I needed a week to get my thoughts straight. I wanted some time to relax and overcome the events that happened with Damar Hamlin and the Bills. (Plus one team winning the Rose Bowl, and two others giving me premium salt) Anyways we need to recite what occurred during Bowl Season in College Football.
USC Trojans (Overrated Written All Over It): All the hype this program got in the summer. All the talk about how Lincoln Riley was going to become the next savior of USC Football. That will have to wait another year. Just like they did earlier in the season the Trojans laid a massive egg against Utah on National TV. But this time it wasn’t even close. Yes Caleb Williams was injured, but even then it would have been tough to pull off the victory. (Nice kid, not worthy of the Heisman) They had no answers for Utah’s running game, as well as Cam Rising both with his arm and legs. Once the 2nd Half came, the Utes like last year dismantled their PAC12 Title opponent with ease. You like pain USC? How about blowing a 17 point lead to lose by 23. At least you can make up for it in the Cotton Bowl? BOOM! YOU LOST TO TULANE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
TCU Horned Frogs (Nothing to worry about): All I can say is what a game this ended up becoming. These two squads played in the regular season but it was TCU that got the last laugh. On this day K-State would return the favor. This was a true shootout that I really didn’t want to see end in regulation. Both the running game and passing game for both teams were clicking. Max Duggan and Will Howard were in a duel for the ages. You know what this game needed? OT. On the first possession, the Horned Frogs were stuffed thanks to an epic goal line stand due to sheer will on the other side. Kansas State will obviously take advantage of this and win the game. TCU don’t worry, you needed this loss to give you a kick in the teeth going into the playoff. Just regroup and get yourselves ready for Michigan, YOU GOT THIS!
UCF Knights (It’s Hard to Beat a Team Twice): Lets just say that it would have been very hard to win twice in a season against Tulane in the same season. UCF was dominated right from the opening kickoff. I don’t care if the Knights ended up making this a game, on the stat sheet it was a complete mismatch. They couldn’t stop Michael Pratt or other weapons from the Green Wave. I know this is the only title game that isn’t played at a neutral site, but don’t hate me, hate the AAC Committee for installing this. Even in defeat the offense looked good, it’s just that you can’t win when you give up almost 700 yards of total offense. Tulane wins this clash, and eventually goes on to rip the souls of USC in the Cotton Bowl. For UCF, you must go back to the drawing board. Quick fixes are needed after a game like this.
LSU Tigers (Caged by Dawgs): This is why you don’t lose to Texas A&M on the final day of the regular season. Because we all knew this would be the outcome. Georgia went fishing early on in this one. They let the Tigers drive the length of the field but then stopped them just before they reached the goal line. And on top of that, they blocked the field goal and returned it for a touchdown because Brian Kelly had no idea that it was still a live ball. From that point on, the Dawgs unleashed their typical beatdown towards a team that only made it there because Alabama was banged up and underachieving. They couldn’t contain Stetson Bennett, or the weapons Georgia had on both sides. I know LSU had 30 points but most of them were in garbage time. Still for Kelly to make it to the SEC Title Game in one season after the way he left Notre Dame is a major boost of confidence for them. They’ll be back here again, but I just don’t know if they can get past the Tide long term. Knowing his recruiting reputation in South Bend, it’s probably going with him. NEXT!
Purdue Boilermakers (At Least They Put Up a Fight): This game was probably the most predictable of the Conference Title Games. But it wasn’t the blowout we expected. Purdue hung tough for most of the game. If they have any kind of defense, they may have won this game. But once Michigan adjusted the Boilermakers ran out of gas. Even without Blake Corum, the Wolverines still put up almost 300 yards rushing thanks to Donovan Edwards and his ability to break tackles in the open field. I know the narrative is to say that they only made it here because the BIG10 West is a gong show but Aidan O’Connell even in defeat proved exactly why he came back for another year. He and Charlie Jones may be gone, but as long as they have enough replacements, they shouldn’t miss a beat. That is if all the breaks go their way in the division like they did this year. At least you can laugh at Wisconsin and Nebraska some more.
North Carolina Tar Heels (Really?): You defied the odds and made it to the ACC Championship Game not even a year after losing Sam Howell and most of your offensive playmakers. Good work. But this is the part where everything goes wrong. They even had a 10-0 lead early in this game. BOOOOOOOM! And then everything fell apart as they gave up 39 unanswered points. Against a team whose best runner was their backup QB. DJ Uiagalelei’s injury should have been game over, but nope, North Carolina went back to the agonizing mediocrity they had during 2021. You want a drive that symbolizes their season here it is. A chance to get back in the game with a long march to open the 2nd Half, only to throw a 100 yard Pick 6. (And they’ll give up a 2 point conversion too) This is why you don’t lose to Georgia Tech and NC State at home to end the season. Because Daboo Swinney eats those kinds of teams for dinner! Lick the boot!
Michigan Wolverines (The Harbaugh Special): We thought Michigan and Jim Harbaugh were safe. We thought that finally beating Ohio State not once but twice was going to make his job safe after all. There’s one problem. He’s yet to win a New Year’s Six Game or any game in the College Football Playoff. On paper Michigan should have crushed TCU. But like most cases in the Harbaugh Family they get too cute and it comes back to bite them. The 4th Down stand at the start of the game set the tone. And the Wolverines lost their juju from that point forward. I know the narrative is to blame that call that denied them a TD in the 2nd Quarter, but here’s why they lost. JJ McCarthy threw 2 Pick Sixes, and gave up the most yards they’ve allowed all year. They tried to make a furious comeback, but the Horned Frogs were always one step ahead of them. Now the question is on Harbaugh himself. Will he stay in Ann Arbor? There are rumors of him going back to the NFL, but considering that he’s finally gotten past the bully, I doubt he’ll leave with a potential National Championship squad in the future. Right? (If he leaves Michigan, due to that and the Buckeyes losing a good chunk of talent, you can all but hand the BIG10 Title to Penn State)
Ohio State Buckeyes (Cinderella, The Game): This may have been one of the Greatest Games in the History of College Football. The drama of this matchup from start to finish is legendary. On paper Ohio State shouldn’t have stood a chance against the defending champs. Especially after getting blasted at home by the Maize and Blue. But the Buckeyes proved a majority of their haters wrong. Both them and Georgia treated this as if it was the National Championship Game itself. Both CJ Stroud and Stetson Bennett were in a clash for the ages. Neither offense could be stopped which is saying something since both defenses especially the Dawgs are really talented. But even with a 14 point lead, Ohio State couldn’t keep the champs down for long. Georgia came storming back thanks to a 18-3 run to take the lead with a minute left. Then, HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAY! CJ Stroud made a gutsy final charge. Even without both of their top receivers, the Buckeyes have a chance to eliminate the champs and become the last man standing in their loaded division. All they need is a 50 yard field goal to win it. “It’s on the way, NO GOOD! HE HOOKED IT! AND GEORGIA IS GOING TO SURVIVE!” And on top of it just as the kick went wide the clock struck midnight on New Years Eve. (That’s the only way this game would have gotten even crazier) Ohio State got their midnight kiss alright, it’s just too bad that they kissed a frog instead of the princess. Sorry I don’t make the rules Columbus, enjoy the offseason featuring the offense being gutted by the NFL Draft. (Good news Buckeyes, you know have to go through what Miami did during the 2003 Fiesta Bowl) PAUSE.
This may have been the Greatest Postseason since the College Football Playoff was instituted in 2014. We had incredible matchups. It was not Alabama or Clemson rolling through everyone for the 8th year in a row. All it took was bizarre games from start to finish. So what’s the Final?
BOOM! Horned Frogs vs Bulldogs: TCU vs Georgia. Wow! Did anyone see that coming at the beginning of the season? TCU was picked to finish 7th in the BIG12, and now they’re one win from the National Title. It’s insane what Sonny Dykes has done in his first year on the job. The same can be said about Georgia. They lost most of their record setting defense from last year’s championship team, yet made it back here with ease. This game is the definition of David vs Golliath. Perhaps the Greatest Cinderella Story in the History of the College Football Playoff against a team trying to become the first squad since the 2011-12 Alabama Crimson Tide to win back-to-back National Championships. Although both teams have underdogs across the board. Max Duggan and Stetson Bennett went from backups to Heisman Candidates overnight. Both Kirby Smart, and Sonny Dykes have overcome every doubt in their path to get to this point thanks to having their boys locked in. Regardless of the outcome this is going to be another classic in front of a hyped up crowd at SoFi Stadium. Is it me or is everything now gonna be in that building?
Bragging Rights Sports 