Results of Last Week's #1 Game to Watch
#13 Florida State @ #12 Florida Gators
If I had to sum this game up in one word, I would choose ugly. The Florida Gators defense played well in the first half but their offense was absolutely atrocious. Quarterback Treon Harris played his worst game of the year and the running game was shut down by Florida State's defense. It was no surprise when the Gators' defense began to fall apart, because they had spent so much time on the field. The stands began to empty early in the 4th quarter and soon the Seminoles were celebrating in a largely empty stadium.
Final Score: Florida State 27 Florida 2
(It would have been a shutout without a safety committed by Florida State halfway through the 4th quarter)
Most Exciting Game of the Week
#6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ #9 Stanford Cardinal
In a high-scoring contest, it's a rarity when neither team is ahead by more than 7 points at least some point in the game. But that's exactly what happened to these two teams who, before Saturday night, still had an outside chance at making the playoffs. In addition to all that, the longest 30 seconds in the lives of Notre Dame fans occurred during this game. The question is, would it end in a victory for the Irish?
Notre Dame's offense was held scoreless in the first quarter, but a 93 yard kickoff return by wide receiver C.J. Sanders kept the Irish within 7. In the 2nd and 3rd quarters, just when one team captured the momentum with a touchdown or field goal, the other side would steal it away from them. Quarterback Kevin Hogan and wide receiver Devin Cajuste were the playmakers for Stanford while quarterback Deshone Kizer and running back Josh Adams earned the bulk of the yardage gained by Notre Dame.
Late in the 3rd quarter, a decision was made that affected the outcome of the game. Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly chose to go for 2 after a touchdown in order to build a 3 point lead. However, as recent occurrences have proved, going for 2 is a risky choice. As it would turn out, Notre Dame offense was unable to overcome the percentages, and watched as Kizer's pass fell incomplete.
A mere 5 seconds into the 4th quarter, the Cardinal took a 6 point lead on a 10 yard TD pass from Hogan to tight end Austin Hooper and the resulting extra point. The spirited Stanford defense forced 2 three-and-outs early in the 4th, but the equally as stouthearted Notre Dame defense prevented the Cardinal from closing out the game. Then, with 6 minutes left, the Irish started what can only be describes as a "textbook" 4th quarter drive. What that means is that the offense needs to score a touchdown while simultaneously taking as much time off the clock as possible. This is difficult to accomplish because the offense must run the ball effectively and convert on 3rd down, which is no easy task. But Notre Dame is well coached and they showed it. They used up all but 30 seconds of the remaining time, scoring on a short touchdown run by Kizer. The ensuing extra point gave the Irish a 36-35 lead. However, if the Irish had kicked an extra point after that 3rd quarter drive they would have had an opportunity to try a 2 point conversion to go ahead by 3, during a time when going for 2 is far more timely.
You might be thinking, "A one point lead is safe with only 30 seconds remaining, right?" I thought the same thing, but Stanford proved me wrong. Hogan was sacked on 1st down, but Notre Dame defensive lineman Isaac Rochell tackled Hogan by grabbing his face-mask, giving Stanford 15 free yards via penalty. This unnecessary and foolish move by Rochell gave their opponents the ball at the Stanford 46 yard line, only one medium length passing play away from getting into field goal range. Two plays later, Hogan did just that, firing a 27 yard pass to his favorite target, Devin Cajuste. After a 2 yard run by Heisman hopeful Christian McCaffery, Stanford was set up for a potential game-winning 45 yard field goal.
Senior kicker Conrad Ukropina stepped onto the field and sighted his target in. Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly tried to "ice" the kicker by calling a timeout just before the snap, but it was to no avail because Conrad already had ice in his veins. After the timeout, Ukropina sent the ball flying through the uprights and his teammates running joyously onto the field. For the 2nd straight week a kicker became a hero, and he was given the honor of being carried off the field.
Notre Dame's offense was held scoreless in the first quarter, but a 93 yard kickoff return by wide receiver C.J. Sanders kept the Irish within 7. In the 2nd and 3rd quarters, just when one team captured the momentum with a touchdown or field goal, the other side would steal it away from them. Quarterback Kevin Hogan and wide receiver Devin Cajuste were the playmakers for Stanford while quarterback Deshone Kizer and running back Josh Adams earned the bulk of the yardage gained by Notre Dame.
