Wk 15: Why these were the best four
TEAMS OF THE WEEK
Oklahoma State – won at Oklahoma 38-35 in overtime
Oklahoma State had lost five games in a row and postseason eligibility was a long shot. But, this team didn’t give up on the season or the game. The Cowboys came back from down 14 points entering the fourth quarter and with some bedlam involved, won Bedlam to book a trip to the Cactus Bowl.
Oregon – won vs. Arizona 51-13
The Ducks racked up 627 total yards, converted 50 percent on third down and moved the chains 31 times. Oregon passed and ran for more than 300 yards and did not turn the ball over. This one was over quick as Oregon won the Pac-12 Championship Game 51-13 and held Arizona to 224 total yards and allowed Scooby Wright III to make just one play in the backfield.
Ohio State – won vs. Wisconsin 59-0
Let the conspiracy theories begin that the Big Ten needed Ohio State to win to be represented in the inaugural College Football Playoff but the fact is that Ohio State’s defensive line overwhelmed Wisconsin. The Buckeyes held Melvin Gordon to 2.9 yards per carry and made nine tackles behind the line-of-scrimmage. Cardale Jones left little doubt about his ability to lead the offense with 257 yards and three touchdowns. Ohio State’s 59-point victory was the largest over a top-15 team in school history.
FOUR DOWNS
1. Winning is hard. SMU beat Connecticut 27-20 to avoid a winless season but the Mustangs had a little bit of a tough time with the victory formation. After back-to-back flags for delay of game and illegal formation, SMU just lined up in a regular set under center to kneel the ball.
2. Winning is hard. Just ask Oklahoma, who’s offense went three-and-out three times in a row when a couple first downs would’ve iced the win. And then with a 35-28 lead, Oklahoma forced Tyreek Hill to fair catch at the 15-yard line but there was a flag for running into the kicker. For whatever reason, instead of forcing Oklahoma State to drive 85 yards to tie the game, the Sooners chose to re-punt and Hill returned it 92 yards for a touchdown to send the game to overtime where the Cowboys won the game.
3. Trevone Boykin now has a touchdown three ways this season. He set the new school single-season record with 30 touchdown passes, has run for eight touchdowns and now has caught a touchdown. The former wide receiver got his first career touchdown reception on a trick-play where the throw to Boykin, who took it more than 50 yards for the score.
4. In the last three seasons, the four winningest programs are Florida State (39-2), Ohio State (36-3), Alabama (36-4) and Oregon (35-4). Just a coincidence those are the four Playoff teams?
WEEK 15 TAKEAWAYS
The final weekend of college football got off to an amazing start with UCF’s 32-30 win over East Carolina after the Pirates scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter until UCF’s Hail Mary. That catch took tremendous concentration by the receiver Breshad Perriman and thanks to that play, there’s not “One True Champion” in the American Athletic Conference either with a three-way tie for first place between UCF, Memphis and Cincinnati. Had East Carolina won the game, Memphis would be the overarching conference champion with the head-to-head tiebreaker over Cincinnati, who beat Houston even with quarterback Gunner Kiel leaving the game in the second quarter.
The Hail Mary was probably the most exciting thing that happened in the American Athletic but it was a busy day around the league. Temple sacked Tulane quarterback on fourth-and-goal to preserve the 10-3 win and SMU won in Hartford to prevent a winless season. SMU quarterback Matt Davis rushed for 191 yards to break his own single-game school record he set four weeks ago with 181 yards. The win technically keeps SMU out of last place in the conference owning the head-to-head over UConn.
Temple got bowl eligible but unfortunately the Owls did not get a bowl bid on Selection Sunday. In Matt Rhule’s second season, Temple improved to 6-6 from 2-10 but joins Middle Tennessee, Ohio, Texas State and UAB as the bowl eligible teams that did not get a game.
In the less notable conference championship games, Boise State took care of Fresno State to clinch a berth to the Fiesta Bowl, Marshall scored ten fourth quarter points to come back against Louisiana Tech and officially claim the Conference-USA title and Northern Illinois enacted its revenge on Bowling Green from a year ago with a 51-17 drubbing of the Falcons. The Mountain West championship for Boise State is the school’s first outright Mountain West title so Bryan Harsin did something in year one that Chris Petersen never did.
The Oregon Ducks made their case for the No. 1 seed in the Playoff on Friday night. While the 51-13 win looks more impressive in the box score than it did on the field with some missed opportunities for Oregon, the defense was still a major story. The Ducks held Arizona to one yard per play (25 total yards) in the first half.
