Cotton Bowl Grades

"Don't flinch." 

That is what Michigan State head coach, Mark Dantonio, said to ESPN's Heather Cox immediately prior to the kick off of the 2015 Cotton Bowl.  Dantonio's declaration of a No-Flinch Zone was a complete non sequitur. He was asked whether MSU's QB Connor Cook was 100% coming off an earlier shoulder injury. 

"Don't flinch"? 

Say what?

"Flinch": (v); to make a quick, sudden movement of the face or body in reaction to pain, fear or surprise. 

Granted, these pre-game interviews are a bit peculiar. Coaches have a lot on their minds at that point and it is unlikely that the viewing audience is going to gain some valuable insight from a 15 second drive-by question. Even by this low standard, however, Dantonio was peculiar. He was really intense. I have seen looser banjo strings. Maybe "don't flinch" was the final game-thought he tried to impress on his players. If so, it was a mind-set that did not survive the first half and was nothing but an after-thought by the fourth quarter. 

Flinch # 1. With :15 to play in the second quarter, trailing by 10 points, the Spartans were threatening to score from the Alabama 12. Cook locked onto his intended receiver and launched an arching pass to the left-front corner of the end zone. Cyrus Jones broke on the ball, made a leaping interception at the goal line and returned the ball to the Tide 21.

Flinch # 2:    On Alabama's opening drive to start the third quarter, a clearly frustrated MSU defense twice committed personal fouls. The drive ended with Calvin Ridley's acrobatic 6-yard reception for a touchdown making the score 17-0.

Flinch # 3: After an exchange of punts, the Spartans offense had the ball at their own 15. A false start made the down and distance first and fifteen from the MSU 10. A three yard rush on first down was followed by an incomplete pass and intentional grounding. Spartan punter, J. Hartbarger, took the long snap from the 3 yard line and banged the ball 54 yards to Cyrus Jones. The forward elements of MSU's coverage unit had only gone 44 yards when Jones gathered the ball in. Fifty seven yards later, Jones and the Alabama punt return team celebrated their fourth punt-return touchdown of 2015 while across the field the Spartans looked on in stunned disbelief.

Alabama scored two more touchdowns after Cyrus' electrifying punt return; a 50 yard first down pass to Calvin Ridley and a three-play, 69 yard drive featuring Kenyan Drake and Derrick Henry. By then, however, MSU was incapable of flinching. Not because the Spartans were composed of steely resolve. No, after the punt return, the Spartans were completely insensate. They were whipped. Their capacity for resistance was shattered. MSU fans were on their cell phones trying to get earlier flights out of DFW and putting pre-paid travel packages to Phoenix on Stub Hub. Only the utter banality of New Year's Eve broadcasts kept TV sets in the State of Michigan tuned to the game.

This was another physical, sprit-crushing, skull-dragging, curb-stomping beat down of an opponent delivered by the 2015 edition of the The Crimson Tide. Michigan State joins Florida, Auburn, Mississippi State, LSU, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Georgia in the junk yard of football programs pulverized this season by a pitiless and dominating Alabama. After the game, Coach Saban told ESPN's Tom Rinaldi that Alabama came to the playoffs this year intending to "make a statement." Exactly what statement might that be? More on that question in a bit. For now, here is how I grade the game:

Offense: A+ Alabama gained 440 yards of total offense [154 rushing], earned 21 first downs, and controlled the ball for 32:56 of the clock. The MSU defense was determined to shut down the Tide rushing game, and dare Jake Coker to win with his arm. All the pundits said that MSU had the decided advantage at the QB position. Connor Cook had 39 career starts, and loads of big-game experience. He had a receiving target who was first team all Big 10 and two offensive linemen who were AP All Americans. So how did that work out?

Jake had a career night, completing 25 of 30 pass attempts for 286 yards and two TDs [Calvin Ridley]. Ridley led all receivers with 8 catches for 136 yards, a total that edged him past Julio Jones for the school record for receiving yards by a freshman in a season. Ardarius Stewart caught 7 passes for 37 yards. O.J. Howard [59 yds], Richard Mullaney [53] and Kenyan Drake [5] each had 3 receptions. I cannot say enough about the clutch play of Howard and Mullaney. They were open when they had to be and made key receptions at vital moments in the game. Both seniors will be missed, but not until after the Tide plays one more "most important game of the season."

