Jonathan's College Football Zone

Orange Bowl: #1 Clemson Tigers vs. #4 Oklahoma Sooners

This year’s Orange bowl pitted a team in orange, the Clemson Tigers, against a team in burgundy, the Oklahoma Sooners. Clemson’s last trip to the Orange bowl was an embarrassing one. In 2012 they got blown out by West Virginia in a surprising 70-33 loss. But unlike the 2012 season, when the Tigers lost once again to their rivals Florida State and failed to win the ACC, this year they beat Florida State and won the ACC Championship Game, all the while not suffering a single loss. An electric offense led by quarterback DeShaun Watson and running back Wayne Gallman and an unexpectedly powerful defense led by linebacker Ben Boulware has led Clemson to an impressive 13-0 record. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Head Coach Dabo Swinney whose dynamic leadership and unwavering belief that his team is far better than people think has fueled his team’ s desire to prove their coach right. Standing in their way of winning their 14^th game of the season was a talented Oklahoma team with a dynamic quarterback of their own in Baker Mayfield. Which quarterback would be hoisting the Orange Bowl Trophy at the end of the game and have an opportunity to win a National Championship?

Oklahoma got the ball first and it wouldn’t be long before they would put their first touchdown on the board. Aided by a questionable pass interference call against Clemson, Baker Mayfield used two accurate pass completions to set his team up at the 1 yard line. Hard-nosed running back Semaje Perine snuck his way through the line and ran into the end zone still on his feet. On the ensuing Clemson drive, the Tigers had to punt after only six plays. Fortunately for the Tigers, their defense came up with a sack and forced a three and out. A bad punt set the Tigers up with great field position but they were only able to score a field goal after a goal line stand by Oklahoma.

The Sooners got the ball back but an unsportsmanlike conduct foul on the offense prevented them from scoring any points. A perfect punt pinned the Tigers back at their own 4 yard line but the great special teams play was quickly erased by a 46 yard run by Deshaun Watson. However, two incompletions on the next three plays forced the Tigers into a punting situation. Punter Andy Teasdall walked onto the field in the same way he had done all season. But this time he would do something far different than his usual routine. He caught the snap, scampered a short distance to the right, and lofted a pass to the left where a wide open receiver was waiting for it. The receiver dashed toward for a 31 yard gain, more than enough for a first down. Two plays later, Watson sprinted into the end zone for the go-ahead score.

The scoring in the middle of the 2nd quarter was comprised totally of field goals: two by the Tigers sandwiched around one by the Sooners. Oklahoma’s last drive of the half was a quick yet productive one. After a 20 yard gain by Perine on the first play, three straight pass completions by Mayfield, one of them for 42 yards, got the ball across the goal line in record time. Clemson put together an impressive drive down the field in the final minute and a half of the second quarter, but an ill advised pass into the endzone by Watson resulted in an interception that prevented the Tigers from even getting a field goal. However, Clemson would get the ball first in the second half, and just like in their game against Florida State earlier in the year, they would prove how resilient a team they are.

The Tigers made a statement on the first drive of the second half, as they went 75 yards on 12 plays and scored a touchdown, due to the powerful running of Wayne Gallman (pictured below) and the crisp passing of Watson.

The Clemson defense also played exceptionally well in the second half, preventing the high-powered Oklahoma offense from scoring any points.

Two more Clemson touchdowns, one of them late in the third quarter and one of them early in the fourth, put the game out of reach for the Sooners.

Final Score: Clemson 37 Oklahoma 17

It was not long before Coach Swinney was giving another memorable post game interview on the field while the Tigers celebrated around him. Although immensely proud of his team, Swinney assured fans that their eyes were still fully focused on a greater goal, winning a National Championship for Clemson for the first time since 1981.

Cotton Bowl: #2 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. #3 Michigan State Spartans

My recap of this game will be quite short. Early on in the game, neither team was gaining much of an advantage. Both defenses were playing great and scored remain tied until the second quarter. At that time, the Alabama offense started to find its rhythm while the overrated Michigan State offense continued to sputter. The Crimson Tide had only a 10-0 lead at the half, but it was evident that the Michigan State defense was exhausted. The only hope the Spartans had to win the game was to somehow get their offense going. Otherwise, their defense would have little confidence that their offense could get them back in the game and would simply collapse. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. A game that was billed as the physical struggle between two powerful offensive lines quickly became a blowout. Alabama would go on to win the game 38 to nothing, but I would hazard to say that the score is deceiving. If a team can simply get their offense working, as many teams have been able to do against Alabama, the score will remain much closer.

