Stanford lost its first game of the season when it fell 27-21 at Utah on Saturday, leaving many of its fans crushed. The Cardinal were ranked as high as No. 2 by some people, and they were considered a national championship contender. They can pretty much throw away those hopes after the loss.
Despite the disappointing defeat, the Cardinal can take solace in knowing they have an apologist in Lou Holtz. The old man had the Cardinal’s back during ESPN’s “College Football Final” on Saturday night, offering up the excuse that the team looked too distracted/worn out because of a busy week of midterms.
“There’s no doubt that Stanford did not play well. But I know coming from an academic institution, this is a time for midterm exams,” Holtz explained. “Players are not focused, they don’t get to practice on time, they’re worn out, they’re tired, they don’t get much sleep, and you do not play very well. And that is exactly what it looked like to me with Stanford. I don’t know that for a fact, but that looked like a football team that was in midterms.”
That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out point, Mr. Holtz.
Overruled.
It might be midterm time at a school like Notre Dame that’s on the semester system, but Stanford, Mr. Holtz, is on the quarter system. That means it’s only week 3 of 10 in the fall quarter on the academic calendar. Midterms typically aren’t for another two weeks, Holtz. But nice argument. I like where your head’s at.
And as a bonus, Utah did have midterms this week. What’s your explanation there, Holtz?
