College Football Week 20 – Saban wins his 5th national title; 4th at Alabama
Tide may change me,
but I can’t trace Tide
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes…..
Indeed, that’s what the Tide did. They changed Clemson from an undefeated team to a defeated team in last night’s national championship game. But the Tigers have nothing to be ashamed of, losing a close one to Alabama, 45-40.
Although the score was tied, 14-14, at the half, Clemson looked like the better team in the first half. The Tigers’ offense, with Deshaun Watson at quarterback, seemed to have the Bama defense confused and off-balance. Meanwhile, Bama’s offense was not sharp. Quarterback Jake Coker played a terrible first half.
Clemson came out looking even better in the second half. The Tigers led Alabama, 24-21, at the end of the third quarter. But Bama saved its best for the last. The Tide and quarterback Jake Coker came alive in the fourth quarter. Alabama outscored Clemson 24-16 in the final 15 minutes of the game.
With 10:34 to go in the fourth quarter, Alabama tied Clemson, 24-24. The Tigers never led again after that. On the ensuing kickoff, Alabama surprised Clemson with an onside kick. The Tide converted the kick and 49 seconds later they led the Tigers, 31-24.
Clemson closed the gap to four points at 31-27. But the Tigers were never closer for the rest of the game. Alabama had leads of 38-27, 38-33, 45-33 and ultimately, 45-40. Coker passed for 335 yards, going 16-for-25, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. The Tide’s Derrick Henry rushed for 158 yards.
Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson passed for 405 yards and rushed for another 73. Watson was 30-for-47 passing, with four touchdowns and one interception. Clemson ruled the stats with 550 total yards to 475 for Alabama. The Tigers had 32 first downs to 18 for the Tide.
Unlike Michigan State in the semifinal game, Clemson’s offense was definitely a test for Alabama’s defense. The Tide defense came into the game holding opponents to an average of 15 points a game. Clemson was one of only two teams all season (Ole Miss was the other) to score more than 23 points on Alabama.
After the two lopsided semifinal games in the playoffs, thank goodness the championship game lived up to its hype. It was definitely a good game. Again, Clemson had nothing to be ashamed of. The Tigers played well. Alabama played better.
The opening national anthem was interesting. The singer, her name was Cigar or something like that, looked like she was dressed for the Golden Globe Awards – not a college football game. But, thank goodness, they didn’t have Miranda Lambert singing the national anthem.
Leading up to the Alabama-Clemson game, everyone seemed to be talking about three things: Win or lose, will Nick Saban step down after the game? If Saban steps down will Dabo Swinney become the new coach at Alabama? And should Saban step down, where will he go?
No one, of course, had the answers to those three questions – only speculation. The consensus of the speculation was if Alabama wins, Saban will step down. But if the Tide loses, Saban remains in Tuscaloosa.
Regarding the second question, most seemed to believe that Swinney would be hired as the new coach of Alabama, should Saban step down. If that doesn’t occur now, it could well occur in the future when Saban does decide to step down.
And as to where will Saban go? I’m not sure there was a consensus. But there was plenty of speculation – the NFL, ESPN, another job at Alabama, retirement, etc.
Whether Swinney moves from Clemson to Tuscaloosa or not, one thing is for sure – Dabo is the Ellen DeGeneres of college football coaches. Have you seen the videos of Swinney dancing in the Clemson locker room after games? Well, on the other hand, maybe you don’t want to see them. Let’s just say Swinney is a better coach than a dancer.
Coordinators, quarterbacks and athletic directors dominated the news the past seven days. Tennessee coach Butch Jones and his defensive coordinator John Jancek announced they had mutually agreed to part ways. That’s the politically correct way to say that Jones fired Jancek. Jones and Jancek had no sooner mutually parted ways and Jones announced that Penn State’s defensive coordinator Bob Shoop was the new DC for the Vols.
Alabama defensive back coach Mel Tucker is reported to be the new defensive coordinator for Georgia, replacing Jeremy Pruitt, who is the new defensive coordinator at Alabama, replacing Kirby Smart who is the new head coach at Georgia. Did you get all of that? Tucker considered applying for the head coaching job at UT-San Antonio, but ultimately decided to pass.
