ISML 2021: We Are Definitely Entering The Home Stretch

ISML 2021: We Are Definitely Entering The Home Stretch

By Jo-Ryan Salazar

The Bedlam on Baltic Avenue

January 2, 2022

With Mikoto Misaka and Sakuta Azusagawa leading the Saimoe Diet in the interim, the 2021 International Saimoe League has definitely and definitely entered the home stretch. Match Day 3 of the Diamond Period is in the books as the new year dawns. Here's the results.

In the Female Division, Kaguya Shinomiya rolled past Tsukasa Yuzaki 1401-1108, Kurumi Tokisaki shot down Ai Hayasaka 1563-961, Rikka Takanashi rocked Kamui Kanna 1580-870, Chika Fujiwara defeated Yui Yuigahama 1362-1190, Mikoto Misaka routed Kuroko Shirai 2062-575, Iroha Isshiki eased past Schwi Dola 1306-1107, Rin Tohsaka roared past Tooru 1335-1097 and Ruiko Saten drove past Taiga Aisaka 1262-1154.

Wrapping up Female Division, Mai Sakurajima romped past Misaki Shokuhou 1416-1273, Mashiro Shiina smashed Index Prohibitorum 1479-1349, Emilia flew past Shouko Nishimiya 1422-1087, Asuna Yuuki slashed past Nao Tomori 1382-1189, Elaina drubbed Kanade Tachibana 1474-1148, Shiro defeated Kei Shirogane 1276-1145, Mio Akiyama boomed past Utaha Kasumigaoka 1266-1186 and Megumin exploded past Kurisu Makise 1382-1013.

In the Male Division, Kazuto Kirigaya slashed past Shiro Emiya 1382-917, Touma Kamijou broke Shidou Itsuka 1459-913, Subaru Natsuki drove past Yuzuru Otonashi 1246-983, Levi leveled Saitama 1108-1013, Sakuta Azusagawa routed Saika Totsuka 1431-908, Rintarou Okabe won a 1077-1059 thriller over Satoshi Fukube, Tomoya Okazaki eased past Edward Elric 1221-772 and Yuu Ishigami cruised past Sorata Kanda 1232-1027.

Wrapping up Male Division play, Taki Tachibana took down Nasa Yuzaki 1402-860, Riku Dola rocked Ryuuji Takasu 1273-903, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji won a 1109-1097 nailbiter over Kazuma Satou, Yuuta Togashi mowed down Yuu Otosaka 1322-915, Ryuunosuke Akasaka won the closest race of the round, a 1091-1083 barnburner over Kousei Arima, Archer dominated Lelouch Lamperouge 1117-950 and Kyoujurou Rengoku took down Joutarou Kuujou 1092-950.

In Fall Seasonal action, Dia Viekone defeated Ran Mouri 1335-1210, Miko Yotsuya thumped Ruto 1122-874, Fubuki Shirakami crushed Jolyne Kuujou, Shouko Komi bowled past Futaba Igarashi 1106-919, Eris Boreas Greyrat flexed past Douki-chan 1300-708, Kukuru Misakino crushed Sonoko Suzuki 1138-956, Tomoyo Sakagami dismantled Chisato Arashi 1100-902, Unmei dominated Yuuna Yuuki 1211-783 and Touko Sakurai prevailed over Tarte in a 976-953 snoozer. On the Male side, Red knocked out Bojji 1062-936, Takt Asahina defeated Kogorou Mouri 1130-1093 and Lugh Tuatha De slayed Hitohito Tadano 1205-706.

Finally, in Couple Tournament action, Hachiman Hikigaya and Yukino Yukinoshita thumped Taiga Aisaka and Ryuuji Takasu 1571-968, Mashiro Shiina and Sorata Kanda smashed Yui Hirasawa and Azusa Nakano 1330-1220, Sakuta Azusagawa and Mai Sakurajima romped past Kyouko Horu and Izumi Miyamura 1547-975, and Rikka Takanashi and Yuuta Togashi flew past Yuzuru Otonashi and Kanade Tachibana 1386-1157.

Match Day 4 of the 2021 International Saimoe League Diamond Period is scheduled for January 3, 2022. Vote for your favorite characters at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.

2022 Tournament of Roses Parade

#TournamentOfRoses #HappyNewYear #Pasadena #California #RoseParade

Baylor: 2022 Sugar Bowl Champions

NEW ORLEANS -- — A Sugar Bowl showdown against Mississippi and coach Lane Kiffin's explosive, Southeastern Conference-leading offense provided a high-profile platform for Baylor to validate its old-school formula of ball control and aggressive defense.

Al Walcott set a Sugar Bowl record with a 96-yard interception return, Monaray Baldwin raced 48 yards for the go-ahead score on an end around, and sixth-ranked Baylor beat No. 8 Mississippi 21-7 Saturday night as injured Rebels quarterback Matt Corral watched from the sideline on crutches.

Abram Smith rushed for 172 yards to finish with a single-season record 1,601 for Big 12 champion Baylor (12-2), which won 12 games in a season for the first time. The defense did the rest, finishing with 10 sacks — two by game MVP Terrel Bernard — and three interceptions.

"I would not put it as necessarily as a point to prove," Baylor coach Dave Aranda said when summing up the significance of the victory. "I would say it as more of an identity to show. ... Just to take the stage and to take the lights and the crowd and all of that and to, like, be us — all the way, man.

