Yanking the Monkey Off Young's Back

---

---

For a long time, the knock on Steve Young was that he couldn't win the Super Bowl.

"Couldn't" really isn't the appropriate verb, though. He never had the opportunity to win or lose one until this day 20 years ago when he led the San Francisco 49ers into Super Bowl XXIX against the San Diego Chargers. It was to be his only opportunity to win a Super Bowl — and, boy, did he take advantage of it.

Young began his professional career 10 years earlier in the ill–fated United States Football League with the Los Angeles Express. In 1985, he signed with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who traded him to San Francisco in 1987, and Young spent the next four seasons as Joe Montana's backup. In that role, he was a participant in Super Bowls XXIII and XXIV. But he didn't get to play in Super Bowl XXIII, and he came in for mop–up duty after Super Bowl XXIV was a foregone conclusion.

In Tampa Bay, he had been judged a failure, but he showed his potential when subbing for Montana. Young became the 49ers' starter when Montana went down with a season–ending elbow injury in 1991. He was the 49ers' starting QB for the rest of that season, and he started every game for the next three seasons as well.

But the 49ers did not return to the Super Bowl until January 1995.

They were huge favorites when the game began. If you were betting on the 49ers in that game, you had to give the Chargers 19 points — the widest spread in Super Bowl history.

The 49ers led by 18 points at halftime and went on to cover the spread in a 49–26 victory. Young completed 75% of his passes for 325 yards and six touchdowns. He was, of course, the game's MVP

---

---

It was a joyous scene on the 49ers' sideline as the final seconds ticked away, and sideline cameras brought it into America's living rooms. Young and his teammates engaged in some play acting in which Young invited them to pull the monkey from his back — a shot at those who had said and/or written that he couldn't win the big one.

There are two thoughts, really, that cross my mind when I think of that game two decades ago.

The first is that it was the last Super Bowl of my mother's life. I don't know if she was ever the football fan that my father and I are, but she enjoyed watching the Super Bowl — especially if the Dallas Cowboys were playing in it. I was living in Oklahoma at the time, and I remember calling my parents early on Super Sunday and chatting about the game. I had no way of knowing it would be the last football game of my mother's life. She would be gone in less than four months.

So when I think of that day, I think of the phone conversation I had with my parents. I really don't remember the specifics of the conversation, only that we had one. We talked for about 20 minutes, then we signed off. Mom and Dad did whatever they did during the game, and so did I.

My other thought is of San Diego's Junior Seau, one of the finest defensive players I have ever seen play the game. It was his only Super Bowl, and, considering that he ended up taking his own life, presumably because of head injuries he suffered during his playing days, I really regret that he couldn't have had the experience of winning an NFL championship once in his life.

The Team of the Decade

---

---

Twenty–five years ago today, Joe Montana became the second quarterback to win four Super Bowls.

Terry Bradshaw is the only other quarterback to record that achievement — if Tom Brady beats the Seahawks this Sunday, he will become the third man to do it. And one suspects that Brady will have few, if any, additional chances. This will be his sixth Super Bowl; he will be 38 years old before next season begins.

The quarterbacks who faced each other in Super Bowl XXIV in New Orleans 25 years ago had been to five Super Bowls between them. Montana was 3–0; Denver's John Elway was 0–2.

The 49ers came into the game 12–point favorites. I guess the oddsmakers knew what they were doing because Super Bowl XXIV remains, 25 years later, the most lopsided Super Bowl ever played.

The 49ers never trailed. On their first possession, San Francisco marched 66 yards in 10 plays and scored their first touchdown on a familiar combo — Montana to Jerry Rice. San Francisco led, 7–0.

---

---

The Broncos kicked a field goal when they got the ball back, but San Francisco retaliated with another touchdown — and what was probably the 49ers' only mistake all evening, a botched point–after attempt.

After one quarter, San Francisco led, 13–3. Montana had already thrown two touchdown passes.

The 49ers scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter and took a 27–3 lead to the locker room.

At this point, I ought to mention that I was in graduate school, and I was working at the local newspaper on the sports side. We had an outdoor writer who was, essentially, a freelancer. He brought his copy in to the office on Fridays, and we published it on Sunday.

Anyway, this writer and I were chatting about the game, and he asked me if I would be willing to bet with him. He wanted to take the Broncos. I agreed to bet with him, and I'm sure he thought I was being generous when I told him he could have however many points were being offered; the truth is that I just believed the 49ers could win by a couple of touchdowns. In more than half of their wins all year (and the 49ers were 14–2 during the regular season), the 49ers could have covered a 12–point spread, and they won both of their previous playoff games by more — far more — than 12 points.

So he started with a 12–0 advantage. Obviously, though, that lead evaporated rather quickly. He was just narrowly holding on to the lead at the end of the first quarter, but he couldn't have been encouraged. The Broncos only had five first downs at halftime. By that time, of course, they trailed by 24 points.

