Heisman Trophy victor Derrick Henry carried 36 times for 158 yards and three touchdowns. His one-yard plunge put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. What became apparent last night as I sat on my couch and watched the game unfold, is that the College Football Playoff is still making some of the same mistakes that plagued the BCS system.
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Jake Coker has received some criticism throughout his career at Alabama, and he’s had to overcome a wealth of adversity. Speedy five-star running back Tavien Feaster of nearby Spartanburg, South Carolina, is a commit who rushed for more than 2,000 yards his senior season in high school.
According to reports, ESPN needed to make $20 million in make goods to TV advertisers for the semifinal games.
But with Watson in control, the Tigers will have a chance to be legitimate contenders. Howard was the offensive player of the game with five catches for 208 yards, including a 63-yarder that set up Alabama’s final score. They pulled within a point with less than a minute left, but instead of kicking the extra point that would have assured a championship, coach Tom Osborne chose to go for the win with a 2-point try. The gamble worked, as the Tide recovered and took over just outside Clemson territory. Coker hit O.J. Howard for touchdowns of 53 and 51 yards in the second half, with each putting Alabama ahead. Receiver Charone Peake, second on the Tigers with 44 catches this season, is also a fifth-year player. Griffith said the Tide practices what Saban calls “a pop kick” about once a week.
Certainly in its present form, it just doesn’t fit today’s quickly evolving college football landscape.
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Bama turned that into a touchdown and a 31-24 lead. Kenyan Drake broke free and streaked down the sideline for a 95-yard kickoff return touchdown. The amount of players who contributed to Bama’s win are even more plentiful than the highlights presented indicate. Road teams would treat it much like a regular-season game, spending just one day away from home.
