Week 15, 2014

Hey All,

It must be Tuesday and that means another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

Pac 12 Championship Game
Oregon 51- Arizona 13: The Ducks punched their ticket to the College Football Playoff by punching out the Wildcats at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.  While the UO defense shutdown UofA from the start, it took a while for the Duck offense to get rolling. Once they did get rolling, the game was over by halftime.  UO QB Marcus Mariota took firm possession of the Heisman trophy by completing 25 of 38 passes for 313 yards and two TDs to go with 33 yards rushing and 3 more scores.  The Ducks would finish with 627 yards of offense, 31 first downs and a T.O.P of 38:55.  The Wildcats were stuffed by the Duck defense all night long.  The Ducks forced more 3-and-outs, (7), than completions allowed by UofA QB Anu Solomon, (6). In fact, 96 of the Arizona's 224 total yards gained came early in the fourth quarter after Oregon had built up a 44-7 lead.
Telling Stat: Not even that close;  Arizona only broke double digits scoring in this game when backup QB Jerrard Randle rushed 25 yards for a TD on the game's final play.  That run by Randle was the Wildcats longest run from scrimmage on the entire game.

Big Ten Championship Game
Ohio State 59- Wisconsin 0: With their third string QB making his first start ever, the Buckeyes entered the Big Ten title game as underdogs.  The supposedly outmanned Buckeyes hit the field and eviscerated the Badgers.  That 3rd string QB Cardale Jones completed 12 of 17 for 257 yards and three TDs. As for the OSU rushing attack, RB Ezekiel Elliot gashed the Badger defense for 220 yards rushing and a pair of TDs on just 20 carries.  While all that offense was going on, the Buckeye defense made sure Wisconsin's offense did go anywhere.  They effectively ended the Heisman Campaign of Badger RB Melvin Gordon, holding him to just 76 yards on 26 carries.
Telling Stat: Anatomy of a shutout; On Wisconsin's 15 drives, the Buckeye defense forced eight punts, four turnovers, held for downs once and had the clock run out in each half in this total wipeout of the Badgers

ACC Championship Game
Florida State 37- Georgia Tech 35: This was a great back and forth title game with Seminoles starting slow yet again, then playing just well enough to escape with a win.  The Yellow Jackets started the game with their option game hitting on all cylinders. Their first three drives all went for TDs and covered 71, 75 and 75 yards.  The Seminoles seemed to be just a step behind most of the game, trailing 28-23 as the fourth quarter got underway.  Then the FSU defense kept the Jackets off the scoreboard for three straight series.  That stretch allowed their offense to take control of the game.  In the end, Georgia Tech did score to again to come within two points of the Noles, but FSU recovered the ensuing onside kick and the ACC title was theirs again. FSU QB Jameis Winston completed 21 of 30 passes for 309 yards and three TDs, while Georgia Tech RB Synjin Davis rushed for 67 yards and three TDs in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: 1 punt, 1 downs, and 1 pick; The Florida State defense forced a Georgia Tech punt, held for downs and picked off a pass on three drives that spanned the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter.  During that span the FSU offense three field goal to take control of the game.  

SEC Championship Game
Alabama 42- Missouri 13: The Crimson Tide reserved their place in the College Football Playoff by taming the Tigers of Mizzou.  The Tigers couldn't stop the Bama rushing attack.  RBs Derrick Henry and T.J. Yeldon combined for 34 carries, 188 yards and four TDs on the afternoon. Throw in 262 yards passing and another two scores from QB Blake Sims and the rout was on.  The Bama defense held Mizzou to just 41 yards rushing, but QB Maty Mauk did throw for 272 yards and a TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: Sealing the deal; Bama outscored Missouri, 21-0 in the fourth quarter to bring home another SEC title to Tuscaloosa.

Self-inflicted wounds; or how the Big XII became their own worst enemy

1. They didn't play a conference championship game:  I'm a traditionalist as much as anybody, but not having a championship game, no matter how weird that would look after a full round-robin league schedule, hurt the league.  Even though the league has less than 12 teams, they could have applied for a waiver to play a title game.

