Tag: college-football

Alabama v. Oklahoma CFP Analysis

So, this past Friday, the Alabama Crimson Tide played against the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman for the kickoff to the CFP.

At first, Oklahoma goes off with a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Oklahoma’s QB, John Mateer goes with a big scamper down the middle of the field to score the first touchdown of the game. Alabama finds no way to respond to the score, as Oklahoma is blitzing the offensive line of Alabama. Then, Oklahoma kicks at the end of the first quarter to make it 10-0.

In the 2nd quarter, John Mateer hits his favorite WR of the year, Isaiah Sategna, with a in-breaking slant to make it 17-0. As I was walking to a Yard House in Costa Mesa that night, I did not know what I was in for. However, the 2nd quarter started with Alabama’s QB, Ty Simpson, finding Lotzeir Brooks, for big gain after big gain, on their first scoring drive. After Alabama and Oklahoma exchange drives, Mateer throws a terrible pick to Zabien Brown, of Alabama, for a 50-yard pick six to even the score at 17-17 at halftime.

The 2nd half becomes an extension of the 2nd quarter, and Oklahoma collapses, on offense and defense, thus the game ends with Alabama winning 34-24.

Thoughts on both teams

Alabama Crimson Tide

It took a while for Alabama to really get moving. Ty Simpson seems to have trouble at times moving the football consistently. Alabama became a one-dimensional team because their running game was non-existent. When the running game is non-existent, that really limits the playbook of what a team can do. What ended up being a big deal for Alabama was confidence. Confidence can play a really big role in a game like this, and once Ty Simpson threw his first big pass to Lotzeir Brooks in the 2nd quarter, then things really got rolling for Alabama’s offense. The receivers unit as a whole deserved a game ball, because of their effort, and their overall contribution to their team’s performance.

The defense had a lot of reserves on the defensive line. However, they brought stunts and blitzes to get off the blocks of Oklahoma’s offensive-line and bring pressure to John Mateer. It seemed that on every other play, they were in Oklahoma’s backfield, especially in the 2nd half. If they want any chance of making the Rose Bowl competitive, they are going to have to bring consistent pressure to Indiana.

Oklahoma Sooners

What an awful collapse that Oklahoma endured here. It is inconceivable that Oklahoma just forgot how to play defense after the 2nd quarter started. Now, Brent Venables is going to see how much turnover his program has once it’s time for spring practice. We still don’t know what John Mateer is going to do regarding whether he’ll return to college or go for the NFL, as he is in his senior year of college ball. The answer to that question will help us understand how competitive Oklahoma will be, from an offensive standpoint.

Even though Brent Venables started calling the defense this year, the questions about his fit as a head coach are valid. Oklahoma is one of the most blue-blood programs. Their fans can’t be patient, for much longer.

Player Profile: Ashton Jeanty

Hello everyone, sorry I was gone for a while. I am back to talk about one of my favorite running backs available in this upcoming draft. His name is Ashton Jeanty. He comes from Boise State, which is a football program out of the Mountain West Conference, a Group of Five school. The Group of five schools are mid-major schools that play Division One sports.

            Even though players from the Mountain West Conference do not get a lot of national recognition, Boise State did thanks to their dominant running back. Even though Ashton Jeanty stands at 5’8”, he is one of the most physical workhorse-type of running backs going into this draft. Even though he ran for over 2,600 yards this season, he did not run behind one of the best offensive lines in college football (unless you are talking about the right side of the offensive line, namely Daylon Metoyer and the center, Mason Randolph). Therefore, the production that he displayed for the Broncos this year showed his capabilities and why he was impressive to watch over the last two years.

            He came on the college football scene his sophomore year. That season was a breakout season for him, in that he was able to complement the dual passing attack that Boise State employed. That year, they had a quarterback, named Taylen Greene who was able to confuse defenders with his running ability. Jeanty complemented this with his specialties in the running game, and his workhorse ability. That season, Jeanty ran for over 1,300 yards. What should be considered is what he did in the passing game for that team. He had collegiate career highs in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

            So, as we look at his draft outlook, he is going to help teams in whatever way is needed based on the weekly opponent. He can be a receiving back out of the backfield, but he’s more known for his natural running ability. As we all know, a good running game comes from good O-line play. Even though, during his senior year Boise State dominated their opponents, it would be hard to judge fully how good of an O-line Jeanty played behind when schools at higher levels (ex: Penn State) are able to recruit higher-quality players. Even though the combine and his pro day already happened, teams should trust what they see on tape, and not get so caught up in metrics such as the 40-yard-dash.

            Therefore, as the draft is coming up, where should Jeanty go? I believe we could see him fall anywhere in the 1st round of the draft, between picks 12 and 22. The Dallas Cowboys (pick 12)  could use him to enhance their running back room. The Denver Broncos (pick 20) could definitely use him. Any team that has Sean Payton directing the offensive line is going to be able to run the ball at an effective pace. Lastly, the Los Angeles Chargers (pick 22) could use him too. Jeanty would face little competition in L.A. from Najee Harris and Kimani Vidal. Jim Harbaugh loves blue-chip players, and Ashton Jeanty is definitely that.