(the wrong Gaylord, but a glass of white wine is a nice touch, just the same)

I’ve somehow resisted the charms of a defensive battle between Oregon State and Pitt (and to be honest Dave Wannstedt looks like he’d rather be taking himself out of contention for the Jets job than actually coaching this snoozer). Instead, the appetizer to several days of football-glug-glug-football is the 9-4 Boston College WZBC’s having a very hard time getting untracked against 6-6 Vanderbilt in the Music City Bowl.  Win or lose, Buster Olney’s alma matter should be ashamed their homefield advantage extends beyond the game’s venue to the host sponsor, Gaylord Hotels, previously described by Keith Law as “Hell’s Outhouse”.  If the Eagles can’t turn this one around, they’ll become the first team to lose a bowl game to Vandy since the 1955 Auburn squad that was suffered a Gator Bowl defeat.

The Detroit Free Press reported earlier this week that former Michigan defensive coordinator Scott Schafer signed an agreement precluding him from “demeaning or disparaging” the Wolverines as part of his resignation package. So much for a new career in sportswriting, then.

The NFL Network’s coverage of the Insight Bowl featuring Minnesota and Kansas just kicked off a few minutes ago, but not before what seemed like far too much face time for Jayhawks head coach Mark Mangino.   The sound was turned off in the bar to accomodate the exciting throng watching an 8 day old replay of TCU’s Poinsetta Bowl victory, but I always like to imagine Mangino sounds exactly like Don Rickles’ impersonation of Marcel Marceau.