Notre Dame's defense has been rated among the best all year but it
was the determination and grit it showed Saturday against Southern
California that made it look like a champion.
Can one team possibly “want it more” than another when football is the centerpiece of all of these players’ and coaches’ lives? Or are these just lazy tropes leaned upon by sportswriters and broadcasters who’ve grown too lethargic to analyze what’s actually happening?
Usually, I’d say yes. Usually, I’d say that good plays and good games can’t be the result of a player or team having more heart or wanting it – whatever “it” is – more.
There are exceptions. There are times when preparation and planning and strategy yield to something outside the confines of muscle memory and repetition and memorization. There are plays, moments, where we can measure a team’s “heart”, where the cold calculus of advanced statistics and probabilities are overwhelmed by what we see.
These moments are fleeting. These moments are rare.
But they are also unmistakable.
On Saturday night, those moments came when 11 men in gold helmets dug their heels into the turf in their own end zone on 10 separate occasions in the fourth quarter. And, all 10 times, the Irish defenders kept the Trojans from crossing the white line and from potentially snatching away a national championship in the 11th hour of the 12th game of an undefeated season.
Those moments, those 10 plays, were more a test of a team’s will, of its heart, than of its skill or preparation. It was time to push harder than the man across from you. It was time to hit the ballcarrier hard enough to turn his own momentum against him. It was time to sharpen focus to the point that talented receivers felt like they were running in shackles.
The first three of those plays came in the opening moments of the fourth quarter. Trailing by nine, USC advanced the ball to the Notre Dame 4. A Silas Redd run was stuffed for a gain of only two. Another run was repelled for a loss of two as the Southern California line was swallowed by a swarm of gold and white. Then a pass to Marqise Lee missed its target. Only a few feet from seven points, the Trojans had to settle for three because the Irish defense that had carried a team through 11 games wasn’t willing to break under the pressure inherent in the 12th.
Later in the quarter, and far more memorably, the Irish stopped the Trojans cold seven consecutive times. USC tailback Curtis McNeal got three yards, pushing the ball to the Notre Dame four. Then Irish cornerback KeiVarae Russell hounded and hacked Lee on consecutive fade routes, gladly taking pass interference calls rather than risk six points while simultaneously daring the Trojans to try and beat that defense up the middle. The Trojans tried to impose their will at the line of scrimmage, where strength and effort matter most, and failed. Two quarterback sneaks were easily repelled. A McNeal rush was snuffed out in the backfield by a pair of Irish defenders converging from either side and a feeble fourth-down Max Wittek pass trickled through the hands of intended target Soma Vainuku.
That stand, those seven plays, were a microcosm of the entire Irish season – a little luck on a dropped pass, some smarts and guile on the intentional pass interference calls and a lot of toughness in the trenches on all of those goal line stuffs.
On 10 plays on Saturday night, 11 men in gold helmets lined up, gazed at the 11 men across from them and thought, “I’m better than you.” On each play, each man proved just that. The odds that the Trojans, with all of their weapons, all of their multi-star, multi-100-pound linemen couldn’t muster the few yards they needed to bring a perfect season into question, tells me that Notre Dame has something more than superior talent or superior coaching or superior preparation. They have something intangible. They have something that seems corny and made-up and that normally makes me cringe when I hear it. But I saw it on those 10 plays. You saw it too.
They have heart. They, for lack of a better phrase, want it more.
And that’s the immeasurable difference between measurable results. That’s the difference between 12-0 and 11-1 or 10-2. That’s the difference between sitting at home in the second week of January and playing for a national championship.
Florida-Florida
State lived up to the hype – it was terrific to see these teams play in
a game of consequence in HD. The last time both of these teams squared
off with so much at stake, we were all adjusting the bunny ears on top
of our televisions. (For my younger readers, bunny ears were two metal
poles that extended from the top of the television and grabbed whatever
shoddy television signals and garbled police scanner chatter they could
find.) The Gators stormed out 13-0 on the back of a pair of EJ Manuel
picks, and it seemed their defense was simply too good for a talented
offense from another conference to handle. (SEC fans were collectively
saying “Told ya so” in a slow drawl midway through the second quarter.)| FLORIDA at FLORIDA STATE | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
| Rushing | 244 | 112 |
| Passing | 150 | 188 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 5 |
| Box Score | ||
Corvallis
was unsuccessful in its attempt to secede from the state of Oregon. Its
rebellion, which had been gaining steam all season and seemed to pose a
legitimate threat to the state capitol at Nike headquarters, was
snuffed out with relative ease by the well dressed army from Eugene.
