Ye olde notebook:
While still wondering what Travis Kelce would say if an official really missed a call, I decided to look at the rosters of the four NFL teams still remaining in the playoffs.
Usually there are still a few former Marshall or WVU football players on active rosters.
This year, though, only ex-Mountaineer Don Barclay is still standing as a member of the Green Bay Packers. The offensive lineman backs up Lane Taylor at left guard and T.J. Lang at right guard.
There are, however, a few other players on extended rosters. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, ex-WVU players Shaq Riddick and Dreamius Smith are on the practice squad and practice squad/injured rosters, respectively. On Green Bay's practice squad you'll find former Marshall defensive back Keith Baxter.
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WVU hoops fans might be upset their Mountaineers are ranked behind Baylor in both the Associated Press Top 25 poll and USA Today coaches poll. West Virginia, after all, routed the Bears 89-68 and forced 29 turnovers a week ago.
As a voter, I had WVU No. 6 and BU No. 7. Made sense to me. Yet the rankings were flipped in the AP poll and the coaches' poll has Baylor No. 6 and West Virginia No. 8.
Understand the Bears do have a nice non-conference resume and one less loss. (That WVU defeat to now-10-9 Temple, which sits in ninth place in the American Athletic Conference, continues to nag.)
Yet for Mountaineer fans seeking relief, check both the respected Jeff Sagarin and Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings. As of Monday afternoon, WVU was No. 1 in the former and No. 2, behind Kentucky, in the latter.
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In looking at this week's Big 12 men's hoops schedule, WVU's game at Kansas State on Saturday appears to be the best the league has to offer after Monday's Kansas at Iowa State game.
But, man, does that change the following week.
One might think the No. 2 Kansas at No. 7 West Virginia game, set for Jan. 24, a Tuesday, is the premier game. Doesn't get much bigger than that, right? Except on the following Saturday the Jayhawks will be playing at No. 5 Kentucky in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Among other games that Saturday are Texas A&M at WVU and No. 19 Florida at Oklahoma.
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Marshall's basketball team has a week between games, which seems like a godsend from this vantage point.
The Thundering Herd was on a nice roll after losing by a combined eight points at No. 20 Cincinnati and at Pitt. MU won four straight but then lost at Middle Tennessee, which is in first place in Conference USA, and at UAB, which is tied for second with Louisiana Tech.
Which makes the next one - at home Saturday versus Western Kentucky - important for the men of Dan D'Antoni.
The Thundering Herd doesn't want to lose the mojo it earned early in the season. The team is 4-2 in Conference USA and 11-8 overall. It is tied with Old Dominion for fifth in the league, but has the second-best Rating Percentage Index number behind 15-3 Middle Tennessee. (The Blue Raiders, by the way, are No. 24 in the RPI, right behind No. 23 WVU.)
Time for the Herd to hit the refresh button.
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One last hoops note. Don't look now, but TCU is quietly having a very nice season under ex-Pitt coach Jamie Dixon.
The Horned Frogs have a shot to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998 with a 14-3 record. WVU defeated TCU 82-70 recently, but the Horned Frogs defeated Iowa State 84-77 this past Saturday in Fort Worth.
Folks are taking notice. TCU was tops in the AP Top 25 "also receiving votes" list.
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And finally...
A golf note.
You read correctly. Something I stumbled across after wading through the weekend of NFL playoffs and college hoops.
In sum, a PGA star is being born. Justin Thomas set a new tour record by shooting a 253 this past weekend in Hawaii as the golf calendar gets under way.
That beat the record of 254 set by Tommy Armour III in the 2003 Texas Open. And get this: Thomas also won the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii the week prior.
How good was that? Well, Jordan Spieth, the world's No. 5 golfer, was 35-under in the two tournaments. And he was 14 shots back of Thomas.
Should be a fun follow.