Playoffs in College Football

Three of college football’s divisions are in the midst of their playoffs this week, while the FBS wraps up their regular season.  I keep my eyes on these playoff games, but I must admit that my focus is on the special rivalry games that are played all day Friday and Saturday.  Saying I am focused is probably not the right word to use because with a remote firmly grasped in my hand, I am scanning channel after channel as I look for continual action.

I have always been a proponent of playoffs to decide championships, and in giving everyone a chance, but I must admit that the FCS might have the best idea of all.  Having your regular season be like a yearlong playoff elimination has added an extra element of excitement to the game.  In the FBS, and Divisions II and III, the playoff games aren’t very exciting until at least the third round - or when you are down to 8 teams.

On Saturday I will be looking at scores from the lower divisions, but my main interest will be in watching who will be eliminated and who will be moving on to the next round in the FBS.  Oh – and as an added bonus, there will be a lot of hardware up for grabs in some of these great rivalries!

Bill Snyder

Saturday’s Sunflower Showdown between Kansas State and Kansas this weekend will have extra significance.  As always, it will be senior day for one of the schools, it’s a rivalry game for the Governor’s Cup, but this year’s game has some extra incentive for the Wildcat side as they try to get Bill Snyder his 200th career win.

I have always cheered for the Jayhawks in this Midwestern rivalry, but I will be on K-State’s side this Saturday.  After all, who can’t help but cheer for this great coach and great man?  Snyder is on the verge of becoming the 26th coach in major-college football history (84th in all of college football) to join the 200-win club, and only the 6th to do it at one school.

What is most remarkable about this achievement is that the Wildcats had accumulated more losses than any other major program, and had qualified for only one bowl before Bill’s arrival.  The most successful coach in their history at the time was Mike Ahearn (who?), and he only had 40 wins on his resume.  With Coach Snyder in charge, K-State has established themselves as consistent winners, and they have played in 17 bowls.

Good Luck on Saturday Coach!

CFB Playoff Rankings

With the latest College Football Playoff rankings released last night, things weren’t shaken up too much at the top despite last week’s upsets, but those losses have led to some interesting scenarios.  The Buckeyes can win their last two games (knock Michigan out of the playoff picture), not win the Big Ten championship, and still be in the playoff.  Would that open the door for Louisville – who has a huge game against Houston coming up this week?  If Clemson and the Cardinals win their remaining games, the ACC could have two teams in the playoffs.  What is most interesting in that picture is that you would only have two conference champions (Alabama and Clemson) in the playoffs, while leaving out the champions from the Big Ten, Pac-12, and Big 12.  I have a feeling that things are still going to change – a lot.

Anniversary Award

Last night, Bowling Green easily defeated their oldest rival Kent State, 42-7, in the Anniversary Award game.  The award was created by both of the schools' alumni departments and commemorates the founding of both institutions, which occurred in 1910, and it was first given out in 1985 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of each school.  Since that time the series has been a bit lop-sided, as Bowling Green has now won 24 of the 31 meetings since 1985.

Husky Injuries

Key injuries to the Washington defense are hurting their odds of winning the Pac-12 title and gaining a playoff spot.  The Huskies lost their starting middle linebacker and leading tackler, Azeem Victor, to a broken leg during the USC game.  Washington is already without their best pass-rusher, Joe Mathis, so this injury to Victor is a huge blow to the Husky defense.  I’m not sure if they will be able to slow down Washington State in the Apple Cup.

Ken Sparks

Head coach Ken Sparks, who coached the Carson-Newman Eagles, has retired after a 37-year career in which he won 338 games – which is good enough for fifth on the NCAA’s all-time list.  He had the most wins of any active coach.  Sparks even continued coaching after declaring in 2012 that he had cancer, and he leaves after a 4-7 season – only the second losing season in his career.  His teams won 21 South Atlantic Championships, and he earned 25 playoff appearances.  The end of a great journey for Coach Sparks and his soarin’ Eagles.

