College Football Week 19 – Alabama-Clemson for the third time
Richt, Applewhite out, Rodriguez back,
Holgorsen makes a move, while
Alabama and Clemson are in the groove
Fasten your seatbelt. The past five days
have been turbulent. And you are about to take a ride through them.
The past five days have certainly been
wild – Mark Richt says sayonara, as
he became the first coach to be canned by two schools in three years. And after
only 17 days at Temple, Manny Diaz comes
running back to Miami. Who says you can’t go home again.
Houston tells Major Applewhite to take a hike. And guess who the Cougars like?
Almost as fast as Miami dumped Richt for Diaz, Houston dumped the Major for the
Dana, as in Holgorsen.
After a year behind the scenes and out of
the picture, Rich Rodriguez is back
in college football. But not at West Virginia. Although the cast of College
GameDay think he should be.
In the midst of all of this and more there
were 19 bowl games – some offensive, some defensive, some exciting, some not,
and some cold, some hot. And of course the playoff got underway.
Sit back and enjoy your bumpy ride.
There were no upsets in the semifinal
games of the college football playoff. As expected, Alabama and Clemson both
won.
Not only did the Tide and the Tigers win, both
won big, as in big time. Alabama jumped out to a 28-0 lead over Oklahoma and
went on to beat the Sooners 45-34. Clemson jumped out to a 23-3 lead over Notre
Dame and cruised to a 30-3 victory over the Irish.
Now Alabama and Clemson will play for the
national championship on January 7.
And it will be the fourth time in five
years of the CFP the two schools have met in the playoff. Twice they played
each other for the championship. In January 2015, Alabama beat Clemson, 45-40,
for the title. The following year, Clemson beat Alabama, 35-31, for the
championship. Last year, Alabama beat Clemson in the semifinals, 24-6.
Speaking of semifinals, the two
first-round games of the playoff continue to be bombs. Only two of the 10
semifinal games played to date have been good. One was Ohio State’s 42-35 win
over Alabama in the first year of the CFP. The second was Georgia’s 54-48 (OT)
win over Oklahoma last year. The other eight games have been blowouts.
The championship games, however, have been
good ones for the most part. Three of the four title games played to date have
been close and exciting. Only Ohio State’s 42-20 win over Oregon in the first
year of the CFP was a blowout.
At least Oklahoma scored against Alabama.
OU’s 34 points were the most scored on the Tide in any game all season. But you
can’t say as much for Notre Dame. Three points were not only the fewest scored
in a game by the Irish all season, but also 3 points were the fewest scored all
season in a game against Clemson.
As long as Notre Dame remains an
Independent and stays out of a conference the more I think the Irish should be
treated as a Group of Five team in the college football playoff. In short –
banned from the playoff.
Going back as far as 25 years, Notre Dame
has lost every major bowl game the Irish have played. Notre Dame is 0-8 in
major bowls since 1994. Not only are the Irish 0-8, but they have been blown
out in seven of those eight games.
Having to go through a season, playing
eight or nine conference opponents is a lot tougher than playing as an Independent
with no conference opponents. All of your fellow conference teams are rivals.
That’s playing eight or nine rivals a season. And, no one knows you better than
your conference opponents. They know the ins and the outs of your offense and
defense.
The pressure is tougher when you are
playing for a conference championship.
It’s high time Notre Dame joins a
conference in football.
Speaking of high times, I had a high time
mixed with a low time Friday night. The high time was attending the Camping World
Bowl game in Orlando between West Virginia and Syracuse. The low time was the
outcome of the game.
Two weeks ago, friends Stephanie and Neal Stein asked Swamp Mama
and me to attend the West Virginia-Syracuse bowl game with then. Swamp Mama
said she would sit this one out but encouraged me to go.
I signed aboard and Neal ordered the
tickets for us. There were seven in our group. Along with Stephanie and Neal
were their children Julia and David Stein. Also Julia’s friend Roxy Carpio and David’s girlfriend Abby Harnden.
Julia is a sophomore at South Florida.
David is a senior at Melbourne Central Catholic. He’ll be starting his final
season, playing lacrosse for MCC in February. Abby is a freshman at Auburn. And
Roxy is a student at Florida Tech. The seven of us rode over to Orlando in two
vehicles.
