Take four | Sports staff on the NFL and the stars taking over college football

Youngest player, biggest name in college football // Camille de Jesus, Staff Writer 

This past Saturday, one of the most highly anticipated college football matchups of the year took place as Alabama and Georgia went head to head. With Alabama ahead for the majority of the game, it wasn’t until Georgia had three touchdowns in the last 9 minutes of the fourth quarter that fans got to experience a close game. 

First-year Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams then caught a 75-yard touchdown pass that sealed the deal for the Crimson Tide, giving them a win. One thing that sets Williams apart from some of the other well known college players is that he’s 17 years old and the youngest FBS player this season. 

At 17, most kids are still enrolled in high school and enjoying the newfound freedom of a driver’s license, but Williams is playing football for the No. 1 college program in the nation. He ultimately made the decision to graduate high school early and reclass after committing to Alabama as a sophomore in October of 2022. 

With 462 yards and five touchdowns on 16 receptions in four games, there’s no denying he’s made a name for himself at ‘Bama — and nationwide. With plenty of time left in this season, and three more years of eligibility, we’re sure to see much more from the young and talented Ryan Williams. 

The NFL needs to fix Monday night doubleheaders or get rid of them // Alex Kiger, Staff Writer

Monday Night Football is losing what makes it special. The entire point of a night game on any day of the week is exclusivity — Sunday and Thursday each have one game at night that draws a national audience. 

Monday night’s matchup used to have that same gravitas until the NFL decided to put doubleheaders on several Monday nights throughout the season — and it sucks. Multiple games on a Monday night, in prime time, cheapens the value of both games. It erases the meaning and the vibe that is Joe Buck and Troy Aikman calling a game. 

Fans are forced to pick one game to pay far more attention to than the other, and they will gravitate to the game that is either a better matchup on paper, or the one that is much more entertaining when the play actually starts. One of these games always gets left in the dust, losing the magic that comes with playing after sundown.

If the NFL is hell-bent on making this doubleheader thing worthwhile, there is an easy solution to fix this mess — make it a true doubleheader. 

Last week’s Monday night games started only an hour apart, meaning much of the night had overlapping football. Instead, the league needs to have one game on the east coast and one game on the west, which would ensure that there is a natural three-hour gap in kickoffs. The result? A doubleheader people can actually get behind and properly enjoy. 

Why does Tiger Woods still have a platform? // Grace McNally

Tiger Woods, the professional golfer and entrepreneur whom some have heralded as the greatest individual athlete of all time, has seldom been seen on the golf course as of late. Although he has denied rumors of his retirement, Woods missed the cut at The Open this summer. 

However, despite relinquishing his deal with Nike in January after 27 years of partnership, the athlete still stands at a net worth of $1.3 billion. With 82 total PGA Tour career victories, Woods has a massive fanbase — but I just don’t like the guy.

From his extramarital affairs in 2009 or his performance-enhancing drug allegations, Woods is no stranger to controversy throughout his career. What especially bothers me, however, is his DUI in 2017. 

Look, I know it’s old news. This summer alone, several celebrities have been under backlash for DUIs. Recently, I’ve seen a significant amount of TikToks highlighting his golf career with the punchline including the camera footage of his field sobriety test, which have amassed millions of views.

About 37 Americans die every day from drunk driving — great athlete or not, I just don’t think this is something Woods should be praised for online and definitely not on the course.

2024 is Ohio State’s year as other CFB powerhouses showing signs of struggle // Patrick