of that anyway. It's my opinion the fan base is sort of divided into two elements these days. One is blindly defending Luke regardless of outcome. The other refuses to give him any credit regardless of what they see.
As usual, I find myself falling somewhere in the middle. Yes, Ole Miss left a win or two on the table in the first four weeks of the season. There's no denying that.
However, there's evidence of young players improving and growing into meaningful roles. There's no denying that either.
Scottie Phillips got just seven carries Saturday, meaning freshmen Jerrion Ealy and Snoop Conner combined for 21 rushes for 130 yards against Alabama. Freshman Jonathan Mingo had his breakout game with three catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. Dannis Jackson and Jadon Jackson got involved as well.
A.J. Finley and Deantre Prince are showing major development in the secondary. Sophomore linebacker Jacquez Jones is emerging as a playmaker.
Don't get me wrong; fans have every right to be upset about a 2-3 start. However, there's clear progress being made. Yes, it's undoubtedly a scoreboard business, but I'd submit there's more to the evaluation this season than pure wins and losses.
There is still lots of work to do. Ole Miss isn't a great tackling team. The Rebels are deficient against the deep ball. Special teams snafus are killing them week after week. However, there's no quit in this team either. Saturday, Alabama appeared poised to humiliate Ole Miss. Late in the second quarter, the Tide was putting Ole Miss away.
Past Ole Miss folded under that pressure. This one didn't. It fought to the final buzzer. That's worth noting.
No, there are no moral victories in the SEC. However, there were some signs of good things ahead if you were willing to be open-minded on Saturday in Tuscaloosa.
2. Is there a quarterback controversy moving forward?
That will certainly be a topic of conversation moving into the week leading up to Saturday night's SEC showdown with Vanderbilt.
My guess: Matt Corral will play and John Rhys Plumlee will also see time. If Ole Miss gets off to a sluggish start on offense, my guess is Plumlee will enter quickly. As I wrote Saturday, I expect Ole Miss to play somewhat coy with the situation, forcing Vanderbilt to prepare for both quarterbacks.
I thought Grant Tisdale looked solid in his debut late in Saturday's loss at Alabama, so if Corral can't go against the Commodores, I wouldn't be surprised to see Tisdale get more snaps in Oxford this weekend.
There is certainly a renewed competition at the position, and given the classification of the people involved _ one redshirt freshman and at least true freshmen _ that's a positive.
3. Up next: Vanderbilt.
The Commodores held off Northern Illinois, 24-18, Saturday in Nashville. Before I get to my thoughts on the importance of Saturday's game between the Commodores and Rebels in Oxford, here are some takeaways from the Vanderbilt win from my friend and colleague, Chris Lee of VandySports.com:
1. That was the fast start VU needed.
When you start your season 0-3 with those losses totaling 70 points, regardless of the opponent, it creates an air of negativity. And against that backdrop, VU’s 14-0 start in the game’s first 6:03, coupled with a defense that allowed 44 yards on 12 first-quarter plays, was a nice jump-start to the day.
2. Blitzing was really effective today.
Vandy's ability to wreak havoc in the backfield today was easily the key to the team's best defensive performance this season.
The Commodores generated three first-half sacks--two by inside linebacker Elijah McAllister--and held NIU to 60 first-half passing yards. VU was only credited with one first-half hurry, but that seemed a stingy grade in that regard as the Commodores seemed to force the issue with pressure more often than that.
VU also aggressively called successful run blitzes in a number of spots that resulted for multiple tackles for loss.
3. Sometimes, a break or two doesn’t hurt.
NIU stormed out of the locker room for its first 10 points of the second half, closing within four. Vanderbilt had started to drive, and Vaughn broke free into the secondary on the NIU side of midfield when the ball popped loose along the near sideline.
A number of NIU defenders were there and in position to make a play. But none of them could corral it before it went out of bounds and Vandy retained possession.
One play later, quarterback Riley Neal hit wide receiver Kalija Lipscomb for a 38-yard score. And instead of NIU having the ball around its 40 with some momentum and a four-point deficit, VU had its first points in a while and led by 11.