"You want other people to see it," Aranda continued. "I'm appreciative that we had the opportunity, and we took advantage of it."

Corral, a dual-threat star QB and projected high-round NFL draft choice, became one of the big stories of the Sugar Bowl because of his decision to play, rather than opt out and minimize injury risks in advance of turning pro.

Corral had accounted for 3,936 total yards and 31 touchdowns during the regular season. But his hopes of going out with a flourish in a New Year's Day bowl faded on Ole Miss' third series, when he was sacked from behind by Cole Maxwell amid a cluster of players. When he was helped up and off the field, Corral didn't put weight on his right foot.

"We were devastated," running back Jerrion Ealy said. "But we still had a game to play."

Corral was carted to the locker room for X-rays, which Kiffin said were negative, before returning to the sideline wearing his red undershirt and using two black crutches.

Kiffin said his focus on the game plan suffered when Corral went down.

"Maybe I didn't do a great enough job with the team because I was really hurting for (Corral) in that situation, because I know how much he's put into it, how much it means to him," Kiffin said. "For that to be taken away like that really sucks."

Freshman quarterback Luke Altmyer took over for Ole Miss (10-3) and led the Rebels to the Baylor 12-yard line on his first series, only to have his pass to the left flat tipped and then intercepted by Walcott, who raced down the right sideline for the only points of the first half. The interception return was the longest in the Sugar Bowl's 88-game history.

The Rebels' defense managed to hold Baylor's offense scoreless through three quarters, allowing Ole Miss to tie it on Altmyer's 37-yard timing pass down the right sideline to Braylon Sanders.

Ole Miss was poised to take the lead when Cole Nation lined up for a 35-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, but his kick sailed just wide right.

Baylor responded with Baldwin's first collegiate touchdown on a season-long run for the seldom-used freshman, who entered the game with five rushes and one catch.

"The key was getting a quick handoff," Baylor quarterback Gerry Bohanon said. "We had numbers and leverage and took advantage of that, and that guy, when he gets rolling, he's rolling."

Baylor finished with 279 yards on the ground

"In our running back room, one thing that we establish is bully ball," Smith said. "So we kind of just live by that. It will be a grind, but those 4 yards, 6 yards, they will eventually pop for 20, maybe 40."

Altmyer's second interception, picked off by safety J.T. Woods on a pass over the middle, set up Bohanon's 2-yard scoring pass to Tyquan Thornton for the game's final score.

"Magnificent defensive performance by them," Kiffin said. "They outcoached us today. ... Dave has done that to a lot of people, including myself at times."

THE TAKEAWAY

After Corral's injury and a pick-6 on Altmyer's first series, the Bears' odds of imposing their style of play on the game only improved. Woods had two interceptions and Baylor held Ole Miss to 322 yards, well below its average of 506.7 coming in.

Ole Miss' defense kept the Rebels close after Corral's injury, shutting out the Baylor offense until less than 12 minutes remained. But with Corral out, Kiffin's offense wasn't the same despite flashes of playmaking by Altmyer, who was 15 of 29 for 174 yards.

"You could definitely see a little bit of a change" in Mississippi's offense, Woods said about when Corral left the game. "He's their heart and soul."

It didn't help that first-string place kicker Caden Costa was suspended for a banned substance. Nation missed two field goal attempts, the first from 49 yards in the first quarter.

UP NEXT

Baylor: Opens the 2022 season at home against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 3. The Bears have 14 senior starters to replace, including Smith as well as their top two receivers, Thompson and R.J. Sneed. They're also losing Big 12 defensive player of the year Jalen Pitre.

Mississippi: The Rebels open their 2022 season at home against Troy on Sept. 3. Altmyer will be a frontrunner to replace Corral. Ole Miss also will be looking to fill voids at receiver with Dontario Drummond, Jahcour Pearson and Sanders all finishing their careers. Ealy said he's turning pro. On defense, the Rebels will be looking for an edge rusher to replace sack leader Sam Williams, who is moving on to the NFL.

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Ohio State: 2022 Rose Bowl Champions

PASADENA, Calif. -- — C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba put on a passing performance that obliterated a multitude of records during one of the biggest offensive days in Ohio State's storied history.

The Buckeyes still barely did enough to hold off resilient Utah and its backup quarterback in one spectacular Rose Bowl.

Stroud capped his record-setting offensive day by leading a 56-yard drive ending in Noah Ruggles' 19-yard field goal with nine seconds to play, and No. 7 Ohio State beat No. 10 Utah 48-45 on Saturday night in the wild 108th edition of the Rose Bowl.

Stroud passed for a school-record 573 yards and a record-tying six touchdowns for the Buckeyes (11-2), who won the Granddaddy of Them All for the second time in four years while toppling one long-standing offensive record after another. Stroud's yards passing and touchdowns both are Rose Bowl records, and he finished 3 yards shy of the record for yards passing in any bowl game.

"It's emotional for me," said Stroud, from nearby Rancho Cucamonga. "It's like I'm dreaming right now. I was able to come home and win the Rose Bowl like this. ... This is the Rose Bowl, man. This is where the legendary games are being played."

Ohio State created a few more legends on this trip.

Smith-Njigba set the record for any FBS bowl game with 347 yards receiving while catching a school-record 15 passes and scoring three touchdowns. Marvin Harrison Jr. also caught three TD passes for the Buckeyes, who set a Rose Bowl and school bowl record with 683 total yards.

