By MONTE DUTTON

The world’s gone crazy.
I’m going to confine it to sports, which is my habit.
In college football, LSU and Georgia got hammered. Indiana, Army and Brigham Young are undefeated.
I haven’t examined the numbers, but someone who notably has, Paul Finebaum, said this morning that eight teams could tie for the Southeastern Conference title. Partially as a result, four of the top five are from the B1G (which is 18, not 10). One is Indiana. One isn’t Michigan, which only won the national title last season.

Only Texas represents the SEC. Yes, the Longhorns are in the SEC.
It’s hard to argue that the transfer protocol, names, images and likenesses, have undermined the competitive balance of college football. It’s easy to argue that college football at the elite level is anything but professional. Amateurs play at PC.
As for the officially professional, the highest paid quarterback, Dak Prescott, is injured and the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers both have three victories.
The two richest teams played in the World Series. It’s a rare example of normality.

Steve Englehart’s Presbyterian College football team is 4-6. It’s 2-4 in the sweeping Pioneer Football League.
Right now, though, at this juncture, Englehart’s Blue Hose are where he has always wanted them to be.
PC just took a week off. Entering Saturday’s trip to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., the rising Hose are coming off decisive triumphs over Stetson (42-14) and Dayton (28-7).
Eureka! Somebody flipped a switch, and the lights came on.

No one in the PFL wants anything to do with Presbyterian, least of all Marist (1-9, 1-6), which is itself coming off its lone victory, 40-31, over Stetson. The Red Foxes outpointed the Hatters in DeLand, Fla. They still await victory at Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field. PC squares off there at high noon on Saturday.
At his Monday media gathering – generally a gathering of two media – Englehart was understandably chipper.
“We’ve been through so much, and [our] heart’s been broken so many times,” he said. “Sometimes you find ways for it to happen again instead of learning how to battle through it and get the win, but I think our kids have been really resilient.

“They’ve shown that the last two [games], and I’m really proud of them, but certainly the bye week was much needed. We’ve had a lot nicks and bruises, as everyone does this time in the season.”
The players have been healing, engaging in moderate practices and lifting weight. The coaches have been on the road recruiting.
After playing for 10 consecutive weeks, It’s time to hit the road again. The Blue Hose haven’t lost by more than a touchdown since Sept. 29.

Englehart just won the fourth game of the season and ninth of his three-year career at Presbyterian. Marist’s first-year head coach, Mike Willis, just won his first. Running back Sonny Mannino tied a school record with four touchdowns in the Red Foxes’ fifth straight win over Stetson.
A veteran PC defense has fulfilled expectations, and the offense has found a balance between passing (229.5 ypg) and rushing (144.2).
As another grueling trip looms, Presbyterian is better than a four-win team. It’s a team with a shot at six.

Kory Mincy and Kobe Stewart combined for 48 points, and Presbyterian put up a fight against North Carolina State, which reached the Final Four earlier this year, in Raleigh, N.C., on Friday night.
Mincy scored a career-best 28 points and Stewart 20, but the Wolfpack came out on top, 81-72. Jonah Pierce paired eight points with 10 rebounds.

Kaleb Scott, who is from Raleigh, scored PC’s first basket 39 seconds in. Halfway through the first half, Presbyterian (1-2) was within a point at 19-18, but N.C. State scored 15 of the next 17 points to take a 34-21 edge with 4:21 left. Mincy scored five points the rest of the way to narrow the Wolfpack’s edge to 38-31 at halftime.

Jayden Taylor led N.C. State (2-0) with 19 points. Ben Middlebrooks added 16, and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Michael O’Connell each contributed 11.
PC shot .500 (28/56) overall, .333 (5/15) from long range and .688 (11/16) at the free-throw line. N.C. State countered with .554 (31/56), .368 (7/19) and .632 (12/19), respectively.
Presbyterian returns to Templeton to play Wofford on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Take a look at the stats here.

It defies belief that Greg Porter’s first year at the helm of Laurens High football ended with one victory. Eight of the Raiders’ 10 opponents are in the playoffs. Then again, few teams aren’t. Laurens was 2-9 last year but made the playoffs.
Porter must know how Englehart felt when Presbyterian was 1-10 in his first season.
Now the high-school season is down to Clinton (7-2) and Laurens Academy (8-3).

The Red Devils open the playoffs at home against Pelion (2-8). The Crusaders bus to Blackville to play Robert E. Lee Academy (11-0) after demolishing Cross School, 56-22.
“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose. Nothing ain’t worth nothing, but it’s free.” – Kris Kristofferson
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