CFW Week 22 Results - Two teams on a mission

 CFW Week 22 Results – Two teams on a mission

Michigan was the best thing

that happened to Ohio State

 

Ohio State was the worst thing that happened to Notre Dame.

 

Two teams on a mission. After losing to Michigan on November 20, Ohio State went on a roll. The Buckeyes were relentless. Ohio State rolled over Tennessee, 42-17, Oregon, 41-21, and Texas 28-14 – all in the college football playoff.

 

After losing to Northern Illinois on September 7, Notre Dame went on a roll. The Irish proceeded to win 13-straight games, including the last three of those games in the college football playoff.

 

Ohio State’s three-game roll was up against Notre Dame’s 13-game winning streak. Two teams on a mission.

 

In the national championship game last night, Ohio State continued to be relentless for two and a half quarters. With less than four minutes to go in the third quarter, the Buckeyes led Notre Dame, 31-7. But Notre Dame rallied with two unanswered touchdowns and two 2-point conversions. With 4:15 remaining in the game, the Irish trailed Ohio State, 31-23.

 

At about 3:00 remaining in the game, Notre Dame’s defense was looking good. The Irish had the Buckeyes facing a 3^rd-and-11. That’s when Will Howard to Jeremiah Smith became Notre Dame’s worst nightmare. Howard hit Smith on a 56-yard pass play. Ohio State had the ball deep in Notre Dame territory. The Buckeyes went on to kick a 33-yard field goal. Ohio State ended Notre Dame’s 13-game winning streak. Ohio State was the worst thing that happened to Notre Dame. The Buckeyes won the national championship, beating the Irish, 34-23.

 

Notre Dame’s mission was looking good as the game began. Ohio State kicked off to the Irish. On its first possession, Notre Dame methodically moved the ball for 75 yards down the field to score the opening touchdown. At the 5:15 mark in the first quarter, Notre Dame led Ohio State, 7-0. Irish quarterback Riley Leonard scored the touchdown on a one-yard run. Leonard ran the ball nine times for 34 yards in the drive.

 

Ohio State’s mission was looking good too. On the Buckeyes’ first possession, they moved 75 yards down the field, scoring on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Will Howard to Jeremiah Smith. At the 14:10 mark in the second quarter, the score was 7-7. We had a ball game.

 

However, Ohio State really was on a mission. The Buckeyes were on a roll. They proceeded to score the next 24 unanswered points. Ohio State led 21-7 at halftime and 31-7 in the third quarter. Near the end of the first half, Howard had completed his first 14-straight passes of the game. The Buckeyes had three possessions in the first half, and they scored on all three possessions.

 

Ohio State came out in the second half and scored on its next two possessions. After scoring on its opening possession of the game, Notre Dame failed to score on its next four possessions. At the14:46 mark in the third quarter, Notre Dame recovered an Ohio State fumble. It was the Buckeyes’ first fumble since the November 2 game against Penn State. However, the Notre Dame drive following the Ohio State fumble ended in a missed field goal for the Irish.

 

It’s hard to win games when you have a one-man offense. Quarterback Riley Leonard was the only offense Notre Dame had. Leonard was 22-31-0, passing for 255 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed for 40 yards and another touchdown. Actually, the Irish became a two-man offense in the second half when Leonard finally found receiver Jaden Greathouse. Greathouse had 6 catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns. 

 

On offense for Ohio State, the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame with a good mix of running and passing. Of the Buckeyes’ 445 total yards, 231 yards were from passing and 214 from running. Notre Dame only had 53 yards rushing. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard was 17-21-0, passing for 21 yards and two touchdowns. Howard also rushed for 57 yards. Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins rushed for 100. TreVeyon Henderson added 49 yards rushing. Receiver Jeremiah Smith ended up with 5 catches for 88 yards, while Emeka Egbuka had 6 catches for 64 yards.

 

Yeah, who knows? If Ohio State had not lost to Michigan at the end of the regular season, the Buckeyes might have become complacent against one of the playoff opponents and never made it to the championship. If Notre Dame had not lost to Northern Illinois early in the season, the Irish might not have made it to the championship game. Both teams were on a mission.

 

Both Ohio State and Notre Dame completed their seasons with identical 14-2 records. Ohio State’s win over Notre Dame was the second-straight national championship for the Big Ten Conference. Last year, Michigan beat Washington, 34-13, in the title game.

 

Attendance at the game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta was 77,660.

 

Ticket resale prices for the championship game between Ohio State and Notre Dame started at $1,800 and averaged $2,500. The average resale price per ticket for last year’s matchup between Washington and Michigan was $1,800.

 

 

Indiana laid off 25 athletic department employees Monday, as the school prepares for revenue sharing – the paying of athletes – which begins for all NCAA schools on July 1, 2025. Auburn announced that its ticket prices would be increasing to compensate for the revenue sharing.

 

MLB catcher, sportscaster, author, actor and humorist Bob Uecker died last week. In the 1960s, Uecker played six seasons in Major League Baseball with four different teams. He won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964. Following his baseball career, Uecker was the primary play-by-play announcer and broadcaster for the Milwaukee Bucks for 54 years. A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Robert George Uecker was 90.

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“I say all the time to my players. The first time you got on a bike you didn’t just ride the bike. You fell down. And how quickly did you learn from falling down to get back on the bike to learn to ride the bike,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day.

 

Touchdown Tom

January 21, 2025

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

(The next and season’s last CFW – Week 23 Farewell – will be posted Monday morning, January 27.)

 

CFW Week 22 Forecast -- Is Deion staying put?

 CFW Week 22 Forecast – Is Deion staying put?

