Here are the important headlines in the aftermath of the 8th week of college football, brought to you in a new all-audio format.
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Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Headlines Week7 2018
Rainy Afternoon in Memphis Leads to Dramatic Turnaround
Riding the nation's longest winning streak of 18 games, the UCF Knights faced their toughest test of the year on a road trip to play the Memphis Tigers. After the Knights scored the game's 1st touchdown on a short run by running back Taj McGowan, UCF eventually fell behind by a score of 20-7 five minutes into the 2nd quarter. UCF's star quarterback McKenzie Milton cut the deficit in half with a 75 pass completion for a touchdown to wide receiver Gabe Davis, but Memphis responded with a drive that ended with a field goal. The Knights' offense then went cold, giving the Tigers the ball right back, an opportunity they used to complete a quick touchdown drive. UCF tallied a field goal before the half but still faced a sizable 30-17 deficit.
Things looked much the same until a light rain starting to fall in the 3rd quarter. The drizzle increased to a steady rainfall, which caused 3 consecutive turnovers by the teams. However, the Knights adjusted quicker to the changing conditions and on 4th and 1 play in the third quarter, the comeback began. Using a clever play in which they snapped the ball quickly after a lot of big lineman strode up to the line of scrimmage, a play that you can rely on to usually get you a yard or two, Taj McGowan instead broke completely through for an unexpected 71 yard TD run. The Knights would end up take the lead on a brave touchdown run by McKenzie and barely hang on for a one-point victory. The 31-30 triumph extends their winning streak to 19 games!
Another Exhilarating Week of Chaos
Like a jokester that comes around to poke you in the ribs, the sneaky character known as "Chaos in the Top 25" made another appearance. A total of 7 teams in the Top 25 were defeated Saturday, including 4 in the Top 10 alone. For sake of brevity I will focus on those.
The #2 ranked Georgia Bulldogs traveled to face the LSU Tigers in the hostile confines of a stadium known as "Death Valley" and lost by a large margin of 38-13, their tails. between their legs. #7 Washington was tripped up by the Oregon Ducks in a narrow loss in overtime 30-27. Back in the eastern part of the country, in Pennsylvania, Penn State hosted unranked Michigan State but had a poor offensive performance and fell 21-17.
But, the most meaningful upset to me was Iowa State's shocking victory over undefeated West Virginia 30-13. It was a momentous win, especially because Iowa State had a losing record prior to the game, and the fans had no qualms about rushing the field just after the final play.
It reminds me of a similar win by Iowa State 7 years ago. This time it was a Thursday night game in which they derailed Oklahoma State's well-defined track to the National Championship Game with a come-from-behind victory that finished up in overtime. The fans rushed the field then too, filling the night air with their voices singing along to "Sweet Caroline," the song they traditionally sing after important home victories. The cameras continued to roll, showing a little girl hoisted atop her father's shoulders singing along too. I stayed glued to the TV, soaking up all I could of the magical moments being shown. It's just something about the enthusiasm of the fans, the surprise of an upset, and the passion of the fans that is so wonderful to watch. This was definitely one of the moments that endeared college football to my heart.
Wolverines Win Big in "The Big House."
Michigan's gigantic stadium seats over 100,000 people, and the Michigan faithful were treated to some satisfying action.
I was dining at Scotty's Brewhouse, an excellent sports bar in Punta Gorda, watching this game. But distracted by conversation with some fellow football enthusiasts and the other games on the various TV's, the first quarter was over before I knew it. I thought, "That's traditional Big Ten football for you, offense predicated on running the ball and controlling the clock." At that point, the score was knotted at 0-0, but that soon changed when Michigan scored their first rushing touchdown of the game . Wisconsin's reply came in the form of a touchdown of their own by way of a 33 yard scoring run by wide receiver Kendric Pryor.
After that, however, it was all Michigan. The Wolverine defense, statistically the best in the nation, lived up to their billing, locking Wisconsin's offense down tight, giving Michigan plenty of time to start dominating with their running game. The Wolverines ended up with 320 yards rushing, with a rushing touchdown for each of their top three running backs. The Michigan defense scored as well with an interception return for a touchdown in the 4th quarter and the game was just about put to bed.
With this win, Michigan appears to the top challenger to Ohio State in the Big Ten East. However, their rivalry game will be played in Ohio State's famous "Horseshoe" Stadium, not "The Big House."
Riding the nation's longest winning streak of 18 games, the UCF Knights faced their toughest test of the year on a road trip to play the Memphis Tigers. After the Knights scored the game's 1st touchdown on a short run by running back Taj McGowan, UCF eventually fell behind by a score of 20-7 five minutes into the 2nd quarter. UCF's star quarterback McKenzie Milton cut the deficit in half with a 75 pass completion for a touchdown to wide receiver Gabe Davis, but Memphis responded with a drive that ended with a field goal. The Knights' offense then went cold, giving the Tigers the ball right back, an opportunity they used to complete a quick touchdown drive. UCF tallied a field goal before the half but still faced a sizable 30-17 deficit.
Things looked much the same until a light rain starting to fall in the 3rd quarter. The drizzle increased to a steady rainfall, which caused 3 consecutive turnovers by the teams. However, the Knights adjusted quicker to the changing conditions and on 4th and 1 play in the third quarter, the comeback began. Using a clever play in which they snapped the ball quickly after a lot of big lineman strode up to the line of scrimmage, a play that you can rely on to usually get you a yard or two, Taj McGowan instead broke completely through for an unexpected 71 yard TD run. The Knights would end up take the lead on a brave touchdown run by McKenzie and barely hang on for a one-point victory. The 31-30 triumph extends their winning streak to 19 games!
Another Exhilarating Week of Chaos
Like a jokester that comes around to poke you in the ribs, the sneaky character known as "Chaos in the Top 25" made another appearance. A total of 7 teams in the Top 25 were defeated Saturday, including 4 in the Top 10 alone. For sake of brevity I will focus on those.
The #2 ranked Georgia Bulldogs traveled to face the LSU Tigers in the hostile confines of a stadium known as "Death Valley" and lost by a large margin of 38-13, their tails. between their legs. #7 Washington was tripped up by the Oregon Ducks in a narrow loss in overtime 30-27. Back in the eastern part of the country, in Pennsylvania, Penn State hosted unranked Michigan State but had a poor offensive performance and fell 21-17.
But, the most meaningful upset to me was Iowa State's shocking victory over undefeated West Virginia 30-13. It was a momentous win, especially because Iowa State had a losing record prior to the game, and the fans had no qualms about rushing the field just after the final play.
It reminds me of a similar win by Iowa State 7 years ago. This time it was a Thursday night game in which they derailed Oklahoma State's well-defined track to the National Championship Game with a come-from-behind victory that finished up in overtime. The fans rushed the field then too, filling the night air with their voices singing along to "Sweet Caroline," the song they traditionally sing after important home victories. The cameras continued to roll, showing a little girl hoisted atop her father's shoulders singing along too. I stayed glued to the TV, soaking up all I could of the magical moments being shown. It's just something about the enthusiasm of the fans, the surprise of an upset, and the passion of the fans that is so wonderful to watch. This was definitely one of the moments that endeared college football to my heart.
Wolverines Win Big in "The Big House."
Michigan's gigantic stadium seats over 100,000 people, and the Michigan faithful were treated to some satisfying action.
I was dining at Scotty's Brewhouse, an excellent sports bar in Punta Gorda, watching this game. But distracted by conversation with some fellow football enthusiasts and the other games on the various TV's, the first quarter was over before I knew it. I thought, "That's traditional Big Ten football for you, offense predicated on running the ball and controlling the clock." At that point, the score was knotted at 0-0, but that soon changed when Michigan scored their first rushing touchdown of the game . Wisconsin's reply came in the form of a touchdown of their own by way of a 33 yard scoring run by wide receiver Kendric Pryor.
After that, however, it was all Michigan. The Wolverine defense, statistically the best in the nation, lived up to their billing, locking Wisconsin's offense down tight, giving Michigan plenty of time to start dominating with their running game. The Wolverines ended up with 320 yards rushing, with a rushing touchdown for each of their top three running backs. The Michigan defense scored as well with an interception return for a touchdown in the 4th quarter and the game was just about put to bed.
With this win, Michigan appears to the top challenger to Ohio State in the Big Ten East. However, their rivalry game will be played in Ohio State's famous "Horseshoe" Stadium, not "The Big House."
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Headlines Week 6 2018
Red River Shootout
The annual showdown between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns is called the Red River Rivalry, taking its name from the Red River which forms much of the boundary between Texas and Oklahoma. The venue is the original Cotton Bowl Stadium, one half filled with fans clad in burnt orange (Texas) the other half in maroon (Oklahoma). What's makes this a truly unique event is the fact that the Texas State Fair, complete with ferris wheels, rides, and carnival games is going on right outside.
Unlike in recent years, Texas controlled the game almost from the beginning, the offensive line gave quarterback Sam Ehlinger plenty of time and space to use his cannon for an arm and his physical running style to run roughshod over the Oklahoma defense. Ehlinger passed for a touchdown and ran for another as the Longhorns scored 24 1st half points, the most points they scored in the first half against Oklahoma since they won the national championship in 2005.
The Texas stampede continued in the 3rd quarter. Ehlinger threw another touchdown pass and also ran for two more, proving Texas could impose their will at the line of scrimmage. Oklahoma, however, rallied back in the 4th quarter, erasing a 21-point deficit. A 67 yard touchdown run by speedy quarterback Kyler Murray certainly helped. But Texas got the last laugh, putting together an effective drive, the most important play of which, you guessed it, a designed quarterback run for Ehlinger. The kicker, Cameron Dicker (pause to consider the rhyme) came on and booted a majestic 40 yard field goal to provide jubilation to Texas players and fans alike. A season defining program win had been achieved by the Longhorns, which I can assure you has been a long time in coming.
Notre Dame's Continued Rise
The Fighting Irish hadn't won a road game against a ranked team in 4 years and they faced just such a test as they traveled to face 24th ranked Virginia Tech. After a half of play, the Irish held a razor thin 14-13 lead. Then, great punt by Virginia Tech, after their first drive, pinned Notre Dame down at their own 5 yard line. Running back Dexter Williams lost a couple yards on first down, but the blocking of his teammates improved drastically on 2nd down, opening up a big gap in the defense that allowed him to race 97 yards for a game-changing touchdown.
The rest of the 2nd saw the Irish flex their offensive muscles. Forgive the pun but ever since the coaching staff decided to turn the page on original starter Brandon Wimbush for new QB Ian Book, the offense has been energized. He tossed two touchdowns in the 2nd half, both to receiver Myles Boykin. Dexter Williams added another 31 yard touchdown scamper late in the 4th and Fighting Irish rolled out of Blacksburg, Virginia with a win that cements their place as a top 5 playoff team.
Gator-Tiger Battle in the Swamp Leads to Surprising Result
The LSU Tigers, ranked in the top five for the first time in years, came into the Gators' stadium in Gainesville, called the Swamp, ready to play the an upstart Florida team, fresh off a 13-6 upset of ranked Mississippi State. Florida's defense was the reason they won that game and Tim Tebow spoke to the team before this game to encourage the defense to continue playing well and perhaps inspire the offense to perform better.