Despite an early scare in the first half of this Civil War – Oregon
State was down only three midway through the third quarter – the Ducks
restored order and rolled off 28 unanswered to take any drama out of
what, a month ago, looked like it might be one of the best games of the
year. But given Oregon’s defeat at the hands of Stanford and a recent
pair of Oregon State losses, Oregon’s 48-24 blowout win was ultimately
of little consequence. Beavers’ quarterback Sean Mannion may have put an
end to next year’s quarterback controversy before it could even start –
he tossed four more picks on Saturday, effectively handing the starting
job back to Cody Vaz.
Congrats,
Ohio State…I guess? You’re 12-0, now please use the exits in the back –
we’ll see you next year. Most teams finish undefeated seasons amid a
glorious shower of confetti and Brent Musburger-isms, not after winning a
noon game in the season’s penultimate week with fans outside America’s
most important swing state offering a resounding “meh.” But that’s
precisely what happened on Saturday when the Buckeyes capped their
perfect 2012 run with a 26-21 win against Michigan. First, kudos to the
Wolverines for leading this one until eight minutes remained in the
fourth quarter despite Denard Robinson’s continued physical inability to
throw a pass. But his 122 rushing yards, including yet another
shoelace-eviscerating 67-yard scamper, certainly didn’t hurt. In the
end, though, Ohio State was just too talented, and Urban Meyer had them
too focused for this overmatched Michigan team to hold on in the
Horseshoe. Brilliant season by Meyer by bringing this team back from
seven losses to 12 wins, but, in my mind, it’ll always have a little
asterisk next to it. The Buckeyes played in quite a few close games – I
don’t think they would’ve triumphed in each one if they’d been playing
for a shot at the crystal football, leaving them playing without that
pressure can make muscles loosen up and the game slow down. Still, nice
job, Urban, I hope you have room in your already well-stocked trophy
case (rich mahogany, of course) for about five consecutive Big Ten
championships. 
Bedlam
is defined as “a scene of uproar and confusion.” Does 51-48 qualify?
I’d say yes. Good job, whoever named the game between Oklahoma and
Oklahoma State; I have no qualms with your rivalry naming decision,
carry on. You want confusion? How about Oklahoma State’s third-string QB
Clint Chelf leading the Cowboys to a 17-3 lead on the road against the
Cowboys’ big brother? You want uproar? How about Oklahoma never holding a
lead until Brennan Clay’s 18-yard run in overtime sealed the Sooners
win? In the interim – between the 17-3 deficit and the walk off win –
the Sooners trailed on four separate occasions and rallied back to tie
the contest all four times. Landry Jones didn’t disappoint in his last
game in front of the Norman faithful, who have oscillated from
frustration to reverence of the formerly mustached signal-caller with
seemingly every throw through his four years as the Sooners’ starter.
Jones capped his Bedlam-laced home career by throwing for 500 yards on
the nose and tossing three scores on 71 (71!) attempts. Plus he led
Oklahoma on a 16-play, six-minute drive to send the game to overtime.
Dylan ThompsonSouth Carolina | QB | So.
| C-A-I | YDS | TD |
|---|---|---|
| 23-41-1 | 310 | 3 |
No
Connor Shaw? No Marcus Lattimore? No problem. All South Carolina needed
was a visor and a caustic wit. Without their two best offensive
players, it seemed the Gamecocks would be doomed against their in-state
rival, which had won seven consecutive games by double-digits. Instead,
Shaw’s backup, sophomore Dylan Thompson, eclipsed 300 yards through the
air and tossed three scores. The Gamecocks were able to piece together a
decent rushing attack, but the 10-point win in one of the day’s better
matchups belonged to Thompson and the underrated Gamecock defense.
Clemson had scored more than 40 points eight times this season, yet the
South Carolina defense held the nation’s No. 8 offense to only 17
points, 14 of which came in the first quarter, and pitched a shutout in
the fourth. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. That’s typically what happens
when an elite offense from another conference runs headlong into 11 men
who play defense in the SEC every weekend.