No. 5 versus No. 6

 

In the rankings.

 

The 7 seed versus the 8 seed in the bracket.

 

I’m talking about the two teams who will be playing Monday night for the national championship – Notre Dame and Ohio State.

 

Back on December 8 when the College Football Playoff selection committee released their final rankings for the season, Notre Dame was ranked 5^th and Ohio State was ranked 6^th. That says if we still had the four-team playoff that we’ve had for the past 10 years, Notre Dame and Ohio State would not have been in the playoff. That makes you wonder how many times in the past 10 years did the committee get it wrong.  

 

Then, because of the crazy rules for seeding the 12 playoff teams, Notre Dame was seeded 7^th and Ohio State was seeded 8^th. That tells you that the four highest-ranked conference champions shouldn’t automatically be positioned as the four highest-seeded teams in the playoff bracket.

 

After the semifinal games last week, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum commented that expanding to the 12-team playoff was detrimental to the SEC. If we still had the four-team playoff in place this season, the four teams would have been Oregon, Georgia, Texas and Penn State – the four highest-ranked teams in the CFP selection committee’s final rankings. No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Texas would have played each other in one of the semifinal games. That would have assured one SEC team in the championship game. As it turned out in the 12-team playoff, one SEC team – Tennessee – lost in the first round; a second SEC team – Georgia – lost in the quarterfinals, and a third SEC team – Texas – lost in the semifinals. And it’s funnier when you think that in the four-team playoff, Notre Dame and Ohio State would not have been anywhere in sight.

 

All considered, there is no doubt in my mind that Notre Dame and Ohio State are the two best teams in the country right now. It is just a matter of which one will become the best team in the country. Notre Dame has won 13 national championships – the last one in 1988. Ohio State has won eight national championships – the last one in 2014.

 

I’m not only for the 12-team playoff, but I’m also all for expanding it to 16 teams, with no privileged seedings for any of the conference champions – Power Four or Group of Five. Seed the 16 teams in the playoff in the exact order as they are ranked in the final CFP selection committee rankings. If no Group of Five team is ranked in the Top 16, then no Group of Five team should be in the playoff. On the other hand, if two or three Group of Five teams are ranked in the Top 16, then those two or three Group of Five teams should be in the playoff. It’s as simple as that. Enough said.

 

Notre Dame and Ohio State are the two best teams in the country. Let’s hope Monday night’s game lives up to its hype. Let’s hope it is a classic. The two semifinal games were classics. Now it’s up to Notre Dame and Ohio State to give us their best.

 

It’s been interesting to read and hear a few pundits out there write and/or comment that if Ohio State wins the national championship, it would only be justice and appropriate for Buckeyes’ coach Ryan Day to resign from his job, tell Ohio State fans goodbye and take one of the NFL head coach openings. Day actually received death threats after Ohio State lost to Michigan.

 

And speaking of NFL openings, the latest has Colorado coach Deion Sanders and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in talks with one another. According to Fox Sports, there is mutual interest between the two. Sanders spent five of his NFL playing years with the Cowboys from 1995 to 1999. Previously, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Sanders had expressed interest in the Las Vegas Raiders opening. Sanders has said he would only leave Colorado if he has the chance to coach both of his sons in the NFL.

 

For a while it looked like quarterback Quinn Ewers was pulling a Carson Beck. Several days ago, Ewers, who has another year of eligibility, said he was most likely entering the NFL draft this spring. A few days later, Ewers let it be known that he may enter the portal and transfer to another school. Regardless, he wasn’t going to be playing for Texas next season. Then yesterday, Ewers said he was most definitely entering the NFL draft. Apparently, unlike Beck, no schools waved any $4 million deals at him. ESPN’s Paul Finebaum is skeptical about Ewers’ future in the NFL. Finebaum commented, “Quinn Ewers will be very good as a placeholder for point after attempts in the NFL.”  

 

May the best team win Monday night.

 

Touchdown Tom

January 16, 2025

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Touchdown Tom’s Prediction for the College Football Playoff (Championship Game)

 

Notre Dame (14-1) vs. Ohio State (13-2) – (Ind. vs. Big Ten) – College Football Playoff Championship – (Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, Georgia) – 7:30 pm ET, Monday, ESPN (Gametime temp and weather forecast: 29 degrees and clear. Fortunately, for those attending the game, Mercedes-Benz Stadium is an indoor stadium.) – This is it. This is what every team has been playing for this season. Notre Dame and Ohio State made it. Both the Irish and the Buckeyes win their games on defense. That’s not to say that their offenses are bad. Their offenses are good, but their defenses are better. And Ohio State’s defense is the better of the two – slightly better. Notre Dame’s defense has been giving up 17 points a game in its three playoff games. The Irish gave up 14 points a game during the season. Notre Dame has been winning its playoff games by 8.7 points a game – 27.7-17. On defense, the Irish are 2^nd in the country in passing yards allowed (165) and 2^nd in the country in points allowed (14). They are 9^th in the country in total yards allowed (299). Ohio State’s defense has been giving up 17 points a game in its three playoff games. The Buckeyes gave up 12 points a game during the season. Ohio State has been winning its playoff games by 19.7 points a game – 37-17.3. On defense, the Buckeyes are 1^st in the country in total yards allowed (251), 1^st in the country in passing yards allowed (161), 1^st in the country in points allowed (12) and 3^rd in the country in rushing yards allowed (90). That’s pretty impressive. Other than points scored per game, neither offense ranks among the elite. Notre Dame’s offense has been averaging 11 fewer points a game in the playoff than during the season. Ohio State’s offense has been averaging about the same points per game as it did during the season. The Buckeyes have been playing better on offense in the playoff than they did during the season. Of the two quarterbacks, Ohio State’s Will Howard has the better statistics. Howard has passed for 3,779 yards and 33 touchdowns, completing 73% of his passes. He averaged about 265 yards a game passing and threw 11 interceptions. Notre Dame quarterback Riley Lenard passed for 2,606 yards and 19 touchdowns, completing 66% of his passes. Riley averaged about 194 yards a game and threw 8 interceptions. Against Tennessee and Oregon, Ohio State’s offense was overwhelming. It was hot. Against Texas, it calmed down. It cooled off. Notre Dame’s offense has been methodical in all three playoff games. It wasn’t flashy but it got the job done. This game could well be won on defense – a chess match between the coaches. Ryan Day says, “checkmate” – Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 20.

