It Will Be Hard to Live With Hugh Hewitt This Fall

Faithful listeners to the radio program of Hugh Hewitt, the Blogfather of The Hedgehog Blog, know that he is a fanatical fan of Ohio State University college football. This was true even in the days of Woody Hayes, when OSU had yet to discover the forward pass. I myself, a Stanford alumnus, happily attended the 1971 Rose Bowl, when Jim Plunkett, using what Hayes described as a "mad dog pass," took apart the Buckeyes. Now that OSU is employing a modern (i.e., post 1950) offense, they are a good deal more competitive, and this week are ranked No. 1 in the college football polls. Hugh's second college football love is Notre Dame, and lo and behold, the Fighting Irish are ranked No. 3. All this will make Hugh insufferable this week.

Adding to the volatility of this situation is that Hugh's nemesis, USC, is ranked No. 2, between OSU and Notre Dame. While Hugh duly plays "I don't give a Damn About the Whole State of Michigan" during the week of the OSU-Michigan game, he actually has a soft spot for Michigan, because he went to law school there. As his listeners are all too painfully aware, he spares his real contempt for the Trojans of USC, which he is unwilling to acknowledge as an institution of higher learning, although he broadcasts from Los Angeles and his Southern California audience is undoubtedly loaded with Trojan alumni. So this could be an historic week in Southern California talk radio, featuring a fanatical Hewitt taunting and alienating his own fan base.

In the spirit of full disclosure, my daughter graduated from USC's Keck School of Medicine, and I can certainly vouch for the academic excellence of the USC health care campus. The real rub, though, is that today is my 30th anniversary, and my wife Laura holds a Master's degree in Romance Languages from that same OSU so beloved by Mr. Hewitt. Throw in my Arizona State University law school alma mater, and between my wife, my daughter and myself, one has a great deal of potential for college fan rivalry.

In any event, at least until OSU or Notre Dame play Stanford, USC or Arizona State, go Buckeyes! Go Irish! And Happy 3oth Anniversary Mrs. Kostant!

Lowell adds: My dear blog partner Ralph suggests in a comment below that my alma mater, the University of Utah, does not have an intercollegiate athletics program. This is very, well, amusing, because the Kosher Hedgehog knows darn well that I am a fanatic supporter of the Utah Utes, who, I must add, have a winning record against Stanford in football; have been nationally ranked more recently, and higher, than Stanford in football (we were 2004 Fiesta Bowl champions with a #4 national ranking); and have progressed deeper into the NCAA basketball tournament (to the 1998 national final game) than Stanford has in modern times. Kosher is a smart guy, but he should know better than to pick a fight with a Ute.