The
battle for the golden cactus – pardon me, I meant the Territorial Cup –
lived up to the billing on Friday night in Tucson (I have yet to spell
that city’s name correctly on my first attempt). The Territorial Cup
overflowethed (that’s the past tense, right?) with points in the Sun
Devils’ come-from-behind 41-34 win. Though, you didn’t know that because
the game was on until about 1 a.m. Eastern on Saturday and you were
deep in the midst of a coma triggered by excessive gravy intake and
making semi-uncomfortable small talk with the 37 family members you’re
contractually obligated to see once a year. Well, too bad, gravy monger,
because you missed a good one. Fortunately, I’m contractually obligated
to avoid small talk and watch football, so I got to watch the Sun
Devils put up 24 unanswered in the fourth to turn a 10-point deficit
into their biggest win of the season. Both teams finished the season
7-5, but the loss will leave a bitter taste in the Wildcats’ mouths
after a 3-0 start this year. On the bright side, Ka’Deem Carey, only a
sophomore, added 172 more yards to his rushing tally and seems to have
sealed the regular-season rushing title.
For the love of whatever deity you may or may not believe in, don’t poke the Bears. In Week 12, Baylor had its way with the top team in the nation. This past week, after falling behind 21-7 early, the newly mighty Bears chased the Red Raiders down and proceeded to maul their 24th-ranked defense. Thirty-one second-half Baylor points pushed the contest to overtime. And after an OT touchdown, Baylor cracked the 50-point plateau for the fifth time this season. The win marked Baylor’s third in four tries and garnered the Bears a well-deserved bowl berth. Conversely, the Red Raiders, who ranked among the nation’s top teams in both offense and defense through the first half of the season, have unraveled, dropping four of their final five games, all against conference opponents.
Remember two years ago when the Iron Bowl was the most compelling game of the season – Auburn erased a 24-0 deficit on the road – and essentially decided who was going to win the national championship? A lot can change in two years. By a lot, I mean Cam Newton took his Heisman to the NFL and Auburn’s coordinators subsequently fled. In their wake stands a 3-9 team and a 91-14 Alabama advantage in the previous two Iron Bowls. Saturday’s was the uglier of the two, as Alabama blanked its in-state rivals 49-0. AJ McCarron tossed four more touchdowns, no picks and may have earned himself a trip up to New York next month, even if he’s got no shot at coming home with the trophy. After the loss to Texas A&M, which may have been LSU-fatigue-induced, Alabama looks to be back in form heading into next week’s national semifinal/SEC Championship for all of the sweet tea.
Johnny
“Football”, I know college is new to you, you’ve got homework and are
likely wrapping up a few of your orientation courses, but you might want
to squeeze in some time to write a speech. No, you won’t be graded on
this assignment, but a few million people will be watching – the Heisman
Trophy ceremony, after all, is not just a freshman speech class. Think
I’m jumping the gun? Think a freshman winning the award for the first
time is preposterous? Not with what Manziel has done this season. The
Aggie quarterback passed Tim Tebow and Cam Newton – both Heisman winners
– and now holds the SEC single-season total yardage record. He set the
SEC single-game yardage record twice this year. On Saturday, he added
372 passing yards, 67 rushing yards and five touchdowns to his gaudy
totals in A&M’s 59-29 win against fellow SEC newcomer Missouri. He’s
the first SEC player ever to eclipse 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 on
the ground. He’s the quarterback of a 10-win SEC team that gave LSU a
scare and knocked off Alabama. I don’t care if he’s a freshman; he’s the
best player in the country. Get that speech ready, Johnny.
Somebody
please get me Will Smith. Right now! No, I don’t want his autograph and
I’m not in the mood to hear any tired catchphrases or bad rap songs. I
need him to use the flashy thing from Men in Black that erases your
memory on me ASAP. (I’m sure they were contractually obligated to give
him a real one, right?) I’d ask him to set it for about three months, so
that I could forget the entire 2012 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets season.
The school my father attended, and that I would have if an engineering
degree was the path to a sports column, fell 42-10 to Georgia on
Saturday. The Jackets finish the regular season with six losses,
including several blowouts and a loss to Middle Tennessee State, and
fired their defensive coordinator midseason, but, somehow, they’ll still
have a chance to play for the ACC title next week. “So you’re telling
me there’s a chance?” Maybe I’ll hold off on the call to Mr. Smith for
another week.
