WILL BAMMER BEAT THE REBELS?

Hexagram 17: FOLLOWING

FOLLOWING is [move and fall,] inevitable movement. The ‘following’ going on in the hexagram is between pairs of lines. We received 3 changing lines, all of them part of different ‘following’ pairs.

The Image: In the middle of the Lake there is Thunder, this is the image of FOLLOWING; accordingly the junzi returns home to rest when the sun goes down.

This image speaks of the importance of FOLLOWING the times; you work in the light of day and recuperate once it gets dark. To continue to work into the night would invite disaster. Thunder is ‘action’ and Lake symbolizes ‘joy’. There can’t be joy unless your action is appropriate to the time. To resist, to act when it is time to rest, is to not FOLLOW.

Bammer is told here to FOLLOW the times.

The Judgment: FOLLOWING has supreme success. Perseverance furthers. No blame.

‘Supreme success’ means Bammer wins, that is, unless the 3 changing lines have something different to say.

Line 1: The government official is changing, it auspicious to persevere. To leave one’s own house to find followers will bring merit.

Last week was a week of overzealous officiating (see, celebration penalties in the LSU – UGA game.) This week, though, we can anticipate (like the Sporting News does) that the league will respond by holding tightly to the little yellow flags, not letting them fly as much as they did last week. (This could also mean less ‘official’ controversy than was had at the end of last year’s game.)

We are told that it is good to ‘leave one’s own house’. This indicates that Bammer will find some FOLLOWERS in Oxford, another indication of a Bammer victory.

Line 3: [This line] binds itself to the older man, leaves the little boy. [This line] obtains what it was seeking by FOLLOWING, it benefits by remaining persevering.

Ian Rapoport wrote, for the Birmingham News, “There was a time when the nickname of Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain was ‘Baby Ro.’ That’s what former captain Darren Mustin called him, a term of endearment, actually. It just doesn’t apply anymore.”

McClain has certainly matured; does this line suggest that the younger players we rely on so much will mature in this game?

Perhaps it is implying that our ‘old man’ Upchurch will have a bigger role in this game than he has previously.

Line 5: [This line] trusts in what is excellent, [which is] auspicious.

Coach Saban has said that the best motivating factor is the desire “to be the best that you can be,” to have pride and pasion in what you do. This is trusting in what is excellent, and this is auspicious.

Summary: Officials stop throwing flags. Bammer plays outside its own house and manages to find a lot of followers. Upchurch shines?

WILL BAMMER BEAT THE WILDCATS?

Hexagram 6: CONTENTION

CONTENTION is [words for the public] and has the meaning of ‘lawsuit’ or ‘arguing’.

The Image: [The trigram of] Heaven [and the trigram of] Water move in opposition [to each other,] [this symbolizes] CONTENTION; accordingly, the junzi regards as his business [preparing] a strategy for the beginning.

Bammer should take the lead from the start.

The Judgment: CONTENTION: Have confidence, [though there is] obstruction. [To act with] caution [will bring] good fortune. [To CONTEND to the bitter] end will bring bad fortune. It is beneficial to see the Great Man, it is not beneficial to ford the Great Stream.

Unlike Urban Meyer we can expect Coach Saban to exercise caution and withdraw from the CONTENTION before the bitter end. Expect Bammer to have enough of a lead that GMac can be pulled from the game early.

I had no changing lines but there is only one line that ‘wins’ in CONTENTION.

Line 5: [The way that] CONTENTION [is dealt with here] results in good fortune.
Commentary: [This is because the] rank and [central] position is correct.

Again, this is the only line that comes out of CONTENTION all the better for it. And the reason this is so is that the one represented by this line is ranked appropriately and acts like it. We should take this line to represent Bammer; we are ranked appropriately (much higher than Kentucky) and we can be expected to perform as our position dictates.

If we are line number 5 then Kentucky would be line 2, which responds to the 5th line.

Line 2: [The one here] cannot bear the CONTENTION, [he should] return and run away to his home. The three hundred families in his city state are not to blame.
Commentary: [This is because] from a lower place [he] contends with a superior,  [he] brings extreme suffering [upon himself].

So, as you can see, Kentucky is in no position to contend with us. This could get quite ugly for them, thus I foresee a lot of mistakes on their part.

Summary: “Stop hitting yourself, Kentucky! Stop hitting yourself!”

