- CFP – (1) USC vs (4) BYU – Rose Bowl
o It’s a perfect split crowd between Trojan Red and Gold and BYU’s royal blue and white at the Grandaddy of them all. The only thing missing is Brent Mussberger’s infamous “you’re looking live” intro on tv. The Rose Bowl is bursting at the seams and the powers-that-be couldn’t have asked for a more fortunate match-up to have USC fall in to their laps and a rabid, starving-to-be-relevant BYU fan base pack the house.
o Sam Darnold won the Heisman, USC has fully recovered from their “Reggie Bush sanctions” and looks to have the best team since Bush donned his #5. After winning a shoot-out thriller against Stanford early in the year they stomped Texas at home the next week and really weren’t tested again until they traveled to South Bend in the middle of the season, winning a classic 33-30 game. Other than that, the Trojans have looked pretty much unstoppable and destroyed their opponents.
o Nike made BYU a special 1984 commemorative road royal blue jersey (white top, royal bottoms) for the CFP and it looks incredible, especially with the “LE” patch on the sleeve, to remember Lavell
o In what may be the play of the game, Francis Bernard absolutely de-cleates Darnold on the second play of the game on a delayed, blind side blitz. Darnold is down for several minutes and has to check out of the game for 2 series while they administer concussion protocol. The whole Trojan team seems jarred by this early result.
o Tanner wastes no time capitalizing on the Trojan’s temporary distraction. After Riley Burt breaks off a 22 yard punt return into Trojan territory, Tanner hits Bushman for a short gain, then Simon for a quick 7 yard out, scrambles for a 10 yard gain off a blitz, then nails MLP for 24 yard TD pass. 7-0 Cougars.
o USC’s backup moves the team backwards and BYU marches down the field and scores again on a delayed draw by Tolutao. 14-0 BYU and the Cougar faithful are going berserk! After USC punts one more time on Darnold’s final missed drive, Tanner gets too greedy and throws a pick. Apparently Darnold is feeling fine because 5 plays later he drives the Trojans into the end zone and suddenly it’s 14-7.
o Squally fumbles a few drives later, BYU misses a 42 yard FG and USC adds a FG of their own. Darnold executes the 2 minute drill perfectly to end the half and gives USC a 17-14 lead at half-time. Talk about the tale of two quarters.
o BYU gets the ball to open the half and Tanner looks as poised as ever. The announcers begin talking about his efforts to help those with mental health issues and discuss Tanner’s own public battle with anxiety and how he appears to be conquering his own demons. A long, methodical drive ends in a TD pass from Tanner to Bushman from 7 yards out and BYU takes the lead 21-17.
o USC responds by scoring two quick TD’s (one on a long, perfectly thrown ball by Darnold, and the other capitalizing on another Tanner INT) The 3rd quarter ends with USC on top 31-21 and they appear to be poised to run away with this one.
o That’s when Takitaki decides to take over. After 2 run-stuffing tackles, he sacks Darnold on 3rd and long and strips the ball loose. Thankfully Bronson was nearby and is able to get his lanky body on the ground first to fall on the ball and recover it. On the very next play Tanner shoots for the fences and hits Shumway on a seam route over the middle for a TD! 31-28, USC on top.
o USC tacks on another FG, and is set to add another one but Bronson gets his giant paw on the long, 49 yard try and tips it away. In a seldom used play, KJ Hall (who is usually used for blocking or check downs) gets a blast up the middle and breaks loose on a defense expecting the pass. He takes it 34 yards into USC territory. After MLP knocks the ball away from the DB’s hands in what would have been another pick for Tanner, Mangum finds Trinnaman on a corner route who makes a spectacular grab for a TD. BYU finds itself on top 35-34 with 1:45 remaining. Memories of the end-of-the-first-half drive come back as Darnold nails his first 3 passes, but the relentless pressure and pursuit by BYU’s DL and and LB’s keeps him uncomfortable in the pocket. After Warner forces a rushed incompletion, USC is staring a 3rd and long from midfield…after the pocket collapses, Darnold tries to run it himself when he kindly introduced to Butch Pau’u who absolutely lays the loudest, most bone-crunching hit of the season. People claim the “pop” was heard as far as Ontario but these reports remain uncomfirmed.
o Darnold lies on his back…in classic Butch fashion he goes to help him up grinning from ear to ear but Darnold doesn’t move. The game is delayed another 30 minutes as they move Darnold to a stretcher and awaken him. He gives a thumbs up to the crowd, all 100,000+ standing and cheering his name. Butch has his helmet off and is seen weeping as the camera zooms in on him handing Darnold the game ball and walking with him to the exit.
o After all of this, the 2 teams are supposed to get back on the field for the most important play of the game. The hail mary attempt from midfield gets batted down by none other than Bronson Kaufusi who is charged with standing near endzone and “getting the rebound”. BYU wins a somber 35-34 classic.
o All are relieved to find out later that Darnold is ok and will be, surprisingly, returning to USC for his junior season.
- (2) Bama vs (3) FSU – Sugar Bowl
o a rematch of the week 1 showdown that had Bama push around an overmatched Seminole team trying figure out life without their star RB Cook.
o Francois had 4 turnovers that game (3 picks and 1 fumble) and has promised his team to not be the cause of another 34-17 defeat that wasn’t even as close as the score might indicate. Saban, of course, is in an uproar claiming how bad the system is that makes a rematch in the semi-finals. A glib reporter asks “So are you saying you should be ranked ahead of undefeated USC as the one-seed or that undefeated BYU should be ranked ahead of you so you can fall to the 4-seed and avoid the rematch.” To which he had a colorful four-letter-“YOU” reply and stormed off.
o Needless to say the game itself was epic, just like the other semifinal. The teams battled back and forth, but Francois held true to his word and delivered the game-winning blow just like Watson did late in the title game against Bama the year before, this time though, running it in himself from 13 yards out to score the go-ahead TD with only 57 seconds remaining. The Seminoles beat the Saban empire 27-24.