Vassallo: A Horned Frog Wife and a Rebel Husband

Most of the time when you hear the phrase “A House Divided,” you immediately think of the Egg Bowl. Not this time. I married Ms. Horned Frog in March of 1982 and of all match-ups, we had TCU coming to Oxford on Oct. 16 just prior to Rosie’s birthday.
Because we were living in Memphis, this was one game we simply could not miss!

We looked forward to the game for months and it finally arrived. Unfortunately, both teams were so bad (Ole Miss finished 4-7 going 0-7 in SEC play and TCU was 3-8), we left at halftime. Ole Miss did prevail 27-9, however, the game meant absolutely nothing — unlike this year.
This time around, TCU is the favorite (currently 3 points in Vegas) and is ranked No. 6 in the nation compared to No. 9 Ole Miss. A great deal is on the line including a Top 10 finish and possibly Top 5. TCU’s Head Coach, Gary Patterson is 7-4 in bowls (TCU is 13-15-1 overall) while Coach Freeze is 2-0 (Ole Miss is 23-12 overall).
Of the 12 SEC teams in bowls this season, only two are underdogs. Here’s the lineup:
Independence Bowl — SC and Miami is a pick it
Liberty Bowl — W. VA 3.5 over Texas A&M
Texas Bowl — Arkansas 5 over Texas
Music City Bowl — LSU 7.5 over Notre Dame
Belk Bowl — Georgia 7 over Louisville
Peach Bowl — TCU 3 over Ole Miss
Orange Bowl — MSU 7 over GA Tech
Citrus Bowl — Missouri 5.5 over Minnesota
Outback Bowl — Auburn 5.5 over Wisconsin
Sugar Bowl — Alabama 9.5 over Ohio State
TaxSlayer Bowl — Tennessee 2.5 over Iowa
Birmingham Bowl — Florida is 7.5 over East Carolina
Returning to the divided house, it’s always a funny feeling cheering against your spouse. It’s for this reason we’ll probably watch the game in Oxford. I just cannot see Rosie in the midst of thousands of Rebel fans wearing purple (at least it’s not the LSU shade). Although one of us will be celebrating after the game, but which one?
Regardless of the outcome, this season has been very special for both teams. Both were included in the playoff scenario at some point with TCU dropping from 3rd to 6th in the final week. I’m hoping for a good, close game with Ole Miss winning in the final minute.
Should this happen, we can both come away with our pride still intact. A blowout in either direction will be a most difficult situation to deal with. Horn Frogs can pack quite a sting! Just ask Iowa State!

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Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. In addition, he is a certified economic and community developer and currently, a highly successful leader in the real estate business with Premier Properties of Oxford.You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.