2023-01-10 07:03

And here are the reviews of the last 5 games. Of those were 4 on last Monday and the National Championship game of course yesterday.
Congratulations to Georgia for winning that one!

But before the review of THAT game, here the games of last Monday.

Monday, January 2
Saturday, January 1
ReliaQuest Bowl
#22 Mississippi State vs Illinois
@Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
It did not look good for the Bulldogs, not at all, until the 4th quarter did come.
The 1st quarter was scoreless, thanks to a missed field goal by Illinois and an INT thrown by MSU in the Illini redzone.
The 2nd quarter did then feature a Touchdown-drive by the Illini, after they did intercept another Bulldogs pass before.
Mississippi State did score a field goal on the ensuing drive, which did more or less end the quarter. Illini leading 7-3.
In the 3rd did Mississippi still not find much offense at the start and did let Illinois score a field goal.
But then came a very long drive by the Bulldogs, which they were able to end with a Touchdown on the 1st play of the 4th quarter and suddenly the game was tied.
So, did Mississippi finally find their rhythm?
No, but they prevented another scoring by Illinois and with less than 2 minutes the team was able to get into field goal range and kick one for the lead. 13-10 Bulldogs.
Only 4 second left to play did Illinois try the last desperate play.
With 1st and 10 on their own 29, there are not many options.
Illinois made a quite deep pass, but not Hail Mary, and tried a lateral to another player for a miss direction play. But that player was hunted down, who did lateral again and after several tries, those laterals became TOO desperate, and a ground bouncer was scooped up by MSU and returned to the house for the final score of 19-10.
Not a highlight in the bowl season I would say.
Jacks BOWL Score: 21-17

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
#17 LSU vs Purdue
@Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
This I will make short.
Purdue was destroyed in this bowl featuring the highest margin on a win of all bowls (at that point)
LSU did score almost on every drive, sometimes needed just 1 play to do so.
And beside several errors LSU did, Purdue was just able to score 1 time in 4th quarter, already down 49-7.
Final score is 63-7 LSU.
I'm curious how LSU will develop next season.
Jacks BOWL Score: 22-17

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
# 16 Tulane vs #10 USC
@AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
It was all set for the big USC party, the nice season finale, but Tulane just did not quit.
In the 1st half it looked like a done deal, even Tulane stayed in the game a bit, thanks to USC errors.
With 28-14 at the half, I think USC was OK.
Tulane got the ball on the 1st drive of the 3rd quarter and scored. 28-21.
USC marched down the field, was stopped for a field goal try and ... missed it.
Tulane did the same and made it. 28-24.
Then it looked like a shootout, which USC might win, TD USC, TD Tulane, TD USC and then Tulane fumble!
At that time 42-30 and USC got the ball back.
It's already 4th quarter and USC only needs to manage the lead.
They make another long drive and score a field goal, 45-30.
With 4:30 left, Tulane needs more than 2 scores, but did not give up and USC did pile up errors overs errors in a very short period of time.
Tulanes 1st play, a very long run after catch did bring the Green Wave into the redzone and the next play into the endzone.
Still more than 4 minutes left, but USC gets the ball, but on the return did the returner not hold onto the ball near the endzone and let it slip out of bounce on the 1 yard line.
I don't know what the returner was thinking, likely he wanted to make a good play, but you DO NOT take those balls. Either it goes out of bounce, or it goes into the endzone. In both cases you gain more by doing nothing. The only bad case is the ball bounces sidewards or back, but those are quite rare.
OK, USC had to play from their own 1-yard line and sucked big time and allowed even a safety, gave a Tulane even the ball back! 45-39.
Major error.
Tulane got the ball back and 3:20 left.
They had to play fast, they had to play 4th down twice, but with 9 second left, they made a pass into the endzone, which was initially rules incomplete, but the review turned it into a Touchdown! 46-45 Tulane.
USC tried a lateral play, but after several pitches did Tulane hunt the runner down and win the bowl. Great Comeback!
Those last 5 minutes were simply bad coaching by USC. SO many errors in such short time, so many fundamental errors by not knowing what to do in those situations shows there is a lot of work to do.
Jacks BOWL Score: 22-18

Rose Bowl Game
#11 Penn State vs #8 Utah
@Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
A quite open game, with Utah making a crucial INT in the 1st half, which led to the 1st Penn State scoring drive.
Utah did answer and both teams did exchange the more TDs, going 14-14 into the locker room.
Next crucial error was in the 3rd quarter, after Penn State scored another TD.
Utah was mid-field, made a long pass, but was intercepted and the returner was again stopped mid-field.
No scoring for Utah and Penn State in quite good field position.
It did not pay off, but Utah was on the next drive deep in their half and was unable to get into scoring range.
Final turning point was that Penn State got the ball also deep inside their half after the punt and marched 94 yards in 3 plays over the field and scored again.
Now Utah down by 2 scores, the defense of Penn State was able to keep Utah much better in check and the Utah defense was not on the field on the next drive, allowing another TD.
Utah did score in garbage time but lost the game.
Jacks BOWL Score: 22-19

Monday, January 9
CFP National Championship pres. by AT&T
#3 TCU vs #1 Georgia
@SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
When I saw the score, my thought was automatic 'told you so'.
TCU was NOT the 2nd best team in the country, that's clear.
Sure, they made it to the finale, but inside the finale ... a total disaster.
It did start not well for TCU and became worse.
The 1st series of them, 3-and-out.
Georgia needed 5 plays and scored a TD.
Next TCU series? Fumbled away, but Georgia was held for a field goal.
Then came a moment many TCU fans did likely see as 'yeah, now we are here!', since TCU score a TD after a long pass and a bold QB run.
THAT did look like TCU from the semis.
Georgia was not impressed and scored 4 plays later and from that point onwards it was ALL Georgia and the TCU defense, especially the pass defense, was bad, really bad.
Whenever the defense had pushed Georgia on the edge of having to punt, if just that 3rd and something can be stopped, TCUs pass defense did fail.
And Georgia did score and score and score.
Final score is 65-7!
Georgia wins back-to-back National Championships, which is a task, Kirby Smart will be remembered in Georgia forever.
TCU can only learn and build from that onwards, since it was only the 1st season of Sonny Dykes.
There is always a next season.
Jacks BOWL Score: 23-19

And with that the college football season is over.
Not the best bowl picks I ever had, but I think I'm not alone.

Thanks for reading!

'Til next time
Jack6 on BLOCK OF GRANITE

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