Talking Red Wolves, Bevo and UGA from college bowl season

Let’s recap the college bowl season, when I spent hours in front of the TV with the remote in one hand and a glass of eggnog in the other. Flavored, of course, with a teeny bit of Kentucky’s finest.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

Arkansas State deserves no credit for its performance against Nevada except to reaffirm the adage that statistics are for losers. Anyone who watched this game as I did saw it coming. Arkansas State scored only one touchdown in eight tries inside the Nevada 32 and allowed one big pass play in the fourth quarter that led to its defeat. Domination is displayed in the final score and not with statistics, where the Red Wolves outgained Nevada 499-285 in total yards while losing 16-13 in overtime. Oh, and for those Arkansas fans who take pleasure in Arkansas State’s misery, please remember the Red Wolves still won six more games than the Porkers in 2018.

CRY ME A LOSER

I knew this was coming, and I heard it within seconds after I turned on the radio to listen to a discussion about Texas’ 28-21 victory over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. A Georgia fan claimed the Bulldogs lost because they were not motivated for the game after they were passed over for inclusion in the four-team playoff. Really, that’s your excuse? Then why did Georgia spend hours practicing for the Sugar Bowl and travel to New Orleans to play on New Year’s Day in prime time if the team was so bored and uninspired? Why not just stay home? Claiming players weren’t motivated has become a convenient excuse for teams who lose bowls games. Georgia got run off the field the same way UGA — its puppy dog mascot with the red sweater — took off after Bevo, the Texas mascot, lowered its horns.

BACK TO THE FUTURE

I had flashbacks of covering Gus Malzahn-coached teams in Springdale while watching Auburn play Purdue in the Music City Bowl. Auburn put on an offensive display while beating the Boilermakers 63-14. The Tigers were super aggressive with their play-calling in the first half, especially with long passes downfield. The victory was by far Auburn’s best offensive performance in a disappointing season that began with the Tigers ranked in the Top 10. Malzahn has come under much criticism at Auburn for an offense that has grown stagnant. But Malzahn has apparently decided if he’s going down, he’s going down by doing what he does best. And that’s play-calling. Good luck, Gus. Maybe you can bring back a or two. fumblerooski

TARGETING TURMOIL

I love college football. I’m one of those oddballs who buy preseason magazines the day they hit the shelves. But will someone in authority please clean up the targeting rule that is ruining football for the fans and, in many cases, is grossly unfair to the players? Watching an official with a headset on while TV announcers yak, yak, yak about a call that is replayed 19 times in super slow motion is boring and disrupts the flow of the game. The head official finally walks back to the field, flips on his microphone and announces to the world like a Roman emperor with a thumps up or a thumbs down on whether a player stays or goes. Just so much wasted time. College football is played by talented athletes moving super fast, and referees need a better understanding on intentional vs. incidental contacts with the helmets. Player safety, for sure, should be a priority. But football is a collision sport, and nothing can change that.

YOU TWO AGAIN?

Folks screaming about expanding the playoffs from four to eight teams should hold it down a bit following blowout games in the semifinals. If anything, maybe the playoffs should be reduced to two. Alabama and Clemson are clearly the best two programs in college football right now, and they’ll meet again Monday to decide the national championship. Some people are bored by that. But Best vs. Best never gets old for me. By the way, any preseason poll that does not list Alabama and Clemson at the top for 2019 should be immediately dismissed. Especially if Notre Dame and Michigan are listed in the Top 10.