Preview of the National Championship

Alabama is a juggernaut filled with pride over their past accomplishments, while the Clemson team is very comfortable coming away with a victory in games that analysts don’t think they can win. If Deshaun Watson has a good game, the National Championship could very well come down to a late field goal.

1. Orange Bowl (National Semifinal):

#1 Clemson Tigers vs. #4 Oklahoma Sooners: Dec. 31 at 4 p.m. on ESPN

The first College Football Playoff Semifinal to be televised features two high-powered offenses. Oklahoma will travel to Miami seeking their first national championship since 2000. A dynamic offense led by a phenomenal quarterback in Baker Mayfield and a pair of powerful running backs in Semaje Perine and Joe Mixon have the Sooners scoring an incredible 46 points per game. On the other side of the ball, a resilient defense led by Eric Striker has come through when needed most.

However, one of the few teams in the country that can match up to Oklahoma's offense and defense is the Clemson Tigers. Remember that Clemson has not lost a game all year, and just won the ACC Championship Game by a slim margin over #10 North Carolina. Head Coach Dabo Swinney has used his excitable style of coaching, in which he often seems like a motivational speaker, to get his team to believe in themselves and put together a great season. The talents of quarterback Deshaun Watson and running back Wayne Gallman could turn this game into a shootout. But can the defense come up with enough defensive stops to send the Tigers to the National Championship Game?

My pick: Clemson

2. Cotton Bowl (National Semifinal):

#2 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. #3 Michigan State Spartans: Dec. 31 at 8 p.m on ESPN

While the Orange Bowl is a showcase for two high-powered offenses, the Cotton Bowl will a battle between two very talented defenses. The Spartans and the Crimson Tide rely heavily on their defenses and running games to limit the number and length of their opponents' drives. The quarterbacks on these teams have a less prominent role in the offense, but are still called upon to make plays when needed. Alabama quarterback Jake Coker has put up decent numbers, but Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook is definitely Coker's superior in terms of stats and experience. However, Alabama has the advantage at the running back position because they have the Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry. Henry put up record-breaking numbers against the usually stout defenses of the SEC.

However, before you start to think Alabama can just use Henry's abilities to snatch up another National Championship trophy and put it into their overloaded collection, consider these facts. First, the Crimson Tide have 0, count em' 0 wins against teams currently in the Top 18 teams of the rankings. Yes they do have 3 wins over teams who were ranked in the Top 10 at the time, but those teams have fallen far off the pace, revealing how weak they were. More importantly, for a football team to succeed come postseason they need to have what's called a two-dimensional offense, meaning the running and the passing game are both effective components of the offense. All year long, Alabama has relied on Henry to win games and when he hasn't been as productive, Coker has shown a tendency to be inaccurate with his passes. In other words, Alabama has a one-dimensional offense which can be beat by the defense who can slow down Henry and possibly intercept a pass or two. If the defenses of Michigan State and Clemson/Oklahoma can't stop the Crimson Tide's quest for another championship (a thought that makes me roll my eyes) college football as a whole has failed to stop the obtrusive behemoth of Alabama from grabbing another trophy with their smelly arms.

My pick: Hmm... let me think... Michigan State!!

3. Fiesta Bowl:

#7 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. #8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. on ESPN

These two teams have had similar seasons, but the effort they displayed throughout was not. Notre Dame played with the most determined mentality of any team this year. To finish with a 10-2 record with the amount of injuries they had is incredible. In their 2nd game against Virginia, after starting quarterback Malik Zaire suffered a broken ankle, 2nd-stringer Deshone Kizer came in and led his team to a heroic comeback victory. During the rest of the season, the Fighting Irish lost their top 3 running backs and five starters on defense. In spite of this, Notre Dame's two losses were to teams who are currently in the Top 6 by a combined score of 4 points!!! Even though they came up short at making the playoff, the players on the 2015 Notre Dame team should be applauded for the resolve they showed.

Ohio State came into this year with arguably the most talented players on offense and defense. The defense played very well all season, but the offense never seemed to reach their full potential. A battle between a pair of very talented quarterbacks in J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones was never fully resolved until the 7th game of the season, creating a sense of uneasiness among the coaches and fan base. In my opinion, the Buckeyes only played with about 90% of the effort they could have given. The overall talent of the offense and defense was good enough made up for this lack of effort over the first 10 games. However, this string of wins stopped when the offense only managed to gain 132 yards in a losing effort to a scrappy Michigan State team and their backup quarterback. This lone defeat was enough to knock them out of the 4 playoff spots, which could be viewed as unfair. However, not playing with 100% effort will doom most teams' playoff chances. Thankfully, they get a chance to redeem themselves in the Fiesta Bowl where running back Ezekiel Elliot could have a field day against a depleted Notre Dame defense.