WILL BAMMER BEAT THE RAZORBACKS?

Hexagram 55: ABUNDANCE

The ideogram is [a serving container filled with a mountainous abundance of plants.] Last week we had Thunder shaking the Earth, causing the Earth to bring forth its hidden bounty; this week the bounty is in, and it is a big bounty. The situation is one of ABUNDANCE.

The Image: Thunder and Lightning come together, ABUNDANCE. In accordance with this the junzi decides lawsuits and exacts punishment.

Thunder symbolizes action and Lightning symbolizes intelligence, the brilliance of the mind. In this situation one can act with clarity and understanding, assured that any movement taken will be correct. Thus we have the image of an enlightened person deciding cases and appropriating punishment where it is due. I think that might be my job here. And deciding what this case meant and which team would suffer the punishment of loss was a difficult one.

The Judgment: Success, the king borrows [the ABUNDANCE,] do not worry, it is fitting [to shine like] the midday sun.

‘Success’ is almost always a good sign. It points to a Bammer victory unless the changing line I had begs to differ.

The word for ‘borrow’ here is jia or xia and the ideogram is [a person putting on a second skin]. It has a number of meanings: fake; to borrow; or holiday. I guess the point is that, in a situation of ABUNDANCE, the king can fake it; he can borrow some of the abundance and distribute it as if it is his. A kind of faux generosity, I guess. This is like the sun at noon, shining its light down on everything.

There is also another way to read this ‘borrowing’. If we read it more literally, perhaps the king adds to the abundance by putting a second skin over it. Then the ABUNDANCE becomes filled to overflowing. Like the sun at noon.

We are told not to worry about this. (I certainly worried over this prediction, however.)

Commentary: To be great, acting with understanding, is the cause of abundance. “The king borrows the ABUNDANCE,” [because] to be great is regarded favorably. “Do not worry, it is fitting to shine like the midday sun,” it is fitting to be like heaven illuminating [everything] below. The sun [reaches] midday [and] consequently it declines, the moon becomes full [and] consequently it [begins to] wane (lit. is eaten), Heaven and Earth fill the emptiness, given time [even they] will vanish and cease, how much more so can this be said for humans and human affairs!

(And here is a cause of worry!) Its the way of nature is to change constantly, not to remain static. What is abundant soon becomes deficient. Just like the waxing and waning of the moon, the rising and the setting of the sun, and the expansion and contraction of the bellows, even things for people come and go. In the context of football, particularly a recently successful football program, this can be kind of worrisome. You begin to wonder if our time of abundance is coming or if it is going…

I had one changing line. Maybe it can help.

Nine in the First: He meets his master [who is also his] equal, although [they are] similar [there will be] no [cause for] blame, to go [to meet the equal master] is regarded favorably.

Here we have a changing yang line in the first position. It is going to meet its master who is also its peer, or equal. The master referred to is the 4th line in the hexagram. Since it is also a yang line it is called the First’s equal. For these two to meet up is esteemed. In the context of Saturday’s game we can assume that Bammer and Arkansas are meeting, or Saban and Petrino are meeting; both of them are equally strong, it is implying. Thus it should be a good game.

So how can we have a winner and a loser in a situation like this?

Commentary: “Although they are similar there will be no cause for blame,” [however] to exceed the similarity [would bring] disaster.

We are told here that to seek to overcome the equally strong contender would bring disaster! So what does this mean? Does it mean overtime?

I think it might.

Of course, I might be reading way too much into this. Perhaps I should follow the advice of the Judgment above and NOT WORRY. The first line of a hexagram also represents the beginning of a situation. So, if we can ignore the little story about Lines 1 and 4 meeting up, we can interpret this to mean that we are beginning a period of ABUNDANCE. Bammer is beginning its time at the top, reaching the pinnacle.

How long can we stay there though? We know it cannot last. Even the sun sets…

Anytime you have a changing line you also have a changing hexagram and we need to look at that also. So, our hexagram 55 (ABUNDANCE) changes into hexagram 62 (MINOR SUPERIORITY or EXCESS of the SMALL.)

Hexagram 62: MINOR SUPERIORITY

Here the ideograms are [small] and [moving into a whirlpool]. It can mean ‘little (or few) mistakes’ or ‘to exceed by a little’.