On its next drive, VU threw a screen pass to Vaughn on second-and-19. NIU outside linebacker Jordan Cole, the Huskies’ leading tackler going into the game, tackled Vaughn for a seven-yard loss.
But Cole also hit Vaughn with the crown of his helmet and was ejected for targeting. Vandy not only got a first down, but NIU lost Cole, its leading tackler coming into the game.
After NIU drove the ball across midfield late and had the 'Dores on their heels, a fumbled snap cost the Huskies 16 yards. Northern Illinois eventually punted with 3:10 left.
4. After the fast start, offensive inconsistency and inability to get rhythm reared its head again.
The Commodores haven’t been able to get their offense going for long stretches all year, and it happened again Saturday.
After the first two scores, VU got just two first downs on its next four possessions, and as a result, the Commodores punted each time.
The start of the second half was encouraging—for a brief minute—before Vandy reverted to form.
Running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn ripped off a 13-yard run for a first down. VU then went hurry-up and got a completion to wide receiver Justice Shelton-Mosley for six.
And just like that, the Commodores slowed it down.
Vaughn rushed for no gain. Then, left guard Saige Young drew a personal foul—his fourth of the year.
Next, Neal threw a pass 30 yards across the field to C.J. Bolar for what would have been a five-yard gain—and it was nearly picked.
On third-and-19, Neal hit Lipscomb near the line of scrimmage. He got eight yards and Vandy punted.
To that, the Commodores just seem to throw the towel in too easily in those situations. Late in the third quarter, with VU facing second-and-19, the Commodores threw a screen pass to Vaughn that went for a loss of seven. Vandy ended up with a first down after the play due to a targeting call, but the call was typical of the the team’s season-long unwillingness to call plays more aggressively in that situation.
5. Vanderbilt showed a lack of discipline again today.
After starting the season as the nation's most penalized team through two weeks, VU seemed to turn a page last week with just three infractions for 27 yards.
Today was back to the same: Vandy was flagged nine times for 97 yards, which included personal fouls on Dayo Odeyingbo, Saige Young and Dimitri Moore.
6. VU has an All-American tight end who’s a nightmare matchup and it doesn’t use middle of the field with him.
Jared Pinkney had one catch for one yard today and was hardly targeted. Pinkney was open in the left corner of the end early in the fourth quarter and Neal missed him with what would have been a touchdown.
Now to my overriding thought about this coming Saturday, from an Ole Miss perspective. Simply put, I think this is a critical game for Luke. This is, simply put, a game Ole Miss should win. Ole Miss has more talent, has home field, has the advantage in a number of matchups, etc. Bottom line: Ole Miss can lose to Alabama, Auburn, Missouri, Texas A&M, LSU, etc., and show progress while looking like a program recovering from Hurricane Hugh. In other words, Ole Miss can fight Auburn tooth and nail, lose and no objective observer hold it against the program -- certainly not at this stage in the recovery.
However, a loss to Vanderbilt Saturday would eliminate most all good will. Those fans on the fence as it pertains to buy-in would, in large numbers, check out. A win would settle things for a bit, giving the program time to keep developing young players and working for the breakout win that would start to restore more mainstream faith in Luke and Co.
A loss, on the other hand, would make the noise deafening. It might be noise full of fury and signifying nothing, but it would be loud nonetheless.
Ole Miss would love to avoid that. A win is of paramount importance.
4. It's time for my weekly ranking of the SEC.
1. Georgia -- I thought about Alabama here. I thought about Auburn.Hell, I thought about LSU. I still think the Bulldogs are the most complete team in the league, but it's really close.
2. Alabama -- The Tide's offense is so explosive.
3. LSU -- Ditto Alabama, but look out for...
4. Auburn -- The Tigers curb-stomped Mississippi State and, in the process, looked like a real contender.
5. Florida -- The Gators get Auburn in The Swamp Saturday. It should be a fun one.
6. Missouri -- As I keep saying, this is a gut feeling as much as anything.
7. Texas A&M -- The Aggies are very average. They're incredibly beatable.
8. South Carolina -- The Gamecocks look to have found an identity of sorts against Kentucky.
9. Mississippi State -- See Texas A&M. Very average. Very beatable.
10. Ole Miss -- It's must-win time for the Rebels if they want to keep bowl hopes alive, but there's a path. See Nos. 7 and 9.
