College Football Update

Long ago, Wayne “Woody” Hayes, with his Ohio State team up (50-14) minimum in the last 2 minutes if not later,  went for 2 vs Michigan in that 1968 game.

Michigan players remembered, karma kicked in and the next year, Michigan a near 3 touchdown, home underdog, won (24-12) costing a truly excellent, but eventually underachieving, Ohio State team, a repeat crown.

Earlier this season, Ohio State, whose coach Ryan Day still sans a title, (dealt a big blow yesterday, but not quite out of ‘offs qualification possibility), said it was his punter’s decision to run for a first down ahead 39 points in the 4th quarter vs Rutgers.

That was Not good, in fact bad. It evokes a memory of someone named Paterno (Joe), throwing a spread covering late/even last play touchdown pass, well ahead of Rutgers in Greg Schiano’s first stint there and clearly saying “B.S.” when called on it by the then and current Rutgers coach.

Yesterday, Michigan an 8 plus point(s) underdog, completed a (12-0) regular season, outscoring the Buckeyes (Ohio State), (28-3) in the second half, en route to a (45-23) win.

“Mich” is about a 17 point favorite vs Purdue (on Friday 10 point underdog, Nebraska outrighted Iowa, giving Purdue a chance and after “Oak and Bucketing” Indiana, they won the Big Ten West) in next Saturday night’s Big Ten Title Tilt. If they win and maybe, even if in a chaos inducing situation, they lose, Michigan would be in the ‘offs for a second straight season.

Last season Georgia, to evoke “Orleans” “still the one,” as defending champion and as a (12-0), top ranked team this season, after a second straight “no cover” this vs Georgia Tech, ripped Michigan in a playoff semi-final game, one of many routs in such games, in the first 8 seasons of the 4 team ‘off.”

This season, Georgia, a 2 touchdown plus “fave” vs L.S.U. whose ‘offs hopes went out the window yesterday, as Texas A&M handed them a third loss, would be the top seed and if Michigan prevails, also, as stated, in a big favorite’s conference title game “role,” the teams would not meet in the semis.

A third team is (12-0), that being Texas Christian University, which ripped Iowa State, however, is less than a field goal “fave,” in what likely will be a McDonough game at noon Eastern Time and 11 A.M. “Central” Saturday, vs Kansas State.

If T.C.U. wins, they are in the ‘off, almost certainly they would be out, if they lose.

Finally, into the 4th spot will go another 3 letter abbreviation team, U.S.C.

They were (4-8) last year, but under Lincoln Riley and with now Heisman favorite, quarterback, Caleb Williams running for 3 touchdowns in a (38-27) win over Notre Dame (they went under 8 plus, Beano would have “money line hedged,” though USC was a 5 point fave) the Trojans, as is the case with TCU, 2 plus point(s) favorites in their title tilt, (their opponent is Utah, which stormed back to hand the Trojans their lone regular season loss) so likely would be “in” with a win and out should they lose a second time this season to Utah.

 

Donovan Edwards, pictured above had 2 long touchdown runs in Michigan’s win at Ohio State.