Yes, UTSA coach Larry Coker stepped down. Coker, 67, was UTSA’s first football coach. He was 26-32 in five seasons in San Antonio. His best season with the Roadrunners was 8-4 in 2012. Coker, of course, is a former Miami Hurricane coach and coached the Canes to a national championship.
UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone is the new OC at Texas A&M. Mazzone, in fact, is the Aggies fourth offensive coordinator in five years. Kevin Sumlin keeps hedging his bets, but he may be running out of chips.
Speaking of bets, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn is doubling down. First, Malzahn hired LSU defensive coordinator Kevin Steele to replace the departed Will Muschamp. Last week, Malzahn hired New Orleans Saints defensive back coach Wesley McGriff, saying McGriff and Steele would be co-defensive coordinators.
Back to Texas A&M, the Aggies’ athletic director Eric Hyman announced he was stepping down last week. The very next day, A&M announced that Washington athletic director Scott Woodward was the new AD in College Station. That was quick. Saying that Hyman was stepping down must have been the politically correct way of saying that Hyman was fired.
Then Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight announced that he was transferring to Texas A&M. This after Texas A&M quarterback Kyler Murray said he was transferring to Oklahoma. Then an Oklahoma cheerleader said she was transferring to Texas A&M after an Aggie yell leader said he was transferring to Oklahoma. No…..just kidding. But with Trevor Knight going to Texas A&M, Katy Perry will have to become an Aggie fan. Call me!
Meanwhile, the other Texas A&M quarterback – Kyle Allen – is transferring to Houston. I know…..it’s like a soap opera in College Station. What’s next?
And speaking of quarterbacks transferring, Purdue quarterback Austin Appleby is transferring to Florida. As a Purdue grad, Appleby will be able to play next season for the Gators. He has one season of eligibility left.
That gives Florida five quarterbacks for 2016, unless Treon Harris decides to transfer. He could. Along with Harris, Appleby will be joining Feleipe Franks, Kyle Trask and Luke Del Rio. Franks and Trask are freshman who enrolled this week. Del Rio transferred from Oregon State last year and sat out the 2015 season.
Backup Tennessee quarterback Sheriron Jones is transferring to Colorado. The freshman did not play this past season in Knoxville, so after sitting out the 2016 season, Jones will have four years of eligibility at Colorado.
Bill Snyder announced he will return for a 25th season at Kansas State. Snyder turned 76 this past October.
Five days before the big game between Clemson and Alabama, Dabo Swinney’s brother Henry “Tripp” Swinney was arrested in Panama City, Florida, for stalking. His estranged wife had filed a restraining order against him for domestic violence. Swinney was in a Bay County, Florida, jail.
On the Paul Finebaum show yesterday, before the Alabama-Clemson game, Finebaum and Greg McElroy were dressed like they were attending a funeral – black suits. Maybe they thought Alabama was going to lose. And then, of course, there is poor Danny Kanell. His mommy and daddy never taught him how to dress. And apparently his wife is clueless too.
I don’t know about you, but I was so glad they didn’t run any of those Dr. Pepper commercials during the game last night. After four months of football, I had about enough of Larry the Dr. Pepper guy. He was getting to be about as irritating and boring as Flo the Progressive girl.
And I got sick of that “National Championship by AT&T” logo pasted on the upper-left corner of the screen throughout the game last night. I can just see this becoming a fixture during football games and other sporting events. The TV screen will become so covered with logos we won’t be able to see the game.
Oh, and one more question. Is Nick Saban the greatest college football coach of all time?
Touchdown Tom
January 13, 2016
Weekend Review
FCS Championship Game
North Dakota State 37, Jacksonville state 10
Quotes of the Week
“Nick Saban sees himself as the college football version of Bill Belichick,” Fox Sports Clay Travis.
In the Huddle
Elsewhere around college football…. Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze singed a new contract which raised his pay from $4.3 million to $4.7 annually. Freeze’s salary will increase $150,000 a year through the 2019 season, bringing him to $5.15 million. The raise made Freeze the third highest paid coach in the SEC. Only Alabama’s Nick Saban and Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin make more.
Cincinnati quarterback Luke Wright is transferring to Kentucky. Wright, a redshirt-freshman this past season with the Bearcats will have to sit out a year and then have three years of eligibility with the Wildcats….. NC State coach Dave Doeren announced that Eliah Drinkwitz is the new offensive coordinator for the Wolfpack. Drinkwitz was the OC at Boise State in 2015.