The Judgment: Success, it is beneficial to be virtuous, [success] in small matters, not [success] in large matters. The voice of the flying bird is lost [to our hearing], it is not fitting to go up, it is fitting to go down, very propitious.

Here we have ‘success’ again. So, that’s promising even though it is a limited success. The commentary explains a little more why this success is limited and why there’s a bird…

Commentary: Small [yin lines] in excess and yet there is success too. The ‘excess’ benefits by means of being virtuous, and acting at the [correct] time also.  The yielding [yin lines] attain the central [positions], it is because of this that there is luck to be had in small matters. The firm [yang lines] lose their positions and [are not in the] central, it is because of this that [luck] is not to be had in large matters. [The hexagram] is an image of a bird flying, [thus] we have “the voice of the flying bird is lost, it is not fitting to go up, it is fitting to go down, very propitious”; to go up is counter [to what is right] and to go down is to follow [what is right.]

This hexagram is made up of 4 yin lines and 2 yang lines. The yin occupy the traditional positions of leadership, while the yang lines are out of position, i.e. they are not in yang positions. This is why it is called MINOR SUPERIORITY, or Excess of the Small: there are more small, weak yin lines. We also get the image of the bird from the arrangement of broken and solid lines in the hexagram. If you work your imagination hard enough you can kinda see how it looks like a bird with its wings stretched out.

The way a weak leader leads is through virtue: humility, respectfulness, thrift. For a weak leader to attempt too much is counter to the way things ought to be. Like a bird with a weak voice flying higher, it’s voice will not be heard. It is better for the bird to descend.

In the context of Bammer football, though, this sounds horrible! What does it mean for Bammer to descend instead of ascend? Does it mean it will be better for us if we lose and are ranked lower? That’s absurd! Of course, everything that goes up must come down eventually. Even if we are entering a period of ABUNDANCE, how long will it last? It’s better to come down on your own than go up too far and fall, right?

So, Bammer even in a period of ABUNDANCE needs to act as if they HAVE LITTLE.

Perhaps it is because I am a Homer, but I am inclined to read MINOR SUPERIORITY as a “little excess” or “just a little bit more”. Remember back in the Commentary on Line 1, it said that for the one represented by that line to exceed the one he went to meet would bring disaster. But what if we just exceeded the one we go to meet by just a little bit? What if we show MINOR SUPERIORITY?

Then, clearly, we win. But not by much.

In summary: Bammer and Arkansas both play equally well. Don’t worry, though; Bammer just barely squeezes it out in the end. Probably in overtime.

Hexagram 16: ENTHUSIASM

The ideogram for ENTHUSIASM is made up of two characters: 1) a pictograph of an elephant and 2) a pictograph suggesting exchange of an object. I have no idea how this means ENTHUSIASM; it’s like a picture of an elephant giving something away or…something. Another book says that the second pictogram could be interpreted as ‘son’, so the ideogram would be ‘elephant’ + ‘son’, which is something to be a more enthusiastic about. I guess.

Either way, as we will see, ENTHUSIASM seems to indicate that Bammer will be much pleased with it’s new ‘son’. Perhaps we can name it G-MAC. Perhaps.

The Image: Thunder bursts forth and shakes the Earth, this is ENTHUSIASM. Thus former kings praised virtue with music, recommended ceremonial dances to [praise] the Supreme Deity, by means of this [seeking the honor] dispensed by deceased ancestors.

The clap of thunder shakes the ground; it also announces the coming of rain, which, in turn, provides for the eventual growth of plants from the soil. Thus we are told that the ancient Chinese kings imitated nature and made their own noises in order to foster virtue and seek reward from the gods/ancestors. It should be noted that the ideogram for ‘dispensed’ is [liquor arranged by type], and I am sure that this Saturday there will be much dancing, noise-making, and imbibing. Bammer being undefeated is enough for this enthusiasm, but is the yijing telling us something more?

It is. Let’s take a look…

The Judgment: It is beneficial to establish a leader, rally the troops.

The Commentary on the Judgment: The will of the Strong is complied with, by means of this compliance [the will of the Strong] is achieved, this is ENTHUSIASM. ENTHUSIASM, achievement through compliance, as [in the way] Heaven and Earth [act in compliance], and thus [is ENTHUSIASM not even more] capable in establishing a leader to rally the troops? Heaven and Earth act by means of compliance, [thus] the sun and the moon do not pass [each other], and the four seasons do not vary; thus the sage acts in compliance, and consequently punishments are [made] clear and [laws] obeyed by the people. ENTHUSIASM at the proper time is great indeed!