The offense, led by improving sophomore feleipe Franks, answered the call the second quarter. The Tigers led 7-0 but we're pinned deep in their own territory by a good Florida punt. The Gators defense forced a three and out, necessitating a punt by the Tigers that gave Florida great field position. 7 productive running plays, followed by a Franks touchdown pass to tight end Moral Stephen's tied the game at 7. LSU tallied a field goal with three minutes left in the half but the Gators responded with a seven play 75-yard TD drive to take a 14-10 lead heading into the half.
The only points scored in the third quarter was a field goal by the Tigers. Florida's offense went silent, and a LSU scored a touchdown early in the 4th quarter but failed on the two-point conversion, giving them a 19 to 14 lead.
The Gators immediately responded with a nine-play drive that showcased just how much Franks has improved as a quarterback since last year. He fired a big 25 yard completion to wide receiver Van Jefferson and ran for 12 yards on a third down later in the drive. The next play was a trick play in which Frank's handed the ball off to tight end Lucas Krull and received a pass back from him, advancing the Gators down to the 2 yard line. Running back Lamical Perine busted into the endzone to give Florida the lead.
The sharp-toothed Gators defense came up big during LSU's last three drives intercepting two passes, returning one for an interception that was the deciding play of the game. The packed house of 90,000 Florida fans were soon celebrating a season-changing win that propels them into the top echelons of the SEC East.
The annual showdown between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns is called the Red River Rivalry, taking its name from the Red River which forms much of the boundary between Texas and Oklahoma. The venue is the original Cotton Bowl Stadium, one half filled with fans clad in burnt orange (Texas) the other half in maroon (Oklahoma). What's makes this a truly unique event is the fact that the Texas State Fair, complete with ferris wheels, rides, and carnival games is going on right outside.
Unlike in recent years, Texas controlled the game almost from the beginning, the offensive line gave quarterback Sam Ehlinger plenty of time and space to use his cannon for an arm and his physical running style to run roughshod over the Oklahoma defense. Ehlinger passed for a touchdown and ran for another as the Longhorns scored 24 1st half points, the most points they scored in the first half against Oklahoma since they won the national championship in 2005.
The Texas stampede continued in the 3rd quarter. Ehlinger threw another touchdown pass and also ran for two more, proving Texas could impose their will at the line of scrimmage. Oklahoma, however, rallied back in the 4th quarter, erasing a 21-point deficit. A 67 yard touchdown run by speedy quarterback Kyler Murray certainly helped. But Texas got the last laugh, putting together an effective drive, the most important play of which, you guessed it, a designed quarterback run for Ehlinger. The kicker, Cameron Dicker (pause to consider the rhyme) came on and booted a majestic 40 yard field goal to provide jubilation to Texas players and fans alike. A season defining program win had been achieved by the Longhorns, which I can assure you has been a long time in coming.
Notre Dame's Continued Rise
The Fighting Irish hadn't won a road game against a ranked team in 4 years and they faced just such a test as they traveled to face 24th ranked Virginia Tech. After a half of play, the Irish held a razor thin 14-13 lead. Then, great punt by Virginia Tech, after their first drive, pinned Notre Dame down at their own 5 yard line. Running back Dexter Williams lost a couple yards on first down, but the blocking of his teammates improved drastically on 2nd down, opening up a big gap in the defense that allowed him to race 97 yards for a game-changing touchdown.
The rest of the 2nd saw the Irish flex their offensive muscles. Forgive the pun but ever since the coaching staff decided to turn the page on original starter Brandon Wimbush for new QB Ian Book, the offense has been energized. He tossed two touchdowns in the 2nd half, both to receiver Myles Boykin. Dexter Williams added another 31 yard touchdown scamper late in the 4th and Fighting Irish rolled out of Blacksburg, Virginia with a win that cements their place as a top 5 playoff team.
Gator-Tiger Battle in the Swamp Leads to Surprising Result
The LSU Tigers, ranked in the top five for the first time in years, came into the Gators' stadium in Gainesville, called the Swamp, ready to play the an upstart Florida team, fresh off a 13-6 upset of ranked Mississippi State. Florida's defense was the reason they won that game and Tim Tebow spoke to the team before this game to encourage the defense to continue playing well and perhaps inspire the offense to perform better.
The offense, led by improving sophomore feleipe Franks, answered the call the second quarter. The Tigers led 7-0 but we're pinned deep in their own territory by a good Florida punt. The Gators defense forced a three and out, necessitating a punt by the Tigers that gave Florida great field position. 7 productive running plays, followed by a Franks touchdown pass to tight end Moral Stephen's tied the game at 7. LSU tallied a field goal with three minutes left in the half but the Gators responded with a seven play 75-yard TD drive to take a 14-10 lead heading into the half.
The only points scored in the third quarter was a field goal by the Tigers. Florida's offense went silent, and a LSU scored a touchdown early in the 4th quarter but failed on the two-point conversion, giving them a 19 to 14 lead.
The Gators immediately responded with a nine-play drive that showcased just how much Franks has improved as a quarterback since last year. He fired a big 25 yard completion to wide receiver Van Jefferson and ran for 12 yards on a third down later in the drive. The next play was a trick play in which Frank's handed the ball off to tight end Lucas Krull and received a pass back from him, advancing the Gators down to the 2 yard line. Running back Lamical Perine busted into the endzone to give Florida the lead.
The sharp-toothed Gators defense came up big during LSU's last three drives intercepting two passes, returning one for an interception that was the deciding play of the game. The packed house of 90,000 Florida fans were soon celebrating a season-changing win that propels them into the top echelons of the SEC East.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Headlines Week 5 2018
Haskins Overcomes Rough First Half to Lead Heroic Comeback
One of the greatest sights in college football is a White Out at Penn State. Over 100 thousand fans clad in while, all shaking white pompoms. It goes without saying the noisy generated by all these fans can be quite intimidating. The cheers had their desired effect as Ohio State's quarterback Dwayne Haskins looked rattled and off his game, making the offense so ineffective it was hard to watch. The Buckeyes defense picked up the slack holding the Penn State Nittany Lions to 13 1st half points and recovered a very important fumble late in the half. Haskins completed a well timed screen pass soon after for a touchdown that pulled the Buckeyes within 6 heading to halftime. The Buckeyes managed to score a touchdown on the first drive of the 3rd quarter but returned to their sluggish form until halfway through the 4th quarter. By that time, Penn State had a 12 point lead. But Haskins respondee by stepping up his game leading two straight touchdown drives, the second being a game-winning march down the field starting at their own 4 yard line. The Buckeyes strode out of the Nittany Lions' stadium having overcome the white noise.
Notre Dame Makes a Statement
In the cross-regional rivalry between Stanford and Notre Dame, one team emerged with gusto. That team was Notre Dame whose imposing 38-17 triumph stated the case that they belong in the playoff discussion. A major part of Notre Dame's rise in recent weeks has been the stellar play of quarterback Ian Book. In the past two weeks he has passed for over 600 yards and 6 touchdowns after being named the starter over the incumbent Brandon Wimbush. The Fighting Irish will need to keep on winning to remain a playoff team by the end of the year, starting with a ranked matchup against Virginia Tech on Saturday Night.
Tumultuous Result of Quarterback Battle at Clemson Leaves Tigers Vulnerable
The big story for Clemson heading into last week's game against Syracuse was their quarterback situation. After a battle that raged for 4 weeks of the regular season between freshman Trevor Lawrence and senior Kelly Bryant, Head Coach named Lawrence the starter going forward. In a hasty and selfish decision Bryant decided to transfer the day after he learned the news. That disappointing decision would hurt the Tigers against the Syracuse Orange.
Syracuse also came into the game undefeated and proved how capable they were by bottling up Lawrence and Clemson's talented running backs, allowing only 7 points in the 1st half. Meanwhile, their offense led by senior quarterback Eric Dungey scratched together 16 points. Making matters worse for the Tigers Lawrence went down after a hard hit just before the half and left the game with concussion-like symptoms.
It was now up to inexperienced freshman Chase Brice to come in and be the hero. The stable of running backs behind Brice helped him out, helping the Tigers to two field goals in the third quarter. But after a Syracuse touchdown early in the fourth quarter, things were looking desperate for the Tigers. Fortunately, the Tigers responded quickly with a quick drive containing two good completions by Brice and a long touchdown run by Travis Etienne.
Then, after a great effort by the Clemson defense, the Tigers got the ball back with 6 minutes to play. Starting at their own 6-yard line Clemson drove the length of the field, moving the ball largely on rushes by Etienne and his fellow running back Tavean Feaster. Brice came through as well, completing a critical pass on 4th and 7. Etienne ran the ball into the end zone with 41 seconds left in the Tigers would go on to pull off a narrow victory that keeps them in the hunt for the playoffs. Whether they can live up to that will depend on how quickly Lawrence returns from his injury.
One of the greatest sights in college football is a White Out at Penn State. Over 100 thousand fans clad in while, all shaking white pompoms. It goes without saying the noisy generated by all these fans can be quite intimidating. The cheers had their desired effect as Ohio State's quarterback Dwayne Haskins looked rattled and off his game, making the offense so ineffective it was hard to watch. The Buckeyes defense picked up the slack holding the Penn State Nittany Lions to 13 1st half points and recovered a very important fumble late in the half. Haskins completed a well timed screen pass soon after for a touchdown that pulled the Buckeyes within 6 heading to halftime. The Buckeyes managed to score a touchdown on the first drive of the 3rd quarter but returned to their sluggish form until halfway through the 4th quarter. By that time, Penn State had a 12 point lead. But Haskins respondee by stepping up his game leading two straight touchdown drives, the second being a game-winning march down the field starting at their own 4 yard line. The Buckeyes strode out of the Nittany Lions' stadium having overcome the white noise.
Notre Dame Makes a Statement
In the cross-regional rivalry between Stanford and Notre Dame, one team emerged with gusto. That team was Notre Dame whose imposing 38-17 triumph stated the case that they belong in the playoff discussion. A major part of Notre Dame's rise in recent weeks has been the stellar play of quarterback Ian Book. In the past two weeks he has passed for over 600 yards and 6 touchdowns after being named the starter over the incumbent Brandon Wimbush. The Fighting Irish will need to keep on winning to remain a playoff team by the end of the year, starting with a ranked matchup against Virginia Tech on Saturday Night.
Tumultuous Result of Quarterback Battle at Clemson Leaves Tigers Vulnerable
The big story for Clemson heading into last week's game against Syracuse was their quarterback situation. After a battle that raged for 4 weeks of the regular season between freshman Trevor Lawrence and senior Kelly Bryant, Head Coach named Lawrence the starter going forward. In a hasty and selfish decision Bryant decided to transfer the day after he learned the news. That disappointing decision would hurt the Tigers against the Syracuse Orange.
Syracuse also came into the game undefeated and proved how capable they were by bottling up Lawrence and Clemson's talented running backs, allowing only 7 points in the 1st half. Meanwhile, their offense led by senior quarterback Eric Dungey scratched together 16 points. Making matters worse for the Tigers Lawrence went down after a hard hit just before the half and left the game with concussion-like symptoms.