2. Declaring Co-Champions of Baylor and TCU: Why should the CFP Committee pick one of your teams if you can't?  Not declaring an outright league champion hurt the league.

3.  The commissioner and member schools saw these potential problems and did nothing to help themselves.

Observations

...128th;  That's what Baylor's non-confernce strength of schedule was this season.  128th of 128 teams in the FBS.  That's dead last. To put that in perspective, Baylor's non-conference schedule was worse than anybody's non-conference slate in the SEC. That weak slate cost Baylor the CFP.

...False hope;  If the CFP Committee was going to knock TCU down for losing to Baylor, why did they rank them higher all season and vault TCU into the #3 slot last week?

...Quietly leaving the stage;  Alabama-Birmingham is dropping football and they won't get a chance at a farewell game.  They were not offered a bowl bid despite being bowl eligible. So long, Blazers.

...Stay classy San Diego;  The city down south pulled off a dream matchup for the Poinsettia Bowl.  The pairing of San Diego State and Navy is the best combination of city and teams in a bowl this year.

...And then there were none; There are no winless teams this year in the FBS!  The SMU Mustangs went on the road to Connecticut and beat the Huskies, 27-20.  RB Prescott Line scampered in from 12 yards out for the winning score with just 9:22 to play.

...A requiem for the SWC;  Arkansas v. Texas in the Texas bowl is just a great matchup.  Visions of Frank Broyles and Darrell Royal are dancing in my head.

...Haven't mentioned them in awhile;  They were once a staple of this column, so it is good to see that the UTEP Miners have gotten to a bowl game.

...One game left;  There's one game left in the FBS regular season, and the tradition that comes with it is second to none. Yes folks, it is Army-Navy week.  If all the tradition that from this game doesn't get you into watching it, maybe this will.  It is interesting to watch at a game with a live cannon battery in each end zone.

...Follow the Sun;  Once again, the Sun Bowl is the only bowl game not on ESPN or ABC.  This game is on CBS.

...That's Enough, SEC honks;  While he was at USC, Lane Kiffin was vilified by folks in SEC-land on a daily basis, now to that he's Nick Saban's lap dog, he has been washed in magic waters and is incredible.  The hypocrisy is just unbearable.  It reached a new low, when CBS's Verne Lundquist tried to write revisionist history about Kiffin while kissing his butt throughout the game.

Ugly Uniform of the Week: Bowling Green wins for this all-orange ensemble.  All-orange doesn't look good on anyone from CalTrans workers to prisoners to Clemson.

Gut reactions to the Pac 12 Bowl slate (or as I call it, the way to laugh at the Commissioner's poor prognostications)

Las Vegas Bowl: Utah v. Colorado State- CSU HC Jim McElwain promptly let the Rama to a 10-2 regular season then took the Florida job. That leaves interim HC Dave Baldwin at the helm.  Will CSU be up for this game?  As for Utah, they are thrilled to be back in a bowl for the first time in three seasons.  This game is Utah's to lose.

Sun Bowl: ASU v. Duke- The SunDevils had the inside track to a Pac 12 title shot, then that was lost on a chilly night in Corvallis.  ASU hasn't really recovered from that loss, but still has a potent offense. Duke has risen to be an ACC contender, but do they have enough offense to keep up with the Sun Devil attack?  I think ASU wins this one, but it'll be a little closer than everyone thinks.

Holiday Bowl: Nebraska v. USC- Who else can I pick but the Trojans?  Seriously though,  The Trojans come in on a high after crushing Notre Dame.  The Huskers come in angry with an interim HC after seeing Bo Pellini got fired after a 9-win season.  Oh, and their new HC Mike Riley only has a ton of experience with USC.  I think he may give the Huskers all his knowledge on this one.  This should be a very good game.

Foster Farms Bowl: Maryland v. Stanford- Maryland has tried to adopt a tough guy attitude in their inaugural season in the Big Ten.  I think Stanford shows them what tough is with their power running game.  I'll take the Cardinal.

