It must be the last week of November!!

Shots in the Darke

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For all of you THE fans out there, the victory over Indiana was the first step in what is a hoped-for national championship run. By defeating the previously unbeaten Hoosiers, the Buckeyes set themselves up for not only a good chance to meet Oregon in the Big Ten title game (have to beat TTUN this coming Saturday) but also should have solidified a spot in the  12-team college football playoff. 

In knocking off IU, the Bucks played solid defense (particularly Cody Simon) and, as always, displayed offensive prowess with the best duo of running backs in the country, complementing the passing game of Will Howard and the receiving corps of wideouts Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith among others. Taking advantage of a dropped snap by the Hoosiers’ punter late in the first half THE quickly grabbed control of the contest and dominated the game the rest of the way.  

Not taking anything away from IU, which still has a good shot at making the playoffs, but  Cinderella’s slipper fell off way before midnight this time. A major factor, you ask? THE has four and five-star talent throughout the roster, whereas the Hoosiers have a host of lesser-recruited transfers from James Madison, among other schools. As I’ve said before, and as the late, great Woody Hayes wrote, “You Win with People.” Now comes THE GAME!! 

Speaking of having more talent than your opponents, Notre Dame overwhelmed an  undefeated Army team just like they did a good Navy squad a few weeks ago. Still like having  the Cadets and the Midshipmen out defending our country in any REALLY big games in the  future!! 

How great was it to see Alabama, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss all crash and burn in SEC  losses to underdogs Saturday? 

Also, what a great win for the Browns over the Steelers Thursday night! With the Browns owners considering a new domed stadium out in the Cleveland suburbs, how enjoyable was it  (unless you were sitting in the stands!) watching the snow fall throughout the second half,  covering nearly all of the yard lines and hash marks? 

Hats off to the Greenville city administration and street department for another spectacular lighting display around the traffic circle and downtown Broadway—always a highlight of the holiday season in the county seat! 

High school girls basketball got underway this past weekend with several area schools in action. Greenville beat Eaton in OT as did Sidney over Russia (the Lady Wave face the Lady  Yellowjackets Wednesday evening at GHS), Mississinawa Valley will be strong again this season as they cruised past Lehman Catholic, and Versailles took out Botkins easily. Tri-Village put up a good effort in losing to a veteran Hamilton Badin team at the 4 Decades Tip-Off Classic held at Vandalia, with the majority of proceeds from a silent auction going to the family of Versailles player Brooke Bergman, who is recovering from severe injuries sustained in an auto accident September 18th. Another example of the goodness of high school sports and its importance in the development of our young people. 

Boys basketball tips off this week with games all around the area. It’s always fun to watch the early-season games as teams identify their strengths and weaknesses. I’ve always said that you don’t really know what teams will be league contenders until after the holidays. Get out and support not only your favorite squad but also check out some of the other teams! 

From the I didn’t know section—President-elect Trump has named Susie Wiles to be his  White House Chief of Staff, the first female to hold that position. What I didn’t know is that she is the daughter of legendary NFL broadcaster Pat Summerall! Here’s today’s trivia question — within five, how many Super Bowls did he announce over the course of his television career? 

What are your thoughts on the Reds trading 2021 Rookie of the Year Jonathan India to the  Royals? Cincinnati receives starting pitcher Brady Singer, who was with Kansas City for five years. He was 9-13 with a 3.71 ERA this season as the Royals made an unexpected appearance in the playoffs, beating the Orioles in the wild-card series. India became expendable with the anticipated return of Matt McLain, who missed the ‘23 season following shoulder surgery, and the overall depth of the Reds infield roster. 

Pat Summerall announced 16 Super Bowls on television networks, mainly CBS and later  Fox. He was also the lead announcer at 26 Masters golf tournaments and 21 US Tennis  Opens. As an aside, he was a kicker for 10 seasons for the Lions, Chicago Cardinals (before  they moved first to St. Louis and later to Arizona), and most notably for the New York Giants. He converted 97% of his extra point attempts, but only 47% of 212 field goal tries. Think he would have even gotten a look in today’s NFL?  

Have a great week and a memorable Thanksgiving holiday!