#CFBTop25

[wiersema1]

Those that know me best know that college football is truly my favorite sport. You know what gets me pumped for college football season? I absolutely L-O-V-E ESPN’s countdown of their Top 25 Games of last season. They do this every year in July and August as they prep for the upcoming season on the gridiron. When they started their countdown, I happened to catch the 23rd best game of 2016, #23 Florida St. at #10 Miami from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, FL.

By the way, have you seen the revamped Hard Rock Stadium? Hard Rock Stadium might confuse you, but this is the place that used to be known under the following seven names: Joe Robbie Stadium, Pro Player Park, Pro Player Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, Land Shark Stadium, and Sun Life Stadium. For the first time, it is finally a great looking park. They added a partial roof which must help against that scorching Florida sun. Anyway, it looks like a place I’d enjoy checking out a game.

Someday. But for now, I’m driving my son to closer stadiums. This Autumn…..Purdue in West Lafayette, Indiana where we’ll see the beloved Huskers of Nebraska at Purdue on October 28.

I know……..not too exciting but it’s all part of seeing each and every B1G stadium. So far I’ve been to games at Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern, Wisconsin, and of course Nebraska and Illinois. I’ve also been to Minnesota and Indiana on non-game days. So that leaves us with Ohio St., Penn St., Maryland, Michigan St., Rutgers, and of course, Purdue.

So here is the list of ESPN’s Top 25 games of 2016:

#25 – Florida St. 45 vs Ole Miss 34 – An offensive explosion. The QB’s in this one, Deondre Francois for FSU and Chad Kelly for Ole Miss inspired both teams to dream of the National Championship. Unfortunately for Ole Miss, Kelly was injured in his 9th game. They went 4-5 in his 9 starts but the offense wasn’t the problem for the Rebels. Their defense allowed 34.0 ppg! As for Francois, he played like a freshman at times, but a wonderfully talented freshman. Going into ’17, Francois is a Heisman contender and FSU is a National Championship contender, starting the season ranked #3.

#24 – Toledo 53 at BYU 55 – Brigham Young’s RB Jamaal Williams ran for 286 yards and 5 TD in this crazy 55-53 victory. This brought back shades of the ‘Wild Wild WAC’ days of yesteryear.

#23 – Pittsburgh 36 at North Carolina 37 – Both Pitt and UNC played in plenty of tight games in ’16. This one was no different.

#22 – Alabama 10 at LSU 0 – I don’t remember watching this one last year (or this year). Maybe I’m just all “Bama’d” out. Does this ten to nothing shutout surprise you? This was a typical SEC slobberknocker, I’m guessing.

#21 – N.C. State 17 at Clemson 24 (OT) – How many tight games did Clemson win in 2016? They won seven games by 7 points or less. They lost one. Spoiler alert! They finished as National Champions with a 14-1 record. That makes tight victories like this all the more important. When the Wolfpack took them to Overtime last October, it improved a shaky Clemson team to 7-0 with 4 tight wins. Most people were wondering what in the world was going on with them. I’ll tell you what was going on. They were forging bonds during tough, hard-fought wins that ultimately propelled them to legends.

#20 Central Michigan 30 at Oklahoma St. 27 – Games like this are what makes college football a special game. Remember this one? CMU threw a Hail Mary after Okie St. was penalized for throwing the ball out-of-bounds on a 4th down as time ran out. The refs wrongly gave CMU one un-timed down because of the Cowboys intentional grounding. So what do you think was gonna happen? Central Michigan caught the Hail Mary, the WR ran it all the way into the end zone after catching it in play and making an incredible run. CMU won! As for Oklahoma State?…….Talk about getting hosed!!!! They finished 11-2……I mean 10-3 doh! The NCAA referees acknowledged their mistake after the game but to no avail. You can’t open up Pandora’s box afterwards.

PS: A similar play happened here in Illinois in the IHSA high school state playoffs between Fenwick and Plainfield North. I know! What is wrong with these referees! If you don’t know for sure, get out the rulebook and consult with IHSA officials or Athletic Directors or somebody before you end up forcing a judge to sit through a courtroom case brought about by a lawsuit. In this case, Fenwick got hosed, losing 18-17 in OT! I can’t believe this really happened twice within a couple of months! Who got screwed more? I vote for Fenwick. They lost a playoff game whereas Oklahoma St. only lost a non-conference game that luckily, ultimately, didn’t derail their championship hopes. As for Fenwick, I’ll be cheering for them this Autumn.