Yet the Buckeyes were the ones playing from behind for nearly all of the first three-plus quarters in Arroyo Seco until they summoned the will for three fourth-quarter scoring drives.

"Our team is built on fighting," Smith-Njigba said. "It doesn't matter if we're up, down. We were down the first half, but we just had to stay level headed and keep fighting."

Ohio State had to rally from 10 points down late in the third quarter to get past the Pac-12 champion Utes (10-4), who got off to an electrifying 35-point first half in their first school's first trip to the Rose Bowl. They even stayed competitive after star quarterback Cameron Rising went down with an injury while getting sacked with 9:56 to play.

The Utes had to turn to backup Bryson Barnes, who grew up on a pig farm in central Utah and had never thrown a collegiate pass. He he led them on a tying drive, capped by a 15-yard TD pass to Dalton Kincaid with 1:54 left.

Stroud coolly drove the Buckeyes back downfield in the waning seconds, and Ruggles hit his easy field goal. Ohio State kicked off to Britain Covey, who already had a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown earlier, but the Buckeyes smothered his cutback as time ran out.

"All we needed was 30 more seconds, if that," Barnes said. "Get down the field, tie it and head to OT. But we didn't get enough time. ... A lot of dudes are sad, but there's not a lot to hang our heads on. We've been through the lowest of lows and highest of highs, but we made Utah football history today."

In front of a raucous crowd dominated by Utah fans in the venerable stadium that opened in October 1922, the schools matched the 2012 Oregon-Wisconsin matchup for the highest-scoring first half in Rose Bowl history, combining for 42 points and 443 yards in the second quarter alone.

Ohio State trailed 38-31 entering the fourth quarter despite the pyrotechnics of its passing game, but the Buckeyes immediately stopped Utah on downs at the Ohio State 31, and tied it on Harrison's 5-yard TD catch with 10:12 left. After Rising's injury, Smith-Njigba made a 30-yard, over-the-shoulder catch for his third touchdown with 4:22 to play.

"To come out in the second half and play the way we did says a lot about this team," said Ohio State coach Ryan Day, who earned his second bowl victory. "We were short-handed, and for us to respond the way we did at halftime says a lot about the character of this team."

Rising passed for 214 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 92 yards and a score while leading the Utes to a 35-21 halftime lead, but he left the game with an apparent head injury. Utah played without three of its top four cornerbacks, even forcing running back Micah Bernard to play defensive back for the first time since high school.

"At some point, we have to play defense," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "We didn't play very well all night long on defense. It wasn't our usual. Not sure we'd be able to get a stop."

JAXON DRIVE

With two top Buckeyes receivers opting out, Smith-Njigba had a landmark day that included TD receptions of 50 and 52 yards made 30 seconds apart — albeit with Covey's TD return in between.

He broke Cris Carter's 1985 school record of 172 yards receiving in a bowl game in the first half alone. He snapped Keyshawn Johnson's 1996 Rose Bowl record of 216 yards receiving and then Terry Glenn's 1995 single-game school record of 253 yards after halftime. Smith-Njigba finished his season with 1,606 yards, blowing past David Boston's 1998 school record.

OLD MAN STRENGTH

The 24-year-old Covey's sensational 97-yard romp through the Buckeyes' coverage unit was the first kickoff return for a touchdown in Utah's entire bowl history. Covey, who also caught a 19-yard TD pass for the Utes' first points, arrived at the school in 2015.

DOWN STATE

The Buckeyes' loss to Michigan in November knocked them out of the national title picture, four key starters opted out to preserve their health for the NFL draft: Receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, starting left tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and defensive tackle Haskell Garrett.

THE TAKEAWAY

Ohio State: A win in Pasadena is always never taken for granted by a Big Ten power. The Buckeyes overcame the instinct to relax after their national title dreams died, and they put on a performance that showed Day's program has tenacity.

Utah: The Utes were agonizingly close to their third New Year's Six victory during their two-decade transformation from a mid-major overachiever to an elite Power 5 program. Despite the loss, the impressiveness of their fight and the size of their traveling fan base confirms Utah has arrived.

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Oklahoma State: 2022 Fiesta Bowl Champions

After Oklahoma State completed the largest comeback in team history, coach Mike Gundy put his own label on a 37-35 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl victory over Notre Dame.

"This is clearly the biggest win in the history of the school," Gundy said. "You're in a New Year's Day bowl. You're playing Notre Dame. Biggest comeback in the school history. ... The biggest win in the history of the school."

Oklahoma State rallied from a 28-7 deficit in the second quarter to score 30 straight points. The team's previous biggest comeback was 20 points down against Colorado in 1979.

The Cowboys won 12 games for the first time under Gundy, a former Oklahoma State quarterback in his 17th season as head coach.

Oklahoma State also won the Fiesta Bowl after the 2011 season to finish No. 3 nationally. This season, Oklahoma State ended a six-game losing streak to rival Oklahoma, and it made its first Big 12 championship game appearance but fell to Baylor as running Dezmon Jackson was stopped inches short of a potential winning touchdown.

"We feel like if we didn't win this game, this would be kind of a season of just forgotten greatness," defensive end Brock Martin said after the Fiesta Bowl. "We lost the Big 12 championship, and then you lose the Fiesta Bowl, all that greatness and the great things you did as a unit, the D-line and linebackers and DBs, we kind of felt like it would be forgotten over time."

Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders finished with 371 passing yards and four touchdowns to go with 125 rushing yards on 17 carries. He joined former Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd as the only FBS players to record 350 pass yards, 100 rush yards and four touchdowns in a bowl game.

Gundy said the Cowboys' maturity and experience kept him optimistic when the team fell behind by three touchdowns.

"They're veterans," Gundy said of his players. "They've been in this program, most of them -- particularly on defense -- been in the program four, five, six years. For that reason, I didn't have any concerns. I was just hoping that we could hold up with the length they had on both sides of the ball up front."

Notre Dame's loss spoiled the head-coaching debut for Marcus Freeman, promoted Dec. 3 from his defensive coordinator spot to succeed Brian Kelly. The Irish fell to 0-8 in BCS or New Year's Six bowls, the most losses by any team without a win. Their most recent win in a bowl that is now part of the New Year's Six was the 1994 Cotton Bowl Classic.

"For me, as the leader of this program, it's a pit in your stomach ... that you want to bottle it up, and you want to remember how this feels," Freeman said. "The honeymoon stage is over, right? The whole new head coach, it's a great story. No, it's about having a great product, and it's about having a great team. So we have to make sure that it's about developing this team for next year. This year's over. So everything we do from now moving forward is going to be development and making sure we're prepared to have success."

Freeman added: "We're going to use this game as motivation. We're going to use this game to look back and say, 'Remember that first one? Look where we've come from there.'"

Quarterback Jack Coan, playing his final game for Notre Dame, passed for 509 yards, the second-highest single-game passing total in team history, and five touchdowns.

After Oklahoma State scored to cut its deficit to 28-14, Notre Dame took over at its own 25-yard line with 37 seconds left in the first half and all three timeouts. But the Irish elected to run out the clock, not wanting to risk a potential turnover, Freeman said.

"I wouldn't change that," he said. "We all can learn from it and look at every situation."

Kentucky: 2022 Citrus Bowl Champions

ORLANDO – The entire story of Kentucky’s dramatic 20-17 come-from-behind victory over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day could be summed up in one stark image.

Minutes into a post-game press conference with coach Mark Stoops and offensive stalwarts Will Levis and Wan'Dale Robinson, in hobbled linebacker DeAndre Square.

Sporting crutches, barefoot, and still in uniform and pads, the linebacker who sealed the victory with a last-second interception made his way to the front of the room. The reverence from the three Kentucky alpha males at the table was palpable as Stoops excused himself from the room and Levis slid over a seat so that Square could ease into a chair.

Square wasn’t just the hero of the day. He is the epitome of Kentucky’s football program – gritty, determined, never-say-die.

Square, you see, was one of just a few linebackers available to Kentucky for the Citrus Bowl. Leading tackler Jacquez Jones was out as was standout freshman Trevin Wallace. D'Eryk Jackson, who just returned from ACL surgery, was forced into the starting lineup along with Square.

But then Square became injured, the linebacker corps was officially decimated, and Iowa came roaring back to take a 17-13 lead in the fourth quarter. All appeared lost.

“DeAndre got hurt, but he knew he couldn't come out,” Stoops said. “We were getting thin, and the way he played through that pain, I don't know how he did it. It just says a lot about this team.”

Square, in fact, was officially ruled out of action. Trainer Gabe Amponsah had taken his helmet. But then teammate Marquan McCall, UK’s massive nose guard, entered the picture.

“I was in a lot of pain still,” Square confessed, “but Marquan helped me out a lot. I was ruled out, and I was kind of debating on, I was like, okay. I am trying to wait for certain stuff to kick in. But Marquan grabbed me. He like yanked me and was like, ‘We need you.’ And then something clicked at that moment.

“I told Gabe to give me my helmet,” Square said. “He was like, ‘No, we got to see you run first.’ And when I ran I didn't feel any pain. I just could run, so I grabbed my helmet.”

Square needed just one play for a dose of reality.

“First play,” he said, “I was like, ‘No, this hurts.’”

He stayed in the game for a lot of reasons.

“It was a lot of emotion because I was ruled out. I wasn't even supposed to come back in,” Square said. “But coach Stoops had talked about doing something bigger than yourself, and all I could think about is my teammates. I saw the way the game was going, and I just felt like I needed to step in no matter how I was feeling. We got a lot of days of rest. I can rest up, so I didn't care.”

Throughout Square’s description, Levis was shaking his head in a combination of disbelief and pride.

“It takes a lot of heart to do something like that,” Levis said, voice cracking. “It is kind of like a storybook ending. He gets ruled out, goes back in there. To go back out there, not only just to play, but to get the game-stealing interception. You make an acrobatic play like that? Just a storybook ending. I am so happy for him and he deserves all the recognition.”

The question was posed: Who had the better catch, Square’s interception or Robinson’s diving grab on third-and-26? The offensive guys pointed at Square in unison.

“I was in coverage,” Square said. “Once I look back, I saw the running back, and I am like, ‘Oh, wow. If he catches it, I am going to have to make a tough tackle. I wasn't even looking at the ball, and I saw something flying and I am like, 'Whoa, there is the ball.’ I was like, ‘OK, do I just let it fall or am I close enough to catch it? I am like, I am close enough to catch it.’ So I just get under and it fit right in the pocket. I didn't have to do anything. It fit perfectly.”

A storybook ending indeed.

Arkansas: 2022 Outback Bowl Champions

TAMPA, Fla. -- — Arkansas football is on the rise.

KJ Jefferson picked up 104 of his 110 rushing yards in the second half and threw for 90 more to lead No. 22 Arkansas past Penn State 24-10 in the Outback Bowl on Saturday. Raheim Sanders had 79 yards and two touchdowns on 13 rushing attempts and Dominique Johnson added 85 yards on 11 carries as the Razorbacks finished with 361 yards on the ground.

"We've come a long way," Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said.

Arkansas (9-4), coming off four consecutive seasons of four or fewer wins, got its first nine-win year since going 11-2 in 2011. The Razorbacks also played in their first bowl game since the 2016 Belk Bowl.

"I believe in this program and where it's headed," Sanders said. " I know coach Pittman has a plan in place and this is just the beginning. We want to compete at the highest level. In order to do that we have to win these games, beat these teams and continue to raise our game."

Sean Clifford went 14 of 32 or 195 yards for Penn State (7-6). He gained 47 yards on the ground on 11 attempts.

"I thought our guys played extremely hard but we didn't play well enough, obviously, to win the game," Penn State coach James Franklin said,

Jefferson ran 20 times while completing 14 of 19 passes. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound sophomore was sacked five times and limited to 6 yards rushing on 11 carries during the first half.

"I'm just embracing it," said Jefferson, who was the game's MVP.

Jefferson and Sanders had TD runs, and Cam Little made a 36-yard field goal in the third quarter to put Arkansas up 24-10.

Arkansas took the opening kickoff in the second half and put together a seven-play, 75-yard drive that concluded with Jefferson's 8-yard TD run.

Jefferson was hurt and left for several plays after a 34-yard dash later in the third period, and was replaced by Malik Hornsby. He had a 32-yard run to set up Sanders' 1-yard score with 2:00 left in the quarter.

"We did a really good job in the first half of limiting explosive runs," Franklin said. "But in the second half they made an adjustment, a commitment to run the quarterback."

Jefferson said he had the wind knocked out of him on the play. Hornsby had 67 yards on four carries.

Penn State led 10-7 at the half thanks to a 43-yard field goal by Jake Pinegar. The Nittany Lions tied it at 7 early in the second quarter when Clifford took advantage of blown coverage and hit a wide open KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a 42-yard touchdown.

"I don't know. I wouldn't say I'm frustrated, we just have to take this loss to heart and work harder in the offseason to get better next season," Lambert-Smith said. "We needed to do the little things. We had to play better and execute better."

Arkansas took a 7-0 lead on the last play of the first quarter when Sanders had a 3-yard TD run. The Razorbacks converted a pair of fourth-down plays during the drive, including Jefferson avoiding a sack and running for 13 yards.

MISSING PLAYERS

Both teams were impacted by bowl opt outs. Penn State was without leading receiver Jahan Dotson; defensive end Arnold Ebiketie and tackle Derrick Tangelo; safety Jaquan Brisker; and linebackers Ellis Brooks and Brandon Smith.

"We need to thank Penn State," Pittman said. "Penn State had a lot of guys go to the NFL and coach Franklin elected to play the game. I respect that big time."

Arkansas played without wide receiver Treylon Burks and defensive end Tre Williams.

NUMBERS

Jefferson had his streak of 171 consecutive passes without an interception end when Ji' Ayir Brown picked off his second throw of the game in the first quarter. Brown finished with two interceptions. … Penn State DE Smith Vilbert had three sacks. ... Arkansas S Joe Foucha had an interception in the end zone and a sack during the second half.

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Georgia: 2021 Orange Bowl Champions

We’ve got a rematch for the national championship.

No. 3 Georgia put No. 2 Michigan away in the first half of the Orange Bowl on the way to a 34-11 win Friday night. Georgia’s win sets up a game with No. 1 Alabama for the national title on Jan. 10.

Alabama beat Georgia, 41-24, to win the SEC title on Dec. 4 and take the top seed in the College Football Playoff. The rematch between the two teams is the first in the playoff era and just the second national title rematch since the BCS was put in place in 1998. The only other title game rematch in the BCS and playoff era came in January of 2012 when Alabama beat LSU for the national title after LSU beat the Crimson Tide in the regular season.

That Alabama win over LSU was the first all-SEC title game of the 2000s. The second came after the 2017 season when Alabama beat Georgia in overtime to win the national title. 

Michigan never led in College Football Playoff semifinal

It was clear from Georgia’s first two drives of the games that Michigan was overmatched. The Bulldogs (13-1) got the ball to start the game and went 80 yards in seven plays for a 7-0 lead. After Michigan (12-2) turned the ball over on downs in Georgia territory, Georgia then went 59 yards on six plays for a 14-0 lead with 4:41 to go in the first quarter after running back Kendall McIntosh threw a TD pass to Adonai Mitchell.

The game was over from there.

The lead was 27-3 at halftime after Jermaine Burton caught a 57-yard TD pass from Stetson Bennett with 1:38 to go in the half. The only low spot of the half for the Bulldogs came right after that TD; Georgia immediately got the ball back after an interception of Michigan’s Cade McNamara but an apparent miscommunication between coach Kirby Smart and Bennett led to Georgia running out the clock for the rest of the first half instead of trying to get more points.

