Big Comebacks: Chase, Votto, and College Football Kickoff

The Key for Monday, August 26, 2024

The Prodigal Son returns

Breathe easy, Bengals fans, Ja’Marr Chase is back in pads, back on the practice field. After a training camp in sweats and on the sideline, the Bengals’ prize wide receiver is practicing again. Yes, he’d like a new contract. No, the Bengals don’t have to give him one for a couple of years. But yes, the longer the Bengals wait, the more expensive it will be to re-sign Chase. Two weeks will be more than enough to get Chase back into the swing of things—he and JoeyB have enough of a symbiotic relationship that it won’t take but a few snaps to get their timing down. All is well in Bengal camp as the pre-season is over and we await the start of the new season on September 8.

What’s next for Joey Votto? 

Now that the former Reds first baseman has made his retirement official, it seems a no-brainer that he returns to Cincinnati in some capacity. As team president Nick Krall told the media in February, the door is open for Votto to return. And he has options—would it be as a hitting coach? How about in the booth? He showed off his broadcasting chops a couple years ago when he was recovering from surgery. Or maybe he can be the Reds new social media reporter—Votto has turned into a social media darling the last couple of years. Having Votto back with the Reds, just as a mentor to this young group of players, would be worth having him around. Let’s see what happens in the off season—that might dictate Votto’s next job. 

College football kickoff 

After the first Week 0 (as it is called) of college football produced our first big upset of the season (sorry, Florida State), the college football season gets started in earnest this weekend. Saturday night’s prime time matchup puts Notre Dame, with CFP ambitions this year, against Top 25-ranked Texas A&M. And, of course, the new-look Big 12 and SEC may give us all kinds of surprises. How will UC fare this season in the conference? Long-time Big 12 football reporter Jenni Carlson has some predictions on both UC and UK this season in our inaugural Game Day All Access podcast. Jenni also talks about the future of NIL and where in the world all this money will be coming from to pay players. It’s a fascinating interview—check it out.

Ben’s Best Bet

Let’s stick with the college football schedule to look ahead at the college football playoffs. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban predicts Georgia will take the trophy again—and the folks at Bet MGM agree. The Bulldogs are slight favorites over Ohio State to win the 12-team playoff, with Texas and Oregon right behind. No other team, Bet MGM says, is any closer than a 15-1 shot. If you’re a Buckeye fan, it wouldn’t be a sin to put a few on Ohio State—expect these two, depending on final seeds, to face somewhere in the Final Four of the playoffs.