Sad to say it, but the Internet is acting up again, egged along by its partner in click bait, Social Media.
Thus far during college football's always-dangerous talking season, we've been duped into wondering if Nick Saban might be getting back into coaching or, the latest, if LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, had to be helped off the practice field Wednesday.
Saban is still on the golf course more than a month after his brush with giggly sensationalism.
Nussmeier, similarly, appears to be in good health after taking little more than a glancing blow from Faux Media and staring down the Internet with good health.
He is expected to live a long and productive football life.
Still, the click bait brigade gave the LSU fan base quite a scare Wednesday with "reports" that Nussmeier "had to be helped off the field" after suffering a major injury at a closed practice.
Bottom line, he wasn't and he didn't.
False alarm. Nothing to see here, gawkers. When something like this becomes a major August story, you know the start of the real season can't get here quickly enough.
Not to worry. It didn't take long for the Advocate of Baton Rouge to track down some better eyewitnesses who revealed that Nussmeier may have been bumped or possibly even "tweaked" but he was fully under his own power when he walked off, little worse for the incident, whatever it was.
For the record, it was head coach Brian Kelly who casually suggested that his quarterback take the rest of the day off.
It's shame really. That story could have gained some real traction Thursday with absolutely true reports that Nussmeier was not at LSU's practice. Neither were any of his teammates as Kelly gave them all a day off, but whatever.
Of course, a lot of the confusion might have been avoided if the practices, like most of the sessions at LSU (and virtually all SEC schools), weren't closed to the media's prying eyes.
I always gave coaches a pass on keeping media away from practices because, as a card-carrying member, it greatly reduces the chances that I might have to attend one of those workouts, particularly the steaming August variety.
But Nussmeier's case does give one pause.
Kelly continues to say this year, his fourth at LSU, is the best overall roster he's had. Still, much of the promise for the season -- where anything less than a playoff spot will be disappointment -- revolves around Nussmeier.
This is a fan base still jittery about quarterbacks even after two of them picked up Heismans in the last six years.
Injuries?
This is a program that once lost a promising starting quarterback, in 2021, when Myles Brennan was lost for the year with a season-ending fishing injury.
A who? Yes, fishing. Do those Bassmasters pros go on the DL?
Brennan's unlikely injury -- he slipped on a dock -- probably sounded far-fetched when it first hit the world wide web, too.
Still, keep in mind that Kelly is encouraging Nussmeier, heretofore a dyed-in-the-wool straight drop-back quarterback, to run more this season, at least when warranted and he spots something enticing.
Nussmeier has said he's all in for it, with both feet, if not during a meaningless practice.
If both player and coach want to tell you that you can't go through a season consciously trying to avoid injury -- probably the surest way to get one -- I'm in their corner with a hearty "hear, hear!"
But when you're suggesting for your quarterback to get reckless and start butting heads out there, you better to be prepared for the backup to get some snaps, if only for brief cameos.
Michael Van Buren (not related to any former presidents apparently) is a transfer who started nine games for Mississippi State last year, best known for his running.
Colin Hurley is a redshirt freshman best known for being only 16 years old when he first enrolled at LSU in January of 2024.
It sounds like the Tigers better hope that any reports of Nussmeier injuries continue to be fake news.
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Scooter Hobbs covers LSU athletics for the American Press. You can contact him at [email protected]