College Football
Week 20 – Georgia 33, Alabama 18
At last….the Dawgs
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Previously against Alabama, the Dawgs were all bark and no bite. Monday night in Indianapolis, the Dawgs finally bit. The Georgia defense got to Bryce Young. They rattled Young. They sacked him four times. They intercepted Young twice.
The Georgia defense was the big difference between the SEC championship loss to Alabama and the national championship win over Alabama. Against Bama in the SEC title game, the Dawgs had no pass defense. Against Bama in the national title game, the Dawgs had a pass defense – a good pass defense.
Georgia’s defense against the rush was no slouch either. They were good in the SEC title game, but they were even better in the national title game. The Dawgs’ rush defense held Bama to 30 yards rushing – 10 yards in the first half. The Tide’s Brian Robinson only averaged 3.1 yards a carry.
Georgia’s offense didn’t disappoint. In the third quarter, running back James Cook broke loose on a long run and a first down in a drive that helped Georgia to its first touchdown of the game and its first lead over Alabama in the game. The Dawgs went up 13-9. Then the rushing game came through in the fourth quarter as the clock was winding down and only up by one point – 19-18 – Georgia needed to run some time off the clock. The Dawgs needed some rushing first downs. They got them. They not only got them, but they got a touchdown that put Georgia up, 26-18.
That score, which put Georgia up by eight points, came out of the hands of quarterback Stetson Bennett who threw the 15-yard touchdown pass to Brock Bowers. Bennett, who was blamed by many for the loss to Alabama in the SEC title game, got off to a shaky start against the Tide in the national title game. However, Bennett overcame the shakes and ended up the Most Valuable Player of the game. He was 17-of-26, passing (65.4% completion) for two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Georgia won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. The Dawgs kicked off to Alabama to begin the game. On the Tide’s opening drive, it didn’t look good for Georgia. Bama put together a 55-yard, 13-play drive, before stalling on the Georgia 20. The Tide kicked a 37-yard field goal to take an early 3-0 lead.
Georgia’s first two possessions in the first quarter ended in punts. After going up 3-0, Alabama’s next two possessions ended in punts. Then on Georgia’s third possession, the Dawgs put a drive together that stalled on the Alabama 7. Georgia kicked a field goal – 3-3. On Alabama’s next two possessions, the Tide came away with a field goals on each drive. Bama was up 9-3. Georgia punted on its third possession, but came away with a 49-yard field goal on its fourth possession. Following a Bama punt, Georgia had the ball as time expired in the first half. Alabama led at the break, 9-6. Not sure why Nick Saban didn’t call time outs as the time was winding down in the second quarter. Georgia would have had to punt to Alabama and the Tide would have had a good opportunity to at least get a field goal.
On Georgia’s first two possessions in the second half, the Dawgs punted. They couldn’t sustain anything. Alabama’s Bryce Young threw his first of two interceptions on the Tide’s first possession in the second half. However, on Bama’s second possession, the Tide put together a 16-play drive. But it ended in a blocked field goal.
Georgia’s third possession in the second half was productive. The Dawgs scored a touchdown and went up 13-9 late in the third quarter. On Alabama’s next possession, which transitioned from the third to the fourth quarter, the Tide kicked a 21-yard field goal. Bama trailed Georgia, 13-12. Then, on Bama’s next series, the Tide scored a touchdown and took an 18-13 lead, with 10:14 left in the game. . But Georgia responded, scoring on a Stetson Bennett to Adonal Mitchell 40-yard touchdown pass on its next drive to take a 19-18 lead, with 8:09 to go in the game.
Alabama punted on its next possession. Georgia scored a touchdown and increased its lead to 26-18, with 3:33 on the clock. Then, with less than a minute to go in the game Bryce Young threw a pick-six. That gave Georgia a 33-18 victory over Alabama.
Neither team scored a touchdown in the first half – a half that was a real defensive battle. Between them, the teams had six punts – three each. But that all changed in the second half when five touchdowns were scored – four by Georgia and one by Alabama. There were only three punts combined in the second half.
Attendance at the game in the 63,000-seat Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, was 68,311. The officiating crew for the game was from the ACC. It was basically a well-called game.
