College Sports
NCAA Basketball Tournament
POSTED 3/2/2018
The annual NCAA men's basketball tournament tips off in two weeks. The single-loss-elimination format makes it a great event - conferences, rivals and regions vie for the title. Every game is meaningful - win or go home. There are 68 teams in the tournament - 32 conference champions and 36 at-large teams. "Selection Sunday" is March 11 broadcast on TBS at 6 pm Eastern Time. The first and second rounds will be completed that week and the regionals begin March 22. Here's a link to the current rankings. Virginia is currently #1 while defending champion North Carolina is ranked ninth.
"Then there are the teams that will be biting their nails, hoping the 10 committee members choose them and that they get to hear their names called on March 11. These are the teams on the edge of making it, the bubble teams. Don't sleep on the bubble teams, though. These are the squads most likely to bust a bracket near you. "
NCAA Basketball Tournament - First Week
POSTED 3/19/2018
The first week of tournament play is over and the field has been narrowed to the "Sweet Sixteen."
Sixteenth seed UMBC's 20 point victory over first seed Virginia was the biggest and most stunning of the upsets. It was the first time in tournament history (165 games) that a No. 16 seed defeated a No. 1 seed.
Loyola-Chicago upset sixth-seeded Miami with a three-pointer at the buzzer and then went on in the second round to defeat third-seeded Tennessee with a two-point buzzer beater to move on.
In another exciting second round finish, Michigan freshman Jordan Poole beat Houston at the buzzer with an off balance 28-foot three pointer.
Two #1 seeds made it to the round of 16 (Kansas and Villanova). The lowest seeds to get there were #11 Loyola-Chicago and #11 Syracuse.
© (Getty Images) Michigan celebrates Jordan Poole's 3-pointer
Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt will cheer on Loyola-Chicago in the Sweet 16. Tom Pennington/Getty Images
Final Four Is Set
POSTED 3/25/2018
Villanova, Kansas, Michigan and Loyola-Chicago are on their way to the Final Four. The Cinderella story of the NCAA Men's Tournament continued as Loyola defeated UNLV 69-68 and then blew out Kansas State to reach the Final Four.
"San Antonio, meet Sister Jean. Loyola-Chicago became the fourth No. 11 seed in NCAA tournament history to earn a Final Four berth, beating No. 9 seed Kansas State 78-62 in the South Regional championship game.
This wasn’t an upset. And Loyola’s Final Four run certainly isn’t a fluke, having beaten teams from the ACC, SEC and Big 12 along the way. The Ramblers are 32-5 for goodness sakes, and the country is seeing what a team that passes, moves and shoots at a high level can do in this era of college basketball parity...
Ben Richardson, the Missouri Valley’s defensive player of the year who grew up in the Kansas City suburbs, finished with 23 points and made 6-of-7 from the three-point line. " (USA Today, Mar 25)
Photo: © Dale Zanine, USA TODAY Sports Loyola guard Ben Richardson smiles during the first half against Kansas State during the South Region championship game of the 2018 NCAA tournament at Philips Arena.
We are the Champions -Villanova, Penn State, Notre Dame Win Tournaments
POSTED 4/3/2018
The college basketball season came to an end last night with Villanova's dominating victory over Michigan in the NCAA Men's Tournament. Led by Donte Di Vicenzo's 31 points, the Wildcats won their 2nd title in 3 years. On Thursday Penn State routed Utah to win the NIT. The Women's NCAA Championship game provided the only real drama with Arike Ogunbowale's three pointer at 0.1 seconds giving Notre Dame a 61-58 victory over Mississippi State.
Villanova's Donte DiVincenzo drives to the basket against Michigan's Charles Matthews. © Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Penn State star Tony Carr (Yahoo Sports)
Arike Ogunbowale celebrates with teammates. Credit: Michael Caterina, South Bend Tribune
College Football Playoffs: First BCS Rankings
POSTED OCTOBER 31, 2018
I am going to enjoy this while I can. My favorite college football team (and partial alma mater), LSU, is ranked third in the first BCS rankings of 2018. Pre-season polls had them ranked in the 20's.