Touchdown Tom
P.S.
Not exactly college football related, but there were five passings of note last week – Kitty Kallen, George MacIntyre, Pat Harrington, David Bowie and John Johnson.
Kitty Kallen, whose sweet and clear voice welcomed the troops home from World War II and who turned out hits like “Besame Mucho,” died last week at her home in Cuernavaca, Mexico. She was 94. Kallen sang with her era’s top band leaders – Artie Shaw, Harry James, Jimmy Dorsey and Jack Teagarden. Her last hit was “My Coloring Book” in 1962. Katie Kallen was born on May 25, 1921, in Philadelphia. Kallen began singing as a child on “The Children’s Hour,” a radio show. She soon had her own radio show in Philadelphia, and by age 15 she was singing with the big bands.
George MacIntyre, the football coach at Vanderbilt from 1979 to 1985 and a national coach of the year in 1982, died last week at his home in Nashville. He was 76. In 1982, his best season, Vanderbilt went 8-4, and finished with a win in the Hall of Fame Bowl in Birmingham. MacIntyre went 25-52-1 in seven seasons at Vanderbilt. His first head coaching job was at Tennessee-Martin from 1975 to 1977. George MacIntyre was born on April 30, 1939. He graduated from the University of Miami, where he played quarterback.
Pat Harrington, an Emmy-winning character actor best known as Schneider, the building superintendent on the popular sitcom “One Day at a Time,” died last week in Los Angeles. He was 86. “One Day at a Time” was broadcast on CBS from 1975 to 1984. For his work as Schneider, Harrington won a Golden Globe Award in 1981 and an Emmy in 1984. The son of a vaudevillian, Daniel Patrick Harrington Jr. was born in New York City on August 13, 1929. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and government from Fordham University, followed by a master’s in political philosophy there. He served in the Air Force during the Korean War. He became the character Guido, an Italian golfer, in featured skits on the Jack Parr and Steve Allen late-night shows. Harrington appeared on scores of other TV shows, including “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “Murder She Wrote” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” His film credits include “The Wheeler Dealers” (1963) and “Move Over Darling” (1963), both starring James Garner, “The President’s Analyst (1967), starring James Coburn, and “Easy Come, Easy Go” (1967), starring Elvis Presley. Over time, his Guido character resurfaced on several shows, including “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” and “McHale’s Navy.”
David Bowie, the infinitely changeable, fiercely forward-looking songwriter, who taught generations of musicians about the power of drama, images and personas, died Sunday. He was 69. His death came two days after his birthday. Bowie wrote songs about being an outsider: an alien, a sexual adventurer, a faraway astronaut. He also the captured the drama and longing of everyday life, enough to give him No. 1 pop hits like “Let’s Dance.” If he has an anthem, it was “Changes,” from his 1971 album “Hunky Dory.” David Robert Jones was born in London on January 8, 1947. The release of “Space Oddity,” shortly before the Apollo 11 mission, gained him a British pop audience and, when it was released in 1973 in the United States, an American one. By then, with the albums “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” and “Aladdin Sane,” Bowie had become a pioneer of glam rock and a major star in Britain. He moved to the United States in 1974 and made “Diamond Dogs,” which included the hit “Rebel Rebel.” In 1975, he turned toward funk with the album “Young Americans,” recorded primarily in Philadelphia. John Lennon joined Bowie in the writing and singing of the hit “Fame.” In 1976, he moved to Switzerland and then to West Berlin. As the 1980s began, Bowie turned to live theater, performing in the Broadway Run of “The Elephant Man.” He reached his peak with mainstream pop with the 1983 album “Let’s Dance.” Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
John Johnson, a two-time All-Star forward with the Cleveland Cavaliers who also helped the Seattle SuperSonics win the 1979 NBA title, died last week at his home in San Jose, California. He was 68. Johnson, a 6-foot-7-inch former University of Iowa star was drafted by Cleveland in 1970. He played in the NBA for 12 seasons with Cleveland, Portland, Houston and Seattle. John Howard Getty Johnson was born on October 18, 1947, in Carthage, Mississippi. He grew up in Milwaukee, where he led Messmer High School to the Wisconsin state championship as a senior in 1966.
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