College football

Collegiate Football bowl games arriving soon, so who is playing where?

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Collegiate Football bowl games arriving soon, so who is playing where?

Mid-Season Overview

Collegiate Football bowl games are arriving soon, so who’s playing where is a question we ask ourselves every year. With teams such as Alabama, Oregon, Georgia, and Oklahoma all looking like they are playoff contenders, who will make it to the grand stage?

 

Season Schedule

A team’s schedule is always planned out a few years in advance, and with the rankings constantly changing, who knows as of right now who will make it, but you can use the team’s remaining schedule, we can decide the toughness, and chances of making it to big bowl games.

The top teams in the predictions for a playoff spot are:

  1. Georgia
  2. Alabama
  3. Oregon
  4. Ohio State

 

New Year’s Six Bowl (NY6)

For right now, these are all predictions and can change easily over time with wins and losses. But there are many other teams available for New-Years-6 bowls, and that means that some real competition is up. For instance, BYU, a possible NY6 bowl contender. Although slim, BYU’s chances of making it to an NY6 bowl are still possible. BYU needs to win the rest of their games, including GASU, an 87% win. The week after that, USC, the only team BYU should have any worries about, but should still make it past and make it to a big(ish) bowl. But looking at all of this, there is almost no chance that BYU will even get CLOSE to making it to the playoffs.

The NY6 games are the biggest college football games of the year, these six bowl games include: 

Rose Bowl — Big Ten #1 vs. Pac-12 #1 (Michigan State VS Oregon)

Sugar Bowl — SEC #1 vs. Big 12 #1 (Alabama VS Oklahoma State)

Orange Bowl — ACC #1 vs. SEC #2, Big Ten #2, or Notre Dame (Georgia VS Cincinnati)

Cotton Bowl — at-large or “Group of Five” (committee selection) (Oklahoma vs Ohio State)

Fiesta Bowl — at-large or “Group of Five” (committee selection) (Texas A&M VS Notre Dame)

Peach Bowl — at-large or “Group of Five” (committee selection) (Wake Forest VS Michigan)

 

Other Bowl Games

Even though most everyone focuses on those big 6 games, there are still many other bowl games to be played.

 

