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?
Another year over,
a new one just begun
And so this was
Christmas, I hope you had fun
The near and the
dear one, the old and the young
A veery Merry
Christmas, and a Happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a
good one without any fear”
Happy New Year!
Touchdown Tom
January 3, 2022
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)
Total Bowl Game
Picks To Date:
18 winners, 18 fumbles (50 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