The Broncos finally got a touchdown in the third quarter — but it was after the 49ers had added two more touchdowns to their total. It was 41–10 at the end of the third quarter, 55–10 when the final gun sounded.

The 49ers were sharp, precise, not to be denied. Punter Barry Helton only had to kick the ball away four times all day. That is how efficient the 49ers were, scoring on two–thirds of their possessions.

If you looked at the time of possession, though, and did not know the final score, you'd be convinced that Denver won the game. The Broncos held the ball twice as long as the 49ers — but the 49ers scored on long plays, four of their touchdowns coming on gains of 20 yards or more. When you can pick up big chunks of yards like that, time of possession becomes irrelevant. After all, the Broncos only had three gains of 20 yards or more all day, and none resulted in a touchdown.

---

---

Elway was the only Bronco who was really in the 49ers' league. The rest of the team simply didn't have what it took to compete with the 49ers.

San Francisco was the team of the decade. Of that, they left no doubt 25 years ago today.

On that day, it was probably hard to find someone who could conceive of a time when Elway would return to the Super Bowl — and not only play in it but actually win it. In fact, he did return to the Super Bowl eight years later, and he won, beating the Green Bay Packers.

They Called Him 'Mister Cub'

---

---

"There's sunshine, fresh air and the team's behind us. Let's play two!"

Ernie Banks
Hall of Fame induction speech, 1977

---

In the hearts of baseball fans, Ernie Banks will always be a Chicago Cub. "Mister Cub," they called him.

You don't often see a professional athlete who spends his entire career with a single team, especially someone whose big–league career lasted as long as Banks' did, but he spent all 19 years of his major–league career with the Cubs. I have heard him called the greatest baseball player who never played in the postseason. (He is almost 1,000 games ahead of his nearest competition on the list of players with most games played without a postseason appearance.)

You see, the Cubs haven't been to a World Series since 1945, and they haven't won one since 1908.

The Cubs came close to getting into the playoffs in 1969 (Banks retired in 1971), but they were overtaken by the "Amazin' Mets." It would have been nice to see him play in the postseason, but it would have to have been as a Cub; after all the seasons of futility he endured with the Cubs, it is impossible to imagine Banks in any other major–league uniform.

It isn't necessary to do so, of course, just as it isn't necessary to imagine Brett Favre playing in any uniform other than his Green Bay uniform. He started his career in Atlanta and finished it in New York and Minnesota.

Banks died in Chicago yesterday. He was born right here in Dallas, Texas, on January 31, 1931, grew up here, graduated from high school here.

So we could lay equal claim to him, I suppose. But once baseball took him away, as nearly as I can tell, he never returned. Oh, he probably came back for visits, but I don't think he ever lived here again. Once he got to Chicago, he stayed there.

It's hard for a Southern boy like me to understand how someone could be attracted to a place like Chicago with its frigid winters and a wicked wind that comes howling in from Lake Michigan year 'round. But it was Banks' adopted home, and he became the city's biggest booster.

Banks "enjoyed a love affair with Wrigley Field and its fans unlike any other in baseball," wrote Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun–Times. While such a thing would be hard to prove, I am nevertheless inclined to agree with that.

I used to be more of a baseball fan than I am today, and I was never a Cubs fan. But I was in my baseball–card–collecting phase in the last years of Banks' career, and there were certain players whose cards I always wanted to get — and became my most cherished possessions once I did get them.

Banks' card was one of them, along with guys like Willie Mays and Hank Aaron and Brooks Robinson, who was always something of an icon in central Arkansas, having been born in Little Rock. When I was a kid, central Arkansas was (and, I am sure, still is) St. Louis Cardinals territory so Lou Brock and Bob Gibson were always popular with the baseball card crowd — and Chicago Cubs were the Cardinals' rivals so few Cubs cards were regarded as valuable by the guys with whom I hung out.

---

---

Nevertheless, Banks' card transcended such team loyalty boundaries.

Ernie Banks was one of baseball's gentlemen, an eternally optimistic soul who probably started every major–league season believing it would end with him playing in the World Series.

As I say, that never happened. I suppose that kind of bad luck could leave a player feeling bitter, but as nearly as I can tell, he was always the unflagging optimist.

Rest in peace.

Montana's Second Super Bowl Victory

---

---

I remember this day in 1985. I was working on the sports desk of the Arkansas Gazette on what is always the biggest day in sports every year — Super Bowl Sunday.

Everything else that would ordinarily demand our attention always took the night off on Super Bowl Sunday. They used to play the Super Bowl in the afternoon — until they discovered they could get a bigger TV audience by playing the game at night. So they moved it to nighttime, and since that time there have been some basketball games played in the afternoons of Super Bowl Sunday. Never very many, just a few, usually featuring big–name programs. Occasionally, sports fans have had the option of watching a hockey game or perhaps Olympic qualifying competition for skiers or skaters.

