CFW Week 19 Results – Transfer portal open and it’s active
Oregon’s defense, Trinidad Chambliss, and
there was nothing sweet about Alabama
Oregon’s defense was dynamite. Trinidad Chambliss gave a spectacular performance. Alabama has lost its mystique. Fernando Mendoza added credence to his Heisman win. And with a 4th-and-2 on your own 33 yard line, Kirby Smart must be having second thoughts about going for the first down instead of punting.
The final three quarterfinal games of the college football playoff are history and there were a few surprises. Perhaps more than a few.
In Oregon’s 23-0 win over Texas Tech, you can’t say enough good things about the Ducks’ defense. It was awesome, it was powerful, it was overwhelming and it was unbelievable. As Tina Turner once said, “It was simply the best, better than all the rest.”
During the season, Texas Tech’s offense averaged 40 points (almost six touchdowns) a game. Oregon’s defense held Tech to zero points (0 touchdowns). During the season, the Red Raiders averaged 280 yards a game passing and 183 yards a game running. Oregon’s defense held Tech to 137 yards passing and 78 yards running.
During the season, Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton completed 66% of his passes. Against Oregon, Morton completed 56% of his passes. You can’t say enough about Oregon’s defense.
Oregon’s offense deserves some credit too. During the season no one scored as many as 23 points on Texas Tech. Six teams scored less than 10 points against Tech. Oregon 23, Texas Tech 0.
In Ole Miss’s 39-34 win over Georgia, you can’t say enough good things about Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. His scrambling to avoid sacks, his ability to find open receivers and his accurate passing were sensational. In particular, his ability to make amazing plays at key and tense moments during the game was inspiring.
Chambliss finished the game 30-46-0, passing for 362 yards and two touchdowns. During the season, Georgia held opposing quarterbacks to 215 passing yards a game. During the season, Georgia held opponents to 17 points a game. Ole Miss 39, Georgia 34.
And then there was Alabama. Indiana crushed the Crimson Tide, 38-3. To save face, Alabama coach Kellen DeBoer chose to kick a field goal on fourth down when he should have gone for a first down/touchdown. I guess 3 looks better than 0.
During the season, Alabama averaged 265 passing yards a game. The Tide had 170 passing yards
Against Indiana. During the season, the Tide averaged 105 rushing yards a game. Against Indiana, Alabama had 23 rushing yards. Alabama only managed 11 first downs against Indiana. During the season, Alabama averaged 31 points a game (3 points against Indiana). During the season, Alabama held opponents to 17 points a game (Indiana had 38 points).
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He had that Florida State-game-look in his face. Alabama began the season losing to Florida State, 31-17. The Crimson Tide ended the season losing to Indiana, 38-3.
Back to Miami’s 24-14 win over Ohio State on Wednesday night. Someone commented that against its three tough opponents, Ohio State, who averaged 35 points (5 touchdowns) a game during the season, only had 14 points in its opener against Texas. And at the end of the season, only 10 points against Indiana and only 14 points against Miami. And to think Ohio State had three players finish in the top-10 voting for the Heisman Trophy.
The Ole Miss-Georgia game was a rematch. In the first game, as the fourth quarter began, Ole miss led Georgia by 9 points. Ole Miss lost, 43-35. In the second game, as the fourth quarter began, Georgia led Ole Miss by 5 points. Georgia lost, 39-34. The Magnolias couldn’t beat Georgia under Lane Kiffin, but Ole Miss beat Georgia without Lane Kiffin. Hats off to Pete Golding.
So, Miami over Ohio State and Ole Miss over Georgia were definite upsets. And, although Indiana was favored over Alabama by the betting services, most people, including the entire ESPN GameDay crew, picked Alabama to win. Oregon was favored over Texas Tech, but only by 3 points. Yes, the CFP quarterfinals were full of surprises.
For the record, Miami is a 4-point favorite over Ole Miss and Indiana is a 4-point favorite over Oregon in the semifinals. Stay tuned!
Except for the playing of the CFP semifinal and championship games, Friday brought an end to the bowl season. In the first of the final four bowl games, Texas State bid farewell to the Sun Belt Conference with a 41-10 win over Rice in the Armed Forces bowl. Next year, Texas State will be competing in the revamped Pac-12 Conference.
In beating Cincinnati 35-13, in the Liberty Bowl, Navy bid farewell to its dynamic senior trio – quarterback Blake Horvath, slotback Eli Heidenreich and fullback Alex Tecza. Those three players led Navy to a 21-5 record the past two seasons.