Now you have to understand that Stephanie
and Neal are originally from Syracuse . They are big Orange fans, especially
Neal. But I had hoped to convince Julia, or David, or Abby or Roxy, at least
one of them, to cheer for West Virginia. But when they all appeared in Syracuse
garb, I knew I was a golden retriever puppy in a pen full of pit bulls.
Although Stephanie, Neal, Julia, David,
Abby and Roxy cheered for the wrong team, I overlooked their misguided actions.
We sat together, watching the game, although not always in harmony. When I was
cheering, they were booing, and when they were cheering, I was being a
gentleman. No, I was booing.
I won’t talk about the outcome of the
game, only to say the wrong team won. Following the game, we had a late dinner
in Orlando before returning to the east coast. I got home in time to watch the
fourth quarter of the Alamo Bowl between Washington State and Iowa State.
In the opening game on December 28, Auburn
soared over Purdue, 63-14, in the Music City Bowl in Nashville. Auburn junior
quarterback Jarred Stidham passed
for 373 yards and five touchdowns.
At the Camping World Bowl in Orlando,
Syracuse showed up and West Virginia didn’t. The Orange beat the Mountaineers,
34-18. Under Dana Holgorsen, it seems that West Virginia never shows up for a
bowl game.
After Miami (Florida) lost to Wisconsin in
the Pinstripe Bowl the other day, Miami athletic director Blake James said that Miami’s performance in the bowl and at other
times this season was simply unacceptable to those who love Miami. James went
on to say that he is committed to getting Miami back on track.
Well, it’s long overdue for West Virginia
athletic director Shayne Lyons to
make a similar type of statement to West Virginia fans. After all, WVU’s
performance in the Camping World Bowl and at other times this season was simply
unacceptable to those who love WVU. In fact, West Virginia’s performance in its
last three bowl games was simply unacceptable. It’s about time Lyons gets
committed to getting West Virginia back on track.
Five times, West Virginia had the ball in
the red zone and five times WVU came away without a touchdown. One time without
any points at all. That’s simply unacceptable.
Little did I know at the time what would
happen three days later.
In the third and final game on Friday,
Washington State squeaked by Iowa State, 28-26, in the Alamo Bowl in San
Antonio. Iowa State moved the ball – 515 total yards. But the Cyclones couldn’t
score.
Iowa State and Washington State fans definitely
win the trophy for the biggest partiers at a bowl game. Or the biggest
guzzlers. The Alamodome in San Antonio actually ran out of beer during the
Alamo Bowl. How often does that happen?
The first of the New Year’s Six bowls
opened the slate of five games on December 29. In the Peach Bowl in Atlanta,
Florida up and surprised Michigan. The Gators put it to the Wolverines to the
tune of 41-15.
Michigan lost its last two games by a
combined score of 103-54. How much longer are Michigan fans going to put up Jim Hairball…..I mean….Harbaugh?
While Florida was beating Michigan in the
Peach Bowl, Virginia was embarrassing South Carolina in the Belk Bowl in
Charlotte, North Carolina. The Cavaliers knocked off the Gamecocks, 28-0. Will Mustake strikes again.
The game capped off a disappointing season
for South Carolina. Gamecock fans expressed their disappointment in the team.
Attendance at the Belk Bowl – only 90 minutes from the South Carolina campus –
was only 48,000.
Just when we thought the coaching carousel
was over, word broke that Houston may be on its way to firing Major Applewhite. Stay tuned! I’m not
surprised after Houston’s sad performance in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Now for the interesting angle to this
story: Houston supposedly will go after West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen to replace Applewhite.
If true, it sure would make West Virginia fans happy. Stay tuned!
In what was probably the least known and
least watched bowl game, Nevada beat Arkansas State, 16-13 (OT), in the Arizona
Bowl in Tucson. Tucked in between the Florida-Michigan and Notre Dame-Clemson
games, the Arizona Bowl struggled for notice. But it was an exciting game. Not
much scoring, but exciting. Closer than the Florida-Michigan and Notre
Dame-Clemson games.
At the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Clemson showed
us why Notre Dame had no business in the playoff. The Tigers passed and ran
over the Irish, 30-3.
