Category: Football

BAMA BEAT: Auburn game recap, Part II (Ep. 275)

Clint Lamb sits down with Brett Hudson to discuss Alabama’s 45-48 loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl. This is a two-part podcast!

Cecil Hurt and Clint Lamb, through TideSports.com and The Tuscaloosa News, produce a podcast called “The ‘Bama Beat”, which features all the latest news and analysis surrounding the Alabama Crimson Tide.

In this episode, Lamb sits down with beat writer Brett Hudson to discuss Alabama’s 45-48 loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, including Mac Jones’ performance, the struggles on defense and a lot more!

Due to the length of the podcast, this episode was broken up into two parts.

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BAMA BEAT: Auburn game recap, Part I (Ep. 274)

Clint Lamb sits down with Brett Hudson to discuss Alabama’s 45-48 loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl. This is a two-part podcast!

Cecil Hurt and Clint Lamb, through TideSports.com and The Tuscaloosa News, produce a podcast called “The ‘Bama Beat”, which features all the latest news and analysis surrounding the Alabama Crimson Tide.

In this episode, Lamb sits down with beat writer Brett Hudson to discuss Alabama’s 45-48 loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, including Mac Jones’ performance, the struggles on defense and a lot more!

Due to the length of the podcast, this episode was broken up into two parts.

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College Football Playoff: Instant Reaction to New Rankings

how in the world can you justify Penn State being eight spots higher?

The answer is that you can’t.

The College Football Playoff rankings came out Tuesday night with a couple of shocks but nothing major in terms of the top-four or where Notre Dame will likely end up because of where they wind up in these latest rankings.

If you haven’t seen the rankings yet, here they are:

Three fast thoughts on them:

Great news for the Big XII:

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Michigan with only slight fall in final regular season College Football Playoff ranking

The Wolverines only took a slight fall in the second-to-last College Football Playoff ranking.

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It turns out, when it comes to the College Football Playoff rankings, the selection committee didn’t punish the Wolverines all that much.

There will be but one more ranking before the bowl games, shuffling around the teams that are playing in the conference championship games. But for Michigan, which played in its final game of the regular season — a 56-27 blowout loss to Ohio State at home — the committee seemingly took notice that the maize and blue were No. 13 going up against the No. 1 team in the country.

As a result, the Wolverines fell just one spot, from No. 13 to 14, making it the second-highest rated three-loss team in the poll.

Michigan finishes with losses to No. 1 OSU, No. 8 Wisconsin and No. 10 Penn State, and with wins over No. 15 Notre Dame and No. 16 Iowa.

The next time the rankings are released, it will be on Sunday, in a reveal of where each school will be going to play in their respective bowl games. Michigan is rumored to either the Dec. 27 Holiday Bowl in San Diego or the Jan. 1 Citrus Bowl.

Full rankings:

  1. Ohio State
  2. LSU
  3. Clemson
  4. Georgia
  5. Utah
  6. Oklahoma
  7. Baylor
  8. Wisconsin
  9. Florida
  10. Penn State
  11. Auburn
  12. Alabama
  13. Oregon
  14. MICHIGAN
  15. Notre Dame
  16. Iowa
  17. Memphis
  18. Minnesota
  19. Boise State
  20. Cincinnati
  21. Appalachian State
  22. USC
  23. Virginia
  24. Navy
  25. Oklahoma State

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Oklahoma into top-6 of College Football Playoff Rankings

It’s been a slow climb, but Oklahoma finally is in the top-6 of the College Football Playoff rankings.

It’s been a slow climb, but Oklahoma has moved into the top-6 of the College Football Playoff.

The College Football Playoff Committee has released its Dec. 3 College Football Playoff Rankings, with the Sooners coming at No. 6 behind Utah.

Oklahoma is coming off a dominant 34-16 win over Oklahoma State that saw Kennedy Brooks carry much of the offensive load and a defense shut down one of the best running backs in the country in Chuba Hubbard.