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful. And it’s intriguing. I love Jerry and believe in Jerry. After you hang up and process it and think about it, it’s intriguing. But I love Boulder and everything there is about our team, the coaches, the student body and the community,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders.

 

“Ryan Day has lost to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and Michigan twice. Everybody beats him does so because they’re more physical than Ohio State. I know Notre Dame will take that same approach,” Lou Holtz, on why he thinks Notre Dame will beat Ohio State.

 

“If Notre Dame doesn’t win, it’s because we want to preserve Ryan Day’s job,” former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz.

 

“I’d like to know where Lou Holtz is right now. What he said about our team, I cannot believe. This is a tough team right here. We’re proud to be from Ohio. It’s always been Ohio against the world. I don’t know where he gets off saying those types of things. I have some other things I’d like to say too, but I’m not going to say them because I’m more respectful than he is,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day, responding to Lou Holtz.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

(The next CFW – Week 22 Results – will be posted Tuesday morning, January 21.)

 

CFW Week 20 Results - Carson Beck is a Miami Hurricane

 CFW Week 20 Results – Carson Beck is a Miami Hurricane

And classics they were

 

After a number of romps and routs in the College Football Playoff, the two semifinal games lived up to their hype. They were classics. Notre Dame’s Mitch Jeter kicked a 41-yard field goal with 0:07 remaining on the clock to beat Penn State, 27-24. Trailing Ohio State, 21-14, Texas was on the Buckeyes’ goal line with less than three minutes to go in the game. But with 2:13 on the clock, a Quin Ewers fumble was returned for a touchdown by Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer. Ohio State beat Texas, 28-14.

 

The two halves of the Notre Dame-Penn State game in the Orange Bowl were like two different games. The first half was all defense. The second half, especially the fourth quarter, was all offense. The teams combined for all of 17 points in the first half. In the second half, they tallied a combined 38 points. And 31 of those 38 points were scored in the fourth quarter.

 

Penn State led at the end of the first half, 10-7. Notre Dame led at the end of the second half, 27-24. The Irish couldn’t find the goal line in the first half because Notre Dame’s offensive line was inefficient. They couldn’t protect their quarterback – Riley Leonard. Leonard was under pressure on every passing play. Penn State only had 10 points at halftime because the Nittany Lion offense didn’t take advantage of the Notre Dame defense. In the first half, the Irish defense lacked the speed to contain Penn State, yet the Nittany Lions couldn’t score more than 10 points.

 

Against the Irish, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar needed to improve his passing game from the week before against Boise State. He didn’t. Against Boise State, Allar passed for 171 yards and three touchdowns. He completed 52% of his tosses. Against Notre Dame, in spite of having good protection from his offensive line, Allar passed for 135 yards and no touchdowns. And he still only completed 52% of his passes. Against Boise State, Allar threw no interceptions. Against Notre Dame, he threw one interception. More amazing – Penn State’s wide receivers had no catches against Notre Dame.

 

On the other hand, Riley Leonard, in spite of poor protection from his offensive line, passed for 223 yards and one touchdown. He completed 65% of his passes. He did throw two interceptions. But overall, Leonard’s passing performance against Penn State was better than his passing performance against Georgia the previous week.

 

Mixing running and passing, in the Orange Bowl, Ohio State moved the ball down the field on its first possession and scored with ease. The Buckeyes were up 7-0 with 7:24 to go in the first quarter. It looked like Texas was going to be another Tennessee and Oregon cupcake for Ohio State.

 

But after that Ohio State’s opening score, the Texas defense tightened up. Ohio State’s defense continued to play tough. The two offenses were immobile. Finally, with 29 seconds on the clock before halftime, Texas scored a touchdown to even things up at 7-7. However, on the very next play from scrimmage, after Texas kicked off to Ohio State, the Buckeyes scored on a 75-yard pass play from Will Howard to TreVeyon Henderson with 13 seconds to go. Just like that, the Buckeyes were back up by seven – 14-7.

 

The defenses continued to play tough throughout the third and fourth quarters. While the Buckeyes were held scoreless in the third quarter, Texas scored a touchdown at the 3:12 mark. As the fourth quarter began, Ohio State and Texas were tied, 14-14. Halfway through the fourth quarter, the game remained tied. Then, at the 7:02 mark, Ohio State scored a touchdown to go up 21-14.

 

In the closing minutes of the game, Texas got a drive going. With less than three minutes remaining, the Longhorns had a first-and-goal on the Ohio State one. For three downs, Texas failed to score. On fourth down, Quinn Ewers fumbled attempting to throw a pass. Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer knocked the ball out of Ewers’ hand. The ball fell to the ground and bounced up into Sawyer’s hands. Swayer scampered 83 yards for a Buckeye touchdown – Ohio State 28, Texas 14.