  • Bahamas Bowl (Dec. 17) Tie-In: Conference USA vs. MAC Projection: FAU vs. Ball State
  • Cure Bowl (Dec. 17) Tie-In: AAC/C-USA/MAC/MW/Sun Belt/Army Projection: Appalachian State vs. Liberty
  • Boca Raton Bowl (Dec. 18) Tie-In: AAC/C-USA/MAC/Sun Belt Projection: UAB vs. Coastal Carolina
  • New Mexico Bowl (Dec. 18) Tie-In: AAC/C-USA/MAC vs. Mountain West Projection: UTEP vs. Utah State
  • Independence Bowl (Dec. 18) Tie-In: BYU vs. Conference USA Projection: BYU vs. UTSA
  • LendingTree Bowl (Dec. 18) Tie-In: MAC/C-USA vs. Sun Belt Projection: Eastern Michigan vs. Troy
  • LA Bowl (Dec. 18) Tie-In: Mountain West vs. Pac-12 Projection: San Diego State vs. Oregon State
  • New Orleans Bowl (Dec. 18) Tie-In: Conference USA vs. Sun Belt Projection: Marshall vs. Louisiana
  • Myrtle Beach Bowl (Dec. 20) Tie-In: AAC/MAC/C-USA/Sun Belt Projection: Charlotte vs. Miami (Ohio)
  • Famous Idaho Bowl (Dec. 21) Tie-In: MAC vs. Mountain West Projection: Kent State vs. Nevada
  • Frisco Bowl (Dec. 21) Tie-In: AAC/C-USA/MAC/MW/Sun Belt Projection: Air Force vs. WKU
  • Armed Forces Bowl (Dec. 22) Tie-In: Big 12/C-USA/AAC/Army Projection: Texas Tech vs. Army
  • Gasparilla Bowl (Dec. 23) Tie-In: AAC/ACC/SEC Projection: Louisville vs. LSU
  • Hawaii Bowl (Dec. 24) Tie-In: AAC/C-USA vs. Mountain West Projection: SMU vs. San Jose State
  • Camellia Bowl (Dec. 25) Tie-In: MAC/C-USA vs. Sun Belt Projection: Central Michigan vs. Georgia State
  • Quick Lane Bowl (Dec. 27) Tie-In: Big Ten vs. MAC Projection: Maryland vs. Northern Illinois
  • Military Bowl (Dec. 27) Tie-In: ACC vs. American Projection: Syracuse vs. East Carolina
  • Birmingham Bowl (Dec. 28) Tie-In: American/ACC/C-USA vs. SEC Projection: South Carolina vs. Houston
  • First Responder Bowl (Dec. 28) Tie-In: AAC/Big 12/C-USA/Sun Belt/MW Projection: Western Michigan vs. Memphis
  • Liberty Bowl (Dec. 28) Tie-In: Big 12 vs. SEC Projection: West Virginia vs. Mississippi State
  • Guaranteed Rate Bowl (Dec. 28 Tie-In: Big 12 vs. Big Ten Projection: Kansas State vs. Boise State
  • Holiday Bowl (Dec. 28) Tie-In: ACC vs. Pac-12 Projection: North Carolina vs. UCLA
  • Fenway Bowl (Dec. 29) Tie-In: ACC vs. American Projection: Boston College vs. UCF
  • Pinstripe Bowl (Dec. 29) Tie-In: ACC vs. Big Ten Projection: Virginia vs. Purdue
  • Cheez-It Bowl (Dec. 29) Tie-In: ACC vs. Big 12 Projection: Iowa State vs. Pitt
  • Alamo Bowl (Dec. 29) Tie-In: Big 12 vs. Pac-12 Projection: Utah vs. Baylor
  • Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Dec. 30) Tie-In: ACC vs. SEC Projection: NC State vs. Tennessee
  • Music City Bowl (Dec. 30) Tie-In: Big Ten vs. SEC Projection: Iowa vs. Arkansas
  • Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 30) Tie-In: Big Ten vs. Pac-12 Projection: Arizona State vs. Minnesota
  • Gator Bowl (Dec. 31) Tie-In: ACC vs. SEC Projection: Florida vs. Clemson
  • Sun Bowl (Dec. 31) Tie-In: ACC vs. Pac-12 Projection: Miami vs. Washington State
  • Arizona Bowl (Dec. 31) Tie-In: MAC vs. Mountain West Projection: Toledo vs. Fresno State
  • Outback Bowl (Jan. 1) Tie-In: Big Ten vs. SEC Projection: Penn State vs. Kentucky
  • Citrus Bowl (Jan. 1) Tie-In: Big Ten vs. SEC Projection: Wisconsin vs. Ole Miss
  • Texas Bowl (Jahttps://athlonsports.com/college-football/bowl-projections-2021n. 4) Tie-In: Big 12 vs. SEC Projection: Texas vs. Auburn.

As said before, these are all just predictions, but anything could happen in these last 3 weeks of football, and we could see a new contender in the mix.

Sources:

 

 

 

History Of LaVell Edwards Stadium

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History Of LaVell Edwards Stadium

LaVell Edwards Stadium is the pinnacle of BYU athletics, and maybe even Provo. LaVell Edwards Stadium has gone through ups and downs, building changes, and even name changes.

 

1960’s

LaVell Edwards Stadium, formerly known as Cougar Stadium, was built/opened on October 2nd, 1964. The stadium was a massive upgrade from the small, 5,000 seat stadium with the same name, to a 28,000 seat stadium. Cougar stadium was soon upgraded to be able to hold 35,000 spectators, then soon changed up to 45,000 and was stuck at that number for many years. Including the football field, a track surrounding the field was later removed.

 

1970’s

In the stadium itself, not much happened to the seating amount, look, or name. The only main change was the Cougars’ team itself who only got better in the standings.

 

1980’s

In the ’80s, the changes to the stadium were much more impactful than any other decade, except for the upgrade to the new stadium. In 82’ The stadium went under MANY wanted, and big changes such as adding stands to the north and south end zones, lowering the field eight feet, and removing the track surrounding the field (home to the 1967 and 1975 NCAA Track and Field Championships). The stadium expansion increased the seating amount to over 65,000. The crowd of 64,253 that gathered for BYU’s first game in the expanded stadium on September 25, 1982, was reported at the time as “the largest gathering ever in Utah history.” Not to mention the cougar’s national championship win, and winning the first Holiday Bowl.

 

1990’s

The Cougars “Cougar Stadium” went through no changes, similar to the 70’s decade.

 

2000s-2020s

 

The stadium was renamed with the retirement of BYU LEGENDARY head football coach LaVell Edwards after the 2000 season. In 2003, BYU added a luxury “Club Seating” area to the east stands, taking the capacity of Edwards Stadium to 64,045. In 2010 and 2011 BYU created additional wheelchair access inside the stadium, which reduced the overall capacity to 63,725 in 2010 and 63,470 in 2011. 