Two ACC teams won the final two games of the night on January 2. Both capped off very good seasons with identical 9-4 records. In the Holiday Bowl, SMU beat Arizona, 24-19. In the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Wake Forest beat Mississippi State, 43-29. Would you believe that during the season, Wake Forest beat SMU, 13-12, on a 50-yard field goal as time expired. Believe it.
Not counting the college football playoff games, there were 35 bowl games. The best conferences in bowl competition were the Big Ten (6-3), the American Conference (5-3) and the ACC (6-4). The worst conference was the SEC (1-5). After the SEC, the MWC (2-5). The SEC lost twice to the Big Ten, twice to the ACC and once to the Big 12. The SEC’s lone win was Texas over Michigan.
The 15-day college football transfer portal window opened on January 2. It closes on Friday, January 16. In just the first three days, the portal activity has been busy, wild and crazy.
You can go home again. Former Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris is returning to Clemson as the OC again. Under Dabo Swinney, Morris made a name for himself as Clemson’s OC for four seasons from 2011 to 2014. He left Clemson to become the coach at SMU and then Arkansas. He was fired by Arkansas in 2019. Since then, Morris has been on staffs at Auburn, South Florida, Texas State and Virginia, mostly in an advisory and consulting role. This past season, he was an offensive advisor at Virginia, where his son Chandler was quarterback.
I hope you are enjoying the New Year!
Touchdown Tom
January 5, 2026
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
Review of the Final Four Bowl Games
Risotto – (in the Armed Forces Bowl) – Texas State 41, Rice 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas State 34, Rice 25). It was just a three-point game at halftime. Texas State led 10-7. Then the Bobcats exploded for 31 unanswered points in the second half. At the 9:40 mark in the fourth quarter, Texas State led 41-7. Texas State quarterback Brad Jackson passed for 173 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 52 yards and another touchdown. Texas State had more first downs (24 to 12), more total yards (436 to 195), more passing yards (195 to 94) and more rushing yards (241 to 101). Rice had more turnovers (3 to 1). Attendance in Fort Worth: 28,243
Fair winds and following seas – (in the Liberty Bowl) – Navy 35, Cincinnati 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 30, Navy 25). Late in the first quarter, Navy took a 7-0 lead and the Middies never trailed for the rest of the game. At the 10 minute mark in the fourth quarter, Navy had built its lead to 28-7. The Navy trio of Blake Horvath, Eli Heidenreich and Alex Tecza did their usual share of damage. Quarterback Horvath passed for 108 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 53 yards and another touchdown. Slotback Heidenreich ran for 62 yards and caught five passes for 64 yards and a touchdown. Fullback Tecza rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown. Navy dominated the game with more first downs (22 to 12), more total yards (349 to 239), more passing yards (108 to 97) and more rushing yards (241 to 142). Navy had a 7-minute edge in time of possession. Attendance in Memphis: 21,908
No holiday for the Wildcats – (in the Holiday Bowl) – SMU 24, Arizona 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona 27, SMU 24). SMU did all of its damage in the first half. The Mustangs scored all 24 of their points in the first two quarters. At halftime, SMU led Arizona, 24-0. The Wildcats came to life in the second half, but it was too little too late. Oddly enough, SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings threw three interceptions, and the Mustangs still won the game. The teams combined for 833 total yards. Attendance in San Diego: 30,602
Deacons bully the Dogs – (in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl) – Wake Forest 43, Mississippi State 29 (Touchdown Tom said: Wake Forest 28, Mississippi State 26). Miss State opened the scoring with a 33-yard field goal just two minutes into the game. Wake Forest returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, converted on a two-point conversion and went up 8-3. The Demon Deacons never trailed for the remainder of the game. With 4:19 to go in the third quarter, Wake Forest built its lead to 30-12. Then it got interesting. Miss State closed the gap to 30-27, early in the fourth quarter. Following a Wake Forest touchdown at the 4:07 mark in the fourth, Miss State returned a blocked extra-point kick for two points. Miss State trailed, 36-29. Two minutes later, Wake iced the game with a 62-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Robby Ashford to running back Ty Clark. Ashford passed for 303 yards and three touchdowns. Clark rushed for 91 yards and had three catches for 73 yards. Wake dominated the stats with more first downs, total yards, passing yards and rushing yards. Both teams were undisciplined. There were 16 penalties in the game. Attendance in Charlotte: 29,328