 

So, after going 0-4 against Texas while he was at Kansas State, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard finally got a win over the Longhorns.

 

Meanwhile, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian still can’t win a big game. Last year, Washington beat Texas in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. This year, Texas lost twice to Georgia – the second loss coming in the SEC championship game. Maybe Sarkisian should move on to the NFL.

 

Misery loves company. Sarkisian is not alone in his woes. Penn State coach James Franklin can’t win a big game either.

 

2024 wasn’t a good season for Texas Quarterback Quinn Ewers. When you have a first-and-goal on the one and you can’t score, you don’t deserve to win the game. At that point in the game, maybe Arch Manning should have been installed at the quarterback position. 

 

Leading up to the Ohio State-Texas game, USA Today’s Matt Hayes wrote, “Before the Cotton Bowl game, SEC fans weren’t happy that Texas was the conference’s last hope in the College Football Playoff. In fact, the Cotton Bowl semifinal against loathsome Ohio State developed into which team makes you want to puke more – Texas or Ohio State.

 

Before the game, Michael Bratton, host and owner of That SEC Podcast, said that 80% of SEC fans are rooting against Texas to win it all. That SEC Podcast is the highest-rated SEC show on Apple and Spotify. “If it were anyone but Texas, things would be different,” Bratton said.  “But the arrogance from the Texas fans has rubbed most SEC fans the wrong way.”

 

Ohio State will play Notre Dame for the national championship at 7:30 pm ET, January 20, in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

Former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck will be quarterbacking the Miami Hurricanes next season. Originally, Beck said he was entering the NFL draft. Then, several days ago, he announced his entry into the transfer portal. Friday, we learned Beck is transferring to Miami. He will receive an NIL package of $4 million at Miami.

 

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Deion Sanders is interested in the Las Vegas Raiders head coaching vacancy. Sanders’ agent has contacted the Raiders to express Deion’s interest in the job. Tom Brady, a minority owner of the Raiders has worked with and mentored Deion’s son Shedeur Sanders. The Raiders have the No. 6 pick in this year’s draft. In an interview last week, Deion said, “The only way I would consider leaving Colorado is to coach my sons. Not son. Sons.”

 

Singer Sam More, best known as a member of the soul and R&B duo Sam & Dave, died Friday. Sam & Dave had several hits in the late 1960s, including “Hold On I’m Comin,’” “When Something Is Wrong with My Baby,” “Soul Man” and “I Thank You.” Moore was the higher tenor voice of the duo. The other half of the duo, Dave Prater, died in 1988. On most of the duo’s recordings, they were backed by Isaac Hayes (on piano), Booker T and The MGs and The Memphis Horns. A native of Miami, Florida, Samuel David Moore was 89. 

 

Former Colorado football coach Bill McCartney died Friday. McCartney coached the Buffaloes for 13 seasons from 1982 to 1994. He compiled a 93-55-5 record. Under McCartney, Colorado won three consecutive Big Eight Conference titles – 1989-1991. The 1990 team was crowned national champions by the Associated Press. Colorado shared that title with Georgia Tech who finished first in the Coaches Poll. In college, McCartney played football for Missouri. A native of Riverview, Michigan, William Paul McCartney, was 84.

 

Touchdown Tom

January 12, 2025

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

(The next CFW – Week 22 Forecast – will be posted Thursday morning, January 16.)

 

 

Review of the College Football Playoff (Semifinals)

 

Irish eyes were smiling – (in the Orange Bowl) – Notre Dame 27, Penn State 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 24, Penn State 21) – The scoring went in spurts and Notre Dame spurted at the right time. Penn State opened with two scores and led 10-0 in the second quarter. Then Notre Dame scored 17 unanswered points (a field goal and two touchdowns). The Irish led 17-10 early in the fourth quarter. Penn State bounced back, scoring 14 unanswered points. The Nittany Lions led 24-17 midway through the fourth quarter. But as I said, Notre Dame spurted at the right time. The Irish scored 10 unanswered points (a touchdown and a field goal) in the final 4:38 of the game. Notre Dame ended up on top – 27-24. Irish receiver Jared Greathouse had 7 catches for 105 yards. Penn State tight end Tyler Warren had 6 catches for 75 yards. Nittany Lions’ running back Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen rushed for 84 yards and 82 yards respectively. Notre Dame had 383 total yards to 339 yards for Penn State. The Irish were the passing team, while the Nittany Lions were the running team. Possession time was all but even – 30:04 to 29:56 in favor of Penn State. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 66,881

 

Horns down – (in the Cotton Bowl Classic) – Ohio State 28, Texas 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 34, Texas 27) – The game was tied twice at 7-7 and 14-14, but at no time did Texas ever have the lead. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard was 24-33-1, passing for 289 yards and one touchdown. Buckeyes’ receiver Carnell Tate had 7 catches for 87 yards. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers was 23-39-1, passing for 283 yards and two touchdowns. Combined, the teams had 711 yards passing, but only 131 yards rushing. Texas just had 58 yards rushing. The defenses shut down the running games. Backup Texas quarterback Arch Manning had one run for 8 yards. Prior to the game, Ewers said he doesn’t expect to play college football next season and will probably enter the NFL draft. Attendance in Arlington: 74,527

 

Quarterfinal CFP Picks:  2 winners, 0 fumbles

Total CFP Picks:               8 winners, 2 fumbles

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“What I don’t like about Notre Dame is the arrogance that Notre Dame football is too good for everyone else,” ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum.

 

“It took all of four months for SEC fans to figure out what the rest of the college football world has known forever. There is no love for the Longhorns outside of those whose blood runs burnt orange,” USA Today sports writer Matt Hayes.