Celebrities at the game included former Georgia coach and athletic director Vince Dooley and former Tennessee, Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning.
Halftime entertainment was a Katy Perry music video. It sucked, but I’m sure Lane Kiffin gave it a 10.
Congratulations Georgia. At last, you prevail!
In the final bowl game of the season last week, Kansas State beat LSU, 42-20. It was a sad game for LSU. Early in the fourth quarter, K-State led the Tigers, 42-7. LSU scored its second and third touchdowns in the final 3:55 of the game – the last touchdown coming as time expired.
So the Big 12 finished with a 5-2 bowl record, while the SEC finished with a 5-7 record in bowl games.
On Saturday, North Dakota State beat Montana State, 38-10, to win the FCS national championship. North Dakota State won its ninth FCS championship in the last 11 years. NDSU is 40-3 all-time in FCS playoff games. North Dakota State has Arizona, Colorado and Oregon on its upcoming schedules.
Former UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel had a change of heart. A few weeks ago, Gabriel announced he was transferring to UCLA. His plans changed. Now Gabriel is transferring to Oklahoma.
Why not, because Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams entered the transfer portal. Williams replaced Spencer Rattler as OU’s starting quarterback during the Oklahoma-Texas game last season. Meanwhile, Rattler had already announced he was transferring to South Carolina.
Former Iowa State and Auburn head coach Gene Chizik is returning to North Carolina to be the Tar Heels defensive coordinator for the second time in seven hears. Chizik was the DC at North Carolina under Larry Fedora from 2015 to 2016. This time he will be Mack Brown’s DC. Chizik was head coach at Iowa State from 2007 to 2008 and at Auburn from 2009 to 2012. His 2010 Auburn team won the national championship. Prior to Iowa State, Chizik was defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at UCF (1998-2001), defensive coordinator at Auburn (2002-2004) and DC at Texas, under Mack Brown, from 2005 to 2006. The 2005 Texas team won the national championship. He is leaving his job at the SEC Network to join Brown in Chapel Hill. Chizik played college football at Florida where he was a linebacker.
Former USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell is the new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at West Virginia. Harrell played quarterback at Texas Tech under Mike Leach. Prior to USC, Harrell was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at North Texas.
Former Ole Miss quarterback and wide receiver John Rhys Plumlee is transferring to UCF where he will play quarterback for Gus Malzahn. As a freshman, Plumlee was the starting quarterback at Ole Miss. But when Matt Corral arrived on the scene, Plumlee switched to wide receiver. Now he’ll be back at his old position at UCF. Plumlee also played baseball at Ole Miss and plans to play baseball at UCF too.
The national championship game wasn’t the only action taking place in Indianapolis. The CFP Management Committee (10 conference commissioners, plus Notre Dame athletic director) met for three days over the weekend in Indianapolis in hopes of coming up with an expansion plan for the college football playoff. But, according to Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, the committee didn’t even get close to coming to an agreement on expansion.
Apparently, there are big issues that remain and have to be worked out. Some commissioners want to stick with the four-team playoff, some want an eight-team playoff and others want a 12-team playoff. Bowlsby said the committee didn’t even get close to an agreement. Beyond the number of teams, there continues to be disagreement about revenue distribution, bowl games and whether the Power Five conference champions should be given automatic bids.
Once the CFP Management Committee comes to an agreement, their recommendation goes to the CFP Board of Managers (school presidents). The CFP Board of Managers will ultimately make the final decision on expansion.
The CFP Management Committee will meet again in a few weeks to continue their discussions. If they come to an agreement to expand, then they have to decide on what season the expanded playoff will commence – 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 or 2027. The thinking is it will be the 2026 season. If so, that means we would have four more seasons with a four-team playoff.
And speaking of changes, a number of upcoming conference membership moves and changes, effecting five conferences, were announced and approved in 2021. The feeling is all of the conference membership changes will take place on July 1, 2023. Those changes include Oklahoma and Texas leaving the Big 12 for the SEC. Cincinnati, Houston and UCF leaving the AAC for the Big 12, along with BYU giving up its Independent status and joining the Big 12.
Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA departing C-USA to join the AAC. Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss leaving C-USA for the Sun Belt Conference, along with James Madison stepping up from FCS to FBS to join the Sun Belt. And finally, New Mexico State giving up its Independent status to join C-USA, along with Jacksonville State and Sam Houston stepping up from FCS to FBS to join C-USA. But stay tuned.
Remember the movies “Lilies of the Fields,” “To Sir with Love,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” It’s hard to forget movies like those. They were just some of the many good films in Sidney Portier’s acting career. The award-winning actor died last Friday. Sidney Portier was 94.
For the record: I love mayo just as much as the next guy, but on a sandwich, not on my head. And if I were going to dip something in mayo, it would be French fries. Maybe we should merge the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl with the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
Touchdown Tom
Review of the Last Bowl
Wildcats over Tiger cats – (in the Texas Bowl) Kansas State 42, LSU 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 27, LSU 23). Leading 21-7 at halftime, Kansas State came out in the second half and scored 21 unanswered points. Wildcats quarterback Skylar Thompson was 21-of-28, passing for 259 yards and three touchdowns. K-State running back Deuce Vaughn rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns. LSU finished with a losing record – 6-7 – for the first time since 1999. Attendance in Houston: 52,207
Final Bowl Game Picks: 20 winners, 18 fumbles (52.6 percent)
Week in Review
FCS (Division I-AA) Championship Game
North Dakota State 38, Montana State 10
Quotes of the Week
“Look, I’m not the one who needs to be deciding what the playoff needs to be. There are a lot of good people out there that can make a decision as to what’s best for college football. But the more we expand the playoff, the more we minimize the bowl games – the importance of bowl games, which I said when we went to a four-team playoff. So I don’t think that’s changed, and I also think it’s come to fruition,” Alabama coach Nick Saban, on expanding the playoff.
“Maybe, I’m not capable of holding that weight on my shoulders. But no, I’m just treating it as a football game. Do I know that means a lot to a lot of people? Yes. Am I trying to play some kind of savior by winning a national championship for millions of people? No. I don’t think that’s my job. My job is to go out there and throw completions to very talented people we have on this team. And I think it’s as simple as that,” Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, before the national championship game.
“I refuse to accept that Tennessee lost the game. In my opinion, Tennessee won the game. And I’ve never said this before, because I don’t like to criticize officials. But I’m going to. The officials stole that game from Tennessee. IT was a total farce – an absolute total farce. My recommendation to Josh Heupel is this: I don’t care what the NCAA rulebook says. I don’t care. That should be counted as a win. Tennessee should officially be 8-5. That’s how this show will recognize it,” SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum, on the questionable call favoring Purdue at the end of the Music City Bowl. (Note: Paul Finebaum grew up in Tennessee and graduated from the University of Tennessee.)
“I cannot pick Georgia in this game. I’ll make my pick now. I’m picking Alabama. I don’t know how you can pick Georgia,” ESPN’s Greg McElroy, before the Alabama-Georgia game. (Note: McElroy is a former Alabama quarterback.)
“Georgia. They’re due for the football gods to maybe smile on them this time. I believe Georgia is going to do something different with their defense. After they played the first time, they’re going to say, ‘We can’t sit in these zones, and we’ve got to get pressure on the quarterback somehow,’” Steve Spurrier, picking Georgia to beat Alabama for the national championship.
“We now have free agency in college football. It’s as simple as that. For those who don’t follow this like we do, Caleb Williams was the top player in the country a year ago. He shows up at Oklahoma and what does he do? He supplants Spencer Rattler, who was the Heisman favorite at the start of the season. Williams, I don’t know exactly what he is doing. Whether he’s leveraging this. But this is one of the most amazing moves in college football history. The guy is projected to probably be the No. 1 pick in two years from now in the draft. Now, he’s waiting to see what might come his way. What kind of deals. That’s the new normal in college football,” SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum.
“I’ve never been around a group of players that really wanted it so bad and wouldn’t be denied. I told the guys in the locker room, just take a picture of this,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart, after the game.
“There’s going to be some property torn up in Indianapolis tonight,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart, paraphrasing the late Georgia play-by-play man Larry Munson, after the game.
Touchdown Tom
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