College Football Week 20 – Saban wins his 6^th national title

Uga gets caught in a Rip Tide

 

Trailing Georgia 13-0 at halftime, Alabama rallied in the second half to even the score at the end of regulation, 20-20, and then go on and beat the Dawgs in overtime, 26-23.

 

Alabama’s win gave the Crimson Tide their fifth national championship since 2009 – all under coach Nick Saban. Alabama won three BCS championships and now has won two College Football Playoff championships. For Saban, it was his sixth championship, having won a BCS championship at LSU in the 2003 season.

 

Georgia controlled the first half, especially the second quarter, kicking two field goals and scoring one touchdown – all in the second period. The touchdown came with 0:07 on the clock before halftime. Alabama missed a 40-yard field goal with 9:58 to go in the first quarter.

 

Both teams each had the ball for six series in the first half. Alabama punted four times, missed a field goal and took a knee in the closing seconds of the first half. Georgia punted twice, threw an interception and scored on three series.

 

At halftime, Alabama made a major and courageous change on offense. Nick Saban replaced sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts with freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa, from Hawaii, played football at the same high school as former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.

 

So the second half was a battle between freshman and freshman – Alabama’s Tagovailoa and Georgia’s Jake Fromm. The second half began with three pairs between the two teams. Alabama went three-and-out and punted; Georgia went three-and-out and punted. The Tide scored on a touchdown pass; the Dawgs scored on a touchdown pass. Alabama threw an interception; Georgia threw an interception.

 

After Alabama kicked a 43-yard field goal, the third quarter ended with Georgia punting and Alabama punting. At the start of the fourth quarter, the Dawgs led the Tide, 20-10.

 

In the fourth quarter, Georgia continued to punt – three more times. Alabama kicked a 30-yard field goal and scored a touchdown to tie the game at 20-20. As time expired in the game, the Tide missed a 33-yard field goal.

 

On the first series in overtime, Georgia kicked a 51-yard field goal to go up 23-20. Two plays later, after Alabama suffered a sack on its first play, the Tide scored a touchdown on a 41-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Devonta Smith. Game over – Alabama is the national champion. Alabama finished its season at 13-1. Georgia finished at 13-2.

 

Nick Saban is now 12-0 against his former assistants. The game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta was attended by 77,430 people.

 

On Sunday, the day before the game, the average price of tickets sold on the most-frequented resale sites was up over $2,300 – $2,319 on StubHub and $2,413 on Vivid Seats.

 

There were several Division I college basketball games played Monday night, but none involved any Power 5 conference teams. They deferred to the college football championship game.

 

While we’re on the topic of national champions, there was a big brouhaha last week in Orlando, involving UCF. The school, you may recall, declared itself the national champions. As far as I’m concerned, there is no brou about that. It is definitely a ha ha.

 

First of all, there can only be one champion in FBS football. That’s why we have a playoff. Second of all, you don’t belong in the playoff with a week-to-week schedule against the likes of Cincinnati, East Carolina, Navy, SMU, Connecticut, Temple, etc. Not when the four playoff teams had a week-to-week schedule against the likes of South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU, Notre Dame, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, LSU, etc.

 

And let’s not forget – UCF dropped Georgia Tech from its schedule and replaced the Yellow Jackets with Austin-Peay. Some brouhaha that is.

 

But UCF was undefeated – the only undefeated FBS team in the country, even though the Knights only played an 11-game, regular-season schedule when everybody else played a 12-game, regular-season schedule. Still, let UCF have its fun. As I said it was a ha ha and not a brou.

 

In all fairness, UCF did go on and win its conference championship game – the AAC. And the Knights went on to beat Auburn in the Peach Bowl. There is no doubt, at 13-0, UCF had a commendable season. So, let the Knights enjoy their shinning armor. Let them have their fun. Ha ha!

 

Having said this, there was no excuse for the way Paul Finebaum, and the nuts from Alabama and Georgia who call into his show, acted last week. Finebaum and his nuts were reading UCF the riot act for claiming the national championship. They were truly bent out of shape over the Knights celebration. They couldn’t handle it. They couldn’t cope.

 

Finebaum and the Bubba and Uga nuts couldn’t stand the fact that UCF was having a celebration – a little fun. They should have been big enough to let UCF savor its 13-0 record. But instead they were small enough to act like a bunch spoiled and immature kids – smearing UCF with their cheap and caustic comments.

 

Even when Orlando sports writer Mike Bianchi called Finebaum and had some fun with the brouhaha, Finebaum lost his cool.  It was obvious that Bianchi was yanking Finebaum’s chain, as he was supporting UCF’s claim to a national championship. Obvious to everyone, that is, but Finebaum. Bianchi’s chain pulling went over Finebaum’s head, as the TV host exploded at the thought of someone calling UCF the national champions.     

 

Worst of all, Finebaum said that the hidden meaning of this UCF celebration was an “attack on the SEC.” Heaven forbid that someone would tarnish the SEC. Isn’t it tarnished enough by Finebaum and his Bubba and Uga nuts?

 

And while we are still on the topic of national champions, there was a national championship on Saturday. North Dakota State won its sixth FCS national championship, beating the defending national champion James Madison, 17-13. The game was played before 19,090 fans in Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

 

The North Dakota State’s win ended James Madison’s 26-game winning streak. State’s six titles ties Georgia Southern for the most FCS national titles.

