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Social media reacts to Alabama making the playoffs over undefeated Florida State

The Crimson Tide inched ahead of undefeated Florida State for the fourth spot in the College Football Playoff, leaving mixed reactions.

The College Football Playoff Committee announced the four teams bound for the semifinals on Sunday, and in a shocking twist, SEC Champion Alabama was awarded the fourth and final spot while undefeated ACC Champion Florida State was left at home as the No. 5 seed.

The Crimson Tide’s victory over top-ranked Georgia in the SEC Championship was enough to give them a boost in the eyes of the committee. CFP chair Boo Corrigan said the decision came down to “who do you want to play and who do you not want to play?”

The Michigan team room did seem unenthused about the idea of playing the Crimson Tide.

Alabama fans and national talking heads alike took to social media to say the committee did the right thing, bringing up how the decision is meant to find the best four teams, not the four most deserving.

Others thought the decision was a slap in the face. ESPN’s Booger McFarland went on a rant, calling the decision a travesty and saying the rankings reflected style points more than a sport.

Others took to social media on his side, saying an undefeated resume should be enough and saying the eye test argument for Alabama was incomplete.

The Florida State team room seemed to share their frustrations when the final spot was announced.

Injured starting quarterback Jordan Travis made a bold statement of his own about how much he believed in his team.

 

Florida State survives low-scoring affair with Louisville to win the ACC Championship

The Seminoles added a punctuation mark on a 13-0 season with a defensive victory over Louisville in the Charlotte rain.

The Florida State Seminoles outlasted the Charlotte rain and Louisville’s defense for a 16-6 victory in the ACC Championship on Saturday night, cementing a 13-0 season and likely clinching a playoff berth.

The Seminoles, who entered the game No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings, entered the game with visions of the semifinals. Wins by Texas and Alabama earlier on Saturday took away their margin for error, however, assuring a loss would eliminate them from the final four. Multiple injuries left the responsibility of that last win on true freshman quarterback Brock Glenn, who had thrown four career passes before Saturday’s game.

The first half was, in a word, ugly. In the opening 30 minutes, the Louisville and Florida State offenses combined for 149 total yards, 10 first downs, and 11 punts. Glenn performed admirably, completing six of his 12 passes for 44 yards, but a missed field goal from 45 yards meant Florida State only led 3-0 at halftime.

The Louisville offense didn’t come alive in the second half, but it started to stir. After gaining 69 yards as a team in the opening half, they gained 56 on the first drive of the third quarter on a drive full of runs and designed screens. The momentum resulted in a game-tying field goal.

The FSU offense wouldn’t let the momentum stay one-sided, however. Junior running back Lawrence Toafili broke off a 73-yard run just minutes later, setting the Seminoles up for the game’s first touchdown.

After exchanging a few more punts, Louisville broke off another long play. Maurice Turner found a seam and raced 41 yards deep into Florida State territory to set up another Louisville field goal.

Then, the Cardinals’ special teams made what looked like the play of the game. Florida State lined up to punt, but Louisville got pressure on Florida State punter Alex Mastromanno and tackled him before he could get the punt off, setting up the Louisville offense just 11 yards from the go-ahead touchdown.

Instead of a glory-sealing touchdown drive, however, Cardinals quarterback Jack Plummer threw an interception in the end zone to hand the Seminoles the ball back, giving FSU life after life. A few punts later, the Cardinals were forced to go for a fourth down and Plummer was pulled down for a sack, bringing the evening’s offense to a merciful end.

Florida State’s win puts them in the driver’s seat for one of the four playoff spots. The CFP committee has never left out an undefeated Power 5 conference champion. All logic points to the Seminoles ending up in the semifinals, leaving the committee to the momentous decision of whether or not to leave Alabama at home.

Alabama ends Georgia’s 29-game win streak to win the SEC Championship

A week after Jalen Milroe and Isaiah Bond stole victory from the jaws of defeat in the Iron Bowl, the duo combined for more heroics to give Alabama the SEC title.

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and wide receiver Isaiah Bond led the Crimson Tide to victory for a second straight week, their heroics resulting in a 27-24 SEC Championship victory over two-time defending national champion Georgia.

Despite Georgia’s 29-game win streak going into Saturday’s game, the opening 30 minutes were all Alabama. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead, forcing a Crimson Tide punt and scoring on the opening drive, but Alabama scored 17 unanswered points to end the first half.

After four straight incompletions to start the game, Milroe completed six of his last eight first-half passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. With Georgia unable to get pressure past the Alabama offensive line, Milroe ripped the Bulldogs secondary to shreds. He connected with Jamarion Miller for a 28-yard touchdown to take the lead in the opening minutes of the second quarter.

On the next drive, Nick Saban kept his offense on the field for a four-yard fourth-down try. Milroe found an open Isaiah Bond for a diving catch to move the chains, another miraculous play for the duo just a week after their game-winning connection in the Iron Bowl. Two plays later, Jermaine Burton made a great contested catch in the end zone for another touchdown to extend the lead to 10 points. Five of Milroe’s six first-half completions gained at least 15 yards.