11. Kentucky -- The Wildcats' loss to Florida is going to haunt them all season.
12. Vanderbilt -- The Commodores' quarterback play really limits their potential.
13. Tennessee -- The Vols get Georgia this week. That's got ugly written all over it.
14. Arkansas -- Give the Hogs credit. They scared the hell out of Texas A&M in Arlington.
5. I could never be an Associated Press Top 25 voter, not with my blatant, over-the-top fandom, but if someone were to be crazy enough to bestow such an honor on me, my ballot would look like this today:
1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. LSU
4. Ohio State
5. Oklahoma
6. Auburn
7. Clemson (No, not a misprint)
8. Wisconsin
9. Florida
10. Penn State
11. Notre Dame
12. Iowa
13. Texas
14. Boise State
15. Oregon
16. Washington
17. Utah
18. UCF
19. Arizona State
20. Oklahoma State
21. Wake Forest
22. Michigan
23. Virginia
24. Memphis
25. Missouri
6. Kermit Davis will meet with the media Monday afternoon, signifying the start of the basketball season. The Rebels open the season Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. at home against Arkansas State. Between now and then, I'm interested to hear and see a number of things.
-- Everything I hear is Devontae Shuler's game appears poised to make a big step. Shuler was a point guard for the first time last season and he looked very comfortable in the role by the end of the season.
-- People around the program are raving about freshman Sammy Hunter, more so even than junior college transfer Khadim Sy. Both players should give the Rebels athleticism in the post that they didn't have -- on either end of the floor -- a season ago.
-- Terence Davis is gone to the Toronto Raptors. Replacing his contributions, in terms of points, spirit and leadership, will be fascinating to watch. My suspicion is it will require a team effort of sorts, keyed by senior guard Breein Tyree.
-- Luis Rodriguez showed flashes last season on the wing. He'll be asked to be much more consistent this season.
-- Redshirt freshman Franco Miller and junior college transfer Bryce Williams have the talent to get minutes immediately at this level. However, with Shuler, Tyree and Austin Crowley on the roster, those minutes will have to be earned.
-- Everyone I've spoken to fully expects freshman Shon Robinson to redshirt. That appears to be the established plan.
-- KJ Buffen had some confidence issues with his shot last season. I'm told those have disappeared and he's had an excellent offseason. He's a high-ceiling player who has the potential to be very impactful in Davis' system.
-- I anticipate some attrition after this season. College basketball works that way. Jarkel Joiner is going to move into Tyree's scholarship slot after this season, and I believe the Rebels are going to add two more signees in November. So do the math. Unlike a year ago, when a thin roster tied Davis' hands, there are more options for the coach to turn to. Barring a rash of injuries, minutes will be hard-earned, which should help maximize the potential of the Rebels' roster.
7. The Major League Baseball playoffs begin this week. Here are my predictions for what's to come in October:
American League Wildcard:
Oakland over Tampa Bay
National League Wildcard:
Washington over Milwaukee
American League Divisional Series:
New York over Minnesota in 5
Houston over Oakland in 4
National League Divisional Series:
Atlanta over St. Louis in 4
Los Angeles over Washington in 4
American League Championship Series:
Houston over New York in 5
National League Championship Series:
Los Angeles over Atlanta in 6
World Series:
Houston over Los Angeles in 7
8. The Chicago Cubs' season ended Sunday with a 9-0 loss at St. Louis. The Cubs won just 84 games and finished in third place in the National League Central, seven games behind the first-place Cardinals.
Earlier in the day, the worst-kept secret in baseball became official: Joe Maddon will not return to the Cubs as manager.
His five-year run was easily the best five-year run in modern Cubs history. He took the Cubs to three straight National League Championship Series from 2015 through 2017 and, of course, led the Cubs to their first World Series title in 108 years with a win over the Cleveland Indians.
