Ducks Soar, Jays Crash, Now Who Wants Potatoes?
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Recapping the college football weekend and looking forward to TATER BOWL.
Weekend Roundup
One—okay, two—Big Ten teams in action, so let’s check in with how those avian outfits did:
D-III Semifinals
Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons 48, Johns Hopkins Blue Jays 41
ALL HAIL THE TOP GUN OFFENSE.
You know a D-III football team is doing something cool when my old man—a former high school football coach (who is deeply disappointed in me) who is in all things a Vikings fan first, a Gophers fan second, and mostly indifferent to the rest of the world beyond it—brings it up mostly unprompted. But when I mentioned that I was excited Northwestern was playing Central Michigan because of their importation and repurposing of the Army offense, he pivoted to “Hey, do you know if River Falls won today?”
OC Joe Matheson introduced the up-tempo offense—they snap the ball in no more than 20 seconds—and it has yielded almost instant results: nearly 600 yards per game. Read that second link. It’s worth your time.
Against Hopkins, the Falcons did the most important thing they could do—they had the ball, more or less, last.
A 79-yard passing touchdown with 45 seconds left gave the Falcons the lead that they would not relinquish, though not for lack of trying.
But it marked the first Big Ten team to fall in the playoffs.
The Falcons advance to play D-III juggernaut North Central in the Cardinals’ sixth straight Stagg Bowl appearance.
College Football Playoffs — Round 1
#5 Oregon Ducks 51, James Madison Dukes 34
Over early. There’s time to be mad at Tulane and James Madison for more or less confirming the Kirk Herbstreit- and Joel Klatt-style chuds, and…it’s probably now?
Anyway. There’s enough for the Ducks to clean up ahead of Texas Tech in the quarterfinals. Dante Moore threw a couple interceptions, the Dukes scored 34 points, and so on.
#10 Miami Fluoride Hurricanes 10, #7 Texas A&M Aggies 3
#6 Ole Miss Rebels 41, #11 Tulane Green Wave 10
#9 Alabama Crimson Tide 34, #8 Oklahoma Sooners 24
How many of these games are we happy about as a group…one? Maybe two, tops? I’ll count being amused to see Texas A&M losing as the one. That’s about all I’ve got.
FCS Playoffs
#2 Montana State Bobcats 48, #3 Montana Grizzlies 23
Illinois State Redbirds 30, #12 Villanova Wildcats 14
For as suboptimal as the CFP is, the FCS Playoffs are about as optimal as it gets. ‘Cats slay the Griz, while unseeded Illinois State has now won four consecutive on the road and advances to Nashville for the title game.
D-II Championship
#1 Ferris State Bulldogs 42, #2 Harding Bisons 21
Today’s Bowl Game
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Washington State Cougars vs. Utah State Aggies
1pm | ESPN | Wazzu -1 | O/U 49 | Albertsons Stadium (Boise, ID)
Wazzu without a coach, Utah State with its coach and starting quarterback. Let’s get spudsy.
Here’s your open thread for the day.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos