The first round of the College Football playoff this past weekend delivered two upsets. On Friday night, the ninth seed University of Alabama Crimson Tide beat the eighth seed University of Oklahoma Sooners 34-24. Then on Saturday morning, the 10th seed University of Miami Hurricanes beat the seventh seed Texas A&M University Aggies 10-3. The Hurricanes will now play the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve, and the Crimson Tide will play the Indiana Hoosiers in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Inside look at the Crimson Tide Win
The Crimson Tide were 1.5 point underdogs in their game against the Sooners, but won by 10 points. Oklahoma got off to a fantastic start, as they had a 17-0 lead, but it was a lead they could not protect. The Crimson Tide had solid chemistry between quarterback Ty Simpson of Martin, Tennessee and wide receiver Lotzeir Brooks of Millville, New Jersey. Brooks had touchdown catches of 10 yards and 30 yards.
Another key turning point in the game came with one minute and 18 seconds left in the first half. That is when Crimson Tide cornerback Zabien Brown of Santa Ana, California had a 50 yard pick six to tie the game at 17. Oklahoma would not have the lead in the game for the rest of the contest.
The fact that the Crimson Tide even received a berth into the playoff was a surprise to many. That is because they lost three games during the regular season, and a lot of football analysts believed three losses was simply too many, regardless of the strength of schedule factor and the fact the Crimson Tide play in the difficult SEC.
Inside look at the University of Miami win
The Hurricanes beat the Aggies in a snoozefest to say the least. This game did not see a single point scored until the third quarter. The Hurricanes player who deserved the highest praise was running back Mark Fletcher Jr. of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who had 172 yards rushing. Miami’s game-winning touchdown came with one minute and 44 seconds left in the fourth quarter when Carson Beck of Jacksonville, Florida threw an 11 yard pass to wide receiver Malachi Toney of Liberty City, Florida.
Can Miami and Alabama win their quarterfinal games?
Alabama has a better chance to win than Miami. The Crimson Tide have a rich history when it comes to College Football, while the Hoosiers are more of a basketball school. Ohio State should beat Miami without a problem.
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