In the other CFP semifinal game, Alabama
outscored Oklahoma, 45-34, in the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens. The Tide caught
the Sooners in a state of shock, before OU snapped out of it and attempted to
play catch up.
Going into the Sunday break, I’m 16-11 in
my bowl picks.
Yes, Sunday was a break in the action – a
day of rest. Well, a rest from football games, not football news. As it turns
out, it was full of football news.
Mid-day Sunday, word broke that Mark Richt had stepped down at Miami. Interesting
that Richt’s announcement came barely three days after Miami’s 35-3 loss to
Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl. And barely three days after Miami athletic
director Blake James said that
Miami’s performance in the bowl and at other times this season was unacceptable
to those who love Miami. He added that he was in the process of getting Miami
football back on track.
Now we know what that process was. James
apparently told Richt, “You can announce you’re retiring. Or I’ll announce your
firing. What will it be?” Richt
announced he was retiring.
Immediately, the analysts began
speculating that the candidates to replace Richt would be FIU coach Butch Davis and/or Oregon coach Mario Cristobal. However, just hours
after Richt’s announcement, Miami announced that Many Diaz was the Canes new coach.
Diaz, who was Miami’s defensive
coordinator, had just left Miami on December 13, accepting the head coaching
job at Temple. So Temple is looking for a new coach for the second time this
season.
No sooner had the news surfaced about
Richt, and Houston announced that Major
Applewhite was fired. Houston, of course, had suffered that embarrassing
70-14 loss to Army in the Armed Forces Bowl. And no sooner had Applewhite been
fired and news broke that West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen was the No. 1 candidate for the Houston opening.
The Green Bay Packers announced they plan to
interview Northwestern coach Pat
Fitzgerald for the opening at Green Bay. Meanwhile, reports have Tennessee
coach Jeremy Pruitt offering
Oklahoma State offensive coordinator
Mike Yurcich the OC job with the Vols.
He’s back! On the morning of New Year’s
Eve, we learned that former West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez was named the new
offensive coordinator at Ole Miss.
Cincinnati and Virginia Tech kicked off
the New Year’s Eve games in the Military Bowl in Annapolis. Trailing 31-28 with
less than two minutes to go in the game, the Bearcats scored and toppled the
Hokies, 35-31.
Out in El Paso, Texas, Stanford won the
Sun Bowl, beating Pitt, 14-13. Trailing the Panthers 13-7, the Trees scored
their go ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter and hung on to beat Pitt.
At the Redbox Bowl in Santa Clara,
California, neither Oregon or Michigan State showed any interest in scoring –
whatsoever. The Ducks and the Spartans were asleep in the first half. It was a
real snoozer – 0-0 at the break. Finally, Oregon and Michigan State woke up in
the second half, but just barely. The Spartans kicked two fields goals in the
third quarter. The Ducks scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Oregon beat
Michigan State 7-6.
After two games of no offense, it all
changed in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. Oklahoma State and Missouri put on
quite an offensive show, as the Cowboys beat the Tigers, 38-33.
In the rain in San Diego, Northwestern
surprised Utah in the Holiday Bowl. The Wildcats rallied in the second half to
beat the Utes, 31-20. Northwestern coach Pat
Fitzgerald said after the game that he isn’t going anywhere.
With one game to go, the Pac-12 is 3-3 in
bowl games. Interestingly, the three wins have come by a combined four points –
Washington State 28, Iowa State 26; Stanford 14, Pitt 13, and Oregon 7,
Michigan State 6. It doesn’t get any closer than that.
In the nightcap on New Year’s Eve, Jimbo Fisher had a successful return to
Florida. At the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Texas A&M battered NC State,
52-13. Aggies running back Trayveon
Williams ran all over the Wolfpack.
New Year’s Day – Happy New Year! Happy
2019!
So, the first thing I read on New Year’s
Day is “Dana Holgorsen to leave West
Virginia for Houston.” Apparently, his departure from Morgantown is a mutual
thing. West Virginia is ready to sever its ties with Holgorsen . And Holgorsen
is ready to move on. No love lost.
