Some observations on the day after the end of a truly weird college football season.
*The talking heads will posit plenty of theories about why the Auburn Tigers were able to hold on for a 22-19 win over the Oregon Ducks in last night’s national championship game. Let’s not make it too complicated – Nick Fairley and his mates and Auburn’s defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage for most of the game.
*Did resident Oregon genius Chip Kelly get outcoached? I disagreed with a few of his calls, like the LaMichael James run in the end zone that led to the safety. Then again, I loved the fake field goal call on the extra point early. Same goes for the fake punt. Thought he used the throwbacks well in key spots, too.
I could say the same for Gene Chizik when it came to bad calls. I thought he should have gone for the kill earlier in the fourth quarter, for instance. And what was up with that victory formation before the game-winning field goal?
Just an odd game.
*Like everyone else, I suspect this championship will be vacated in the next few years. Of course, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Tigers somehow slide with sanctions, but no vacated wins, either.
*Fairley may have played his way into a roster spot with the Carolina Panthers last night. Lucky him.
*How would you like to be LSU athletic director Joe Alleva trying to negotiate with Les Miles right now? Or David Brandon, for that matter? You honestly have no idea what he’s going to do, and you essentially have to plan for the most bizarre, ridiculous moves on his part. Hell, you don’t really even know what the words coming out of his mouth mean.
*If Miles is the next Michigan head coach, Alleva should get Louisville’s Charlie Strong on the phone immediately. Guy knows how to recruit in SEC country, and he has the Cardinals back on the right track following the Steve Kragthorpe implosion.
*Speaking of Kragthorpe, why not bring him back to T-Town to replace new Pittsburgh head coach Todd Graham? New Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris did some good work at Tulsa in his only season there, too.
*I’ll have my preseason top 10 for 2011 up later today. At this point, I’m trying to come up with reasons not to rank the Sooners No. 1. Ugh.
*Early 2011 Hesiman Trophy candidates? Andrew Luck, LaMichael James, Marcus Lattimore. Who else?