With their best defender sitting out the first half, LSU takes on a seemingly unstoppable Alabama team this weekend. LSU is a 14 point underdog and have not beaten Alabama since the 2012 regular season game. (They subsequently lost to Alabama in the national championship game that season).
College Football Bowl Selections
POSTED DEC 2, 2018
The conference title games are over and the Bowl Games are set. Here are the "New Year's Six". In brackets are the number of the three prognosticators in the Nov 28 post that got it right.
Peach Bowl (Noon, ESPN, Dec 29): Florida vs. Michigan [1]
Cotton Bowl (4 p.m., ESPN, Dec 29): No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Notre Dame (Playoff for Championship Game Jan 8) [3]
Orange Bowl (8 p.m., ESPN, Dec 29): No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Oklahoma (Playoff for Championship Game Jan 8) [3]
Fiesta Bowl (1 p.m., ESPN, Jan 1): LSU vs. UCF [0]
Rose Bowl (5 p.m., ESPN, Jan 1): Washington vs. Ohio State [3]
Sugar Bowl (8:45 p.m., ESPN, Jan 1): Texas vs. Georgia [3]
The other New Year's Day games are:
Outback Bowl (Noon, ESPN): Mississippi State vs. Iowa
Citrus Bowl (1 p.m., ABC): Kentucky vs. Penn State
CFB Bowl Projections
POSTED NOV 28, 2018
With four days to go until the conference playoffs, the BCS Committee released its regular season final ranking. Undefeated Alabama, Clemson, and Notre Dame kept their hold on the top 3 slots. Georgia, who play Alabama for the SEC title, came in at No.4. Ohio State's thrashing of Michigan put them in contention for the playoffs and the debate about whether they or Oklahoma should move into the 4th playoff slot is underway. Of course, both would have to win their conference playoff for the debate to continue.
The sports blogs and networks have all got their own bowl projections. And they all differ. Here are 3 projections for the top bowl games (the "New Year's Six")
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Atlanta (Dec. 29, Noon ET, ESPN)
Michigan vs. Florida
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Ariz. (Jan. 1, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Washington State vs. UCF
Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual, Pasadena, Calif. (Jan. 1, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Ohio State vs. Washington
Allstate Sugar Bowl, New Orleans (Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Georgia vs. Texas
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Arlington, Texas (Dec. 29, 4 p.m. or 8 p.m. ET, ESPN) [Playoff semifinals]
Alabama vs. Oklahoma
Capital One Orange Bowl, Miami Gardens, Fla. (Dec. 29, 4 p.m. or 8 p.m. ET, ESPN) [Playoff semifinal]
Clemson vs. Notre Dame
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Both: Florida vs. UCF
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
Bonagura: Washington State vs. Michigan
Sherman: Michigan vs. LSU
Rose Bowl Game
Both: Ohio State vs. Washington
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Both: Georgia vs. Texas
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (playoff semifinal)
Bonagura: Clemson vs. Notre Dame
Sherman: Alabama vs. Oklahoma
Capital One Orange Bowl (playoff semifinal)
Bonagura: Alabama vs. Oklahoma
Sherman: Clemson vs. Notre Dame
Peach (Atlanta):
Florida vs. UCF
Fiesta (Glendale, Arizona):
LSU vs. Michigan
Rose (Pasadena, California):
Ohio State vs. Washington
Sugar (New Orleans):
Texas vs. Georgia
Cotton (Arlington, Texas) - playoff semifinal:
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Oklahoma
Orange (Miami) - playoff semifinal:
No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Notre Dame
Alabama vs. Clemson play for the national championship...again
POSTED JAN 3, 2019
For the third time in four years it will be Alabama and Clemson facing off for the national championship. Both teams go into the game with 14-0 records. Alabama opened as a 6.5 point favorite to win back-to-back national championships. ESPN will broadcast the game at 8 PM EST on Monday January 7. Sports Illustrated's writers discuss their picks. [Link below right]
SB Nation has a summary as well as complete coverage of all the bowl games. [Link below left]
Clemson Defeats Alabama in Title Game
POSTED JAN 8, 2019
Clemson won its 3rd national college football title Monday, blowing out Alabama 44-16 in the College Football Playoff national championship. The final AP poll has Clemson at No.1, Alabama #2, Ohio State #3, and Oklahoma #4. The SEC finished with 4 teams in the top ten - Alabama, LSU at #6, Georgia and Florida tied at #7.
