As much as Greg Sankey and the powers-that-be in the SEC office have tried to screw up the conference's most popular sport by taking away key rivalries, adding schools that don't exactly fit in the mold of the Southeast and everything else, they can fix some of it by going to the proposed nine-game conference schedule.

It would give an annual rivalry game back to many schools, including Auburn, but with that comes a decision: who would Auburn fans most like to see every year? Is it LSU and the biennial trip to Baton Rouge, arguably the league's best tailgate and fan experience? Would it be a return to the 1990s and Florida? Or is it a dark horse like Ole Miss or Tennessee?

ESPN has let the conference know that it is willing to throw the money at the SEC to go to a nine-game schedule. While another conference game means another tough test in what already amounts to a gauntlet of a schedule, it would help bring some of the old rivalries we all feel for and loved in the past. So, as I am sure most of you, the readers, are, I am torn on the issue. Now, let's get into some ramblings.

- Talking soccer on this platform is almost verboten, but the Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona was one of the greatest sporting events I've seen in some time. In the two matches, there were 15 goals, some breathtaking, a stunning equalizer to send the second leg to extra time, and a thrilling 30 minutes that had me on the edge of my seat. I will now stop discussing the sport.

- Still on my 80s comedies kick, I googled "80s comedy movies" the other day, and Turner and Hooch came up. I'm sorry, but the ending of that movie is definitely not laughable, nor have I forgiven my parents for taking me to see it in the theater during our summer vacation in 1989. I still haven't watched it again, nor will I ever. Poor Hooch.

- The job that Nick Clinard has done with Auburn men's golf is sometimes overlooked, but he has built the program into a frigging powerhouse. The Tigers are the top overall seed for the second straight year in the NCAA Tournament, while Clinard repeats as SEC Coach of the Year. Granted, having talented players in SEC Player of the Year (also for the second straight year) Jackson Koivun, Brendan Valdes, Josiah Gilbert and the rest helps, but you have to recruit them, sell them on Auburn and help them grow as players.

- The new pope being a Chicago White Sox fan disappoints me as a Cubs fan, but it does show that he will stick it out despite his team being absolute trash for a large part of his life.

- Apologies to the people sitting above my friends and me when we were smoking things on the grill in the cabana before the Friday night game against Mississippi State in Plainsman Park. I had never used a pellet grill before, and, much like yesterday in Vatican City, white smoke was blowing into the faces of many.

- Staying on the tradition of white smoke appearing when a new pope has been elected, why don't more places use that to announce a big moment? Whenever Auburn hires a new head coach, people could wait outside the athletic department to see orange and blue smoke from a chimney to know a new leader has been hired. If no decision has yet been made, the smoke should be crimson.

- When getting my hair cut, I close my eyes the entire time as a sign that I want to be left alone and relax during the experience. Does this stop some barbers from still talking? No, it does not. That should be on the receipt they print when taking me back, along with the fact that I like the zero blade. Okay, I might be full of dumb ideas today.

- TikTok of the Week: This dad of an Auburn Tiger Paw absolutely kills it dancing in this video. I don't know who he his, but he should be shown on the jumbotron this upcoming season, breaking it down.

- Does anyone find it funny that Ole Miss players and students still make the landshark hand gesture long after everyone else forgot about it? Just me? Okay.

- R. Kelly's "Keep It On the Down Low" came on my playlist the other day, and boy, that song has never felt more icky in my life. I still sang the heck out of it back in 1996, though.

- Finally, I don't know how Chad Baker-Mazara will work out at USC, but the thought of him being coached by Eric Musselman while living in Los Angeles deserves a reality show if any player or team does next season. It will follow the documentary on how Jordan Hudson single-handedly brought down Bill Belichick's legacy and the North Carolina football program. Don't tell me you wouldn't watch that instantly!