#19 LSU 13 at Auburn 18 – Oh my God! Reliving these fantastic games is wonderful. Remember this one? In what turned out to be Coach Les “The Hat” Miles’ last game as LSU head coach, the Tigers (which one?) thought they threw a game-ending 15 yard TD pass. But wait! The officials reviewed it and determined that the snap on the last play was too late. The game clock had indeed just barely run out before the Tigers’ (which one?) center snapped the ball prior to the miraculous game winner. So who won? The Tigers……naturally. (ICYMI, Auburn’s ‘War Eagle’ won……naturally rather than the LSU “Geaux” Tigers. People wonder why our youth are so confused. I’m confused both reading AND writing this column. Whatever man, “This is the SEC!” I could probably delve into a whole sub-article here about academics in the B1G (Big Ten) vs the SEC but I’ll spare you.) Thanks Dutch!

#18 Ohio St. 30 at Wisconsin 23 (OT) – This was a solid B1G game. This column is getting too long so I’ll refrain from commenting on this one. Oh wait. I have a question for you: Is “Jump Around” a tradition? I mean, this tradition started based on a lousy 90s rap/crap/hip-hop song from 1992? Is that a tradition? Maybe the B1G is dumber, and closer to the SEC, than I thought. I know what you’re thinking……all my Wisky friends are enraged and throwing a fit right now, and possibly “unfollowing” the Dutch Lion concurrently.

#17 Florida St. 20 at Miami 19 – This one brought back memories of earlier games in this once national series but 2016’s edition was not a truly fantastic matchup. It’s good clean hate but it lacks the buildup of what it once was…..one of the greatest meaningful rivalries that the entire nation watched with eyes wide open. Did someone say “wide”, as in “Wide Right!”?

#16 Michigan 13 at Iowa 14 – Great game! Michigan had a perfect 9-0 record, ranked #2 going into Iowa City. Iowa was #1 (you’re dreaming again, of 1985!) In 2016 Iowa was unranked but primed for an upset of Jim Harbaugh. Is Iowa Jim Harbaugh’s kryptonite? Nonetheless, outside of the Hawkeyes current struggles, it was “Shades of 1985!” Seriously, it was eerie. Here’s a column I wrote last Autumn, detailing one of my all-time favorite college games that made me love the sport forever:

“How weird is it that Iowa beat Michigan 14-13 in almost the same way with almost the same score as when they beat Michigan 12-10 in 1985????

My favorite upset of the day was definitely Iowa over Michigan because it brought back so many memories of the epic 1985 #1 vs #2 matchup in Iowa City. It was October 19, 1985. I remember that day well for being 31 years ago. It’s like “Back to the Future”. I was a 10-year-old raking leaves on a cloudy, overcast, rainy October day in the Midwest.

The weather in Iowa City, IA was pretty much the same as Lake Zurich, IL on that day. You had CBS, you had Brent Musburger, you had Chuck Long quarterbacking one team while Jim Harbaugh QB’d the other. Boy, Chuck Long had an arm, huh! You could hear the pads popping the way they did in that era, especially when you had a wet field. For some reason, the pads “popped” differently back then.

You had Ronnie Harmon and Larry Station. I mean seriously, how GOOD was Ronnie Harmon! You had Jamie Morris. You had Bo Schembechler vs Hayden Fry! You had NO instant replay and Iowa’s #87 Scott Helverson got HOSED in the back of the end zone.

You had Rob Houghtlin, making 4 of 5 FG’s including the game winner for Iowa to win 12-10. He was allowed to use the tee. Do you guys remember that placekickers were allowed to use tees? I know, right?

You had that weird moment in time in which the QB could “complain” to the refs about crowd noise and the ref would actually STOP the game and tell the crowd to be quiet so that the QB could communicate with his teammates. I KNOW, RIGHT! Can you believe this actually was a rule for a brief moment in time?!? (I need to look into that further. Did the NFL impose that rule? For how many years? How subjective was it?) Harbaugh was complaining to the refs for parts of that game that made it drag. It was SUPER DUMB! What were the refs supposed to do? Do they penalize Iowa for….the fans being too loud? I want an ESPN 30 for 30 short about this strange story.