Both teams spent the entire third quarter stuck in neutral, trading field goals. It looked like Alabama would have a chance to put the game away when Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck fumbled in his own red zone, putting the Crimson Tide within 20 yards of a 14-point lead, but Alabama could only settle for a field goal.

In the opening minutes of the final quarter, Beck finally drove his offense down the field again. He fired a pass to Ladd McConkey down to the 1-yard line before calling his own number and sneaking in to make it a 20-17 game.

Again, however, Milroe and Bond saved the day for the Crimson Tide. After several good chunk plays got the Tide into Georgia territory, Alabama faced a third down and Milroe couldn’t find a receiver. The sophomore quarterback bought time, dodging and weaving defenders in the pocket before the pressure collapsed in upon him. At the last second, however, Milroe shoveled the ball forward and found Bond blitzing across the middle of the field, gaining 13 yards and keeping the drive alive.

Milroe found Bond again on the next play, who sprinted and juked his way down to the 1-yard line. The Tide pounded the ball into the end zone two plays later to extend the lead back to 27-17 with less than six minutes left. All four of Milroe’s passes on the clinching scoring drive were caught by Bond.

Georgia drove down the field for another touchdown to make it a 3-point game with 2:52 to play, forcing Alabama to pick up one last first down. On the opening play of the final drive, however, Milroe scampered for 30 yards. He scrambled for a first down again two plays later to seal the game and the conference title.

With the win and the conference title, Alabama makes a massive College Football Playoff argument at the buzzer. The SEC conference champion has never been left out of the playoff before, but the Crimson Tide’s loss to Texas earlier in the year could make the debate for the last spot interesting. Should Florida State lose to Louisville later on Saturday, the Tide will surely make the final four, but a Seminoles win could leave Alabama out if the committee honors the head-to-head and the 13-0 Power 5 champions. Georgia, on the other hand, would need to hope for chaos and their reputation to grant them a miracle fourth seed, but it seems like their CFP chances are over.

Washington survives Oregon comeback effort to clinch Pac-12 title and an assured CFP appearance

The Huskies got out to a huge lead early but needed to come from behind in the final quarter to win the conference championship.

The Washington Huskies needed to sweat a little more than they wanted, but head coach Kalen DeBoer and his team held off Oregon for a 34-31 victory to claim the 2023 Pac-12 Conference Championship.

Washington controlled the entire first half by keeping the Oregon offense off the field. The Huskies held the ball for more than seven minutes on the opening drive that resulted in a field goal. The defense then forced an immediate three-and-out from the Ducks, and the Huskies ate up another three-and-a-half minutes of clock with a touchdown drive to go up 10-0.

Oregon finally got on the board midway through the second quarter with a field goal, but Washington responded with another touchdown and another field goal to build the lead up to 20-3 in the closing minutes of the first half.

Washington quarterback and Heisman contender Michael Penix Jr. tried to make as much of a statement as he could in the last 60 minutes of his case. He connected on 17 of his 23 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown in the opening half, including a 45-yard bomb to Jalen McMillan under pressure to set up the second touchdown.

Oregon wouldn’t let the game get away easily, however. The Ducks scored a touchdown in the last minute of the first half, a frantic seven-play, 75-yard trip to the end zone to cut the lead to 20-10.

The Ducks found the end zone twice more in the third quarter to take a 24-20 lead, the Washington offense seeming to stall at the worst time. As he has all season, however, Penix came through when the moment demanded it. He led a fourth-quarter touchdown drive to put the Huskies back in front.

Later in the fourth quarter, more infliction points arrived for the Huskies quarterback. With Washington still ahead by three points, he faced a third and goal against an Oregon team desperate to keep it a one-score game. Instead, he scrambled to his right and found tight end Quentin Moore for a touchdown to make it 34-24 in the final two minutes.

The Ducks again threw a desperate punch, this time a 63-yard catch-and-run from wide receiver Traeshon Holden on the second play of the ensuing drive, but Penix linked up with McMillan again for a crucial third-down conversion on the final drive to effectively end the game.

Washington, who came into the game No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings, ends the 2023 season 13-0 with the Pac-12 title on its resume. The Huskies effectively clinched a College Football Playoff appearance and will await its seeding and opponent on Selection Sunday. The performance also vaults Penix further into the forefront of Heisman Trophy conversations, although a second loss for Oregon quarterback Bo Nix likely hands the lead to LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Kansas State quarterback Will Howard has entered transfer portal

The Wildcats quarterback threw for 48 touchdowns and ran for 19 more in his four years, helping win a Big 12 title last year.

Kansas State quarterback Will Howard has entered the transfer portal as a grad transfer to find a new home in 2024, according to multiple reports on Monday.

Howard saw game action in each of the past four years for the Wildcats, helping deliver them a Big 12 conference title in 2022. Howard has 48 career touchdown passes, including a career-high 24 this season. The senior also reached personal-best marks in completion percentage (61.3%) and passing yards (2,643) in 2023 as the Wildcats wound up with an 8-4 record.

The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Pennsylvania native is also a threat with his legs. He compiled 934 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground across his four seasons with the Wildcats. He set a new career high with nine rushing touchdowns this season, tying his 2020 total with 364 rushing yards.

