College Football
Week 19 – Alabama-Georgia rematch
Canceled games, opt-outs, interim coaches, Music City Bowl, Rose Bowl, the return of Bob Stoops, all made for an interesting yet wild and crazy week
And yes, it’s a rematch for the national championship – Alabama vs. Georgia.
There was never a dull moment during the third week of the bowl extravaganza. Unfortunately, the week began with yet another cancellation. The Arizona Bowl was canceled when Boise State had to pull out due to, what else but, COVID.
I’ve about decided if most of a team, instead of a few players, wants to opt-out of a bowl game, then all they have to do is get enough guys to test positive for COVID and voila, they are out of the game. That seems to be the attitude of so many players this bowl season – they don’t want to play. That is, unless they are playing in a playoff game.
At one time, the Rose Bowl used to be sacred. Not anymore. At least four Ohio State players, including top receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, have opted out of the “Granddaddy of Them All” bowls.
The response to the “opt-outs” from some analysts and commentators is disgusting. Listening to “Full Ride” on the radio last week, an analyst from one of the sports syndicates said that players should be paid to play in bowl games. Are you kidding me? Where are these analyst idiots coming from? The players are already paid. You’re telling me they should be paid additional money to participate in a bowl game? You must be kidding me? Where does this nonsense stop?
I love college football as much, if not more, than anybody else. But it is beginning to test my loyalty.
Yes, the week began with news that Boise State was COVIDing-out of the Arizona Bowl. Not that it really matters. Without a TV contract, no one was going to see the game anyway. As it turned out, Boise State’s opponent in the Arizona Bowl – Central Michigan – lucked out.
The Sun Bowl, who had been looking for a team after Miami (Florida) COVIDed-out, landed Central Michigan. Washington State, the other team in the Sun Bowl, will now play Central Michigan. That’s a better deal for CMU, as the Sun Bowl is on national television. Now people will actually get to see them play. All Central Michigan has to do is move from one southwest location – Tucson – to another – El Paso.
So I’m thinking, when Virginia COVIDed-out of the Fenway Bowl, leaving SMU without an opponent, why didn’t the organizers of the Fenway Bowl get East Carolina to play SMU. East Carolina lost its bowl opponent when Boston College COVIDed-out of the Military Bowl. Sounds like the organizers of the Fenway Bowl were not quick thinkers.
As of now, four bowls have been canceled – the Hawaii, Military, Fenway and Arizona. Two bowls were nearly canceled – the Gator and Sun. The culprits causing the cancelations and near cancellations are Texas A&M, Hawaii, Miami (Florida), Boston College, Virginia and Boise State. Note that three of the culprits are ACC schools. As I said last week, those schools should be fined $100,000.
Well, what do you know? There’s life in the Mid-American Conference after all. Just when the MAC was declared dead, after a 1-5 start in bowl games, Western Michigan upped and trounced Nevada. In the first game of the third week of bowls, Western Michigan topped Nevada, 52-24, in the Quick Lane Bowl. WMU running back Sean Tyler rushed for 146 yards. It was the first loss for the Mountain West Conference.
The next day, five games were on the agenda. The first of the bunch featured Houston and Auburn. Maybe I should rephrase that. It featured Houston. I have a feeling Auburn will be looking for a new coach in another two years or so. The Cougars beat the Tigers, 17-13. Auburn lost its fifth-straight game. The SEC is 0-3 in bowl games. The AAC is 3-0. Is that a precursor to the Cotton Bowl?
Wouldn’t you know it. After the Houston-Auburn game ended, news broke that the Holiday Bowl between NC State and UCLA had been canceled. The game was called off just four hours before kickoff. UCLA is the culprit in this one. That’s five bowls that have been canceled.
Before the start of the First Responder Bowl, if I had told you that Air Force would have more passing yards than Louisville, would you have believed me? Well, Air Force not only had more passing yards than Louisville, but the Falcons beat the Cardinals, 31-28. Air Force quarterback Haaziq Daniels was 9-of-10, passing for 252 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed for another 29 yards and two more touchdowns. Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham passed for 207 yards. Coming into the contest, Air Force was 129th in the country in passing yards, averaging only 82.5 yards a game.
Mississippi State will never amount to a hill of beans under Mike Leach. I never understood why the school hired him in the first place. Texas Tech, under interim coach Sonny Cumbie, trashed Mississippi State, 34-7, in the Liberty Bowl. Cumbie played football for Texas Tech under Mike Leach. The Bulldogs had all of 54 yards rushing. And the SEC is now 0-4 in bowl games.
During the Mississippi State-Texas Tech game, we learned that NFL Hall of Famer John Madden died. Madden was a Super Bowl winning coach of the Oakland Raiders, a broadcasting legend of NFL games and one of the best analysts of NFL football there ever was. His Thanksgiving Day turkey presentations and Turkey Leg Awards were classic. Madden was 85.