That was a rough translation. But it is basically saying that the situation symbolized by ENTHUSIASM is a perfect time to establish a leader to rally the troops, as the troops will comply with the leader’s demands like the sun and moon comply with the laws of nature. It even tells us who this leader is; it says “the will of the Strong is complied with”. Now, in the previous predictions the Strong has been in the central, traditional fifth position of the hexagram, the position of the Ruler. In ENTHUSIASM, however, the only strong line in the entire thing is found in the fourth position.

The fourth position is traditionally the place for the minister to the ruler, so in this situation symbolized by ENTHUSIASM we have five weak lines following the single strong line in the minister’s position. Even the ruler (a weak fifth line) is following, or rather, ‘complying’ with the wishes of the strong fourth. Thus we have the perfect situation in which to rally the troops (behind this strong minister.)

Let’s look a bit closer at the fourth line.

Nine in the Fourth: The reason for ENTHUSIASM, there is much to gain. Do not doubt. Friends join their hairpins.

Commentary on the Fourth: His ambitions are achieved in great measure.

“Friends join their hairpins”? I think it just means that friends come together, but one book says that ‘hairpins’ could be a corruption of the Chinese word for ‘intercourse’; that’s a more enthusiastic ‘coming together’ for sure. Anyway, the strong leader in the fourth position is the reason for all of the ENTHUSIASM, and there should be no doubting his abilities, for his ambitions will be achieved in great measure.

The coincidence of Bammer being ranked number four aside, I think the symbolism of the fourth line being the undisputed and de facto ruler of this hexagram implies that it will be a ‘minister’ to the actual ‘ruler’ that shines in this week’s game. So, if we take Saban as the ruler, then one of his subordinates is being represented by the strong fourth line. What better person is there to represent the ruler on the field of battle than Greg McElroy?

So, short and sweet: Do not doubt that G-MAC will rally the troops against the Mean Green. The troops will comply with the desires of their general, and the outcome shall be great indeed. This is what is meant by ENTHUSIASM.

WILL BAMMER BEAT THE GOLDEN PANTHERS?

Seriously, do I even have to ask?

Last week we had hexagram 10 (TREADING) with line number 5 changing. A changing line is one that moves from yang to yin, or yin to yang, and when any of the lines of a hexagram change it results in an entirely different hexagram. This is supposed to represent a dynamic, as opposed to a static, moment in time. So, last week (with the changing line number 5) we were moving from a situation symbolized by TREADING to a new situation symbolized by hexagram 38, OPPOSITION.

And, OPPOSITION is a perfect hexagram for dinky little football games.

The judgment reads: Auspiciousness in small matters.

This is a definite sign of victory for Bammer; compared to the importance of the game against the Hokies, our game against the Golden Panthers is a very small matter indeed. So, no need for worry: luck is on our side.

Relying on the resulting hexagram from last week’s game wasn’t enough for some people, however, so I decided to go ahead and throw the stalks for this weeks game.

The yijing answered with hexagram 53:

GRADUAL PROGRESS

The Chinese ideogram for this implies the ‘cutting action of water’. Rivers and streams gradually cut great canyons. Rain gradually beats down mountains, and the rolling of the tide gradually reforms coastlines.

The Commentary on the Image: Atop the mountain is a tree, GRADUAL PROGRESS. The superior man (ruler) therefore abides in virtue, good social customs.

Trees grow slowly, reaching a great size gradually, thus the image of GRADUAL PROGRESS. Our path to greatness (for the 13th time) will be gradual as well; we have many games yet to play. Abiding in virtue (blamelessness) and in the tradition of Bammer football will help us to gradually achieve the greatness to which we aspire.

(Perhaps someone should tell the NCAA about all of this virtue…)

The Judgment: A woman marrying is auspicious, beneficial if she is virtuous.

Commentary on the Judgment: The advance of GRADUAL PROGRESS, a woman marrying is auspicious indeed. To advance and gain a rank, quite the achievement. Therefore advancing properly, she may rectify the nation. Her position is firm, obtaining the center. Arriving at her position with modesty, any action she takes will be rewarded.

