Watch Grid: Now it actually begins

Do you hear what I hear

Brief writeup this week, with much other business going on!

• We’ve reached November, when college football truly becomes itself. Time to read this Bill Connelly post again, and let’s note the 2023 season will have an especially festive finish, with so many top teams managing to avoid upsets so far. (Additionally, Mariah Carey has determined Christmas begins when November begins. Since Christmas doesn’t end until January 19, when the Armenian Patriarchate of Saint James celebrates it, this means all the best college football fits inside Christmas. Deep down, you already knew that to be true.)

• Congrats to Akron, Bowling Green, CMU, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Toledo, already winners this week.

• Since a few people have asked whether I’m doing bowl projections this year: I did those for roughly a decade (and somehow really liked the demented minutiae), but now just look at the ones prepared by Scott Dochterman and Stewart Mandel. As we near the end of the season, however, I’ll start including each weekend’s Playoff stakes in these posts. (I’m not really a “title races are bad because everyone talks about them” guy. More a “everyone talks about title races because title races have always been great” guy.)

• Speaking of types of guys, if you know anyone who’s a “I don’t read novels because I’m a manly boy and novels are for girls so I only read books about real stuff like Stalin” guy, then know (1.) there are many women who know more about real stuff than that guy does and (2.) my novel’s like 99% inspired by real stuff, so when that guy reads it, he won’t be kicked out of The Real-Stuff Books For Manly Boys Club. Stories are for everybody! The tremendous cover art has been finalized, we’re progressing toward paperback/ebook preorders (at Shutdown Fullbooks and everywhere else), and we’re working on a surprise or two. I’m excited for you to read it!!