 

“To make a play like that in that moment. He just became a legend at Ohio State,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day, on his tight end Jack Sawyers.

 

“Throughout the course of history, Notre Dame has been the most hated team in America. They’re not anymore. Marcus Freeman has made them likeable,” ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum.

 

“Hell of a fight tonight men of Texas Longhorns football. After the pain subsides, be sure and love on each other and yourselves for so much that you did so well so much of this year. It was a season to be proud of,” Matthew McConaughey, after the Cotton Bowl game.

 

 

P.S.

 

Not exactly college football related, but on the 12^th 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 going back to work or school, the number one song in the country…

 

…80 years ago, this week in 1945, was “Don’t Fence Me In” by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters

 

…75 years ago, this week in 1950, was “I Can Dream, Can’t I?” by The Andrews Sisters with Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra

 

…70 years ago, this week in 1955, was “Let Me Go Lover” by Joan Weber

 

…65 years ago, this week in 1960, was “El Paso” by Marty Robbins

 

…60 years ago, this week in 1965, was “Come See About Me” by The Supremes

 

…55 years ago, this week in 1970, was “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” by B.J. Thomas

 

…50 years ago, this week in 1975, was “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” by Elton John

 

…45 years ago, this week in 1980, was “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes

 

…40 years ago, this week in 1985, was “Like A Virgin” by Madonna

 

…35 years ago, this week in 1990, was “Another Day In Paradise” by Phil Collins

 

CFW Week 20 Forecast - NIU leaving MAC for MWC

 CFW Week 20 Forecast – NIU leaving MAC for MWC

CFP semifinal games have

the potential to be classics

 

We’re down to the final four of the College Football Playoff and it all begins tonight in the Orange Bowl – Notre Dame vs. Penn State. The final four continues tomorrow night in the Cotton Bowl Classic – Ohio State vs. Texas. Notre Dame and Penn State lucked out. The weather will be pleasant in Miami Gardens, Florida. Ohio State and Texas aren’t so lucky. Near freezing temperatures and snow are forecast for Arlington, Texas. The good news: the game will be indoors.

 

For what it is worth, Notre Dame is a 2-point favorite over Penn State. And according to ESPN analysts, Notre Dame is a 58.5% favorite to win. If Notre Dame’s defense plays as well as it did against Georgia, the Irish should win.

 

The game could come down to the play of the two quarterbacks – Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard and Penn State’s Drew Allar. If Notre Dame is to win, Leonard needs to pass better than he did against Georgia. In that game, Leonard only passed for 90 yards and only averaged 3.8 yards per completion. Then again, he was up against a good Georgia defense.

 

If Penn State is to win, Allar needs to have a better completion rate than he had against Boise State. In that game, Allar only completed 52% of his passes. And Boise State had one of the worst pass defenses in the country.   

 

Before transferring to Notre Dame, Riley Leonard had three seasons at Duke. The 6-4 senior was born in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. When he was in kindergarten, Leonard’s family moved to Fairhope, Alabama, where he grew up. He graduated from Fairhope High School and had offers to play quarterback at Duke, Nebraska, Syracuse and Tulane. Leonard was also a good basketball player in high school. He had basketball offers from St. Mary’s, North Alabama, Samford and Missouri State. Leonard chose football and Duke.

 

Drew Allar was born and raised in Medina, Ohio. He is the tallest of the four quarterbacks in the semifinals. The 6-5, junior is the only one of the four semifinal quarterbacks who has not transferred in his college career. His senior year at Medina High School, Allar was named Ohio’s Mr. Football.

 

In Friday night’s game, Ohio State is a 6-point favorite over Texas. However, according to ESPN analysts, Texas is a 50.6 percent favorite to win. That’s a pretty close margin considering the momentum Ohio State seems to have going – a 25-point win over Tennessee and a 20-point win over Oregon. The Buckeyes have been on a mission since their season-ending loss to Michigan.  

 

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard certainly has the incentive to win this game. The 6-4 senior was 0-4 against Texas during his years at Kansas State. Following his fourth season with the Wildcats, Howard transferred to Ohio State for his final season of football. Born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Howard grew up in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Downingtown West High School. His senior year, he was named the Pennsylvania Player of the Year. In addition to Kansas State, Howard had offers from Maryland, Minnesota, Rutgers and Kansas. Like Leonard, he was also a good basketball player in high school.

 

If Texas is to win this game, quarterback Quinn Ewers may have to play his best game of the season – much better than he has played in recent games. A native of San Antonio, Texas, Ewers’ family moved to Southlake, Texas when he was eight. He graduated from Southlake Carroll High School, where he was also a good baseball player. Ewers, a 6-2 junior, had an interesting beginning to his college football career, especially when you consider who the Longhorns are playing. Out of high school, the Texas quarterback originally signed with and enrolled at Ohio State. However, after one semester in Columbus, Ewers transferred to Texas. 

 

And, of course, these two games could easily come down to the running games. That’s where Penn State and Ohio State have the edge. Then there is the other quarterback angle with Texas. Will Arch Manning see any action? Could Penn State tight end Tyler Warren be a deciding factor for the Nittany Lions?

 

I’m thinking the Notre Dame-Penn State crowd in the Orange Bowl will be about 50-50. However, in the Cotton Bowl, you have to believe Texas will have a strong crowd advantage. That could be a plus for the Longhorns. But if Ohio State starts out the way the Buckeyes did against Tennessee and Oregon, the Texas crowd will quickly be silenced.