Change is coming. Change is needed. I could see it early in the season. The Cubs' bullpen simply wasn't strong enough. They struck out too much, were too reliant on the home run, committed far too many outs on the bases and weren't solid defensively.
A nine-game losing streak in September ended a four-year postseason run and cemented Maddon's fate.
The end of a season is always kind of melancholy unless the team you cheer for wins a title. This end felt different. This was, for me, the team that got my kids into the Cubs. Carson wasn't quite nine years old when the Cubs beat the Cardinals in the 2015 NLDS. A year later, he cried with Rajai Davis homered off Aroldis Chapman to tie up Game 7 and then sprayed champagne with his sisters at midnight when Kris Bryant fielded a grounder and threw it to Anthony Rizzo for the final out.
Over the last few years, as he's gotten older, he's watched games, kept up with standings, studied minor league systems and developed an interest in the analytic side of the game. He won't grow up to be Bryant or Rizzo or Jon Lester, but he can aspire to be Theo Epstein or Jed Hoyer. For me, that's made cheering for the team I've loved since I was a boy even more fun.
Change is coming. I suspect Ben Zobrist has played his final game as a Cub. It's certainly possible Pedro Strop is gone too. There will be trades, whether it's Bryant or Willson Contreras or Kyle Schwarber. The roster will be changed at the core and on the fringes. It will look a lot different on March 26, 2020, in Milwaukee.
It's quite possible the competitive window has closed. If it has, years from now, he'll tell his kids about these last few Cubs teams the way I tell him about the Cub team of 1984 that cemented my fandom forever.
That's the beauty of sports. It's why most of you are on this site. It's not, in the end, the outcomes of games or seasons. It's about the memories and feelings you formed along the way.
I've been asked by many what I expect for the Cubs this offseason. So here are my predictions:
-- David Ross will be hired as manager.
-- Zobrist, Strop, Hamels won't be re-signed.
-- The Cubs won't tender a contract to Addison Russell.
-- The Cubs will deal Albert Almora Jr. and Victor Caratini for relief pitching.
-- They'll dance the dance with Nicholas Castellanos. If there's a deal to be struck, they'll strike it.
-- They'll extend Javy Baez and Kyle Schwarber.
-- They'll pursue Gerrit Cole but find him too expensive. They'll go further with Zach Wheeler.
-- They'll make a major trade involving their core. My prediction: They'll trade Contreras for a rotation piece and pursue free agent catcher Yasmani Grandal while they wait for Miguel Amaya to finish his development.
Oh, by the way, congratulations to the Cardinals. They had an incredible second half, and they earned the division title in a division that is brutal. Mike Schildt did an amazing job, as did Milwaukee's Craig Counsell. Both teams earned their playoff bids. Both will have to play incredible baseball to advance.
9. It's time for some sustenance. With that in mind, here's our resident chef, Burton Webb:
Taste of the Place, Lesson 5
Cacio e Pepe….”catchyo - Aye - Pep - Aye”
Alright, I am hearing that it’s hot outside during the day and cooler at night. Could it be soup weather….naw, not yet. Could it be pasta weather with a slight chance of black pepper and cheese? YES.
If you read the above that is in quotation marks, well you just spoke Italian. Plus 1 for yourself already. If you have the chance to go to Italy, go. If you don’t have the chance to go, well, make the chance…and then go. In Roma, a very traditional dish that is served in most restaurants, trattories, or at the home dinner table is this very simple pasta dish. It features pecorino romana…hint hint…which is a sheep’s cheese that has a slightly salty flavor to it. Some Italians use just this cheese for the dish. Others incorporate a little parmesan as well because they have it in their fridge. We are going to make this pasta the traditional way because in my opinion, it pairs better with the black pepper in the dish. Back in the day, which was a Wednesday for some reason, this cheese was rampant throughout Lazio, which is the region where Roma sits in. The cheese can be held for long periods of time due to its low-moisture content and it was said that kings, scholars, and gladiators boasted of its ability to re-invigorate oneself with energy just by eating a few pieces. Huh, knowledge.