All that other stuff was usually over by the kickoff of the Super Bowl, though. We didn't have a TV in the newsroom in those days, but someone usually brought a portable TV to the office so we could watch the game. And it promised to be a good one.

It seems to me that maybe the worst thing that can happen to a professional athlete is to achieve great success very early in his career.

Because that tends to make the athlete believe that climbing that mountain is much easier than advertised, and the athlete expects to return to the championship level every year. Few athletes have made it to that level multiple times in their careers, let alone every year.

In truth, that is probably easier for athletes who participate in individual sports to accomplish than it is for those who compete in team sports.

That may have been what happened to Dan Marino, who came into the NFL as a first–round draft choice after the 1982 season. The Dolphins made it to the Super Bowl in 1982 and went 12–4 in Marino's rookie season but lost to Seattle in the divisional round of the playoffs.

In 1983, the Dolphins were 14–2 and crushed their opponents in the AFC playoffs. Waiting for them in Super Bowl XIX at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California, 30 years ago today were the Joe Montana–led San Francisco 49ers.

It is important to remember that Montana was not a sure bet to be in the Hall of Fame yet. The 49ers had won the Super Bowl three years earlier, but that had been their only appearance. They were not the juggernaut that they would become, and their performance 30 years ago had a lot to do with that transformation.

Going into the game that was played three decades ago today, the 49ers were favored — but only by 3½ points.

It was billed as a showdown between Marino and Montana. Marino was everyone's MVP, having completed more than 64% of his passes (he averaged almost three dozen attempts per game) for more than 5,000 yards and four dozen touchdowns.

Marino may have thought it was all incredibly easy when the gun sounded ending the first quarter. Miami led, 10–7, thanks to Uwe von Schamann's 37–yard field goal and Marino's two–yard touchdown pass to tight end Dan Johnson. But Marino, who averaged three touchdown passes per game during the regular season, would have no more touchdown passes on this day.

---

---

Montana and the 49ers seized the lead in the second quarter. Montana threw a touchdown pass to running back Roger Craig, then Montana ran in from six yards out, then Craig scored again.

Von Schamann kicked two field goals to cut the deficit to 28–16 at the intermission, but the Dolphins were done scoring for the day.

The 49ers got a field goal from Ray Wersching and Montana threw another touchdown pass to Craig, and it was over. The 49ers had won in convincing fashion, 38–16.

And Montana, who had not been named the MVP of the season, was named the MVP of the Super Bowl. As a two–time Super Bowl–winning quarterback, he joined an exclusive club. In a few years, he would win back–to–back Super Bowls and join an extremely exclusive club of four–time winners. So far, the only other member is Terry Bradshaw, who won his fourth Super Bowl 35 years ago today. New England's Tom Brady will be seeking to join that club a week from Sunday.

No doubt, many people believed on this day 30 years ago that Marino would soon win a Super Bowl. He might even win multiple Super Bowls in his career. He was, after all, only 23 years old, and, if he stayed healthy, he clearly had the skill.

But he never made it back to the Super Bowl. The closest he got was conference championship games following the 1985 and 1992 seasons. The Dolphins lost both.

---

---

For the second time, the 49ers gave coach Bill Walsh a victory ride. He would get another four years later.

When Bradshaw Secured His Legacy

---

---

On this day in 1980, Terry Bradshaw became the first quarterback to win four Super Bowls.

"He couldn't spell cat if you spotted him the C and the A," Dallas' Hollywood Henderson had said a year earlier, just before Bradshaw's Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII. As Henderson learned, you don't have to be able to spell to be a Super Bowl–winning quarterback.

In the 35 years that have passed since, only one other quarterback, Joe Montana, has won four Super Bowls. It took him eight years to become the second member of the club.

If New England's Tom Brady wins the Super Bowl a week from Sunday, he will be the third member of the club, but he will have required 13 years to accomplish it.

But on this night, Bradshaw stood alone at the top of that mountain.

---

---

Victory did not come easily. The Steelers' opponents, the Los Angeles Rams, were making their first appearance in the Super Bowl and refused to go quietly against the Steelers, who were making their fourth appearance in six years.

Actually, Super Bowl XIV was almost like a home game for the Rams. The game was played in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. At that time, the Rams played their home games in nearby Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which is where the University of Southern California also plays its home games. Perhaps the Rams had an unacknowledged home field advantage.

The Rams and Steelers took turns seizing the lead through three quarters. The astonishing Rams led, 7–3 after the first quarter, 13–10 at intermission and 19–17 at the end of the third quarter.

But then the Steelers sprung to life. Bradshaw hit wide receiver John Stallworth for a 73–yard touchdown pass with 12:15 to play, then Franco Harris put the game on ice with a one–yard touchdown run with 1:52 remaining.

Bradshaw received his second consecutive Super Bowl MVP award.

The 10½–point favorite Steelers covered the spread with a 14–0 fourth quarter, but the Rams, who had been 9–7 during the regular season, had proven that they could trade punches with the big boys.

