With the passing of Thanksgiving and Black Friday, many college football fans are now focused on the slew of rivalry football games taking place around the country, but especially in the South, this weekend.
Here in North Carolina, the game between UNC and Duke is perhaps not one most folks will pay attention too. The Duke Blue Devils have won only one game all year, and that is an improvement over last year! The North Carolina Tar Heels have had a slightly better season.
My friend Bruce Piephoff (see earlier entry from this week), a Greensboro folk singer, is a big UNC Fan, and my friend Onur Kabul, whose wife Deniz is expecting a baby, is going to grad school in Chapel Hill.
I don't really know anyone who roots for Duke in football (basketball is another story), but PBS talk show host and North Carolinian Charlie Rose is an alum of the school.
I pick UNC to win by a 30-17 score.
In my native state Virginia, there is a far more important game as Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia meet in Charlottesville to determine which team will play for the ACC Championship in Jacksonville, Fla.
My sister Lale Lovell and her husband Matthew are alums of the school, as is my friend Bahadir Acuner. My friend Roland Lazenby, who helped put a book about student experiences during the April shooting spree which killed 32 students, also teaches at Virginia Tech. And, my friend Leigh-Anne Keatts attends school in Blacksburg.
My friend Greg Woods, who lives in Charlottesville, is a Radford University alum like me, but he roots for UVA when it comes to football (our school does not have a football team, which means it's easier to park on campus on the weekend!). And, my co-worker McKenly Graves, who is from Danville, Va., also roots for the Cavaliers.
I guess I'll have to disappoint someone but I am picking Virginia Tech to win by a 24-23 score.
Lastly, my cousin Michael Dawkins, from Rock Hill, SC, is a huge Clemson Tigers fans. But, there are also members of his family which root for the University of South Carolina. The two schools meet today in Columbia, SC. Mike will be happy to know that I'm picking the Tigers over the Gamecocks by a 21-17 score. Of course, he won't be happy if the Gamecocks win.
Here are some other picks I am making for today. Assuredly, the likes of former "Roanoke Times" reporter Bill Brill who lives just down the road in Durham, NC, know more about these thingsthan I do! In case you haven't noticed, my main areas of interest are politics and the arts.
I like Georgia over Georgia Tech 35-28.
I like Auburn over Alabama in a blowout 38-14. My apologies to my friend Ilhan Tuzcu who teaches at the University of Alabama, but he is probably more concerned about other things!
And, I like the University of Florida over Florida State by a 20-13 margin. A great uncle of mine, Griffith Pugh, who is well in his 90s taught at FSU for years. For his sake, I can find it in me to be happy if Florida State wins. But, I love Gainesville, Fl., and especially the Gators. They have a great gymnast named Amanda Castillo. Personally, I would rather she her perform on the balance beam than some band perfoming at halftime! She is truly amazing.
For more info on college football and other sports, I highly recommend the NPR sports show "Only a Game," produced by WBUR in Boston, which does not air in my area (I believe), but is carried on many stations around the country.
Useful Links:
http://www.planetblacksburg.com (Roland Lazenby created the site)
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