My Aunt Mary fought kidney disease, then a late-in-life whammy of leukemia until she passed away on home hospice in 2019. Grandma H got an ovarian cancer diagnosis in 2006, the same year Grandpa had to move into a nursing home after another stroke and heart disease incapacitated him. Told she had a year to live, she told the doctors where they could stick it, living out almost all of her last ten years in an apartment with minimal assistance until she finally decided in 2016 that more treatment wasn’t worth it. She went out on her own terms, updating us almost to her last on every bulletin from her church, who donated how much money, and how Monsignor had pissed her off that week. I'm the wrong person to write about the stellar accomplishments of Katie Schumacher-Cawley and the Penn State volleyball team, which came back from 2-0 down to Nebraska in the Final Four and then stomped Louisville in four sets to take the program's eighth national championship in just get third year replacing legendary Russ Rose. Watching Schumacher-Cawley--who was already a State volleyball (and basketball!) star in her own right as a player--do it while battling breast cancer since her October diagnosis is all the more awe-inspiring. Congratulations to Coach Schumacher-Cawley and the Nittany Lions on a stellar season and well-deserved championship. The afterburners they put on in the semi against Nebraska...man alive. Caroline Jurevicius and Jess Mruzik are a bad, bad pair of hitters in the best sense of the word. Myrtle Beach Bowl Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (6-6) vs. UTSA Roadrunners (6-6) 10am | ESPN | UTSA -12.5 | O/U 56.5Brooks Stadium (Conway, SC) Not only am I prepared to come out anti-home hosts for bowl games (Hawai’i expected), I’m prepared to say you should start with a 6-point penalty. I don’t care if both Coastal’s quarterbacks—Ethan Vasco AND, yes, that Noah Kim—have entered the transfer portal. You get to sleep in your own bed, you should be playing uphill (and not the good way, in the Latvian outdoor basketball league). UTSA should have every advantage here—Coastal basically has to just run the ball nonstop. The Roadrunners have a 3000-yard passer in QB Owen McCown (yes, that McCown) and a good-enough spread-it-around passing attack. They’re 12-point favorites. It should be over fast. Nothing but generic Myrtle Beach tourism ads, I’d bet, and some nice home shots of the Coastal faithful pretending to care about being 12-point home dogs to [/checks notes] UTSA? Famous Idaho Potato Bowl NIU Huskies (7-5) vs. Fresno State Bulldogs (6-6) 1:30pm | ESPN | NIU -3.5 | O/U 39.5Albertsons but definitely not Krogers Stadium (Boise, ID) Two offensively-inept teams ravaged by the transfer portal meet on novelty turf in an airline hub so remote its Wikipedia page notes “the jet age arrived in Boise during the mid-1960s.” ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL! Fresno had its quarterback—in a pass-first offense—and one of its three 500+ yard receivers transfer. So did Northern Illinois. NIU threw for 2,113 while playing a MAC schedule. For reference, Purdue threw for 2,207 and Northwestern threw for 2,231. This will be football. Shut up and enjoy it. Basketball Things Diamondhead Classic Charleston Cougars vs. Loyola Chicago Ramblers 4:30pm | ESPNU | line, total TBD | Consolation Semifinals Oregon State Beavers vs. Oakland Golden Grizzlies 7pm | ESPNU | line, total TBD | Championship Semifinals Oakland (3-7 coming in) had blown a 70-60 lead, trailing Loyola (9-1) by one with five seconds left. And then, this: Go Golden Griz. Go Kampe. Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors 9:30pm | ESPNU | line, total TBD | Championship Semifinals Murray State Racers vs. Charlotte 49ers 12am | ESPNU | line, total TBD | Consolation Semifinals Nebraska held Murray State to 14 points in the first half, conspiring to play one of the nastiest halves of basketball I’d seen since, on Saturday, San Diego State led Cal 23-15 at halftime in San Jose. I love this stupid, beautiful sport. Other Hoop MTSU Blue Raiders at #1 Tennessee Volunteers 6pm | SECN | UT -26.5 | O/U 142.5 CSU-Bakersfield Roadrunners at NDSU School of Dogwhistling Bizon 7pm | Midco Sports | NDSU -9.5 | O/U 139.5 Seattle Redhawks at Washington Huskies 9pm | BTN | Wash -11.5 | O/U 144.5 Why is Washington playing today? I dunno. But it's late night basketball and you don't have to work on Tuesday, do you? Enjoy it. Here's your open thread for the day.

