Football, Football, Football

It was over quickly. Yes, the requisite four quarters were played. But only because the rules require the game to be played to a conclusion and a winner declared. 

For on Monday night in Southern California, a National Champion was crowned. Before a national TV audience and some disbelieving TV announcers. 

Yes, the oddsmakers were right. The undefeated University of Georgia Bulldogs were a heavy favorite against the Cinderella team in the College Football Playoffs, the TCU Horned Frogs (for you herpetology enthusiasts, the Horned Frog is actually the Texas Horned Lizard).

Except that those same oddsmakers gravely underestimated the “aggression,” Head Coach Kirby Smart demanded from his troops when cornered on the sideline before the start of the contest. For after three series, with the score 10-7 in favor of Georgia, the onslaught began. 

Stetson Bennett IV, the heralded Georgia QB who played with a maturity befitting his age of 25, made the game look so easy. He had his hand in six TD’s—four in the air and two he ran in. I still stand by my conclusion that he is the best player in college football for 2022, so much more worthy of the Heisman Trophy he didn’t receive.

The final humiliation for TCU was a loss by a score of 65-7. TCU may have handled undefeated Michigan to get to the finals, but they were as bad as any team which reached the championship round. Meanwhile Georgia, which had survived a last second field goal miss, gook full advantage of its great fortune and left absolutely nothing to chance.  

If there had been a mercy rule, the refs would have invoked it. If a running clock would have sped up the game in the second half, then it would have been used. That’s how overwhelming Georgia’s record-setting performance was. 

Nobody likes to see a mismatch in the early season. It is not what you want in a National Championship game. Yet when the big schools schedule a creampuff from a non-power 5 conference, that is what you get.  

Now do I believe that TCU is as horrible as they played on Monday night? Nope. 

I do not, for one second believe that TCU is the second best team in the country. That is clearly Ohio State. 

Nor do I think that they should be ranked third. That slot belongs to Nick Sabin and his Alabama Crimson Tide; Saban’s bunch could have given the Bulldogs a much better game than TCU. For that matter, I think Alabama would have beaten both TCU and Michigan handily. 

Thus my Top five are as follows:

1. Georgia

2. Ohio State

3. Alabama

4. TCU

5. Michigan

Had there been an expanded CFP as it will be in two years, Alabama may well have gotten past the pretenders above them—possibly including Ohio State. For the Tide, destroying Kansas State may have been a consolation prize. I am sure that Saban, who was seated in chair by ESPN to watch the carnage as an analyst and had to listen to ESPN a commentator and Georgia alum David Pollack crow about how great his alma mater was, found it difficult to be a polite guest. 

Georgia lost a whole lot of top players last year and reloaded. Experts believe that it will happen again and Georgia will rule the roost for an unprecedented third straight time. 

I don’t see it that way. One key ingredient will be gone—Bennett. There is plenty of guessing where he might end up in the NFL. Wherever he goes, despite his diminutive size for the pros, that team will have themselves a gem. And don’t be surprised if he someday becomes a great coach—like Kirby Smart, whose roots go back to—Nick Saban. 

A couple of more football notes. I like some of the rankings in the CBS Sports 131. I think that 6 through 10 is correct: 

6. Tennessee

7. Penn State

8. Washington

9. Tulane

          10. Florida State

I like the Seminoles much better than Utah, which finished tenth in the AP Top 25. That poll also ranked Oregon ahead of Oregon State. Both had the same record and last time I allowed, the Beavers beat the Ducks. 

Finally, kudos to these Jackrabbits. South Dakota State humbled its bitter rival, North Dakota State in the FBS Championship. Don’t you just love it when the team from nowhere beats the established team in that division?

Speaking of the NFL, the regular season is over. With a few surprises in the last weekend. While it is not surprising to me, Jacksonville defeated Tennessee in a winner take all match for the AFC South crown. For their victory, the fourth seeded Jags are rewarded with a home playoff game with the LA Chargers, a team which chose to play its regulars in the season finale, resulting in injuries and a team that may not be at full strength on Saturday night. Do not be surprised if Trevor Lawrence and his guys advance to the next round. 

Saturday’s early game may be played in another Northern California monsoon when Seattle, which won on a FG in overtime then watched Detroit, eliminated from the playoffs, make sure that Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers didn’t go either, takes on pretty hot San Francisco. The NFL would be wise to move the game to a neutral site, but that won’t happen. I don’t have much confidence in the Seahawks winning—SF is too good. I really would have liked to see the Lions playing the Niners. That would have been fun.

Miami made the playoffs by winning a listless game against the Jets. They have to travel to Buffalo, which dismantled New England based on good news on the progress of Damar Hamlin. The Dolphins, already undermanned at QB, now have to face a Bills team buoyed by the fact that Hamlin has recovered so well that he is now convalescing at home. 

Baltimore and Cincinnati reprise their game of last Sunday once more in Cincy. Lamar Jackson still won’t be at the helm for the Ravens. The Bengals are way too good. 

The Giants have a score to settle, They lost at Minnesota in December on a game-ending  long field goal. They believe they are better than the homestanding Vikings. Maybe they are. 

On Monday night, Dallas has the unenviable task of trying to eliminate Tom Brady. Well, Brady and his Bucs, as the Cowboys visit Raymond James Stadium in prime time. The oddsmakers have Dallas as a 2.5 point favorite. That’s not too much support. At least there is another “Manning Cast’ to watch.

Football, football, football. And I intended to talk about college basketball.