Fiesta Bowl: Boise State v. Arizona- The Wildcats didn't really get a big reward for getting their butts kicked in the Pac 12 title game.  Yes, they got a big bowl, but they are now the big bad power conference team that underdog Boise State is trying to take down.  Everyone who doesn't live in Tucson will be rooting for the Broncos.  I like Boise in an upset.

Alamo Bowl: Kansas State v. UCLA- The bRuins don't travel well and will no crowd support in a game that is basically a Big XII home game help a UCLA squad that doesn't have a great bowl history anyway?  I think not. K-State gets the win.

Ticket City: Washington v. Oklahoma State-  Neither of these squads has been great this year, but Okie State seems to have a little better grasp on how to win, while Washington still has to learn under Chris Petersen.  I'll take the Cowboys in this one.

Rose Bowl: Florida State v. Oregon- Everybody will talk about this being a Mariota v. Winston matchup.  Don't believe it.  This game is trench warfare.  Can Oregon's O-line handle FSU's D-line?  Can FSU's O-line handle an underrated but very good Oregon defensive front? Being a Pac12 guy who can't stand FSU, I'll take the Ducks.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing

The IlluminOcean light display in Dana Point Harbor is well worth the drive.

Sense memory;  Cigar smoke smells makes me feel like I'm sitting in an old ballpark.

I've spent more time at Trader Joe's this year than the baseball card shop.

A Final Note

The end of another football regular season is at hand and so is this column for 2014.  No matter how many amazing things happen during the season, it's who you experience the games with that make the season great. I now thank my extended football family, that now stretches from Italy to New Zealand,  for making another season great.  Without you all, the sharing of my love for this game with the funny bouncing ball would not occur. So, until next season remember that teams come and go, it's our love of the game that lasts.

-The Commissioner

Week 14, 2014

Hey All,

It's Tuesday and that means another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  This column will give you something to read while eating some of those Thanksgiving leftovers.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

USC 49- Notre Dame 14: The Trojans bounced back well from their loss to UCLA to pound the Fighting Irish and return the Shillelagh to Heritage Hall.  USC QB Cody Kessler had a day for the ages, completing 32 of 40 passes for 372 yards and six TDs.  Those six TD passes are the most ever thrown against Notre Dame in a single game.  Five different Trojans caught those six TD passes with WR Nelson Agholor hauling in a total of 12 passes for 120 yards and one of those six TDs.  WR George Farmer caught four passes for 85 yards and two TDs.  In all, nine different Trojans caught passes in this rout.  While Kessler was working his magic the USC defense was working over the Irish.  The Trojans camped out in the ND backfield for a full four quarters, causing two turnovers and nailing whoever was playing QB.  ND QB Malik Zaire completed 9 of 20 passes for 170 yards and ran for a score in relief of ellow QB Everett Golson who was benched in the second quarter.
Telling Stat; 35 is fine for cruising;  The Trojans won by 35 points and racked up 35 first downs in the game.  Those 35 first downs are the most ever given up by Notre Dame in game.   

Arizona 42- Arizona State 35: The Territorial Cup seemed to be the only thing at stake at the start of this game.  Then, as UCLA's defeat at the hands of Stanford became a reality, the Pac 12 South title became available too. The two squads stood deadlocked at 21-21 at the half.  Then, UofA came out and dominated the third quarter putting another 14 points on the board to lead, 35-21.  ASU HC Todd Graham then replaced QB Taylor Kelly late in the period with backup Mike Bercovici to try and spark the ASU offense which had gone dormant.  Bercovici did spark the Sun Devils leading them to two fourth quarter scores, but his last drive came up short as his pass on fourth down from the UoA 40 fell incomplete.  UofA QB Anu Solomon was hobbling a bit on that injured ankle of his, but managed to complete 15 of 21 passes for 208 yards and two TDs.  However, the big star of the game was Wildcat RB Nick Wilson who lugged the leather 24 times for 178 yards and three TDs.  On the ASU side of things, Kelly And Bercovici finished with nearly identical numbers.  Kelly completed 13 of 22 passes for 144 yards and two TDs.  Bercovici completed 14 of 22 passes for 123 yards and two TDs.
Telling Stat: Three of a kind;  Three big plays paved the way for Arizona's victory. A 25-yard Fumble return for a TD, A 69-yard TD pass and a 72-yard TD run flipped this game in the Cats favor.