Stetson Bennett’s great game

Bennett had his worst game of the season in the SEC title game as Georgia was unable to come back in the second half. The days between the title game and the Orange Bowl were filled with speculation from Georgia fans if Bennett was actually the team’s best quarterback or if J.T. Daniels — the USC transfer who supplanted him at the end of last season and opened this season as a starter before an oblique injury — should be the guy at QB for the Bulldogs against the Wolverines.

All Bennett did in the first half on Friday night was deal. He was 16-of-22 passing for 234 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs built that three-touchdown lead at the break. He also had a key 20-yard scramble.

Save for the snafu at the end of the first half, Bennett was in command of the offense as Georgia put the game away early. That was evident in the way that Georgia attacked the Michigan defense before the game got out of hand. The run-heavy Bulldogs rushed the ball just 13 times in the first half while Bennett and McIntosh combined to throw 23 passes.

Bennett finished the game 20-of-30 passing for three touchdowns after throwing a long TD pass to RB James Cook in the fourth quarter. 

Michigan’s line struggles with Georgia’s front

Michigan’s offensive line was one of the best in college football and won the Joe Moore Award for the best line performance of the season. The UM line dominated Ohio State in the final game of the regular season and bowled over Iowa in the Big Ten title game. It was going to hold its own against Georgia’s marauding front, right?

Not exactly. Georgia’s defense pushed around Michigan up front, bullied McNamara and Michigan’s powerful running game was stifled.

McNamara has been at his best in 2021 when he’s been able to play off of Hassan Haskins and one of the best rushing offenses in the country. But without a run game to scare the Georgia defense, Michigan’s offense was incapable of coming back. The Wolverines had a chance to get back into the game at the start of the third quarter, but McNamara miscommunicated with his receiver and was picked off by Derion Kendrick in the end zone.

Georgia and Alabama's recruiting domination pays off

Michigan’s loss also ensures that the national championship will be won by a team in the South. A team from either Louisiana, South Carolina or Alabama has won every year since Ohio State won the first College Football Playoff at the end of the 2014 season. And Ohio State is the only team outside of those three states and Georgia to even appear in a College Football Playoff title game since the Buckeyes beat Oregon in January of 2015.

The rematch between Georgia and Alabama is also another sign that recruiting rankings matter. Either Georgia (3) or Alabama (2) has finished with the No. 1 class in Rivals' recruiting rankings over the past five seasons and neither team has finished outside the top seven in that span. 

Another chance for Kirby Smart vs. Nick Saban

Alabama coach Nick Saban's famous unbeaten streak against his former assistants ended earlier in 2021 when Texas A&M and Jimbo Fisher knocked off the Crimson Tide. Saban is 25-1 against his former assistants and four of those wins have come against Smart. 

The last two haven't been particularly close, either. After Georgia lost by a combined 10 points in Saban's first two wins over Smart, the Bulldogs have lost 41-24 in each of the last two seasons with Bennett starting both games. 

How will the rematch change things in 10 days? Georgia has now had plenty of time to see what went wrong in the SEC title game and Alabama will be without wide receiver John Metchie III after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in that game on Dec. 4. Alabama and Heisman winner Bryce Young hurt the Georgia defense with a quick passing game in the conference title game. Metchie's absence — and Georgia's ability to adjust — could affect how Alabama prepares this time around. 

Alabama: 2021 Cotton Bowl Champions

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Have no pity for Cincinnati. The Bearcats wanted to be in the big room with the big boys of college football, and on a big afternoon in Big D they were there, in a College Football Playoff semifinal matchup with the biggest program of them all.

And what happened to the fourth-ranked Bearcats, the first non-Power 5 participant in the eight-year CFP era, was the same fate that has befallen nearly all those who came before them, a roster of brokenhearted teams not from the upstart AAC but hailing from the biggest brand-name, high-dollar conferences.

Yeah, UC, don't feel too bad. Alabama drubbed all of them too.

There will be those who will try to use Cincy's 27-6 loss in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic as a platform for their "No one but Power 5 teams from here on out!" arguments. But anyone who watched Friday's game without that preset attitude saw that Cincinnati, which will be a Big 12 member in the near future, laid enough hard licks and came within a few inches on enough close plays (that near recovery of a muffed Bama punt return late in the second quarter of an 11-point game, argh!) to show that the Bearcats deserved to be in Dallas this New Year's Eve.

"So many of those plays were just inches away," Cincinnati linebacker Joel Dublanko bemoaned after the game. "A couple of missed tackles here and there that really cost us. I think we absolutely belong in this game."

If the current and future members of the CFP selection committee were really watching, then they certainly saw cause to be more open-minded about other outlier teams in the future ... well, at least until the playoff finally expands to include them anyway. Then again, who knows? Before including the Bearcats this year, they seemed to work pretty hard to keep the outsiders, well, outside.

"We weren't carrying the flag for anyone but ourselves," Cincy quarterback Desmond Ridder said after being held to 144 yards passing and minus-6 yards rushing. "We wanted it to end differently, wish it could've ended differently. So I'm hoping there are other so-called Group of 5 teams or teams from any conference that can make it in the playoff and show they can compete with the best of the best."

To be clear, the best of the best is still Alabama, aka the defending national champion. Cincinnati competed with the Tide as well as anyone has, which is to say not so much at all.