 

The Cougars Field

The field itself is one of the most iconic pieces of BYU history. The field held miracles, comebacks, fans rushing the field, and upsets. The field itself is well kept and is covered with a sand-based natural turf capable of draining eight inches of rain per hour. The well-kept grass field is consistently deemed one of the best in the country and constantly had a nice paint job. The field has gone through a few color and design changes but has stayed mostly static throughout its history.

 

Extra Additions 

The Stadium has had many extra little additions such as the Cougar room and the Video Scoreboard

 

The Cougar Club Room, which is a common meeting place for Cougar Club members, is located in LaVell Edwards Stadium, near the northwest side of the stadium, The room is used for pre and post-game activities as well as for meetings and banquets during the year.

The video board has gone through 3 major changes, The introduction of the scoreboard, the revamp in 2012, and a new remodel in 2021 which is still being worked on. The two scoreboards are located along the north and south endzones, with thinner, and longer video boards along the east, north, and south sides.

 

The Press Box

The LaVell Edwards Stadium press box has been named the “Provo Marriott” by the media who cover BYU football. Rising over 10 stories high, the four-level press box is located on the west side of the stadium and runs the entire length of the stands. The little area is visible from inside, and outside the stadium.

In 1982, 1988, and 1997 the Football Writers Association of America cited BYU for its “outstanding press box working area.”

Levels one and two of the press box contain 42 private lodges, each one equipped with 12 padded chairs, a television, radio, telephone, refrigerator, sink, and game programs. The BYU President’s Box, which includes 163 padded chairs, five television sets, and a buffet area, is also located on the first floor.

Level three is reserved for the print and electronic media along with all the game operators. The statistics, public address, sound, and scoreboard controls are all located on the third level. Approximately 300 people work on the third level during games. Level four is primarily used for television game filming.

 

Other Events

Other than the BYU football games held there, LaVell Edwards Stadium is occasionally home to the “Stadium Of Fire” a fourth of July event.

Sources: BYU Cougars facility

 

BYU’s 6-2 Start, Season looking good

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BYU’s 6-2 Start, Season looking good

BYU has had so much momentum walking into the first game of the 2021/2022 season. Coming off of an 11-1 season with the beloved Zach Wilson, the team knew they had to keep up the play, and sure enough, they put up a show.

 

First Few Games

BYU vs. ARIZONA

Walking into Agilent Stadium on Sep. 4, 2021, the crowds were energetic. BYU and Arizona faced off against each other in Allegiant Stadium, for the Las Vegas kickoff classic. On the tickets, the game was an Arizona home game, but according to the crowds, it looked more like a BYU home game. (And Arizona University is closer, by a whole hour!) The ratio of BYU fans to Arizona fans in the stands was most likely 7-1. 7/9 of the crowd was BYU, and that most likely helped them into this season opener.

 

The game started off slow, with 0 points being scored in the first quarter, and not much happening. But the game had only just begun, and some scoring started to commence. BYU out-scored a quick 14-3 second quarter, and all the momentum was on BYU going into the second half. The third quarter was an Arizona show, scoring 10 points to BYU’s 7, putting the scoreboard to 21-13. The fourth quarter was hectic, with the ball just going back and forth and not much scoring was actually happening. A field goal by Arizona and BYU sent Arizona home, empty-handed, and the final score 24-16, BYU.

 

Arizona’s Quarter-Back, Gunner Cruz, led both teams in passing yards, with 336 to Jaren Halls (BYU) 198. Tyler Allgeier led both teams in rushing, running in a solid 94 yards, and A touchdown.

 

BYU vs. UTAH

Ah yes, the BYU vs. Utah rivalry game. Every time these two teams face-off, it’s the game of the day. LaVell Edwards Stadium was ROCKING on 9/11, and so much respect was sent to the fallen soldiers of the worst day in Manhattan. The BYU cougars had not beaten Utah in 9 whole years, and it was time.

 

The game itself started off almost just as slow as the Arizona game with BYU posting a small, but good 3-0 lead on Utah out of the first quarter. Utah’s offense already had 2 turnovers in a matter of 3 possessions. The second quarter just gave BYU more and more momentum as it went on, and BYU posted a strong 13-7 outscore, and the score being 16-7 at halftime. The second half brought more momentum, and BYU, having only one touchdown, had the Utes down 23-7 ending the third quarter. The fourth quarter was the Utes game, and all that momentum that BYU had built up, was crushed. A quick 10 points from Utah put the game at 23- 17, with just a few minutes remaining. BYU marched down the field, nearly scoring a touchdown, but got held to a field goal. That kicker, Jake Oldroyd DRILLED right down the middle and held the lead to 9. Utah needed to take the ball all the way down the field, score, then score again after receiving an onsides kick. But BYU didn’t even give them a chance, and stopped the Utes on fourth down, securing the victory for BYU for the first time in 9 games. 