 

So much for national champions, but just when we thought the coaching carousel was over, it wasn’t. Last Tuesday, Arizona fired football coach Rich Rodriguez in the wake of a sexual harassment allegation and a recent notice of a hostile-workplace lawsuit to be filed against the school. Rodriguez will receive $5.46 million from Arizona.

 

Arizona had investigated the sexual harassment allegation from October to December and determined the allegation could not be substantiated. But during the investigation, the University became aware of information which caused it to be concerned with the direction and climate of the football program.

 

The former employee filed a $7.5 million notice of claim with the state’s attorney general’s office, alleging Rodriguez ran a hostile workplace. A notice of claim is a legal document that signals a lawsuit will be filed.

 

Arizona was 7-6 this season losing to Purdue, 38-35, in the Foster Farms Bowl. Overall, Rodriguez was 43-35 in six seasons at Arizona. He was 15-22 in three seasons at Michigan, and 60-26 in seven seasons at West Virginia.

 

Meanwhile, the hot names to replace Rodriguez at Arizona are former Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin and former LSU coach Les Miles. The Miles story is interesting. Apparently, Miles is partnering with former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze, packaging themselves as a tandem in their pitch for the Arizona opening– Miles as the head coach and Freeze as the offensive coordinator.

 

Saving any more unexpected firings or any head coaches jumping to the NFL, it should be safe to say the coaching carousel is officially over – once Arizona secures its replacement.

 

The head coaching carousel may be over, but this is a busy time for the new and other head coaches to secure their coordinators. New Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher has made Darrell Dickey his offensive coordinator in College Station. A former head coach at North Texas (1998-2006) Dickey was most recently the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Memphis, where he has been since 2012.  

 

Next, Jimbo Fisher tried to lure LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda away from Baton Rouge to College Station. But LSU reacted by raising Aranda’s salary to $2.5 million a year for four years. As a result, Aranda declined the offer from Texas A&M.

At $2.5 million a year, Aranda becomes the first coordinator – defensive or offensive – to make more than $2 million a year.

 

Had Aranda gone to Texas A&M, it would have been the second time in two years that the Aggies snatched a defensive coordinator away from LSU. Two years ago, John Chavis left the Tigers to become the DC at Texas A&M.

 

Meanwhile, Jimbo Fisher hired Notre Dame defensive coordinator Mike Elko as the new DC for the Aggies.

 

Elsewhere, Derek Dooley, remember him, is the new offensive coordinator at Missouri. Dooley, the former Tennessee coach and son of former Georgia coach and athletic director Vince Dooley, was most recently the wide receivers coach for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. At Missouri, Dooley replaces Josh Heupel, who left the Tigers to become the new coach at UCF.

 

New Florida State coach Willie Taggart hired Michigan State defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett to run the defense for the Noles. Kendal Briles, son of former Baylor coach Art Briles, is Major Applewhite’s new offensive coordinator at Houston. This past season Briles was Lane Kiffin’s offensive coordinator at Florida Atlantic.

 

Before the national championship game, new Nebraska coach Scott Frost blasted the SEC for only playing eight conference games instead of nine like the Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-12 do. Actually, Frost should have blasted the ACC too. It should be standard that all conferences play the same number of conference games – nine. The SEC and the ACC are the cowards of the Power 5. Until recently, Frost had no room to talk. The conference he just came from – the AAC – only plays eight conference games. I guess UCF had an advantage making, it to 13-0. Brouhaha!  

 

It was good to hear from Jeff Grimm last week.  

 

Congrats, Alabama fans. Have a good week, all – even you Georgia fans. You had a great season.

 

Touchdown Tom

January 9, 2018

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

P.S. The final CFW blog of the season, CFW – Week 21, will be posted on Monday, January 15.  

 

 

Weekend Review

 

FCS (Division I-AA) Championship Game

 

North Dakota state 17, James Madison 13

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“I give great credit to UCF on the field. The national champion will be determined Monday evening between Alabama and Georgia, period,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey.

 

“I am not there yet. I am open to the notion, but I’m not campaigning for it. That last thing I want to do is give anyone the impression I’m campaigning to expand it, because I’m not. I’m happy with four,” American Athletic Conference commissioner and College Football Playoff committee member Mike Aresco, on expanding the playoff beyond four teams.

 

“The other thing I really wish was standard is the number of conference games you play. It’s a big advantage to play eight instead of nine. There were a couple of times at Oregon when we were playing USC and Stanford in Week 11 and Alabama was playing Georgia Southern and western Carolina, and we lost those games. This year, Wisconsin had to play two extra conference games than Alabama, and they lost one. I’d like to see these things become standardized,” new Nebraska coach Scott Frost.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

P.S.

 

Not exactly college football related, but sadly there were five passings of note last week – Rick Hall, Carmen Cozza, Jerry Van Dyke, John Young and Ray Thomas.

 

Rick Hall, the producer who forged the Southern soul style known as the Muscle Shoals sound, died last week at his home in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He was 85. Hall turned small-town Alabama into a crucible of soul, country, pop and rock after he founded FAME Studios in 1959 in Florence, Alabama. FAME stands for Florence Alabama Music Enterprise, although in 1961 the studio moved to nearby Muscle Shoals, where it remains. Hall also started FAME Publishing, which would amass a substantial catalog of hits, and FAME records. He was a producer, co-producer and/or engineer for major hits by Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Clarence Carter, Etta James, the Osmonds, Mac Davis, Paul Anka and the country group Shenandoah, among many others. Rick Hall was born Roe Erister Hall on January 31, 1932, in Forest Grove, Mississippi. He wrote songs that were recorded by country singers, including Roy Orbison, Brenda Lee and George Jones. But Hall saw more opportunity in rhythm and blues. In 1961, he produced a hit: the soul singer Arthur Alexander’s “You Better Move on,” which would later be recorded by the Rolling Stones. That song financed the studio in Muscle Shoals. Another soul hit in 1964, Jimmy Hughes’ “Steal Away,” established FAME as a record label. FAME’s soul hits continued, among them Clarence Carter’s “Slip Away” and “Patches.” The Osmonds had a No. 1 pop single with “One Bad Apple,” produced by Hall in 1970. He also produced Bobbie Gentry’s “Fancy” and Mac Davis’ “Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me.”