Final Four Bowl Game Picks: 2 winners, 2 fumbles (50 percent)
Total Bowl Game Picks: 20 winners, 15 fumbles (57.1 percent)
Review of the College Football Playoff (Quarterfinals)
Skunked – (in the Orange Bowl) – Oregon 23, Texas Tech 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas Tech 29, Oregon 27). Oregon dominated the game from the start. However, it was really anybody’s ballgame until the fourth quarter. The Ducks led 3-0 after one quarter and 6-0 at halftime. The Oregon lead was just 13-0 as the fourth quarter began. Seven minutes into the fourth quarter, the Ducks lead was 16-0. Except for the one touchdown in the third quarter, the Texas Tech defense held Oregon to three field goals. Oregon’s final score, its second touchdown, came with only 0:16 remaining in the game. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was 26-33-1, passing for 234 yards and one touchdown. The Ducks’ defense held Tech to 215 total yards. Oregon only had 64 yards rushing. Tech suffered from 4 turnovers. Oregon held a 16-minute advantage in time of possession. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 65,021
The Tide were a bunch of suds – (in the Rose Bowl) – Indiana 38, Alabama 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Indiana 28, Alabama 21). After one quarter, it was anybody’s ballgame. The score was 0-0. Then, Indiana took charge in the second quarter – complete charge. The Hoosiers led the Tide 17-0 at halftime. But, against Oklahoma, Alabama was down 17-0 and came back to win. However, against Indiana, the Tide would not experience déjà vu. Indiana increased its lead to 24-0 midway through the third quarter. For good measure, Alabama kicked a field goal late in the third quarter. Indiana added two early fourth quarter touchdowns. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was 14-16-0, passing for 192 yards and three touchdowns. Hoosier running backs Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby rushed for 99 yards and 89 yards, respectively. Each scored a touchdown. Indiana totally dominated Alabama . The Hoosiers had more first downs (22 to 11), more total yards (407 to 193), more passing yards (192 to 170), and more rushing yards (215 to 23). Indiana held a 9-minute edge in time of possession. Attendance in Pasadena: 90,278
The Bark Boys were Barf Boys – (in the Sugar Bowl) – Ole Miss 39, Georgia 34 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 28, Ole Miss 26). This was a wild one – especially in the second half. There were four lead changes in the game. Early in the second quarter, Ole Miss led 12-7. Georgia scored two touchdowns in the final four minutes of the second quarter. The Dawgs led 21-12 at halftime. After three quarters, Georgia still led, but it was closer – 24-19. Ole Miss scored back-to-back touchdowns in the first 6 minutes of the fourth quarter. The Magnolias led 34-24. The Tide had turned and it was looking good for Ole Miss. But Georgia responded with 10 unanswered points. The Dawgs kicked a 58-yard field goal with 0:56 remaining. The game was tied, 34-34. In the next 50 seconds, Ole Miss advanced the ball to the Georgia 30. With 0:06 on the clock, Ole Miss kicked a 47-yard field goal to win the game. The Magnolias added insult to injury with a 2-point safety. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passed for 362 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Kewan Lacy ran for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Ole Miss receiver Harrison Wallace had 9 catches for 156 yards and one touchdown. Receiver De Zhaun Stribling had 7 catches for 122 yards. The teams combined for 816 total yards. Ole Miss had 473 of those yards. Attendance in New Orleans: 68,371
Quarterfinal CFP Picks: 1 winner, 2 fumbles
Current CFP Picks: 4 winners, 4 fumbles
Division III Championship
Wisconsin-River Falls 24, North Central 14 - Attendance in Canton, Ohio: 2,403
Superlatives
Impressive Passers:
Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss – 30-46-0-362 (2TDs).
Impressive Runners:
Texas State’s Lincoln Pare – 106 yards (1TD).
FCS Championship
Illinois State (12-4) vs. Montana State (13-2) – (Missouri Valley vs. Big Sky) – FirstBank Stadium – Nashville, Tennessee – 7:30 pm ET, Monday, ESPN….
Quotes of the Week
“Alabama had it shoved down their throat by Curt Cignetti, who coached like Nick Saban, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.
“Chambliss was just incredible. He did an unbelievable jib of not taking sacks and making big plays with his legs,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart, on Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
Touchdown Tom
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
The next CFW – Week 20 Forecast – will be posted Thursday morning, January 8.
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