1. What do you think of when you think of former Heisman winners? The swag of Johnny Manziel? The triumph of Cam Newton? Consider the career of 1990 winner Ty Detmer of BYU, who receded from the spotlight as quietly as he filled it. Detmer built a 14-year NFL career as a backup quarterback (25 starts), returned to Texas, where he became a high school coach, and now has been hired as his alma mater’s offensive coordinator by new BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. Detmer is back in the spotlight, and I bet he does well.
2. The ACC has released its 2016 schedule, and did the league relegate Boston College and Georgia Tech to Ireland? The Eagles and Yellow Jackets, who won one ACC game between them, open in Dublin. I’m guessing both teams will be allowed to return. Seriously, among the interesting details: Pitt drops Notre Dame and Iowa, yet picks up Clemson, Oklahoma State, and former archrival Penn State; Syracuse is the only school that must play Clemson and Florida State in November; only six of the 14 teams play two Power 5 non-ACC opponents. None play three.
3. Fear not, Pac-12 South. Your day will come. The Pac-12 North has won all five league championship games (Stanford three, Oregon two), four of them by at least 18 points. Take a look at the SEC, where the West holds a seven-game winning streak, six of the wins by at least two touchdowns. And yet the West’s overall advantage is only 13-11. Or the ACC, where the Coastal champion won the first seven championship games, and the Atlantic champ has won the last four. Don’t ask me why the leagues are so streaky, but the evidence speaks for itself.