Penn State wins national volleyball championship, Monday Bowl Open Thread

Two offensively-inept teams ravaged by the transfer portal meet on novelty turf in an airline hub so remote its Wikipedia page notes “the jet age arrived in Boise during the mid-1960s.” This will be football. Shut up and enjoy it. Congratulations to Coach Schumacher-Cawley and the Nittany Lions on a stellar season and well-deserved championship. […]

Two offensively-inept teams ravaged by the transfer portal meet on novelty turf in an airline hub so remote its Wikipedia page notes “the jet age arrived in Boise during the mid-1960s.”
This will be football. Shut up and enjoy it.

Congratulations to Coach Schumacher-Cawley and the Nittany Lions on a stellar season and well-deserved championship. The afterburners they put on in the semi against Nebraska…man alive. Caroline Jurevicius and Jess Mruzik are a bad, bad pair of hitters in the best sense of the word.
My Aunt Mary fought kidney disease, then a late-in-life whammy of leukemia until she passed away on home hospice in 2019.
Nothing but generic Myrtle Beach tourism ads, I’d bet, and some nice home shots of the Coastal faithful pretending to care about being 12-point home dogs to [/checks notes] UTSA?

Myrtle Beach Bowl

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (6-6) vs. UTSA Roadrunners (6-6)

10am | ESPN | UTSA -12.5 | O/U 56.5
Brooks Stadium (Conway, SC)

I’m the wrong person to write about the stellar accomplishments of Katie Schumacher-Cawley and the Penn State volleyball team, which came back from 2-0 down to Nebraska in the Final Four and then stomped Louisville in four sets to take the program’s eighth national championship in just get third year replacing legendary Russ Rose.
Why is Washington playing today? I dunno. But it’s late night basketball and you don’t have to work on Tuesday, do you? Enjoy it.
Go Golden Griz. Go Kampe.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

NIU Huskies (7-5) vs. Fresno State Bulldogs (6-6)

1:30pm | ESPN | NIU -3.5 | O/U 39.5
Albertsons but definitely not Krogers Stadium (Boise, ID)

Grandma H got an ovarian cancer diagnosis in 2006, the same year Grandpa had to move into a nursing home after another stroke and heart disease incapacitated him. Told she had a year to live, she told the doctors where they could stick it, living out almost all of her last ten years in an apartment with minimal assistance until she finally decided in 2016 that more treatment wasn’t worth it. She went out on her own terms, updating us almost to her last on every bulletin from her church, who donated how much money, and how Monsignor had pissed her off that week.
UTSA should have every advantage here—Coastal basically has to just run the ball nonstop. The Roadrunners have a 3000-yard passer in QB Owen McCown (yes, that McCown) and a good-enough spread-it-around passing attack. They’re 12-point favorites. It should be over fast.
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!
Watching Schumacher-Cawley–who was already a State volleyball (and basketball!) star in her own right as a player–do it while battling breast cancer since her October diagnosis is all the more awe-inspiring.

Basketball Things

Diamondhead Classic

Charleston Cougars vs. Loyola Chicago Ramblers

4:30pm | ESPNU | line, total TBD | Consolation Semifinals

Oregon State Beavers vs. Oakland Golden Grizzlies

7pm | ESPNU | line, total TBD | Championship Semifinals

Fresno had its quarterback—in a pass-first offense—and one of its three 500+ yard receivers transfer. So did Northern Illinois. NIU threw for 2,113 while playing a MAC schedule. For reference, Purdue threw for 2,207 and Northwestern threw for 2,231.

Here’s your open thread for the day.

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors

9:30pm | ESPNU | line, total TBD | Championship Semifinals

Murray State Racers vs. Charlotte 49ers

12am | ESPNU | line, total TBD | Consolation Semifinals

Nebraska held Murray State to 14 points in the first half, conspiring to play one of the nastiest halves of basketball I’d seen since, on Saturday, San Diego State led Cal 23-15 at halftime in San Jose.
Oakland (3-7 coming in) had blown a 70-60 lead, trailing Loyola (9-1) by one with five seconds left. And then, this:

Other Hoop

MTSU Blue Raiders at #1 Tennessee Volunteers

6pm | SECN | UT -26.5 | O/U 142.5

CSU-Bakersfield Roadrunners at NDSU School of Dogwhistling Bizon

7pm | Midco Sports | NDSU -9.5 | O/U 139.5

Seattle Redhawks at Washington Huskies

9pm | BTN | Wash -11.5 | O/U 144.5

Not only am I prepared to come out anti-home hosts for bowl games (Hawai’i expected), I’m prepared to say you should start with a 6-point penalty. I don’t care if both Coastal’s quarterbacks—Ethan Vasco AND, yes, that Noah Kim—have entered the transfer portal. You get to sleep in your own bed, you should be playing uphill (and not the good way, in the Latvian outdoor basketball league).
I love this stupid, beautiful sport.