Nonetheless, don’t let that ruin your experience. It ended up being such a great day for the Big Ten, for College Football on CBS, for Ara Parseghian (God bless his soul as he just recently passed away) as the “color” man next to Brent. It was great for our Nation’s Heartland. Remember the struggles of the farming community in the mid-80s? Iowa’s farmers actually had an “ANF” logo on the Iowa helmets…..”America Needs Farmers”. I know, right!

Add it all up and it almost makes you want to become an Iowa fan……well, it wasn’t THAT cool 😉  I’m just kidding. It was really, really cool and near the top of my list of cool 80s college football memories.”

(For some reason, footage of this great game is hard to find. Stephen Barnett has most of the old great games posted as FULL games on Youtube.) Thank you Stephen. You’re a video God.)

1985 looks about the same as….

Iowa 14 Michigan 13 in 2016.

#15 North Carolina 37 at Florida St. 35 – I don’t think I watched this one live, unlike most of the games on this list. Now that the Bears drafted Mitch Trubisky, I have extra interest. Check it out and scout #10 in powder blue!

#14 Arkansas 41 at TCU 38 (2OT)

#13 Army 21 vs Navy 17 – This rivalry is so special. Lately, Navy wins almost every year. Not last year. Army broke a long, 14 game losing streak, winning 21-17. I watch it just to see the passion of the cadets and the midshipmen. Who cares who wins? Well, Army and Navy vets do. My buddy Bush is an Army guy. “Go Army, Beat Navy!” My buddy Thomas Sullivan Magnum, P.I. is a Navy guy. “Go Navy, Beat Army!”

#12 Tennessee 38 at Texas A&M 45 (2OT) – Another nutty game. Go watch it. You’ll see.

#11 Orange Bowl: Florida St. 33 vs Michigan 32 – I remember Michigan DE Taco Charlton ripping guys heads off. FSU won on Francois’s game-winning TD pass with 36 seconds left.

#10 Clemson 37 at Florida St. 34 – Fantastic game! The Tigers and Seminoles have such a long-lasting rivalry and it continues to play out better than ever the last few years. Both are National Title contenders as of late and they always seem to play tight ballgames. This is one of the newest great rivalries that isn’t getting enough hype. The winner of this game has won the ACC Atlantic Division Championship how many years in a row? The answer is 8. Every year since 2009. Each team has won 4 times. It’s probably gonna happen again in 2017, this time in Death Valley, South Carolina on November 11. Look for this year’s version to make next year’s Top 25……again.

#9 Alabama 48 at Ole Miss 43 – The Ole Miss Rebels seem to be the only team that can hang with the Crimson Tide the last few years. Last year, Ole Miss had a huge 24-3 lead, but then what happened? Oh, you know!

#8 Ohio St. 21 at Penn St. 24 – I was all geared up for this one. Good game in the 3rd quarter. Then all of a sudden the Chicago Cubs won the NL for the first time since 1945. All the local stations including ABC-7 (the only station showing OSU at PSU) decided they had to show the bozos celebrating in the streets. Ok. I’ll watch that for a minute or two. But ruin the entire, amazing 4th quarter comeback by PSU in Happy Valley? Call me furious! What a shame. Thanks for ruining an electric game atmosphere by showing people looting and pouring beers all over their idiot friends because their lovable losers finally won a league for the first time in 72 years. PSU! More like P-U. You stink!

#7 Notre Dame 47 at Texas 50 (2OT) – Good opening weekend capper on Labor Day weekend. Who is better, Malik Zaire or DeShone Kizer? Hmmmmm. Kizer threw for 5 TD. Zaire……he stunk more than Cubs fans. Who stunk more than Zaire? Head Coach Brian Kelly! If he had just declared Kizer the starter prior to the game, they may have avoided not only this loss but 7 others throughout that disastrous 2016 season. Coaches have off years too. Kelly admits he did a poor job in ’16. Another bad year soon and as the Hawk says, “He Gone!”

#6 Tennessee 34 at Georgia 31 – I’ve seen the end a billion times, but I’m still dying to watch the entire game that led up to that crazy ending. I have it saved on the DVR. Both teams’ fans were dumbstruck in the last minute. Spoiler alert…..not one but two Hail Mary’s!!!

