On Friday, Mick Fleetwood surprised fans by playing “Tusk” with the Trojan Marching Band. But Dr. Bartner, the 85-year-old band director who helped bring it to life and earned USC two platinum, albums also surprised Mick. Inside the very L.A. story of the iconic “Tusk.” www.espn.com/college-foot...

Y’all ever had that famous Waco Chinese Chicken?

They say it takes a village to raise a child. But it took this neighborhood in Baton Rouge to raise 66-year-old Tiger Tuba Kent, the LSU band sensation who has been a shining beacon of positivity in a turbulent LSU season. www.espn.com/college-foot...

This is kinda terrifying

One reason Gunner Stockton wants to beat Florida? His grandfather Lawrence died of a heart attack in the parking lot after the Dawgs lost to the Gators in 2010. "He said something about Todd Grantham and collapsed," said Suzanne Frederickson, Lawrence Stockton's widow. www.espn.com/college-foot...

"You could stick a knife through the guy, and he'd say, 'I feel good, Coach.'" From me and @dwil.bsky.social ... How the legend of Haynes King was forged... www.espn.com/college-foot...

Son of an old-school East Texas ball coach who was raised the Lobo Way, the tall tales of Haynes King explain his rise to being the toughest sumbitch out there. Story with the great @adavidhalejoint.bsky.social www.espn.com/college-foot...

Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson said when TCU’s Sonny Dykes was recruiting him, he used to bring up how he hit a home run off his dad, one of Dykes’ old friends and a former MLB first-round pick. Sawyer has vowed to avenge the honor of Stan Robertson this week. www.espn.com/college-foot...

Look at this frickin’ nerd.

neurodiversity is Good Actually. just want to say that

I wrote this week that TCU discovered the Iron Skillet trophy was broken shortly before the 2018 game and hustled to the local Ace Hardware and replaced it with a $49.99 Lodge skillet. Yesterday, I got to see the handoff on the sideline from an SMU staffer to TCU. 😂 www.espn.com/college-foot...

An ode to the last Iron Skillet, which gave us real spite, a Game of the Century, Dan Jenkins, suffered through lean years and was just getting good! (And whose trophy secretly broke and was replaced by a Lodge skillet from a hardware store right before the 2018 game.) www.espn.com/college-foot...

The story behind Pudge the cat is more than just about a viral locker-room mascot at Bowling Green: He was a gift from a mom with Stage 4 cancer for her son and helped her son rediscover joy after her death. Even Eddie George, allergic to cats, has been smitten. www.espn.com/college-foot...

What we saw following Lee Corso around on his last gameday: Cookies, a giant Brutus cake, mascots, tears, joy and the celebration of the end of an era that changed American television with the people who love him. www.espn.com/college-foot...

Appreciation thread: 15 years ago tomorrow I walked into ESPN for the first time, miraculously from the Beaumont Enterprise. On Day 1, the boss said “there’s a guy in that office, go talk to him for 15 mins and write a blog post.” This was the “car wash” days when celebs showed up to do shows.

This 1990 split Colorado-Georgia Tech title story by @andrea-adelson.bsky.social has it all: Swilling, Bieniemy, turf fires, Mizzou conspiracies/fifth down, punters counting diamonds for rings, Tom Osborne slander. Two teams with a shared grudge before tonight’s game. www.espn.com/college-foot...

With the AJC dropping its print edition, I feel compelled to share one of the greatest moments in print design history

Nobody knows whether or not Arch Manning will live up to the hype this season. "He ain't even pissed a drop yet," Grandpa Archie told @dwil.bsky.social. But: people are still stealing his photo off the wall of an Austin burger joint. Everybody's already watching.

Contains: The secret of what happened to Eric Dickerson’s gold Trans Am

we sent the ad to Rafa, and he was able to sneak it into the background of an illustration as an Easter egg. nice surprise for Dave, fun day at work. that's it! check out the story, it's a good one: www.espn.com/college-foot...

the really fun part: @dwil.bsky.social's draft mentioned his dad, Bill Wilson, who ran a TX car dealership and loaned out modest cars to Texas A&M assistants. Bill passed away a few years ago, but Dave speaks of him often and he was a real character. Here's a classic 70s ad for Bill's dealership...

Great @dwil.bsky.social feature on the long-standing connection between car dealers and college football programs. Quick thread on how we had a little fun with the art ... www.espn.com/college-foot...

Ah yes, the famous Texas government HQ in Sacramento, Texas.

In an alternative world, @paolouggetti.bsky.social takes us over to Tennessee, home of Rory McIlroy. "Johnson City is quite a bit like Ireland in just the terrain, just rolling hills and cattle," Aaron O'Callaghan said. www.espn.com/golf/story/_...

West Virginia's Edward Vesterinen, the 6-3, 285-pound defensive end from Helsinki, on if he thinks Rich Rodriguez knows much about Finland: "He thought I was vegetarian." Asked why he thinks he thought that: "We're very sustainable."