In ancient China, a woman gained social rank when she married, and marriage was one of the first steps in the gradual progress of the social order. Therefore, the Commentary talks about the appropriateness of advancing properly, gradually. Bammer has also advanced and gained a rank in the process, and our position is firm and correct. If Bammer remains modest in her success, any action she takes will be successful.

The firm, central position also refers to the fifth line, and though we did not receive any changing lines, let’s take a look at it:

Nine in the fifth place: The geese gradually progresses to the hills, for three years the woman has not been pregnant, in the end she obtains what she had not before been able to. Auspicious indeed.

Commentary on the fifth line: ‘In the end she obtains what she had not before been able to’, auspicious indeed; she gets what she wants.

The six lines, read from bottom to top, tell of a flock of geese gradually attaining to better and better resting areas. The fifth line tells of them attaining a nesting area in the hills, which is the best area for the geese to raise their little goslings. Thus, we also have the image of a pregnant woman waiting for three years to get pregnant. It is said, in the end she gets what she wants.

I can only hope that this is a reference to the 3 years that Saban has coached Bammer, and that in the end we will also get what we wish for: a 13th national championship.

Anyway, Bammer wins this game. Success in small matters.

WILL BAMMER BEAT THE HOKIES?

The yijing responded with hexagram 10, line number 5 changing.

TREADING

To tread is to walk upon or along, to trample, to beat a path, and it seems pertinent enough as our own long road begins this Saturday. TREADING also has the meaning of conduct, as in the way one comports oneself.

The Image:  Heaven above the Lake below, TREADING; therefore, the ruler distinguishes between high and low, and sets the goals of the commoners.

This situation is called TREADING because the Lake is responsive to and follows the path of the headstrong Heaven. The weak treading the path of the strong can lead to danger though; the weak can get themselves into trouble if they find themselves out of sorts, as it were. Thus it is the responsibility of the ruler to set things right, to put each in their proper place.

In the context of Saturday’s game, perhaps we can assume that it is the lower ranked Hokies that tread upon the path of a superior Bammer. Perhaps not. This whole hexagram deals with what is proper for one’s station, and the dangers that accompany those that behave inappropriate to their position, so determining who is treading on whose path is kind of crucial to deciding what all of this means.

The yijing elaborates on the potential for danger in the situation by using a metaphor of TREADING on a tiger’s tail. But who is the tiger?

The Judgment: TREADING a tiger’s tail. The person is not bitten. Success.

The weak inappropriately treads on the strong, but the strong is merciful and does not punish the transgression harshly. According to the Image, the strong (the ruler) not only does not punish the weak harshly, the strong rectifies the situation, by “setting the goals of the commoners,” by putting things in their proper positions.

If we had received no changing lines we could stop here, and we’d be pretty happy too. ‘Success‘ usually indicates just that, but we got a changing line we must address.

Before we move on to the changing line (I know, the suspense is killing me too) let’s first look at the commentary on this Judgment.

Commentary on the Judgment: TREADING, the weak treads on the strong. [Lake] is happy to respond to Heaven, that she thereby treads the tail of the tiger, and is not bitten, indicates success. The strong in the center is proper, even treading on the emperor’s throne does not cause him ill, indeed it is brilliant.

The “strong in the center” refers to line number 5 of the hexagram, and coincidentally that is also the changing line we received.

Line number 5 happens to be the only line in a proper position, a yang line in a yang position. The fifth line is traditionally the position of the ruler; so, as a strong line occupies a strong position, it is appropriate for the one in this position to act like one. Thus it is said that “even treading on the emperor’s throne does not cause him ill.” In other words, for the fifth line to take up the mantle of ruler will not cause him harm, as it is a proper for a strong line in a strong position. Not only is the position proper, the strong shines in this position.

All the other lines are out of position, thus the danger inherent in this situation.

Line 5 changing: Resolute TREADING, virtuous in the face danger.
Commentary on Line 5: Resolute TREADING, virtuous in the face danger. The rank is appropriate indeed.

So, here we have the real meat of the answer from the yijing. As Bammer is always the subject of these consultations, this response puts Bammer in the only appropriate position in the entire hexagram. It says that our “rank is appropriate indeed,” and we can take that to mean that our position above and ahead of the Hokies is a correct one.