Three weeks ago, the Sooners fell to No. 10. They have since rose from 10 to No. 9, then nine to No. 7 and now are at No. 6.

Here is how the rest of the top-10 of the College Football Playoff Rankings rounded out:

  1. Ohio State
  2. LSU
  3. Clemson
  4. Georgia
  5. Utah
  6. Oklahoma
  7. Baylor
  8. Wisconsin
  9. Florida
  10. Penn State

Oklahoma’s rematch with Baylor will be a top-10 matchup for the Big 12 Championship. Since the Sooners historic 34-31 comeback win on Nov. 16 over Baylor, the Bears have beat Texas 24-10 and Kansas 61-6.

Oklahoma’s win over Oklahoma State only moved the Cowboys down to No. 25. Iowa State’s 27-17 loss to Kansas State on Saturday also pushed them out of the top-25 from No 23. The Sooners will get credit for the Oklahoma State win as a top-25 win in the final rankings.

No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 7 Baylor will play in the Big 12 Championship at 11 a.m. CT (TV on FOX) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

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College Football Playoffs: Ohio State remains No. 1, top four unchanged

The Ohio State Buckeyes, going into the week of conference championship games, have retained the No. 1 spot in the CFP rankings.

It’s official. Ohio State is still No. 1 in the second-to-last CFP rankings.

The Ohio State Buckeyes, going into the week of conference championship games, have retained the No. 1 spot in the CFP rankings.

Ohio State, LSU, Clemson, and Georgia round out the top four. However, teams like Utah and Oklahoma, who were No. 5 and 6, still have a chance to win their conference championship and get in the top four.

Baylor, Wisconsin, Florida, and Penn State round out 7-10. That said, did you notice that Alabama, with its second loss of the season to Auburn this past weekend, has dropped out of the top ten?

Overall, Ohio State will take on Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game, and they should virtually be a lock for the College Football Playoffs regardless of Saturday’s outcome.

Their entire body of work has been unmatched. They’ve defeated Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin, taking down the latter two by 20-plus. This Ohio State has just been absolutely dominant this season.

They’ll currently be facing No. 4 Georgia if the playoffs started today. However, if Georgia loses to LSU in the SEC Championship, Utah or Oklahoma, with a win, will likely get in.

CFP rankings revealed ahead of LSU vs Georgia

The College Football playoff rankings have been revealed ahead of Georgia football’s SEC Championship Game vs LSU.

This weekend, it’s win and you’re in for Georgia.

The Dawgs, which remained the highest ranked one-loss team in the College Football Playoff rankings since the first reveal of the season, held onto that spot as we enter conference championship weekend.

This Saturday, it will be No. 4 Georgia vs No. 2 LSU in Atlanta.

Much of the reason for Georgia’s high ranking has to due with who the Bulldogs have beaten. That includes three top-15 wins over Florida (9), Auburn (11) and Notre Dame (15).

Here is the full top-15:

1. Ohio State

2. LSU

3. Clemson

4. Georgia

5. Utah

6. Oklahoma

7. Baylor

8. Wisconsin

9. Florida

10. Penn State

11. Auburn

12. Alabama

13. Oregon

14. Michigan

15. Notre Dame

Four Texas Longhorns named to first-team All-Big 12 by PFF

Four Texas Longhorns were named to PFF’s All-Big 12 first team

With the 2019 regular season just wrapping up, Pro Football Focus has released its All-Big 12 Team. The list names four players at each position on offense and defense plus a flex defense, kicker, punter, kick returner, and punt returner. Four Texas Longhorns were named to the first team, and eight more joined them on the second team, third team, or as an honorable mention.