This story is so good it makes me mad. Which is good. But bad. But it’s only because it’s very good. And it’s a lovely portrait of someone who can’t stop doing what he loves, and a family devoted enough to sacrifice every day for it.

How the Mexican drug cartel wars and a fear of returning to pig farming led Gerry Glasco to softball, and how at 66, he landed a job at Texas Tech and took them to the Women’s College World Series in one year. www.espn.com/college-spor...

Genuinely missing the WCWS in Oklahoma City this week after covering it the past few years, and scenes like this, where college sports are still a party and everyone’s allowed to have fun, is why. www.espn.com/college-spor...

Attn @sickoscommittee.org I saw a sign today for the Williamson County A&M club fish fry tomorrow (30th anniversary!) and they have a CATFISH OL’ SARGE. www.wcamc.com/fishfry/

Hal Mumme, on the NFF changing its Hall of Fame rules opening the door for Mike Leach to get into the Hall of Fame: "It's the only sane thing to do. Why is 60% the magic number? I mean, not everybody gets to coach at Notre Dame or Texas or something." www.espn.com/college-foot...

Texas Tech pitcher NiJa Canady made headlines with a massive NIL deal. But it’s about more than money, she says. How Gerry Glasco, his offensive prowess (and Patrick Mahomes) sold her on Lubbock and changed the program overnight. (And I want to see her sling a tortilla) www.espn.com/college-spor...

Happy 92nd to Willie Nelson (again). His pal John Daly told me in Augusta about their duet: “You gotta wish Willie two birthdays. I'm April 28th. He's April 28/29. Half his body came out 28th, half the 29th. If you don't wish him happy birthday twice, he won't talk to you.” youtu.be/4mVcR3HFhwI?...

The only thing useful about Facebook is joining the most boring groups.

NFL draft feature: The unshakeable Jack Bech, whose brother died in the New Orleans terror attack, is on a mission: “Whatever team gets me, it's going to be a 2-for-1 special. Not only do you get Jack Bech, you get Tiger Bech too. I have a superpower now." www.espn.com/nfl/draft202...

On Friday night, Paul Pearman cut the lights on over a backyard putting green in his Augusta neighborhood. Then a guy walked up and said he was Bryson DeChambeau. “Nice to meet you, I’m Jack Nicklaus,” he said. Except one of them was telling the truth. www.espn.com/golf/story/_...

Read my guy @paolouggetti.bsky.social and get pumped about all we have in store Sunday at the Masters. www.espn.com/golf/story/_...

For the great ones, deciding when to walk away is a matter of faith. On Bernard Langer, the last major winner to play persimmon woods, his enigmatic clubmaker from the 1980s, a legendary gift, and the end of an era at the Masters and in golf. www.espn.com/golf/story/_...

Dare I say the John Daly/Hooters experience in Augusta is… kind of wholesome? Dale from Vidalia bringing onions. Fans bumming Marlboro reds off their hero. A man of the people, even amid health issues. “I’m like Lazarus, I just keep coming back from the f’n dead.” www.espn.com/golf/story/_...

The two Augustas.

An appreciation for R.C. Slocum, “Texas royalty” who officially retired after 53 years at Texas A&M. From accelerating integration in 1972 to the Wrecking Crew, he changed the Aggies forever. "R.C. is for A&M what Coach Royal was to Texas," DeLoss Dodds said. www.espn.com/college-foot...

Damn, Val Kilmer. It’s time to watch Real Genius again. #whynotkent

Attn: @kvv.nolayingup.com: Thought you’d appreciate that Hal Mumme still has the headgear from your story, one of my favorite ESPN Mag stories/photo shoots 10 years later. www.espn.com/espn/feature...

This Facebook Marketplace listing should be Julian Casablancas’ next album title/cover.

* Talent: super important. Maturity: ditto * Well damn, Will Howard (and all the other redemption arcs) * Probably not your last run, Irish * No one had ever played 6 top-5 teams or beaten 5. OSU's historic run awaits every future champ. TITLE GAME TAKEAWAYS: www.espn.com/college-foot...

One of the four TCU students who joined the basketball team during midseason open tryouts last year got a full scholarship Tuesday night. Ella Hamlin, a nursing student, was the only “Underfrog” to stay with the team, and TCU estimates cost of attendance at $82,310. www.espn.com/womens-colle...

From Zimbabwe to Austin to Clemson back to Austin to the CFP, Texas’ Andrew Mukuba has had quite the journey, including getting his first recruiting pitch at elementary school recess five minutes after the first time he played what he thought was going to be soccer. www.espn.com/college-foot...

Bowl games mean more fun college football games, which means more great stories like a guy who hadn’t started since 9th grade putting up more than 400 yards of total offense. www.espn.com/college-foot...

Fifth-generation Longhorn Michael Taaffe went from a two-time 6A Texas state championship MVP to overlooked recruit to walk-on to key player for the Texas defense. At a time when rosters flip and walk-ons could be squeezed out, Taaffe is a fan who is living his dream. www.espn.com/college-foot...