CFP Wrap UP

Happy MLK weekend to everyone, yet again we were gifted a great past couple weeks in the world of sports. The college football season came to end, and the NFL playoffs are wrapping up as well. We have a lot to talk about so let's get right into it.

Harbaugh finally got his ring, as Michigan took down Washington in the CFP final. Michigan dominated at the line of scrimmage on both sides of ball, and it was clear that Washington was outmatched from the get-go.

This was Michael Penix's big chance to play the game of his life and prove to everyone that he was the best player in college football this year, and instead of stepping up he flopped big time, missing throws and looking unpoised against a dominant Michigan defense. His offensive line let him down as well. He was rushed into making bad throws and really got beat up throughout the game.

He was a shadow of the player he was against Texas, where he was making NFL caliber throws and having an answer for everything the defense threw at him. I, and most others, expected Penix and the rest of Washington's offense to air it out and light up the scoreboard. Instead, Penix and Rome Odunze along with the rest of their offense looked out of tune.

I have to give props to Michigan. I thought they would lose to Alabama in the semi-final, and they were able to grind out a gritty overtime win, and then step it up and cruise to their first championship win in over 75 years. JJ McCarthy played the game he needed to play and running backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards balled out. Congrats to the Wolverines.

The other massive story in college football this past week was the news of legendary coach Nick Saban retiring. We had heard some rumors that the idea of retirement was a serious possibility for Saban, but it was still a shock to most when the news broke. Saban is 72 and attributed his age to a big part of the reason why he decided to step down as Alabama's head coach - understandable especially with the busy recruiting schedules and dealing with the transfer portal and NIL talks.

Saban will go down as the greatest coach in college football history. Saban can boast of seven national championships, the most 1st round draft picks sent to the NFL ever, and had a winning percentage of 84.7%, the best of any college football coach ever. The college football landscape will be forever changed by his absence, and I really think he'll be regarded as the greatest football coach to ever step out on the gridiron.

Next up we need to discuss the first few games of the NFL playoffs so far. What in the world happened to the Cowboys? In what was considered a cakewalk first round matchup against the Packers with most likely the most talented roster the Cowboys have had since their 90's dynasty, Dallas laid an absolute egg, losing 48-32 in a game that was honestly in the second quarter.

Dak Prescott played one of the worst games I've ever watched. He looked nervous and out of synch with every single one of his receivers. He did not make a single throw that had any kind of wow factor, and threw two horrible interceptions, including a pick six. He rightfully took blame and accountability for the loss.

As bad as Dak was, he wasn't the only player to flop Sunday. Cowboys star receiver Ceedee Lamb put up pedestrian numbers, mostly due to Dak's inability to get him to ball. The offensive line struggled to open up running lanes for Tony Pollard as well.

The defense struggled and made Jordan Love look like prime Aaron Rodgers. Micah Parsons only had 2 QB pressures in the first half. Stephon Gilmore had an awful game along with Daron Bland. For an "All-Pro" cornerback, Bland made very little impact on the game.

It will be interesting to see what the Cowboys will do over the offseason. Mike McCarthy needs to go in my opinion. Many fans are calling for Dak to be cut, and frustrations over Jerry Jones' strong hold over the franchise's moves are at an all-time high within the fanbase.

The Rams put up a great fight against the Lions but couldn’t pull off the upset. I'm happy for Jared Goff and all the loyal Lion's fans that stuck with the team through all the tough years. We'll see if the Packers can pull off another unlikely upset against Detroit next round.

The Dolphins froze against the Chiefs Saturday night, losing in a bit of a lopsided game that will go down as the fourth coldest game in NFL history. Mahomes and the Chiefs had a bit of a down year and still look like they can make a real run at the Superbowl.

The Texas surprisingly dominated the Browns, winning by 31. CJ Stroud looked like a veteran QB, making great throws and playing a clean game. I wouldn't be surprised if the Texans pull off another upset next round, but they’ll have their work cut out for them for sure.

That's it for this week, we'll see what happens with the rest of the NFL playoffs. I wish the best for all your teams, and hopefully they don't disappoint you like my Cowboys did.

John Stanley
Content Writer