#5 Louisville 36 at Clemson 42 – This game had one of the greatest buildups I’ve ever seen on television! Did you watch this? It was an ABC Saturday Night classic. Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit were there and ABC showed the traditional Clemson run down the hill and touching Howard’s Rock. What made this one unique was ABC had cameras outside in the street showing the bus that drove the players and Coach Dabo Swinney to the entrance gates above Howard’s Rock. Incredible intensity! (start watching at about 10 minutes in until at least the end of Louisville’s 1st series at about 21 minutes in) I felt like I was there. Honestly, the crowd and atmosphere brewed up one of the top experiences I’ve ever seen on TV. I had it saved preciously on my AT&T U-Verse DVR until those AT&T bozos screwed up and lost all my recordings earlier this Summer. Thanks AT&T! Rather, thank god for Youtube. I NEED to attend a Clemson night game someday to experience this in person. Nonetheless, this game at #5 on the countdown, will live in my memory, hopefully forever.

#4 Pittsburgh 43 at Clemson 42 – How many times was Clemson on this Top 25 list? The answer is five, with four in the top 10! That’s insane and hard to believe. That’s what makes them all the more important, knowing that they won the Championship. When DeShaun Watson threw a late interception on a bad pass into the end zone, I recall thinking, “DeShaun will just not be a good pro QB”. Then as the NFL Draft approached, I desperately wanted the Chicago Bears to take Watson 3rd overall. As it turned out, I’m really happy the Bears selected North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky. Meanwhile, Houston drafted Watson and the whole time since, I keep thinking about that Pitt interception.

#3 Michigan 27 at Ohio St. 30 (2OT) – Wow! This was a really great game. Double Overtime!! Incredibly tough defense throughout most of the game as regulation ended with a 17-17 tie. Ohio St. won 30-27 with some controversial measurements, penalty calls, LACK of penalty calls. Everyone was talking about Coach Jim Harbaugh’s ranting on the sidelines. Well, he’s a Bo Schembechler guy and after some of these referees calls, Jimmy is http://widgets.boxxspring.com/MjA1NSw0MDUzNzM1OA” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>bitter…..bitter!

I don’t blame Harbaugh. I would’ve been stretched to my limits if I was a Michigan man too. We’re already beginning to see shades of the “Ten Year War”! Depending on the length of the Harbaugh/Meyer Era, we have just embarked on what will likely go down as the “Ten Year War: Part 2”. So far, Urban Meyer leads 2-0. When will Harbaugh “put one on the board”? I’m betting on ’17. The game is in Ann Arbor on November 25.

  #2 Rose Bowl: Penn St. 49 vs USC 52 – This could’ve been the best game of the year. Every time I watch and re-watch I’m just amazed by this nutty game. Ultimately, Trace McSorley was a little too aggressive, throwing 3 interceptions and showing his sophomore inexperience as PSU’s first time starting quarterback as they were outscored 17-0 in the 4th quarter. Meanwhile, over on the other sideline USC sophomore QB Sam Darnold was proving why he’s a top option for next year’s NFL Draft. He threw for 453 yards and 5 TD in one of the all-time greatest Rose Bowls.

#1 National Championship: Clemson 35 vs Alabama 31 – ‘Bama hardly ever loses. But when they do, it’s so much fun to enjoy! Hunter Renfrow’s game-winner with 1 second left was the stuff dreams are made of. Congratulations to Watson, Renfrow, Dabo Swinney, and all of the Clemson Tigers fans who have waited since 1981 to experience that National Championship feeling all over again.

So there you have it. Another amazing season. What does 2017 have for us? It all starts this week. Pumped much?

A Summer Tradition: ESPN’s Top 25 College Football Games from last season! Those that know me best know that college football is truly my favorite sport. You know what gets me pumped for college football season?

[bongaboi]

Kansas State: 2022 Texas Bowl Champions

HOUSTON (AP) — Deuce Vaughn and the Kansas State Wildcats finished a streaky season on a positive note Tuesday night with a dominant 42-20 win over short-handed LSU in the Texas Bowl.

Vaughn, a sophomore running back and first-team All-American as an all-purpose player, rushed for 146 yards on 21 carries. He scored four touchdowns — three rushing and one receiving.

Kansas State (8-5) also got a strong performance from quarterback Skylar Thompson, who returned to make his final collegiate start after missing the regular-season finale with an ankle injury.

Thompson completed 21 of 28 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Malik Knowles had two touchdown catches and 42 yards receiving.

