CFP Semi-final Preview; Quick Fixes; Help Wanted

And then there were four.

Not the four most of us expected, to be sure.

In the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, three teams that have won four of the last five national championships and seven of the 11 playoffs that have been held--Ohio State, Georgia and Alabama--all were eliminated. 

Two upsets, including one of the best games in recent memory, and two routs set the stage for this week's semi-final matchups pitting No. 5 Oregon against No. 1 Indiana in the Peach Bowl and No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Miami in the Fiesta.

Miami stunned betting favorite Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, 24-14. holding the Buckeyes scoreless in the first half. When they shook off the rust in the second half, it was too little, too late.

Oregon had surrendered 34 points to James Madison in the first round, but shut out a Texas Tech team that came in averaging over 42 points per game, 23-0, in the Orange Bowl.

The Sugar Bowl was an instant classic, with Ole Miss outlasting Georgia, 39-34, behind quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and without coach Lane Kiffin, who bailed on his team as the playoff began.

Indiana humiliated Alabama, 38-3 in the Rose Bowl, holding the Tide to 23 rushing yards, with Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza throwing for three touchdowns and 192. 

All the SEC-biased, talking heads on ESPN who picked Alabama to win were nowhere to be found after the game. SEC honk Paul Finebaum, who reportedly was considering a run for office in Alabama, was last seen running for the hills.

For the record, the SEC went 4-9 in bowl games. The league's one-time dominance has evaporated in the world of NIL, which has leveled the playing field. Today's players are looking for a big paycheck, and don't care as much about what league they're going to play in.

Here's a preview of this week's semi-finals, all featuring transfers at quarterback--Chambliss (Ferris State); Miami's Carson Beck (Georgia); Mendoza (Cal) and Oregon's Dante Moore (UCLA).

Fiesta Bowl, #6 Ole Miss vs. #10 Miami, Thursday, Jan. 8, 4:30 ESPN

Most people, including this writer, expected an Ohio State-Georgia matchup in the Fiesta Bowl. But the Rebels and Hurricanes had other ideas. 

Ole Miss's Chambliss, who was playing Division II ball a year ago, led his team to an epic win over Georgia, aided by an inexplicable decision by Bulldogs' coach Kirby Smart to go for it on fourth-and-2 inside his own 30 yard line.

Chambliss completed 30 of 46 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns, including three straight incredible plays where he scrambled away from pressure, avoided what appeared to be sure sacks for big losses, and delivered crucial completions on the run. 

Miami, meanwhile, has posted impressive wins over Texas A&M and Ohio State by controlling the trenches. The Hurricane fronts opened gaping holes for running back Mark Fletcher and recorded 12 sacks and 16 tackles for loss in the two games.

Often-maligned quarterback Beck, who I've criticized in this space, has made a number of clutch throws and avoided forcing the ball downfield, which has been his Achilles Heel in the past, often resulting in game-changing interceptions.

This one sets up as a battle between the explosive Ole Miss offense and the stout Miami defense. Can Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy continue their magic? Or will the Canes continue their physical dominance?

Another factor. Somehow new Ole Miss coach Pete Golding has navigated an awkward situation where six of his assistants will be going to work at LSU with departed coach Kiffin once the Rebels' playoff run is concluded. Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. is staying for this game, but several of the others have already left for Baton Rouge.

Kiffin apparently wasn't the only louse on his staff.

Peach Bowl, #1 Indiana vs. #5 Oregon, Friday Jan. 9, 4:30, ESPN

Indiana beat Oregon 30-20 in Eugene back in October, and now these teams will square off again for a trip to the national championship. I believe the winner of this game will go on to claim the CFP title on Jan. 19,

The Hoosiers dominated the line of scrimmage in the first meeting, sacking Moore six times, forcing two turnovers, and holding the Ducks to 81 yards on 30 rushing attempts.

These two teams are similar, with excellent quarterbacks (above), strong rushing attacks, high-pressure defenses, and outstanding coaches. Curt Cignetti has worked a miracle at Indiana, turning a perennial doormat into a national power overnight. Dan Lanning is 48-7 in four years at Oregon. 

One piece of advice for the ever-aggressive Lanning. He needs to take the three points, instead of always going for it--and often failing--on fourth down. It didn't prove damaging against Texas Tech, but it could prove fatal against Indiana.

The game is likely to be decided by turnovers. In the first game, Mendoza recovered from a fourth quarter pick six--by Brandon Finney, who last week intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble against Texas Tech--to lead his team to victory. I expect him to do the same on Friday.

Some Quick Fixes: College football has at least three major problems that need to be solved as soon as possible.

1) Two seasons into the 12-team playoff format, teams that earned a first round bye are 1-7; Indiana is the lone victor. Clearly, the bye is turning out to be more of a curse than a blessing.

2) With both head coaches and assistants changing teams, the opening of the transfer portal on Jan. 2 is another issue. It's a huge distraction, forces players and coaches to make premature decisions, and raises questions about whether those moving to a new job are trying to poach players while they coach them during the playoff.

3) With the quarterfinal and semi-final playoff games played at bowl sites, fans are forced to travel all over the country on successive weekends to follow their team. It's expensive, unnecessary, and deprives us all of the on-campus spectacles that make college football so special.

Some easy fixes we'd like to suggest:

• Move the season up a week.

• Expand the playoff to 16 teams, so there are no first round byes.

• Play the first round and quarterfinals on the home field of the higher ranked team.

• Move the transfer portal window back to February.

  
  

I'd also eliminate conference championship games, but that one will be tougher to accomplish given the lucrative TV contracts.

Help Wanted: Five weeks into his tenure as Stanford's head football coach, Tavita Pritchard has yet to hire an assistant coach. 

Perhaps he's waiting til the end of the NFL season to grab some pro coaches, but this is not SOP. Throughout the country, most of the new head coaches have already hired their coordinators and several assistants. 

The transfer portal opened last Friday, and Stanford has lots of holes to fill, hopefully some of them through the portal. But most players are not going to transfer to a school without knowing who their position coach is going to be. And unfortunately, Stanford is losing Cole Tabb, a very promising running back.

You may recall that one of my concerns about Pritchard--who's never been a head coach and had an undistinguished four years as a coordinator--was whether he'd be able to attract good assistants, particularly given Stanford's recent lack of success. 

So far, he's done nothing to alleviate that concern.

This just in: According to a reputable source within the Athletic Department, most of the staff has been hired and will be announced soon. Hallelujah!