It was now up to inexperienced freshman Chase Brice to come in and be the hero. The stable of running backs behind Brice helped him out, helping the Tigers to two field goals in the third quarter. But after a Syracuse touchdown early in the fourth quarter, things were looking desperate for the Tigers. Fortunately, the Tigers responded quickly with a quick drive containing two good completions by Brice and a long touchdown run by Travis Etienne.
Then, after a great effort by the Clemson defense, the Tigers got the ball back with 6 minutes to play. Starting at their own 6-yard line Clemson drove the length of the field, moving the ball largely on rushes by Etienne and his fellow running back Tavean Feaster. Brice came through as well, completing a critical pass on 4th and 7. Etienne ran the ball into the end zone with 41 seconds left in the Tigers would go on to pull off a narrow victory that keeps them in the hunt for the playoffs. Whether they can live up to that will depend on how quickly Lawrence returns from his injury.
Friday, September 28, 2018
Week 4 Headlines 2018
2018's (First?) Week of Chaos
The one certainty in college football is its uncertainty. On any given Saturday, a team viewed as strong or nearly unbeatable lets overconfidence get the best of them, performing below their usual standards. Or sometimes they simply suffer a defeat because their opponents play well enough to pull off an upset.
One of the most exciting occurrences in college football is when a bunch of these unexpected results burst onto the news on the same weekend! Week 4 of 2018 was one such week. Six top 25 teams lost last weekend, 5 of them in major upsets to unranked teams. Most shockingly, the winless Old Dominion Monarchs took down Virginia Tech by a 2 full. touchdowns 49-35. Also saddled by a 0-3 record, the Purdue Boilermakers nonetheless defeated a highly regarded Boston College team 30-13 with a impressive defensive effort.
In the southeast, Kentucky moved to 4-0 with a startling 28-7 smackdown of 14th ranked Mississippi State. And rounding out the upsets were Texas Tech's 41-17 defeat of Oklahoma State and Texas' 31-17 hard-fought victory over TCU. The question is: will 2018 contain a 2nd week that will flip our expectations upside down.
Oregon loses to Stanford at Autzen Stadium
Fans of the Oregon Ducks always pack the confines of Autzen Stadium to the max, making the atmosphere very loud for opposing teams. But just like in 2012, Oregon gave up a late lead at home in a big game against Stanford and lost. All Oregon had to do was kneel down 3 times to win, but instead they opt for a running play and the runner fumbles the ball while unnecessarily pushing for a few extra yards. Stanford uses the opportunity effectively, moving the ball far enough to set up for a field goal which kicker Jet Toner converts to send the game to overtime. Stanford gets the ball first in overtime, scores a touchdown, and prevents Oregon from doing so and notches a monumental win. So, now the Ducks are unranked once again. Perhaps they should choose a more fearsome team name.
The one certainty in college football is its uncertainty. On any given Saturday, a team viewed as strong or nearly unbeatable lets overconfidence get the best of them, performing below their usual standards. Or sometimes they simply suffer a defeat because their opponents play well enough to pull off an upset.
One of the most exciting occurrences in college football is when a bunch of these unexpected results burst onto the news on the same weekend! Week 4 of 2018 was one such week. Six top 25 teams lost last weekend, 5 of them in major upsets to unranked teams. Most shockingly, the winless Old Dominion Monarchs took down Virginia Tech by a 2 full. touchdowns 49-35. Also saddled by a 0-3 record, the Purdue Boilermakers nonetheless defeated a highly regarded Boston College team 30-13 with a impressive defensive effort.
In the southeast, Kentucky moved to 4-0 with a startling 28-7 smackdown of 14th ranked Mississippi State. And rounding out the upsets were Texas Tech's 41-17 defeat of Oklahoma State and Texas' 31-17 hard-fought victory over TCU. The question is: will 2018 contain a 2nd week that will flip our expectations upside down.
Oregon loses to Stanford at Autzen Stadium
Fans of the Oregon Ducks always pack the confines of Autzen Stadium to the max, making the atmosphere very loud for opposing teams. But just like in 2012, Oregon gave up a late lead at home in a big game against Stanford and lost. All Oregon had to do was kneel down 3 times to win, but instead they opt for a running play and the runner fumbles the ball while unnecessarily pushing for a few extra yards. Stanford uses the opportunity effectively, moving the ball far enough to set up for a field goal which kicker Jet Toner converts to send the game to overtime. Stanford gets the ball first in overtime, scores a touchdown, and prevents Oregon from doing so and notches a monumental win. So, now the Ducks are unranked once again. Perhaps they should choose a more fearsome team name.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Headlines Week 3 2018
Back-and-forth Affair Under the Lights in Dallas
In a marquee matchup inside the gleaming edifice of Dallas Cowboys stadium, the Ohio State Buckeyes battled the Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs. It was truly a tale of two halves. When it mattered most, the Horned Frogs defense was suffocating in the 1st half, allowing the Buckeyes offense to score only 3 points. The TCU offense, led by quarterback Shawn Robinson, constructed a pair of touchdown drives that would give them the lead heading into the half. The lone Ohio State touchdown in the 1st half came when Buckeyes defensive end Nick Bosa sacked Robinson deep in his own territory and forced him to fumble. The ball was barely recovered in the endzone for a touchdown by Ohio State.
The Horned Frogs extended their lead on the running back Darius Anderson's 2nd rushing touchdown of the game. After that, however, the Buckeyes took control. Ohio State scored 3 touchdowns in a period of just under 4 minutes, the most exciting of which was a long reception from the arm of quarterback Dwayne Haskins to the hands of excellent receiver Parris Campbell. The more pivotal one, though, was an interception return for a touchdown by defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones. The Horned Frogs kept the game close with a long touchdown pass of their own, but Ohio State pulled away for good when Haskins sauntered into the endzone for a score at the end of a efficienct drive. And so, yet again, the Buckeyes departed the magnificent stadium with a huge victory.
I also have to tell you the story behind Dwayne Haskins. Ten years, he and his family visited the Ohio State campus. Upon touring the area showcasing the past glories of Ohio State sports, young Dwayne expressed his desire to one day attend college there. When his father inquired further as to why he wanted to be a Buckeye, Haskins declared, "I'm going to play quarterback here someday." Quite a vivid reason to dream big and try your hardest to achieve it.
The Annual "Battle of the Tigers" Comes Down to the Final Play
The yearly contest between the Auburn Tigers and the Tigers of Louisiana State University usually provides college football enthusiasts with one of the best games of the year. Aside from the obvious similarities, both teams compete in the hotly-contested SEC West division, often have championship hopes, and have fiercely loyal fan bases. Can you spell, R-I-V-A-L-R-Y!
These important division matchups are won or lost in the trenches, a term for the game-long shoving match between each teams' offensive and defensive lines. Looking at the final rushing stats, the result of that was basically a draw.
LSU quieted some of initial enthusiasm of the Auburn home crowd by taking a 10 point lead halfway through the 2nd quarter. Then, Auburn roared back with two rushing touchdowns to jump ahead 14-10 going into halftime.
Auburn jumped further into the lead at the end of a two minute drive when quarterback Jarrett Stidham completed a short TD pass to receiver Darius Slayton. After that, the LSU defense tightened up, refusing to surrender any more points. This allowed LSU to storm back in the final 20 minutes of play. They scored first on a field goal by Cole Tracy and then leapt to within 2 points after a long touchdown pass and catch from quarterback Joe Burrow to receiver Derrick Dillon.
Beginning with 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the game, Burrow, a transfer from Ohio State, led his team on a methodical, 14 play drive receiver that included a clutch 4th and 7 completion to Dee Anderson. Later in this critical drive, a pass interference call on Auburn guaranteed LSU would at least get a chance for a last second field goal. Kicker Cole Tracy, who had missed a long field goal in the first half, came on to attempt a 42 yarder with 2 seconds to go. Tracy became the hero on campus for the next week when he nailed the kick right down the middle. With that, the LSU Tigers are now the top challenger to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC West.
The Struggle of First Year Head Coaches
In the current world where fans expect results quickly, there are plenty of fan bases dissatisfied with their first year head coaches.
Let's start with Kevin Sumlin at Arizona who is 1-2 after two head-scratching losses where the offense played poorly, followed by a easy win over a weak opponent. Then you have Willie Taggert at Florida State whose team got manhandled in a big opening game against Virginia Tech, barely defeated little known Samford, and then got blown out by Syracuse.
Scott Frost, who coached UCF to an undefeated season last year, has yet to secure a win at Nebraska. His Cornhuskers have suffered two close losses, the first in a well-fought rivalry against Colorado, which I wrote about in Week 1, and an upset loss to the Trojans of Troy, Alabama. However, that result is more understandable when you know that the Trojans marched into LSU's home stadium and upset them last season as well.
Most surprising is Chip Kelly's terrible 0-3 start at UCLA. He is a well-regarded former NFL head coach, originally viewed as one of the best of the new coaching hires. But the college game is very different from managing professionals. His Bruins were even listed as underdogs against the Fresno State Bulldogs, a team from a weaker conference. When the Bruins lost that game on Saturday, Vegad was proved right.
The one bright spot has been Herm Edwards at Arizona State. He is best known as an NFL analyst and had not coached in 10 years! But he is sitting comfortably at 2-1, mainly because one of those victories was a superb upset of #13 Michigan State.
In a marquee matchup inside the gleaming edifice of Dallas Cowboys stadium, the Ohio State Buckeyes battled the Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs. It was truly a tale of two halves. When it mattered most, the Horned Frogs defense was suffocating in the 1st half, allowing the Buckeyes offense to score only 3 points. The TCU offense, led by quarterback Shawn Robinson, constructed a pair of touchdown drives that would give them the lead heading into the half. The lone Ohio State touchdown in the 1st half came when Buckeyes defensive end Nick Bosa sacked Robinson deep in his own territory and forced him to fumble. The ball was barely recovered in the endzone for a touchdown by Ohio State.
The Horned Frogs extended their lead on the running back Darius Anderson's 2nd rushing touchdown of the game. After that, however, the Buckeyes took control. Ohio State scored 3 touchdowns in a period of just under 4 minutes, the most exciting of which was a long reception from the arm of quarterback Dwayne Haskins to the hands of excellent receiver Parris Campbell. The more pivotal one, though, was an interception return for a touchdown by defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones. The Horned Frogs kept the game close with a long touchdown pass of their own, but Ohio State pulled away for good when Haskins sauntered into the endzone for a score at the end of a efficienct drive. And so, yet again, the Buckeyes departed the magnificent stadium with a huge victory.
I also have to tell you the story behind Dwayne Haskins. Ten years, he and his family visited the Ohio State campus. Upon touring the area showcasing the past glories of Ohio State sports, young Dwayne expressed his desire to one day attend college there. When his father inquired further as to why he wanted to be a Buckeye, Haskins declared, "I'm going to play quarterback here someday." Quite a vivid reason to dream big and try your hardest to achieve it.