Analysts list Troy coach Neal Brown and Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell as candidates for the West
Virginia job. Others mentioned are Memphis coach Mike Norvell, Toledo coach Jason
Candle and North Texas coach Seth
Littrell.
Then there was the crew on ESPN’s College
GameDay – Rece, Desmond, Kirk and Lee. The four stooges said West
Virginia should bring back Rich
Rodriguez.
The bowls on New Year’s Day are always
fun. Usually a lot of SEC and Big Ten teams are playing. In the very first game
of 2019, Iowa beat Mississippi State, 27-22, in the Outback Bowl in Tampa. Now
I would have thought that Miss State coach Joe
Moorhead, with a background in the Big Ten, would have known Iowa well.
Obviously he didn’t.
Next up, Kentucky met Penn State in the
Citrus Bowl in Orlando. Our friends Karlene
and John Tuttle, Kentucky fans, went
to the game. Every time Kentucky scored, Swamp
Mama said, “Karlene must have wet her pants.”
Kentucky scored a couple of times when
Swamp Mama was in another room. So I yelled, “Karlene had to change her pants
again.” Swamp Mama knew what I meant.
Oh yeah, Kentucky beat Penn State, 27-24.
So Karlene only had to change her pants five times.
Well, the 25-game winning streak came to
an end. At the same time Kentucky was beating Penn State, LSU was beating UCF
in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. The Tigers beat the Knights, 40-32.
UCF is no longer the national champions. I wonder if the outcome would have
been different if McKenzie Milton
had been quarterbacking?
In the Granddaddy of Them All, Ohio State
beat Washington, 28-23, in Pasadena’s Rose Bowl. It was Urban Meyer’s final game as a coach. We think?
Two days ago we reported that Oklahoma
State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich
had been offered the OC position at Tennessee. Now reports have Yurcich turning
down Tennessee to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State on Ryan Day’s staff.
Tuesday night and still no word from
Houston or West Virginia on the status of Dana
Holgorsen. He seems to be in limbo, wherever that is.
What was all this nonsense about Georgia
thinking they belonged in the playoff. I don’t think so. In the very last bowl
game of the 2018 season, Texas beat Georgia, 28-21, in the Sugar Bowl in New
Orleans. Apparently, Bevo charging at Uga before the game really was a sign.
So next up is the CFP championship game. I
read there are only four active coaches who have won a national championship.
Alabama’s Nick Saban (6); Ohio
State’s Urban Meyer (3), Texas
A&M’s Jimbo Fisher (1), and
Clemson’s Dabo Swinney (1).
I enjoyed watching the bowl games but I
sure won’t miss those Dr. Pepper Fansville commercials. They were irritating. “Are
you wearing the wire? Are you wearing the wire?” Where’s Larry Culpepper when you need him. The All State Mayhem commercials
are becoming obnoxious too. But at least we were spared the Blake Shelton underwear commercials
this year.
CFW – Week 20 will be posted on Tuesday
morning, January 8.
Happy New Year!
Touchdown Tom
January 2, 2019
Review of the Bowls
War Eagle soared (in the Music City Bowl) – Auburn 63, Purdue 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 33, Purdue 27 ). Would
you believe the halftime score was 56-7? It was. Auburn was kind to Purdue in
the second half. The Tigers had 586 total yards. Auburn quarterback Jarred Stidham passed for 373 of those
yards. Purdue had 263 total yards – only 79 yards rushing. Auburn finished its
season with an 8-5 record. Attendance in Nashville: 59,024
The Mounties got pulped (in the Camping World Bowl) – Syracuse 34, West Virginia 18 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia
34, Syracuse 30 ). As the fourth quarter began, West Virginia led 18-17. Then
Syracuse scored 17 unanswered points. The lead changed hands seven times in the
game. The teams were pretty even in the stats – total yards, time of
possession, etc. But Syracuse was 16 points better in total points. Syracuse
finished its season with a 10-3 record. Attendance in Orlando: 41,125
Remember the mustache (in the Alamo Bowl) – Washington State 28, Iowa State 26 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington
State 32, Iowa State 23). Late in the second quarter, Washington State led
21-7. But as the fourth quarter began, the Cougars only led by one – 21-20.