While LSU (6-7) had a tough time slowing Vaughn and Thompson, the Tigers had another uphill battle on offense.

With starting quarterback Max Johnson having transferred to Texas A&M, backup Myles Brennan recovering from surgery and a third-string freshman that would have had to burn his redshirt to play, LSU entered the game with a big question mark under center.

The Tigers turned to senior receiver Jontre Kirklin, who hadn’t played quarterback since high school in 2016. Kirklin had only played in 25 games over five seasons, including his first two years as a cornerback.

The Tigers didn’t get a first down until late in the second quarter. By that time, Kansas State already had 12 first downs and a 21-0 lead. LSU later scored on that drive, though, a 23-yard touchdown catch by Jaray Jenkins.

Kirklin was 7-of-11 passing for 138 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions while also rushing for 61 yards on 11 carries. He delivered an 81-yard touchdown pass to Chris Hilton Jr. as time expired.

The Tigers were led by interim coach Brad Davis, the offensive line coach who was filling in between the transition from Ed Orgeron to former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly. LSU announced in December that Davis would be returning to Kelly’s staff as the offensive line coach.

Kansas State appeared to have a slight edge in the makeup of the crowd, despite Baton Rouge, Louisiana, being nearly 500 miles closer to Houston than Manhattan, Kansas.

The Wildcats led 21-7 at halftime.

Kansas State enjoyed its most lopsided win over an SEC opponent in school history, improving to 5-17 against the conference.

THE TAKEAWAY

Kansas State looked strong on both sides of the ball, with big performances from graduating seniors and players returning next season, en route to the Wildcats’ first bowl win since the Cactus Bowl in 2017.

LSU had hoped to carry on the positive momentum from an upset win over Texas A&M in the regular-season finale, but transfers and injuries got the best of the Tigers. They’ll look to quickly reload next season under the new regime.

UP NEXT

Kansas State will have a new quarterback in 2022, but the offense will likely continue to flow through Vaughn. The Wildcats open against South Dakota.

LSU has an important offseason with the transition to Kelly, who has more victories than any active coach in major college football. The Tigers open against Florida State.

___

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[mynflblogde]

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[theradiodude]

Number 20 on ESPN's #CFBTop25: Morris to Dorsett over NC State Also in my memories list today, this GLORIOUS moment.

[ontapsportsapp]

Florida State WR Da'Vante Phillips suspended indefinitely after arrest - ESPN

ESPN

Florida State WR Da'Vante Phillips suspended indefinitely after arrest ESPN Florida State announced that receiver Da'Vante Phillips has been suspended indefinitely in the wake of his arrest for five third-degree felony counts of intent to defraud and grand theft. A release from the school said that the suspension was "in ... McGahee: Phillips loss hurts depth, but doesn't change much for Florida StateTallahassee.com Florida State WR Da'Vante Phillips facing felony fraud charges, indefinitely suspendedNBCSports.com #CFBTop25: No. 16, Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida StateNFL.com Tampabay.com (blog) -Tallahassee.com all 65 news articles »

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[banalicefromthepalace]

#CFBTOP25 #CFB

[tkmedia]

Jefferson's passing attack pushes Hogs past Eagles

3 hours ago APFAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- - KJ Jefferson threw for a career-high 366 yards and tied a career high with three touchdowns to lead No. 20 Arkansas to a 45-10 win over Georgia Southern on Saturday.Arkansas all but clinched the win on a 91-yard pass from Jefferson to preseason All-SEC wide receiver Treylon Burks with 11:18 left in the third quarter. It was Jefferson's final touchdown pass of the game and gave Arkansas a 38-10 lead. The Razorbacks (3-0) led 14-0 after touchdown runs from Trelon Smith on the first drive and Dominique Johnson on the second. Jefferson capped a seven-play, 99-yard scoring drive midway through the second quarter with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Tyson Morris. Georgia Southern's touchdown came on a 76-yard run by quarterback Justin Tomlin after Morris scored. The Eagles (1-2) had just 39 yards on their first five drives before Tomlin escaped the Arkansas pass rush and Razorbacks defenders didn't see him. Jefferson threw his second touchdown pass on Arkansas' first drive of the second half, a 60-yard toss to Warren Thompson, giving Arkansas a 31-10 lead. Jefferson was replaced by redshirt freshman Malik Hornsby, who ran for a 6-yard touchdown for Arkansas' final score. Tomlin was 11-of-23 passing for 65 yards. THE TAKEAWAY Arkansas: The Razorbacks did what they needed to do to stay unbeaten going into SEC play, where they will be tested to see how they stack up with the top teams. Georgia Southern: Its lone win this season came against FCS opponent Gardner-Webb. The Eagles have scored a combined 16 points against Arkansas and Week 2 opponent Florida Atlantic. UP NEXT Arkansas travels to Arlington, Texas, for its yearly game against Texas A&M. The Aggies have won nine straight in the series. Georgia Southern hosts Louisiana in both teams' Sun Belt opener. ------ More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP--Top25 Sign up for the AP's college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25 Read the full article