 

BYU’s Jaren Hall barely led both teams in passing yards, posting in 149, just two ahead of Utah’s Charlie Brewer. The Utes Running back, Micha Bernard, rushed an amazing 146 yards, easily beating out Tyler Allgeier. 

 

BYU vs. ARIZONA STATE

LaVell Edwards Stadium and the Cougars were hoping for a win and having two consecutive wins against Ap-Ranked teams for the first time in franchise history. It was just bound to happen.

 

The game started off quick with a startling fumble from Arizona State on the kickoff return, that BYU immediately scored off of it with a strong Tyler Allgeier. But the fame didn’t last long, and with a perfect throw to Andre Johnson, from Arizona State’s QB, Jayden Daniels for a 58-yard reception. Arizona State quickly followed with a rushing touchdown and tied the game up only 3:50 into the game. The rest of the first quarter was slow, and not much happened. The second quarter started, and Arizona State was just ramming their way down the field. But a great defended pass and big hit lead to a BYU interception. The game was already starting to look like the Utah game with 2 turnovers already on ASU. The cougars quickly get the ball back and march down, with a quick play from their own 14 to their own 45. Another great pass and a trick play double pitch lead to a BYU 34 yard Touchdown reception. After a 3-and-out on ASU’s possession, it led to a 40 yard Gunner Romney reception. Shortly after, BYU’s Jaren Hall throws a perfect 15-yard Touchdown reception by Isaac Rex with 4:40 left on the clock. The rest of the quarter was a cougars interception, but no luck on the next possession with Jaren Hall throwing an interception with 16 seconds left. The Cougars walked into the half up 21-7.

 

Starting the second half, a quick BYU 3-and-out led to an ASU touchdown only 5 minutes into the half, leaving the score at 21-14. Another BYU punt later, The Sun devils march their way down the field, making people miss, and scoring a solid field goal making the score now 21-17 BYU cougars still up. The cougars make their way down the field and throw an interception on the 25-yard line. But the hustle didn’t stop, and BYU’s Tyler Allgeier chased down the runner and popped the ball out and BYU recovered the ball on their own 13. Two turnovers in one play, and basically a loss of 70 for BYU. BYU with the ball back marched back down the field, but a sack on 3rd down led to a BYU punt inside the 3. ASU started their diver and got immediately stopped, causing a punt. BYU marches back down the field and brings it down to the 5, but Jaren Hall goes down, and Baylor Romney steps in. The ball snapped and Balor slips, recovers, and throws a dime to Tight End-Issac Rex for a BYU touchdown. This basically seals the game, and BYU wins 27-17.

 

ASU’s QB Jayden Daniels led both teams in yards, stacking in 265 to BYU’s Jaren Hall’s 214. 

 

Players to watch for

Jaren Hall (Quarterback), Tyler Allgeier (Running Back), Ryan Rehkow (Punter)

Johnny Manziel: the rise and downspiral of one of the NFL’s brightest stars

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Johnny Manziel: the rise and downspiral of one of the NFL’s brightest stars

When getting drafted onto the biggest stage of all, many players think the spotlight is all on them. Those players are greedy, careless jerks who want all the attention. One example of this is Johnny Manziel, who was drafted out of Texas Tech with the 22nd overall pick in the 2014 draft and is considered one of the biggest draft busts in all of the sports. If you want to know how to act at the next level, do not take notes from Johnny Manziel. Here’s how it all started, came to be, and what is he doing now?

 

Just a boy from Texas

Johnny Manziel was born on December 6th, 1992 in Tyler, Texas. He would grow up there all his life and gain attention in his high school years at Tivy High School. He became a top prospect there and decided to attend college at Texas A&M University. There he gained a reputation on campus, he became a star. Not just in the state of Texas, but all over the country. 

It seemed at times he would make a highlight every single game, and many started to take notice. His biggest moment came against #1 Alabama. On the road, Texas A&M beat Alabama 29-24, and Manziel was responsible for 345 yards of offense in this gigantic Aggies win. But in that light, Johnny would start to become cocky, and self-confident. 

