It’s the most wonderful time of the year. I’m sure you’ve heard that phrase a million times by this point in December but it has not been more true than right now.
No, it’s not because of Christmas or New Years Eve, it is because we have finally reached the College Football Playoff Semifinals, and four teams battle it out for college football immortality.
The two matchups are layered with the lore of the sport and are must see for even the most common fan of the game. It has all been leading up to this, 13 weeks of 14 straight hours of football on Saturdays, neglecting a fall social life (who cares about apple picking when Kansas is ranked?)Tuesday nights spent watching MACtion, making jokes about 6th year seniors (looking at the Cinncinatti Kid Sean Clifford), and getting emotionally invested in the lives of complete strangers because they overcame all the odds and got to play the greatest game of all time.
This has all led to this point, where we get to crown a National Champion and then we get to do it all again next September.
First: Fiesta Bowl #2 Michigan vs #3 TCU at 4:00pm ESPN
Our first semifinal matchup is between the Big 10 Conference Champion (Michigan) and the Big 12 Conference runner-up (TCU). Both teams ended regular season play with perfect 12-0 records, Michigan continued the dominance with a beatdown of Purdue, 43-22. Meanwhile, TCU lost in an OT thriller to Kansas St 31-28, but even with that blemish in their record the committee still saw enough and kept the Horn Frogs ranked at 3 and their national title dreams alive. So who are these teams?
# 2 Michigan
Whatever happened after the COVID season of 2020 for the Wolverines is unclear. Did Harbaugh find a magic pair of khakis? Maybe. Did Ryan Day and OSU become cursed? Unfortunately, no. Did Michigan finally figure out the pieces they needed to have an elite defense and offense?
Yes, that seems to be the case. Over the last two seasons, Jim Harbaugh has accomplished more than in the previous 6 combined. Michigan has won back-to-back Big Ten titles, back-to-back playoff berths and most importantly have beaten their biggest rival back-to-back for the first time since 1999-2000.
They have been able to accomplish this based largely on their incredible run game and offensive line led by transfer center Olusegun Oluwatimi. He was First Team All-Big 10, a Consensus All-American, won the Rimington Award for being the nations Top Center and the Outland Trophy for the nations best interior lineman. All while leading the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line, given for the best o-line in the country.
The big boys in front got it done for running backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. Corum was a revelation at RB becoming a Unanimous All-American and Big Ten RB of the Year while running for 18 TDs to go with 1,463 rushing yards, with Edwards adding 872 and 7 scores as well.
This dynamic run game led the Wolverines to be the 6th highest scoring team in the country. Michigan ended the season with 14 All-Big Ten selections between all three phases of the game. To not be underestimated is their defense which was 5th in the nation.
Last year they had to get over the hump of OSU but came up short in the semifinal, once again they beat OSU and won the Big Ten, but is that where their season ends? We will find out on New Year’s Eve when they face off against this season’s most beloved story, the TCU Horned Frogs.
#3 TCU
Not much else can be said about TCU except congratulations, you pulled a Han Solo. Entering this season TCU had a 200-1 chance to win the national title, they are the first team ever to make it to the playoff while not being ranked to start the year.
The Horned Frogs are a Disney movie come to life, their year has been everything from inspiring to heartbreaking, from improbable to dominant, they have been must see all season and now they get to battle for the national championship. I don’t want to make them out as the scrappy underdog, they have the 5th ranked offense in the country under Max Duggan (more on him later) but only a middling defense that is ranked 57th.
They also come into the Fiesta Bowl having lost the Big 12 Title game on a heartbreaking goal line stand, then walk off field goal by Kansas St, but the vibes are still immaculate for TCU. No one thought they’d be here, but here they are a game away from the national title and a chance to write one of the best stories in the 153 years of the sport.
This season has largely been a success due to QB Max Duggan. I challenge you to find a player with more heart than Max, if you don’t believe me just watch his post-game conference after the loss to Kansas St, fuck just watch the entire Big 12 title game where he put the team on his back play after play and literally left his blood, sweat and tears on the field.