My pick: Ohio State, of course!

4. Rose Bowl:

#5 Iowa Hawkeyes vs. #6 Stanford Cardinal: Jan. 1 at 5 p.m. on ESPN

2015 was a groundbreaking year for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Head Coach Kirk Ferentz modeled the Iowa program after many NFL franchises, where stingy defense and a productive run game are the keys to victory. Ferentz and his staff have recruited the athletes to run his pro style offense and defense to perfection. The players bought into this old-school system and have led Iowa to its first undefeated regular season in school history. They did go on to lose the Big Ten Championship Game to Michigan State, but only after their defense gave every last ounce of energy in an attempt to put together a goal line stand. The Playoff Selection Committee rewarded the Hawkeyes by only dropping them one spot in the rankings, helping Iowa to their first Rose Bowl appearance since 1990.

Stanford, on the other hand, did not get through the regular season without suffering a defeat. They endured the disappointment of two somewhat surprising losses to Northwestern on opening weekend and to Oregon when the Ducks appeared weak. However, the one constant was sophomore phenom Christian McCaffrey (pictured below) who has made a huge impact as a running back, receiver, and kick returner. The statistics for McCaffery are nothing short of stunning. When you add his rushing, receiving, return, and even passing yards (on 3 trick plays), you end up with over 3,500 yards! This incredible stat line earned him 2nd place in Heisman voting. (The reason he didn't win the coveted trophy might have something to do with the fact that more voters reside on the East coast than the West coast which is where Stanford is located.) Senior quarterback Kevin Hogan added his own talents to the mix and the Cardinal soon found themselves holding the PAC 12 Championship Trophy.

I have to believe McCaffery will be the difference-maker in this game, so I will pick Stanford to win.

My pick: Stanford

5. Peach Bowl:

#18 Houston Cougars vs. #9 Florida State Seminoles: Dec. 31 at Noon on ESPN

One of these teams is used to being in the national spotlight while the other is not. Florida State won a national championship two years ago and has at least contended for a national title for 4 straight years. The Seminoles lost quarterback Jameis Winston to the NFL draft after last season, who has had a decent years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Due to this, most analysts and fans expected this to be a rebuilding year in which the Seminoles might win 9 games at the most. However, Head Coach Jimbo Fisher and his players were not content to have a sub-par season. Florida State recorded ten wins, their only defeats coming to #1 Clemson and to Georgia Tech on an improbable blocked field goal returned for a touchdown.

Houston is a newcomer to this stage, but you better believe they will come ready to play. The Cougars amassed an impressive 11-1 record, with the only loss occurring in the one game when dual-threat quarterback Greg Ward Jr. did not start due to a minor injury. Ward led the Cougars to two big wins over Navy and Temple, while his backup, Kyle Postma, guided his team to a comeback victory over Memphis in Ward's absense. This will be the biggest game in the Cougars' lives and they will play hard and fast.

Will the power of Florida State's running game wear the Cougars' defense down or will the Houston players compete with enough determination to record the biggest upset victory in school history?

My upset pick: Houston

6. Alamo Bowl:

#11 TCU Horned Frogs vs. #15 Oregon Ducks: Jan. 2 at 6:45 p.m. on ESPN

It was a season of "what could have been" for each of these teams. Injuries, not lack of effort or execution, was the main culprit behind this failure to reach their lofty goals.

One week into the Ducks' season, senior quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. was hit with a cheap shot by an opposing player which broke the index finger on Adams' throwing hand. Even so, he started the next week in a big game against Michigan State and played well. However, it was obvious the injury was affecting him and eventually he was sidelined by the coaches to give him time to recover. Oregon struggled without him, most notably getting blown out by Utah in Week 4. By the time Adams returned, the Ducks were effectively out of the PAC 12 Championship race. However, with Adams back under center, Oregon ripped off 5 wins in a row, setting themselves up for an appearance in a quality bowl game.

Injuries plagued the Horned Frogs from the start of the season. A rash of injuries on defense in the first five games left gaping holes in the TCU defense that opposing offenses would exploit all season long. A highly productive offense featuring dynamic quarterback Trevone Boykin, shifty running back Aaron Green, and an incredibly talented wide receiver in Josh Doctson allowed TCU to win the first 8 games. But once Doctson suffered a season-ending broken wrist and Boykin's ankle got hurt, the Horned Frogs were soon knocked out of the heated Big 12 Championship race. Boykin returned in time for their final game against Baylor, a hard-fought contest played in the rainiest conditions I've seen all year. TCU pulled out a victory in double overtime thanks to two total touchdowns by Boykin and an exceptional effort by the defense to stop Baylor on 4th and 1 to win the game.