The Annual "Battle of the Tigers" Comes Down to the Final Play
The yearly contest between the Auburn Tigers and the Tigers of Louisiana State University usually provides college football enthusiasts with one of the best games of the year. Aside from the obvious similarities, both teams compete in the hotly-contested SEC West division, often have championship hopes, and have fiercely loyal fan bases. Can you spell, R-I-V-A-L-R-Y!
These important division matchups are won or lost in the trenches, a term for the game-long shoving match between each teams' offensive and defensive lines. Looking at the final rushing stats, the result of that was basically a draw.
LSU quieted some of initial enthusiasm of the Auburn home crowd by taking a 10 point lead halfway through the 2nd quarter. Then, Auburn roared back with two rushing touchdowns to jump ahead 14-10 going into halftime.
Auburn jumped further into the lead at the end of a two minute drive when quarterback Jarrett Stidham completed a short TD pass to receiver Darius Slayton. After that, the LSU defense tightened up, refusing to surrender any more points. This allowed LSU to storm back in the final 20 minutes of play. They scored first on a field goal by Cole Tracy and then leapt to within 2 points after a long touchdown pass and catch from quarterback Joe Burrow to receiver Derrick Dillon.
Beginning with 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the game, Burrow, a transfer from Ohio State, led his team on a methodical, 14 play drive receiver that included a clutch 4th and 7 completion to Dee Anderson. Later in this critical drive, a pass interference call on Auburn guaranteed LSU would at least get a chance for a last second field goal. Kicker Cole Tracy, who had missed a long field goal in the first half, came on to attempt a 42 yarder with 2 seconds to go. Tracy became the hero on campus for the next week when he nailed the kick right down the middle. With that, the LSU Tigers are now the top challenger to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC West.
The Struggle of First Year Head Coaches
In the current world where fans expect results quickly, there are plenty of fan bases dissatisfied with their first year head coaches.
Let's start with Kevin Sumlin at Arizona who is 1-2 after two head-scratching losses where the offense played poorly, followed by a easy win over a weak opponent. Then you have Willie Taggert at Florida State whose team got manhandled in a big opening game against Virginia Tech, barely defeated little known Samford, and then got blown out by Syracuse.
Scott Frost, who coached UCF to an undefeated season last year, has yet to secure a win at Nebraska. His Cornhuskers have suffered two close losses, the first in a well-fought rivalry against Colorado, which I wrote about in Week 1, and an upset loss to the Trojans of Troy, Alabama. However, that result is more understandable when you know that the Trojans marched into LSU's home stadium and upset them last season as well.
Most surprising is Chip Kelly's terrible 0-3 start at UCLA. He is a well-regarded former NFL head coach, originally viewed as one of the best of the new coaching hires. But the college game is very different from managing professionals. His Bruins were even listed as underdogs against the Fresno State Bulldogs, a team from a weaker conference. When the Bruins lost that game on Saturday, Vegad was proved right.
The one bright spot has been Herm Edwards at Arizona State. He is best known as an NFL analyst and had not coached in 10 years! But he is sitting comfortably at 2-1, mainly because one of those victories was a superb upset of #13 Michigan State.
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Headlines Week 2 2018
Thriller in Texas
Texas A&M's Kyle Field can hold a near national high capacity of 102,000 fans, and most of them were cheering in raucous fashion for the home team as the Aggies battled the highly ranked Clemson Tigers. Clemson eventually built a 15 point lead largely on the fine performance of senior quarterback Kelly Bryant. Also providing a valuable contribution was freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence. His best play was his first, when he fired a beautiful pass to receiver Tee Higgins who caught it dodged a defender and raced for a long touchdown. However, Texas A&M proved to be a very worthy opponent, mounting a determined comeback in the 4th quarterback, as quarterback Kellan Mond and his cadre of receivers showed their own amazing skills. The comeback came up just short, though, when their two point conversion attempt failed with under a minute to play. Teams facing Texas A&M in the future better get ready for a ferocious battle
Good News for Kansas At Last
The Kansas Jayhawks are known as a team that struggles to win, especially on the road. They had lost 46 road games in a row before an impressive defensive effort helped them end the streak against Central Michigan. The Kansas defense forced 5 turnovers and quarterback Peyton Bender tossed 2 touchdown passes as the Jayhawks could finally return home with a satisfying victory.
A Renewed Rivalry Provides a Nail-biting Finish
Nebraska is known for having a long string of consecutive sellouts at home and Saturday was certainly no exception as the Colorado Buffaloes, who used to be a conference rival, came rumbling into town. The teams were neck-and-neck throughout the contest, as they were tied or within a point 3 different times. A trio of rushing touchdowns for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 2 by freshman quarterback Adrian Martinez, gave them a 21-17 lead at the half. The star for Colorado was their quarterback, Stephen Montez, who threw for a total of 351 yards and 3 touchdowns. The most important of these came in the closing minutes, after a totally unnecessary and stupid hit by a Nebraska player, who I will leave unnamed for his own good, extended a Buffaloes' drive. Montez fired a perfect pass that sailed over two defenders to wide receiver Laviska Shinault Jr. who snagged it for the touchdown. Nebraska tried to mount a furious comeback in the final minute with backup quarterback Andrew Bunch forced to play as Martinez had suffered an injury earlier in the final quarter. He played admirably and led his team to a position to attempt a game winning scoring pass. Unfortunately, for Cornhusker fans his final desperation pass fell incomplete and the Buffaloes would gallop away with the victory.
Also of note, Colorado wide receiver Jay McIntyre, son of head coach Mike McIntyre, caught a short touchdown pass. Mike was very emotional about that in a post game interview.
Texas A&M's Kyle Field can hold a near national high capacity of 102,000 fans, and most of them were cheering in raucous fashion for the home team as the Aggies battled the highly ranked Clemson Tigers. Clemson eventually built a 15 point lead largely on the fine performance of senior quarterback Kelly Bryant. Also providing a valuable contribution was freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence. His best play was his first, when he fired a beautiful pass to receiver Tee Higgins who caught it dodged a defender and raced for a long touchdown. However, Texas A&M proved to be a very worthy opponent, mounting a determined comeback in the 4th quarterback, as quarterback Kellan Mond and his cadre of receivers showed their own amazing skills. The comeback came up just short, though, when their two point conversion attempt failed with under a minute to play. Teams facing Texas A&M in the future better get ready for a ferocious battle
Good News for Kansas At Last
The Kansas Jayhawks are known as a team that struggles to win, especially on the road. They had lost 46 road games in a row before an impressive defensive effort helped them end the streak against Central Michigan. The Kansas defense forced 5 turnovers and quarterback Peyton Bender tossed 2 touchdown passes as the Jayhawks could finally return home with a satisfying victory.
A Renewed Rivalry Provides a Nail-biting Finish
Nebraska is known for having a long string of consecutive sellouts at home and Saturday was certainly no exception as the Colorado Buffaloes, who used to be a conference rival, came rumbling into town. The teams were neck-and-neck throughout the contest, as they were tied or within a point 3 different times. A trio of rushing touchdowns for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 2 by freshman quarterback Adrian Martinez, gave them a 21-17 lead at the half. The star for Colorado was their quarterback, Stephen Montez, who threw for a total of 351 yards and 3 touchdowns. The most important of these came in the closing minutes, after a totally unnecessary and stupid hit by a Nebraska player, who I will leave unnamed for his own good, extended a Buffaloes' drive. Montez fired a perfect pass that sailed over two defenders to wide receiver Laviska Shinault Jr. who snagged it for the touchdown. Nebraska tried to mount a furious comeback in the final minute with backup quarterback Andrew Bunch forced to play as Martinez had suffered an injury earlier in the final quarter. He played admirably and led his team to a position to attempt a game winning scoring pass. Unfortunately, for Cornhusker fans his final desperation pass fell incomplete and the Buffaloes would gallop away with the victory.
Also of note, Colorado wide receiver Jay McIntyre, son of head coach Mike McIntyre, caught a short touchdown pass. Mike was very emotional about that in a post game interview.
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Headlines Week 1 2018
1. The most highly anticipated and important game of the week was certainly the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game which pitted 2 top 10 teams, the Washington Huskies and Auburn Tigers, against each other. The game took place in the dazzling new Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, giving Auburn a decided advantage in fan attendance because Auburn University is located in the nearby state of Alabama. It appeared like this had some effect on the game as Auburn jumped out to an early 12-3 lead. Washington caught up in the 2nd quarter when Huskies quarterback Jake Browning found his groove and his receivers made a couple of fantastic catches. But inability to score touchdowns in the red zone in the 2nd half doomed Washington when Auburn scored a late touchdown. This is yet another example of how the PAC 12, the conference that Washington is a part of, usually fails to win a big game on the national stage.
2. In Charlotte, North Carolina, West Virginia soundly defeated a capable Tennessee squad, 40-14 behind the 5 touchdown passes thrown by West Virginia quarterback Will Grier. This came as welcome news to me because it bolstered my theory that West Virginia will challenge Oklahoma for the Big 12 Championship this year.
3. Are the Knights of the University of Central Florida the best team in Florida? When my fellow college football expert George Winston asked who I thought the best team in Florida was, I quickly responded, "The UCF Knights!" He responded with a chuckle, which is understandable with teams like Miami, Florida, and Florida State who generally are more talented and play far tougher schedules. However, after games late in the weekend in which Miami was soundly defeated by LSU and Florida State was embarrassed at home by Virginia Tech, I might be onto something. UCF certainly played well in their 56-17 shellacking of UConn after a long trip up to Connecticut. This just goes to show that the Knights are no flash in the pan.
2. In Charlotte, North Carolina, West Virginia soundly defeated a capable Tennessee squad, 40-14 behind the 5 touchdown passes thrown by West Virginia quarterback Will Grier. This came as welcome news to me because it bolstered my theory that West Virginia will challenge Oklahoma for the Big 12 Championship this year.
3. Are the Knights of the University of Central Florida the best team in Florida? When my fellow college football expert George Winston asked who I thought the best team in Florida was, I quickly responded, "The UCF Knights!" He responded with a chuckle, which is understandable with teams like Miami, Florida, and Florida State who generally are more talented and play far tougher schedules. However, after games late in the weekend in which Miami was soundly defeated by LSU and Florida State was embarrassed at home by Virginia Tech, I might be onto something. UCF certainly played well in their 56-17 shellacking of UConn after a long trip up to Connecticut. This just goes to show that the Knights are no flash in the pan.
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
2017: A Great Year With a Disappointing Finish
I have got to say that 2017 has been a great year of college football. It saw the Knights of UCF forge an incredible undefeated season, winning the American Conference Championship Game, and securing a spot in
the Peach Bowl where they faced Auburn. Even more spectacularly, UCF defeated Auburn in a monumental upset with the help of their head coach Scott Frost, who displayed an all too rare show of integrity by coaching the Knights despite his future plans to coach Nebraska.
But sadly, the Crimson Tide had to inject their all too predictable dominance into the tail end of the season. Their opponents in the National Championship Game were the fellow SEC member Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia played a marvelous 1st half, taking a 13-0 lead into the locker room thanks to a TD drive just before halftime.