For there was no bigger boy in the NFL at that time than the Pittsburgh Steelers.

---

---

And it seemed at the time that the Steelers were poised to dominate the NFL in the foreseeable future.

As it turned out, though, the Steelers did not return to the Super Bowl for 15 years — and they did not win one again until February of 2006, more than a quarter of a century later.

The Rams, as I recall, were mostly seen as a flash in the pan — good enough to continue to dominate what seemed to be a weak division but unlikely to return to the Super Bowl any time soon.

The Rams did not return to the Super Bowl soon. It took them 20 years. But they rarely won their division in the years after their first Super Bowl appearance, either.

Picking Oregon to Win It All

Well, the national championship game is being played in nearby Arlington tonight. Kickoff is in about an hour.

Oregon and Ohio State survived the semifinals on New Year's Day and are playing for the title tonight.

They've met eight times before — most recently in the 2010 Rose Bowl. Ohio State is 8–0 in those games.

It really should be a good game. It matches two Top 10 offenses — Oregon is ranked third in the country, Ohio State is ranked ninth. I expect a lot of scoring.

Ohio State's defense is ranked well ahead of Oregon's. The Buckeyes are 17th in the nation; the Ducks are 84th.

I guess those rankings suggest that Ohio State will win the game tonight. Perhaps the Buckeyes will. They have already surprised me twice, beating Wisconsin in the Big 10 championship and then Alabama in a national semifinal — both pretty handily, too — despite being without their injured quarterback. Impressive.

But, really, I'm inclined to pick Oregon. The Ducks have the Heisman winner, and they buried Florida State, the defending national champions, on New Year's Day. That's pretty impressive as well.

So I pick Oregon to win. Perhaps it will go to overtime. Even if it doesn't, I expect it to go down to the wire.

Enjoy.

Bowls: 7–8

Season: 213–58

The Day I First Saw Football On a Color TV

---

---

This is a significant date for Kansas City Chiefs fans. It was 45 years ago today that the Chiefs won their only Super Bowl.

So far.

I have a friend who is a Chiefs fan, and he would remind me that the entire history of pro football has not been written — and, like Chicago Cubs fans who insist that one day their beloved Cubbies will return to and win the World Series, he has faith that the Chiefs will return to the Super Bowl and win it.

I am not a Chiefs fan — I'm a Packers fan — but I remember vividly the day the Chiefs beat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. Why? Because it was the first time I ever saw a football game on color TV.

We had a black–and–white TV in our home. It was the TV on which I had watched every football game that I had seen to that point in my young life. No one in my neighborhood (and I use the word neighborhood very loosely here because I grew up in the country, and my neighborhood was hardly a conventional one) had a color TV — until a few days before Super Bowl IV.

Our neighbors (and, again, the word neighbors is used very loosely here; they lived close enough to us that we could walk from our house to theirs instead of driving) bought a Zenith color TV and invited us to watch the game with them. My father is an avid football fan so he accepted the invitation, and we walked over there. It may have snowed. Sometimes we got snow in central Arkansas in January; if it did snow, we trudged through it. No obstacle would keep us from watching a football game in color.

I'm pretty sure the game was played in the afternoon, too. The NFL didn't move Super Bowl kickoffs to the very late afternoon/early evening until several years later. Besides, my mother would never have allowed my brother and me to stay up as late as we would have if the game had been played at night — as it is today.

I remember being astonished by the color of a football game. OK, Super Bowl IV may have been more colorful than most. The Chiefs were dressed in their bright red home jerseys.

---

---

The Vikings wore their road whites, but the uniform still incorporated splashes of the trademark Viking purple — and gold trim.

And the game was played in New Orleans, one of the most colorful cities I have ever visited.

I sat transfixed by the color. I remember looking at my father at one point. The look in his eyes told me we would have a color TV in our house soon, too.

And we did.

That was a time when ownership of a color TV was a real status symbol. It was also a time when networks would announce whether a program was being presented in color. Many in the audience — like my family — still watched black–and–white TVs, and sometimes in those days when a program was being broadcast in color, it had kind of an odd effect on the appearance of the program on black–and–white sets. Believe it or not, people really did call channels to inquire about oddities in picture reception.

Mind you, this was at a time when picture reception was about as imperfect as it could be. It was years before cable took hold, and most customers probably received transmissions via antenna, either of the outdoor variety or the rabbit ears that were on the back of each set.

Consequently, if a customer called because image reception was bad, there must be something to it.

Of course, my parents told my brother and me that the color TV would enhance our enjoyment of educational and cultural programming. I accepted that — not because I particularly believed it but because I knew what had put the hook in my father — the afternoon we spent watching the Super Bowl at the neighbors' house.

It's funny when I think back on the Chiefs' 23–7 victory over the Vikings, who came into the game as 12–point favorites. The Chiefs had been in two of the four Super Bowls and were expected to be in Super Bowl conversations for years to come — but they haven't been back to one since.