This line also makes us the tiger. So what fear do we have of being bitten?

We don’t tread on another’s tail; we beat our own path. We blaze our own trail boldly and courageously, and virtuously. This means we tread blamelessly. So what fear do we have of being penalized?

The situation is not free of danger, though. We still must tread cautiously; to the Chinese, caution is a virtue. We must remain vigilant for those that would TREAD on our tail!

In the current situation, there is only one that would seek to tread on our tail. This one is described in line number 3.

Line 3: A one-eyed man can see, and a lame man can walk, but if he TREADS on the tiger’s tail,  he will be bitten, which is unlucky. This is like a soldier trying to be the king.

The Commentary on this line explains that such a person as described in the third line finds misfortune because he acts inappropriately, beyond his proper rank; he walks the path of a tiger when he is clearly not suited for such a demanding path. He is bitten by the tiger. The third line is defeated by the fifth line.

Thus, in summary, we can say that Bammer will beat the Hokies. Hell, we’ll probably TREAD all over the Hokies. And we’ll do so virtuously, because our rank is deserved.

So, I see a lot of yards gained on the ground and very few penalties for Bammer. I see the Hokies flailing about like a wounded, half-blind turkey. They’ll be bit and bit hard.

Will Bammer beat the Booger Eaters?

This week Bammer returns to the field after a much needed off week. We’re 11-0 (I’m 13-0 in Yi Jing predictions this year, btw and fyi) and now we get to face our most hated opponent: them Booger Eaters on the Plains, who have provided us with a near constant supply of schadenfreude this season. So, I ask the Yi, Can we end this six game streak of theirs?

The Yi answered with hexagram # 55 Feng, or Abundance. (The ideogram is [container filled with mountainous abundance].)

The Image:
Both thunder and lightning come:
The image of ABUNDANCE.
Thus the superior man decides lawsuits
And carries out punishments.

The hexagram is the trigram Zhen (thunder, motion) over the trigram Li (fire, awareness) so this is how we get the image of thunder and lightning. My favorite translator of the Yi says, “Thunder from Zhen represents majesty and lightning from Li represents sagacity.” Thus, here, we have the image of our Sage-King Saban not just creating and laying down the foundation for principles and rules imposed by his virtuous authority, but carrying them out: justly, Sage-King Saban punishes the offensive Tigers. Hopefully, the punishment will include lopping off six booger-covered fingers.

The Judgment:
ABUNDANCE brings success.
The king attains abundance.
Do not be worried.
You should be like the sun at midday.

Abundance can lead to over-abundance in the blink of an eye. And extremes retrograde quickly. But we are told not to worry about that here. We shouldn’t worry because our Sage-King Saban has acquired the abundance, and we can trust in his virtuosity to handle this bestowal with appropriateness. We need to reflect (on) these qualities of virtue possessed by our Sage-King, and thus “shine like the noon sun.” The sun at it’s zenith, for a moment eternal, the continuum carrying toward setting comes another day. Here we shine. Abundance brings success for Bammer.

Nine at the beginning:
When a man meets his destined ruler,
Although they are of the same kind,
There will be no error.
Going meets with recognition.

This line describes a meeting of equals. (Technically, it describes the relationship between lines 1 and 4 in the hexagram. Both are Yang, so they are equals and assumed to be unable to join harmoniously.) They are equal, but one is recognized as the superior here. The superior one, of course, is the Sage-King mentioned above. So, here is described the meeting between Tuberville and Saban. It is a meeting of equals (i.e. they are both head coaches,) yet the lesser one (the visiting one, the one “going”) is told to recognize the superiority of the “destined ruler” (our Saban.) The commentary on this line even goes so far as to warn the lesser equal that “it will be perilous if he tries to outshine his partner.

In summary, Tuberville comes to town and recognizes his superior, Saban.

Sixth in the fifth place:
His notable partner is come.
To welcome him with honor and praise is auspicious.

Let’s take this line to represent Saban. It’s in the right spot; the fifth line has represented the leader of the team in every predicition so far. Here, Saban is told that it would bring good fortune to respond (from his superior position) to his lesser equal with humiltiy and grace. The two words used here in the text are qing (congratulate) [go and offer heartfelt gift of deerskin] and yu (honor, reputation) [words given, as a hand would give]. So, this line is telling us that it would be good for Saban to congratulate his lesser equal guest with warm praise for his reputation (previous six wins). I assume that there will be some of this praise for Tuberville and Co. in Saban’s post-victory press conference, as there have been plenty of displays of humility and recognition by Saban already this year.