 

If Ohio State and Penn State both win, it not only will be an all-Big Ten championship game, but also the championship game will be a rematch. During the season, Ohio State beat Penn State, 20-13, in State College. An all-Big Ten championship game will surely rankle SEC fans. Even more so when you consider that an SEC team was not in the championship game last year.  

 

So many angles to the two semifinal games. The wait is almost over.

 

Mid-American Conference member Northern Illinois is leaving the MAC and will join the Mountain West Conference for football only on July 1, 2026. NIU will join either the Missouri Valley Conference, the Ohio Valley Conference or the Horizon League for all other sports.

 

Iowa State coach Matt Campbell is expected to interview with the Chicago Bears.

 

Attendance at this year’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl between Minnesota and Virginia Tech was the lowest in the bowl’s 23-year history. The game drew 31,027 fans. The previous low was 32,000-plus at the Texas A&M-Wake Forest game in 2017.

 

Singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer Peter Yarrow, of the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary died on Tuesday. Peter, Paul and Mary are famous for such hits as “If I Had A Hammer,” “Puff The Magic Dargon,” “Blowin’ In the Wind,” “Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right,” “I Dig Rock And Roll Music” and “Leaving On A Jet Plane,” among others. From 1962 to 1972, the group placed 23 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Yarrow is the second member of the group who has died. Mary Travers passed away at 72 in 2009. The third member of the trio – Noel Paul Stookey – is still active today at 87. A native of New York City, Peter Yarrow was 86.

 

Touchdown Tom

January 9, 2025

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

FCS Championship

 

North Dakota State 35, Montana State 32 – Attendance in Frisco: 18,005

 

 

Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for the College Football Playoff (Semifinals)

 

Notre Dame (13-1) vs. Penn State (13-2) – (Ind. vs. Big Ten) – College Football Playoff Semifinal – (Orange Bowl – Miami Gardens, Florida) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN (Gametime temp and weather forecast: 59 degrees and clear) – In the final CFP rankings, Penn State was 4^th, and Notre Dame was 5^th. In the CFP bracket, Penn State was seeded 6^th and Notre Dame was seeded 7^th. The two teams have been bunched up against each other in the rankings and in the seedings. Now, in the semifinals, they are about to play each other. Both are high-scoring teams on offense. Notre Dame averages 38 points a game; Penn State averages 34. Both teams have good defenses. Notre Dame allows 14 points a game; Penn State allows 16. Penn State is stronger at the running game. The Nittany Lions have better running backs, with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. The two teams are roughly equal at the quarterback position. Neither has a spectacular quarterback. Both have quarterbacks who are stable and solid – Drew Allar for Penn State and Riley Leonard for Notre Dame. Both completed 67% of their passes this season. Leonard only had 6 interceptions. Allar only had 7. Notre Dame, basically, played no strong teams during the regular season. The Irish do have good wins over Indiana and Georgia in the playoff. Indiana and Georgia were both good teams. Penn State played three strong teams during the season – Illinois, Ohio State and Oregon. The Nittany Lions lost to Ohio State and Oregon. In the playoff, Penn State has good wins over SMU and Boise State. However, SMU and Boise State may have been the two weakest teams in the playoff. Penn State and Notre Dame had one common opponent this season – USC. Both played the Trojans in the Coliseum in Los Angeles. I’m not one to compare scores, but on October 12, Penn State beat USC, 33-30 (OT). On November 30, Notre Dame beat the Trojans, 49-35. James Franklin doesn’t understand Gaelic – Notre Dame 24, Penn State 21.

 

Ohio State (12-2) vs. Texas (13-2) – (Big Ten vs. SEC) – College Football Playoff Semifinal – (Cotton Bowl Classic – Arlington, Texas) – 7:30 pm ET, Friday, ESPN (Gametime temp and weather forecast: 34 degrees and snow) – I’m sure the roof will be closed on AT&T Stadium. In the final CFP rankings, Texas was 3^rd and Ohio State was 6^th. In the CFP bracket, Texas was seeded 5^th and Ohio State was seeded 8^th. However, in the playoff, Ohio State has been the more impressive team to date. Texas definitely needs to step up its game tomorrow night. Both teams are strong on offense. Ohio State averages 36 points a game; Texas averages 34. Both are strong on defense. Ohio State allows 12 points a game; Texas allows 15. Ohio State is stronger at the running game. The Buckeyes have better running backs with TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. Although, Texas’ Quintrevion Wisner has been improving. Both teams have good quarterbacks – Will Howard for Ohio State and Quin Ewers for Texas. Howard completed 73% of his passes, throwing 9 interceptions. Ewers has been shaky at times. He completed 67% of his passes and threw 11 interceptions. Texas only played one strong team during the season – Georgia. In fact, the Longhorns played Georgia twice and lost both times. Texas has been a little shaky in its two playoff wins over Clemson and Arizona State. Ohio State played three strong teams during the season – Oregon, Penn state and Indiana. The Buckeyes lost to Oregon and beat Penn State and Indiana. In the playoff, Ohio State has two impressive wins over Tennessee and Oregon. Ohio State and Texas had one common opponent during the season – Michigan. Again, I’m not one to compare scores but it is always fun to throw it into the mix. On September 17, Texas beat Michigan in Ann Arbor, 31-12. On November 30, Ohio State lost to Michigan in Columbus, 13-10. The Buckeyes mess with Texas – Ohio State 34, Texas 27.

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“It should be consistent across college football. This is no knock at Notre Dame, but I think everybody should be in a conference. I think everybody should play a conference championship game, or nobody should play a conference championship game. I think everybody should play the same number of conference games, Penn State coach James Franklin.