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OSU's Michael Bennett wore #53 in honor of fallen teammate Kosta Karageorge. |
Ohio State made its case to be included in the Playoff and it was a success. The Buckeyes trounced the Wisconsin Badgers to the tune of 59 unanswered points. Defensive tackle Michael Bennett played one of the best games of his career setting a new Big Ten Championship Game record with two forced fumbles and tying the game record with four tackles for loss. Bennett did that while wearing No. 53 in honor of fallen teammate Kosta Karageorge, who was found dead last week. Cardale Jones left little doubt that he could run the Ohio State offense but more importantly, Ohio State got Devin Smith more involved in the passing game. Smith had three long touchdowns on four catches for 137 yards. Smith is a speedster that along with tight end Jeff Heuerman, I think should be a bigger part of this offense.
Alabama took care of business in Atlanta rolling past Missouri. Blake Sims was the game’s MVP as he broke the single-season passing record at Alabama with 3,250 yards, passing A.J. McCarron. Florida State clinched its spot in the Playoff by getting by Georgia Tech and receiver Rashad Greene became the ACC’s all-time leader in receiving yards in that game.
And with that, the inaugural College Football Playoff is set.
FOUR-TEAM PLAYOFF
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No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Ohio State
JAN. 1, 2015 | 8:30pmET | NEW ORLEANS
No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 3 Florida State
JAN 1, 2015 | 5pmET | PASADENA
The Committee got it right. With the Eye Test, the true champions and the made-for-TV attractiveness, the Committee got it right.
Our Senior Bowl Executive Director Phil Savage called for Ohio State as the fourth Playoff team six weeks ago. It all made too perfect sense. The two roadblocks were the J.T. Barrett injury and the loss to Virginia Tech but Cardale Jones crossed out the Barrett questions and Committee chairman Jeff Long’s explanation of Ohio State overcoming the Virginia Tech loss was fair.
I feel for TCU and Baylor but the message was sent. Having one true conference champion is important and having a respectable non-conference schedule is important. For the four teams in, the only gripe I have is that I’m in the party that wants to see Alabama play both Florida State and Oregon. With the Seminoles and Ducks getting matched up, Alabama will only get its shot at one.
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FAMILIAR FOES: Urban Meyer and Nick Saban meet again. |
The matchups are great though with Nick Saban vs. Urban Meyer and the quarterback battle of Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston.
I’ve said all year that Florida State and Alabama are the two best teams and they were my preseason No. 1 and 2. I would love to see those two play for the national championship game and think it happens. By the way, if this were still the BCS Era, Florida State and Alabama would be the top two. Sometimes it got it right.
As for the rest of the bowl landscape, these are the best overall group of matchups in recent memory for me. There are so many games that I think are toss-ups.
Also with the limit on the number of teams from the same conference in the big money bowls gone now, the Magnolia State reigns supreme again getting both of its schools into a New Year’s Six Bowl.
This system is also great for a team like Boise State, that could potentially get into a New Year’s Six Bowl annually, which would’ve been much more difficult in the BCS System.
Let’s take a quick look at all of this season’s bowl matchup. Happy Bowl Season!
ROLLING THROUGH THE BOWL GAMES
New Orleans Bowl: Nevada (7-5) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4)
Nevada quarterback Cody Fajardo and former Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick are the only two players in NCAA history to throw for over 9,000 yards and run for over 3,000 yards. Fajardo and running back Don Jackson should both eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in this game but keep an eye on the ULL running game too with Alonzo Harris and Elijah McGuire.
New Mexico Bowl: Utah State (9-4) vs. UTEP (7-5)
The Miners have improved from 2-10 to 7-5 in Sean Kugler’s second season behind a strong running game and underrated defense. Facing the Utah State defense that’s especially strong against the run is a really big challenge. Utah State’s Vigil brothers combined for 261 tackles, 35.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks this season.
Las Vegas Bowl: Utah (8-4) vs. Colorado State (10-2)
Jim McElwain leaves for Florida but Colorado State is led by a strong senior group. The two running backs are worth watching in this one with Colorado State’s Dee Hart and Utah’s Devontae Booker. Rams left tackle Ty Sambrailo will be put to the test with Utah’s Nate Orchard, who has 17.5 sacks.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Western Michigan (8-4) vs. Air Force (9-3)
Western Michigan is 8-4 in year two under P.J. Fleck after winning just one game last season. Air Force is the nation’s most balanced option offense. The Broncos rely on a lot of youth while the Falcons are senior-laden. Check out Western Michigan freshman running back Jarvion Franklin, who’s 24 rushing touchdowns are second only to Melvin Gordon.
