Gulp. And "Go, Bows."

There’s so much inequity between the University of Hawaii and the Ohio State football programs that, as Star-Advertiser columnist Ferd Lewis noted, they might as well be on different planets.

A program valued at $23 million vs. one at $1.1 billion. A 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium vs. the 104,940-seat "Horseshoe" Ohio Stadium. Mountain West contender vs. No. 1 and defending national champion.

Still. We gotta keep the faith in our guys in green as they suit up and soldier forth into the Horseshoe on Saturday (morning, Hawaii time). They’re excited to play the best team out there, so we’re excited. They’ll be playing with heart, so we’ll be supporting with heart.

Kauai takes leap in solar power

The future of solar energy is sprouting on Kauai. The member-owned electrical utility, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, announced plans for a large-scale solar array that promises to include the holy grail of solar power — a battery system that provides electricity to the grid, even after the sun goes down.

There should be much to learn from Kauai’s pioneering efforts, especially as the rest of the state moves toward the goal of a 100 percent renewable energy portfolio by 2045. Technology and cost have been major hurdles, and it’s not clear how economical Kauai’s system will be. Solar panels with battery storage are still mostly a small-scale endeavor. The advent of clean and cheap renewable energy for the masses remains elusive — but essential to the state’s goals. Kauai could show us the way.