2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
POSTED MARCH 19 - APRIL 9, 2019
"March Madness" tips off this week. The ACC took 3 of the 4 top seeds - Duke, North Carolina, Virginia. The only conference to win more titles than the ACC (14 championship titles) is the Pac-10 (15)*, which had that incredible run in the 60's and 70's winning in 10 of 12 years.
There is also a live stream at NCAA.com.
*Titles based on the conference that the team was in at the time of the tournament.
March 21
March 25
March 23
March 30
April 3
April 1
In the last game of the weekend, Michigan State took down Duke, the tournament's #1 overall seed, in a game with double digit lead changes in the 2nd half. MSU's 68-67 victory justified the "bracket grumbling" that occurred after the Big 10 regular season co-champ and tournament champion was seeded #2 in the East.
The other teams making it to the Final Four are Auburn (upset Kentucky 77-71 in OT), Virginia (the only remaining #1 seed defeated Purdue 80-75), and Texas Tech (upset #1 seed Gonzaga 75-69).
April 7
Two of the best defenses in the country, Texas Tech and Virginia, will play for college basketball's national championship Monday night. For the winner, it will be their first national championship ever. Virginia won on a 3 foul shot penalty after a no call on a double dribble in the controversial last seconds, defeating Auburn 63-62. Auburn had erased a ten point deficit in four minutes to take the lead in the closing minute. Texas Tech had an easier time of it with Michigan State, beating them 61-51.
Virginia wins college basketball national championship in OT
POSTED APR 9, 2019
Virginia took home its first college basketball national championship Monday night with an 85-77 overtime victory over Texas Tech. They earned redemption in this year's tournament after a humiliating exit to a No. 16 seed in last year's.
"Virginia's 85-77 overtime win against Texas Tech will go down as one of the best title games in recent memory, eclipsing the doomsday-type editorializing that rolled out in light of these two slowed down, elite defensive teams winning in Saturday's semifinals. When the game started with both teams going a combined 1 for 10 from the field, the jokes started to roll. When the game started to roll back and forth with the lead changing every couple of minutes, no one was complaining about the fact that this game went to overtime." (CBS Sports)
SI Celebrates 150 Years of College Football
POSTED AUGUST 16, 2019
From greatest games, greatest rivalries and greatest traditions to greatest mascots, fight songs, and college town eats, these 15 lists from Sports Illustrated are a joy to read through. [link left]
Factoid - the first college football game: The 1869 New Jersey vs. Rutgers football game occurred between the College of New Jersey and Rutgers College played on November 6, 1869. The rules governing play were based on the London Football Association's 1863 rules that disallowed carrying or throwing the ball. (Wikipedia)
Post - The First College Football Game Looked Nothing Like Today's Game Day Spectacles (historydaily.org)
College Football Playoff Rankings
POSTED NOV 13, 2019
The college football season is winding down and the second week of rankings for the College Football Playoffs is out. LSU, Ohio State, Clemson and Georgia hold the top four positions.
LSU jumped over Ohio State after the Tiger's 46-41 victory at Alabama. It was Alabama's first home loss after 31 straight victories.
Ohio State had another large-margin victory over 3-7 Maryland. They face 2-7 Rutgers this Saturday.
Last season's national champions Clemson remained undefeated after a 55-10 victory over NC State.
8-1 Georgia beat out 8-1 Alabama for the fourth slot with a shutout against Missouri, 27-0.
LSU faces Clemson for College Football National Championship
POSTED DECEMBER 30, 2019
LSU routed Oklahoma and Clemson stormed back from a 16 point deficit to defeat Ohio State in CFP games Saturday. While the LSU-Oklahoma game was essentially over by the end of the first half, Ohio State had their final drive stopped by an interception in the end zone with 37 seconds left in the game. The country's two best teams will now face each other in New Orleans on Monday January 13.
We now know that the national championship will be won by one of the great teams in college football history: Either LSU, or somebody good enough to beat LSU.
“I love you guys,” Lawrence told his teammates. “Let’s go finish strong.” Lawrence finished with a drive so strong that it will go into the Clemson annals...Four plays, 94 yards, eight points.
