For all of the excitement it generates, the end of football season could quite possibly be the second most wonderful time of the year!
Well for the most part….as a loyal Sooner fan I sure didn’t envision our season ending with the thumping we took at the hands of the Clemson Tigers. Or was it a clobbering? Either way, I’m not going to take anything away from the Tigers for doing a darn thing. I am, however, going to remain hopeful that our coaching staff and players study the film from the Russell Athletic Bowl and get a nice long list of things “not to do” ever again!
All eyes though were on Pasadena and New Orleans for the inaugural college playoff games….
The beautiful blue skies over the Rose Bowl gave no indication of the ugliness that would unfold by night’s end…at least that was the case for one sideline. Defending champs Florida State Seminoles were far from clicking on all cylinders and the University of Oregon Ducks seized each opportunity that came their way. Quarterback Marcus Mariota showed every bit why his name was meant to be etched on this year’s Heisman Trophy as he led his team to a 59-20 victory.
Not too far from the wild & restless on Bourbon Street a tightly matched bout took place. Not one, not two, but three quarterbacks in on the roster…and I found myself as one of the few people—outside of Buckeye Nation—that gave Ohio State a fighting chance of beating Alabama. But freshman quarterback Cardale Jones shook off a few understandable jitters and led his team to roll the tide right on back to Tuscaloosa! With his team’s 42-35 win, Ohio State’s Urban Meyer proved that getting out of the SEC was quite possibly one of the best career moves in the history of the game!
Expectations are high for the title game….I’ll be surprised if Oregon’s high octane offense doesn’t pave the way for victory speeches and trophy hoisting by the end of the evening!
Turns out the fellas in the big leagues were not to be outdone as Wild Card Weekend certainly didn’t disappoint….
A “w” wasn’t meant to be for the Cincinnati Bengals as they fell short of hopes to break their seemingly never ending streak of playoff losses….Indianapolis remained poised when things were tight—as a result, the Colts are still in the hunt for a trophy….
NFC South Division Champ Carolina Panthers proved getting into the playoffs is really and truly the name of the game…an anemic offense was far too much for Arizona’s Cardinals to overcome….alas, Charlotte would be the last stop on their playoff calendar…
My neighbors to the north are basking in a purple tinted afterglow as the Baltimore Ravens snatched the championship hopes of division foe Pittsburgh Steelers…in the land of the Terrible Towel no less!
Such is not the case with my neighbors a few miles south! After their arch rivals Dallas Cowboys remained in the mix … after a call that quickly became a questionable no call…while playing the Detroit Lions—Redskins Nation is seeing, well ummm, red!!
Time will tell how long the first round contenders remain in the conversation…..
For now we only need to sit back and await the wonder of the season!
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