Washington 31- Washington State 13: Thanks to scheduling genius of Pac 12 Commissioner Larry Scott, the Apple Cup was a 7:30 start in Pullman, with a game time temperature of 19 degrees. The Huskies mushed through the cold, while the Cougars looked to never adjust to it which led to UW keeping the Apple Cup for another year. UW RB Dwayne Washington made the m most of his 16 carries by rushing for 135 yards and two TDs while teammate QB Cyler Miles completed 25 of 39 tosses for 249 yards and two scores.  The Dawgs held a 24-0 lead after three quarters then coasted to the finish.  Wazzu QB Luke Falk passed for 355 yards and two TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: 3 downs and out;  On their first three drives of the game, WSU turned the ball over on downs in the Washington end of the field.  The Cougs never recovered from those missed opportunities.

BYU 42- California 35: In the other non-conference game being played this past weekend the Golden Bears fell short against the Cougars and also fell short in their quest to be bowl eligible. The hapless Bear secondary gave up 433 yards and 5 TDs to BYU QB Christian Stewart.  His two favorite targets were WRs Mitchell Juergens and Jordan Leslie both had over 100 yards receiving and two TDs.  On the Cal side of things QB Jared Goff threw for 393 yards and four TDs.  His big target was WR Kenny Lawler who hauled in ten aerials for 138 yards and three scores.  Cal RB Daniel Lasco led all rushers with 130 yards on 26 carries. The Bears did have one final chance to send this game to overtime, but Goff's toss to Lawler fell incomplete on 4th and goal from the BYU 14.
Telling Stat: When they needed it;  BYU put together four good downs of defense when it mattered at the end of the game and escaped Strawberry Canyon with a win.

Stanford 31- UCLA 10:  After forcing a Stanford punt on their first drive, UCLA looked like they picked up where they left off vs. USC as they marched down the field 64 yards in a five play drive that culminated with a 15-yard TD pass from QB Brett Hundley to WR Thomas Duarte. Trailing now, 7-0, Stanford calmly got off the deck and throttled the bRuins for the final 56:18 of the game.  The bRuin defense had no answer for the Stanford power rushing attack.  While building up a 21-3 halftime lead, the Cardinal held the ball for 21:40 of the first half.  Meanwhile, the Stanford defense hit Hundley early and often, with LB James Vaughters and the rest of the Stanford front seven spending most of the game in the UCLA backfield.  They were there so much, that they forced Hundley out of the game with hand injury midway through the fourth quarter.  While Hundley spent the game running for his life, SU QB Kevin Hogan was well protected, efficient and brilliant.  He completed 16 of 19 tosses on the day for 234 yards and a pair of TDs.  The Cardinal RB Tandem of Remound Wright and Christian McCaffrey combined for 128 yards rushing on 26 carries and two TDs to aid the winning effort. RB Paul Perkins had a 116 yards in the loss for UCLA.
Telling Stat: One and done;  After going 64 yards for a TD on their opening drive, the UCLA offense managed to gain just 198 yards and score just three points on their final nine drives of the contest. 

Oregon 47- Oregon State 19:  This year's edition of the The Civil War looked more like a civil walkover with the Ducks skinning the Beavers on their way to the Pac 12 title game. Duck QB Marcus Mariota had a great game as usual.  He completed 19 of 25 passes for 367 yards and four TDs and ran the ball 10 times for 39 yards and a two TDs.  The Webfoots jump out to a 30-3 halftime lead and cruised the rest of the way.  RB Storm Woods was the lone bright spot for the Beavers with 128 yards rushing on 22 carries and a TD.
Telling Stat; There is no D in Beavers; Oregon scored on 8 of 11 possessions in this game and you could actually say they scored on 9 of 11 drives if you count the safety they gave up to OSU on their final drive. 

