It’s not Christmas morning – that was a week ago – but to the college football fan, it might feel like it.
The College Football Playoff semifinals are today, with No. 1 Michigan (13-0), the Big Ten Conference champion, taking on Southeastern Conference champ Alabama (12-1), the fourth seed, in the Rose Bowl at 4 p.m. Central time on ESPN. Then, in the AllState Sugar Bowl at 7:45 p.m., also on ESPN, second-seeded Washington (13-0), the Pac-12 Conference champ (the last one), takes on Big 12 Conference champion Texas (12-1).
The winners, of course, meet next Monday night at NRG Stadium in Houston to play for the CFP’s national championship.
It’s not a new Lexus with a big red bow, but wow, the day is filled with promise.
Other games today have LSU taking on Wisconsin in the Reliaquest Bowl in Tampa, Fla., at 11 a.m. on ESPN2; Iowa facing Tennessee in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, in Orlando, Fla., at noon on ABC; and unbeaten 13-0 Liberty – maybe they should have been No. 4, huh, Florida State? – taking on Oregon (11-2) in the VRBO Fiesta Bowl.
The Rose Bowl has the second matchup between Alabama coach Nick Saban and Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh in four seasons – the last one didn’t work out very well for the Wolverines (a 35-16 Alabama win).
As pointed out in the story (A tantalizing Rose Bowl matchup pits Saban’s Alabama against Harbaugh’s Michigan in the CFP), Saban and the Crimson Tide return to the site of his first championship with the program, a win over Texas in the Rose Bowl in 2010.
One question not really being asked, but maybe quietly: if – if – Alabama come out on top, or maybe if they don’t, is this Saban’s last ride as head coach of the Tide?
The 72-year-old coach, a winner of 19 bowl games, addressed the rumors this week, tongue-in-cheek.
“Yeah, I’ve heard them before,” Saban said. “I think when you get my age, everybody is waiting for you to — you know.”
It’s Alabama’s eighth appearance in the college football playoff in 10 years, and Michigan’s third straight year to appear.
The Wolverines, of course, are in the title game after overcoming suspensions by Harbaugh for NCAA violations and later, by the Big Ten for the program’s potential involvement in sign-stealing by a former staffer.
At the end of the day, though, it’s Alabama-Michigan to see which program advances to play in the national championship next week.
In the second semifinal tonight, in New Orleans, the Texas Longhorns (who can FINALLY quit answering the sickening question of whether or not they’re “back”) are taking on Washington phenom Michael Penix and the Huskies (Washington, Texas meet in Sugar Bowl CFP semifinal behind coaches with very different career paths).
There are so many stories of success in college football, but one of the best has to be the one of Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, who has overcame alcoholism to get the Longhorns back to prominence.
“I was out of work. Couldn’t get an interview, never mind a job, never mind thinking about the College Football Playoffs,” Sarkisian said. “I think that’s what makes part of this journey with this team this year probably so gratifying.”
Sarkisian had several stops in his career – among them, the offensive coordinator at Alabama, which might become even more interesting next week, depending upon how things fall – but coach Sark, as he’s called, feels made for the Texas job, and recognizes how far his journey has brought both him and the Longhorns.
“We don’t have to stay where we are in life,” Sarkisian said.
This game is a rematch of last year’s Alamo Bowl. This year, it’s for just a little higher stakes.
Washington coach Kalen DeBoer has known success everywhere he’s been, having gone 67-3 with three NAIA national championships at Sioux Falls, and then five coaching jobs in 12 years, including the head coach at Fresno State in 2020.
DeBoer is the current Associated Press Coach of The Year, and is definitely coaching in the biggest game he’s ever coached.
“There should be a few butterflies and probably more of an excitement to get to kickoff,” he said. “I think having done this for so many years, you get to that first snap, that first play, and then you just kick into coach mode, player mode, and you’re back to doing what you’ve done for hundreds of games.”