He had a reputation off the field that became frowned upon. In June of 2012, Johnny was arrested and taken to jail for having a fake ID and fighting with others. Texas A&M fined him $2000, but this was only the beginning of Manziel’s off-the-field issues. However, that year it all seemed to go away for a little while when he undoubtedly won the Heisman. But next season, it was all the same. More off-the-field issues, constant partying, drugs, and alcohol, Texas A&M got sick of it.

Then like that, Manziel’s career at Texas A&M was over. He declared for the 2014 NFL draft. Many thought that Manziel was egotistical and too much of a party animal, and were worried that it might take his mind off of football and continue to get him more in trouble. He was referred to as, “undraftable”. Many were skeptical of him even making the transition to the NFL, add his off-the-field issues, and he was the most perfectly imperfect player that could get drafted. But there was the side of him that is a top athlete and could change the Browns franchise. A former NFL coach called him an “arrogant little prick”, as well as one of the best quarterbacks he has ever seen (dawgpounddaily). 

But the Cleveland Browns saw something in him, they saw his highlights in college and how he could simply take over games and be an X factor, something the Browns have craved for years. See, the Cleveland Browns are notorious for drafting quarterbacks that are the worst in the league. They have drafted 31 quarterbacks since 1991, and none of them were good. Trent Dilfer, Doug Pederson, Baker Mayfield, all are drafted in the first round and completely fail expectations. Johnny Manziel was the next victim on that list, and he may be one of the worst on it. And so, they drafted him. It seems like everyone but the Browns didn’t want him to get drafted, but the Browns did anyways. This meme explains it perfectly.

 

Downward Spiral

Johnny Manziel made his debut during Week 15 of the 2014 season against the Bengals, who at that time wasn’t very good. This was a good idea by the Browns, their season was pretty much over, so let’s start our rookie quarterback against a bad team and see what he can do. Seems like a good idea right? Manziel was ATROCIOUS against Cincinnati, going ⅝ and throwing for 63 yards. This is a video showing the debut. He did score his first touchdown in the 4th quarter on a 10-yard rush, but the Browns ultimately lost 26-10. 

And just like college, Manziel’s off-the-field reputation haunted him. He showed up late to a team meeting and was fined. As a rookie, you should be doing everything in your power to prove who you are, and this just shows how irresponsible Johnny was. These issues continued throughout the 2014 year. 

In early 2015, it had surfaced that Johnny was undergoing rehab, which was a good sign. It showed that Johnny Football actually cared about his job and possibly was going to take his job seriously. Fans were hopeful, maybe he will change his ways. Throughout the spring, he started to build up his relationship and reputation with others. Offensive Lineman Joe Thomas said, “pretty apparent he’s realized how important football is to him, and he’s realized that in the NFL you can’t get away with maybe some of the things that you did in college…”. 

Coaches started to respect him, and finally, Manziel got his first start against the Titans in late September with a hurt Josh McCown and ended up winning 28-14. It seemed that finally, things were starting to look up for Money Manziel…and it immediately came crashing down when he partied again during a bye week. He was delegated to the 3rd string quarterback. He also lied when the reports came out. Many lost their trust in him yet again. Coach Mike Pettine said, “pretty apparent he’s realized how important football is to him, and he’s realized that in the NFL you can’t get away with maybe some of the things that you did in college…” 

And it seemed Johnny chose the bad guy route, as all of the rest of the year. It seemed week after week as he made the highlight reel in college, he was now causing drama off the field. And finally, the Browns waived him in March of 2016. 

 

Bouncing Around

For the next 2 seasons, Johnny was not claimed by any teams. Until one day, he signed a two-year contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League in March of 2018. Many were very skeptical to finally see Money Manziel in action again. So was Hamilton, as he was benched for 6 games for them and was traded to the Montreal Allouetes. In his debut with Montreal, he threw 4 interceptions in a 50-11 loss. No one was surprised, he hasn’t played any football since 2016. This debut was nothing short of a disaster. He played 8 more games with Montreal until the season ended and quit.

He decided to try once more with the Memphis Express in the Alliance of American Football in early 2019. He played a whopping 1 game with them and then quit once more at the end of the season.

And yet again, he joined a different league. How has he not given up yet? He joined the Fan Controlled Football League oddly enough out of boredom. He was assigned to the Zappers and played, again, 1 game. This is the last time we have seen Manziel play football.

It’s not official, but Johnny Manziel is pretty much retired. He said he has no interest playing pro football in the future.

The saddest thing is he had so much potential. He was young, exciting, and fun to watch. Every game he would shock people watching. That money symbol he throws up afer a big play was his upbringing, but also his downfall.

 A promising young career, thrown away in the trash because of some stupid choices. It all happened so quickly.

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