Trailing 28-20, Iowa State scored with 4:02 to go in the game to pull within
two – 28-26. The Cyclones went for two on the conversion attempt and failed. Iowa
State held the Cougars to only 28 yards rushing. Iowa State running back David Montgomery rushed for 124 yards. The
Cyclones suffered from three turnovers in the game. Washington State finished
its season with an 11-2 record. The Cougars are 20-6 during the past two
seasons. Attendance in San Antonio: 60,675
Mullens looking peachy (in the Peach Bowl) – Florida 41, Michigan 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 26, Florida
17 ). The game was close at halftime. Florida led 13-10. But the Gators really
took control in the second half, outscoring Michigan, 28-5. Florida’s defense
held Michigan to 77 yards rushing. The Wolverines suffered three turnovers in
the game. Florida finished its season with a 10-3 record. Attendance in Atlanta:
74,006
Mustake strikes again (in the Belk Bowl) – Virginia 28, South Carolina 0 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina
26, Virginia 20). Virginia scored a touchdown in all four quarters. The
Cavaliers also dominated time of possession – more than 42 minutes. Virginia
had 28 first downs to 12 for the Gamecocks. The Cavaliers were perfectly
balanced on offense – 205 yards rushing and 208 yards passing. The Virginia
defense held South Carolina to 43 yards rushing. South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley completed less than 50% of
his passes and threw two interceptions. Virginia finished its season with an
8-5 record. Attendance in Charlotte: 48,263
It was a Howler (in the Arizona Bowl) – Nevada 16, Arkansas State 13 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Nevada 27,
Arkansas State 26). Not much scoring in this one. Arkansas State outscored
Nevada 7-3 in the second quarter. Nevada outscored Arkansas State 7-3 in the
fourth quarter. The Wolf Pack pulled it out in overtime. Arkansas State pretty
much dominated the stats – 25 first downs to 15 for Nevada and 499 total yards
to 285 for Nevada. Arkansas State running back Warren Wand rushed for 140 yards. Nevada finished its season with
an 8-5 record. Attendance in Tucson: 32,368
The Irish had balls of cotton (in the Cotton Bowl Classic) – Clemson 30, Notre Dame 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 30, Notre
Dame 24). Notre Dame kicked a field goal in the first quarter and that was it
for the Irish. They were never heard from again for the remainder of the game.
Clemson led 23-3 at the half and went into cruise control in the second half.
The Tigers had 538 to yards to 248 for ND. Irish quarterback Ian Book was worthless. Clemson
quarterback Trevor Lawrence passed
for 327 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Tigers running back Travis Etienne rushed for 109 yards. Clemson
is 14-0, heading into the national championship game. Attendance in Arlington:
72,183
Juice for the Tide (in the Orange Bowl) – Alabama 45, Oklahoma 34 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 42, Oklahoma
35). Early in the second quarter, Alabama was up 28-0. But Oklahoma did come
back and make it somewhat interesting for a while. The Sooners outscored Bama
10-0 in the third and trailed the Tide 31-20 as the fourth quarter began. But
before long, Bama was 38-20. In spite of the score, the teams were pretty even
in the stats. All but time of possession. Bama controlled the ball for more
than 36 minutes. In the quarterback battle, OU’s Kyler Murray passed for 308 yards, two touchdowns and no
interceptions, while Bama’s Tua
Tagovailoa passed for 318 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Alabama
is 14-0, heading into the national championship game. Attendance in Miami Gardens:
66,203
Nothing hokey about the Bearcats (in the Military Bowl) – Cincinnati 35, Virginia Tech 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech
27, Cincinnati 26). The lead changed hands seven times in this game. The teams
were tied 14-14 at halftime. Virginia Tech led 24-21 as the fourth quarter
began. The teams were all but even in the stats – about as close as you can
get. Cincinnati finished its season with an 11-2 record. Attendance in Annapolis:
32,832
The Trees shed on Pitt (in the Sun Bowl) – Stanford 14, Pitt 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 28, Pitt 19). No
offense in this game. Pitt led 10-7 at the half and 13-7 at the end of three.