West Virginia ended its season the way it began – no offense. And WVU coach Neal Brown ended his third season at West Virginia the way he ended his first season – a loser. In the final game on Tuesday night, Minnesota shut down West Virginia, 18-6 in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. For three seasons, Brown has struggled, trying to establish an offense. He still hasn’t succeeded. And, at times, he seems oblivious to the fact.
Yankee Stadium in New York City was the venue for the first bowl game on Wednesday. It was Maryland versus Virginia Tech in the Pinstripe Bowl. Maryland had a lot of home runs and Virginia Tech had a lot of strike outs. In fact, Virginia Tech would have been better off to have pulled a COVID-out and stayed home. The Hokies didn’t show up for the game. Maryland routed Virginia Tech, 54-10. It was an embarrassing loss for the Hokies. Keep an eye on Mike Locksley. He could be building a powerhouse in College Park.
We don’t need no Brent Venables or Tony Elliott. Clemson did quite well, thank you, without their recently departed defensive and offensive coordinators. The Tigers hung on to beat Iowa State, 20-13, in the Cheez-It Bowl.
The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl doesn’t have anything on the Cheez-It Bowl. At the Potato Bowl, they dumped French fries on the winning coach. At the Cheez-It Bowl they dumped a big bucket full of, what else but, Cheez-Its on Dabo Swinney.
I can’t wait for the Dukes Mayo Bowl. Yes, the winning coach is supposed to have a big cooler of mayonnaise dumped on him.
With Clemson’s win, the Tigers improved to 10-3. It’s Clemson’s 11th-straight season of winning 10 or more games. Alabama has gone 14-straight years, winning 10 or more games in a season.
Meanwhile, at the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, it was “Welcome back, your dreams were your ticket out. Welcome back to that same old place that you laughed about. Well the names have all changed since you hung around. But those dreams have remained and they’ve turned around. Who’d have thought that they’d lead ya back here where we need ya. Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.”
Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops returned to the sidelines Wednesday night to lead the Sooners against Oregon in the Alamo Bowl. With Oklahoma in between coaches – Lincoln Riley gone and Brent Venables on the way in – the Sooners turned to the retired Stoops to coach them in the bowl. They could not have made a better choice. The Sooners beat Oregon, 47-32.
The game was truly the Interim Coach Bowl, as Oregon also was coached by an interim coach – Bryan McClendon. Like OU, the Ducks were in between coaches – Mario Cristobal gone and Dan Lanning on the way in. McClendon was the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Oregon.
Stoops not only coached the Sooners, but also he coached his son – Drake, an OU receiver. And Drake put a smile on his father’s face as he scored Oklahoma’s second touchdown on a 6-yard pass from quarterback Caleb Williams.
Speaking of interim coaches, six teams played under interim coaches in their bowl games. Two won – Texas Tech and Oklahoma. Four lost – Florida, Nevada, Virginia Tech and Oregon.
The first game Thursday was the battle of the Carolinas for the mayonnaise bath. North Carolina met South Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. A cooler full of mayonnaise was waiting to be poured over the head of the winning coach. South Carolina coach Shane Beamer earned the honor of being bathed in the concoction of olive oil, egg yolks and vinegar, as the Gamecocks beat North Carolina, 38-21. I’m thinking that could be an incentive for a coach to lose the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Almost as bad, the commentators and sideline reporter were dipping oriole cookies and donuts into mayonnaise during the game. Even worse, they said, “This is good.” Really?
After an 0-4 start for the conference, South Carolina became the first SEC team to come out victorious in a bowl. Seven more SEC teams to play.
But the SEC’s success was short lived. From mayonnaise we moved to music for the Purdue-Tennessee matchup in the Music City Bowl. And I’m telling you, if the Rose Bowl is the “Granddaddy of Them All” bowls, the Purdue-Tennessee game was the granddaddy of all games. What a game it was!
As the third quarter began, Purdue led Tennessee, 23-21. However, two minutes and 15 seconds into the third quarter, the Vols went up 28-23. Three minutes and forty seconds later, the Boilers went up 30-28. Five minutes and 20 seconds later, Tennessee was back up 31-30.
That’s the way the score stood until less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter. At 4:18 left on the clock, Purdue went up 38-31 on a 62-yard pass play. Forty seconds later, the Vols scored and the game was tied at 38-38. Forty seconds after that, the Boilers scored on a 70-yard touchdown pass and were winning 45-38. One minute and 20 seconds later, Tennessee scored and the game was tied again at 45-45. That’s enough to make you dizzy.
So the clock expired at the end of regulation with the score tied 45-45. Overtime. Tennessee was on offense first. Twice in its drive from the 25-yard line, the Vols faced a 4th and short yardage. On both occasions, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel chose to go for the first down instead of kicking a field goal. The Vols were successful on their first 4th and short yardage – first down. But on the second 4th and short yardage, which was a 4th and goal, Tennessee failed to score. Purdue ball.