 

Carmen Cozza, who won 10 Ivy League championships in his 32 years as Yale’s head football coach, died last week in New Haven, Connecticut. He was 87. Cozza, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002, was named coach of the year seven times by the American Football Coaches Association. From 1965 through 1996, his teams compiled a 179-119-5 record. In one dominant stretch, from 1974 to 1981, his teams won seven of eight Ivy League titles. Cozza turned out 15 players who went on to the NFL. They included Calvin Hill, Brian Dowling, Rich Diana, John Spagnola, Dick Jauron, Kenny Hill and Gary Fencik. Five of Cozza’s players became Rhodes scholars. Of his 1,500 or so players, only seven failed to graduate. Carmen Louis Cozza was born on June 10, 1930, in Parma, Ohio. At Miami University of Ohio, he played both football and baseball. His two football coaches were Ara Parseghian, who went on to Notre Dame, and Woody Hayes, who went on to Ohio State. Cozza graduated in 1952 and played major league baseball for two and a half years in the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox farm systems. From 1956 to 1962, he was a Miami of Ohio assistant football coach under John Pont. He also earned a master’s degree in education from Miami in 1959. Cozza followed Pont to Yale and then became the head coach when Pont left Yale for Indiana in 1965.

 

Jerry Van Dyke, who after decades in show business finally emerged from the shadow of his older brother, Dick, with an Emmy-nominated role in the long-running ABC sitcom “Coach,” died last week at his ranch in Arkansas. He was 86. A boisterous performer who supported himself with a banjo-and-comedy stage act when television and film roles were scant, Van Dyke was a ham to his brother’s more dignified persona. The worst of his sitcoms was “My Mother the Car,” which ran for one notorious season on NBC beginning in September 1965. Van Dyke had prominent roles in other series that did not last long. However, in 1989, he landed the role of Luther Van Dam on the series “Coach,” along side of Craig T. Nelson. Van Dyke was the assistant coach and Nelson was the head coach of the fictional Minnesota State University Screaming Eagles. The show ran until 1997. He was nominated for four Emmys for supporting actor. Jerry McCord Van Dyke was born on July 27, 1931, in Danville, Illinois. He was five years younger than his brother Dick. In the 1950s Van Dyke appeared on the television shows “Perry Mason” and “The Andy Griffith Show,” among others and with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara in the movie “McLintock.” He appeared in a handful of other movies.

 

John Young, the astronaut who walked on the moon, commanded the first space shuttle mission and became the first person to fly in space six times, died last week at his home in Houston. He was 87. Young joined NASA in the early years of manned spaceflight and he was still flying at age 53. He was the only astronaut to fly in the Gemini, Apollo and shuttle programs. Young retired from NASA in 2004, after 42 years with the agency. John Watts Young was born on September 24, 1930, in San Francisco. He grew up in Orlando, Florida, and went on to Georgia Tech, receiving a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering in 1952. He entered the Navy after graduating.

 

Ray Thomas, a founding member of the British rock group the Moody Blues, died last week at his home in Surrey, south of London. He was 76. The Moody Blues popularity has endured for decades, during which they recorded traditional, psychedelic and progressive rock with orchestral arrangements. Thomas played flute, sang and wrote a number of the Moody Blues’ songs. The Moody Blues first hit was “Go Now.” It peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard singles chart in the United States in 1965. But the band struggled to follow up on its success. They made some personnel changes in the group. In 1967 the Moody Blues released what is considered a progressive rock landmark, the album “Days of Future Passed.” The single “Nights in White Satin” from the album became the group’s signature song. The album did well in England but disappeared without a trace in the United States. Then it was reissued in 1972 and it found an audience in the United States. “Nights in White Satin” reached No. 2 on the Billboard singles chart. The Moody Blues went on to release several more albums. Raymond Thomas was born on December 29, 1941, in Stourport-on-Severn in England. The Moody Blues broke up in 1974. The group later reformed and Thomas remained a member until 2002. The Moody Blues are to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in April.

 

College Football Week 19 – Kirby vs. Nick for the national title

Richt pops a corpuscle, the Frog Horn

sounds, UCF shows muscle and Hornibrook

astounds – Didn’t you just love the bowls!

 

And while we’re at it, how ’bout that Rose Bowl!

 

There are 12 days of Christmas. There are 17 days of bowl games. On the 13^th day of bowl games, Navy gave Virginia a 49-7 shellacking in the Military Bowl. 

 

But in the closing seconds of the game, Navy field goal kicker Bennett Moehring blew it again. Three weeks ago, in the closing seconds of the Army-Navy game, Moehring missed a 48-yard field goal that would have won the game for the Midshipmen.

 

So, up 49-7 in the closing seconds of the Military Bowl, Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo decided to give Moehring a chance to finish the season on a positive note. With Navy on the Virginia 19 yard line, Niumatalolo sent Moehring in to kick a 36-yard field goal. But, as luck would have it, Moehring missed again – wide right.