Max was recognized this season as the Davey O’Brien Award winner for the nations top QB, was a First Team All-Big 12 selection as well as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and lastly he came in second in voting for the Heisman Trophy.
His favorite target was 6’4” monster WR Quentin Johnston who totaled 53 receptions for 903 yards and 5 TDs. On the other side of the ball is Jim Thorpe Award winning defensive back and All-American Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, who was a menace against opposing offenses all season. All in all TCU ended up with 10 All-Big 12 selections after their impressive season. TCU has won all our hearts in t
Second: Peach Bowl #1 Georgia vs #4 Ohio State at 8:00pm ESPN
Our second semifinal is between the SEC conference champion (Georgia) and the Big Ten East second place finisher (Ohio State), and you might think one of these is not like the other. We are well past the point where it matters to ask if OSU should even be in the playoff after not even making it to the conference title game but here we are.
Sorry USC, maybe you should have opted out of the PAC-12 then you could have gotten the consolation bid like OSU did. Sorry, I had to get that off my chest. Georgia sports a 13-0 record going into the playoff and is the defending national champion. OSU went 11-1 with a previously discussed loss to Michigan and the last postseason game we saw them play was an all-time classic Rose Bowl win vs Utah.
Both are storied franchises with former Heisman finalists at their helms and we should be in for a great game on Saturday night.
#1 Georgia
Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are looking to be the first team in the CFP era to repeat as national champs, and it’s a strong possibility they accomplish this feat. After winning last January the program had a major overhaul when they had a record 15 players taken in the NFL Draft. The belief was that the program would still be good but not as elite as the year prior.
That couldn’t be farther from the truth, as Georgia has the 10th-ranked offense and the 9th-ranked defense this season, besides Michigan they are the most balanced. A large part of their success comes from the “Mailman” Stetson Bennett IV, the MVP from last year’s national title game and Heisman Finalist is the supreme game manager QB who can get just enough done through and make some great plays with his feet due to natural speed.
Will he be an NFL QB? Doubtful, but he’s guaranteed to always have free drinks and meals in all of Georgia for the rest of time.
Also on the offense is All-American TE and John Mackey Award winner Brock Bowers who is an absolute freak athlete with elite speed, strength and hands. He is Georgia’s leading receiver this season with fellow TE Darnell Washington being a 6’7” monster of a player.
On the other side of the ball is future first round pick Kelee Ringo, a lockdown corner and just one piece of a dominant defense. Two other All-Americans on the team include DL Jalen Carter and DB Christopher Smith.
This team is loaded with talent and is now experienced, they are the favorite in the playoff and rightfully so.
#4 Ohio State
I already have discussed why I think OSU is a fraud and why they should not be in the playoff at all. I think they are going to be manhandled on the lines of scrimmage by Georgia the same way they were by Michigan earlier this year.
But if they can somehow give CJ Stroud enough time in the pocket, he might be able to find one of the many 5 star receivers that have on the offense. Back to CJ quick, second season in a row he was a Heisman Finalist and second season in a row he went home without any hardware.
There is doubting his elite passing talent but he lacks mobility and sometimes leaves the pressure in the pocket way too lahe college football world and honestly this team deserves to compete for the national title. Even if they lose to Michigan, they have earned their place in college football history.
te leading to sacks, he will have to be faster against Georgia’s defensive front. But if he has that time, All-American WR Marvin Harrison Jr is there to save the day, the sophomore wideout had 72 receptions for 1,157 yards and 12 TDs to be named Big Ten WR of the Year. He made play after play for the Buckeyes and will be a tough task for the Georgia secondary. They both have helped lead the Buckeyes to the 2nd ranked offense in the country.
Meanwhile, they have a solid defense ranked 13th in the country. Not as balanced as some of the other playoff teams but very well built all around. On the defense they are led by 2 superb LB in Tommy Eichenburg and Steele Chambers (great name) and emerging star DE J.T. Tuimoloau.
All in all they had 14 All-Big Ten selections and are still a 11-1 team, hopefully, they can put up a fight and give us a good game.
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