Four weeks ago I took on the task of simulating all of the bowl games, or as many as I could, for the 2015-16 college football bowl season. 35 games later, I sit with 19 correct “predictions” and 16 incorrect picks. Today sees the culmination of the entire season with the College Football Playoff National Championship game. Where we will be seeing the number one ranked Clemson Tigers take on the second ranked Alabama Crimson Tide for national bragging rights. Let’s get to the action now.
This looks to be an interesting game from the start as Alabama takes the kickoff and returns it to midfield, then they throw a pass and are already inside the ten-yard line. Mind you, this all has happened within the first minute of play. Luckily (if you’re a Clemson fan) or unluckily (if you’re an Alabama fan) the Tigers’ defense holds the Tide to just a field goal. Clemson gets nothing going on their first drive and are forced to punt back to Alabama who takes over at their own 30-yard line. The Crimson Tide move the ball up to Clemson’s 34-yard line where they are held up on third down and settle for the field goal. Alabama is now up over Clemson 6-0 as the first quarter closes.
Clemson takes a steady drive down to the six-yard line and are able to punch it in for the touchdown. The Tigers now have the lead by one point midway through the second quarter. Alabama responds late in the second by using up some clock and marching down field to grab their own TD. The Tide are back in front by six, 13-7 with a minute and a half left in the quarter. 16 seconds later, we see Clemson back in the lead by one as they take a stab down field with a long pass and the receiver sheds a couple tackles to take it into the endzone. Alabama tried the same thing with 45 seconds left in the second, but Clemson picks it off on the goal line to stop any chance of the happening. Time runs out and the score at halftime is 14-13 in favor of the Tigers.
Clemson gets the ball to start the second half and their first play is quite impressive. The QB just runs into the back of his linemen and falls over. Yup…that just happened. They move the ball down to Alabama’s 25-yard line and are stopped there. They settle for the field increasing their lead to four, making the score now 17-14. Both teams trade a couple sets of downs for the remainder of the third quarter.
We head into the fourth quarter with Clemson still out in front 17-13. Alabama is starting the fourth with the ball fifteen yards out from their own endzone, they can’t convert and are forced to punt. Clemson takes about two minutes off the clock as they move down to the 19-yard line and are anxiously looking to score more points and add to their lead. Well they do, just in the form of a field goal and not the TD that would have been much better. Still though, with a minute and a half left the Tigers still lead 20-13. Alabama, can you do the comeback thing? They probably could have…had they not thrown that interception. All Clemson needs to do is efficiently manage the clock.
So there we have it, Clemson should be your 2015 NCAA College Football Champion…or whatever they’ll call it. My record will then move to 20-16…or Alabama will win and my record will go to 19-17 and the previous sentences will be utterly meaningless. I’d also like to point out the fact today EA posted a video on their NCAA Football Facebook page of an EKG machines’ screen and got everyone really excited that the series could be returning or at least still alive. A couple hours later Polygon posted an article stating that they contacted EA Sports and they said “No news, sorry to get your hopes up.”
DARN RIGHT YOU SHOULD BE SORRY! You got our hopes up EA, then crushed them like a piece of plate glass. This is one time where millions of people would quite literally, throw their money at an EA title. I’m sad now EA, but I’m still not jumping on the “EA iz teh wurst companies evar!!!!!11” thing.
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