Mount Union Streak

An amazing streak came to an end this past Saturday as Mount Union lost for the first time in 112 regular season games, when they were beat at home by John Carroll, 31-28.  Even more impressive is the fact that the Purple Raiders were 222-1 in their last 223 regular season games dating back to 1994, and they had won 98 games in a row at home before Saturday’s streak.  Also, for the first time in 24 years, someone other than Mount Union will win the OAC title.  Don’t worry about the Purple Raiders though, because they still made the playoffs and they will make a run at another Division III Championship.

The Climb Continues

On Saturday, San Diego State RB Donnel Pumphrey gained 198 yards rushing, thus passing DeAngelo Williams for 4th place on the all-time FBS rushing list.  He also passed 6,000 yards, as he finished the night with 6,051 yards.  Donnel now only trails Tony Dorsett, Ricky Williams and Ron Dayne on the list, and he needs just 347 yards with three games remaining on the schedule to break Dayne’s all-time record of 6,398 yards.

Lincoln Football Trophy

The rivalry between Gettysburg and Franklin & Marshall dates back to 1890, and the two teams have met 101 times on the football field with Gettysburg holding a slight advantage at 48-46-7.  Since 2014, they have played for the Lincoln Football Trophy.  This trophy is carved in the shape of the former President's hat, and was created out of two "witness trees" that stood during the Battle of Gettysburg back in July, 1863.  Found inside one of the trees was a bullet from the battle.  The relic has been safely sealed within the award.

Div. III Playoff Selection

I have been trying to get my head around the Division III playoff selection process and wondering who might be an at-large team.  In all, 32 teams will make the playoff field - 25 conference champions, one bid for a team that belongs to a conference that doesn't get an automatic bid, and lastly, 6 at-large teams.  The playoff picture will clear up after this weekend's action, which will decide the remaining conference champions, but one thing that does seem clear to me right now is the fact that anyone with two or more losses will be looking in from the outside... 

UNC - Duke

The Victory Bell has been a part of the North Carolina-Duke rivalry since 1948.  The hope of the creators was that it would eliminate vandalism between the two neighboring schools.  Unfortunately in 2014 when UNC reclaimed the bell and its cart back from Duke, the players not only painted the cart Carolina Blue, but they also painted the visitor’s locker room and Duke’s practice field. 

Now the two schools have decided that cart which holds the Bell will now be permanently painted to honor both schools.  This has not been well received by the fans who love the old tradition.

Another interesting piece regarding this rivalry - Duke and North Carolina first played in late November 1888. Earlier that month, on Nov. 6, Grover Cleveland won the popular vote in the Presidential Election, but lost to Benjamin Harrison who had a 65-vote advantage in the Electoral College.

Maine Maritime

Saturday afternoon will bring an end to an era for the Maine Maritime Mariners, because for the first time in over 50 years they won't be playing in the New England Football Conference next year - of which they are the only remaining charter member to be in the league since the beginning.  The Mariners will be joining the NEWMAC (New England Women's and Men's Athetic Conference) for the upcoming 2017 football season.  The positive news is that it is a great opportunity to form new rivalries with old foes.

I might have to sneak up to Ritchie Field to watch the Mariners take on Salve Regina in the last NEFC game for Maine Maritime...

Biggest Little Game in America

For the first time in over a dozen years I will not get to enjoy watching Williams and Amherst on the television.  I'm very saddened by this turn of events!  With this being the 131st meeting (the series started in 1884), it is the most played series in Division III and the 4th most played in all of the NCAA.  Throw out the records (it has been 37 years since they both had losing records for the game) because it doesn't matter when these two teams play - this is a rivalry in its purest form.  

Get it back on your schedule NESN!

Divisions II and III

One thing I was hoping to do with my website was to do justice for the two lower level divisions.  Unfortunately their regular season is wrapping up this weekend with scarcely a mention except for some NESCAC talk.  Seeing that there are 38 trophies and bragging rights up for grabs on Saturday, as well as division titles to be had, I know that I am swimming against the tide in hopes of talking about each of these special games this week.

My consolation in all this is knowing that the playoffs are a much smaller field of teams to talk about in the next few weeks, and the offseason gives me ample time to catch up and talk about some of these unique games.  After all, who wouldn't want to learn more about "The Hubcap Game" between Bemidji State and Minnesota-Crookston or the Smudge Pot Trophy that the winner of the Redlands-Cal Lutheran game gets to take home...