 

“Win or lose, Ryan Day should leave Ohio State,” CBS Sports writer Dennis Dodd.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

(The next CFW – Week 20 Results – will be posted on Monday morning, January 13.)

 

College Football Week 19 Results - CFP semifinals up next

 College Football Week 19 Results – CFP semifinals up next

In the previous 4-team CFP, Ohio State

and Notre Dame would not be playing

 

The last of the 35 non-playoff bowl games has been played. The first two rounds of the College Football Playoff have been played. The only games remaining to be played are the two College Football Playoff semifinal games and the CFP national championship game.

 

The first of the two semifinal games will be played Thursday night, January 9, in the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida – Notre Dame (13-1) vs. Penn State (13-2). The second of the two semifinal games will be played Friday night, January 10, in the Cotton Bowl Classic in Arlington, Texas – Ohio State (12-2) vs. Texas (13-2). The winners of those two games will meet January 20 in Atlanta, Georgia, for the national championship.

 

This was the first season for the 12-team playoff. Prior to this season, we had a four-team College Football Playoff for 10 years, going back to 2014. The four teams in the playoff were the Top 4 teams in the selection committee’s final CFP rankings. If we still had a four-team playoff this season, Notre Dame and Ohio State would not be in the playoff.

 

When the selection committee’s final CFP rankings were released on December 8, the Top 4 teams were Oregon, Georgia, Texas and Penn State. Notre Dame was 5^th and Ohio State was 6^th. Under the old four-team format, Oregon would be playing Penn State in one semifinal game and Georgia would be playing Texas in the other. Oregon-Penn State would have been a rematch of the Big Ten championship game. Georgia-Texas not only would have been a rematch of the SEC title game, but also the third meeting between the two schools this season. Thank goodness we have a 12-team playoff.    

 

Of the four teams in the semifinals, Ohio State, Penn State and Notre Dame are peaking. Those three teams are playing their best football. They appear to be the strongest. Notre Dame is riding a 12-game winning streak. Ohio State was awesome in its two CFP wins over No. 7 Tennessee and No. 1 Oregon. Penn State was impressive in its two CFP wins over SMU and Boise State.

 

The fourth team in the semifinals – Texas – raises some doubts after the Longhorns’ shaky and tarnished win over Arizona State. Shaky because it took Texas two overtimes to subdue Arizona State. Tarnished because of the officials’ screw up, reversing the decision on the targeting call, which in reality was targeting. Unlike the other three teams, Texas doesn’t appear to be playing its best football. The Longhorns aren’t peaking.

 

However, Texas has the advantage of playing Ohio State in the Longhorns’ backyard – Dallas.  With the game in the Cotton Bowl, it will feel like a home game for Texas. That could be a game changer.  

 

So, we are down to two Big Ten teams, one SEC team and one Independent in the final four. The 12-team playoff began with four Big Ten teams, three SEC teams, two ACC teams, one each from the Big 12 and MWC and one Independent. The poor ACC was not only 0-2 in the playoff, but also, the ACC was 2-9 in the non-playoff bowl games – 2-11 overall.

 

The rise of younger coaches was evident in the CFP quarterfinals. Four of the eight coaches are in their 30s. Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and Oregon’s Dan Lanning are 38. Boise State’s Spencer Danielson is 36. Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham is the baby of the group at 34. The other coaches aren’t exactly old men. Ohio State’s Ryan Day and Georgia’s Kirby Smart are in their 40s. Day is 45 and Smart is 49. Texas’ Steve Sarkisian comes in at 50, while Penn State’s James Franklin is the elder statesman of the group at only 52.  

 

 

The delayed College Football Playoff game between Notre Dame and Georgia got underway on Thursday afternoon. It was a defensive battle. Neither team had any offense. Notre Dame couldn’t pass, and Georgia couldn’t run. In the end, the Irish beat the Dawgs, 23-10. After the game, Georgia fans took to social media to trash offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. Actually, Bobo has not been very popular with Georgia fans all season. But he is Kirby Smart’s best bud.

 

The first of the remaining four bowl games took place after the Notre Dame-Georgia playoff game. In Jacksonville, Ole Miss trounced Duke, 52-20, in the Gator Bowl. With Ole Miss up 45-7 midway through the fourth quarter, Magnolias’ coach Lane Kiffin still had starting quarterback Jaxson Dart in the game, throwing passes for touchdowns. Finally, with one minute remaining and Ole Miss up 52-14, Kiffin replaced Dart with backup quarterback Austin Simmons. However, he had Simmons throwing passes down the field, attempting to get another touchdown. Any coach with class would have removed Dart from the game sooner and would have had Simmons taking a knee.

 

Texas State and North Texas opened the action on Friday in the First Responder Bowl from Dallas. North Texas was strong in the first and fourth quarters. Texas State was stronger in the second and third quarters. The Bobcats beat the Mean Green, 30-28.

 

If you like mayonnaise, especially Duke’s Mayonnaise, then the next bowl was up your alley. If you watched it on TV, you know that ESPN spends as much time, if not more, eating mayonnaise on pizza, on moon pies, on sandwiches with bananas, et cetera, et cetera, than they do covering the game itself. In between all the mayonnaise promotions, Minnesota beat Virginia Tech, 24-10, in what else than the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. As the winning coach, P.J. Fleck got the five-gallon tub of mayonnaise dumped on him after the game.

 

The last of the non-playoff bowl games matched two teams who had not played a game in more than five weeks. Buffalo had not played in 39 days and Liberty had gone 36 days without playing football. Apparently, the long layoff hurt Liberty more than Buffalo. The Flames were scoreless until the final seven minutes of the final quarter. Buffalo beat Liberty, 26-7, in the Bahamas Bowl.

