The bye teams took it on the chin again in the 2nd year of the 12-team format of the college football playoffs. Last year all 4 bye teams lost. This year only Indiana won as they easily disposed of Alabama 38-3. The bye teams’ failures were led by Ohio State, who lost to Miami 24-14. Miami jumped out to a 14-0 halftime lead thanks to a pick-6 in the 2nd quarter. This was the first time Ohio State trailed by 14 all season, and it showed. One of the hallmarks of the Ohio State offense is that they took their time, ate up a lot of clock, and scored. They ran the fewest plays of almost any team in college football. This is all well and good when you are in the lead or the game is close. Despite the fact that they trailed by 14, they came out with no sense of urgency in the 2nd half. They scored on their first two drives of the 2nd half. They only got the ball one more time when the game mattered and could not cash in. Their vaunted defense could not get off the field, and Miami put 10 points on the board that sealed the deal. Oregon completely stifled the Texas Tech offense, and if they had taken advantage of all their opportunities, would have probably won the game 45-0. As it was, they easily won 23-0. In the 4th and final game, Mississippi continued to roll and upset Georgia 39-35. The key play of this game was when Kirby Smart decided to go for it on 4th and 2 on Georgia’s own 33-yard line. There was just under 10 minutes to go in the game, and Georgia trailed 27-24. The play was a disaster that resulted in a 10-yard sack and fumble. Mississippi wasted no time, scoring in just 2 plays and 29 seconds to take a 34 to 24 lead. Even though Georgia did come back and tie the game, we will never know if the outcome would have been different if Georgia had punted. One thing is for sure: the outcome could not have come out any worse. The bye teams are now 1 win and 7 losses in the playoffs. The obvious reason for this is the long layoff that these teams have to take. In the past, with 2-team and 4-team playoffs, the teams’ layoffs were equal. Now that we have this first-round game, the longest the 5 through 12 have off is about 9 to 10 days. The sample size is small, but if this trend continues, there will need to be changes. There are two easy solutions: go to a 16-team format, which would have no byes then, or start the playoffs the week after the field is set and play every week after that. At that schedule, the championship game would be played around January 1, with the pro playoffs not even starting. Let’s take a look at the semifinals.
There is no question Indiana looks poised to bring home the National Championship. They were most impressive in their drubbing of Alabama. They have a defense that nobody really seems to talk about much, and when the chips are down, the offense seems to come through. They will play Oregon on Friday night in Atlanta. Just like in the quarterfinals, they will not be able to mail it in, but with Curt Cignetti coaching, you just do not see that happening. I think Oregon has a chance, but they can’t squander the opportunities like they did against Texas Tech. The key will be, can Oregon slow down the Indiana offense? Both special teams seem to be solid. Of course, turnovers always play a role. Indiana is good at taking care of the ball. Oregon will have to be firing on all cylinders if they are going to pull off the upset. The first game has the two surprise teams: the Miami Hurricanes vs. the Old Miss Rebels. Miami’s defense has been the reason this team is in the semifinals. In the first 6 quarters of playoff football, they gave up only 3 points. No question, Ohio State moved the ball on them in the 2nd half. Maybe they knew that Ohio State did not like to play fast for whatever reason. When the game was on the line and Ohio State had the ball with a chance to tie or win the game, the Miami defense came through to stop the Buckeyes. Mississippi, on the other hand, has been an offensive juggernaut. They have never scored less than 24 points in a game all season. Miami’s offense has come alive somewhat at the end of the season. You get the feeling that if Mississippi can play their offensive game, then Miami just will not be able to keep up. My fearless prediction: Mississippi and Indiana for the title.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 