In a nicely thematic episode, everyone is feeling excluded, put-upon, lonely. Fresh off their unexpected victory, the Lions are expecting to place in the rankings... but do not. On top of that, Luke's big hit against the opposing team's quarterback last week finds him the subject of a belated and jacked-up inquiry, and he is ultimately (and unfairly) suspended for one game for the tackle. Luke handles the unfairness of life by getting hammered at a party and slobbering all over Becky. Coach handles the unfairness of life by screwing his mouth up a bit tighter, talking sternly to his team, and then blowing their lids with a silent, inspirational message on the white board before the next game: it simply reads "State."

It's Rally Girl time, and all the football players get their own real, live, cookie-baking, panty-tossing special "friend." Jess tells Vince she's okay with him having a Rally Girl, but one pair of panties too many in his locker find her trying to prove herself to the world by pulling the girl's hair and then challenging her to funnel a couple of beers. In other words: Jess being AWESOME. Along the way, she articulates a fierce critique of what Tami Taylor uncharacteristically lamely calls "just a part of Texas football." Jess is like, no, I am Texas football, I love the game, I love helping Vince get better at the game, and the game shouldn't have anything to do with women acting stupid in order to make men feel powerful. Yes to Jess!

Meanwhile, Vince is starting to get recruited by colleges, and he and his mother (out of rehab now) are elated that he seems to have a future. I am depressed that his only option is football. Hastings is somewhat underutilized in this episode, just popping up at various times acting like he doesn't understand the byzantine links between sport and character that Coach Taylor espouses. But, Luke has some simmering issues with the kid, and if you aren't looking forward to seeing that story line peak with some shirtless wrestling in the mud, well, you are way less of a gay man than I am.

Finally, mother and daughter time! Neither Julie nor Tami have any friends in their new places (Julie: UT; Tami: East Dillon). Tami isn't making much headway with the resistant, cynical teachers at East Dillon, and all of her chirping about helping "at-risk" kids gets met with eye-rolling. By the end, she seems to be chipping away at their apathy, when the sassy teacher from last episode, Laurel, volunteers to volunteer for one of Tami's goody two-shoes tutoring programs. Also, we meet troubled student Epic! And Tami starts to work insane televisual educator magic on her.

For her part, Julie is stuck in a boring Southern History class apparently taught by Mark Twain. But, things get a little more lively when the unfortunately-Chad-Lowe-looking "hot" TA Derek Bishop gets up and makes some quips about old people to make the students laugh. And if you were wondering what happens in the college classroom, this combination of actually interesting subject matter, droning, and desperate bids for attention and approval coming from the people in the front of the room -- well, it's shockingly accurate. Julie runs into Derek again at a history major reception, schools him on football, and then again out and about on campus, where he offers to buy her a coffee for not believing her expertise on football. We know Julie's got it in her to get hot for teacher. I just wish she'd go for someone more exciting. Like her ENGLISH TA, not a dowdy History one!