The Vikings were making their first Super Bowl appearance and were expected to be contenders in the future, which they were. They went to three more Super Bowls in the next seven years but lost them all and haven't been back to the Super Bowl in 38 years.

In the meantime, ownership of a color TV is no longer a status symbol. Ownership of more exotic variants — high definition, perhaps — are the status symbols now. But virtually all modern TVs are equipped to provide color pictures.

I'm not sure they even make black–and–white TVs anymore.

The End of Miami's Reign

---

---

In the early '70s, the team of the decade seemed to be the Miami Dolphins. Mostly, that was due to the Dolphins' perfect season in 1972. It seemed to set them up for a long stretch of success, one that might extend through the entire decade.

As great as the '72 team was, though, I always thought the '73 team was better because it had to defend the '72 team's legacy. The '73 team came into the season with a gigantic target painted squarely on each player's chest. For every team that played the Dolphins in '73, that was the game of the year.

The '73 team stood up to that challenge, going 12–2 and returning to the Super Bowl and winning. Thus, over that two–year span, Miami won 32 of 34 games.

So, when the 1974 season began, Miami was a two–time defending Super Bowl champion with a .941 winning percentage over the previous two seasons. The Dolphins started the season with a loss to New England, then won 11 of the next 13 games. It looked like the Dolphins might get the chance to win their third straight Super Bowl.

Standing in their way, though, were the Oakland Raiders, the same bunch who snapped their legendary winning streak in the second week of the season after the history–making 17–0 campaign. In the AFC semifinals on this date in 1974, the 11–3 Dolphins took the field against the 12–2 Raiders in Oakland.

It was widely assumed that, with the winner slated to face either the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Buffalo Bills in the AFC championship game the following week, the winner of this game would represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. At halftime, it appeared it would be Miami. The Dolphins led, 10–7.

But the Raiders outscored the Dolphins, 21–16, in the second half and won on Clarence Davis' eight–yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

The Raiders advanced to the AFC title game against the Steelers. Everyone thought the Raiders would win. The Steelers had never been to a Super Bowl before. Of course, the Raiders had only been to one at that time, but they had come close frequently. Their time had come. That was what the conventional wisdom said.

But times changed. The Raiders lost to the Steelers, and Terry Bradshaw went on to lead Pittsburgh to the first of four Super Bowl titles in six years.

It's That Time of Year; The Bowl Season Is Upon Us

---

---

College football's postseason is under way, and with it comes the first Division I college football playoff. I predict the outcomes of the New Year's Day semifinals, and I'll follow with a prediction of the championship game when the participants are known.

Every Top 25 team is in action, starting with #23 Utah against Colorado State in today's Las Vegas Bowl. My alma mater, the University of Arkansas, will be in action this bowl season even though the Razorbacks are not ranked. Neither are their opponents, the Texas Longhorns. I'm looking forward to it, though.

This year's bowl season has some intriguing matchups. It should be fun.

Saturday, Dec. 20

• Las Vegas Bowl, Las Vegas, Nevada: Colorado State vs. #23 Utah, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC: Until recently, these schools were conference rivals so there is an extensive history to observe.
  
  In fact, this will be the 80th meeting between the schools. Colorado State has held the upper hand with seven wins in the last eight games.
  
  Colorado State has the 12th–ranked offense; Utah's offense is #84. Neither defense is in the Top 70, which leads me to believe this game will be dominated by offense, and Colorado State's is clearly better.
  
  I pick Colorado State.

Saturday, Dec. 27

• Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas: Duke vs. #15 Arizona State, 1 p.m. (Central) on CBS: This will be the first chapter in this series.
  
  The Sun Devils' offense is the marquee unit in this game, and I think it will produce a victory for Arizona State.
• Holiday Bowl, San Diego: #24 Southern Cal vs. #25 Nebraska, 7 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: These schools have met only four times.
  
  Southern Cal has never lost to Nebraska. The closest call was in 1970, when the teams fought to a 21–21 draw. It was Nebraska's only blemish in that national championship season.
  
  So here they are again — playing on a neutral site for the first time (although it is hard to imagine San Diego being a neutral site when Southern Cal's players and fans can drive there in about two hours).
  
  Statistically, Nebraska has a bigger advantage on defense than Southern Cal has on offense, but I'm wondering about the Cornhuskers' states of mind. I mean, after all, their head coach was fired after the conclusion of the regular season and a new coach has been hired for next season — but an interim coach will direct the team in the Holiday Bowl.
  
  What kind of effect will the distractions have on Nebraska? That is the great unknown. Sounds to me like they were glad to resume their routine after all the developments.
  
  I have found Southern Cal to be inconsistent this season, and I think Nebraska will win — barely.

Monday, Dec. 29

• Russell Athletic Bowl, Orlando, Florida: Oklahoma vs. #18 Clemson, 4:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: Clemson has the best defense in the nation — statistically.
  