Just to put this in here, I believe that I have eaten this dish over 40 times while I was in Roma. So one could say that I enjoyed it. We will do the step-up to the carbonara in time. Yet, let us begin by getting this simple pasta dish knocked out first.
Before proceeding, there are some rules. I know…dead gummit Burton. When cooking pasta:
No. 1. You never call spaghetti for example, noodles. It is pasta.
No. 2 You do not cook pasta to al dente before adding it to your sauce. We will talk about the 70/30 rule.
No. 3. Don’t ever drain pasta. Ever.
Wow, that was easy, not so hard there. With the above being stated, I believe it is time to get to the chopper, I mean kitchen! Go now!
Things you will need:
2 People Whom Love Cheese
A Cool Fall Evening
22 Minutes to Prepare (Yes this does include the time it takes the water to boil and cook the noodles…whoops, I mean pasta)
Equipment Needed:
1 Medium Sauté Pan
1 Medium Saucepot
1 Small Mixing Bowl
1 Cheese Grater (Make sure it is has a ‘fine’ side to it)
1 Rubber Spatula
1 Pair of Thongs
1 Soup Ladle
Measuring Cups of 1 cup, 1/4 cup, and 1 Tsp.
2 Stove Top Eyes
2 Plates for that Beautiful Pasta
1 Alarm on Your Phone if You Prefer
Ingredients Needed:
1 1/4 Cup Pecorino Romana Cheese (Grated Fine) + a few pieces to eat while you are grating the cheese….yeah
2 Tsp Salt
1 Heavy Tsp Medium-Course Ground Pepper (Or 17 turns of one of those pepper grinders…don’t ask how I know this)
2 Servings of Linguine Pasta (Usually a box is 6 servings, so eye it)
Water from a faucet or a water source
You can insert love here. Because that is all of the ingredients.
Directions:
Step 1: “Mis en Place” everything. If you have forgotten this saying, it means “everything in its place”. First put your cheese into the small mixing bowl. Then, go ahead and put the water in the saucepot and set on one of your stove top eyes. Also, place your sauté pan on the other eye. Now turn your saucepot eye to the highest setting to prepare to boil the pasta. For the sauté pan, turn the eye to medium low heat.
Step 2: Add your course ground black pepper to your “dry” sauté pan and just leave it alone until we get to the actually addition of the pasta. We are toasting the pepper to bring out more flavor.
Step 3: Ok, so when you cook pasta, the timing is very important. It will go very fast like a 1-2 punch of a boxer. So please read over step 3.1 once or twice before you do the recipe. A brief synopsis for you, we toast the black peppercorns in the dry pan, add water from the boiling pasta pot to then have a flavored “black pepper water”. You will then continue to cook the pasta in the sauté pan with the flavored water as opposed to it just staying in the boiling pot. You are infusing flavor into the pasta. This is the 70/30 rule for all pasta cooking at a professional level. So let’s get back into the recipe.
Step 3.1: Once your water boils, which should take around 4-5 minutes, add your salt to the water. After 10 seconds, add the pasta to the pot. You will let the pasta boil for 6 minutes. After those 6 minutes, you will turn the sauté pan eye up to a medium high setting. You will then add 2.5 ladles of the pasta water to the sauté pan. It will steam a little so be careful. After you add your water, use your thongs to grab the pasta and put them into the sauté pan. The easiest way to accomplish this is to turn the stove top eye off that is boiling the pasta. Then grab all of your pasta and put in the sauté pan. Continue cooking the pasta for two minutes, stirring occasionally with your thongs.
Step 4: Now with your pasta in the sauté pan for that continued cooking, pour half of a ladle of pasta water into the bowl with the grated cheese. Use your rubber spatula to mix everything together until throughly combined. It will resemble very thick creamed potatoes.
