What a week of football for Minnesota. In a span of five days, both the Gophers and Vikings won big games!
Last Wednesday, New Year’s Day, the Gophers impressively defeated Auburn (31-24) in the Outback Bowl, capping an incredible 11-2 season and vaulting the Maroon and Gold from 18th to 10th in the latest national ranking, just one place behind Alabama and three spots ahead of Auburn.
Then on Sunday, the Vikings — after dominating much of the game — held off the Saints and won an overtime thriller in New Orleans, 26-20, to advance in the NFL playoffs.
The biggest play of the game Sunday may have been the overtime coin flip as the Vikings won the toss and got the ball first.
They did put together an impressive touchdown drive, highlighted by a 50-yard pass completion from Kirk Cousins to Adam Thielen. A couple of plays later, Cousins hits Kyle Rudolph in the left corner of the end zone for the clinching score and the Vikings — for the second time in the past three seasons — eliminated the Saints with a touchdown pass on the last play of the game.
To me, however, the Saints should have had a chance with the ball. Then, if the Vikings defense keeps New Orleans from scoring a touchdown, they truly win the game. With the sudden-death rule (if a touchdown is scored), the coin flip is all too important. Both teams, like in high school and college, should have equal chances to “possess” the football.
All four of the “Wild Card” NFL games were close. The Texans edged the Bills in overtime, 22-19. The Titans held off — and eliminated — the Patriots, 20-13, and the Seahawks claimed a closely-contested 17-9 victory over the Eagles.
This week it will be the Vikings at the 49ers and the Seahawks at the Packers in the NFC, while the AFC will feature the Titans at the Ravens and the Texans at the Chiefs.
If you remember, several weeks ago (December 4), I predicted the Ravens and the 49ers to tangle in the Super Bowl. Maybe, the Vikings can pull off another upset and spoil that forecast? Both Baltimore and San Francisco need to win twice for my earlier prediction to happen — and so far, the “favorites” have not all been winning!
Both the Vikings and the Titans were the sixth-seeds and knocked off the third-seeds. With the Patriots losing, there will be a new champion this year. The Vikings still have a chance!
In college football, the Tigers will win the National Championship. That’s because both LSU and Clemson are nicknamed the Tigers (as is Auburn). LSU was certainly dominant in crushing Oklahoma (63-28) after opening up a 49-7 lead on the Sooners in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. Clemson was a bit lucky to edge Ohio State (29-23) in Arizona’s Fiesta Bowl.
Monday night, at the Superdome in New Orleans, the two perennial powers will tangle for this year’s title.
Following all of the other Bowl Game action, the current Top 25 is as follows: LSU, Clemson, Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia, Oklahoma, Florida, Wisconsin, Alabama, Minnesota, Penn State, Baylor, Auburn, Notre Dame, Iowa, Utah, Memphis, Appalachian State, Navy, Michigan, Boise State, Air Force, UCF and Cincinnati with Texas A&M and USC tied for 25th.
I am a bit surprised at Oklahoma being as high as sixth and with Michigan being as low as 20th.
The Gophers beat Auburn and Auburn beat Alabama, which certainly puts Minnesota in the “conversation” with the mighty Crimson Tide. I’ll bet there are several football fans glad that both Nick Saban and Bill Belichick will watch this year’s national championship clashes as spectators rather than as head coaches.
Next Thursday (January 16), Southwest Minnesota Christian (9-0) hosts Mountain Lake Area / Comfrey (6-1) in a high school boys’ basketball game between the two Red Rock Conference powers. The rematch is at Mountain Lake four weeks later on Thursday, February 13.
A lot can happen between now and then?