  Oklahoma has the 19th–best offense — statistically. It should be interesting when OU has the ball — much more interesting than it will be when Clemson is on offense. The Tigers are 59th in offense, and the Sooners are 53rd in defense.
  
  They've only met three times, most recently in the January 1989 Citrus Bowl, which was won by Clemson.
  
  I think Clemson will win this time, too.

Tuesday, Dec. 30

• Music City Bowl, Nashville, Tennessee: Notre Dame vs. #22 LSU, 2 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: These teams have played each other 10 times, and each has won five.
  
  LSU won the last time they met — in the January 2007 Sugar Bowl. In fact, LSU won the other time they met in the postseason — in the December 1997 Independence Bowl. Historically, the Tigers would be in trouble if they were playing the Irish in Baton Rouge or South Bend. But the fact that they're playing in a neutral site seems to work in LSU's favor.
  
  Statistically, LSU has a huge advantage on defense; Notre Dame has a more modest advantage on offense. The big number seems to be LSU's ranking on defense — #8. I think that will prove to be too much for the Irish.
  
  I pick LSU.
• Belk Bowl, Charlotte, North Carolina: #20 Louisville vs. #13 Georgia, 5:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: This will be the first chapter in what could become a pretty intense series.
  
  I don't think it can become a full–fledged rivalry — besides, Georgia already has plenty of those — but, for a nonconference series, I think it could be very entertaining.
  
  In past seasons, you would be correct in assuming that Louisville had the better offense and Georgia had the better defense — but, this season, the roles are reversed. Louisville has the nation's sixth–best defense. Georgia's defense isn't bad (#20); it just hasn't been as good.
  
  On offense, Georgia is ranked #28, and Louisville has been terrible (#68). I'm inclined to think that Louisville's woeful offense will be its undoing, and I pick Georgia to win.

Wednesday, Dec. 31

• Peach Bowl, Atlanta: #6 TCU vs. #9 Ole Miss, 11:30 a.m. (Central) on ESPN: You have to go back to 1949 to find the only time TCU beat Ole Miss. The Rebels have a four–game winning streak against the Frogs, but that really doesn't mean much. They haven't faced each other since Oct. 15, 1983.
  
  Like the Baylor Bears, I'm sure TCU was disappointed not to be included in college football's Final Four. But, per the Fort Worth Star–Telegram, the Frogs are happy to be playing in a bowl game. Considering how low preseason expectations were, I should think they would be.
  
  TCU finished the season with the nation's sixth–best offense. It is sure to be challenged by Ole Miss' 13th–ranked defense. TCU also has the statistical edge when Ole Miss has the ball, but it isn't as pronounced. That might make things more interesting when the Rebels are on offense.
  
  When all is said and done, though, I think TCU will win.
• Orange Bowl, Miami: #10 Georgia Tech vs. #8 Mississippi State, 7 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: These teams have met four times, and Georgia Tech has won them all.
  
  But Mississippi State has never been as good when the Bulldogs have faced the Yellow Jackets as they have been this year.
  
  Folks who tune in to this game will see two really good offenses and two mediocre defenses. I expect a high–scoring game and, since the Bulldogs have the higher–ranked offense, I expect Mississippi State to win the game.
• Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Arizona: #21 Boise State vs. #12 Arizona, 3 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: The offenses will get all the attention in this one — and rightfully so.
  
  Boise always has good offenses. This year's edition is #13 in the nation. Only two teams in Arizona's conference, the Pac–12 (where offense wins championships), are ranked higher — and Arizona ain't one of 'em, although Arizona is ranked 26th in the nation, which isn't too shabby.
  
  Defense is an afterthought in the Pac–12. While Boise is ranked 39th nationally in defense, only one Pac–12 team (Stanford) finished better. It is safe to say that defense is a challenge for the Wildcats; Arizona isn't even in the Top 100 nationally.
  
  Defense will be Arizona's undoing. Perhaps one day the Pac–12 will realize that defense still wins games — and championships. I pick Boise State.

Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015

• Outback Bowl, Tampa, Florida: #17 Wisconsin vs. #19 Auburn, 11 a.m. (Central) on ESPN2: In three previous meetings, each team won once and there was a tie (in 1931).
  
  Probably the most enticing matchup will come when Auburn has the ball. The Tigers' offense is ranked 17th, but it must face Wisconsin's fourth–ranked defense. Wisconsin's 23rd–ranked offense figures to have an easier time against Auburn's #59 defense.
  
  I'm taking Wisconsin.
• Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida: Minnesota vs. #16 Missouri, noon (Central) on ABC: Missouri hasn't beaten Minnesota since 1945 — and, yes, the teams have faced each other since then. Five times, in fact. The last time was in 1970, though, so these are not familiar foes.
  
  Neither team was impressive on offense this season. I think this will be a low–scoring game, probably decided by whichever team makes the big play on defense. For that, I think Missouri (#23 on defense) is better equipped than Minnesota (#37).
  