Camellia Bowl: South Alabama (6-6) vs. Bowling Green (7-6)
South Alabama is going bowling for the first time in school history but will do so with a new offensive coordinator after parting ways with Robert Matthews. The Jaguars defense faces a big challenge matching up with all of Bowling Green’s skill position talent in Dino Babers’ high-octane offense.
Miami Beach Bowl: BYU (8-4) vs. Memphis (9-3)
This is one of the best matchups pitting two underrated offenses and really good defenses. Memphis could win ten games in 2014 after winning ten in the last four years combined. Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch has not turned the ball over during the Tigers’ six-game winning streak.
Boca Raton Bowl: Marshall (12-1) vs. Northern Illinois (11-2)
This is a really intriguing matchup of mid-major programs playing at a really high level. The biggest disparity between these two teams is that NIU is the least penalized team in the MAC while Marshall is the second most penalized team in the nation. This game has big running backs (Devon Johnson and Cameron Stingily), mobile quarterbacks (Rakeem Cato and Drew Hare) and go-to wide receivers (Tommy Shuler and Da’Ron Brown). If I had to pick which defense is going to make a game changing play, it’d be Northern Illinois.
Poinsettia Bowl: Navy (6-5) vs. San Diego State (7-5)
San Diego State has won eight straight games over service academies that started with a win over Navy in Brady Hoke’s final year. Navy’s Keenan Reynolds is one of the most dynamic playmakers in the nation but the Midshipmen have to stop San Diego State’s strong run game led by Donnel Pumphrey and guard against receiver Ezell Ruffin.
Bahamas Bowl: Central Michigan (7-5) vs. Western Kentucky (7-5)
It’s a rematch of the 2012 Little Caesars Bowl but in a much warmer climate. The Hilltoppers lost that game 24-21 after some questionable calls at the end of the game. This year, the Hilltoppers offense is even more explosive and going to put the pressure on Central Michigan to control the tempo of the game.
Hawaii Bowl: Fresno State (6-7) vs. Rice (7-5)
With the injury to Christian Covington, several players like Zach Patt and Brian Nordstrom have stepped up on Rice’s defensive line. Nordstrom leads Conference-USA with 18.5 tackles for loss and will try to slow down Fresno State’s two-headed ground game. Rice cornerback Bryce Callahan will try to stick with Fresno State receiver Josh Harper.
Heart of Dallas Bowl: Illinois (6-6) vs. Louisiana Tech (8-5)
This is the Houston Bates Bowl, right? Bates transferred from Illinois and was eligible to play immediate for Louisiana Tech and leads the Bulldogs in sacks. Louisiana Tech leads the nation with 40 takeaways thanks to a more aggressive Manny Diaz defense. Outside of Mike Dudek, Illinois doesn’t have many playmakers on offense.
Quick Lane Bowl: Rutgers (7-5) vs. North Carolina (6-6)
Rutgers finished the regular season with the largest comeback in school history in the 41-38 win over Maryland. North Carolina’s 6-6 season is disappointing given the returning roster for the Tar Heels that finished 119th in the nation in scoring defense. North Carolina will have to know where Leonte Carroo is on the field while Rutgers will have to keep tabs on Ryan Switzer.
St. Petersburg Bowl: North Carolina State (7-5) vs. UCF (9-3)
I really think that if Blake Bortles had returned, UCF would be a top-15 team. The Knights have a stingy defense led by Terrance Plummer at middle linebacker and playmakers Jacoby Glenn and Clayton Geathers in the secondary, and lots of skill talent on offense. NC State is 7-5 after going 3-9 and winless in the ACC last season. Florida-transfer Jacoby Brissett has made a huge difference in this offense.
Duck Commander Independence Bowl: Miami (6-6) vs. South Carolina (6-6)
The South Carolina defense is 90th in total defense and 107th against the run. Now here comes Miami’s all-time leading rusher Duke Johnson and a true freshman quarterback, Brad Kaaya, that led the ACC in touchdown passes this season. This could turn into a high-scoring affair with South Carolina keeping up but it’ll need big plays from Dylan Thompson and Pharoh Cooper.
Pinstripe Bowl: Boston College (7-5) vs. Penn State (6-6)
James Franklin is going to his fourth straight bowl game as a head coach but winning hasn’t come easy in his first year in Happy Valley. Quarterback Christian Hackenberg has been sacked a school-record 40 times and now faces a strong Boston College front led by Brian Mihalik and Connor Wujciak on the defensive line and Steven Daniels and Josh Keyes at linebacker.
