Well, the first round of the College Football Playoffs played out like everyone suspected it would end up. Two good games and two blowouts. Blowouts are part of sports, so there is no reason to overreact to them at this point. Below are the superlatives from the 1st weekend of the College Football Playoffs.
The Monkey is off their backs award: Alabama 34- Oklahoma 24
After losing the last two seasons to Oklahoma, Alabama avenged those losses with a win over Oklahoma on Friday Night. In a crazy game, Alabama fell behind 17-0 and stormed back to win 34-24. This was a huge win for Alabama, as they now will face Indiana in the Rose Bowl.
The Coach who needed a win this weekend: Kalen DeBoer, Alabama, Head Coach
Replacing the greatest head coach in Nick Saban is no small task for Kalen DeBoer at Alabama. So, after an up-and-down season, including a blowout loss against Georgia in the SEC Championship, it was a great win for DeBoer to beat Oklahoma and advance to the next round of the playoffs.
A coach who proved he built a good program, award: Mario Cristobal, Miami, Head Coach
Mario Cristobal has proven he can build a successful program at Miami, but he was seeking that signature win. He did that Saturday night with a 10-3 win over Texas A&M. They won the game the way he probably envisioned it, with a strong defense and a run game led by Mark Fletcher. Congrats to Cristobal on getting a big win for his program.
Best performance by a player: Mark Fletcher, Running Back, Miami
Mark Fletcher was the difference in the 10-3 win when he rushed for 172 yards on 17 carries. On the game-winning drive, he broke off a 56-yard run to help set up the game-winning touchdown. Fletcher is a talented running back, and he showed it on Saturday when his team needed it.
Congrats on his 1st win: Pete Golding, Ole Miss, Head Coach
After replacing Lane Kiffin as head coach, Pete Golding went out and won his 1st game in a playoff victory over Tulane. Playoff wins Pete Golding 1, Lane Kiffin 0.
Best coach who got a bonus for not coaching on Saturday: Lane Kiffin
Lane Kiffin won a 250,000 bonus for not coaching on Saturday because LSU put in his playoff bonuses into his LSU contract even though he is no longer the coach of Ole Miss. Congrats, Kiffin, hopefully you spend it wisely.
Hopefully, no one overreacts to this weekend's games award: College Football Fans
All I hear from College Football fans is that they complain about James Madison and Tulane making the College Football Playoffs. Just enjoy the sport and realize that this stuff happens sometimes. Don’t blame James Madison or Tulane; they both earned it by making the College Football Playoff.
Ranking the College Football Quarterfinals Matchups:
1)Texas Tech vs. Oregon- This has the makings of a great game. Both teams have great defenses and should be able to slow the other team's offenses down. I expect a close game that goes down to the wire.
2)Indiana vs. Alabama- Indiana is an excellent team that is 13-0 in the season. Playing against an up-and-down Alabama team, they could have a chance to get a big win. Alabama is a resilient team, and I expect them to play their best game.
3)Georgia vs. Ole Miss- In a rematch of a shootout earlier this year, when Georgia won 43-35. Georgia has been playing well, as they have won 9 straight games after they lost to Alabama. Georgia is the favorite to win this game, but beating a team twice is never easy, so Ole Miss will have a chance.
4)Ohio State vs. Miami- Ohio State seems like they have an advantage in this game, as Miami’s offense struggled against a good Texas A&M team. Miami could still pull off the upset if quarterback Carson Beck plays well.