UCLA
and Stanford entered Saturday’s contest with identical 9-2 records,
identical five-game winning streaks and nearly-identical, impressive
wins against USC. So it seemed we were going to get a treat that might
be a preview of the Pac-12 title game. Well, it was a preview of the
Pac-12 title game – Stanford’s win ensured Oregon would be locked out of
the festivities and that the Cardinal would host the Bruins this
weekend. But it was no treat. After the teams played to a 7-7 stalemate
in the first quarter, Stanford won 35-17 after going on a 28-3 run
through much of the second and third quarters. Now, what’s the takeaway
here? Is Stanford, which had to travel down to Pasadena for this one,
really that much better than UCLA? Perhaps. Or did the Bruins keep their
cards close to the vest (or baby-blue windbreaker, in this case)? Maybe
so. UCLA came in knowing its spot in the title game was secure and that
a win would mean a trip to Eugene. Did the trek to Palo Alto seem like
the better option? We won’t know until next week. If Stanford handles
its business again, there’s no doubt it’s the better team. But if the
game goes down to the wire or the Bruins pull the upset, I’ll have the
hunch that UCLA didn’t quite mind losing on Saturday.
Horned
Frogs can’t fly. After freshman midseason replacement QB Trevone Boykin
went only 2-4 through his first six starts, TCU decided it was time to
focus on the ground attack. Against Texas, TCU ran the ball 48 times and
three backs eclipsed 50 yards, paced by Boykin’s 77 yards on 10
carries. But the TCU defense, not the offense, was responsible for the
20-13 win on Thursday night that you certainly didn’t see because of the
aforementioned gravy, small talk and the fact that as you read this you
just thought, “There was a game on Thursday night?” The Horned Frogs’
defense forced four turnovers on the night, including three by
Longhorns’ starting QB David Ash, who was once again pulled in favor of
Case McCoy. McCoy didn’t fare much better in the second half, tossing a
pick of his own and averaging only 6.5 yards on his 17 attempts.
Might
it be safe to say that Rutgers was looking ahead to this week’s matchup
with Louisville that will decide who takes home the Big East crown?
That’s the only explanation for yielding 21 unanswered to a four-win
Pitt team to start the game. The Scarlet Knights didn’t even get on the
scoreboard until 1:43 remained in the third quarter and mustered only
six points through the entire game against a Pitt defense that has been
giving up about 23-points-per-contest. Despite the disappointment, it
was only Rutgers’ first Big East loss and it’s still in the mix for the
Big East title and a trip to a BCS bowl. 
Well,
Louisville, at least basketball season has started. You guys are
supposed to be pretty good this year, I hear (Note: I’m not a licensed
college basketball analyst.) Remember when the Cardinals were undefeated
and the Big East title seemed all but assured? Well, Saturday’s loss to
UConn was their second consecutive. After struggling all game,
Louisville scored in the final moments of regulation to send it to
overtime. After getting knocked out with what looked like a nasty knee
injury in the first OT, QB Teddy Bridgewater tossed a touchdown on his
first attempt of the second extra period. But the hero quickly became
the goat. In the third OT he forced a pass to the corner of the end zone
that was easily picked off by UConn’s Blidi Wreh-Wilson. After the
pick, all the Huskies had to do was hit a chip-shot field goal to seal
their biggest win of the season and send everyone in Northern Kentucky
straight to Rick Pitino’s waiting, white linen-laden arms.
Speaking
of Huskies, Washington had a chance to put the finishing touches on its
quietly strong season in the Pac-12. The Huskies had already notched
wins against Stanford and Oregon State and were riding a four-game
winning streak into Friday’s matchup (another one I know you missed;
shame on you) with Washington State for the “Well, it’s raining again, I
guess we should sit in the dark and listen to Nirvana” Cup. Yes, I know
it’s the Apple Cup, but I’ve long wanted to be in charge of these
obscure, regional trophy names and this is my chance. Given Washington
State’s 2-9 start and the recent turmoil surrounding the program, it
seemed the Huskies would finish their season in style. Instead,
Washington State outscored their in-state rival 21-0 in the fourth
quarter and overtime and earned, by far, its biggest win of the season
along with a cup full of juicy apples and grey iPods filed with Nirvana
tracks. Given the recent issues, this one was a pleasant way for Mike
Leach and the Cougars to end the season.
1. In
my first Breaking the Huddle, way back when I was just seeing some
peach fuzz poke through the skin on my upper lip, I noted that I’d
developed an affinity for Michigan State running back Le’Veon Bell’s
bruising style and durability. After all, in a season-opening win
against Boise State, he took his 50 touches for 265 yards. He’s had a
tremendous season since then, never seeming to wear down despite
carrying the ball more than any back in the nation. But he never quite
matched that level of output … until Saturday. His 35-carry, 266-yard
day propelled the Spartans to a 26-10 win against Minnesota and, more
fittingly, completed his set of 250-yard bookends to his tremendous
season. Bell wasn’t the best back in the country this season
statistically, but he may have been the most dependable given his heavy
workload and heavy frame (244 pounds). Only a junior, it’ll be
interesting to see if the big back decides to endure more punishment at
the collegiate level next year.
