"If we beat Washington State and UCLA, a bowl game will be as inevitable as first year Law School exams, Stanford’s Winter Quarter, which begins earlier in January than is usual in most schools, art school final projects, and your filing of art school grades, which you tell me will occur the week before Christmas," Griff said to Caydance.

It was that time before lights were turned off. Bedtime, when, like children with a shared storybook, together they were looking at pictures of the Canadian Rockies in the Calgary guide book -- lingering on images of Banff National Park and the clear bluegreen water of Lake Louise, where Griff had spent childhood summers.

Then, as if he had returned to his days of playing college football, Griff spoke of bowl possibilities. The thrill and the challenge of holiday bowl games. National television and not inconsequently the role of bowl games in Spring draft picks. Stanford, he told Caydance was not likely to get the Rose Bowl after what happened on Saturday with USC. This was too bad because New Years in Pasadena was better than Christmas on the road. The Sun Bowl in El Paso would be held on Christmas Day. "The Gator Bowl is a few days after Christmas, but if we get that, we'll be practicing in Jacksonville, Florida on Christmas Day."

The phone rang precisely when Caydance was about to agree with Griff that it would be wisest to schedule a trip to Canada in early December. No one but Jack would call this late.