Holiday Bowl: Nebraska (9-3) vs. USC (8-4)
USC quarterback Cody Kessler has put together a quiet yet remarkable season with 36 touchdowns to four interceptions. The Huskers will be coached by interim coach Barney Cotton. The USC defense presents challenges with Leonard Williams up front and Ameer Abdullah was held to 1.3 yards per carry by Michigan State. USC has a strong running game, too, with Buck Allen.
Liberty Bowl: Texas A&M (7-5) vs. West Virginia (7-5)
We can talk about the offenses but only one of these teams play defenses. West Virginia defensive coordinator Tony Gibson is getting a new contract for his work done this season. I expect Biletnikoff finalist Kevin White to have a big game against the Aggies.
Russell Athletic Bowl: Oklahoma (8-4) vs. Clemson (9-3)This could be labeled as the Brent Venables Bowl as the Clemson defensive coordinator spent 13 years with Oklahoma. It’s being reported that quarterback Deshaun Watson will play with his torn ACL, showing how badly Clemson wants to get to ten wins for the fourth straight season. Bob Stoops is hopeful Trevor Knight will play in the game. These are two of the nation’s best front sevens.
Texas Bowl: Arkansas (6-6) vs. Texas (6-6)
It’s a rekindling of an old Southwest Conference rivalry. Texas quarterback Tyrone Swoopes will be playing for his job heading into the offseason while Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen is coming off a hip injury. Both of these teams are run-first offenses but the Jonathan Williams/Alex Collins duo has been far more productive than Malcom Brown/Johnathan Gray. This Texas defensive line might be one of the best in the country but Arkansas too has allowed just 9.5 points per game in the last four SEC games as Robb Smith was one of the best offseason hires by Bret Bielema. There will be four Senior Bowlers on defense featured in this game: Trey Flowers and Martrell Spaight of Arkansas and Jordan Hicks and Quandre Diggs of Texas.
Music City Bowl: Notre Dame (7-5) vs. LSU (8-4)
The Irish defense lost a leader when linebacker Joe Schmidt went down and the unit has given up 30 or more points in the last seven games. Brian Kelly has never won less than eight games in his head coaching career. LSU’s offensive line and Leoanrd Fournette are going to be ready to play.
Belk Bowl: Georgia (9-3) vs. Louisville (9-3)
It’s the Todd Grantham Bowl! So many Georgia fans wanted Grantham out of Athens but what will the reaction be if his defense beats the Bulldogs? Charlie Strong left Bobby Petrino a lot of talent to work with and Petrino has a chance to get to ten wins. Georgia has Nick Chubb while Louisville has DeVante Parker and Gerod Holliman, who tied the NCAA record with 14 interceptions this season. Parker has 735 yards in just five games.
Foster Farms Bowl: Maryland (7-5) vs. Stanford (7-5)
This could be the biggest mismatch of all the bowl games. Maryland is going to have its hands full manufacturing points against Stanford’s defense. The matchup in the trenches and physicality are two huge advantages for the Cardinal. Maryland sophomore cornerback Will Likely has returned two interceptions for touchdowns this season and now faces the school he originally wanted to go to.
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: Ole Miss (9-3) vs. TCU (11-1)
Bo Wallace has a chance to be the first Ole Miss quarterback to win three bowl games while TCU has to shake off being left out of the Playoff. Ole Miss has the nation’s best scoring defense going against TCU’s explosive offense. Much will be made of the Rebels defense with Cody Prewitt, Tony Conner and Senquez Golson but watch for TCU’s Paul Dawson, Kevin White and Chris Hackett to make plays.
Fiesta Bowl: Boise State (11-2) vs. Arizona (10-3)
Boise State’s Tanner Vallejo is used to being the best linebacker on the field but that won’t be the case against Arizona. The Wildcats star linebacker Scooby Wright finished the regular season with 153 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 14 sacks and six forced fumbles. Wright has to be a big part of stopping Boise State running back Jay Ajayi. I think this could be another high-scoring game as the Broncos try to pull the upset in familiar territory.
Orange Bowl: Mississippi State (10-2) vs. Georgia Tech (10-3)
With over a month to prepare, expect Mississippi State’s defense to be ready to play and face the option. Georgia Tech’s defense is going to have the tough task of limiting Dak Prescott and Josh Robinson.
Outback Bowl: Auburn (8-4) vs. Wisconsin (10-3)
One thing was noticeable in Wisconsin’s game against Ohio State and it was the Badgers lack of speed on defense. Can Wisconsin matchup with Auburn’s offense and can Auburn’s defense, with no more Ellis Johnson calling the shots, limit Melvin Gordon?
Goodyear Cotton Bowl: Michigan State (10-2) vs. Baylor (11-1)
Michigan State has played two marquee opponents – Oregon and Ohio State – and lost both. The Spartans need to make a statement as Pat Narduzzi prepares for the Baylor offense. It’s a good matchup of quarterbacks between Connor Cook and Bryce Petty.
