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Last week may have set a record for the number of college football stories that included the word "vomit." It had nothing to do with ESPN showing Kenny Chesney singing at nearly every commercial break, though: Swine flu is taking its toll on athletes across the country.
Flu or flu-like symptoms have hit programs at Tulane, Duke, Alabama, Louisiana Tech, South Florida, SMU, LSU, Florida, Georgia, Washington State and Wisconsin. Arkansas, the only NCAA team with a porcine nickname, remains ironically immune.
One of the hardest-hit programs is at Mississippi, where nearly two dozen players have been diagnosed with some stage of the flu. The sixth-ranked Rebels don't play a game this week, and that should help them recover, but the question remains: Could a swine flu outbreak affect the football season?
Two of Ole Miss' best players -- former Longhorn quarterback Jevan Snead and wide receiver Dexter McCluster -- have missed practice time while suffering from effects of the flu. McCluster had it so bad he was hospitalized Tuesday night and released the next day. If those two were sidelined for an extended length of time, the Rebels would see their chance at a conference championship disappear.
A flu outbreak could have larger effects than forcing individual players to miss games. A widespread case might force a team to postpone or reschedule a game. Overreacting, you say? Postponements for extraordinary events are more common than you might think. Last year, the Longhorns rescheduled the Arkansas game because of the threat of Hurricane Ike, and Hurricane Katrina played havoc with several programs in 2005.
Last weekend, Stillman College canceled its home football opener against Clark Atlanta because of swine flu. And earlier this spring, the University Interscholastic League postponed dozens of high school academic and sports events here in Texas because of the swine flu threat.
The Longhorns are taking steps to address the problem, with Coach Mack Brown telling his players to stay in close contact with the medical staff and not to take medication on their own. Part of that advice is common sense, and part comes as a result of a 16-page list of medications provided by the NCAA that might trigger a positive result on a test for performance-enhancing drugs.
USA Today reports that nearly three-quarters of American college campuses are reporting flu-like illnesses, and UT has reminded its students that young people living in close quarters are particularly vulnerable.
For now, the cases are mounting, and it's a little funny to watch videos of Florida receiver Riley Cooper losing his lunch, but what happens if things take a turn for the worse later in the year, as teams fight for bowl bids and conference titles? What are Texas' chances if Colt McCoy catches a bug before the Big 12 title game, and how will Florida react if Tim Tebow is sick and can't play in the SEC Championship?
It's speculation for now, but 2009 could be the year that swine flu helped decide the national title.
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Swine flu could be the big equalizer in college football this year. What if a team has half their players out for a couple of weeks? And do you let the other guys play anyway, knowing they may be carriers who could infect the other team?
Baylor could beat UT or OU if half the team is sick.
The ACL Fest has replaced the cancelled slots of the Beastie Boys and Sonic Youth with the swine flu.
Baylor could beat UT and OU if those two don't take the game as seriously as they should.
I'm a UT fan, but even if the entire Florida football team came down with swine flu they would still crush us in the NC game.