If you haven't gathered from the headline on this blog, we are about to enter the world of the hypothetical and hyperbolic.
In the offseason, this is the scrap we must eat to survive.
Today's scrap starts with a little-known rule that briefly hit the media spotlight last year: Schools can invite former players back to practice with the team, provided the school does not publicize it ahead of time.
Alabama made headlines by having Trent Richardson simulate Leonard Fournette in 2016, and perhaps it worked, because the Crimson Tide limited Fournette to 35 yards on 17 carries in a 10-0 Bama win.
I'm not sure if Georgia has ever taken advantage of this rule, but perhaps it should.
The Spring Game, or the G-Day Game as it is known around here, is a scrimmage, and by the NCAA's standards, it is merely a practice.
Here's where my million-dollar idea comes into play.
Let Herschel Walker suit up on G-Day.
Can you image the roar of the crowd if No. 34 went trotting out there and took a toss sweep?
Oh, I know. Mr. Walker is 56 years old, but don't let his age fool you. He's still in top physical condition, and I have no doubt he could carry the ball a few times a game, even at his age.
And if you're worried about his health (or the hapless defenders standing in his way), then maybe the solution is to have him get the ball in the fourth quarter — a nice reward for the fans who stick it out the end of the game. That way he's only punishing scout teamers, and not bruising front-line starters.
And this gimmick doesn't have to be limited to Walker, either.
Any number of former players could spice this up. Maybe sling D.J. Shockley back out there for a little zone-read option, or let Hines Ward run a fly route. Maybe David Pollack can put his hand in the dirt one more time.
I know, you've probably noticed the flaw in my plan. The school can't hype it up ahead of time, so how on earth would we ever know it's happening?
All we can do is hope, right?
Well, yes. And no.
Schools can get creative with this sort of thing. They can "leak" it to the press. They can sub-tweet, like they do seemingly every time a recruit commits.
Sub-tweeting, for the non-Millennials in the crowd, is when you tweet about something without mentioning it by name. Coaches will often do this to avoid calling a recruit by name, which is a violation. Strongly hinting at them, however, is not.
Let's say, for example, they're recruiting me. (This is where you know it's hypothetical.)
I decide to commit to Georgia, so Kirby Smart tweets out something like "Bring Rough Intellect And Nastiness," which you'll notice spells out "BRIAN" acrostically, even though it has zero credible links to my actual athletic skills.
So, back to our hypothetical scenario. Let's say Herschel's going to suit up at G-Day.
All it takes is a simple "We've got 34 surprises in store this G-Day." Or "Hey, Everyone! Really Sure Children Heading to Exits to Leave Will All Lose Killer Event, Right?"
But again, this is purely hypothetical.
And my goodness would I be more inclined to attend G-Day if something like this ever happened.