This was the sixth time that Bama had opened the CFP as the No. 1 team and faced the No. 4 squad. The Tide are now 5-1 in those games, with the only loss coming to eventual national champ Ohio State in the inaugural 2014 CFP. The next four wins came by double digits, over Michigan State (38-0), Washington (24-7), Oklahoma (45-34) and Notre Dame (31-14). On Friday, Cincinnati became the fifth member of that college football blue-blooded but red-faced club.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban came to the 2021 Cotton Bowl with a 5-0 record at AT&T Stadium at the helm of the Tide, with an 8-3 overall CFP mark, a 64-7 record against non-SEC opponents and a 74-8 tally in nonconference plus postseason games. On Friday, Cincinnati added one more Bama win to each of those records.

So, no, Cincinnati, there is nothing fun about one's bandwagon blowing out all four tires and lurching into a ditch. But perhaps it won't sting so badly when you look around that ditch and realize that your fellow residents of the wreckage also include the likes of Ohio State, Georgia and Clemson.

What might hurt is when the Bearcats go back and look at the film of the biggest bowl appearance in the program's nearly 140-year history. They will see in high definition that Alabama's playbook for Cincy was right out of the Tide's typical nonconference playbook: pounding and punching early and often to wear down the legs and psyches of their opponent's thinner roster by the second half.

The Tide opened the game with 10 consecutive run plays. They ran it 47 times in all, nearly twice the number of pass attempts, and monster trucked their way to an Alabama bowl-record 301 yards rushing. By the second half, some wondered why Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young wasn't a larger part of the Bama game plan. His 17 completions, 28 attempts and 181 yards were his lowest outputs of the season. He also threw only his second interception of the year. But he also threw a trio of touchdown passes, the only three times Alabama reached the end zone all night.

Bama implemented its sleeper-hold offense, slowly choking out Cincinnati by methodically and physically moving the ball and letting Will Anderson Jr. take a highlighter pen to his "Why wasn't I on y'all's Heisman ballots?!" essay. The Tide's defense allowed only six points and 218 yards, only 74 of which came on the ground.

Those who will try to argue that Cincinnati didn't belong in the four-team CFP field will point to Bama's approach as the same one the Tide use to routinely drag down the likes of Southern Miss and Mercer. But it's also how they routinely wear down a lot of big-box SEC opponents, as well as every single one of those previous CFP semifinal foes.

An embarrassing night for Cincinnati? Not a chance. That 2015 Michigan State team would take the Bearcats' loss over its own anytime. For that matter, Georgia might even take it over its collapse against Bama in the SEC championship game one month ago.

The Dawgs will have plenty more chances for revenge against the Tide. So might the Spartans. Let's hope that Cincinnati's Cotton Bowl showing earns the Bearcats another shot somewhere down the road, and if not for them, for the next would-be CFP party-crasher.

"I told them I do not want to see them hang their heads," Cincy coach Luke Fickell said. "Because when you get beat like that, there's times you start to wonder why. We never pointed a finger and won't start to point a finger. Those guys deserve the very best."

On Friday they got it. The best team playing in the middle of the best era ever in the 152-year annals of the sport. No one worth their gridiron salt believes in moral victories. But they damn sure believe in losses that can be used to build toward more actual wins on the scoreboard.

"The only thing we can do is learn," preached Ridder, who in all likelihood has played his last game with the Bearcats. "These guys are going to take it in, watch the film and continue to get better and continue and grow and continue to be a greater Cincinnati team in years to come."

College football would be greater for it.

Central Michigan: 2021 Sun Bowl Champions

EL PASO, Texas -- — Central Michigan came to the desert southwest to play in one bowl game and ended up in another.

The Chippewas still found a way to end their five-game bowl losing streak.

Lew Nichols III ran for 130 yards and a touchdown, leading late replacement Central Michigan to a 24-21 victory over Washington State in the Sun Bowl on Friday.

When Boise State opted out of the Arizona Bowl because of COVID-19 issues, Central Michigan switched about 300 miles east from Tucson, Arizona, to the Texas border city of El Paso.

Miami skipped the Sun Bowl for COVID-19 reasons as well. Central Michigan stayed in Arizona before bussing to El Paso the day before the game.

The Chippewas (9-4) won their fifth consecutive game this season in their first bowl victory since beating Western Kentucky in the 2012 Little Caesars Bowl.

"They played their tails off," Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain said of a defense that held the Cougars to 53 yards before halftime to help the Chippewas to a 21-0 lead. "They might have been missing some guys, but let me tell you something else, we were missing guys. And you know what? We didn't care. We just went out and played."

The Cougars (7-6) were without starting tackles Liam Ryan and Abe Lucas for coach Jake Dickert's first game on the sideline since having the interim tagged removed. Running backs Max Borghi and Deon McIntosh also opted out.

"Their edge rushers were the biggest ones that kind of gave us some issues," Dickert said. "They chose their spots. They were aggressive. They blitzed. They were high up the field and they used their speed on our two new tackles."

Washington State, which dropped to 8-9 all-time in bowls, rallied in the second half behind backup quarterback Victor Gabalis, scoring three times to make it close. Gabalis was 12 of 23 passing for 180 yards and two TDs.

After a 13-yard scoring toss to Lincoln Victor pulled the Cougars within three points with 3:13 remaining, they had another chance starting at their 14-yard line with 2:41 remaining. Central Michigan stopped Joey Hobert a yard short on a catch on fourth-and-5.