Then the ever wily Nick Saban opted to put backup Tua Tagovailoa, a true freshman, into the game. I have to get Tagovailoa props for painting two crosses on his face with eye black to showcase who the glory really belongs to. The young gunslinger played exceptionally well, passing for 2 touchdowns and leading his team to 20 points in the 2nd half. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs only managed a single great offensive play after the half, an 80 yard touchdown strike from quarterback Jake Fromm to speedster Mecole Hardman.
The game went to overtime due to egregious missed field goal by Alabama kicker Andy Pappanastos on the last play of regulation. On Georgia's possession in overtime kicker Rodrigo Blankenship bailed out the struggling Bulldogs offense with a perfect 51 yard field goal. But an inexcusable blown coverage by the Georgia secondary allowed Tagovailoa to complete his third touchdown pass of the day to end the game in head-scrathing fashion.
Yet again, Alabama has achieved another championship that stuffs their trophy case and puffs them up with even more pride. I say that because quite a few times during the game the Alabama players pushed Georgia players around unnecessarily, acting like they were the kings of college football and no one had any right to defeat them. One Alabama player even shoved the head of the Georgia quarterback, an incredibly immature action which should have been called a personal foul. I can only hope that next year will end on a better note.
This is Jonathan Fry, signing off for this year.
the Peach Bowl where they faced Auburn. Even more spectacularly, UCF defeated Auburn in a monumental upset with the help of their head coach Scott Frost, who displayed an all too rare show of integrity by coaching the Knights despite his future plans to coach Nebraska.
But sadly, the Crimson Tide had to inject their all too predictable dominance into the tail end of the season. Their opponents in the National Championship Game were the fellow SEC member Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia played a marvelous 1st half, taking a 13-0 lead into the locker room thanks to a TD drive just before halftime.
Then the ever wily Nick Saban opted to put backup Tua Tagovailoa, a true freshman, into the game. I have to get Tagovailoa props for painting two crosses on his face with eye black to showcase who the glory really belongs to. The young gunslinger played exceptionally well, passing for 2 touchdowns and leading his team to 20 points in the 2nd half. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs only managed a single great offensive play after the half, an 80 yard touchdown strike from quarterback Jake Fromm to speedster Mecole Hardman.
The game went to overtime due to egregious missed field goal by Alabama kicker Andy Pappanastos on the last play of regulation. On Georgia's possession in overtime kicker Rodrigo Blankenship bailed out the struggling Bulldogs offense with a perfect 51 yard field goal. But an inexcusable blown coverage by the Georgia secondary allowed Tagovailoa to complete his third touchdown pass of the day to end the game in head-scrathing fashion.
Yet again, Alabama has achieved another championship that stuffs their trophy case and puffs them up with even more pride. I say that because quite a few times during the game the Alabama players pushed Georgia players around unnecessarily, acting like they were the kings of college football and no one had any right to defeat them. One Alabama player even shoved the head of the Georgia quarterback, an incredibly immature action which should have been called a personal foul. I can only hope that next year will end on a better note.
This is Jonathan Fry, signing off for this year.
Friday, December 22, 2017
Top Ten Bowl Games to Watch: 2017
The Best Games to Watch This Bowl Season
1. College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Sugar Bowl: #1 Clemson Tigers vs. #4 Alabama Crimson Tide: New Year's Day at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
For the 3rd year in a row, Clemson will face Alabama in the playoffs, this time in a Semifinal Game. The coaching staffs and a majority of players on both sides are familiar foes, but a few newcomers will have their own part to play on how this battle out.
Although he was on the team last year, Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant has yet take a snap against Alabama. Fortunately, he has plenty of great teammates that can make his first game against the Tide a successful one. Travis Etienne, Tavien Feaster, and Adam Choice are an excellent trio of running backs which Bryant can have confidence handing the ball to. More importantly, Clemson possesses a strong cadre of receivers led by the hero of last year's championship win Hunter Renfrow and the reliable Deon Cain. I don't have the space to list all the other fine receivers that make this receiving corps the best in the nation.
However, the best thing going for the Tigers could be their defensive line headlined by projected 1st round draft pick Christian Wilkins and his teammate at defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. They have the potential to get as much pressure on Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts as the Auburn defensive line got on him in their dominating victory.
Of course, Alabama usually comes up with great performances in postseason games so Hurts, running back Bo Scarbrough, and the Alabama offensive line could very well turn this game into a shootout.
In the end, I think Clemson will win by 7.
2. College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl: #2 Oklahoma Sooners vs. #3 Georgia Bulldogs: New Year's Day at 5 p.m. on ESPN
Oklahoma has the decided advantage in this game at the quarterback position, as the Sooners have the newest Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield throwing passes. Mayfield completed over 71 percent of his passes, throwing for 4,340 yards, 41 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. He is the engine that makes the entire team run, and when Mayfield is firing on all cylinders, the Sooners can beat anyone in the country. Mayfield has created enough offense to dominate Ohio State, defeat rival Oklahoma State, and whip TCU, twice! Rodney Anderson is a great workhorse at the running back position and Mayfield has plenty of excellent receivers to dish the ball out to. The big question revolves around the Oklahoma defense. Can the Sooners come up with a defensive stop at the critical moments of the game?
Oklahoma's defensive coordinator will certainly be have his hands full dealing with the duo of talented Georgia running backs, Sony Michel and Nick Chubb. While their offensive line has not always given them enough room to run, like when they got walloped by Auburn in the regular season, Chubb and Michel can certainly make defenses pay dearly when given space, which they did when they took revenge on Auburn in the SEC Championship Game. The Bulldogs also have a solid quarterback in Jake Fromm, but he is a freshman and doesn't have the experience or raw talent that Mayfield has. Georgia's defense is brimming with great players but I don't think they are great enough to contain the nation's best player Baker Mayfield.
My pick: Oklahoma by 3.
The single thing on every analyst's mind regarding this game is how very motivated Ohio State will be coming into this game. Whether correct or not, the entire team feels slighted by being left out of the playoffs. Senior quarterback J.T. Barrett has been the most outspoken member of the team concerning this, and, as the unequivocal leader of the Buckeyes, his teammates will feed off his angst and channel it into putting up a strong showing against USC.
I need to pause to say that despite being an avid Buckeyes fans, I understand why they were kept just out of the playoffs. Ohio State was dominated in an early season loss to Oklahoma, but more glaring was a late season loss to Iowa. One week after notching a huge comeback victory over Penn State, the Buckeyes traveled to Iowa and got their butts handed to them by the Hawkeyes. Barrett tossed 4 interceptions while the Ohio State defense gave up 55 points! In the end, a conference title was not enough to make the Playoff Selection Committee overlook of the ugliest losses by a top 25 team this season.
However, I think the Buckeyes will be more than ready to put this behind them and come out ready to play. Barrett, running back J.K. Dobbins, and a solid offensive line will make a big impact in the game. On the other side of the ball, linebacker Malik Harrison and safety Damon Webb are lynchpins of a defense that is capable of going toe-to-toe with a great quarterback.
That great quarterback would be USC's Sam Darnold. Despite having major turnover problems early in the year that sent his Heisman campaign into a ditch, Darnold responded by leading his team to a PAC 12 Championship down the stretch. I think he will finish the year with a strong performance that won't quite be enough to defeat a ticked off Ohio State team.
My pick: Ohio State by 10.
3. Cotton Bowl: #5 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. #9 USC Trojans: 12/29 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
The single thing on every analyst's mind regarding this game is how very motivated Ohio State will be coming into this game. Whether correct or not, the entire team feels slighted by being left out of the playoffs. Senior quarterback J.T. Barrett has been the most outspoken member of the team concerning this, and, as the unequivocal leader of the Buckeyes, his teammates will feed off his angst and channel it into putting up a strong showing against USC.
I need to pause to say that despite being an avid Buckeyes fans, I understand why they were kept just out of the playoffs. Ohio State was dominated in an early season loss to Oklahoma, but more glaring was a late season loss to Iowa. One week after notching a huge comeback victory over Penn State, the Buckeyes traveled to Iowa and got their butts handed to them by the Hawkeyes. Barrett tossed 4 interceptions while the Ohio State defense gave up 55 points! In the end, a conference title was not enough to make the Playoff Selection Committee overlook of the ugliest losses by a top 25 team this season.
However, I think the Buckeyes will be more than ready to put this behind them and come out ready to play. Barrett, running back J.K. Dobbins, and a solid offensive line will make a big impact in the game. On the other side of the ball, linebacker Malik Harrison and safety Damon Webb are lynchpins of a defense that is capable of going toe-to-toe with a great quarterback.
That great quarterback would be USC's Sam Darnold. Despite having major turnover problems early in the year that sent his Heisman campaign into a ditch, Darnold responded by leading his team to a PAC 12 Championship down the stretch. I think he will finish the year with a strong performance that won't quite be enough to defeat a ticked off Ohio State team.
My pick: Ohio State by 10.
4. Fiesta Bowl: #9 Penn State Nittany Lions vs. #11 Washington Huskies: 12/30 at 4 p.m. on ESPN
This battle out in Arizona pits teams that finished in 3rd place of their respective conferences. Both Washington and Penn State were prime contenders to win their conference and snag a playoff spot. However, a pair of losses by each team sent their potential paths to the playoffs into a field of cactus.
For Washington, their first defeat was a rather embarrassing one, losing to poorly regarded Arizona State 13-7. The Huskies were definitely on the outside looking in after that and Stanford stuck a fork in their chances when they defeated them 30-22. Still, Washington is formidable as quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin provide plenty of fuel for the Huskies' offense. Additionally, the Washington defense can seem like a pack of hungry dogs when they are fully focused.
Penn State's 2 losses came at the hands of 2 very good top 25 teams in consecutive weeks. Prior to this, the Nittany Lions were ranked #2 in the nation and their star running back Saquon Barkley was at the top of the Heisman watch list. But after Ohio State's successful 4th quarter comeback against the Nittany Lions and a upset loss to Michigan State, Penn State's time in the limelight ended with a resounding crash. Nevertheless, quarterback Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley are plenty capable to right the ship and end the season with a close victory that will make December 30th a fiesta for Nittany Lions fans.
My pick: Penn State by 6.
5. Peach Bowl: #7 Auburn Tigers vs. #12 UCF Knights: New Year's Day at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN
As I have said in previous years, I have a great respect for teams from the non-Power 5 Conferences who exceed expectations. This year's team are the American Conference Champion UCF Knights. They are the only undefeated team in the nation which is truly incredible considering the Knights are just 2 years removed from a embarrassing winless season. The resurgence of UCF football has much to do with their prowess on offense. They lead in the nation in points per game thanks to Hawaii born quarterback McKenzie Milton and the two men often lined up behind him, running backs Adrian Killins and Otis Anderson. Milton has thrown for almost 3,800 yards and 35 touchdowns, and also runs the option extremely well. The only weakness is their defense, which was solid most of the year but gave up chunks of yards at the end of the year.
And the leads me right into the key for Auburn in this game: the health of Kerryon Johnson. Johnson is a very effective runner when healthy and I don't think UCF's defense could stop him from singlehandedly taking control of the game. However, Johnson has been really banged up lately and could still be hampered by a shoulder injury he suffered against Alabama. Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham is good but only seems to be great when the run game is working. Plus, their enthusiasm in the Peach Bowl could be considerably lower than UCF's as the Tigers missed out on the playoffs after losing the SEC Championship Game to Georgia.