[wiersema1]

I love this time of year! One of the things I look forward to most is ESPN’s countdown of last year’s Top 25 College Football games! It’s a great way to relive last season while at the same time getting pumped for this upcoming season. Those of you that know me best know that college football is truly my favorite sport. I love all sports but there is just something a little extra special about college football. It has enthralled me since the mid-80’s….since I watched on Saturday afternoons with my Dad.

ESPN just wrapped up their Top 25 by revealing the top 5 games over the weekend. The fans voted for the Top 5 and it was surprising. Here’s this year’s complete list with my comments:

#25 Notre Dame 34 at Virginia 27 – Kizer “Soze” to the rescue after Malik Zaire broke his ankle.

#24 Tennessee 27 at Florida 28 – Talk about blowing a game. UT……..oh no. “I’m sorry you like them”. (Inside joke that some readers may remember)

#23 Oregon 61 at Arizona St. 55 (3 OT) – You’d think this would be higher on the list. 61-55 in 3 OT? How ’bout a little respect? #23? Rodney Dangerfield must be rollin’ over in his grave.

#22 Georgia 31 at Tennessee 38 – Good game marred by Chubb’s gruesome injury

#21 Memphis 34 at Houston 35

#20 Michigan 48 at Indiana 41 (2 OT) – I remember thinking Indiana choked but I don’t remember the details.

#19 Nebraska 33 at Miami 36 (OT) – Another Nebraska loss that I couldn’t watch live because of a cousin’s wedding. Looked up the score at the beginning of the reception. Big Red was down 33-10 and I was so downtrodden. Then later heard we lost……in OT. WHAT!?! What in the world happened? A furious comeback to wake up the echoes, that’s what happened! Still lost in OT but 36-33 instead of 33-10 gave me a glimmer of hope.

#18 Auburn 46 at Arkansas 54 (4 OT) – 54-46 in 4 OT and this is #18? Geez, this was a good year of games.

#17 Michigan St. 38 at Nebraska 39 – Probably my happiest moment of the season. After losing at Purdue 55-45 the week before, I don’t know why I predicted Neb would win this game vs the #6 team in the land but sometimes I feel it deep in my bones. Nebraska wins! Revenge……Victory……Hope……Motivation for ’16…….Thank you Lord.

#16 B1G Championship : Michigan St. 16 vs Iowa 13 – Slobberknocker of a game. Lasting memory?……L.J. Scott bulldozing Iowa throughout the drive but especially on the TD. Beast!

#15 TCU 29 at Oklahoma 30 – Weird game. TCU backup QB’s somehow kept Horned Frogs in the game but Oklahoma squeaked by, won Bedlam the following week, then ended up going to the Playoffs. TCU must be thinking “what COULD have been” with a healthy Trevone Boykin???

#14 Oklahoma 31 at Tennessee 24 (2 OT) – I know what you’re thinking…….”I’m sorry you like them”. Excellent game. It should probably be higher on the list.

#13 BYU 33 at Nebraska 28 – Ugh sauce. I wasn’t even watching this game because I took my son to the Notre Dame opener vs Texas in South Bend. We parked and then I heard the news. I didn’t believe it at first. I normally would let this eat at me for days but I didn’t want to ruin the ND game for my son so I tried to convince myself it didn’t truly happen. I watched the recording the next day upon returning home. We had it…….then we lost it. Spoiler alert! I guess it really did happen.

#12 California 45 at Texas 44

#11 Michigan St. 17 at Ohio St. 14 – Just another day in the B1G.