  So I'll take Minnesota.
• Cotton Bowl, Arlington, Texas: #4 Baylor vs. #7 Michigan State, 11:30 a.m. (Central) on ESPN: It really is hard to understand why the nation's #1 offense (Baylor) will not be playing in the national championship playoff.
  
  Nevertheless, if the Bears can shake off the disappointment, I am certain they will play up to their capability in the Cotton Bowl, where they should expect a fairly strong local following.
  
  They will also encounter a pretty good Michigan State team, one that is in the Top 20 in both offense and defense.
  
  This is only the second meeting between these schools. They played each other in September 1968, and Michigan State won the game. But, of course, there is little, if anything, that can be gleaned from the outcome of a game that was played nearly half a century ago.
  
  However, one past result — last year's Fiesta Bowl — appears to be motivating the Bears.
  
  I pick Baylor.
• Rose Bowl (National Semifinal), Pasadena, California: #3 Oregon vs. #2 Florida State, 4 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: This will be an interesting game, featuring the current and previous Heisman winners.
  
  There is no history between these programs, either.
  
  Both offenses are way better than the defenses. Oregon's offense, as you would expect, is #3. Florida State's is #40.
  
  The Seminoles have the advantage on defense, but that doesn't really mean much. Florida State is #53 in the country. Oregon is #81.
  
  I expect a lot of scoring, but I think Oregon will do more of it than Florida State and advance to the national championship game.
• Sugar Bowl (National Semifinal), New Orleans: #1 Alabama vs. #5 Ohio State, 7:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: Historically, Alabama is 3–0 against Ohio State, but they haven't met since 1998.
  
  They always meet on neutral sites, though. This will be the third time in a bowl (second Sugar Bowl), and they met once in the Kickoff Classic.
  
  Statistically, this could be good enough to be the national championship. Both teams are in the Top 20 in both offense and defense. Alabama has the advantage on defense; Ohio State has the advantage on offense although I have to wonder how well the Buckeyes will perform without the injured J.T. Barrett. Granted, they played well in the Big Ten title game, but Alabama is the big time, winner of three national championships in the last five years.
  
  I don't know if this will be high scoring or low scoring. I just think it will be close, and I think Alabama will win.

Friday, Jan. 2

• Alamo Bowl, San Antonio, Texas: #11 Kansas State vs. #14 UCLA, 5:45 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: These teams have met twice, both in recent times, and the home team won the game each time.
  
  But this game is being played in a neutral site.
  
  Statistically, UCLA had the better offense (#22), and Kansas State had the better defense (#35 nationally). There is a wider gap, though, between Kansas State's offense (#47) and UCLA's defense (#68).
  
  I'll take Kansas State.

Championship week: 6–2

Season: 206–50

College Football's Playoff Field Comes Into Focus This Weekend

There aren't many games involving Top 25 teams this week. We're down to mostly the conference championship games — with a few regular–season finales for those who play in conferences that do not have championship games.

But just about every game on the schedule could conceivably influence the Final Four that will meet in January.

There are several schools that are deserving of at least being given a chance. If it was up to me, I would double the number of participants to eight. Winning this weekend won't necessarily propel those teams into the playoff, but it could easily deprive the losing team of a slot.
Idle: #7 Michigan State, #10 Mississippi State, #13 Ole Miss, #15 Georgia, #16 UCLA, #17 Arizona State, #19 Clemson, #20 Auburn, #21 Louisville, #23 LSU, #24 Utah, #25 Nebraska

Friday

• Pac–12 Championship: #8 Arizona vs. #3 Oregon at Santa Clara, Calif., 8 p.m. (Central) on Fox: Try to imagine how the Oregon Ducks must feel.
  
  Oregon has won 16 of the last 21 games with Arizona. But Arizona handed Oregon its only loss of the season — so far — on Oct. 2, 31–24. No other team held Oregon under 38 points this season — and, were it not for the Wildcats, Oregon might well be ranked #1 right now and might have been ranked #1 for several weeks now.
  
  Is the time for retribution at hand?
  
  Oregon has the fourth–best offense in the land. Neither defense has been impressive this season, and it is hard to imagine Arizona's holding QB Marcus Mariota and the Ducks in check again. It is so difficult to beat a team twice in one season. I don't think it will happen this time. I pick Oregon to win.

Saturday

• SEC Championship: #14 Missouri vs. #1 Alabama at Atlanta, 3 p.m. (Central) on CBS: The first time these two teams met was on a neutral field. Of course, that was the 1968 Gator Bowl. Missouri won on that occasion, 35–10.
  
  Missouri faced Bear Bryant a second time &mdashl and a third, actually — before he retired. In 1975, Missouri beat Alabama in the season opener; the Crimson Tide didn't lose again for more than a year.
  
  Bryant beat Missouri a few years laterThis could be a defensive struggle. Both defenses are ranked in the Top 20.
  
