Sunday sermon: Unrighteous anger

Oct 23, 2016, 9:41 AM

We begin with a reading from the Book of James for our lost Louisville brethren: "You desire but do not have, ... you covet what you cannot get, so you quarrel and fight."

I understand: Two weeks ago, the Cards saw their chance for an inside track at national prominence derailed by their own ineptitude in reading yard markers. That's a hard fate to face, knowing you were your own architect of disaster, and I didn't begrudge their morose moaning in its wake. Besides ...

But after an impressive dismantling of NC State yesterday, y'all are STILL harping on that loss? Plus you've got some excitable, if sadly out-of-depth, pundits carrying your frayed banner?

How cute.

My contention is that Louisville is less miffed about its loss in the Valley two weeks ago than it is about a loss half a continent away yesterday. Louisville didn't see it's glimmering hopes snuffed by Marcus Edmond and its own amazing inability to read yard markers. They saw their candle snuffed by another former Tiger, Chad Morris.

Hey, Bobby ... I told Chad to be sure and ruin your season by beating Houston.

When Morris and SMU ritually disemboweled Houston last night, Louisville's shot at a Final Four spot were buried in the entrails as well.

Why? Because Texas A&M and Ohio State were unable to seal the deal as well. After the loss to Clemson, the Cards had to count on two things: traveling the least-muddied trail into the playoffs and having a signature win later in the season. Both were unraveled last night.

With No. 11 Houston falling to the Ponies, the Cards' best shot for a signature win against elite competition is now ... Wake Forest. It's true. With Houston falling, the Deacs are the toughest game remaining. Jackson's pinball numbers won't be quite as impressive against the likes of Duke and Virginia.

I'm all you've got, Petrino ... let's ride!

Also, the one-loss possibilities got a lot long more crowded with the Aggies and ... Holy Cow, the Buckeyes? ... in the mix. If Ohio State wins out, their late-season signature wins would be Michigan and the B1G title game (which would also toss the Wolverines into the one-loss morass.) If TAMU wins out, the Aggies will have November wins over perennial SEC starlet Ole Miss and resurgent LSU. Add West Virginia or Baylor (to be determined when they meet) and whatever becomes of Nebraska, and there's going to be a bushel basket of confusion among 1-loss teams.

Which is why it's FAR better to have stared down a chip-shot field goal and lived to tell the tale than it is to miss a yard marker and be whining about it two weeks later.

It also brings up a VERY important point for the Sons of Clemson this weekend. Unless we want to join that mudpit with one loss, we must vanquish the ghosts of Tallahassee. The Tigers have an opportunity Saturday night to shut up two weeks of chirping from the Cards, a season's worth of doubting by pundits and a generation's worth of frustration against the Noles.

Win next Saturday ... and you SHOULD win, Tigers ... and we are clearly THE team in the ACC. We are THE team that beat Louisville and took road wins at Auburn and Tally. With a win next Saturday, no amount of unrighteous anger can touch us. No chorus of "yeah, buts..." will matter.

This is your time to rise up, Tigers. Time to claim your place.

And time for the chitter-chatter of misguided magpies to flutter into the cold night of oblivion.