The Boilermakers ran three plays up the middle for a total gain of three yards. On 4th down, they kicked a 39-yard field goal. Game over. Purdue knocked off Tennessee in the Music City Bowl, 48-45 (OT). What a game! Entertainment and excitement at its best.
Following the excitement of the Music City Bowl, was the boredom of the Peach Bowl. Well, the Peach Bowl did generate some excitement in the fourth quarter. Trailing Pitt, 21-10, with less than 9 minutes to go in the game, Michigan State scored two touchdowns to take a 24-21 lead with 2:51 to go in the game. Then, in the closing couple of minutes, Pitt drove deep into Michigan State territory and well within field goal range. However, Pitt quarterback Davis Beville threw an interception that was returned 78 yards for a Spartan touchdown. Michigan State beat Pitt, 31-21.
Earlier, I misspoke when I said there was never a dull moment during the third week of the bowl extravaganza. If the Peach Bowl was boring, the Las Vegas Bowl was torture, especially the second half. Wisconsin slept past Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl, 20-13. The score was 20-6 at halftime. Speaking of sleeping, I dozed off a couple times. Then I woke up thinking, “What did I miss?” Nothing. Not a thing.
New Year’s Eve Day began in Jacksonville, Florida, at the Gator Bowl. Wake Forest played Rutgers. Rutgers, you’ll remember, became the replacement team for Texas A&M when Jimbo Fisher cried COVID a while back. Actually, back when Fisher cried COVID, his players would have been out of quarantine before the start of the Gator Bowl. Such is life.
As it turned out, Rutgers wasn’t much of a replacement for Texas A&M. The Demon Deacons routed the Scarlet Knights, 38-10. Coming into the game, the Big Ten was 5-0 in its bowl games. Rutgers became the first Big Ten team to lose.
During the Gator Bowl, we learned that America’s “Golden Girl” passed away. Betty White died at age 99, just 17 days before her 100th birthday. Betty kept us smiling, laughing and entertained longer than any other entertainer in history. Tomorrow is the Rose Bowl Parade and Betty was the hostess and commentator for the parade for 19 years from the late 1950s to the early 1970s on NBC. Betty White was born in Oak Park, Illinois. When she was young, her family moved to California, where she graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1939.
There was no sun at the Sun Bowl. It was, more appropriately, the Rain Bowl. It was also another bowl with a replacement team. Washington State was originally scheduled to play Miami (Florida). But the Canes failed to follow COVID protocol and bowed out of the game. As a result, Central Michigan, who was originally scheduled to play Boise State in the Arizona Bowl, became the replacement team for Miami in the Sun Bowl. Boise State canceled out of the Arizona Bowl when it fell victim to group COVID.
So Central Michigan switched from the Arizona Bowl to the Sun Bowl and played Washington State. It’s a good thing they did. The Chippewas beat the Cougars, 24-21. It was a good win for former Florida coach Jim McElwain. Meanwhile, Washington State’s loss leaves the Pac-12 at 0-4 in bowl games – the only conference that hasn’t won a game.
After the Sun Bowl, news broke that former Boston Celtics shooting guard Sam Jones had died. Known for his quickness and game-winning shots, Jones played for the Celtics from 1957 to 1969. He was on 10 NBA championship teams with the Celtics. Jones was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, and played college basketball for North Carolina Central. Sam Jones was 88.
Since its inception in the 2014 season, the College Football Playoff semifinal games have rarely been close, only three of 16 games. This year was no exception. In the Cotton Bowl, Alabama beat Cincinnati, 27-6. Some say Cincinnati didn’t belong in the game. But, let me tell you, Alabama would have beat Notre Dame just as bad, if not worse. Notre Dame came in 5th in the final CFP rankings. So, yes, Cincinnati belonged there.
However, Alabama running back Brian Robinson and Alabama’s swarming defense were too much for Cincinnati. Where Alabama attacked Georgia with its passing game in the SEC championship, Alabama attacked Cincinnati with its running game in the Cotton Bowl. The Bearcats’ weakness on defense was the running game. Coming into the game, Cincinnati was 62nd in the country in defending the run. And Brian Robinson took advantage.
Couple Robinson’s running with an Alabama defense that never gave Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder a chance. The Tide defense was on top of Ridder all game. They smothered him. They overwhelmed him. Coming into the game, Ridder averaged 242 yards a game passing. He passed for 144 yards against Alabama. Coming into the game, Ridder completed 65% of his passes. He completed 53% against Alabama. Together, Robinson and the Alabama defense put the Tide into the national championship game.
The result of the other semifinal game was no exception either. Georgia downed Michigan, 34-11, in the Orange Bowl. Where Michigan’s strength on offense was its running game (17th in the country in rushing yards per game), Georgia’s strength on defense was its defense against the run (4th in the country in rushing yards allowed per game).