2. Did
everyone circle Duke-Miami (Fla.) on their calendars? No? Me neither
and it pains me to say I missed what may have been the day’s most
exciting game. How do I measure exciting? The game featured four
touchdowns of 65 yards or more. Yes, four. And, no, Miami didn’t score
all of them; Duke mustered a 99-yard catch and run. Three of the long
scores – a 65-yard Duke Johnson scamper, a 72-yard Mike James catch and
run and the aforementioned 99-yarder by Sean Renfree – came
consecutively during only eight minutes of game time. I’m not going to
dig up the history books to see how often something like that has
happened, but safe to say that such a sequence is as rare as a good song
by Taylor Swift. It was a down year in the ACC, but there were a slew
of entertaining contests – Miami’s 52-45 win against Duke on Saturday
was one of the best.
3.
West Virginia’s year was a tad unconventional. Remember when they’d
stormed out to a 5-0 start, climbed all the way up to No. 5 in the
nation and Geno Smith’s name was already being engraved wherever the
college football annals are? No, that wasn’t three years ago; it was
October. Then the Big 12 hit the Mountaineers with the subtlety of a
guillotine, the Mountaineers suffered five consecutive losses and
in-game Heisman graphics no longer featured Mr. Smith’s picture. But,
finally, after nearly two months of torment, West Virginia is back in
the win column with a 31-24 victory against Iowa State. With Kansas on
the schedule this week and a bowl game looming, the Mountaineers could
scrape together eight wins and finish in the middle of the Big 12 pack
despite their long losing streak. Three consecutive wins to close the
season could have the same soothing effects of the Will Smith flashy
thing – a short memory will be an asset before the Mountaineers second
season in their new conference.
Welcome to championship Saturday. Follow these games this weekend and you’ll be better for it:
No. 3 Georgia
vs. No. 2 Alabama
4 p.m. ET
Welcome to your seventh-annual national semifinal, once again held in
the beautiful Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga. Some would scoff at my
characterization of that facility, but I’m admittedly biased. Once
again, whoever walks out of the Dome with the SEC title in tow will have
earned the right to play for the national championship. The Dogs
reached Keanu-Reeves-in-The-Matrix levels of dodging bullets this year
by not having to square off against LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M or
Mississippi State in the regular season. They haven’t squandered their
good fortune, dropping only one game all year. But all UGA fans knew
that, come December, facing one SEC West juggernaut would be
unavoidable. On Saturday, we’ll find out of Georgia’s high ranking and
impressive season are more a result of the lucky schedule or if the Dogs
are worthy of competing for a national championship.
No. 17 UCLA
vs. No. 8 Stanford 8 p.m. ET (Friday)
I certainly hope that Jim Mora was playing as vanilla as possible on
Saturday and the second installment of the battle of teams from the West
with atypical mascots will be more compelling than the first. The SEC
title game is really the only one that matters from a national
standpoint, but the Pac-12 championship tilt is the highlight of the
undercard. A USC-Oregon title matchup seemed preordained, but the
conference has beaten up on itself all season. These two squads survived
runs through what may be the nation’s second-best conference.
No. 23 Texas
at No. 7 Kansas State
8 p.m. ET
Yes, Kansas State is still around. It may have been easy to forget about
the Wildcats after Baylor tore their hearts out in Waco, Texas, and
they spent rivalry week licking that gaping wound. Still, this is one of
the best teams in the nation. On Saturday, the Wildcats have a chance
to lock down their first conference title since 2003. It’s not the
championship they wanted in Manhattan after a 10-0 start, but is a
worthy consolation prize for the team that was the biggest surprise in
the nation outside of South Bend.
No. 14 Nebraska
vs. Wisconsin
8 p.m. ET
The inaugural Big Ten title game was a thriller. Wisconsin pulled it out
42-39 after watching its big first-quarter lead slip away against the
Spartans. This year, the Badgers, only 4-4 in the Big Ten, have a chance
to defend their conference crown in Indianapolis thanks to Ohio State’s
postseason ban. Nebraska only has two losses on the season – just one
came in conference – and knocked off Wisconsin 30-27 in September. The
Huskers should win their first title in their new conference, but if Gus
is in the building yet again I wouldn’t rule out five overtimes and
Lucas Oil Stadium taking off and flying into space at halftime.
For more information go to NCAA.com.
