Inside The Helmets College Football Playoffs Semifinals Winners
By the Pigskin Prognosticator, PubClub.com’s College Football Blogger
We interrupt your New Year’s Eve plans by bringing you two critical college football games.
Yes, the four-team playoff is happening on the biggest party day of the year so instead of putting on those cheap paper hats that say “Happy New Year” and blowing into or twirling those cheap noisemakers, fans are putting on their teams’ hats and making noise by yelling things such as “Go Tigers” and “Roll Tide.”
But they are still drinking and at least fans of two teams are celebrating well into 2017.
Saturday, Dec. 31 – College Football Playoff Semifinals
WASHINGTON vs. ALABAMA (Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, ESPN, Noon)
Few people may know that Washington is actually responsible for the rise of the Crimson Tide as a football power. The U-Dubers faced an overwhelming underdog team known then as the Red Elephants in the 1925 Rose Bowl and lost, prompting an LA Times Sports Writer to pen that “mighty Washington was washed away by a powerful Crimson Tide.”
That game ignited Alabama football, created instant pride in the South and even gave the team a new nickname. The U-Dubers – which the press dubbed the Purple Tornado – were not gracious losers. After the game, Washington Head Coach George “Wildcat” Wilson supposedly said to Alabama’s soon-to-be-legendary Wallace Wade at the midfield handshake, “any other other day we would have beaten you.”
“We didn’t come out here to play no damed series,” Wade was said to have responded.
Today, of course, it’s just the opposite situation – Alabama is the big elephant in the room and Washington is the big underdog.
The U-Dubers, well aware of this and also the fact that Alabama is dominant at pretty much every position on the field, will turn into Boise State vs. Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl 2007 and pull out every trick play Chris Peterson ever drew up in the playground dirt. Look for double-reverses, triple-reverses, the Statue of Liberty and and oldie but a goodie, the fumblerooski.
After watching USC dominate and out-athlete the Huskies – a team Bama whipped 52-6 to start the season – there’s no way these Dogs can have their day in this one. The Pachyderms have way too much on offense, defense and even special teams for the Huskies to handle are ready to stomp their way to the National Championship game. Winner: Alabama
CLEMSON vs. OHIO STATE (PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, ESPN 4 p.m.)
The Fighting Dabos may have put the term “Clemsoning” to rest, but they will get little respect. They are seen by many as the only team that can beat Alabama but are also predicted to lose to Ohio State. Win battle and lost another one – it’s that today’s version of Clemsoning?
The Tigers have only recently woken up from a season-long slumber when it seemed they were more like kitty cats than ferocious felines.
The Buckeyes, meanwhile, were both impressive and underwhelming, all depending on the quality (or lack thereof) team in front of them. Clemson is no Maryland or Rutgers and is better than both Wisconsin and Michigan – and most certainly Northwestern (24-20 OSU win) and Michigan State (17-16 OSU win).
Bucky does, tho, have a knack for pulling out close games, a trait that has gotten it the far. But they’ve not faced anyone like Deshawn Watson and even allowing for the fact that the Tigers are too one-dimensional on offense (and rely on Watson throwing the ball too much), this should be a Tiger Town party by the fourth quarter. Winner: Clemson
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