Against Georgia, Michigan only had 88 yards rushing. During the season the Wolverines averaged 215 yards rushing per game. And, unfortunately for the Wolverines, they didn’t have a passing game to fall back on. So Georgia, whose weakness on defense is defending against the pass, didn’t have to worry.
On offense, Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett was on target, slicing and dicing the Michigan defenders. Bennett was 21-of-31, passing for 310 yards and three touchdowns. Together, Bennett and Georgia’s defense against the rush put the Dawgs into the national championship game.
So the SEC, who had struggled in its first six bowl games (1-6), came through in the two playoff bowl games – the two bowl games that counted.
Happy New Year!
The Outback Bowl had the honor of being the first bowl of 2022. And Arkansas and Penn State had the honor of playing the first football game of 2022. Arkansas had the honor of winning the first football game of 2022. The Razorbacks beat the Nittany Lions in the Steakhouse Bowl, 24-10.
The fruit was sweet for Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl. The Wildcats rallied in the closing minutes, scoring a come-from-behind touchdown with 1:48 on the clock, to beat Iowa, 20-17. Iowa’s last chance drive ended when quarterback Scott Petras threw an interception. Kentucky coach Mark Stoops became the second Stoops to win a bowl game this season. Brother Bob’s Oklahoma Sooners won the Alamo Bowl.
The Fiesta Bowl between Oklahoma State and Notre Dame was a passing duel between the two quarterbacks. Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders was 34-of-51, passing for 371 yards and four touchdowns, and Notre Dame’s Jack Coan was 37-of-66, passing for 483 yards and four touchdowns. In the end, the Cowboys rallied from a three-touchdown deficit to beat the Irish, 37-35.
If it’s January 1, there’s got to be a Rose Bowl. More so than any other bowl, the “Granddaddy of Them All” is the biggest New Year’s Day tradition. The parade, the stadium, the game – there’s nothing like it. And believe me, there was nothing like it this year. What a game! Remember the Purdue-Tennessee game in the Music City Bowl a few days ago? Well, the Rose Bowl had every bit of the excitement and every bit of the offense as the Music City Bowl and more.
How about a quarterback passing for 572 yards and six touchdowns? How about a receiver catching 15 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns? How about two teams combining for 1,145 total yards? How about a score of 45-45 with 1:54 to go in the game? How about a final score of 48-45 that was decided with 0:09 left in the game? The quarterback was C.J. Stroud. The receiver was Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The two teams were Ohio State and Utah. The Buckeyes beat the Utes, 48-45. What a game!
Smith-Njigba more than made up for the opt-outs Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. And what a coincidence that the Purdue-Tennessee and Ohio State-Utah games both ended with a score of 48-45. The only exception – one ended in overtime and the other in regulation.
After the Rose Bowl, news broke that former NFL coach Dan Reeves died. During Reeves 38 years in the NFL, he participated in nine Super Bowls – the third most of any individual. He served as a head coach in the NFL for 23 seasons from 1981 to 2003, mostly with the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons. As a player in the NFL, he spent his entire eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. A native of Rome, Georgia, Reeves grew up in Americus, Georgia, and played college football at South Carolina. Dan Reeves was 77.
The final bowl game on New Year’s Day took place in New Orleans – the Sugar Bowl. They said the Ole Miss fans came to party. The party ended quickly for Shark fans, as Baylor beat Ole Miss, 21-7. The party ended quickly for Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral too. Corral suffered a game-ending, lower-leg injury in the first quarter.
The Sugar Bowl was not only the final bowl game of New Year’s Day, but also the final game of the third week of bowls. During the past three weeks we got through 36 bowl games. We were supposed to get through 41, but five games were canceled.
However, we’re not finished yet. We still have one more bowl game remaining – the Texas Bowl between Kansas State and LSU on Tuesday in Houston, Texas. And, of course, we have the national championship game between Alabama and Georgia one week from today.
From a conference perspective, the Mountain West Conference finished with the best bowl record at 5-1. The MWC was followed by the AAC and the Sun Belt at 3-1. The Big Ten finished 6-4. By far, the worst conference was the Pac-12. The Pac-12 didn’t win a game, finishing at 0-5. Also on the losing end were the ACC at 2-4 followed by Conference USA and the MAC at 3-5. The Independents were 2-2.
With one game remaining – the Texas Bowl – the Big 12 is sitting at 4-2 and the SEC is 5-6.
Seven teams – three from the ACC, two from the MWC and one each from the Pac-12 and SEC – canceled out of bowl games due to COVID. You have to feel for the four teams who were not able to play because their scheduled opponents cancelled out due to COVID. Those unfortunate teams were Memphis, SMU, East Carolina and NC State. Two bowls should have rescheduled to match SMU against East Carolina and Memphis against NC State. Ingenuity and creativity were lacking.
“So this was Christmas and what have you done?
And so this was Christmas, I hope you had fun
A veery Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year
Happy New Year!