My upset pick: UCF by 3.
I chose this as the least interesting New Year's Six Bowl because of the recent disappointments each team has gone through after losing in their respective conference championship game. Miami got absolutely steamrolled by Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, losing 38-3 thanks to their offense which struggled mightily. Wisconsin's potential undefeated season and spot in the playoffs was ruined when their comeback effort against Ohio State in the Big Ten title game fell short and they were defeated 27-21.
Just from their respective scores you can tell that Wisconsin preformed far better on offense. The Badgers' offensive line is capable of clearing space for freshman tailback Jonathan Taylor to run. Additionally, Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook has been more consistent of late than Miami quarterback Malik Rozier. I think Miami's problems on offense will continue and Wisconsin will win comfortably.
My pick: Wisconsin by 17
And the leads me right into the key for Auburn in this game: the health of Kerryon Johnson. Johnson is a very effective runner when healthy and I don't think UCF's defense could stop him from singlehandedly taking control of the game. However, Johnson has been really banged up lately and could still be hampered by a shoulder injury he suffered against Alabama. Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham is good but only seems to be great when the run game is working. Plus, their enthusiasm in the Peach Bowl could be considerably lower than UCF's as the Tigers missed out on the playoffs after losing the SEC Championship Game to Georgia.
My upset pick: UCF by 3.
6. Orange Bowl: #6 Wisconsin Badgers vs. #10 Miami Hurricanes: 12/30 at 8 p.m. on ESPN
I chose this as the least interesting New Year's Six Bowl because of the recent disappointments each team has gone through after losing in their respective conference championship game. Miami got absolutely steamrolled by Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, losing 38-3 thanks to their offense which struggled mightily. Wisconsin's potential undefeated season and spot in the playoffs was ruined when their comeback effort against Ohio State in the Big Ten title game fell short and they were defeated 27-21.
Just from their respective scores you can tell that Wisconsin preformed far better on offense. The Badgers' offensive line is capable of clearing space for freshman tailback Jonathan Taylor to run. Additionally, Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook has been more consistent of late than Miami quarterback Malik Rozier. I think Miami's problems on offense will continue and Wisconsin will win comfortably.
My pick: Wisconsin by 17
7. Camping World Bowl: #19 Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. #22 Virginia Tech Hokies: 12/28 at 5:15 p.m. on ESPN
Played in Orlando's Citrus Bowl Stadium, this bowl game features one of my favorite quarterbacks. Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph is a committed Christian and has led his team with integrity, proving over the two years he has been the starter that he is a consistent and accurate passer. Helping Rudolph at every turn is top notch wide receiver James Washington. Just this year Washington accumulated an astounding 1,423 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns. Adding to the Cowboys' offensive firepower is speedy running back Justice Hill. Unfortunately, Oklahoma State's defense is weak which is why they lost 3 key games to TCU, Kansas State and rival Oklahoma.
Lining up against them are the Hokies of Virginia Tech who possess a talented defense that has given up only 13.5 points per game. On offense, they have freshman quarterback Justin Jackson who some believe will take a big step forward in 2018 and have the opportunity to lead his team in a spot in next year's playoffs. However, I'm focusing on this year's bowl season. Mason Rudolph and Oklahoma State's offense is simply too much for Virginia Tech to handle.
My pick: Oklahoma State by 14
Washington State's season was even harder to predict. Their season started better than expected when they upset juggernaut USC, a game which I covered. They also downed another PAC 12 Conference frontrunner in Stanford, but inexplicable losses to Arizona and Cal stole their thunder. Finishing the year with another terrible performance in their yearly rivalry game with Washington left a bad taste in the mouths of Cougar fans.
It seems to me that Washington State's season ended on a worse note than Michigan State's which gives the Spartans an advantage. Plus, the solid run game that the Spartans have is more reliable than the Cougars' air raid offense. The choice is clear.
My pick: Michigan State by 13.
My pick: Oklahoma State by 14
8. Holiday Bowl: #16 Michigan State Spartans vs. #18 Washington State Cougars: 12/28 at 9 p.m. on Fox Sports 1
This is a battle of teams that struggled with inconsistency for much of the year. Michigan State's season has been a rollercoaster. On the 4th weekend of the season, the Spartans lost by 20 in a important early season contest against Notre Dame. Two weeks later, they defeated rival Michigan in a hard fought 14-10 victory. Then, in late October, they suffered an upset loss to Northwestern, which was honestly the defeat that hurt them the most. They followed that up by upsetting Penn State but the damage was already done.
Washington State's season was even harder to predict. Their season started better than expected when they upset juggernaut USC, a game which I covered. They also downed another PAC 12 Conference frontrunner in Stanford, but inexplicable losses to Arizona and Cal stole their thunder. Finishing the year with another terrible performance in their yearly rivalry game with Washington left a bad taste in the mouths of Cougar fans.
It seems to me that Washington State's season ended on a worse note than Michigan State's which gives the Spartans an advantage. Plus, the solid run game that the Spartans have is more reliable than the Cougars' air raid offense. The choice is clear.
My pick: Michigan State by 13.
9. Dollar General Bowl: Toledo Rockets vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers: 12/23 at 7 p.m on ESPN
This is actually a rematch of a bowl game I previewed for readers last year. In the thrilling contest between these two last year, Camellia Bowl 2016, Appalachian State won by a matter of feet. Late in a close game, the Mountaineer kicked a field goal with a few minutes remaining. Toledo responded by moving down the field to set up a field goal attempt of their own with mere seconds to play. The ball rocketed off of the foot of Toledo's kicker but just missed sneaking inside the upright. The cheers of the Mountaineer players and fans filled the air as the ball hit the ground.
The quarterbacks on each side are the same as last year. The Rockets have 3,000 yard passer Logan Woodside and the Mountaineers have 2,000+ yard passer Taylor Lamb. However, Toledo has the advantage running the ball as their running back Terry Swanson has gained 400 more yards than Appalachian State's Jalin Moore. Also, Toledo longing to avenge last year's defeat will be a powerful motivator.
My Pick: Toledo by 6.
10. Alamo Bowl: #13 Stanford Cardinal vs. #15 TCU Horned Frogs: 12/28 at 9 p.m on ESPN
Both teams are looking to tack a quality bowl win onto the end of a season that fell short of true success. Stanford lost twice to rival USC, once in the regular season and once in the PAC 12 Championship Game. Couple that with an unexpected loss to Washington State and Stanford's season certainly fell short of expectations.
For TCU, things were nearly identical. They lost twice to Oklahoma in the regular season and Big 12 Championship Game and were also upset by Iowa State.
The Cardinal have a decided advantage at running back with Heisman finalist Bryce Love who tallied almost 2,000 yards this year. TCU's top running back doesn't even have 1,000. Although the Horned Frogs have the better quarterback in Kenny Hill, Bryce Love will be too much for them to handle.
My pick: Stanford by 10 (sorry, Zack).
Monday, December 4, 2017
Championship Week 2017
Results of Last Week's Championship Games to Watch
1. ACC Championship: #1 Clemson Tigers vs. #7 Miami Hurricanes
This was Clemson’s 3rd straight appearance in this championship game and their experience showed. Quarterback Kelly Bryant and the Tigers clawed their way down the field on their first possession, covering 68 yards in 10 plays. Freshman running back Travis Etienne used his senior-level toughness to muscle his way into the endzone on the final play of the drive.
Miami's offense, still trying to shake off the cobwebs from a terrible game against Pittsburgh, was forced to punt on their ensuing drive. However, Clemson punt returner Ray-Ray McCloud fumbled while trying to receive the punt and Miami recovered. The Hurricanes managed to get a single first down, but could not get into the endzone. Forced to kick a field goal, Miami attempted a 46 yard field goal, but kicker Michigan Badgely missed it and the Hurricanes came up empty.
Things would get far worse for Miami as 7 plays later Clemson doubled their lead on a 11 yard TD run by Bryant. The valiant Tigers added another touchdown early in the 2nd quarter after the Hurricanes' offense sputtered like an engine on a jalopey. At the half, Clemson led 21-0 and would put up 17 more unanswered points in the 3rd quarter.
Clemson put in their backup quarterback early in the 4th quarter, proving Head Coach Dabo Swinney and his coaching staff knew they had totally outclassed the opposition. Better luck next year, Miami!
Final Score: Clemson 38, Miami 3
2. #4 Wisconsin Badgers vs. #8 Ohio State Buckeyes
The major storyline coming into this championship game was the health of Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett. He suffered a knee injury in last week's game against Michigan and the injury was severe enough to warrant a minor knee surgery. His status was listed as questionable. But, though a combination of the miracle of modern medicine and sheer willpower, Barrett would start at quarterback.
Even more unexpectedly, Barrett would proceed to light up the scoreboard in the first half. He threw 2 long touchdown passes in the 1st quarter alone, lengthened by excellent yardage after the catch by wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Parris Campbell.
However, Barrett was not mistake-free, as, in between the TD passes, he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown.
Ohio State added more points to the scoreboard in the 2nd quarter thanks to the Ohio State offensive line clearing a path for J.K. Dobbins to break off a 77 yard run.
Dobbins was tackled 1 yard short of the goal line and Barrett ran into the endzone on the next play.
Wisconsin's only offensive points came on a field goal late in the 2nd quarter, due to the fact that Ohio State's defense had completely bottled up Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor.
The Badgers made a game of it in the 2nd half, mainly because of the improved play of quarterback Alex Hornibrook. Hornibrook led Wisconsin on a 11 play touchdown drive and threw a good pass on the 2 point conversion attempt to get his team within 3. However, the Buckeyes' defense held firm on 2 pivotal drives in the late stages of the 4th quarter, securing an Ohio State victory.
The Ohio State are back as champions of the Big Ten!
Final Score: Ohio State 27, Wisconsin 21
Most Exciting Championship Game of the Week
American Athletic Championship: #14 UCF Knights vs. #20 Memphis Tigers
With a trip to the Peach Bowl on the line, both teams, or the offenses at any rate, played at an extremely high level. Through almost 3 full quarters, 72 total points had been scored and over 1,100 yards of total offense had been recorded. UCF had a 38-34 lead and possession of the ball starting at their own 15 yard line. Much as they had multiple times before, the Knights began charging down the field again. The first play was a 23 yard dash around the right side of the defense by running back Adrian Killins Jr. UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton followed that up with a 32 yard completion to seldom used receiver Michael Colubiale.
Two plays later, Milton launched a perfect pass to receiver Dredrick Snelson who caught it despite being locked in tight coverage. With how well Milton was throwing the ball, I was not surprised at all that the pass was completed.
Memphis missed a field goal on their next drive and UCF took advantage by going 57 yards in 10 plays before making a field goal. Now trailing by 14, the situation was looking desperate for the Tigers. However, the Memphis offense channeled that negative energy by working to spring running back Tony Pollard on a 66 yard TD run.