 

Speaking of missing it, really missing it, the bowl season was a bad one for the Virginias this year – West and East. I’m not sure which of the two was more abysmal – West Virginia, losing to Utah in the Heart of Dallas Bowl or Virginia, losing to Navy in the Military Bowl. But both were pretty bad – downright abysmal.

 

The two Virginias should have been matched against each other in a bowl game – the Abysmal Bowl, the Dismal Abysmal Bowl. That would have been appropriate. That way we would know which one is more abysmal – West or East.

 

The Military Bowl was the first of four games on the 13^th day of bowl games. In the second game, Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph was too much for Virginia Tech, as the Cowboys downed the Hokies, 30-21, in the Camping World Bowl. Rudolph passed for 351 yards and two touchdowns.

 

Thursday night, TCU rallied from 18 points down to edge Stanford, 39-37, in the Alamo Bowl. Trailing Stanford, 21-3, late in the second quarter, the Horned Frogs outscored the Cardinal 36-16 in the final 33 minutes of the game. TCU quarterback Kenny Hill passed for 314 yards and rushed for 60 yards.

 

Whenever TCU scores a touchdown, they celebrate by sounding the Frog Horn. Get it? The Horned Frog sounds the Frog Horn. So I’m wondering, if TCU loses, do they sound the Fog Horn? I think I’ve had too many bourbon balls.

 

All of a sudden, I’m reminded of “Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy.” Okay, I know I’ve had too many bourbon balls. And I’m giving away my age too.

 

Well, while TCU was slipping by Stanford in San Antonio, Michigan State was clobbering Washington State in San Diego. Yes, the Spartans beat the Cougars, 42-17, in the Holiday Bowl. Michigan State running back L.J. Scott rushed for 110 yards.

 

Washington State’s starting quarterback, senior Luke Falk, did not play in the game. Falk, in street clothes, watched the game from the sideline. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Hilinski quarterbacked the Cougars.  

 

The condition of Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield remains a mystery. Since arriving in California for the January 1 Rose Bowl game against Georgia, Mayfield has been practicing with the team, but he has not been participating in the non-game activities and functions with the team. Mayfield supposedly has a minor illness.

 

On the 14^th day of bowl games my true love gave to me….five more bowl games.

 

And what a start we had on the 14^th day – our first basketball game of the bowl season. Wake Forest outshot Texas A&M, 55-52, in the Belk Bowl. No, there were no overtimes. The 107 points were all scored in regulation.

 

The next game was a high-scoring affair too – only it wasn’t close. NC State toppled Arizona State, 52-31, in the Sun Bowl. The Sun Devils looked more like Cloudy Devils.

 

Meanwhile, in Pasadena, Baker Mayfield continues to be absent from the team’s non-game activities. The drama is building.

 

Northwestern and Kentucky struggled on offense in the Music City Bowl. In the end, Northwestern pulled it out, 24-23, over Kentucky. Kentucky scored with 0:37 to go in the game, but failed on its two-point conversion attempt. The only one who didn’t struggle on offense was Northwestern running back Justin Jackson. He rushed for 157 yards.  

 

There are only three Aggies in the country and two of them faced off in the next game – New Mexico State vs. Utah State in the Arizona Bowl. Ironically, the only other Aggies – Texas A&M – played earlier in the day.

 

The Aggies vs. Aggies game was also the first overtime game of the bowl season. New Mexico State beat Utah State, 26-20 (OT). The game was New Mexico State’s first bowl appearance in 57 years. In the team’s last bowl game, in 1960, New Mexico State won the Sun Bowl, ironically, beating Utah State. The score in 1960 was 20-13.

 

In the nightcap on December 29, Ohio State beat USC, 24-7, in the Cotton Bowl Classic. If you didn’t see the game, you didn’t miss anything. All 31 points were scored in the first 28 minutes of the game. The second half was one of the most boring displays of football this season. It was definitely a snoozer if you weren’t already asleep.

 

During his tenure at Ohio State, quarterback J.T. Barrett was 38-6 as a starter. Not bad.

 

On the 15^th day of bowl games, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner threw four interceptions and only completed 41% of his passes. Louisville’s Lamar Jackson was 13-31-4 passing, as Mississippi State beat the Cardinals 31-27 in the TaxSlayer Bowl. On the positive side, Jackson did rush for 158 yards.

 

Sometimes, a game isn’t what it’s expected to be. The Liberty Bowl was supposed to be a high-scoring affair. But Iowa State and Memphis only combined for 41 points, as the Cyclones edged the Tigers, 21-20. Iowa State coach Matt Campbell did a good job with the Cyclones this year.   

 

The bowl season hasn’t been kind to the Pac-12. In the third game on December 30, Penn State beat Washington, 35-28, in the Fiesta Bowl. With Washington’s loss, the Pac-12 finished with a 1-8 record in the bowl games.

 

Meanwhile, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield appeared at a press conference, saying he had flu-like symptoms. But Mayfield assured everyone he would be ready to play on January 1.

 

In the final game of the day – the Orange Bowl – we got to see a side of Mark Richt we don’t often get to see. Late in the first half, the Miami coach lost his cool, getting into a heated verbal and physical exchange with the referees. By rights, the head ref should have ejected Richt from the game – for making physical contact. Instead, he was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

 

Let’s face it, Richt couldn’t handle being down 24-14 to Wisconsin, especially after his Canes had jumped out to an early 14-3 lead. He also probably wasn’t happy that the stadium – Miami’s home field – was only two-thirds full for the Orange Bowl game. So much for cheap Miami fans. The Badgers went on to beat the Canes, 34-24.   