Late in the 3rd quarter, a decision was made that affected the outcome of the game. Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly chose to go for 2 after a touchdown in order to build a 3 point lead. However, as recent occurrences have proved, going for 2 is a risky choice. As it would turn out, Notre Dame offense was unable to overcome the percentages, and watched as Kizer's pass fell incomplete.
A mere 5 seconds into the 4th quarter, the Cardinal took a 6 point lead on a 10 yard TD pass from Hogan to tight end Austin Hooper and the resulting extra point. The spirited Stanford defense forced 2 three-and-outs early in the 4th, but the equally as stouthearted Notre Dame defense prevented the Cardinal from closing out the game. Then, with 6 minutes left, the Irish started what can only be describes as a "textbook" 4th quarter drive. What that means is that the offense needs to score a touchdown while simultaneously taking as much time off the clock as possible. This is difficult to accomplish because the offense must run the ball effectively and convert on 3rd down, which is no easy task. But Notre Dame is well coached and they showed it. They used up all but 30 seconds of the remaining time, scoring on a short touchdown run by Kizer. The ensuing extra point gave the Irish a 36-35 lead. However, if the Irish had kicked an extra point after that 3rd quarter drive they would have had an opportunity to try a 2 point conversion to go ahead by 3, during a time when going for 2 is far more timely.
You might be thinking, "A one point lead is safe with only 30 seconds remaining, right?" I thought the same thing, but Stanford proved me wrong. Hogan was sacked on 1st down, but Notre Dame defensive lineman Isaac Rochell tackled Hogan by grabbing his face-mask, giving Stanford 15 free yards via penalty. This unnecessary and foolish move by Rochell gave their opponents the ball at the Stanford 46 yard line, only one medium length passing play away from getting into field goal range. Two plays later, Hogan did just that, firing a 27 yard pass to his favorite target, Devin Cajuste. After a 2 yard run by Heisman hopeful Christian McCaffery, Stanford was set up for a potential game-winning 45 yard field goal.
Senior kicker Conrad Ukropina stepped onto the field and sighted his target in. Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly tried to "ice" the kicker by calling a timeout just before the snap, but it was to no avail because Conrad already had ice in his veins. After the timeout, Ukropina sent the ball flying through the uprights and his teammates running joyously onto the field. For the 2nd straight week a kicker became a hero, and he was given the honor of being carried off the field.
Final Score: Stanford 38 Notre Dame 36
Top 3 Championship Games to Watch
It's Championship Week and conference champions will soon be crowned. There are many reat opportunities to watch great teams duke it out.
1. Big Ten Championship Game: #4 Iowa Hawkeyes vs. #5 Michigan State Spartans: 12/5 at 8 p.m. on Fox
(Site of College Gameday)
Securing a spot in the playoffs is certainly no easy task, but that's what either of these teams will earn if they win this game. A conference championship is an enticing enough goal as it is, so this game should be energetic to say the least. Iowa is undefeated while Michigan State has one loss, but the Hawkeyes have played an easier schedule. Will the Hawkeyes add another win on top of their unblemished regular season record or will the Spartans take their place in the top 4 with a important victory?
My pick: Michigan State
2. American Conference Championship Game: #22 Temple Owls @ #19 Houston Cougars: 12/5 at Noon on ABC
This game will decide which of these teams earns a spot in either the Sugar or Peach Bowl, a bowl game that these 2 teams could only dream of before this season. As the American is a relatively new conference, they don't have the money needed to pay for a neutral site, usually an NFL stadium. Instead, home field advantage goes to the team with the better record, which is Houston. Will the Cougars ride the energy of the home crowd to a huge victory, or will the Owls swoop in and snatch a win?
My pick: Houston
3. ACC Championship Game: #1 Clemson Tigers vs. #10 North Carolina Tar Heels: 12/5 at 8 p.m. on ABC
If the #1 Clemson Tigers want to stay in the top 4 they need to win this game. They better be careful with North Carolina who has won 11 games in a row on the talents of senior quarterback Marquise Williams and running back Elijah Hood. However, Clemson also has a powerful one-two punch in quarterback Deshaun Watson and running back Wayne Gallman. Will the Tigers lock up their position atop the playoff standings with an ACC Championship win or will Tar Heels slip past them with their high powered offense?
My pick: Clemson
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