Here is the full list of Longhorns that made the team:

  • WR Devin Duvernay (first team)
  • OT Samuel Cosmi (first team)
  • DE Malcolm Roach (first team)
  • K Cameron Dicker (first team)
  • QB Sam Ehlinger (honorable mention)
  • RB Keaontay Ingram (honorable mention)
  • OT Derek Kerstetter (third team)
  • OG Parker Braun (second team)
  • DE Ta’Quon Graham (honorable mention)
  • DT Moro Ojomo (honorable mention)
  • LB Joseph Ossai (second team)
  • CB D’Shawn Jamison (honorable mention)

Devin Duvernay was PFF’s highest-graded Big 12 receiver this year, while Samuel Cosmi was its’ highest-graded Big 12 tackle. Malcolm Roach’s play against the run earned him the highest run-defense grade of all Big 12 edge defenders. Cameron Dicker “the kicker” has hit multiple clutch kicks this year, including this game-winner in the nailbiter against Kansas:

This group of deserving Longhorns have left their mark on the game this season and earned the right to be recognized as the best in the conference. There is still unfinished business, as the underclassmen turn their sights to the 2020 season while seniors like Duvernay start preparing for the NFL draft.

Irish in the NFL: Make A Bennett Jackson Movie Already

Bennett was back for camp with the Giants in 2015 but tore his ACL in their second pre-season game, missing the entire year.  The Giants would end up releasing him at the end of pre-season the following year.

You ever have a player in any sport you take a special fandom to for an odd reason?  We all do, that’s a silly question.

Here’s the tale of one of mine, a Notre Dame grad who is pretty much the NFL example of Rudy.

Do you remember Bennett Jackson, the former Notre Dame cornerback?

Jackson was a member of the Notre Dame football team from 2010-2013 and a starting cornerback on the 2012 team that wound up playing for the national championship game.  After an entirely random encounter and high-five with him after the Michigan game in 2012, I took a special-liking to the young man.

After his eligibility was up in 2013 he was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft and was signed to their practice squad that fall.

Bennett was back for camp with the Giants in 2015 but tore his ACL in their second pre-season game, missing the entire year.  The Giants would end up releasing him at the end of pre-season the following year.

Fast forward to 2018 and Jackson still hadn’t let that dream of playing in a regular season NFL game go and in January of ’18, he signed a reserve/future contract with the Baltimore Ravens.

Unfortunately injury again hit Jackson who was put on Injured Reserve on August 31 before being released a week later.

Yet he didn’t quit, instead fought to get back and re-signed with the Ravens practice squad that November.  Shortly after their season concluded the Ravens and Jackson then agreed to another reserve/future contract.

However again at the end of this past pre-season Jackson was waived by the Ravens before being claimed by the New York Jets a day later.  He was waived by the Jets on September 16 before having played in a regular season for the Jets, but did sign with their practice squad.

Finally on October 15 the Ravens signed Jackson to their active roster, the only way they could get him off the Jets practice squad.

Jackson played in his first NFL game five days later, playing 14 special teams plays and one defensive snap when the Ravens won at Seattle, 30-16.

He’d play three more games for the Ravens, getting a career-high 22 defensive snaps played in their November 11 rout of Cincinnati.

Jackson was however waived Monday by Baltimore but not out of work long as Tuesday he again was signed by the Jets.

Props to him for never giving up on his dream regardless of how many times he was hit with injuries or cut.  Whether he takes another snap in an NFL regular season game or not his story is already Hollywood-worthy.

 

Ohio State Football: Chase Young named Big Ten Defender of the Year

Chase Young, the dominant defensive end for Ohio State, has been named the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Chase Young, the dominant defensive end for Ohio State, has been named the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Young has followed the recent trend of absolutely dominant defenders for Ohio State that started with Joey Bosa and Marshon Lattimore and has continued down the line. Bosa was the last to win this award in 2014.

Young also was named Defensive Lineman of the Year after breaking the university’s single-season sack record, entering the Big Ten Championship Game with 16.5 sacks. He also has 19.5 tackles for loss and 38 total tackles.

Being suspended for two games, Young could’ve easily been looking at 20-plus sacks had that not occurred. But, they did, and Young was sparred of any season-ending penalties, a sigh of relief for all Ohio State fans.

A projected top-two pick, Young is clearly the best defender in the nation. This should just be the start of the season-ending award for one of college football’s most dominant defenders.

Offensive awards will be announced tomorrow.