Combined, the teams only had 552 total yards. And most of those belonged to
Pitt. The Panthers’ senior running back Darrin
Hall rushed for 123 yards. Stanford finished its season with a 9-4 record. Attendance
in El Paso: 40,680
Snoozer (in the Redbox Bowl) – Oregon 7,
Michigan State 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Oreg0n 27, Michigan State 16). I’m
not sure this was a football game. Maybe a baseball game? Combined, the teams
had 534 total yards. Oregon only had 37 yards rushing. State totally dominated
the stats, even time of possession – more than 37 minutes. Oregon finished its
season with a 9-4 record. Attendance in Santa Clara: 30,212
Finally, some offense (in the Liberty Bowl) – Oklahoma State 38, Missouri 33 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State
35, Missouri 34). Yes, after all that defense in the Sun and Redbox Bowls, the
Liberty Bowl was a welcome change of pace. Oklahoma State and Missouri combined
for 1,139 total yards and 71 total points. That’s more total yards and more
points scored than in the Sun and Redbox Bowls combined. Okie State and Mizzou
both had a strong passing and rushing game. Oklahoma State finished its season
with a 7-6 record. Attendance in Memphis: 51,587
Six turnovers (in the Holiday Bowl) – Northwestern 31, Utah 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 28, Northwestern
22). Yes, Utah suffered six turnovers –
four fumbles and two interceptions. Two of the fumbles occurred back-to-back in
the third quarter. Northwestern returned the first one for a touchdown. The
Wildcats returned the second one deep into Utah territory which set up another
touchdown. Utah actually led 20-3 at halftime. Then Northwestern scored 28
points in the third quarter. Northwestern finished its season with a 9-5
record. Both teams had less than 100 yards rushing. Attendance in San Diego:
47,007
Trayveon Rose – (in the Gator Bowl) – Texas A&M 52, NC State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M
29, NC State 22). This game was good in the first half. Texas A&M led 21-13
at the break. Then the Aggies outscored the Wolfpack 31-0 in the second half.
Texas A&M had 541 total yards to 273 for NC State. Most of A&M’s yards
were on the ground – 401. A&M’s Trayveon
Williams had 236 of the rushing yards. Neither team had much of a passing
game. But the Aggies didn’t need one. Attendance in Jacksonville: 38,206
Eyes have it (in the Outback Bowl) – Iowa 27,
Mississippi State 22 (Touchdown Tom said: Mississippi State 20, Iowa 17). Iowa
won the game in the second quarter. That’s when the Hawkeyes outscored Miss
State, 17-0. Ironically, Iowa won the game with only 200 yards of total offense
– minus 14 yards rushing. Miss State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald was terrible passing – 14-for-32 with two
interceptions. Iowa finished its season with a 9-4 record. Attendance in Tampa:
40,518
Snellman (in the Citrus Bowl) – Kentucky
27, Penn State 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 24, Kentucky 21). Kentucky
really won this game in the first quarter when the Wildcats outscored Penn
State, 10-0. That gave them the jump they needed on the Nitts. Entering the
fourth quarter, Kentucky led 27-7. Penn State’s rally came up short. Penn State
coach James Franklin made a bad
decision when he went for a field goal with 4:12 left in the game. Penn State
had the ball on the Kentucky 15 with a 4th-and-6. The Nitts had 407
total yards to 297 for the Wildcats. But Kentucky’s Benny Snell rushed for 144 yards. Kentucky finished its season with
a 10-3 record. Attendance in Orlando: 59,167
Tigers shutdown the Mouth of the South (in the Fiesta Bowl) – LSU 40, UCF 32 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 30, UCF 26). LSU won this
game in the third quarter. That’s when the Tigers extended their lead over UCF
from 24-21 to 34-24. LSU completely dominated the stats. The Tigers had 32
first downs to 17 for UCF, 555 total yards to 250 for UCF and 394 passing yards
to 120 for UCF. LSU monopolized time of possession – more than 44 minutes. Tigers
quarterback Joe Burrow passed for
394 yards and 4 touchdowns. LSU finished its season with a 10-3 record. Attendance
in Glendale: 57,246
Too little too late (in the Rose Bowl) – Ohio State 28, Washington 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 28, Washington
26). Ohio State led 28-7 with 13 minutes left in the game. Washington rallied,
scoring 20 unanswered points. With time running out, the Huskies failed to
convert on an on-sides kick. Washington dominated the stats – first downs,
rushing, passing and time of possession. But the Buckeyes dominated the points.