 

Rumors persist that Texas coach Steve Sarkisian could be headed to the NFL as a head coach. Stay tuned!

 

Oregon began the year on the wrong webfoot. The day after Ohio State beat the Ducks, 41-21, in football, Oregon lost to Illinois, 109-77, in basketball.

 

Touchdown Tom

January 6, 2025

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Review of the Final Four Bowl Games

 

Ole Miss Darted past the Dookies – (in the Gator Bowl) – Ole Miss 52, Duke 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 30, Duke 21). This game was a mismatch from the get-go. Duke was totally outmanned and outplayed. Ole Miss racked up 589 total yards. Duke was held to 44 rushing yards. Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart passed for 404 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 43 yards. Ole Miss receiver Jordan Watkins had 7 catches for 180 yards. Duke never could get its act together. The game will go down as the most boring and biggest mismatch of the 2024 bowl season. Attendance in Jacksonville: 31,290

 

The Green weren’t Mean – (in the First Responder Bowl) – Texas State 30, North Texas 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas State 35, North Texas 28). After Texas State took an initial 3-0 lead, North Texas scored a touchdown and went up 7-3 at the 6:33 mark in the first quarter. The Mean Green held the lead until 3:27 to go in the first half. That’s when Texas State went back up 16-14. The Bobcats never relinquished the lead for the remainder of the game. North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker, making his first start for the Mean Green, passed for 393 yards and two touchdowns. Mean Green receiver Damon Ward had 5 catches for 133 yards. Texas State quarterback James McCloud passed for 307 yards and one touchdown. Running back Lincoln Pare rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Bobcats’ receiver Jaden Williams had 8 catches for 155 yards. The two teams combined for 999 total yards. It was a messy game. There were 18 penalties and five turnovers. Attendance in Dallas: 28,725.

 

P.J. Fleck got a mayonnaise bath – (in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl) – Minnesota 24, Virginia Tech 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Minnesota 23, Virginia Tech 21). Virginia Tech scored first and went up 7-0 in the first quarter. Then Minnesota went wild, scoring 21 unanswered points in the second quarter. The Golden Gophers led 21-7. The Hokies added a field goal just before the half. That was basically all the scoring in the game. Thirty-one of the game’s 34 points were scored in the first half. The game was all but over at halftime. Minnesota did add a field goal early in the fourth quarter. Minnesota running back Darius Taylor rushed for 113 yards. Virginia Tech receiver Ayden Greene had 6 catches for 115 yards. The Gophers had 23 first downs to 9 for the Hokies. Tech was held to 74 yards rushing. Possession favored Minnesota: 35:19 to 24:36. Attendance in Charlotte: 31,027

 

Doused – (in the Bahamas Bowl) – Buffalo 26, Liberty 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Buffalo 27, Liberty 24). Buffalo scored in every quarter, building up a 26-0 lead early in the fourth quarter. Buffalo running back Al-Jay Henderson rushed for 119 yards and one touchdown. Buffalo led in first downs 18 to 11 and held Liberty to 80 yards passing. The Flames had three turnovers. Possession favored Buffalo: 37:01 to 22:59. Attendance in Nassau: 4,610

 

Final Four Bowl Game Picks:  4 winners, 0 fumble (100 percent)

Total Bowl Game Picks:       24 winners, 11fumbles (68.6 percent)

 

 

Review of the College Football Playoff (Quarterfinals)

 

How ’bout them Gaels? – (in the Sugar Bowl) – Notre Dame 23, Georgia 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, Georgia 24). Especially the Gael defense. When was the last time Georgia was held to 62 yards rushing? The Irish defense held the Dawgs to 3 points in the first half. Notre Dame led 13-3 at the halftime break. The Irish increased the lead to 20-3 on a 98-yard kickoff return as the third quarter began. Georgia got a third quarter touchdown to make it a 20-10 game. But the Dawgs never scored again. The Dawgs had opportunities, but the Irish defense stymied the Georgia offense on several occasions. Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard, the game’s MVP, passed for 90 yards and one touchdown. Riley also rushed for 80 yards. Leonard’s 90 yards passing was the fewest passing yards by a winning team in a playoff game since the playoffs began in 2014. Attendance in New Orleans: 57,267

 

Quarterfinal CFP Picks:  3 winners, 1 fumble

Total CFP Picks:          6 winners, 2 fumbles

 

 

Superlatives

 

Impressive Passers:

 

Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart – 27-35-0 for 404 yards (4TDs), and North Texas’ Drew Mestemaker – 26-41-2-393 (2TDs).

 

Impressive Runner:

 

Texas State’s Lincoln Pare – 143 yards (2TDs).

 

 

Division III Championship

 

North Central 41, Mount Union 25 – Attendance in Houston: 1,938

 

 

FCS Championship (January 6)

 

North Dakota State (13-2) vs. Montana State (15-0)

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“Alabama fans must accept their new reality.” CBS Sports writer Tom Fornelli.

 

“They will not be blaming Kirby Smart. They will be blaming Mike Bobo, who is the offensive coordinator. He came in and took over for Todd Monken, who went to the NFL. And quite frankly, nobody is very happy with him. He’s Kirby Smart’s best friend. They were roommates in college. And many believe that Kirby Smart has looked past reality and simply respected and honored a friend who used to work for Mark Richt at Georgia and then moved on and failed as a head coach,” ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum, on Georgia’s offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.

 

“Make it a double,” Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck just before the five-gallon tub of mayonnaise was dumped on him.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

(The next CFW – Week 20 Forecast – will be posted on Thursday morning, January 9.)