Touchdown Tom
Review of the Third
Week of Bowls
The Pack got packed (in the Quick Lane Bowl) – Western Michigan 52, Nevada 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Nevada 32, Western Michigan 30). Nevada took the initial lead at 3-0. Then it was all Western Michigan after that. WMU had 514 total yards to 242 yards for Nevada. The Broncos had two runners – Sean Tyler and Jaxson Kincaide – rush for more than 100 yards. Attendance in Detroit: 22,321
Canceled (in the Military Bowl) COVID won – (Touchdown Tom said: East Carolina 30, Boston College 26). The Military Bowl was called off.
The Cougars were in Tune – Houston 17, Auburn 13 (in the Birmingham Bowl) – (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 33, Houston 25). Auburn led 13-10 for about 16 minutes in the game from late in the third quarter to late in the fourth quarter. But with 3:27 to go in the game, Houston scored on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Clayton Tune to Jake Herslow. Tune passed for 283 yards and rushed for another 43 yards. Attendance in Birmingham: 47,100
Falcons fly better than Cardinals (in the First Responder Bowl) – Air Force 31, Louisville 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Air Force 29, Louisville 27). Air Force never trailed in the game. Forty-two of the game’s 59 points were scored in the first half. Air Force receiver Brandon Lewis had five receptions for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Attendance in University Park: 15,251
Raiders silence Leach (in the Liberty Bowl) – Texas Tech 34, Mississippi State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Mississippi State 35, Texas Tech 31). This was a close game in the first half. Texas Tech led Miss State, 13-7 at the break. Then the Red Raiders outscored the Bulldogs 21-0 in the second half. Texas Tech had 512 total yards – 260 rushing and 253 passing. Attendance in Memphis: 48,615
Canceled (in the Holiday Bowl) – COVID won (Touchdown Tom said: NC State 28, UCLA 24). The Holiday Bowl was called off.
Brown out (in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl) – Minnesota 18, West Virginia 6 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 24, Minnesota 23). Under coach Neal Brown, West Virginia has experienced the lowest of lows in all categories of the football game. But the Minnesota game took the cake when WVU was penalized for delay of game on a kickoff. How do you have a delay of game on a kickoff? That just shows how undisciplined and unorganized the WVU coaching staff is. The WVU defense played an outstanding game – especially when you consider that the WVU offense only possessed the ball for 21:31. That leaves the defense on the field for 38:29. WVU only had 66 yards rushing. Minnesota had two running backs rush for more than 100 yards. Ky Thomas rushed for 144 yards and Markeise Irving rushed for 129 yards. Attendance in Phoenix: 21,220
Canceled (in the Fenway Bowl) COVID won – (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia 42, SMU 38). The Fenway Bowl was called off.
The Hokies got Shelled – (in the Pinstripe Bowl) – Maryland 54, Virginia Tech 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 25, Maryland 24). Maryland led 24-10 at halftime. Then the Terps proceeded to score 31 points in the second half, while Virginia Tech scored none. Maryland scored quickly when the Terps had the ball. They only possessed it for 25:32. Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa was 20-of-24, passing for 265 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also rushed for another 42 yards. The Hokies only had 13 first downs and 259 total yards. Attendance in New York City: 29,653
The Cyclones couldn’t hold the Tiger (in the Cheez-It Bowl) – Clemson 20, Iowa State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa State 17, Clemson 16). Clemson built up a 20-3 third quarter lead and then held on while Iowa State rallied. As expected, the game was a defensive battle. Clemson has no offense. One of its touchdowns was scored by the defense. Iowa State does have a good offense, but Clemson has one of the best defenses in the country. Combined, the two teams only had 585 total yards. Clemson’s leading rusher only had 61 yards and Iowa State’s leading rusher only had 42 yards. Attendance in Orlando: 39,051
First half Boom! (in the Alamo Bowl) – Oklahoma 47, Oregon 32 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 31, Oregon 27). The first half was a real rout for Oklahoma. The Sooners led Oregon at the break, 30-3. But the Ducks figured out what they were doing wrong on offense. They came out in the second half and scored 29 points. While OU wasn’t as prolific as it was in the first half, the Sooners still managed to add 17 points in the second half. The two teams combined for 1,057 total yards. Oregon was the stronger passing team and OU was the stronger rushing team. Oregon quarterback Anthony Brown passed for 306 yards and three touchdowns. Ducks running back Travis Dye rushed for 156 yards and one touchdown. Oklahoma running back Kennedy Brooks rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns. Attendance in San Antonio: 59,121