  Alabama's offense is in the Top 20, too, which should make for some very entertaining viewing when the Crimson Tide has the ball. But Missouri's offense is barely in the Top 100. I will be very surprised if Missouri puts very many points on the board.
  
  I can't see Missouri generating enough offense to win. I pick Alabama.
• #12 Georgia Tech vs. #2 Florida State at Charlotte, N.C., 6:45 p.m. (Central) on ABC: This is a rematch of the ACC title game from two years ago. They haven't met since Florida State's 21–15 triumph.
  
  The Seminoles have won 13 of their last 15 games with Georgia Tech.
  
  Don't look now, though, but Tech might prove to be more than a handful for Florida State. Tech has a higher rated offense, and its defense hasn't compiled stats that are impressive, but the overall performances have been comparable.
  
  It wouldn't surprise me if Georgia Tech wins this game, but I'll still pick Florida State.
• Iowa State at #4 TCU, 11 a.m. (Central) on ABC: Iowa State has only beaten TCU once — but that was in 2012, the last time the Cyclones traveled to Fort Worth.
  
  Iowa State has seldom had a winning season in football. Basketball is more the Cyclones' style.
  
  TCU is kind of a newcomer to the world of big–time football. The Frogs are probably in the national championship playoff unless the Frogs find a way to blow it against an Iowa State team to which they are clearly superior. The margin isn't as crucial to TCU as it is to Baylor.
  
  I will take TCU.
• #9 Kansas State at #5 Baylor, 6:45 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: If Baylor is to make a run at the college football playoff, the Bears need to beat the Wildcats — decisively.
  
  That may be hard for Baylor to accomplish. Both teams have pretty good defenses — K–State's is ranked #23 while Baylor's is ranked #39.
  
  Baylor has the top–ranked offense in the land, which should make things interesting when the Bears have the ball. It ought to be a pretty even match when the Wildcats have the ball. Their offense is ranked #47.
  
  K–State's coaching staff would probably feel a lot better about this game if it was being played in Manhattan, where KSU holds a 4–1 all–time advantage in the series. In Waco, the teams are tied, 3–3. In fact, Baylor has a three–game winning streak at home against the Wildcats. Kansas State hasn't won in Waco since October 2002.
  
  I get the feeling that Baylor will win this game. Will the Bears win convincingly enough to get into the playoff? Time will tell.
• Big Ten Championship: #11 Wisconsin vs. #6 Ohio State at Indianapolis, 7:17 p.m. (Central) on Fox: This might be the most entertaining game of the weekend — because, without QB J.T. Barrett, Ohio State's offense will be winging it.
  
  Barrett is the third–most efficient QB in the country. He plays in one of the nation's power conferences, which means his numbers are not suspect. It would be absurd to think that Barrett could be taken from the equation and Ohio State's offense wouldn't miss a beat.
  
  Both teams are in the Top 20 in offense, but Wisconsin has the second–best defense in the land. Barrett might have struggled, anyway. Ohio State has a pretty good defense, too. It is ranked 19th.
  
  But, if Ohio State has trouble moving the ball with a largely untried backup QB calling signals, points may be hard for Ohio State to come by. I'm guessing Wisconsin will win.
• Oklahoma State at #18 Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on FS1: This game between in–state rivals is known as Bedlam. Has been for years. I don't know the story behind it. I only lived in Oklahoma for four years as an adult. I didn't grow up there — and that, I have come to believe, is necessary if one is to be acquainted with all the legends and lore surrounding football programs, especially the OU football program, in Oklahoma.
  
  I only heard it referred to as "the Bedlam series." I'm sure there must be a good story behind that. I just never heard it.
  
  Historically, OU wins nearly 80% of the time. In fact, that is current OU coach Bob Stoops' winning percentage against the Cowboys. He has won 12 out of 15 with Oklahoma State, and he is 6–1 when their game is played in Norman.
  
  Oklahoma has played better on both sides of the ball. The gap is not as huge on defense as it is on offense, but neither unit seems likely to produce an unlikely road victory for OSU. I pick Oklahoma.
• Mountain West Championship: Fresno State at #22 Boise State, 9 p.m. (Central) on CBS: Boise State is 11–2 against Fresno State since the dawn of the 21st century, and Boise hasn't lost at home to Fresno in more than 30 years.
  
  That includes their most recent meeting in Boise — on Oct. 17 when Boise State prevailed, 37–27.
  
  Boise State probably expected to be playing San Diego State, which was marginally better than Fresno State but lost in their head–to–head clash two months ago.
  
  It would be more appropriate, really, for Boise State to face Colorado State for the conference championship. Both are 10–2; Fresno State is 6–6. But Boise State and Colorado State play in the same division, and Boise State won their head–to–head meeting in early September.
  
  Boise State has a better offense and defense than Fresno State. It really shouldn't be as close as it was in October. I pick Boise State.

Last week: 14–5

Season: 200–48