Utah 38- Colorado 34: With 10:00 left to play in the fourth quarter, Utah DB Dominique Hatfield picked off an errant screen pas by CU QB Sefo Liufau and raced 20 yards to the end zone for the game-winning score.  Utah has now won three of the four games in this newest "rivalry" game of the Pac 12.  The Buffs did come tantalizingly close to their first Pac 12 win since beating California a year ago. Liufau finished the game with 317 yards passing, one TD and that one huge interception.  WR Nelson Spruce grabbed five balls for 91 yards and a score to aid the Buffs cause.  As for Utah, QB Travis Wilson completed 25 of 37 tosses for 311 yards and three TDs. RB Deonte Booker had another good day, rushing for 95 yards on 25 carries and a TD of his own.
Telling Stat: Challenge passed;  Utah HC Kyle Whittingham challenged his defense in the fourth quarter after they had given up five straight scoring drives to the Buffaloes.  The defense answered that challenge by forcing three punts, picking off a pass for the winning score and holding CU to 39 yards over the final 10 minutes of the game.


Tough Turkey 21- Cranberry Crushers 14: The Tough Turkeys broke a five-year losing skid to the Cranberry Crushers when The Commissioner hauled in the game winning TD pass with :25 seconds to play.  Each of the Turkeys hauled in a a TD pass in the victory.  Maureen Lenker opened the scoring for the birds with an early TD grab. Then after falling behind 14-7 in the second half, Dr. Phyllisann Maguire hauled in the game-tying score on a beautiful pass from Maureen.  Maguire would go on to win rookie-of-the-year honors for her play into contest.  As for the Crushers, Margaret Lenker, Luci Ursich and newcomer Jerick Beasley played a great game and came close to forcing overtime, but Margaret was stopped just short of the Turkeys end zone as time ran out.
Telling Stat: Second half birds;  The Turkeys outscored the Crushers in the second half for the first time in five years.

Observations

...Not the 4-for-4 they were looking for; Colorado has won just four Pac 12 games in their four seasons in the league. The four victims are Arizona and Utah back in 2011, Wazzu in 2012, and Cal in 2013. The Buffs finished the Pac 12 season at 0-9 this year.

...This one could be great;  I'm usually not a fa of rematches in college football, but the Arizona-Oregon rematch in the Pac 12 title game could be epic.

...Congrats, eh;  Congratulations to the Calgary Stampeders who defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to claim the Grey Cup over the weekend.  Former SMU QB Bo Levi Mitchell led the Stamps to victory in the 102nd Grey Cup game. Somewhere June Jones is smiling.

...On the down low;  UCLA RB Paul Perkins rushed for the most irrelevant 116 yards I've seen in a game in a few years.

...Cougar Yin and Yang; Wazzu has attempted 771 passes, the most in the FBS, this season while Army has thrown the ball just 98 times, the least in the FBS.

...The multi-million dollar ankle;  OSU QB J.T. Barrett's broken ankle may cost the Buckeyes a spot in the CFB Playoff and all that money that comes with it.

...It'll happen soon; Waiting for the day that ESPN's talking heads try to tell us that an eight loss SEC teams is better than an body else's conference champion.

...Fun viewing; As soon as UCLA's loss to Stanford hit 0:00, I immediately switch over to the ASU-UofA game and enjoyed watching the crowd reaction in Tucson. That reaction came from the fans and not the players because UofA HC Rich Rodriguez did not want the UCLA-Stanford score posted in the stadium.  He wanted his players to concentrate on the game at hand.  However, as the UCLA score went final, you could see the ripple of delight hit the stands thanks to smart phones.

...A beautiful sight indeed;  There is something so wonderful about seeing the Shillelagh bathed in late fall Southern California sunshine.

...Paint that stiffarm statue green;  Marcus Mariota should be the first non-Trojan to win the Heisman in the Pac 12 since Jim Plunkett at Stanford in 1971.

...Scenario shift;  A couple of weeks ago it was mentioned in this column that Minnesota could win the Big Ten and suffer the irony of not making it to the Rose Bowl due to the college football playoff.  That same scenario could now happen to Arizona.

...Not breaking news;  Word is that Georgia Tech's top wideout is injured and won't be available to play against Florida State in the ACC title game.  Does it matter? The Yellow Jackets take to the air about 15 times a game and complete only about eight of those tosses.