So, in summary: Don’t worry. Saban is the superior here. Bammer has success. I don’t see the Booger Eaters scoring very much at all.

Will Bammer beat Miss Bulldog?

I think the Yi is mad at me. This whole week I have been bombarded by requests from friends (and some that were more strangers than friends) to divine answers to their own vexing concerns. So, I think the Yi is feeling slightly misused. I think I need to implement a new policy: no divination on demand. The Yi answered this week’s Bammer question with the following:

Hexagram # 4 Meng, or Ignorance.

The ideogram is [multiple sprouts that cover or obscure a trapped boar]. See how they get ‘Ignorance’ out of this? Yeah, neither do I. Maybe ‘Youthful Folly’ is a better translation; it certainly ties into the theme of the hexagram, as you will see.

Personally, I hate receiving this hexagram; the Judgment seems always to address the questioner instead of the question. Here’s the Judgment:

Meng indicates success.
It is not I who seek the young fool;
The young fool seeks me.
At the first oracle I inform him.
If he asks two or three times, it is importunity.
If he importunes, I give him no information.
Perseverance furthers.

See what I mean? The Yi can get ornery if you abuse it. Here, it is telling me that it will answer my first question, but if I continue to bother it with the same question over and over again, it will make a fool of me. So, I’m going to stick with this answer, even though it doesn’t really seem to be addressing the football game. I really don’t have much to work with here; but, alas, I will persevere.

(Oh! Coincidentally, that last line “Perseverance furthers” could be translated as “It is beneficial to pay for the divination.” Just saying…)

((Oh! Also, “Meng indicates success”…for Bammer!))

Here’s the Image:
A spring at the foot of the mountain.
The jun zi resolves to taking steps to cultivate his virtue.

Since the hexagram is Mountain over Water, that is how we get the image of a spring at the foot of a mountain. Water also represents ‘danger’ though, so that is why the jun zi is told to increase his righteousness. Jun zi means ‘gentleman’ but it is literally the ruler, the one issuing the orders. So, the Yi is saying that Coach Saban should strengthen his character and be thorough in whatever he does. That Saban has repeatedly done this, there can be no doubt.

The image also describes a situation in which the little spring cannot advance because it is stopped by the big mountain. It must be guided, directed, told where to go by the jun zi. This is where the idea of Youthful Folly or Ignorance comes in.

There were two changing lines.

Nine in the second place:
Accommodating the ignorant is auspicious.
Receiving a wife is auspicious.
A son will bring prosperity to the family.

This line is the most important of all the lines in the hexagram, for it represents not the Ignorant Youth, but the Wise Teacher, the jun zi. Here, he is told to treat the Ignorant Youth kindly to ensure a favorable outcome. Incidentally, another translation of meng is ‘cheat’ (or ‘sly’?). Perhaps Miss Bulldog comes in our house a-cheating; if so, we should not respond in kind. We will make the cheating Bulldog our bitch – err, I mean, wife – and can expect our favorite son (which one!?) to bring home the bacon. We should expect a commanding lead in time of possession.

The ideogram for meng is also interpreted as a choking vine. We can take this to mean that the cheating going on could be the kind of holding we witnessed in the game versus la Tigers. The home field advantage (and the Wrath of Saban) should ensure that this holding does not go unpunished, though.

Six in the fourth place:
The Ignorant Youth is fatigued.
This can be cause for regret.

There’s is no denying that we are a little wearied, a little dinged up after the game against la Tigers. The Yi tells us here that this can be a cause for regret. However, if we take into account the previous line, where we were NOT the Ignorant Youth, we can interpret this to mean that we will wear out Miss Bulldog.

So, hey this hexagram was a better prediction than I thought it would be, but let’s push the Yi a little more. Let’s flip the script, as you Americans like to say. And I mean let’s literally flip it. Let’s reverse the hexagram.

If we reverse the hexagram we get Water over Mountain, or hexagram # 39 Jian, or Obstruction. And since we flipped the hexagram, it’s only right that we flip the question. So the question turns into “Will Miss Bulldog beat Bammer?”