Marshall Meeder kicked three field goals for Central Michigan, including a 52-yarder for a 6-0 lead and a 43-yarder for a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

Nichols, who entered the game leading the nation in rushing and finished the season with xx yards, scored the first touchdown on a 1-yard plunge for a 13-0 lead late in the first quarter.

"We came together as a team today," Nichols said. "We pounded up front and came up with the win."

THE TAKEAWAY

Central Michigan: It was the first victory in a bowl against a Power Five opponent for the Mid-American Conference team. The Chippewas were seven-point underdogs.

Washington State: The Cougars were facing the 117th-ranked pass defense nationally with freshman quarterback Jayden de Laura averaging 250 yards per game coming in. But de Laura didn't play after halftime because of an undisclosed lower-body injury. He was under heavy pressure in the first half.

KEY PERFORMER

Gabalis wasn't even listed as the backup on the Cougars' depth chart. He had seen spot duty in a few games before giving the Cougars a chance to win late.

BOWL NUMBERS

Central Michigan was playing in the Sun Bowl for the first time, while Washington State made its third appearance, losing for the first time. Washington State beat Purdue in 2001 and Miami in 2015.

UP NEXT

Central Michigan: The Chippewas will return 10 starters on offense and eight on defense next season. They open on Sept. 3 at Oklahoma State.

Washington State: The Cougars will return eight starters on offense and eight on defense. They open the 2022 season on Sept. 3 at home against Idaho.

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Wake Forest: 2021 Gator Bowl Champions

 

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Sam Hartman's big day capped Wake Forest's best season in 15 years.

Hartman tossed three touchdown passes, two of them to tight end Brandon Chapman, and the No. 17 Demon Deacons beat Rutgers 38-10 in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Friday to reach 11 wins for the second time in program history.

Hartman completed 23 of 39 passes for 304 yards. He added 21 more yards rushing and pushed his touchdown total to 50 this season -- 39 passing and 11 rushing. He was named the winning team's most valuable player.

"It's everything," Hartman said. "I'm just enjoying the moment."

The Demon Deacons (11-3) controlled the game from the start, scoring on their first three drives and opening a double-digit lead just before halftime. It played out about as expected given Rutgers (5-8) was a late replacement for No. 25 Texas A&M.

The Aggies pulled out because of a lack of available players due to injuries, opt-outs, transfers and COVID-19 issues. The NCAA gave Rutgers the first shot at filling the void because it had the highest Academic Progress Rate score of all the eligible 5-7 teams.

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano hastily gathered his players from Christmas break and held two practices in a heated bubble before heading south. They got in two more in nearby Ponte Vedra Beach this week before taking the field.

They were ready, willing and probably overmatched against the one of the nation's best offenses. When it was over, Schiano raised his fist and saluted the Rutgers faithful who made the long trip to much warmer weather.

"What we did has never been done before," Schiano said. "This is the hardest week of work that I've ever done as a coach, and I've done it for 34 years. I'll remember everything it took and all the people who made it possible. ... But that was a little bit unhealthy."

The Demon Deacons finished with 452 yards, converted 8 of 15 third downs and their lone fourth-down try. The offensive show carried them to 11 wins for the first time since 2006, which was their only Atlantic Coast Conference championship.

"This was a historical season," Wake coach Dave Clawson said. "We're hopefully part of a debate of what the greatest team is. The 2006 team was an incredible team, but the 2021 was a really good team as well."

THE TAKEAWAY

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons should be among the preseason favorites in the Atlantic Coast Conference next season. They could lose as few as six of 22 starters.

Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights turned the ball over twice, which was twice too many for an offensively challenged team with a small margin for error. Rutgers was 5-0 this season when playing turning-free football.

TURNING POINT

The key play came in the second quarter, when Wake Forest cornerback Gavin Holmes stepped in front of Noah Vedral's pass to Joshua Youngblood at the goal line and intercepted it. Wake led 17-10 at the time and ended up driving for a field goal and a 10-point lead at the break.

Vedral was one of five players who threw passes for Rutgers. He completed 8 of 13 passes for 87 yards and the interception.

DO IT ALL

Rutgers quarterback Johnny Langan was all over the field. He lined up at quarterback, running back, tight end and receiver. He completed both passes for 21 yards. He ran six times for 20 yards. And he caught six balls for 57 yards.

"I've been playing football my whole life and it just comes naturally," Langan said.

EJECTED AGAIN

Wake Forest linebacker Ryan Smenda, a junior who grew up in nearby Orange Park, was ejected for the third time this season for targeting. Smenda barely made contact, if at all, this time. He was penalized for intent because he led with his helmet while chasing Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt. Wimsatt slid late, and Smenda flew over the top of him.

Smenda also was ejected in regular-season games against Army (Oct. 23) and North Carolina State (Nov. 13). He will have to sit out the first half of Wake's 2022 season opener against Virginia Military Institute on Sept. 1.

KEY INJURIES

Wake Forest punter Ivan Mora was carted off the field in the fourth quarter with an air cast on his right ankle/foot. Mora got caught at the bottom of a pileup after kicking off.

UP NEXT

Wake Forest expects to get Hartman back for a fifth year. He's started 33 games over four seasons and accounted for 87 touchdowns, including 71 passing.

Rutgers says goodbye to nine sixth-year seniors, including seven defenders. The most notable departures are cornerback Tre Avery and defensive tackle Julius Turner.