 

Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook put on an amazing performance, completing 68% of his passes and throwing four touchdown passes. Meanwhile, Miami quarterback Malik Rosier was downright disappointing.

 

So, at the Sunday break before the final five bowl games on January 1, the Big Ten Conference is tearing them up, with a record of 7-0. The Big 12 is 5-2, while the Sun Belt is 4-1.

 

At the bottom of the barrel, the Pac-12 is an embarrassing 1-8. The SEC is hurting at 1-3. But the SEC has a team in each of the five games on January 1 – they can make up some ground, or not. The Big Ten and the Big 12 each are only in one more game. All the other conferences are sitting around .500.

 

And me, well at the Sunday break before the final day, I’m sitting at 17-17 with my picks. 

 

New Year’s Day is one of my three favorite sports days of the year – the New Year’s Day bowl games, the Tournament of Roses Parade, the tasty snacks, the good food and the satisfying drinks – you can’t beat it.

 

My other two favorite sports days are semifinal Saturday of March Madness and Labor Day Weekend Saturday – the opening day of the college football season.

 

On this New Year’s Day, when it came to excitement, there was no disappointment. The first four games were settled by seven points or less – one in double overtime. Can’t say as much for the fifth game.

 

The first of the two Florida bowls was played under dreary, overcast skies in misty conditions. South Carolina rallied from a 16-point deficit to upend Michigan, 26-19, in the Outback Bowl. The Gamecocks were trailing the Wolverines 19-3 late in the third quarter. South Carolina scored 23 unanswered points in the final 17 minutes of the game.

 

In losing, Michigan became the only Big Ten team to lose a bowl game. Jim Harbaugh is the goat of the Big Ten Conference. Apparently, Wolverine fans have lost confidence in Harbaugh. Hardly any of them showed up for the game.

 

In the other Florida bowl, also played under dreary, overcast skies in misty conditions, Notre Dame scored a touchdown in the final two minutes to beat LSU, 21-17, in the Citrus Bowl. The Irish score came on a 55-yard touchdown pass, with 1:28 left in the game.  

 

The third game on New Year’s Day was the Peach Bowl. The only misty conditions in Atlanta were in the eyes of the Auburn fans. UCF pulled the upset of the day, quite possibly the upset of the bowl season, knocking off Auburn, 34-27. Yes, UCF put 34 points on Auburn’s defense. Now you know why Kevin Steele wasn’t offered the job in Knoxville.

 

UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton was quite obviously shaken and unsettled in the first half. Still, the Knights managed to hold a 7-point lead over the Tigers at halftime. Milton settled down at the break and played a gutsy and near flawless second half.

 

In beating Auburn, UCF became the only FBS team in the country to complete its season undefeated – 13-0. The Knights’ coach – Scott Frost – hired by Nebraska at the end of the season, hung around to coach UCF to a victory in the Peach Bowl. Frost did just that, but now he is solely and completely the coach of the Huskers.

 

Twice Auburn went to Atlanta at the end of the season and twice Auburn came home losers – first to Georgia in the SEC championship game and then to UCF in the Peach Bowl. Auburn fans are already on Gus Malzahn’s case. What’s new?

 

If the Peach Bowl wasn’t enough to get your grits flowing, the Rose Bowl should have. Trailing Oklahoma 45-38, Georgia rallied to tie the score at 45-45, and then go on and beat the Sooners, 54-48, in double overtime. Amazingly, it was the first overtime game in the 103 year history of the Rose Bowl.

 

I thought last year’s Rose Bowl, when USC rallied to beat Penn State, 52-49, was a game to beat all others for excitement. But this year’s overtime game was just as exciting.

 

I also thought Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield got weaker and weaker as the game went on, particularly in the fourth quarter and beyond. Conversely, I thought Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm got stronger and stronger as the game went on, particularly in the fourth quarter and beyond.   

 

I thought Lincoln Riley’s play calling was a little strange late in the game and in overtime. Riley appeared to lose confidence in Mayfield’s passing. Maybe he knew something we didn’t.

 

And you just know Riley is kicking himself for calling that pooch kick on the kickoff in the closing seconds of the first half – the pooch kick that enabled Georgia to kick a field goal before the teams went into their locker rooms at the break. Instead of 45-45 at the end of regulation, maybe it would have been OU 45, Uga 42. Hind sight is always 20/20.

 

In the nightcap, Alabama looked like the Alabama of the early and mid-season. The Crimson Tide put on a demonstration in defense, beating Clemson in the Sugar Bowl, 24-6. The Tide is back.

 

The Tide is back in the national championship game too. Alabama meets Georgia at 8 p.m. on Monday night, January 8. Stay tuned!

 

There were some amazing performances in the 39 bowl games. Among the quarterbacks, my pick for the gutsiest performance is Wisconsin sophomore Alex Hornibrook. He was so stable, so consistent and so solid against Miami in the Orange Bowl and he made several amazing passes.

 

Additionally, 10 other quarterbacks also made a big impression on me as well. The other 10 on my gutsiest performance by a quarterback list are UCF sophomore McKenzie Milton; Wake Forest senior John Wolford; Georgia freshman Jake Fromm; Army senior Ahmad Bradshaw; Purdue sophomore Elijah Sindelar; South Florida senior Quinton Flowers; Mississippi State freshman Keytaon Thompson; Iowa State senior Kyle Kempt; TCU senior Kenny Hill, and Fresno State junior Marcus McMaryion.   