The answer, Obstruction or Difficulty, does not bode well for Miss Bulldog. The ideogram is [foot and cold (or poor circulation in the feet)] and is taken to mean ‘lame, crippled, and unlucky’. Lameness does not bode well for Miss Bulldog’s rushing game, to say the least. Also, I am now worried that Sly Croom might have diabeetus.

In summary: Bammer rolls. Bulldogs stumble.

Will Bammer beat la Tigers?

This one is a shocker. Literally. The Yi answered with hexagram # 51 Zhen, or SHOCK, and the ideogram is [rain and atmospheric phenomena] so it is interpreted as a thunderclap, and this is a thunderclap doubled: the hexagram is Thunder over Thunder. A real shocker. A real surprise. So that rain we were waiting for last week has come, and it’s announced by a great crack of thunder.

Scary, isn’t it? Frightened now, aren’t you?

You should be.

The Image is:
Thunder repeated: the image of SHOCK.
Thus in fear and trembling
The superior man sets his life in order
And examines himself.

A sudden peal of thunder can make you jump right out of your boots. It can raise all the hairs on your body and make you wet your pants. There’s many a brave dog that will scamper off, tail between their legs, at the sound of a CLAP! and hunker under a bed or a table shaking with fear. It’s an irrational and instinctual fear, perhaps hearkening back to the days where we huddled, as naked ape-men and ape-women, together under the scant shelter a savanna tree might provide. And as you know, under a tree on a plain is a horrible place to be during a thunder storm.

Frankly, this answer from the Yi is a bit scary too. It says “the superior man sets his life in order and examines himself.” Why would we need to examine ourselves unless the game played out in an unexpected, shocking way? The image of the situation certainly does not bode well. Anyway, let’s move onto the Judgment.

The Judgment reads:
SHOCK brings success.
Shock comes-oh, oh!
Laughing words -ha, ha!
The shock terrifies for a hundred miles,
And he does not let fall the sacrificial spoon and chalice.

The reason that SHOCK brings success is because the first thunderstorms of the year (in ancient China) heralded the coming of Spring, which the trigram Thunder/Shock also represents. SHOCK also brings success because, as is the way with the tao (the movements of the yin and the yang,) an extreme leads to the opposite of the extreme: once you have reached a depth, you have nowhere to go but up, or as the commentary says, “Fear leads to blessings.”

When that sharp peal of thunder first crashes, everyone jumps up and shouts in (literal) excitement. Then, when the sound finally rolls itself away into the distance, everyone looks around and laughs at their reaction to the sudden shock. We laugh because we realize the level of fear displayed was unjustified.

This shock is fairly universal too; it affects everyone within “a hundred miles.” But there is one person that is not affected, and it is he we should look to for guidance. He is the one who does not drop “the sacrificial spoon and chalice.” In ancient China, one of the duties of a ruler was to carryout a certain ritual where he would dip a wooden ladle into a herb-infused wine and then pour the liquid over a sacrificial animal. The Judgment here tells us that this person does not drop the ladle when the Thunder claps. He maintains his composure throughout the short-lived ordeal and manages to complete the sacrifice. We can only hope the sacrifice involves a Tiger.

There was one changing line. Six in the second place:
Shock comes bringing danger.
A hundred thousand times
You lose your treasures
And must climb the nine hills.
Do not go in pursuit of them.
After seven days you will get them back again.

This line tells us that the SHOCK is so great that we must flee from it. It tells us to flee up to the nine hills, or the hill with nine winding passes. (It is interesting that we have taken 9 games to reach the top of our ‘mountain’.) And it tells us that we must flee at such short notice that we cannot take our valuables with us. But it tells us to not fret over this loss of our possessions; it tells us to not go rushing to regain them. If we wait out the storm, all that we had left behind will be returned to us.

My interpretation of this is that we will lose the ball a number of times. If this strikes fear into our collective heart, if we rush to quickly to get the ball back, these turnovers could spell disaster for us. But if we remain patient, if we are confident in our ability to persevere through tough times, the ball will come back to us. “If we love the ball, we should let it go.”

All in all, I think the Judgment “SHOCK brings success” is enough to predict a Bammer victory. I think we will be down at the half due to turnovers, though, and our patience and perseverance (through our defense) will carry us on to a victory in the end.