Will Vernon Adams end his college career with a thrilling victory or will Boykin be the one celebrating the win in his last game in a purple and white uniform?

My pick: TCU!!!

7. Russell Athletic Bowl:

#10 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. #17 Baylor Bears: Dec. 29 at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN

Both of these teams were competing for their respective conference championships just a few weeks ago, but neither could finish the deal. Baylor's fall from favorite to win the Big 12 to finishing 4th in the conference was mainly due to a string of injuries to the quarterback position. In the 1st quarter in their final game against Texas, Baylor was forced into fielding their 4th string quarterback, who was listed as a wide receiver on the roster. Earlier in the season, the Bears rebounded after a close loss to Oklahoma with an convincing win over Oklahoma State. Unfortunately for Bears fans they lost their final two games, a double overtime loss in rainy conditions against TCU and a surprising loss to Texas.

North Carolina did better than Baylor, amassing an impressive 11-2 record through the regular season and the ACC Championship. The Tar Heels' season was bookended by two losses in the same stadium, Bank of America stadium (home of the Carolina Panthers), to South Carolina in the season opener and Clemson in the ACC Championship Game.

Will senior quarterback Marquise Williams end his career with North Carolina in style by leading his offense to enough points to outscore Baylor? Yes, definitely!

My pick: North Carolina

8. Miami Beach Bowl:

#25 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs. University of South Florida (USF) Bulls: Dec. 21 at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN

Due to the incredible talents of quarterback Brandon Doughty (pictured below), Western Kentucky won their first ever conference championship since joining the top tier of Division 1-A college football (there is also Division I-AA, II, and III). The Hilltoppers went undefeated in Conference USA play, including a conference championship win over Southern Mississippi.

On the other sideline will be the South Florida Bulls. In just one year, the Bulls doubled their win total from 4 to 8 wins. The highest point of USF's season was a 21 point upset victory over the #22 Temple Owls, a team which would eventually make it to the American Conference Championship Game.

Can the Bulls pull off another upset or will Brandon Doughty and his receivers be too much for them?

My pick: Western Kentucky

9. Sugar Bowl:

#12 Ole Miss Rebels vs. #16 Oklahoma State Cowboys: Jan. 1 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

The regular season for the Rebels was filled with captivating upset victories and a trio of surprising losses. An thrilling upset of #2 Alabama in their 3rd game made many Ole Miss fans begin to think that this would be a special year. Two weeks later, however, the Gators humiliated the Rebels in a 38-10 beat-down. Late season losses to Memphis and Arkansas knocked them out of contention for the SEC Championship. But two November victories over LSU and Mississippi State vaulted the Rebels back into position to snag a coveted spot in the Sugar Bowl.

Ten weeks into the season, Oklahoma State had battled their way to an undefeated record with two important games against ranked opponents fast approaching. Fortunately for the Cowboys, both of the games would be played within the friendly confines of their home stadium. Experts predicted that this would give Oklahoma State an edge in those games. However, the Cowboys lost both of those games by double digits and were soon facing the fact they had blown the most favorable home field schedule in the Big 12 Conference.

Will the Rebels finish their rollercoaster year with a victory they can build on next season or will the Cowboys get back to their winning ways?

My pick: Ole Miss

10. Pinstripe Bowl:

Indiana Hoosiers vs. Duke Blue Devils: Dec. 26 at 3:30 p.m. on ABC

These two schools are known more for being powerhouses on the basketball court than the gridiron, but their football programs are on the rise. Both Indiana and Duke got off to a good starts, went through tough losing streaks, and tallied wins in the final 1 to 2 weeks of the season.

Seven weeks into the season, Duke was riding high at 6-1, having just won a quadruple overtime thriller against Virginia Tech. One week later, the Miami Hurricanes, trailing by 3 with 6 seconds left, returned a kickoff on the last play of the game for a touchdown by lateraling the ball 8 times. The play was reviewed by the officials. Watching the review, it was clear that the knees of one of the ball carriers hit the ground, but officials failed to overturn the play and Miami won. The loss demoralized the Duke players and they couldn't put together a winning effort until their final regular season game against lowly Wake Forest.

The Hoosiers started off 4-0, but quickly fell into a 6 game losing streak, made all the worse by the fact that in one of those game they blew a 25 point lead en rote to a loss to Rutgers. Fortunately, their final two games were against weak teams, allowing them to reach six wins and bowl eligibility. Becoming eligible to go to a bowl game was huge for Indiana, seeing how its only their 2nd trip to a bowl in the last 21 years. Talented quarterback Nate Sudfeld and determined running back Jordan Howard would like nothing more than to lead the Hoosiers to their first bowl victory in that same span of time.

My pick: Indiana