A little mayonnaise on your Chicken – (in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl) – South Carolina 38, North Carolina 21 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 34, South Carolina 26). South Carolina jumped out to an 18-0 first quester lead and the Gamecocks never looked back. South Carolina racked up 543 total yards – 301 yards rushing and 242 yards passing. That’s good offensive balance. Gamecocks running back Kevin Harris rushed for 182 yards and one touchdown. North Carolina only had 333 total yards, 14 first downs and only possessed the ball for 20:58. Attendance in Charlotte: 45,520
Smokey got smoked – (in the Music City Bowl) – Purdue 48, Tennessee 45 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Tennessee 33, Purdue 27). Tennessee jumped out to a 21-7 first quarter lead and this game looked like it was going to be a rout for the Vols. But Purdue came to life and came roaring back. Boy, did they ever. The lead in the game changed hands no less than five times and the score was tied twice. The teams combined for 1,293 total yards. The two quarterbacks together passed for 912 of those yards. Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell passed for 534 yards and five touchdowns and Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker passed for 378 yards and five touchdowns. O’Connell threw three interceptions and Hooker threw none. Together, the teams had 57 first downs. They were almost dead even on time of possession – 14 seconds difference. Tennessee running back Jabari Small rushed for 180 yards and one touchdown. Attendance in Nashville: 69,649
Fourth quarter high jinks (in the Peach Bowl) – Michigan State 31, Pitt 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 34, Pitt 21). Pitt took a 14-10 lead with 1:02 to go in the first half and the Panthers never trailed again until 2:51 to go in the game when Michigan State retook the lead at 24-21. Spartans quarterback Payton Thorne was 29-of-50, passing for 354 yards and three touchdowns. Pitt only had 274 total yards and only 14 first downs. Michigan State only had 56 yards rushing. Pitt is 0-8 against Michigan State. Starting Pitt quarterback junior Nick Patti broke his collarbone in the first quarter. He was replaced by sophomore Davis Beville. Attendance in Atlanta: 41,230
Boring (in the Las Vegas Bowl) – Wisconsin 20, Arizona State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 28, Arizona State 23). Between them, the teams only had 30 first downs and only 513 total yards. Neither team reached as much as 200 yards in passing or running. Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen did have 159 yards rushing. Attendance in Las Vegas: 32,515
No lights for the Knights (in the Gator Bowl) – Wake Forest 38, Rutgers 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Wake Forest 33, Rutgers 18). A fairly close game at halftime, Wake Forest led, 20-10. But the Deacons ran and passed away from Rutgers in the second half, outscoring the Scarlet Knights, 18-0. Rutgers played four quarterbacks in the game, trying to find someone who could lead them to the endzone. The Knights only had 275 total yards. Wake’s Sam Hartman passed for 304 yards and three touchdowns. Attendance in Jacksonville: 28,508
Sluggish (in the Sun Bowl) – Central Michigan 24, Washington State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington State 32, Central Michigan 22). Talk about a dead offense. Talk about Washington State. The Cougars only had 240 total yards, only had 11 first downs and only had 18 yards rushing. Actually, Central Michigan wasn’t much better on offense. But the Chippewas were better enough to win. CMU’s Lew Nichols rushed for 120 yards. Attendance in El Paso: 34,540
Canceled (in the Arizona Bowl) – COVID won (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 27, Central Michigan 26). The Arizona Bowl was called off.
Methodical (in the Cotton Bowl) – Alabama 27, Cincinnati 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Cincinnati 18). Cincinnati kept the game decent for three quarters. Bama led 7-3 after one, 17-3 at the break and 17-6 after three. Then the Tide outscored Cincy 10-0 in the fourth quarter. Alabama’s defense held Cincinnati to 13 first downs, 74 rushing yards and 218 total yards. Tide quarterback Bryce Young passed for 181 yards and three touchdowns. But he also threw an interception. Attendance in Arlington: 76,313
Back to the drawing board for Harbaugh (in the Orange Bowl) – Georgia 34, Michigan 11 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 26, Michigan 24). This game was never close. Early in the second quarter, Georgia had a 17-0 lead. The Dawgs led at halftime , 27-3. Early in the fourth quarter, Georgia led 34-3. Georgia racked up 518 total yards. Michigan had three turnovers. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 66,839
Pork rules – (in the Outback Bowl) – Arkansas 24, Penn State 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Arkansas 20, Penn State 19). Penn State led Arkansas 10-7 at halftime. But the Razorbacks hogged the second half, outscoring the Nitts, 17-0. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford fell off the cliff, throwing two interceptions and only completing 47% of his passes. Arkansas quarterback K.J. Jefferson was 14-of-19, passing for 90 yards and rushing for 110 yards and one touchdown. Penn State’s offense only possessed the ball for 23:52. Attendance in Tampa: 46,577