UCF's red-hot offense cooled down on their next drive, punting after 7 plays. Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson took the opportunity given to him and started to shred the UCF defense again. Second string running back Patrick Taylor Jr. supplemented Ferguson's passes with 18 yards on 3 carries and the Tigers sauntered their way to the Knights' 10 yard line. Top receiver Anthony Miller ran an excellent fade route on the next play and Ferguson found him for a game-tying touchdown.
The Knights went three-and-out on their ensuing drive, giving Memphis a golden opportunity to go down the field on a game-winning drive. However, thanks to a crucial holding call against the Tigers, Memphis was forced to kick a long field gielf that freshman kicker Riley Patterson was not able to make. Only 28 seconds of regulation remained and the game soon went to overtime.
Memphis got the ball first and overcame 15 yards of penalties to score 7 points on another touchdown from Ferguson to Miller. UCF responded with a 4 play drive that hit paydirt when Milton ran the option and pitched the ball to Adrien Killins who snuck inside the pylon for a touchdown.
Order of possession flipped in the 2nd overtime and the Knights had the next crack at reaching the endzone. A ten yard completion by Milton plus a roughing the passer penalty on Memphis put the ball at the ten yard line. Two plays later, running back Otis Anderson used a 2nd effort push to plunge it for a 1 yard TD.
The pressure was now on Memphis to keep the game going. At first, they were up to the challenge, converting a 4th down to keep their hopes alive. However, two plays later, defensive end Shaquem Griffin, got pressure on the quarterback, forcing Ferguson to throw before he wanted to. The pass was well short of Ferguson's intended target and was intercepted by UCF defensive back Tre Neal, ending the game.
UCF players and coaches ran across the field in wide arcs, the stadium shaking from the cheers of a packed house of fans. The Knights were champions, completing their epic turnaround from winless in 2015 to undefeated Champions of the American Conference just two years later. They are truly worthy of a trip to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl.
Final Score: UCF 62, Memphis 55
Two plays later, Milton launched a perfect pass to receiver Dredrick Snelson who caught it despite being locked in tight coverage. With how well Milton was throwing the ball, I was not surprised at all that the pass was completed.
Memphis missed a field goal on their next drive and UCF took advantage by going 57 yards in 10 plays before making a field goal. Now trailing by 14, the situation was looking desperate for the Tigers. However, the Memphis offense channeled that negative energy by working to spring running back Tony Pollard on a 66 yard TD run.
UCF's red-hot offense cooled down on their next drive, punting after 7 plays. Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson took the opportunity given to him and started to shred the UCF defense again. Second string running back Patrick Taylor Jr. supplemented Ferguson's passes with 18 yards on 3 carries and the Tigers sauntered their way to the Knights' 10 yard line. Top receiver Anthony Miller ran an excellent fade route on the next play and Ferguson found him for a game-tying touchdown.
The Knights went three-and-out on their ensuing drive, giving Memphis a golden opportunity to go down the field on a game-winning drive. However, thanks to a crucial holding call against the Tigers, Memphis was forced to kick a long field gielf that freshman kicker Riley Patterson was not able to make. Only 28 seconds of regulation remained and the game soon went to overtime.
Memphis got the ball first and overcame 15 yards of penalties to score 7 points on another touchdown from Ferguson to Miller. UCF responded with a 4 play drive that hit paydirt when Milton ran the option and pitched the ball to Adrien Killins who snuck inside the pylon for a touchdown.
Order of possession flipped in the 2nd overtime and the Knights had the next crack at reaching the endzone. A ten yard completion by Milton plus a roughing the passer penalty on Memphis put the ball at the ten yard line. Two plays later, running back Otis Anderson used a 2nd effort push to plunge it for a 1 yard TD.
The pressure was now on Memphis to keep the game going. At first, they were up to the challenge, converting a 4th down to keep their hopes alive. However, two plays later, defensive end Shaquem Griffin, got pressure on the quarterback, forcing Ferguson to throw before he wanted to. The pass was well short of Ferguson's intended target and was intercepted by UCF defensive back Tre Neal, ending the game.
UCF players and coaches ran across the field in wide arcs, the stadium shaking from the cheers of a packed house of fans. The Knights were champions, completing their epic turnaround from winless in 2015 to undefeated Champions of the American Conference just two years later. They are truly worthy of a trip to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl.
Final Score: UCF 62, Memphis 55
Final College Football Playoff Committee Rankings
1. Clemson Tigers
2. Oklahoma Sooners
3. Georgia Bulldogs
4. Alabama Crimson Tide
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Rivalry Week 2017
Results of Last Week's Games to Watch
1. #1 Alabama Crimson Tide @ #6 Auburn Tigers
A shocking statistic told by ESPN's Ryan McGee was that Head Coach Nick Saban had never fielded a team that had defeated an Auburn team with 9 or more wins. And guess what?! Auburn was sitting on a 9-2 record coming into the game. Would this time be any different?
It was definitely going to be a tough test for Alabama either way. Auburn's offense was certainly dual-threat with quarterback Jarrett Stidham and running back Kerryon Johnson providing plenty of offensive firepower.
Both teams traded punts to open the game with Auburn having the third possession of the game. The Tigers got the ball at their own 6 yard line, but they were undaunted by the long field in front of them. A 15 yard run by Kerryon Johnson got Auburn a 1st down and the Tigers soon followed that up with a 25 yard completion from Stidham to receiver Nate Craig-Myers. Six plays later, Auburn had reached Alabama's 3 yard line but faced a 3rd down. On the crucial play, was Kerryon lined up as quarterback and caught a shotgun snap. He started to run towards the mass of defenders guarding the entrance to the end zone. But he stopped suddenly, and like Tim Tebow did nearly 10 years ago, Johnson hopped into the air and threw a weak lob towards the back of the endzone. Wide receiver Nate Craig-Myers was wide open and he caught the ball easily for the 1st touchdown of the game.
The next two drives ended in fumbles for both teams after which came a pair of three-and-outs. Alabama finally got on the board with their next possession which ended in a long TD pass by quarterback Jalen Hurts. Eight and a half minutes of game clock later and Auburn tallied a field goal just before the half.
Tigers fans were thankful to be taking a 10-7 lead going into halftime, but the lead would soon be erased. The Tide scored a touchdown only 5 plays into the 3rd quarter when top running back Bo Scarbrough cranked off a 21 yard scoring run. Auburn responded by scoring a field goal on their ensuing drive and they were by no means done scoring in the game.
The next two possessions by the Tigers ended in touchdowns, much to the chagrin of Crimson Tide fans. The first touchdown came on an one yard plunge by Kerryon Johnson the play AFTER he suffered a minor injury to his left arm. (Talk about determination!) Auburn's final points were scored when Stidham braved a goal line collision to score a 16 yard TD run. Meanwhile, Alabama's offense sputtered repeatedly, the result of poor play by the Tide and a stout Tigers defense.
After all this, Auburn led 26-14, a lead that seemed safe oddly enough. Alabama's last real chance to get back in the game was derailed by 2 botched snaps in a row, a pair of blunders that were downright comical.
Excitement built steadily within Auburn's home stadium until the clock finally ran out and the fans flocked onto the field.
Final Score: Auburn 26, Alabama 14
With their 2nd upset of top ranked Alabama in the last 4 years, saying "Thank you, Auburn," just isn't enough. I think I'm going to buy an Auburn T-shirt and shout "War Eagle!"
The one downside for Auburn was running back Kerryon Johnson suffered a right shoulder injury in the 4th quarter which could seriously hurt their chances of defeating Georgia in next week's SEC Championship Game.
Additionally, something that detracted from my enjoyment of this game was the obviously pro-Alabama bias of CBS commentator Gary Danielson. He was so biased that it irritated everyone I was watching the game with. I thought this was CBS, not the Alabama Sports Network! Ok, rant over.
2. #2 Clemson Tigers @ #24 South Carolina Gamecocks
Clemson defeated South Carolina in dominating fashion in last year's Battle for the Palmetto State 56-7. South Carolina was itching to repay Clemson with a loss that would ruin their chances for a 2nd straight national championship.
Clemson failed to score any points in the first quarter but the defense picked up the slack when defensive back Ryan Carter intercepted a pass and returned it 12 yards for a touchdown. The Tigers offense got going in the second quarter when they mounted a successful drive that ended with a short touchdown run by running back Tavien Feaster. Then Clemson extended their lead when quarterback Kelly Bryant connected on a touchdown pass to wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. (Renfrow caught the winning touchdown in the Tigers' championship win over Alabama last January). Holding a 21-0 lead at the half, the Tigers made sure the Gamecocks wouldn't even smell a hint of a comeback. Bryant again found Renfrow for a touchdown pass early in the third quarter, putting Clemson up 27-0. A touchdown run by freshman sensation Travis Etienne rounded out the scoring for the powerful Clemson Tigers. South Carolina scored 10 meaningless points in the 4th quarter to make the score look a little .better but everyone in the stadium knew the Tigers were still Kings of the Palmetto State.
Final Score: Clemson 34, South Carolina 10
Most Exciting Game of the Week
USF Bulls @ #15 UCF Knights
Arguably the most important late season football game in Florida was this contest between rivals Central Florida and South Florida. The winner would keep their hopes of reaching a major bowl game alive.
The first 3 1/2 quarters of this game were quite thrilling, but it was the end of the game that was truly spectacular.
In the waning stages of the game, UCF had the ball and a one point lead with four minutes left. The first 3rd down of their drive came up quickly, but the Knights converted it thanks to a pass interference penalty on the Bulls. Two plays later, UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton completed a deep pass to wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith for 30 yards.
A screen pass was called on the following play and receiver Otis Anderson took it in for a 23 yard touchdown.
A screen pass was called on the following play and receiver Otis Anderson took it in for a 23 yard touchdown.
Only 2 minutes remained, meaning that the UCF defense just needed to play disciplined and victory would be theirs. But it soon became apparent that Central Florida needs to work on their defensive awareness. On the 2nd play of the drive, USF star quarterback Quinton Flowers lofted a long pass to receiver Darnell Salomon who caught it and raced into the endzone for a 83 yard touchdown. USF scored a two point conversion using a nifty pass and the game was tied.
Hardly any time had elapsed on the clock so Central Florida still had 1 1/2 minutes to respond. UCF kick returner Mike Hughes received the ensuing kickoff. The announcers had said multiple times how dangerous a returner Hughes was, but he had yet to show it.
But at this pivotal moment, when his team needed him most, Hughes delivered. He caught the ball at the 5 yard line halfway between the sidelines. Hughes initially followed the pathway his blockers made for him. Then he dodged left, then left again, before outrunning the kicker on the way to a jaw-dropping 95 yard touchdown.
A few UCF players followed Hughes into the endzone while everyone on the Central Florida sideline celebrated with wild abandon.
Of course, USF still had time to work some late-game magic, but UCF soon forced a fumble and recovered, guaranteeing their victory.
I've got to say that this exhilarating ending proves how epic rivalry week is.
Final Score: UCF 49, USF 42
Top 2 Championship Games to Watch
1. ACC Championship: #1 Clemson Tigers vs. #7 Miami Hurricanes
Will Clemson prove once again they can beat the best of the best or will Miami snatch an upset win and their first ever ACC Championship?
My pick: Clemson!