“To sit here and watch my dad with so many emotions and a heavy heart and his worry for me and watch him do what he said we would do, there’s no question that he is my rock, my idol, my mentor, my coach, my father.” - Steve Ensminger Jr.
LSU wins college football national championship
POSTED JANUARY 14, 2020
LSU and quarterback Joe Burrow capped a dream season by defeating Clemson 42-25 in the college football national championship game. Rece Davis of ESPN called it the greatest season of any team in the history of the sport. And indeed it was. LSU went 15-0 with seven of their fifteen victories coming against top ten opponents. In November, they defeated #1 Alabama in Tuscalsoosa snapping Alabama's home field winning streak of 31 games. Last night they defeated Clemson stopping Clemson's 29 game winning streak. Quarterback Joe Burrow set the single season record for touchdown passes and finished his Heisman Trophy year with a victory in the national championship game.
LSU started slowly but persevered to finish the game with 602 yards against a Clemson defense that had held opponents to an average of 266. Five minutes into the 2nd quarter, Clemson had moved to a 10 point lead, with LSU struggling to get out from deep in its own territory. LSU then engineered three touchdown drives to take a 28-17 lead at the half. Clemson cut the deficit to 3 points at the 10:49 mark of the 3rd quarter but after that, it was all LSU. Highlight video is below left. Below right is links to article in the Baton Rouge Advocate.
The Bowl Games
Posts from Dec 26 - Jan 2
Playoff Game Previews: Notre Dame v. Alabama and Ohio State v. Clemson
POSTED JANUARY 1, 2021
Previews of the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl from Sports Illustrated.
As of this morning, Alabama is a 19 point favorite over Notre Dame, and Clemson is a 7 point favorite over Ohio State.
College Football Bowl Games are underway
POSTED DECEMBER 26, 2020
The college football bowl games are underway in this strangest of seasons. A complete list of Bowl Games including broadcast info can be found here.
The college football championship game will be played January 11 with the winner of the Notre Dame (#4 seed) - Alabama (#1 seed) Rose Bowl (Jan 1, 4 pm EST, ESPN played this year at AT&T Stadium in Arlington TX) meeting the winner of Ohio State (#3 seed) - Clemson (#2 seed) Sugar Bowl (Jan 1, 8 pm EST, ESPN).
Bowl games for the other teams in the CFP top ten:
#5 Texas A&M vs. #13 North Carolina - Orange Bowl - Jan 2 - 8 ET -ESPN
#6 Oklahoma vs. #7 Florida - Cotton Bowl - Dec 30 - 8 ET - ESPN
#8 Cincinnati vs. #9 Georgia - Peach Bowl - Jan 1 - Noon ET - ESPN
#10 Iowa State vs. # 25 Oregon - Jan 2 - 4 ET - ESPN
Alabama to face Ohio State for national championship
POSTED JANUARY 2, 2021
Alabama easily handled Notre Dame 31-14 and Ohio State upset Clemson 49-28 to set the stage for the national championship. No. 1 Alabama will play No. 3 Ohio State in the National Championship Game at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. The game will be on ESPN.
Play of the day was Najee Harris' hurdle over a Notre Dame defender. [below left] Most exciting New Year's Day game was #9 Georgia's last second victory over #8 Cincinnati. [below right]
National Championship Game Preview
POSTED JANUARY 9, 2020
Alabama takes on Ohio State in the seventh national championship game of the College Football Playoff era. It will be Alabama's fifth appearance - most of any school - and Ohio State's second. The game will be just the fifth meeting between two of the most storied programs in college football. Alabama leads the series 3-1 and is a nine-point favorite to beat Ohio State. The game will be played in Miami and broadcast at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 11, 2021 on ESPN.
Links to game previews from College Football News and Stats Perform are below left and right, respectively.
Alabama defeats Ohio State 52-24 to win national championship
POSTED JANUARY 12, 2021
What started as an epic match between two of the most storied college football programs in the country turned into a rout by halftime. Alabama was clinging to a 4 point lead after 25 minutes of play. Then, Offensive MVP of the game DaVonta Smith took two Mac Jones passes to the end zone and it was all but over for Ohio State. Alabama went on to a 52-24 victory to win its third national championship in six seasons. The victory gave Nick Saban his record seventh national championship.