 

After 39 bowl games, the Big Ten, at 7-1, had the best record among all the conferences. The Big Ten was followed by the Sun Belt at 4-1 and the Big 12 at 5-3. The worst conference was the Pac-12 at 1-8. The MAC was 1-4.

 

Of the other two Power Five conferences, the SEC was 4-5 and the ACC was 5-6.

 

And finally me – I was 17-22 in my picks – 0-5 on the final day. Awful.

 

Yes, the SEC will win the national championship. You can bank on that.

 

Happy New Year!

 

Touchdown Tom

January 2, 2018

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

P.S. CFW – Week 20 will be posted on Tuesday, January 9, the day after the national championship game.

 

 

Review of the Bowls

 

Wahoos can’t swim (in the Military Bowl) – Navy 49, Virginia 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia 30, Navy 29). Navy was 0-for-1 passing and still beat Virginia 49-7. The Cavaliers only points came in the first few seconds of the game. Virginia returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. That was the last time the Cavaliers saw the end zone. Virginia only had 11 first downs, 175 total yards and only 30 rushing yards. Even worse, the Cavs only had the ball for 18 minutes of the game. Navy racked up 452 total yards – all rushing. Navy ended its season at 7-6. Attendance in Annapolis: 35,921

 

Pistol Pete can’t be beat (in the Camping World Bowl) – Oklahoma State 30, Virginia Tech 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 31, Virginia Tech 27). Virginia Tech outscored Okie State 7-3 in the first quarter and 7-3 in the fourth quarter. But the second and third quarters belonged to the Cowboys – 24-10. The Hokies had more first downs – 33 to 24 – and more total yards – 518 to 492. But Okie State had more points – 30 to 21. Okie State quarterback Mason Rudolph was 21-32-0, passing for 351 yards and two touchdowns. Oklahoma State finished its season at 10-3. Attendance in Orlando: 39,610

 

Leaped (in the Alamo Bowl) – TCU 39, Stanford 37 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 26, TCU 23). Stanford led through three quarters. But the fourth quarter belonged to TCU. The Horned Frogs outscored the Trees, 16-6, in the final period. With 3:07 left in the game, TCU kicked a 33-yard field goal to take a two-point lead. The Frogs hung on to win. TCU had 488 total yards to 369 for Stanford. Both quarterbacks threw two interceptions, but TCU’s Kenny Hill passed for 314 yards. Stanford’s Bryce Love rushed for 145 yards. TCU finished its season at 11-3. Attendance in San Antonio: 57,653

 

The Spartans were such a holiday (in the Holiday Bowl) – Michigan State 42, Washington State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington State 32, Michigan State 30). Washington State led 3-0 at the end f the first quarter. But then it got ugly real quick for the Cougars. Michigan State scored 35 unanswered points. The Spartans led 21-3 at the half, and 35-3 with 5:03 to go in the third quarter. Michigan State’s defense held Wazzu to only 24 yards rushing. The Spartans controlled the clock for more than 36 minutes. Michigan State finished its season at 10-3. Attendance in San Diego: 47,092

 

The Deacons made more three-point baskets (in the Belk Bowl) – Wake Forest 55, Texas A&M 52 (Touchdown Tom said: Wake Forest 23, Texas A&M 21). Wake Forest spotted Texas A&M 14 points right off the bat. The Aggies were up 14-0 just four minutes into the game. Then the Demon Deacons scored 31 unanswered points. Wake was up 31-14 early in the second quarter. After that, it was a shootout. And after that, it got interesting – real interesting. Near the end and trailing 52-48, Wake scored a touchdown with 2:18 left in the game. The Deacs hung on to win. Now for the stats: The teams combined for 63 first downs and they combined for 1,262 total yards. Wake quarterback John Wolford was 32-49-0, passing for 400 yards and 4 touchdowns. Aggie quarterback Nick Starkel was 42-63-1, passing for 499 yards and 4 touchdowns. Wake Forest finished its season at 8-5. Attendance in Charlotte: 32,784

 

The Sun Devils were afraid (in the Sun Bowl) – NC State 52, Arizona State 31 (Touchdown Tom said: NC State 28, Arizona State 17). From the start to the finish, Arizona State was never in the game. Four turnovers killed the Sun Devils’ chances. The teams combined for 964 total yards, but the Wolfpack controlled the clock for more than 34 minutes. Wolfpack quarterback Ryan Finley was 24-29-0, passing for 318 yards and one touchdown. NC State finished its season at 9-4. Attendance in El Paso: 39,897

 

The Wildcats beat the Wildcats (in the Music City Bowl) – Northwestern 24, Kentucky 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Northwestern 22, Kentucky 20). Kentucky led for one quarter. But just 3 seconds into the second quarter Northwestern took the lead and never trailed again for the rest of the game. The Northwestern defense held Kentucky to 65 yards rushing. Northwestern also controlled the ball for more than 35 minutes. Northwestern finished its season at 10-3. Attendance in Nashville: 48,675

 

The Aggies beat the Aggies (in the Arizona Bowl) – New Mexico State 26, Utah State 20 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Utah State 36, New Mexico State 33). Trailing Utah State 20-13, New Mexico State scored a touchdown with 6:31 remaining in the fourth quarter. At the end of regulation, the score was tied, 20-20. Utah State dominated the rushing, the passing and the first downs, but not the final score. New Mexico State finished its season at 7-6. Attendance in Tucson: 39,132

 