2. Big Ten Championship: #4 Wisconsin Badgers vs. #8 Ohio State Buckeyes
Three years ago, Ohio State obliterated Wisconsin 59-0 in the Big Ten title game, allowing them to leapfrog other teams and sneak into the playoffs. The Buckeyes would capture the National Champion that year.
Will Ohio State come up with another dominating performance and unexpectedly jump into the playoffs? Or will Wisconsin show that their undefeated regular season was no fluke?
My pick: My heart says Ohio State but my brain says Wisconsin.
Monday, November 20, 2017
Week 12 2017
Results of Last Week's Games to Watch
1. Western Michigan Broncos @ Northern Illinois Huskies
This Wednesday night contest gave viewers all the excitement one would expect from a battle of two of the best teams in the Mid-American Conference.
After a quarter and a half of play, the game was deadlocked at 14 points apiece. The most eye-catching play of the 1st half came when Northern Illinois defensive end Sutton Smith made his mark on the game. Smith is undersized for a typical defensive lineman yet more than makes up for it with speed and agility. When teammate Reece Goodard sacked Western Michigan's quarterback, the ball popped loose. Sutton Smith picked up the ball and with his speed it was no surprise that he turned the fumble into a touchdown.
Northern Illinois' chances of winning actually began to shrink when Western Michigan scored 14 straight points in the 3rd quarter. Now trailing by 7, the Huskies knew they had to take control of the 4th quarter and that's exactly what they did. Northern Illinois scored 2 touchdowns in the 4th quarter, the first on a touchdown run by star running back Jordan Huff and the second on a great touchdown pass by quarterback Marcus Childers. The Broncos did tally a field goal in the final quarter of play but this was simply not enough to deny the Huskies a victory.
Final Score: Northern Illinois 35, Western Michigan 31
Most Exciting Game of the Week
#19 NC State @ Wake Forest Deacons
Hoping to guarantee a 2nd place finish in the ACC Atlantic, the Wolfpack were taking this year's Wake Forest team very seriously. The Deacons had been hampered in previous years by lackluster offenses, but this year they were putting up over 31 points per game. Despite possessing a solid defense, the N.C. State offense, led by senior quarterback Ryan Finley, knew they would have to score plenty of points to have a good chance of winning.
This certainly helps to explain a decision made on N.C. State's first drive. After 8 plays, the Wolfpack had reached the Wake Forest 36 yard line but were facing 4th and 2. Instead of trying a long field goal, Head Coach Dave Doeren decided to keep the offense on the field to go for it. Finley threw the ball towards wide receiver Jakobi Meyers but the pass fell incomplete.
Wake Forest took advantage of the turnover on downs by flexing their muscles on offense. Quarterback John Wolford threw a pass on the 2nd play of the drive to receiver Tabari Hines, a completion which netted 39 yards. Three plays later, running back Matt Colburn broke a tackle in the redzone before dashing into the endzone for an 11 yard touchdown.
N.C. State responded with a long drive fueled by the determined running of Nyheim Hines and two completions by Finley that totaled 41 yards. Wolfpack running Jaylen Samuels sprinted into the redzone on an 11 yard touchdown of his own to even the score. John Wolford was still feeling it though, and the game was not tied for long. Wolford went 4 for 6 on the ensuing possession for 43 yards. The last pass got the ball across the goal line on a 21 yard play-action pass from Wolford to Hines.
The scoring ceased until the 2nd quarter when the Wolfpack clawed their way down the field on a 12 play drive that ended on a short TD run by 3rd-string running back Reggie Gallaspy Jr. Watching N.C. State score was something of a catalyst for the Wake Forest offense. The Deacons went 3/4ths the length of their field in 9 plays, taking the lead back on a 2nd TD reception by Tabari Hines. Soon after, the half ended.
Wake Forest's offense surprisingly went three-and-out on the first possession of the 2nd half. N.C. State seized the opportunity and startex off their drive with a 20 yard run by Samuels. Seven plays later, Finley fired a pass into the front left corner of the endzone where wide receiver Emeka Emezie, though well covered, hauled it in with one hand for the touchdown.
The scoreboard displayed the same numbers for a while due to 4 straight three-and-outs. The last three-and-out was committed by N.C. State deep in their own territory and the resulting punt set Wake Forest up with great field position. Wolford completed a deep pass to former high school classmate Chuck Wade on the first play of the drive to propel the Deacons into the redzone. However, Wake Forest would have to settle for a field goal after 3 unproductive plays.
N.C. State began their ensuing drive with a safe handoff to Jaylen Samuels. However, this would turn out to be anything but safe when Wake Forest linebacker Demetrius Kemp jarred the ball loose from Samuels' hands, after which Wake Forest recovered. But then the turnover bug bit the Deacons on the next play when Wolfpack defender Shawn Boone intercepted Wolford's pass.
The Wolfpack managed to hold onto the ball for the next 19 plays, thanks in large part to converting 3 third down conversions and a 4th down conversion, most of which occurred because of great decisions by Ryan Finley. Over 8 minutes after the drive began, N.C. State kicker Kyle Bambard made a 25 yard field goal to knot the score at 24 apiece.
When the Deacons scored a touchdown on their next drive in less than half as much time, it was clear which offense was performing better. The Wolfpack were having to stretch and claw for each yard whereas the Deacons were once again moving the ball at will. However, the momentum would begin to shift when N.C. State blocked the extra point.
Channeling that small victory into forward progress, Finley and the Wolfpack offense marched down the field slowly but surely. It was looking like N.C. State might score a touchdown and take the lead on the extra point! On the 14th play of the drive, receiver Emeka Emezie caught a pass from Finley and appeared to have enough speed to reach the endzone. But just before he did, Demetrius Kemp ran in and forced an even more important fumble. Wake Forest would recover the ball in the endzone, thereby taking control of the game.
The Deacons did go three-and-out on their ensuing possession, giving the Wolfpack a tiny chance to mount a game-winning drive with 41 seconds. Seconds slipped off the clock too quickly for N.C. State and their chances soon rested on a half-baked Hail Mary attempt. Finley's final pass was intercepted and Wake Forest were declared the winners.
This weekend many top teams faced opponents they could easily dominate, sometimes referred to as cupcake teams. However, N.C. State's schedule served them up a slice of black [Wake] forest cake, a late-season dish that did not taste sweet to the Wolfpack.
Final Score: Wake Forest 30, N.C. State 24
This certainly helps to explain a decision made on N.C. State's first drive. After 8 plays, the Wolfpack had reached the Wake Forest 36 yard line but were facing 4th and 2. Instead of trying a long field goal, Head Coach Dave Doeren decided to keep the offense on the field to go for it. Finley threw the ball towards wide receiver Jakobi Meyers but the pass fell incomplete.
Wake Forest took advantage of the turnover on downs by flexing their muscles on offense. Quarterback John Wolford threw a pass on the 2nd play of the drive to receiver Tabari Hines, a completion which netted 39 yards. Three plays later, running back Matt Colburn broke a tackle in the redzone before dashing into the endzone for an 11 yard touchdown.
N.C. State responded with a long drive fueled by the determined running of Nyheim Hines and two completions by Finley that totaled 41 yards. Wolfpack running Jaylen Samuels sprinted into the redzone on an 11 yard touchdown of his own to even the score. John Wolford was still feeling it though, and the game was not tied for long. Wolford went 4 for 6 on the ensuing possession for 43 yards. The last pass got the ball across the goal line on a 21 yard play-action pass from Wolford to Hines.
The scoring ceased until the 2nd quarter when the Wolfpack clawed their way down the field on a 12 play drive that ended on a short TD run by 3rd-string running back Reggie Gallaspy Jr. Watching N.C. State score was something of a catalyst for the Wake Forest offense. The Deacons went 3/4ths the length of their field in 9 plays, taking the lead back on a 2nd TD reception by Tabari Hines. Soon after, the half ended.
Wake Forest's offense surprisingly went three-and-out on the first possession of the 2nd half. N.C. State seized the opportunity and startex off their drive with a 20 yard run by Samuels. Seven plays later, Finley fired a pass into the front left corner of the endzone where wide receiver Emeka Emezie, though well covered, hauled it in with one hand for the touchdown.
The scoreboard displayed the same numbers for a while due to 4 straight three-and-outs. The last three-and-out was committed by N.C. State deep in their own territory and the resulting punt set Wake Forest up with great field position. Wolford completed a deep pass to former high school classmate Chuck Wade on the first play of the drive to propel the Deacons into the redzone. However, Wake Forest would have to settle for a field goal after 3 unproductive plays.
N.C. State began their ensuing drive with a safe handoff to Jaylen Samuels. However, this would turn out to be anything but safe when Wake Forest linebacker Demetrius Kemp jarred the ball loose from Samuels' hands, after which Wake Forest recovered. But then the turnover bug bit the Deacons on the next play when Wolfpack defender Shawn Boone intercepted Wolford's pass.
The Wolfpack managed to hold onto the ball for the next 19 plays, thanks in large part to converting 3 third down conversions and a 4th down conversion, most of which occurred because of great decisions by Ryan Finley. Over 8 minutes after the drive began, N.C. State kicker Kyle Bambard made a 25 yard field goal to knot the score at 24 apiece.
When the Deacons scored a touchdown on their next drive in less than half as much time, it was clear which offense was performing better. The Wolfpack were having to stretch and claw for each yard whereas the Deacons were once again moving the ball at will. However, the momentum would begin to shift when N.C. State blocked the extra point.
Channeling that small victory into forward progress, Finley and the Wolfpack offense marched down the field slowly but surely. It was looking like N.C. State might score a touchdown and take the lead on the extra point! On the 14th play of the drive, receiver Emeka Emezie caught a pass from Finley and appeared to have enough speed to reach the endzone. But just before he did, Demetrius Kemp ran in and forced an even more important fumble. Wake Forest would recover the ball in the endzone, thereby taking control of the game.
The Deacons did go three-and-out on their ensuing possession, giving the Wolfpack a tiny chance to mount a game-winning drive with 41 seconds. Seconds slipped off the clock too quickly for N.C. State and their chances soon rested on a half-baked Hail Mary attempt. Finley's final pass was intercepted and Wake Forest were declared the winners.
This weekend many top teams faced opponents they could easily dominate, sometimes referred to as cupcake teams. However, N.C. State's schedule served them up a slice of black [Wake] forest cake, a late-season dish that did not taste sweet to the Wolfpack.
Final Score: Wake Forest 30, N.C. State 24
Top Games to Watch: Rivalry Week
1. #1 Alabama Crimson Tide @ #6 Auburn Tigers
Will the Auburn Tigers dethrone the vaunted Crimson Tide in epic fashion like they did in 2013 when Chris Davis returned a missed field goal 100 yards on the last play of the game? Or will Alabama win again and continue their boring dominance that is making college football more and more like the predictable and uninspiring game played by the NFL?
2. #2 Clemson Tigers @ South Carolina Gamecocks
Can the Tigers continue on the trail to appearing in the College Football Playoffs for the third year in a row by winning their final game of the season? Or will South Carolina trip up Clemson and remove one of the few teams who have a reasonable chance at challenging the Tide from the playoffs?
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