NCAA Men's Sweet 16 tips off this weekend
POSTED MARCH 26, 2021
March Madness is in full swing. The games for the 16 remaining teams in the NCAA Men's basketball tournament begin Saturday (March 27) afternoon. Viewing details on the Sweet Sixteen match-ups are in the link below left.
Although three of the four number 1 seeds made it through to the "Sweet Sixteen," there were numerous upsets in the first two rounds. Among the biggest upsets: in the Midwest Regionals, Loyola (Chicago) defeated #1 seed Illinois 71-58; in the South, #15 seed Oral Roberts upset #2 seed Ohio State in the first round and #7 seed Florida in the second round; in the West, the defending champions, the Virginia Cavaliers, were upset in the first round by Ohio University; in the East, #14 Abilene Christian upset #3 Texas, 53-52. You can find highlights and scores from all the first and second round games here.
The #1 overall seed for the Tournament is Gonzaga, a small Catholic university of about 5000 undergraduates in Spokane, Washington. NBC's Portland, Oregon, affiliate helps us get to know the team and the coach who has led its basketball program for 22 years in the link below right.
And then there were Four...
POSTED MARCH 31, 2021
The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is down to the Final Four. Baylor (26-2) will play Houston (28-3), and Gonzaga (30-0) will play UCLA (22-9) in Saturday's games. The winners play for the national championship on Monday night.
Baylor advanced to its first Final Four since 1950 [link below left] by virtue of an 81 - 72 victory over Arkansas. Houston defeated Oregon 67-61 to reach the Final Four. The game will pit Baylor's high-powered offense against Houston's tough defense. [link below center left]
UCLA eked out a dramatic 51-49 victory over Michigan [link below right] to earn the unenviable honor of playing the tournament's #1 overall seed, Gonzaga. Gonzaga has dominated their opponents all season and in the tournament. UCLA is a 14-point underdog, but after watching their performance against Michigan, the East Region's #1 seed, Saturday's game may hold some surprises.
CBS will broadcast all the games. The Baylor-Houston tipoff is at 5:14pm EDT; Gonzaga-UCLA, 8:34pm EDT Saturday. The championship game will be broadcast Monday at 9:20 pm EDT.
Stanford wins NCAAW basketball championship; Baylor wins NCAAM's
POSTED APRIL 6, 2021
The Stanford Cardinal staved off a determined Arizona Wildcats team that had roared back from a 9 point fourth quarter deficit. Stanford's 54-53 victory was its second straight one-point win, giving Stanford their first national championship in 29 years. (CBS News, below left)
Baylor and Gonzaga, the two top-rated men's basketball teams, met in their championship game Monday night, but it was no contest. Baylor jumped out to a 9-0 lead after the tipoff and didn't look back. The final score was 86-70. "In a stunningly lopsided season finale [that] the Zags never once led in, Gonzaga's season ends with a 31-1 record...Baylor -- 73 years removed from its last national championship game appearance -- celebrates its first-ever men's basketball title." (CBS Sports, below right)
College Football Playoff: Alabama v Cincinnati, Michigan v Georgia
POSTED DECEMBER 9, 2021
Alabama (12-1), Georgia (12-1), Michigan (12-1) and Cincinnati (13-0) will play off to determine college football's national champion.
Cincinnati is the first team from the "Group of Five"* to make the College Football Playoffs. The Bearcats will meet current national champion No.1-ranked Alabama in the Cotton Bowl semi-final on December 31. Although they notched a 17-point victory against previously unbeaten Georgia in the SEC Championship, the Crimson Tide are far from invincible. They lost to #23 Texas A&M by a field goal and escaped with 2-point victories over unranked Florida and Auburn teams. Don't count the Bearcats out. [link below left]
Can #2 Georgia rebound from its trouncing by Alabama? They meet a fired-up #3 Michigan team fresh off a victory against arch-rival Ohio State in the Orange Bowl semi-final on December 31. Confidence plays a big role in sports, and Michigan is led by a confident and poised quarterback, Junior Cade McNamara. [link below right]
So, in spite of the oddsmakers, another** all-SEC final is not inevitable.
