Sun Devil Delight
A chaos filled weekend of CFB is highlighted by shenanigans at Arizona State
Taking a look at NIL lessons from Week 13 of the 2024 CFB season and how they can apply to sports, business and life.
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One Second
Last Saturday I was live in person for the Baylor vs Houston game while over 1,200 miles away perhaps the most chaotic CFB ending was taking place.
Arizona State was delivering a dagger to BYU’s Playoff dreams but not before completing the longest and most agonizing one second of game time ever.
We have seen refs review and put one second back on the clock before in CFB:
2009 Big 12 Title game (Texas vs Nebraska)
2013 Iron Bowl (Kick Six)
2019 UNC vs Wake Forest
But never like this.
The Sun Devils raced out to a 21-0 lead before blowing it all and giving BYU an opportunity to win the game with a minute left.
Yet BYU threw an interception inside the Sun Devil 40-yard line that was returned to the seven-yard line. Then things got weird as they purposefully went backwards and faced fourth and goal from midfield.
They tried to run out the clock by throwing an incomplete pass (did we not learn anything from 2016 Central Michigan vs Oklahoma State?)
Then all hell broke loose.
Zeros on the clock. Arizona State fans stormed the field. Goalposts down.
Yet, the refs needed to review.
So there they were, the refs standing in front of the monitor surrounded by literally thousands of joyous fans. Joy quickly turned to confusion as time went on and then full blown anger.
Somehow they mustered up the courage to tell them that there is still one second remaining and to clear the field so BYU could run one final play down five.
It resulted in a completed Hail Mary… though just two yards short of the end zone.
Cue a second field storm.
The lessons in all of this: a) Don’t overthink your strategy on winning and b) Be sure that everything is completely final before you begin celebrating.
Challenge Yourself
No matter how good you are, there is always an opportunity to learn and grow.
However, that will not happen unless you seek out new challenges and surround yourself with others smarter than you.
Indiana and Army—undefeated up to this point—found that out the hard way as they got demolished by Ohio State and Notre Dame respectively.
Being the best-and say the top 1 percent— is not easy and it just doesn’t happen. You need failure to grow.
Just don’t fail too late.
Focus on the Task at Hand
In his press conference leading up to gameday, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko assured reporters that his team was 100 percent focused on Texas.
A slight problem. The Aggies were playing Auburn.
And Texas A&M would be defeated on the Plains in four overtimes 43-41 and consequently have their Playoff hopes dim a bit more.
Meanwhile, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin told reporters he did not want his team to play in the SEC championship game so they could better prepare for the Playoff. The Rebels lost to Florida in the Swamp.
Alabama fans pushed Crimson Tide propaganda as much as possible claiming that SEC SOS should elevate ‘Bama into the Playoff.
They only managed to score a field goal at Oklahoma in a three possession defeat.
And finally, Colorado coach Deion Sanders has had to field questions about his interest about coaching the Dallas Cowboys or other NFL teams. And while he did a good job with his answers, that must be taking a mental toll on him and his players.
The Buffs lost to Kansas and with it control of their own destiny.
The lesson is to stay laser focused on your main objective and finish your tasks in order without skipping steps in order to have success.
Not doing so will doom you.
Playoff Update
Entering the final weekend of the regular season, there are still 22 teams (by my count) who are fighting for Playoff spots. Hell, the Big 12 still has half their league (nine teams) who can make their conference championship game.
So the expansion to 12 teams has certainly made things more interesting.
Although, the biggest detail many seem to be overlooking is that the Power 4 conference champions are not guaranteed an automatic bid.
The only guarantee is that the top five ranked conference champions will be invited.
Therefore, it does not matter if the champion is from the SEC or the Sun Belt. If they are ranked high, then they are in (though seeding may vary).
As the Big 12 continues to cannibalize themselves down the stretch, they are opening the door to be left out entirely. Tulane (or Army) from the American conference could leapfrog the Big 12 champ.
It serves as a lesson to pay attention and know the rules. Because it can lead to a ton of confusion, and thus inadequately prepares you or your organization for the realities that could materialize.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Please let me be among the first to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you are able to spend ample time with friends and family and enjoy a satisfying meal.