Howard, a former three-star prospect, will be one of the most sought-after names in the transfer portal.

Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen to enter transfer portal

The Bears quarterback started 23 games for Baylor, and he threw for 36 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his time with the team.

Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen will enter the transfer portal, according to a Monday report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

The junior started 23 games for the Bears. Thamel said his intention is to find a starting job with a winning program.

In his three seasons with the Bears, Shapen has thrown 36 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. In his lone 13-game season in 2022, he threw for 18 touchdowns, completed 63.3% of his passes, and averaged 7.6 yards per attempt despite 10 interceptions on the year.

He played eight games in 2023, throwing for 13 touchdowns against just three interceptions. He threw for four touchdowns in a loss to Kansas State on November 11th, and he threw for 300 yards in three of his first four games. His 46.6 QBR ranks 96th in the nation.

Shapen was a three-star prospect and 247Sports’ 36th-ranked pro-style quarterback in the class of 2020.

Duke athletic director makes statement after Mike Elko departure

After Texas A&M announced it had hired the Duke football coach, Nina King said the focus for the Blue Devils is on its student-athletes.

Duke athletic director Nina King made a statement in front of the media on Monday after it was announced former Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko would become the new coach at Texas A&M.

King began the statement by thanking Elko for his time with the Blue Devils program over the past two seasons. She said she would meet with the families of current football players and verbally committed prospects from upcoming classes later on Monday.

“Our priority is the well-being of our current student-athletes and to ensure they have what they need as they close out the semester academically as well as prepare for a very well-earned bowl game later this month,” King said.

The search for Elko’s replacement is already underway as well, King added.

Duke went 16-9 under Elko with a bowl victory last season and a win over Clemson to start the 2023 season. The victory over the Tigers was Duke’s first top-10 win since 1989.

Associate head coach and running backs coach Trooper Taylor will serve as the interim head coach for Duke’s bowl game.

Jalen Milroe’s electric rushing TD ties Alabama up with LSU mid first quarter

Jalen Milroe rushing TD ties things up in Tuscaloosa!

One of the biggest frustrations people have had with Alabama this season has been some of the play-calling by offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. Granted it is his first year with the Tide and it takes time to adjust, but some of his play-calling has left Tide fans less than satisfied. The largest gripe people have had specifically with Rees is his lack of use of Jalen Milroe in the run game. Milroe is a freak of nature athlete as his speed and ability in the open field are simply dazzling. Most importantly, he continues to get better by the week.

It appears as if Rees and the offensive staff heard the critics as he dialed up a great call for Milroe to get the Tide into the endzone for the first time today. Milroe ran a read option that he pulled and walked 23 yards into the paint. Halfway through the first quarter, Milroe leads both sides with three carries for 25 yards and the score. It’s going to be a back-and-forth game for all 60 minutes as we currently are tied at 7-7 halfway through the first quarter.

Texas A&M quarterback Weigman out for season

Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman suffered a leg injury during Saturday’s victory over Auburn, and reports indicate it is worse than initially expected. He will reportedly miss the rest of the season.

Texas A&M sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman will miss the rest of the 2023 season with the leg injury he suffered on Saturday, as first reported by the Houston Chronicle’s Brent Zwerneman.

Weigman went down with a leg injury in the late second quarter after he took a low hit. He stood on his own, but the quarterback was visibly limping and escorted to the locker room by trainers shortly after.

Liucci reported the injury was to a “weight-bearing bone” and would demand a recovery time north of three months.

The Aggies standout has led the SEC in QBR the entire season, posting an 87.8 mark for the year, 4th-best in the country. He’s thrown for eight touchdowns, run for two more, and only thrown two interceptions. He’s completed 68.9% of his passes for 979 yards, averaging 8.2 yards per attempt.

The Aggies now turn to Max Johnson, the former LSU starter. Johnson completed 7 of his 11 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns against Auburn, earning a QBR of 96.2 in relief of Weigman. His first test as a starter will come against Arkansas on Saturday.

For more Aggies’ news, analysis, and opinions, go to Aggies Wire.

 

 

Auburn fumble recovery results in Jimbo Fisher standing in middle of play

Auburn’s Eugene Asante had to dodge Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher on a fumble return Saturday after the sudden field reversal showed Jimbo standing where he shouldn’t.

When Texas A&M running back Rueben Owens coughed up the ball Saturday, Auburn‘s Eugene Asante got his hands on it with nothing but green grass in front of him. Well, almost nothing.

Yes, that’s Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher, standing multiple yards in bounds. He was initially a dozen yards behind the line of scrimmage, but the sudden field reversal left him in the middle of the field of play and frozen awkwardly.

A coach of course cannot stand on the field of play, but the referees seemed to find the flag unnecessary after Asante ran the ball all the way back for a Tigers’ touchdown.

Fisher was not penalized, but his gaffe did create one of the best screenshots of the year, bringing to mind a similar mistake by Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during a kick return years ago.

For more Texas A&M news, analysis, and opinions, go to Aggies Wire.

For more Auburn news, analysis, and opinions, go to Auburn Wire.