Well, I guess the proof that you’re a real sports fan is if you can watch football all day long and care deeply about basketball and the other sports. Anyway, it was an interesting quarterfinal round of the National Championship bracket. Originally when they started out, these were the twelve teams involved: A&M, Miami, Ole Miss, Tulane, Oklahoma, Alabama, Oregon and James Madison. The second round concluded a couple of weeks ago and had Oregon against Texas Tech, Alabama against Indiana, Ole Miss against Georgia, and Miami against Ohio State. Those were the eight still left and now there are four. These are the final four: Oregon which has a record of 13-1, Indiana which is undefeated in 14 games, Ole Miss is 13-1 and Miami is 12-2. Now, that’s the bracket for this weekend and it makes for a couple of great ballgames. Then, they will have the final on the weekend of somewhere around the 20th.
Who do I pick? I pick Indiana because I just don’t think Oregon has enough to stay with them. I think it’s Indiana and Ole Miss. It could go any way but that’s the way I see it. Indiana against Ole Miss and I think Indiana wins it all.
The interesting thing to me is in the quarterfinal round there were some teams that didn’t look like they belonged. There were some that looked just overpowering if you will. The ones that got beat, mercy sakes, Texas Tech didn’t score against Oregon. I’m not sure they would have scored in another week. They did not look good. I don’t know what their problem was but Tech looked lousy and they got beat 23 to nothing. Then you had Alabama and Indiana. Alabama scored a grand total of 3 points and Indiana scored about 40. Ole Miss and Georgia was, I think, the best game of the day. I don’t think anyone would argue with that. Ole Miss, you can’t help but pull for them. Their coach left and they got a coach that I’m not sure had ever been a head coach before, but those kids are playing well for him. To upset Georgia was a major accomplishment. Then, Miami beat Ohio State and they have pretty well gone through everybody. Once they got hot they beat Texas A&M and didn’t allow a touchdown. They didn’t allow a point I don’t think to Ohio State, oh yeah they did, but it was still a convincing victory.
So, you came out with those four teams and it sets up two great matchups this weekend. Indiana and Oregon which I think I’ve already told you I think Indiana will win it. Mississippi State and Miami ought to be a classic as well. Those four teams, to my opinion, you could put a blanket over them. They are just very, very close. Anyway, I gave you mine.
By the way, you know what I really care about is one that is not in that final twelve. I think they were thirteenth in the last poll. That’s the Texas Longhorns. Most people said they belonged in it but they didn’t get the votes. I think some shocking things are going to come up. Number one, the big shocker, is when the final deal is done, when the final tally is made, I think Texas will be higher than thirteen. Yeah, I do. I think Texas will be the highest ranked team in that whole cotton picking deal. Texas beat Michigan by a couple of touchdowns. I think Texas will end up about six, five, seven, eight but Texas will finish in the top ten. I believe some people are going to take a fall. I think Alabama is going to fall big time and James Madison obviously. Oklahoma is going to fall. I just don’t see anybody moving up except Texas and I think Texas will show up pretty strong in that final poll. I think Indiana has it for this year. I’m probably wrong, but who knows, I might get this one right.
Until next time, so long everybody.
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‘Out of the Box’ with Dallas Huston is published each Monday morning at BrownwoodNews.com. Dallas was the radio voice of the Brownwood Lions and Howard Payne Yellow Jackets for more than 55 years. He currently is Pastor of Center City Baptist Church and hosts a Men’s Bible Study in Brownwood on Monday evenings. Your comments are welcome at lindalh2@verizon.net.