Step 5: We now need to turn the stove top eye off that is cooking the pasta in the sauté pan once those 2 minutes are up. Let the pasta rest for 30 seconds. After those 30 seconds, put your cheese mixture into the pan along with 1/4 ladle of the pasta water. Use your thongs to now swirl that big blob of cheese around until it incorporates/melts completely. As you are doing this….you are going to get excited because you are at the finish line for making a very traditional Italian pasta dish at the professional level. So keep using your thongs to swirl the pasta around and you will see the cheese blob turn into a creamy sauce for yourself. Once it has all melted, portion the pasta onto two plates and enjoy! You can also use your spatula to get out all of the goodness that is in that pan, yeah, its goodness.
Tidbit: The longer you let the pasta sit…the thicker it will become after you have swirled in your cheese mixture. So for example, you made the two portions for yourself, to which I do. When I am ready for that “Second Helping”, I add a little of the pasta water to the sauté pan and swirl everything until the mixture thins out a little. After that, I then put it on my empty plate that I just scarfed down the “First Helping”.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe for this week and way to go for progressing in your cooking skills! Have a great start to your week and from the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
10. As I've said in this space many times before, I use this content item as a journal of sorts. Some people have pushed back, telling me to leave my personal life off this space. If you're one of those people, ignore the next few sentences.
My mom, Judy McCready, turns 77 Monday. I doubt she will be upset at me for revealing her age. Frankly, it's something she should be proud of. She's awesome, a wonderful mom and grandmother. She's been an incredible help to us in the 11-plus years we've lived in Oxford, picking up kids from school, coming to games and plays and recitals and so much more. She's tough; a north Louisiana girl who has beaten breast cancer and a broken hip and just kept marching. I admire her more than she knows.
My son, Carson, turns 13 on Friday. That thought hits me in the feels every time it crosses my mind. He's our baby, five-plus years younger than one sister and 3 1/2 years younger than another. He almost never happened. We were done after Caroline, but when my mom got cancer and my dad had a heart episode, I wanted to give the girls more family.
Laura acquiesced, and both of us are so thankful we didn't stop at two children. Carson has been an incredible blessing. I'm biased, but he's a phenomenal kid. We frequently get letters and notes from teachers praising him. It always leaves me in awe. I hope to one day be half the man he's going to be. Happy birthday, Carson.
We'll have coverage of Ole Miss football, basketball, recruiting and whatever else may come up. Until then, here are some links of interest to me _ and hopefully, to you _ for your reading pleasure:
“Maybe we are just weirdos”: Baseball’s absurd quest to not mess with the juju – The Athletic
Rosenthal: The Angels are among the teams that could be interested in Joe Maddon – The Athletic
‘They worked really well together’: Dayton Moore, Ned Yost and an unbreakable bond – The Athletic
Did Nicholas Castellanos say goodbye to Wrigley Field? ‘Let’s see what happens.’ – The Athletic
A Wild 36 Hours: Behind the scenes of the Nationals’ playoff-clinching series – The Athletic
Joey Votto Q&A: ‘The thing about this sport is that it’s terribly unforgiving, man’ – The Athletic
Agent calls out MLB after Cubs’ Kris Bryant hurt slipping on wet base - Chicago Sun-Times
‘I’m here’: Theo Epstein dismisses Red Sox speculation and plans big changes for Cubs – The Athletic
‘This can’t be real’: A fatal car accident and Wisconsin’s burden to carry on – The Athletic
Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey is the NFL’s best running back | Charlotte Observer
Rivals.com - Rivals Roundtable: Which coach is making most recruiting waves?
How is the Predators’ roster shaping up as opening night approaches? – The Athletic
Adam Silver consolidates significant power with new anti-tampering regime – The Athletic
Andre Iguodala finding it difficult to move on from time with Warriors
Nets' Irving: 'I failed' my Celtics teammates - espn.com
Pack some pillows: Life in the European hockey leagues can be a little bumpy – The Athletic
After three years in a Chinese prison, Wendell Brown finally comes home - sports.yahoo.com
People hack their Peloton bikes to watch Netflix, cheat leaderboards - Business Insider
Labradoodle creator regrets breeding ‘a Frankenstein monster’