Boring (in the Cotton Bowl Classic) – Ohio State 24, USC 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 32, USC 28). Ohio State took advantage of four USC turnovers and scored all 24 of its points in the first 20 minutes of the game. USC racked up 23 first downs, 413 total yards and controlled the ball for more than 34 minutes, but the Trojans couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone. USC had a one-dimensional attack. Sam Darnold passed for 356 yards, but the running game only totaled 57 yards. Ohio State finished its season at 12-2. Attendance in Arlington: 67,510

 

Bow-wow (in the TaxSlayer Bowl) – Mississippi State 31, Louisville 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 30, Mississippi State 26). Trailing 27-24, Mississippi State scored a touchdown with 3:39 left in the game to go up by 4. The Bulldogs held on to win. The teams were pretty even in the stats. Miss State quarterback Keytaon Thompson rushed for 147 yards. Miss State finished its season at 9-4. Attendance in Jacksonville: 41,310

 

Cy breathes a sigh of relief (in the Liberty Bowl) – Iowa State 21, Memphis 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa State 37, Memphis 36). Neither team scored in the fourth quarter. Neither team rushed for more than 53 yards. Iowa State had 32 yards rushing and Memphis had 53. The Cyclones controlled the clock for more than 37 minutes. Iowa State quarterback Kyle Kempt passed for 314 yards. Iowa State finished its seasons at 8-5. Attendance in Memphis: 57,266

 

Lion King (in the Fiesta Bowl) – Penn State 35, Washington 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 26, Penn State 25).  Penn State dominated the game, but three turnovers by the Nittany Lions kept Washington in the game. Penn State had 25 first downs to 14 for Washington, 545 total yards to 331 for Washington and the Lions controlled the ball for more than 35 minutes. Penn State’s Trace McSorley passed for 342 yards and Saquon Barkley rushed for 137 yards. Penn State finished its season at 11-2. Attendance in Glendale: 61,842

 

Richt popped a corpuscle (in the Orange Bowl) – Wisconsin 34, Miami (Florida) 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 28, Miami 14). Before the first quarter was over, Miami led 14-3. By halftime, Wisconsin led 24-14. Miami closed the gap to 3 points twice in the second half – 24-21 early in the third quarter, and 27-24, early in the fourth quarter. Wisconsin extended its lead to 10 points with 7:44 left in the game. The Badgers controlled the ball for almost 40 minutes – amazing. Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook was spot on at 23-34-0, passing for 258 yards and four touchdowns. The Badgers Jonathan Taylor rushed for 130 yards. Miami quarterback Malik Rosier was pathetic, throwing three interceptions and only completing 42% of his passes. Wisconsin finished its season at 13-1. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 65,032

 

Chicken delight (in the Outback Bowl) – South Carolina 26, Michigan 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 24, South Carolina 16). The game was a defensive battle. Neither team could run the ball. South Carolina had 61 yards rushing and Michigan had 74. Neither team, especially Michigan, was good at passing either. Wolverine quarterback Brandon Peters only completed 45% of his passes. Michigan controlled the ball for more than 34 minutes, but the Wolverines couldn’t score in the fourth quarter. The game was riddled with turnovers. Michigan had 5 and South Carolina had 3. South Carolina finished its season at 9-4. Attendance in Tampa: 45,687

 

Bus wreck (in the Peach Bowl) – UCF 34, Auburn 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 40, UCF 30). As the fourth quarter was winding down and with Auburn trailing UCF, 34-27, the Tigers were driving. But in the closing seconds Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham threw his second interception of the game to seal the upset for the Knights. Auburn lost in spite of having more first downs, more total yards and controlling the ball for more than 34 minutes. But the Tigers only had 90 yards rushing. UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton didn’t have the best numbers passing – 16-35-2. But he did pass for 242 yards and two touchdowns, and he rushed for 116 yards. UCF finished its season at 13-0. Attendance in Atlanta: 71,109

 

Irish outsmart the Cajuns (in the Citrus Bowl) – Notre Dame 21, LSU 17 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 23, Notre Dame 20). The Citrus Bowl was a defensive battle, especially in the first half. Notre Dame led 3-0 at halftime. LSU dominated the stats. The Tigers had 22 first downs to 18 for the Irish, 399 total yards to 370 for ND. LSU even controlled the clock for more than 37 minutes. But the Irish controlled the final score. Notre Dame finished its season at 10-3. Attendance in Orlando: 57,726

 

Oh my! (in the Rose Bowl) – Georgia 54, Oklahoma 48 (2OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 31, Georgia 28). The teams combined for 1,058 yards. They were pretty even in the stats. Georgia had more yards rushing and Oklahoma had more yards passing. Each team had one turnover. Oklahoma controlled the ball for more than 32 minutes. The Dawgs’ Sony Michel rushed for 181 yards and Nick Chubb rushed for 145 yards. The Sooners’ Rodney Anderson rushed for 201 yards. Georgia is 13-1 with one game remaining. The Dawgs will play Alabama for the national championship on Monday night, January 8. Attendance in Pasadena: 92,844

 

Revenge (in the Sugar Bowl) – Alabama 24, Clemson 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 26, Alabama 24). A defensive battle, Alabama all but shutdown Clemson’s running game. The Tigers had 64 yards rushing. In total, Clemson only had 188 yards. The Crimson Tide just had 261 total yards. Alabama led 10-3 at the half and outscored the Tigers 14-3 in the third quarter. No one scored in the fourth quarter. Alabama is 12-1 with one game remaining. The Tide will play Georgia for the national championship on Monday night, January 8. Attendance in New Orleans: 72,360

 

Last 18 Bowl Game Picks:  7 correct picks, 11 fumbles (38.9 percent)

Total Bowl Game Picks:     17 correct picks, 22 fumbles (43.6 percent)

 

 

Superlatives

 

Impressive Passers: 

 

Texas A&M’s Nick Starkel – 42-63-1 for 499 yards; Wake Forest’s John Wolford – 32-49-0-400; USC’s Sam Darnold – 26-45-1-356; Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph – 21-32-0-351, and Penn State’s Trace McSorley – 32-41-2-342.