...The century mark;  By managing to put nine points on the board in their loss to Houston, SMU finally topped 100 points scored for the season. 

...Only a rumor; There is no truth to the rumor that Michigan fans tried to have HC Brady Hoke deported to Canada.  There is also no truth to the rumor that Canada refused to accept him.

...Lobos can run;  Yes, they finished just 4-8 this year, but New Mexico can sure run the ball.  They rank fourth in rushing yards in the FBS averaging 310 yards a game with QB Lamar Jordan rushing for 1,083 yards and RB Teriyon Gibson rushing for 809 yards this season.

...Cougar Yin and Yang Part II; Air Force has run the ball 732 times this season, the most in the FBS,  while Wazzu has run the ball just 273 times, the least in the FBS.

...Tis the season to lose jobs;  HCs and assistants will be fired all across the land in the next few weeks.  The coaching carousel is starting to spin.

...Death of a program;  By not being able to make ends meet, UAB will be dropping football.  No official announcement has been made, but "inside sources" say it should come soon.

Going Bowling

With one week left to play in a couple leagues plus championship games being played this coming weekend we have a very clear view of the bowl picture from an eligibility standpoint. The Power Five Conferences ,(ACC, Big XII, Big 10, Pac 12 and SEC), have 47 bowl eligible teams now with a possibility of 48 if Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma this week.  Three of the four FBS independents are bowl eligible and 30 schools from the other conferences are bowl eligible.  That number could grow to 32 if Fresno State and Temple win.  So, that means there are 80 and could be as many as 83 bowl eligible teams right now for the 76 available bowl slots.  So between four and seven schools will left home for the holidays.

Ugly Uniform Combination of the Week: Oregon and Oregon State win for this awful combination of colors on the field.

Good Uniform Color Combination of the Week: I just love this clean, good looking pair of uniforms in the UNLV-Nevada Game

Departments

Blowout of the Week: Alliance, OH- In a second round game of the D-III playoffs, The Mount Union Purple Raiders crushed the Washington & Jefferson Presidents, 67-0.  After holding a slim 7-0 lead after one quarter of play, the Raiders put up 38 points in the second quarter.  Up 45-0, Mt Union emptied the benches in the second half.  Raider QB Kevin Burke completed 30 of 41 passes for 402 yards and six TDs in one half's worth of work.  The Mt. Union defense stonewalled the Presidents all game allowing only three drives to cross the 50 yard line.

Close Game of the Week: Wheaton, IL-  In another D-III second round playoff game, the John Carroll University Blue Streaks beat the Wheaton College Thunder, 14-12.  The Blue Streaks held a 14-12 lead through three quarters thanks to a 1-yard run by RB Tommy Michals and 22-yard TD pass from QB Mark Myers to WR Zach Strippy.  Both teams pitched a shutout in the fourth period.  The difference in this game was that JCU blocked Wheaton's first PAT attempt, then stuffed their two-point conversion attempt on their second TD.

Tulane Times: The Green Wave had bye this past weekend and will host Temple in their season finale this week.

Horned Frog Headlines: TCU moved within a step of making it into the college football playoff with a 48-10 drubbing of the Texas Longhorns.  The Frogs took advantage of gifts being handed out by Texas.  The Longhorns turned the ball over six times, with QB Tyrone Swoopes being responsible for four of those by himself.  TCU QB Trevone Boykin threw for two scores and ran for another to lead the Frogs attack. Up next for the Frogs is a home date with the Iowa State Cyclones.

Razorback Report: After two huge SEC wins at home, could the Hogs derail the SEC East title plans of the Missouri Tigers? No, they couldn't, but they almost did.  The Hogs had a 14-6 lead going into the fourth quarter, but gave up 15 unanswered points to fall to the Tigers, 21-14.  QB Brandon Allen threw for 133 yards and two TDs in the loss.  Up next for the Hogs is the wait to see where they will play in a bowl game.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Electric trains are always cool at Christmas time.

There's nothing as good as Thanksgiving leftovers.

Old decks of cards from casinos are pretty neat.

Until next time, remember that hitting a running QB doesn't make him run so well,

-The Commissioner