The semi-finals winners will meet Jan 10 in Indianapolis to determine the national champion.
The "New Year's Day Five" bowl games feature two SEC-Big 10 matchups (Penn State v Arkansas, Iowa v Kentucky), #5 Notre Dame v #9 Oklahoma State, #6 Ohio State v #11 Utah and #7 Baylor v #8 Ole Miss.
Notes
*College Football informally categorizes the 10 Division I conferences into the Power Five, considered the elite conferences with the best-funded programs - ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC, and the Group of Five, conferences with less well-funded programs - the American Athletic Conference (American), Conference USA (C-USA), Mid-American Conference (MAC), Mountain West Conference (MW), and Sun Belt Conference (Sun Belt).
**Georgia played Alabama in the 2018 Cotton Bowl. In the 2012 BCS championship, LSU played Alabama.
Choosing a Football National Champion
Naming College Football's national champion goes back to the dawn of the sport in 1869. Organizations that did the rankings in those early years are now defunct. The College Football Researchers Association retrospectively elected national champions beginning in 1919.
The AP poll of 1936 and the institution of Bowl Games started the modern era of football rankings. In 1950, the Coaches Poll joined the discussion. Until the 1998 season, the College Football National Champion was chosen by these sportswriters and coaches polls.
For the 1998 season , the Bowl Championship Series was initiated. The BCS selection system created five bowl game match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in college football, including an opportunity for the top two teams to compete in the BCS National Championship Game. The BCS relied on a combination of polls and computer selection methods to determine relative team rankings, and to narrow the field to two teams to play in the BCS National Championship Game held after the other college bowl games. (Wikipedia)
The College Football Playoff, the current system for determining a national champion, replaced the BCS for the 2014 season. Four teams selected and seeded by a 13-person committee, play in two semifinal games. The winner of each semifinal advances to the College Football Playoff National Championship game.
Georgia v Alabama for the College Football National Championship
POSTED JANUARY 7, 2022
No surprises in the CFB Playoffs this year. Alabama beat Cincinnati 27-6 and Georgia defeated Michigan 34-11, setting up an all-SEC Championship Game. Alabama's irresistible offensive force meets Georgia's immoveable defense for the second time this season. Alabama having trounced previously undefeated Georgia 41-24 in the SEC title game. The Championship Game will be a rematch of the 2017 Championship Game in which the Crimson Tide eked out a 26-23 overtime victory over the Bulldogs. The game will also be a rematch of this season's SEC Championship in which Alabama trounced previously undefeated Georgia 41-24. In fact, Alabama has a string of seven straight victories over their SEC counterparts. Which makes me wonder: why is Georgia currently a three point favorite for Monday night's game? What can Georgia do to prevail?
Georgia's defense needs to find a way to sack and pressure, Alabama's Heisman Trophy winner QB Bryce Young. Against their other opponents, they averaged 3.5 sacks per game. Against Alabama, they got zero. Alabama averaged an unimpressive 2.7 sacks allowed per game so it can be done.
The Bulldog defense allowed just 9.5 points per game even with their 41 point loss to the Crimson Tide. The nation's no.1 scoring defense must find a way to stop Alabama's no. 3 scoring offense. It can be done. A mediocre LSU team held Alabama to 20 points (4 sacks) and a mediocre Auburn team held them to 24 (7 sacks).
Georgia has some of the top defensive minds in the country on the sideline. Who better would you want on your side to come back with a different, more sound approach? With Alabama WR John Metchie (8 TD, 1142 yards) out with a torn ACL, the Bulldogs should have more success in matching up with the Tide’s talented receivers. Excellent man-to-man coverage will be needed if Georgia is to pressure Bryce Young.
Georgia's ground game should do better than its 3.6 yds/carry in the SEC Championship. Georgia's All-SEC offensive tackle Jamaree Salyer will be at or near full strength and coming off a good game against Michigan.
For evenly-matched strong teams such as Alabama and Georgia, it is difficult to beat a conference rival twice in the same season.
It finally may be Georgia's time. They have not won a national title since 1980, and their program is too good to endure an eighth straight loss to Alabama.
