Week 15 Recap

by Big Al

Something interesting finally happened!

LSU 37 - Florida 34

This was a weird game. Florida moved the ball easily, but couldn't score. LSU was absolutely stopped with minutes left, but a Florida player threw an LSU player's shoe 20 yards downfield, which moved the ball just far enough for LSU's kicker to kick a 57-year field goal for the lead. Then Florida moved well within field goal range in darn-near no time, but missed the tying field goal. And they had to use the Skycam to show the game, because it was too foggy to use the sideline cameras. There was just a weird vibe all night.

It is a lost year for LSU, but they managed one heck of a benchmark despite everything else. Florida, meanwhile, just could not get it figured out. Florida was clearly the better team, but just could not score enough points to prove it. So, great win for LSU! And for Florida, there is still a great opportunity for them against Alabama.

Earlier in the year, I said that it looked like Ed Orgeron made a bargain with some sort of diabolical power for last year's national championship, and this year was the payment for it. I do wonder what this win will cost him...

Georgia 49 - Missouri 14

This turned out exactly as expected. Georgia is very good. Missouri is okay. It showed on Saturday.

North Carolina 62 - Miami 26

This, however, turned out nothing like expected. Or at least nothing like I expected. What the heck was that?

If I had not seen this game, or anything about it, I would have thought that North Carolina managed to connect on some long passes. I never would have thought that another team could have run all over a Miami defense. Even if their bad years, Miami knew what they were doing on defense. And a team that knows what they are doing on defense will at least keep the ground game from getting out of hand early. They may give up yards, but the other team will have to earn those yards. They may eventually run all over a team that knows what they're going, but that's because that defense gets worn down. But you don't run through Miami like that from start to finish.

I don't know what that was, but Miami has some very unexpected issues. But North Carolina is also more powerful that I thought.

USC 43 - UCLA 38

USC is the forgotten team this year. I have some thoughts on that, but I'll get to those another time. But USC is one of those teams that doesn't look good, but just finds ways to win. I don't think they're all that great, but I wouldn't want to play them, either. One way or another, they win. And when Kedon Slovis just starts slinging the ball, he can't miss. He has an amazingly accurate arm, but it's not until he needs to trust it that he really comes into his own. Rather than worrying about coverages and reads, he is at his best when he just throws the ball to spots where only his receiver can catch it. I don't know if he can keep it up, but man alive, he is amazing to watch in the final minutes.