As I Like It!
JANUARY 11, 2017
THE KING IS DEAD
LONG LIVE THE KING.
The palace coup that began in September of 2016 culminated on Monday night in Tampa. The Clemson Tigers, led by QB, Deshaun Watson, dethroned Alabama’s Crimson Tide as National Champions. There’s a new sheriff in town, and it’s the ACC.
Watson and his Tiger teammates did the impossible; in the fourth quarter they physically wore down Bama’s #1 ranked defense. By the end of the game, Clemson was unstoppable, the Tide was whipped, and ACC took the palace. By any measure you care to employ, the ACC rules.
One more thing that was evident on Monday night was that the New York Athletic Club blew the Heisman selection. If one of the traits of the best player in college football is being a leader that can carry a team to victory in the big games, Deshaun Watson should have been a shoo-in. I suspect that if the voting had taken place after the playoffs, he would have been.
There were five QBs picked as finalists this year. Lamar Jackson of Louisville, the winner along with Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma, Jake Browning of Washington, and J.T. Barrett of Ohio State. All were involved in big games late in the season, either bowl games or playoff games, and all but Watson lost when it mattered most. I am convinced that Deshaun Watson is the best college player.
Another guy in orange had a career night against the Tide’s All-Star defensive backs. Redshirt sophomore receiver, Hunter Renfrow, ate ‘em up. The guy who everybody says is too little to play, caught and ran for clutch play after clutch play, including the winning TD, and he’s less than 6’ tall and weighs less than 190 pounds.
One last thought, and I’ll wrap the 2016 season in Orange and White and put college football away until next August. Alabama will be back in the running for the 2017 championship. Nick will rebound from Monday’s loss, have one of, if not the best, recruiting classes in the NCAA, and continue his reign of excellence in Tuscaloosa.
There will be a reshuffling of the SEC West, and my Mississippi State Bulldogs will have a lot to say about that. Just as the torch was passed to Clemson, there will be new faces and new heroes in 2017. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy watching Mississippi State’s undefeated women’s basketball team. The Lady Bullies are 17–0 on the season, and playing very well.
Categories: As I Like It!
Tom Lawrence's Blog 
What a game, especially to see the dethroning of Saint Nick!
Similar exuberance before last season-enjoy this fantasy period between now and September.
Nice update Tommy. I’m going to miss your weekly recaps until the next season. Maybe you can start doing weekly recaps on women’s basketball.
All you need to know about women’s basketball is U CONN.
Well said and well written Tommy Abernethy
Tom, I might suggest to you that if you want to see a good basketball team, all you need do is to tune in to the University of Kentucky Wildcats men’s team! There you may be seeing the makings of the next NCAA champions!