Stoops to conquer (in the Citrus Bowl) – Kentucky 20, Iowa 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Kentucky 19, Iowa 17). Kentucky took a 7-0 lead with 5:32 to go in the first quarter and built it to a 13-3 halftime lead. Then with 10:54 to go in the fourth quarter, Iowa took its first lead of the game at 17-13. But the Wildcats came back and scored with 1:48 on the clock. Iowa quarterback Scott Petras threw three interceptions. Kentucky running back Chris Rodriguez rushed for 107 yards. Iowa only possessed the ball for 22:06. Attendance in Orlando: 50,769
119 passing attempts (in the Fiesta Bowl) – Oklahoma State 37, Notre Dame 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 25, Notre Dame 23). With 1:16 to go in the second quarter, Notre Dame had a 28-7 lead over Oklahoma State. The Cowboys then proceeded to score 30 unanswered points. With 2:16 to go in the game, Okie State led ND, 37-28. The Irish scored a touchdown with 1:05 on the clock, but Okie State recovered Notre Dame’s onside kick. In addition to passing for 371 yards, Okie State quarterback Spencer Sanders also rushed for 125 yards. The two teams combined for 1,156 total yards. Notre Dame had 509 yards passing, but only 42 yards rushing. Attendance in Glendale: 49,550
Wild (in the Rose Bowl) – Ohio State 48, Utah 45 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 30, Ohio State 28). Utah came out hotter than a habanero. Utah had first half leads of 14-0, 21-7 and 28-14 over Ohio State. The Utes led at halftime, 35-21. Then Ohio State woke up at halftime and Utah went to sleep. Once the Buckeyes cut Utah’s lead to 35-28 early in the third quarter, the Utes never again led by 14 points. Early in the fourth quarter, Ohio State finally tied the score – 38-38. Midway through the fourth quarter, Ohio State took its first lead of the game – 45-38. There was one more tie, before Ohio State kicked the game winning field goal. As well and as hard as Utah played, the Utes had no pass defense. Their pass defense was terrible. It was awful. It was pathetic. Utah quarterback Cameron Rising was 17-of-22, passing for 214 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 92 yards and another touchdown. Attendance in Pasadena: 87,842
Sweet for the Bears (in the Sugar Bowl) – Baylor 21, Ole Miss 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Baylor 27, Ole Miss 24). Baylor led 7-0 at halftime. The score was 7-7 at the end of three quarters. The fourth quarter was all Baylor, as the Bears outscored Ole Miss, 14-0. Baylor only had 12 first downs and 40 yards passing, but the Bears Abram Smith rushed for 172 yards. After Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral left the game in the first quarter with a lower-leg injury, he was replaced by true freshman Luke Altmyer. Altmyer passed for 174 yards, but threw two interceptions. Attendance in New Orleans: 66,479
Last Week’s Bowl Game Picks: 11 winners, 10 fumbles (52.4 percent)
Superlatives
Impressive Passers:
Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud – 37-46-1 for 572 yards (6TDs); Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell – 26-47-3 for 534 yards (5TDs); Notre Dame’s Jack Coan – 37-66-1-483 (4TDs), and Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker – 26-41-0-378 (5TDs).
Also, Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders – 34-51-0 for 371 yards (4TDs); Michigan State’s Payton Thorne – 29-50-1-354 (3TDs); Georgia’s Stetson Bennett – 21-31-0-310 (3TDs); Oregon’s Anthony Brown – 27-40-1-306 (3TDs), and Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman – 23-39-0-304 (3TDs).
Impressive Rushers:
Alabama’s Brian Robinson – 204 yards; South Carolina’s Kevin Harris – 182 yards (1TD); Tennessee’s Jabari Small – 180 yards (1TD); Baylor’s Abram Smith – 172 yards; Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen – 159 yards, and Oregon’s Travis Dye – 153 yards (1TD).
Also, Western Michigan’s Sean Tyler – 146 yards; Minnesota’s Ky Thomas – 144 yards (1TD); Oklahoma’s Kennedy Brooks – 142 yards (3TDs); Minnesota’s Markeise Irving – 129 yards; Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders – 125 yards, and Central Michigan’s Lew Nichols – 120 yards (1TD).
Quotes of the Week
“I’m against it because I think it damages individuals and it damages teams.” Mississippi State coach Mike Leach, on the transfer portal.
“There’s no doubt in my mind we can win the national championship, and there’s no doubt in my mind we can win it with Stetson Bennett. There’s no question,” Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken, before the Georgia-Michigan game.
“Do T.J. Finley and Emory Jones have the same quarterback coach,?” HotelGuyMike, after the Birmingham Bowl.
“Felt lied to, to be honest. We felt like UCLA probably knew something was going on and didn’t tell anybody on our side. We had no clue they were up against that. I don’t feel like it was very well handled from their university. It would have been great to have had a heads-up so two or three days ago we could have found a Plan B. Disappointing,” NC State coach Dave Doeren, on the Holiday Bowl being canceled four hours before kickoff due to COVID issues at UCLA.
“Mississippi State played harder after the whistle than they did before the whistle,” ESPN analyst Greg McElroy, on Mississippi State’s performance in the Liberty Bowl.