Last Weekend

Was anyone as impressed as I was with Alabama and Ohio State last Saturday Night?  The Crimson Tide proved that they are comfortable with playing any type of game, whether it is a shootout or a fight in the trenches.  Going into Death Valley on a Saturday night against a hot Tiger team, and coming out with a shutout was quite remarkable.

Meanwhile in Columbus, the Buckeyes, who were coming off a couple of lackluster games since their big win at Wisconsin, were hosting a formidable Nebraska team.  What they did against a solid, top 20 opponent (I wasn't sold on the Cornhuskers as being a top 10 team) was not thought of as possible.   Right from the start with their pick-6, the Buckeyes looked like a determined and dominant team with a sense of urgency.

Two very big games are now looming on Thanksgiving Day weekend, Alabama-Auburn and Michigan-Ohio State.  Will they become instant classics or just a stepping stone for the Tide and Buckeyes to a Championship run?

Website

Recently, the content on my new website has not been updated as frequently as I had envisioned weeks ago when I said "Lets do it!" - and I would love to say that I have had my reasons, but I will not offer up any excuses.  Though that it has been a lot of work (a labor of love), I am as committed as ever to making this a site that fellow lovers of the game will continue to visit for interesting commentary and tidbits to make the season complete.

I can say that I have remained true to the chosen name of my site.  Every day I have either enjoyed the game, disussed the game, or thought about ways to improve what people see and read.  This upcoming offseason will bring more articles, a more interesting design, and enough information that will keep this great game of ours in the forefront of people's minds.

Obviously, there is a long way to go before national champions are crowned in four different divisions, but I would be erroneous in my ways if I didn't find myself already looking ahead to 2017 season...

Saturday

I have had this Saturday circled on the calendar for quite a while as it is Bowdoin's last home game of the 2016 season against Bates.  And, anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that not much will keep me away from this game.  But, there are two key words that I typed in the two previous sentences:  season and game.  There is always next season, and it is only a game.

It is for those reasons that I made a decision moments ago that has made me change my plans.  My youngest daughter is a senior at Maine College of Art, and over the course of the next two days they are holding their "Family and Friends Weekend."  This school has meant the world to her, as well as her mother and me because it has allowed her to grow to heights we had never imagined years ago.  Therefore, I will be spending time with my family at Megan's home away from home - and checking out the Bowdoin-Bates score online on Saturday.

Selection Committee

This past Monday the selection committee released their first College Football Playoff Ranking.  I am sure that there were a few eyebrows raised when Texas A&M was ranked a spot higher than Washington despite the Huskies being undefeated.  The talk of eyebrows brings a phrase to mind that I have heard from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson on numerous occasions, and it goes like this, "It doesn't matter what you think!"

There are five weeks left in the season, and a lot can happen in that time.  Who knows - you might even see half the teams change in the top four by the next ranking that comes out before election day.  One thing that this Playoff Ranking does do is it gets more talk about college football, which is always a good thing.  It also gives some hope to Wisconsin and Auburn, who are two loss teams but close enough to sneak into the playoff if they were to win their conference championships.

Magic City Classic

The Magic City Classic between Alabama A&M and Alabama State has become the highest attended Division I Football Champion Subdivision (FCS) game in the nation as attendance averages 61,000 annually.  Their annual classic will be celebrating its 75th renewal today to a possible sell-out crowd at Legion Field in Birmingham – which holds 71,594 seats. 

It barely matters that both teams are 2-5 overall and 2-4 in the conference because their matchup trumps everything else they do during a season since the classic is noted for being the largest HBCU event in the nation.  The overall series pre-dates the start of the Magic City Classic as it started in 1924, and Alabama A&M leads the series 39-37-3.

This game will be shown on ESPNU at 10:30 tonight.

Kansas State at Iowa State

These two teams are playing for the 100th time right now.  The most interesting thing about this series is that they have played every year since 1917 - not even being interrupted by WW II.  Iowa State leads the series 49-46-4, but the Wildcats have won 8 in a row and 22 of 26 since 1990.  At this rate, K-State will be leading the series by 2020...