The CFP Championship Game will be played Monday, January 10, at 8pm Eastern Time.
Georgia wins first national championship in 41 years, vanquishing Alabama 33-18
POSTED JANUARY 11, 2022
A fourth quarter fumble, a personal foul, an Alabama touchdown to take back the lead...it did not look good for the Georgia Bulldogs with 10 minutes left in the game. Both defenses had played spectacularly. Georgia's quarterback Stetson Bennett had appeared rattled at times and was just 13 for 22 for 142 yards. I admit that I lost faith in the ability of the Bulldogs to come back against Nick Saban's Crimson Tide, college football's dominant power for the past dozen years.
Then Georgia's No.1 scoring defense stopped a two-point conversion attempt. The stage was set for a Georgia comeback and a dramatic finish in college football's biggest game.
Bennett completed all three of his passes for 68 yards on Georgia's next possession, including a 40-yard strike to Adonai Mitchell for a touchdown with 8:09 left. That gave the Bulldogs a one-point lead.
Then the Bulldogs’ defense clamped down on Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young, forcing a three-and-out on the Tide’s next drive.
Georgia's next drive saw Bennet hit Brock Bowers for a 15-yard TD on a screen to put the Bulldogs up eight with with 3:33 left. It was still a one-score game and Bryce Young came out for what Alabama fans hoped would be a game-tying touchdown drive. It was not to be. Playing without his two best receivers, Young underthrew a deep ball down the sideline. Georgia's Kelee Ringo intercepted and returned it for a 79-yard pick-six, putting Georgia up by 15.
Georgia ticked all the boxes on its must-do list (4 sacks, held Alabama to 18 points their lowest of the season, 4.7 yards/carry), made an outstanding 4th quarter comeback, and won its first national championship in 41 years.
Highlights are below left. Stetson Bennet profile, "from walk-on to legend," is linked on the right.
NCAAM Basketball Tournament "Elite 8" games start tonight
POSTED MARCH 26, 2022
The field for the Men's Basketball Tournament is down to the "Elite Eight". Tonight the drive to the Final Four begins.
In Thursday's games, Arkansas, Duke, Villanova, and Houston advanced. In the process, two number one seeds (Gonzaga and Arizona) were upset and legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski's last season continued for at least one more game.
In Friday's games, this year's Cinderella St. Peter's advanced to the Elite Eight along with the only remaining No.1 - Kansas, North Carolina and Miami. St Peter's became the first No. 15 seed to get to the round of 8.
The field is now set for the Elite Eight. Saturday's games are Houston v. Villanova and Arkansas v Duke. Sunday's are Kansas v. Miami and St. Peter's v North Carolina.
Final Four Weekend
POSTED APRIL 1, 2022
The NCAA Men's and Women's Championship weekend is upon us. The Final Fours of both tournaments feature teams with long traditions of basketball greatness - bluebloods and titans as the media have so fittingly declared. [link below right]
The Men's Final Four (Kansas v Villanova, Duke v North Carolina) have won a total of 17 national championships; the Women's Final Four (South Carolina v Louisville, U Conn v Stanford), 15.
Tonight, the Women tipoff in Minneapolis. Tomorrow, 1200 miles to the south, the Men tipoff in New Orleans.
Duke's legendary Coach Mike Krzyzewski, who will retire after this season, is coaching in the Final Four for a record 13th time. [link below left]
Kansas Jayhawks and South Carolina Gamecocks take College Basketball Titles
POSTED APRIL 5, 2022
On Sunday, South Carolina dominated UConn to take the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship. The 64-49 victory for the Gamecocks, who were ranked No.1 in the AP poll from the start of the season to the finish. It was the second national title for South Carolina. SC coach Dawn Staley became the first black head coach in Division I history (men or women) to win multiple national championships, and South Carolina became the first team to defeat UConn in a national championship game.
Highlights and analysis are linked below.
Kansas staged an historic comeback to defeat North Carolina 72-69. It was the Jayhawks fourth NCAA title. Kansas and North Carolina provided one of the most thrilling national title games in years. - With five minutes to play, Kansas had a 63-61 edge after being down 15 points at halftime.
Highlights and analysis are linked below.
