The football season is nearly over. One team wins a national championship. Another is in the national spotlight for the first time in decades. And another looks for answers after another deep playoff run. These are their stories.
Championship On The Bayou
Louisiana State University won their first national collegiate football championship since 1959 with a 42-25 win over defending champion Clemson Monday night in New Orleans' Superdome, in one of the few College Football Playoffs not to involve the Alabama Crimson Tide. Unless you live anywhere in the Southeast or watch plenty of ESPN, chances are pretty good you might not have noticed.
Quarterback Joe Burrow, the transfer from Ohio State who won this year's Heisman Trophy, and his coach Ed Orgeron led LSU through a successful conference schedule and their Peach Bowl win in Atlanta over Oklahoma, which served as a CFP semifinal. Clemson, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, defeated Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona to qualify as the other finalist.
Clemson has already been targeted as the favorite to win it all a year from now, now that the Bayou Tigers have had their One Shining Moment in front of their home fans. Lawrence will still be slinging footballs for the team also known as the Tigers, while Burrow toils for whichever NFL team chooses him as their first draft pick.
And Alabama might be there, too.
Gophers: Getting Back to Golden
Coach P.J. Fleck has made believers out of those who thought his University of Minnesota football teams were too gimmicky to have lasting success in the rough and tumble Big Ten conference. No, they didn't win a division title or earn a trip to Pasadena and the Rose Bowl (it was Wisconsin). But they were the only Big Ten team to win a New Year's Day bowl game, with a surprising 31-24 win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl at Tampa, Florida.
The Golden Gophers finished second in the West division with a 7-2 record and 11-2 overall, which was their best since the early 1960s when they were winning mythical national titles. No Michigan or Ohio State, but they did beat Penn State for their "signature" victory. Significant losses that downgraded their championship hopes came from Iowa and the Badgers, but ESPN did make it to town with their "College Game Day" road show.
So what does Fleck and the Gophers do for an encore? Well, the coach signed a contract extension, lost two of his players to the NFL draft, signed up some more blue chip talent, and started talking about how great next season will be.
So far as we're concerned, as long as the Gophers keep winning enough games to remain relevant around here, Fleck and his boosters can keep rowing that damn boat as long as they want.
Vikings: Good Enough to Get By, But Not In Getting a Bye
The questions have been answered concerning quarterback Kirk Cousins' ability to win the Big Game. The answer is yes, unless it's a Monday night. On their way to a 10-6 record in the NFC North, Cousins led the Minnesota Vikings to important wins at home against the Philadelphia Eagles and on the road over the Cowboys at Dallas. Their "signature" losses were twice to the Green Bay Packers (who won the NFC North title) and Chicago Bears, and at Seattle to the Seahawks. And yes, two of those losses were on "Monday Night Football".
Then lightning struck in the form of an overtime playoff win over the favored Saints in New Orleans, which was reminiscent of the "Minneapolis Miracle" of two years ago. And just like back then, the Vikings quickly fizzled in their next game at San Francisco, losing 27-10 to the 49ers.
The off season will be interesting, to say the least. Coach Mike Zimmer and General Manager Rick Spielman are expected to return. But two of their coordinators won't be. Kevin Stefanski has left to be head coach of the Cleveland Browns. leaving Zimmer to hire his fifth offensive coordinator in five seasons. Defensive coordinator George Edwards is reportedly on his way out.
Other needs include another new offensive line to replace the one that was both too banged up and ineffective to keep Cousins from going horizontal. They also need to decide if Cousins is worth another couple of years, with maybe using the draft to find a new quarterback.
The Vikings should remain competitive in their division next season, so long as Cousins throws the ball to the right people, and Zimmer and his new staff can avoid stupid mistakes that cost them games. It's not that difficult to figure out.
Super Bowl Matchup:
Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers.
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