Before we look at this years installment of the Peach Bowl (brought to you by Chick-fil-A), it would make sens to have a quick look back at last years game between the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide and the #4 Washington Huskies.
Alabama entered the game as the undisputed #1 team in all of college football and the reigning national champions as they once again wore the SEC crown by thumping the #15 Florida Gators 54-16. Their opponents from the Pacific Northwest punched their ticket to Atlanta by dispatching the #9 Colorado Buffalos in the Pac-12 title game 41-10, setting up a titanic #1 vs #4 college football semi-final playoff.
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The game featured 2 of the more prolific offenses in the NCAA, hilighted by the QBs - freshman Jalen Hurts of Alabama vs Sophmore Jake Browning of Washington.
As the game got off to a rocking start - Washington was the first team to reach paydirt via a Jake Browning TD pass to Dante Pettis.
But the lead would be short-lived as the Crimson Tide would take the ensuing kick-off and ROLL ON over the Huskies, capped off by a Bo Scarborough 18-yd run.
The teams were closely matched and the game cried out for a special play - and that's when Ryan Anderson answered the call for 'Bama, picking off Huskies QB Browning and racing to the house for a 23-yard pick-6.
Both teams came out from half-time knowing that a berth in the National Championship game was up for grabs, and the defenses from both teams started to impose their will on the game. First it was the talented Huskies D getting Jalen Hurts on the run...
... and on the next possession future NFL 1st round pick, speedster John Ross got a taste of the Crimson D.
In the end the Tide was too strong, pulling away in the 4th quarter on Scarborough's 2nd TD of the night, capping off Player of the Game performance and vaulting Alabama into the title game for the second year in a row.
This season we anticipate another WHALE of a game, between the rested #2 seed UCLA Bruins who are coming off a monster season where they crushed nearly every offensive statistic in the NCAA - and the Young Thundering Herd from tiny Marshall University. The Herd has been proving doubters wrong all season as without a superstar player emerging to lead the group they were forced to lean on a number of different players on both sides of the ball and win ugly. The clock may be about to strike midnight on this Cinderella however as most pundits are calling for the Bruins to demolish the Herd before they get to the mid-game break.
Can the Herd keep the mojo running for 1 more week in the improbable Bowl Season run? Or will UCLA use them as just another speed-bump on their way to the NCAA Title game?
