Four takeaways from the first weekend of the College Football Playoff
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If you watched any part of Ole Miss’ 41-10 blowout of Tulane, the one common theme you felt was that the absence of former head coach Lane “Benedict” Kiffin was not acknowledged by the home fans; they even appeared to embrace it. It took a while for Rebel Nation to realize it but Kiffin simply was never “one of them” and, while he built the program, he did not measure up to the “Ole Miss family.” Most Rebel fans would probably tell you now they’d rather lose without him than win with him. Kiffin has now been fully exposed and St. Nick (Saban, now known as Mr. Hypocrite) and Pete Carroll, his self-proclaimed advisers, should be ashamed for their comments supporting the manner in which he tried to negotiate his way to both coaching one team and recruiting for another simultaneously. One is the GOAT who ran away from NIL and the transfer portal while the other is a recognized cheater by many. The best part is Kiffin’s LSU Tigers play at Mississippi next year. Good riddance!
Stage too big for James Madison
The only people who watched Oregon’s 51-34 thrashing of James Madison were those with an “interest” in the final score. The Ducks led, 34-6, at halftime and everyone dressed and played. The fact that the two Group of Five teams were clobbered tells you they never belonged in the top 12 in the first place. But we all knew that going in. The fact that they were there tells you the NCAA and College Football Playoff are scared to death of getting sued by the have-nots under our antitrust laws for being “excluded” from the CFP. There will always be a spot for a non-Group of Four team, so you’ll probably see the same script next year.
Miami shows they belong
Once again, Texas A&M’s season came to a disappointing halt at home against Miami, 10-3. While this was a competitive game, the Aggies lost primarily because of poor play by quarterback Marcel Reed, who committed three turnovers, the last culminating a stunning end zone interception from the 4-yard line with seconds left. The Aggies were 10-0, ranked No. 3 in the country, lost their last two games at home and are now done. The CFP committee’s controversial pick of moving Miami ahead of Notre Dame looks like the right decision in spite of the ridiculous path they took. It was a nice win for the Hurricanes and the 2,000 fans who made the trip. Miami is a “pro” city and only supports the ‘Canes when they win and are at home. The one exception is Hall of Famer Michael Irving, the former Dallas Cowboys star wide receiver who is the No. 1 cheerleader for Miami football. I just wish the cameraman would stop showing his reactions throughout the game, as it serves no purpose. Ditto for the same idiot who showed Abella Danger in the stands. Who is she? Would you believe an adult film star who graduated from Miami? SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is still wiping the egg off his face at this very moment.
Sooners beat themselves
Oklahoma’s 34-24 loss to Alabama can only be described as a complete and utter collapse. Up 17-0 and facing a fourth-and-two at the Sooner 9-yard line, ‘Bama coach Kalen DeBoer decided to spurn the easy field goal in a moment of desperation and was rewarded with a touchdown, cutting the lead to 17-7. That was quickly followed by a dropped Sooners punt (which led to a field goal) and a pick-six by ‘Bama, tying the game at 17 just before halftime. Was there anyone who thought Oklahoma could overcome Alabama’s momentum? That team and its coach, Brent Venables, lost their confidence and their focus and they never recovered. Heck, DeBoer’s firing was already sealed, but then Oklahoma awoke the sleeping giant midway through the second quarter. Instead of making the other team beat you, the Sooners beat themselves. Again, the CFP committee, after being criticized for picking three-loss Alabama, was vindicated by the Tide’s victory.
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Four takeaways from the first weekend of the College Football Playoff
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