Citrus Bowl: Missouri (10-3) vs. Minnesota (8-4)
Missouri’s Shane Ray and Markus Golden combined for 22 sacks but Minnesota is not a passing team. Big Ten Coach of the Year Jerry Kill is 0-4 in his career coaching bowl games. Watch out for Minnesota cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun, who has four interceptions this year and safety Cedric Thompson, who always seems to make a play. Maty Mauk leads the SEC with 11 interceptions.
Armed Forces Bowl: Houston (7-5) vs. Pittsburgh (6-6)
Pittsburgh running back James Conner has 24 rushing touchdowns that broke Tony Dorsett’s single-season school record. Stopping him will be the focus of Joey Mbu and Efrem Oliphant on the “Third Ward Defense.” Houston’s defense allows just 19.5 points per game and 4.79 yards per play. Houston’s playmaking secondary will have its hands full with Tyler Boyd.
TaxSlayer Bowl: Iowa (7-5) vs. Tennessee (6-6)
Carl Davis, Louis Trinca-Pasat and Drew Ott are all good players on Iowa’s defensive line and Tennessee’s offensive line issues all season have been well documented. Look out for the Vols star defensive end Derek Barnett, who has 20.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks as a true freshman in the SEC. Both of these teams are going to want to run the ball but one has a game changer at quarterback with Josh Dobbs. Iowa cornerback Desmond King will be challenged by Marquez North and company.
Alamo Bowl: Kansas State (9-3) vs. UCLA (9-3)
Last year, it was Marcus Mariota that lit it up in the Alamodome. This time, it’s Brett Hundley’s turn in what’s most likely his final college game. UCLA has had issues against the pass and now face Tyler Lockett, Curry Sexton and Zach Trujillo, but will Jake Waters and the offense be able to find balance against the Bruins front seven?
Cactus Bowl: Washington (8-5) vs. Oklahoma State (6-6)
Oklahoma State’s overtime win in the season finale got it bowl eligible. Now the Cowboys have a chance to get true freshman quarterback Mason Rudolph 15 extra practices and have him face an extremely young and thin Washington secondary that’s without Marcus Peters. On the flip side, Rudolph also has to face the vaunted Washington front seven that has Danny Shelton, Hau’oli Kikaha, Shaq Thompson, Andrew Hudson and John Timu. That unit should prevent Tyreek Hill from breaking any big plays.
Birmingham Bowl: East Carolina (8-4) vs. Florida (6-5)
Florida will play its first game without Will Muschamp and with Jim McElwain watching. The Gators allow less than 200 passing yards per game but East Carolina is the nation’s No. 2 passing offense led by the Shane Carden-Justin Hardy connection but also featuring Cam Worthy and Isaiah Jones. The Pirates have the nation’s 8th-ranked rush defense and Florida will have to double team big Terry Williams.
GoDaddy Bowl: Toledo (8-4) vs. Arkansas State (7-5)
Arkansas State is back in Mobile for the fourth straight year with its fourth different coach but remember when Louisiana-Lafayette rushed for 419 yards and eight touchdowns on the Red Wolves? Toledo running back Kareem Hunt is a budding star and has rushed for over 100 yards in every game. This Arkansas State secondary will try to limit Toledo’s passing yards and Andrew Tryon should see his share of matchups with Alonzo Russell. For the Arkansas State offense, Fredi Knighten has been inconsistent but Michael Gordon does have over 1,000 yards rushing. Receiver J.D. McKissic has yet to catch a touchdown pass this season.
LAST WEEK’S PICKS (WITH ACTUAL RESULT)
WEEK 15: 6-4 | SEASON: 119-78 (.604)
Bowling Green 38, Northern Illinois 31 (Northern Illinois 51, Bowling Green 17)
Oregon 34, Arizona 24 (Oregon 51, Arizona 13)
Louisiana Tech 41, Marshall 34 (Marshall 26, Louisiana Tech 23)
Alabama 34, Missouri 21 (Alabama 42, Missouri 13)
Florida State 31, Georgia Tech 24 (Florida State 37, Georgia Tech 35)
Wisconsin 31, Ohio State 27 (Ohio State 59, Wisconsin 0)
Boise State 38, Fresno State 24 (Boise State 28, Fresno State 14)
UCF 34, East Carolina 31 (UCF 32, East Carolina 30)
Houston 27, Cincinnati 21 (Cincinnati 38, Houston 31)
Baylor 42, Kansas State 24 (Baylor 38, Kansas State 27)