Series Announcement: Historical Portal

Flipping the script on some of the sports' biggest moves

We’re in the dark days of the offseason with little going on. So why not look at some of the biggest moments of the sports’ history?

One of my favorite genres to read is alternate history. I love how one small tweak to our timeline can domino into a completely different world than the one we’re living in. This is something that’s often applied in wartime. Just look at one of my favorite novels: Guns of War: A Southern Victory by Harry Turtledove where in the American Civil War, a set of Union orders is intercepted by Confederates, leading to a Confederate victory in the War of Secession.

We don’t see that a lot in sports, though. So, as a former SID and history nerd (those things go hand-in-hand, trust me), I’m taking up the reins and we’re going to spend the next six weeks looking at some of the biggest “what ifs” in recent college football history.

This season, we’ll cover five topics to start and a reader-selected sixth. You can see the topics below. There’s also a page hub open on the website and on the navigation bar that’ll include links to all the posts and YouTube videos forever. Wait - did I say YouTube? I did, and that’s right, we’re delving into video essay territory here.

But enough of that. I’m sure you want to know the five topics I’ve selected:

• What if West Virginia won the 2007 Backyard Brawl?

• What if the Miami Dolphins cleared Drew Brees’s shoulder injury?

• What if Tim Couch chose Tennessee instead of Kentucky?

• What if Penn State joined the Big East instead of the Big Ten?

• What if Marco Wilson didn’t throw his cleat?

Oh, and by the way, the 2007 Backyard Brawl one comes out at 5 p.m. ET February 5. Be ready for it.

I hope you’re all as excited for this as I am! I think it’ll be a fun series that we all can enjoy unlike any other I’ve been able to find.

Also, do you have an alternate history “what if” you want covered? Drop your ideas in the comments on the Historical Portal Page Hub and I’ll pick one for our sixth and final alternate history this offseason.

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Have any questions, ideas, article pitches, or information? With the new Substack features, you can directly message me! Hit the button below to send me a message, or reach out via email to griffin@sid-sports.com, or find us on your favorite social media platform like Facebook, Instagram, Substack Notes and Bluesky.