“The NCAA stands for No Clue At All in my opinion. I don’t really care what they say about it. We took a roster of guys down there and had zero COVID issues. Practiced every day. Did everything right, and didn’t get a chance to play the game. As far as I’m concerned, we did beat them. They couldn’t even get to the field. You can say whatever you want, but if you look at the College Football Playoff definition, what’s going to happen if that happens in one of their games? That team is forfeiting. So I feel like we’re following the same guidelines that those bowl games are going to follow,” NC State coach Dave Doeren, on UCLA backing out of the Holiday Bowl due to COVID issues.
“We’ve won national championships in other sports at Carolina, and there’s no reason we can’t do it in football, as well,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer, after the Gamecocks bowl win.
“It’s everything I dreamed of. It was awesome. Mayonnaise has never felt so good,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer, after having a cooler of mayonnaise poured on his head.
“The Music City Bowl is proof that there is no such thing as ‘too many bowl games,’” Barrett Sallee.
“My God, we’ve reached the point where hyping a condiment being poured on an adult male passes for programming. When we have the discussion about bowl relevance, I’ll start right here,” Dennis Dodd, on the mayonnaise being poured on Shane Beamer.
“Isn’t that what we do as football players, we compete? I think this era of players just doesn’t love football,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, on the players opting out of bowl games.
“Get used to it. It ain’t gonna change,” ESPN’s Chris Fowler, on players opting out of bowl games.
“This is clearly the biggest win in the history of the school. You’re in a New Year’s Day bowl. You’re playing Notre Dame. Biggest comeback in school history. The biggest win in the history of the school,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, after the Fiesta Bowl.
Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for This Week’s Bowl and Championship Games
LSU (6-6) vs. Kansas State (7-5) – (SEC vs. Big 12) – (Texas Bowl – Houston, Texas) – 9 pm ET, Tuesday, ESPN – LSU had a strange season. The Tigers began 3-1. They ended 2-0. But in between, they were 1-5. It was during that stretch that they fired Ed Oregeron but allowed him to coach for the remainder of the season. On offense, LSU had no running game. The Tigers averaged 27.1 points a game. On defense, they were average. The Tigers allowed 25.3 points a game. Quarterback Max Johnson passed for 2,814 yards, completing 60.3% of his passes. He threw 27 touchdown passes and only 6 interceptions. But Johnson entered the transfer portal after the season and transferred to Texas A&M. Running back Tyrion Davis-Price rushed for 1,004 yards. Kansas State was a surprise team in 2021, performing better than expected. The Wildcats were 7-3, then lost their last two games. K-State was better on defense than they were on offense. The Wildcats just gave up 21.1 points a game. On offense, they averaged 26.3 points a game. Running back Deuce Vaughn rushed for 1,246 yards. The Wildcats win the purple game – Kansas State 27, LSU 23.
Alabama (13-1) vs. Georgia (13-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – (National Championship – Indianapolis, Indiana) – 8 pm ET, January 10, ESPN – Will Alabama resort back to its passing game against Georgia on January 10? Against Cincinnati, in the semifinal game, Bama used its running game to beat the Bearcats. It’s running game and its swarming defense. But Georgia is tough against the run. The Dawgs held Bama to 115 yards rushing when they met for the SEC title. And they held Brian Robinson to 55 yards rushing. Robinson had 204 yards against Cincinnati. If Georgia is to beat Alabama, the Dawgs will have to play better pass defense. Georgia fans blamed quarterback Stetson Bennett for the 41-24 loss to Alabama in the SEC title game. But Bennett wasn’t responsible for Georgia’s loss. The Dawgs’ pass defense, or the lack of one, was responsible for Georgia’s loss. Georgia also needs to rattle Bryce Young. But that’s easier said than done. Nobody has rattled Young all season. The Dawgs find a rattle – Georgia 26, Alabama 21.
Touchdown Tom
P.S.
Not exactly college football related, but on the 3rd day of the New Year, as college football fans were still celebrating bowl wins, commiserating bowl losses, worrying about New Year’s resolutions and going back to work or school, the number one song in the country…
…80 years ago this week in 1942 was “Chattanooga Choo Choo” by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra
…75 years ago this week in 1947 was “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby, and “The Old Lamplighter” by Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye
…70 years ago this week in 1952 was “Cry” by Johnny Ray, and “Slow Poke” by Pee Wee King and His Golden Cowboys
…65 years ago this week in 1957 was “Singing The Blues” by Guy Mitchell
…60 years ago this week in 1962 was “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens
…55 years ago this week in 1967 was “I’m A Believer” by The Monkees
…50 years ago this week in 1972 was “Brand New Key” by Melanie
…45 years ago this week in 1977 was “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright) by Rod Stewart, and “You Don’t Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)” by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr.
…40 years ago this week in 1982 was “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John
…35 years ago this week in 1987 was “Walk Like An Egyptian” by The Bangles
…30 years ago this week in 1992 was “Black Or White” by Michael Jackson
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