We have quite a bit to cover in our recap. It has been an interesting week as we saw four playoff games in the Quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. On top of that, there were plenty of exciting bowl games that we will also recap. So, let’s dive in.
#1 Indiana Hoosiers vs. #9 Alabama Crimson Tide
Indiana continues to prove just how good they are, beating Alabama 38-3 to move on in the playoffs. Fernando Mendoza threw for three touchdowns, and the Hoosiers defense limited the Crimson Tide to just a field goal. Indiana advances to the Semifinals, where they will play Oregon.
#2 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. #10 Miami Hurricanes
Miami pulled off the upset against the defending champs, Ohio State. Miami’s defense could realistically carry them the whole way, as they racked up two sacks and five interceptions while holding a strong OSU offense to two scores. The final score of this game was 24-14. The Buckeyes just couldn’t get the job done, including a pick six in the red zone. The Canes will move on to the Semifinals to face off against Ole Miss.
#3 Georgia Bulldogs vs. #6 Ole Miss Rebels
Georgia looked strong through the first three quarters, up five going into the fourth quarter. But Ole Miss played as dominant as any team could. With less than ten seconds left, the Rebels kicked a field goal to take the lead. A strong fourth quarter from Pete Golding’s squad would win them the game, 39-34. QB Trinidad Chambliss led the Rebels’ offense with 362 passing yards and two touchdowns. They will move on to play Miami in the next round.
#4 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. #5 Oregon Ducks
Oregon’s defense was too much for Texas Tech to handle, as the Ducks won 23-0. Jordon Davidson provided some scoring for the Ducks, as he scored two rushing touchdowns. Oregon recovered two fumbles, had four sacks, and two interceptions, as they crushed Texas Tech’s offense. Oregon will move on to the next round to play Indiana.
Ole Miss vs. Miami on Thursday, January 8th, and then Oregon vs. Indiana on Friday, January 9th. Both of these games should be extremely entertaining with interesting storylines. In the Ole Miss vs Miami game, both teams looked really solid in their games, taking down big powerhouses. Ole Miss’s high-powered offense should be fun to watch against a dominant Miami defense. And Oregon vs. Indiana will be fun to see, as it is a Big Ten Rematch from earlier in the season. Both of these teams crushed their opponents – so it will be an elite matchup.
Some Bowl Games to Recap:
BYU Cougars vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
BYU came back from down 21-10 in the 4th to win the Pop-Tarts Bowl, 25-21. They scored on a 4-yard run with two minutes remaining to snag the win against Georgia Tech.
Virginia Cavaliers vs. Missouri Tigers
In a defensive matchup in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, the Cavaliers beat the Tigers 13-7. Virginia’s victory was led by their strong third quarter in which they took control.
Houston Cougars vs. LSU Tigers
In the Kinder’s Texas Bowl, Houston squeezed out a win 38-35 against the Tigers. QB Conner Weigman had four passing touchdowns for Houston in the win.
North Texas Mean Green vs. San Diego State Aztecs
In a huge offensive matchup, North Texas grabbed this dub 49-47. North Texas won the Isleta New Mexico Bowl thanks to great offensive performances from QB Drew Mestemaker and RB Caleb Hawkins.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Clemson Tigers
The Nittany Lions won the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl 22-10, led by Ethan Grunkemeyer’s 262 passing yards and two passing touchdowns.
USC Trojans vs. TCU Horned Frogs
TCU upset USC 30-27 in the Valero Alamo Bowl. The game was tied 24-24 going into overtime, but TCU won on a 35 yard touchdown in overtime.
Texas Longhorns vs. Michigan Wolverines
This looked like the best matchup of the bowl games between two top teams, but Texas looked amazing as they won 41-27. Arch Manning led the Longhorns with four total touchdowns.
Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Vanderbilt Commodores
Iowa outplayed Vanderbilt 34-27 to win the ReliaQuest Bowl. Mark Gronowski threw two touchdowns and rushed one to lead Iowa.
Utah Utes vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Utah played a strong game, as they beat Nebraska 44-22 to win the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl. Devon Dampier scored five times for the Utes.
Arizona Wildcats vs. SMU Mustangs
SMU pulled off the upset 24-19 against Arizona. Despite a second-half comeback, Arizona lost the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl.
