By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
JAN. 5, 2024 | “You betcha,” as they say at North Dakota State, we enjoyed the college football games on television this year. Now we look forward to Monday night’s championship final. We just wish Alabama had made it to the finals. They seemed on the ascendancy, but played poorly in the Rose Bowl.
We’re big fans of southern football, and pull for the opponent of Big Ten teams (except for Iowa, where we once graduated.) We always root for whoever’s playing Michigan or Ohio State.
Did you see how the Southeastern Conference whacked the Big Ten, except for Alabama? Mississippi beat Penn State, Missouri whacked Ohio State, LSU got past Wisconsin and Tennessee creamed Iowa. It was a nice run if you are a SEC fan.
Both College Football Playoff games went down to the wire. Washington finally got by Texas on the game’s last play. Michigan won in overtime because of what we think was a bad selection for the final play by the Alabama coaching staff.
While Alabama’s defense played well in the second half, it faded in the final minutes and let Michigan tie the game. Then in overtime, Michigan scored a touchdown easily, setting the stage for Alabama to tie the game in overtime.
On fourth down from about the four yard line, the play called for Quarterback Jalen Milroe to run straight into the end zone. The Alabama line did not give him an opening. He was stopped short, and there went the game.
You probably have your own second guess at an alternative play. Here’s ours:
Milroe is a good open field runner. The play that might have worked better would have Milroe faking a handoff into the line, and circling to the left to either run or pass to a lone Alabama player in the left end zone.
But it was not to be.
One reason the Big Ten football had success particularly in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s was their raiding of the South for good football players, many being black. During segregation, the South never sought these black players, so the Big Ten dominated football.
Sitting on our front porch in Macon in the 1950s, we read about a Macon native winning All-American honors at Ohio State…someone I had never heard of. He was Jim Parker, later a mainstay lineman in professional football. He was one of many black players who found success up north, to their benefit.
Earlier, that situation was in reverse, as Harry Mehre, when coach at the University of Georgia, annually recruited key players from the north to play for the Bulldogs. Later that’s how Georgia got All Americans Frankie Sinkwich and Charlie Trippi. That’s how Bear Bryant got Joe Namath to quarterback Alabama.
Today coaches roam the nation seeking the top high school players. And it is so fickle. Just note the situation with last year’s Buford quarterback, Dylan Raiola, playing at different high schools, coming to Buford with the intent on going to Georgia, then backing out and picking where his father played at Nebraska.
It’s crazy. And getting more far-out every day, what with the portals, and now college players getting big virtual salaries.
Where will it end?
Back to North Dakota State, always a power in the Football Championship Subdivision. However, the Bisons couldn’t make it past Montana’s Grizzlies this year, losing 31-29 in an enjoyable game on television. Montana plays South Dakota State on Sunday at 2 p.m. for that title. “Don’tchaknow.”
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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