Washington quarterback Jake Browning
passed for 313 yards. Ohio State finished its season with a 13-1 record. The
Buckeyes were 25-3 during the last two seasons. Attendance in Pasadena: 91,853
Bevo rules (in the Sugar Bowl) – Texas 28,
Georgia 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 32, Texas 23). Texas never trailed
in the game. The Longhorns scored 20 of their 28 points in the first half.
Georgia scored 14 of its 21 points in the fourth quarter. Georgia, normally a
strong running team, was held to 86 yards rushing. Texas finished its season
with a 10-4 record. Attendance in New Orleans: 71,449
Last 19 Bowl Game Picks: 11 correct picks, 8 fumbles (57.9 percent)
Total Bowl Game
Picks:
22 correct picks, 16 fumbles (57.9 percent)
Superlatives
Impressive
Passers:
LSU’s Joe
Burrow – 21-34-1 for 394 yards (4TDs); Auburn’s Jarred Stidham – 15-21-0-373 (5TDs); Missouri’s Drew Lock – 23-38-0-373 (3TDs);
Oklahoma State’s Tony Cornelius –
26-44-1-336 (4TDs), and Clemson’s Trevor
Lawrence – 27-39-0-327 (3TDs).
Impressive
Rushers:
Texas A&M’s Trayveon Williams – 236 yards (3TDs); Missouri’s Larry Rountree – 204 yards (1TD); Cincinnati’s
Michael Warren – 166 yards (2TDs),
and Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard –
145 yards (1TD).
Also, Kentucky’s Benny Snell – 144 yards (2TDs); Arkansas State’s Warren Wand – 140 yards; Pitt’s Darrin Hall – 123 yards (1TD), and Washington’s
Myles Gaskin – 121 yards (2TDs).
Quotes of the Week
“I think we’re
going to take what we have and reload a new season and tighten up and keep
working to put it over the top,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, after the
Peach Bowl loss to Florida.
“Boy, Michigan
can’t compete with any team physically. Put them up against a physical team and
they can’t handle it,” Steve Spurrier, after Michigan’s loss to Florida.
“Heading to the
Sugar Bowl to watch the Puppies beat up on the Longhorns.” Steve Spurrier.
“I’m not going
anywhere. This is home forever. I’m a Wildcat for life,” Northwestern coach Pat
Fitzgerald, responding to rumors he’ll interview for the Green Bay Packers
job.
“I would be ecstatic
if he didn’t coach again. I’m done. I want him to be done. He’s too intense,” Urban
Meyer’s wife Shelley, after the Rose Bowl game.
“He was just
going to say hi,” Texas senior and Bevo handler Patrick Dowell, on Bevo’s
reaction to Uga prior to the Sugar Bowl game.
Sign of the Week
Hoo’s Your Daddy
(Virginia fan at the Belk Bowl game against South Carolina)
Touchdown
Tom
P.S.
Not exactly
college football related, but on the 2nd day of the New Year, as
college football fans were still celebrating bowl wins, commiserating over bowl
losses, worrying about New Year’s resolutions and getting ready to go back to
work or school, the number one song in the country…
…75 years ago this
week in 1944 was “Paper Doll” by The
Mills Brothers
…70 years ago this
week in 1949 was “Buttons and Bows” by Dinah
Shore
…65 years ago
this week in 1954 was “Oh! My Pa-Pa (O Mein Papa)” by Eddie Fisher
…60 years ago
this week in 1959 was “The Chipmunk Song” by The Chipmunks with David Seville
…55 years ago
this week in 1964 was “There! I’ve Said It Again” by Bobby Vinton
…50 years ago
this week in 1969 was “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye
…45 years ago
this week in 1974 was “Time In A Bottle” by Jim Croce
…40 years ago
this week in 1979 was “Too Much Heaven” by The
Bee Gees
…35 years ago
this week in 1984 was “Say Say Say” by Paul
McCartney and Michael Jackson
…30 years ago
this week in 1989 was “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” by Poison
…25 years ago this
week in 1994 was “Hero” by Mariah Carey
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