#10 Miami 30 at Duke 27 – Nuts! Duke got hosed on the kickoff return for TD that featured several horrible calls including missed illegal blocks, missed illegal forward laterals, and missed tackles when a Miami knee was clearly down! What were the refs doing during the 10-15 minute replay review? “After reviewing the play…..check that, we need more time to review it more” What? Did the ref really say that? How did they not see this very clear photo of his knee touching the turf? Oh well, let’s move on the Duke coaches would say. “Not so fast my friends”. Emotion is such a big part of this sport……the next week a good 6-2 Duke team lost at North Carolina 66-31!

#9 TCU 55 at Texas Tech 52 – This game was RAW! I recall almost spitting out dinner at the conclusion of this game. Quadruple bypass ending on that tipped ball caught by Aaron Green! Incredible game! PS I think we ate pork chops.

#8 Ole Miss 43 Alabama 37 – It’s always fun to see ‘Bama scuffling and for some reason they almost always lose one game per season, often at home. Sure we all know they’re the best program in all the land, but that’s what makes it so much fun! College football NEEDS a villain. Think of “the Boz”, the “U” at Miami, “SC”, now the Crimson Tide. Does it get better than seeing someone go into Tuscaloosa and pull off the upset? Rarely.

#7 Notre Dame 22 at Clemson 24 – Listened to Don Criqui on the radio on my way back from the Nebraska at Illinois game in Champaign (another close loss for the Big Red, how did they blow this one??? I still don’t think the Illini WR caught that TD pass). Meanwhile, Trev slept in the backseat while I enjoyed the classic voice of all those 80’s Orange Bowls…….”Happy New Year! Tonight you are looking live from a blimp over the city of Miami where we will crown a National Champion in the Orange Bowl here on NBC”.  By the way I hated Bob Trumpy. What a tool!!!

#6 Notre Dame 36 at Stanford 38 – Another 2 point loss for ND. This was how close the Irish were to making the Playoffs. They lost by 2 at #1 Clemson and by 2 at #5 Stanford. Anyone see “A Season with Notre Dame football” on Showtime? Awesome look at a college program from inside the classroom and locker room. You could see how Notre Dame was so close. Without all the injuries, I think they would’ve succeeded in their goal. This year’s “A Season” will be Florida St. beginning on September 6 on Showtime.

#5 Alamo Bowl: Oregon 41 vs TCU 47 (3OT) – This game tied the record for greatest bowl comeback of all-time! Oregon led 31-0 at the break but couldn’t hold the lead, losing 47-41 in 3OT. That Ducks backup center who struggled completing shotgun snaps?…….C’mon man.

#4 National Championship Game: Clemson 40 vs Alabama 45 – Wow! How was this game not #1 or at least #2? These were clearly the top 2 best teams of 2015. The final score was 45-40. It was wild! What were the voters thinking? I guess it was hard to choose #1 versus #2 or even #5 when you had such a great selection of games to choose from. If I had a vote I would pick this as the second best game of the year.

#3 Arkansas 53 @ Ole Miss 52 (OT)- This was extremely wild. If you didn’t watch this game, you’ll be shocked if you see it one day. It was absolutely ridiculous. The lateral on 4th down….insane! Like really? Only in college football do games like this happen. It’s actually hard to even imagine an ending like this. You can’t write this stuff. Trust me.

#2 Michigan St. 27 @ Michigan 23 – Sheer madness! Did this really happen? Games like this are why college football will forever remain my favorite sport. This was probably the 2015 Game of the Year. Did you see the ending of this game? If not, do yourself a favor and watch it. PS My Stevenson buddy Matt Morrissey #10 was involved on the punt block. He’s one of the guys tackling Michigan punter Blake O’Neill. Matt is such a good kid going into his Sophomore season and I’m proud of him for already being involved in a historic play that will live on in college football lore.

#1 Florida St. 16 @ Georgia Tech 22 – How is this game the best game of 2015? I don’t think it should be, but there was some cool stuff nonetheless. The game was tied when FSU lined up for a game winning FG attempt that was blocked and returned ALL…..THE……WAY…….by GTech’s Lance Austin! Very cool, but NOT the best game of 2015.

So there you have it. An amazing season. I wonder what Phil Steele thought of all these games? Hey Phil, do you like pork chops? Next time my wife cooks up the pork you’ll be invited.

Reid ‘Em & Weep (1.5) I love this time of year! One of the things I look forward to most is ESPN's countdown of last year's Top 25 College Football games!