The Ole College Try

Small sample size, but some important points I wanted to make, so you get a column.

Game of the Week

Navy 31 - Army 7.  Actually, not a good game at all, but it was the only one on the menu!

Best Team Performance

Navy Midshipmen.  Despite giving up a touchdown to their most hated early in the first quarter, Navy thoroughly dominated Army to win 31-7.  Despite an allowing 78 yards to Army on its scoring drive, the Midshipmen held Army to a total of 148 yards, or just 70 more yards for the rest of the game.

Least Impressive Team Performance

Army Cadets.  The Cadets were bombarded by Navy and lost 31-7, and only gained a total of 148 yards.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Offense)

Malcolm Perry, QB - Navy Midshipmen.  Perry rushed for 304 yards (an Army-Navy game record) and scored 2 touchdowns all while literally quarterbacking the potent Navy rushing attack.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Defense)

Jacob Springer, LB - Navy Midshipmen.  Springer finished the game with 7 total tackles (4 solo), and even more importantly 1 sack.  The sack is important because Army only attempted to pass 8 times (6 pass attempts/2 sacks).

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Special Teams)

Bijan Nichols, K - Navy Midshipmen.  Nichols was successful in all 4 of his PATs, and was 1-2 in his field attempts (including the only successful field goal of the game).

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

No goats this week, as the game played out exactly as people thought it would.

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

No goats this week, as the game played out exactly as people thought it would.

Breakthrough Performance

Malcolm Perry, QB - Navy Midshipmen.  Who else?

Finally

Malcolm Perry, QB - Navy Midshipmen.  Again, who else?

Impact Injury

N/A

Team Rising

Navy Midshipmen.  The 23rd ranked Midshipmen will travel to Shreveport, Louisiana to play Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl.

Team Falling

Army Cadets.  Army finished the season 5-8.

Player(s) to Watch

Malcolm Perry, QB - Navy Midshipmen.  Who else?

My New Favorite Player

Malcolm Perry, QB - Navy Midshipmen.  Who else? Actually, it is because of this story, Perry was not even on the roster his first season, but when the Midshipmen were hit with some injuries his freshman year, Perry was asked to join the team for some depth.

Players of the Week

5.  Christian Anderson, RB - Army Cadets.  Anderson finished the game with 56 yards rushing and a touchdown, the Cadets' only score.

4.  Diego Fagot, LB - Navy Midshipmen.  Fagot finished the rivalry game with 8 tackles and 1 sack (again, on 8 dropbacks for Army).

3.  Jamale Carrothers, RB - Navy Midshipmen.  He rushed for 75 yards and 1 TD, while also catching a pass (for 1 yard) and another score.

2.  Jacob Springer, LB - Navy Midshipmen.  See above.

1.  Malcolm Perry, QB - Navy Midshipmen.  See above.

(No Longer) Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups

LSU Tigers (1) v. Oklahoma Sooners (4)/ (2) Ohio State Buckeyes v. (3) Clemson Tigers

Remaining Unbeatens

Clemson, LSU, Ohio State

Remaining Winless Team

Akron - Only winless team on the year, as Akron has finished its season.

Rant(s) of the Week

For those of you spouting off about the investigations into the "white power OK hand signal" used in the stadium in the Army-Navy game, just know that your defense of the "circle game" is way off base.  First, in the circle game, the object is to make someone look at the circle as it is placed somewhere on your body below the waist.  If you could just do the OK sign anywhere, people would always look.  Second, more than one person would not be doing the circle game at the same exact time, and at the same exact time as the camera was being pointed at them (the object is one person trying to make others look at "the circle", not everyone doing "the circle".  Third, yes using the OK sign as a white supremacist symbol started as a troll on 4chan, but the trolling actually caught on with white supremacist groups, who now use it as their own.  So, 4chan trolled themselves, basically.  And, fourth, there is a well-documented history of white supremacy in the service academies.  Look it up, it isn't hard to find.  In fact, Army, the United States Military Academy, just dropped one of its long-standing mottoes - "God Forgives, Brothers Don't" - because it was created as a motto by white supremacist gangs.

Last Week's Trivia Answer

Last week's questions were:

1.  Ohio State's wide receiver K.J. Hill broke the school career reception record in the Big 10 Championship game.  Which Buckeye receiver's record did he break?

2.  LSU's Joe Burrow set the single season SEC record for most touchdown passes thrown.  Which SEC quarterback had the previous record?

The answers are:  David Boston, who had 191 career receptions; and Drew Lock, who threw for 44 touchdowns in 2017.

Match up(s) to Watch

Bowl games start this week, but I couldn't figure out if I wanted to write the matchups to watch for this week, or for the whole Bowl Season.  Lucky for you, I decided the whole Bowl Season.  Why?  Who knows - it's my column.

6,  USC Trojans v. Iowa Hawkeyes (San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl).  Both teams have played better than the recognition they received this year, plus the Holiday Bowl is usually zany. This game may kill that history.

5.  SMU Mustangs v. Florida Atlantic Owls (Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl).  This bowl game has changed its name from the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl (Yes, Seriously), so it is picked just so I could type Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl.  It also features two relatively exciting teams whose type of play could lead to an exciting shootout - even without Lane Kiffin on the sidelines.  Plus, this might be the last time FAU is relevant with Willie Taggert taking over next year.

4.  Memphis Tigers v. Penn State Nittany Lions (Goodyear Cotton Bowl).  The battle of the Big Cats, as Memphis takes the Group of 5 spot in the New Year's Bowls. Memphis is great, and should have won their only loss - as a horrible call led to them losing - the subject of one of my earlier rants.  Too bad Mike Norvell is leaving for Florida State, as he was really building something in Memphis.

3.  Minnesota Golden Gophers v. Auburn Tigers (Outback Bowl).  I am interested in seeing a rugged Minnesota team play the speedier Auburn Tigers.

2.  Georgia Bulldogs v. Baylor Bears (AllState Sugar Bowl).  Baylor's only two losses came to the Oklahoma Sooners, one of those in overtime.  Georgia's two losses include a defeat at the hands of LSU.  Both LSU and Oklahoma play each other in the semifinals.  What does that have to do with this game?  Nothing.

1.  Clemson Tigers v Ohio State Buckeyes (PlayStation Fiesta Bowl).  The best game in the bowl season (except for the finals - unless Oklahoma defeats LSU).

Trivia Question of the Week

What is the all-time record for the Army-Navy game?