Henry netted 75 yards on 20 rushing attempts. MSU was determined to limit him, but this proved to be a futile strategy in two respects. Coker showed the college football world that he was a far better QB than Cook, and Henry would have more than doubled his rushing yards if he had carried the ball as much as he averaged in games played in November.

Alabama had six drives that gained 40 or more yards [55, 80, 43, 75, 50, 69] reesulting in a punt, 4 TDs and a FG [47 yds]. The Tide converted only 4 of its 12 third down opportunities and was 1 for 1 on 4th down. The offense did not commit any turn overs.

Defense: A+ Alabama scored more points [38] than MSU gained net yards rushing [29]. The Spartans were able to convert only 4 of 16 third downs, had 6 three-and-out drives, and turned the ball over twice on interceptions and twice on downs.

Reggie Ragland led all defenders with 7 tackles [5 solo]. Dillon Lee had 6 stops. Ryan Anderson, Geno Matias-Smith and Reuben Foster were each credited with 4 tackles. Alabama defenders made 6 tackles for lost yardage [4 sacks], made 2 interceptions [Jones, Lee], broke up 8 passes, forced a fumble [Maurice Smith] and hurried Cook once. 

   

Special Teams:

Punting: A+ JK Scott averaged 46.5 yards on 6 punts. He dropped 4 inside the 20 yard line and had one touchback. The return team gained 80 total yards and scored a TD. 

Kickoffs: A Griff averaged 63.3 gross yards per kick and had 5 touchbacks. Alabama only had one return opportunity, but the MSU kicker achieved a touchback.

Place Kicking: A+ Griff made his lone FG attempt [47 yds] and was perfect on 5 PAT tries.

Coaching: A+ Alabama gained 541 all purpose yards and was penalized 6 times for 69 yards. One of those infractions, chop block, was a really poor call by the officials who otherwise did a good job calling the game. The participation report lists 59 players who saw action in the game. The play calling was particularly noteworthy and drew praise from the ESPN broadcast crew. Coach Kiffin had an excellent game plan, that Jake Coker executed extremely well. Coach Smart seemed to rely a bit more on blitzes, particularly in the first half, than he has done in the last several regular season games. What this means for the Championship Game is anyone's guess.

So what was the "statement" that Alabama intended to make in the Cotton Bowl, national championship semi-final? What I heard was: We really appreciate the hard work and hospitality of the Cotton Bowl Committee....we respect Michigan State and congratulate them on a fine season....we are excited about the opportunity to play for the national championship and we respect Clemson and congratulate them on their season....

But what does all that mean? I am only an amateur translator of "Coach Speak", but what I think this means is: the 2015 Alabama football team is on a mission....this playoff format is nothing new for this team......Alabama has been playing elimination games ever since the loss to Ole Miss....and those games have been against top-rank competition....mobile quarterbacks? Seen that.....speed on defense?.....ditto......tall talented receivers?......yep.....big backs that can pound the ball?......of course....but enough about practice, what about games?.... Done that too!

 

After Clemson came back in the second half to win big over Oklahoma, the Tiger players were celebrating like they had won it all. They were having a great time. One was even making a "snow angel" in the confetti. It was really fun to watch. Count me as a Dabo Swinney fan. I remember him as a player. Coach Stallings used to talk about what a great contributor Dabo was. I am happy for the success he has achieved at Clemson. But this is where it stops.

Readers of this blog know that I am not inclined to make big predictions and write a lot of anticipatory puffery. That is not what The Grades is all about.  But I have a feeling about this next game. This team is blue-collar, all-business. I believe Coach Saban when he says it is the hardest working group he has coached at Alabama. And that is saying a lot.

Now there are only two teams standing. One of the them is Alabama. This is as it should be. When the confetti cannon blasts the colored chaff into the confines of University of Phoenix Stadium I am expecting it will be Alabama players doing the celebrating. My message to any Clemson fans who might be trolling the blogs looking for bulletin board stuff?  That's easy: Don't flinch!

Roll Tide, Y'all.

The Commissioner