 

Also, Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham – 28-43-2 for 331 yards; NC State’s Ryan Finley – 24-29-0-318; TCU’s Kenny Hill – 27-40-2-314, and Iowa State’s Kyle Kempt – 24-38-0-314.

 

Impressive Rushers:  

 

Oklahoma’s Rodney Anderson – 201 yards; Georgia’s Sony Michel – 181 yards; Louisville’s Lamar Jackson – 158 yards; Northwestern’s Justin Jackson – 157 yards; Wake Forest’s Matt Colburn – 150 yards; Mississippi State’s Keytaon Jackson – 147 yards; Georgia’s Nick Chubb – 145 yards, and Stanford’s Bryce Love – 145 yards.

 

Also, New Mexico State’s Larry Rose – 142 yards; Penn State’s Saquon Barkley – 137 yards; Utah State’s LaJuan Hunt – 133 yards; Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor – 130 yards; Virginia Tech’s Deshawn McClease – 124 yards, and Oklahoma State’s Justice Hill – 120 yards.

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“It’s flu-like,” Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, responding to the press on his pre-Rose Bowl game ailment.

 

“I know I lost my cool,” Miami coach Mark Richt, on his heated exchange with officials during the Orange Bowl game with Wisconsin.

 

“As for Auburn, this game personifies why so many Tiger fans are still ambivalent about Gus Malzahn,” Clay Travis, on Auburn’s loss in the Peach Bowl.

 

“Gus Malzahn coaching like his job isn’t on the line anymore,” Barrett Sallee, on Auburn’s loss in the Peach Bowl.

 

“As UCF is about to pull ahead of Auburn in the fourth quarter, a reminder that they just guaranteed Gus Malzahn $49 million,” Dan Wolken.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

P.S.

 

Not exactly college football related, but on the 2^nd 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 1943 was “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby

 

…70 years ago this week in 1948 was “Ballerina” by Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra

 

…65 years ago this week in 1953 was “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” by Jimmy Boyd and “Why Don’t You Believe Me?” by Joni James

 

…60 years ago this week in 1958 was “At The Hop” by Danny & The Juniors and “April Love” by Pat Boone

 

…55 years ago this week in 1963 was “Telstar” by The Tornados

 

…50 years ago this week in 1968 was “Hello, Goodbye” by The Beatles

 

…45 years ago this week in 1973 was “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon

 

…40 years ago this week in 1978 was “How Deep Is Your Love” by The Bee Gees

 

…35 years ago this week in 1983 was “Maneater” by Hall & Oates

 

…30 years ago this week in 1988 was “Faith” by George Michael

 

…25 years ago this week in 1993 was “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston

 

 

Not exactly college football related, but sadly there were two passings of note last week – Rose Marie and Sue Grafton.

 

Rose Marie, an actress, singer and comedian best known for portraying the wisecracking Sally Rogers in the popular 1960s sitcom “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” died last week. She was 94. When the series wrapped in 1966, Marie became a regular on the game show “The Hollywood Squares.” She stayed with the game show for 14 years. Marie had been onstage for much of the 20^th century after winning a New York City talent contest in the late 1920s. She was soon known professionally as Baby Rose Marie and became a sensation on the NBC radio network. After dropping “Baby” from her name, she toured in vaudeville, was featured in several movies, began singing in nightclubs and made her way to Broadway in the early 1950s, appearing with Phil Silvers in the musical “Top Banana.” Over five seasons – 1961-1966 – Marie was on “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” Three years into the show, her husband, musician Bobby Guy died in 1964. They had been married for 18 years. Rose Marie Mazzetta was born on August 15, 1923, in New York City. While performing in a New Jersey nightclub, she met Guy, a trumpet player. Marie was 22 when they were married in 1946. When the Flamingo Hotel opened in Las Vegas later that year, she co-headlined with Jimmy Durante and other entertainers. In 1960, Marie was a regular on the short-lived sitcom “My Sister Eileen.” From 1977 to 1985, she went on the road in “4 Girls 4,” a variety show that featured Rosemary Clooney, Barbara McNair and Margaret Whiting.

 

Sue Grafton, a best-selling crime novelist whose popular “alphabet” mysteries, featuring Southern California detective Kinsey Millhone, sold millions of copies worldwide, died last week in Santa Barbara, California. She was 77. Grafton published her first book – “A Is for Alibi” – in 1982. She reached the 25^th letter of the alphabet with her final book – “Y Is for Yesterday,” which was published in August. After publishing two novels in the 1960s, Grafton later wrote screenplays before breaking through in the 1980s with her mystery books, which became instant bestsellers. Sue Taylor Grafton was born on April 24, 1940, in Louisville, Kentucky. She graduated from the University of Louisville in 1961. Grafton’s first two novels were set in Appalachia, one of which, “The Lolly-Madonna War,” was made into a 1973 movie, starring Rod Steiger and Jeff Bridges.