CFB MVP
This Baylor couple that got a little too frisky at the Big 12 Championship won the college football weekend
Let's set the scene: The Baylor Bears are leading Oklahoma State 21-16 with 1 minute and 37 seconds remaining in the Big 12 Championship Game. Oklahoma State, which was trailing 21-3 at one point, is driving, and it's sure looking like the Pokes are about to punch it in, steal a victory and cement their spot in the College Football Playoff.
For Baylor fans, times were obviously tense. They've seen their Bears win sole possession of the Big 12 title just once previously in school history, and just when they thought they had No. 2 in their grasp, the Cowboys were on the cusp of ripping their hearts out.
If this Baylor couple was any indication, though, you wouldn't know just how nervewracking a situation this was. Calm, cool, collected, and ... a little too frisky. Does this need a NSFW tag?:
Well, that is certainly a move you don't see at a football game often. Stress hits everyone differently, I guess.
The good news for this couple, who clearly won the college football weekend in more ways than one, is that Baylor won 21-16 in one of the most insane finishes to a championship game the sport has ever seen:
Making this play all the more insane was the fact that OSU running back Dezmon Jackson also came up an inch short of a touchdown earlier in the fourth quarter, too. I'm not sure how Oklahoma State fans will be able to sleep for the next few days:
Watching Al Pacino's speech in "Any Given Sunday" is going to hit very different for Pokes fans in the future. The INCCCHHHHHEEESSSS we NEEEEEEEDDDDD are EVERYWHEREEEE. A true double-kick to the you-know-what. No Big 12 title, no CFP berth. Nightmare city.
Congrats to Baylor (and that Baylor couple), though. What a start for head coach Dave Aranda in Waco. From 2-7 in Year 1 to 11-2 and Big 12 Champs in Year 2. That is a LEAP not many coaches can say they've made that quickly. Check out his reaction to the final play:
Stoic on the outside, more than likely slowly dying on the inside. What an insane finish to have to watch from the sideline. Next up for Baylor is a New Year's Day evening tilt with Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl, which is easily the best matchup of the New Year's Six bowls.
Helmet Stickers
(In this section, we'll dole out helmet stickers for those who *almost* won the weekend.)
Five Helmet Stickers: Kenny Pickett for the fake slide seen 'round the world
I can't remember a year where the Heisman Trophy has been A. so up for grabs and B. had so little fanfare around it. It's kind of sad what's become of an award and a night that used to be a must-watch event on the December TV schedule. Now, it's just an afterthought. Alabama's Bryce Young is going to win, and he probably should after that beatdown of a supposedly historic Georgia defense, but it was Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett who truly had THE Heisman moment of the year on Saturday. A Johnny Manziel fumbles the ball, catches it, spins around and scrambles and hits Ryan Swope for a TD against Alabama type of Heisman moment. THE FAKE SLIDE:
I, like literally everyone else with a Twitter account, have a lot of thoughts on this. First, it's an absolutely incredible heads-up play. Football IQ on one billion, not to mention how athletic you have to be to fake like you're going down while at full speed, keep your balance, and then finish the play in the end zone. He deserves the Heisman off this play alone, though he had a full season worthy of the Heisman, too.
OK, are we in the trust tree now? This play is a fat load of horsesh-t. Pickett should have either been flagged for it or they should have called him down at the spot where he faked like he was sliding. The Wake Forest defense isn't ever going to be mistaken for the 1985 Chicago Bears, and maybe Pickett breaks a tackle or makes a man miss and scores anyway. But the fake slide caused both Demon Deacon defenders to let up because in today's version of football, laying a finger on a sliding quarterback is an extra 15 yards every time. Pickett exploited something I'm surprised more quarterbacks haven't tried, and now if some do attempt it they should expect to be blown the hell up. Not every QB is as athletic as Pickett, but the ones that are can and will absolutely get away with this move again unless it's eventually deemed illegal, which it should be. Having said that, it was still freakin' awesome.
Four Helmet Stickers: Hayden Rhodea
Two to three hours a day of ... pushing a football into a giant hole in a fake Dr. Pepper can? What on earth. Does Hayden have one of those Dr. Pepper cans at his house? Was he just push-throwing footballs in his backyard like a weirdo? Hey, who are we to judge. The practice paid off and the kid won six figs in tuition. By the way, much like Kenny Pickett's fake slide, the push-throw in this Dr. Pepper competition should be outlawed. Either throw a football like it's supposed to be thrown or shut this whole competition down. It's unbecoming. But yeah, congrats to Hayden.
Three Helmet Stickers: Sean McDonough's massive note card
That's a menu from the Cheesecake Factory and I won't be told otherwise.
Two Helmet Stickers: Matt Araiza
Normally, when we talk about Matt Araiza in this space, it's because he booted one 90 yards. But on this fine Monday we're giving him credit for a punt that traveled only 25 yards. Why? Because it was blocked and still turned out OK:
I mean, that's still a halfway decent punt, no? Unfortunately, Araiza won't be winning the Heisman, and he won't even be invtied to New York, but that dude had one hell of a punting season. College Gameday did a great profile on him that everyone should watch if they have a few minutes.
One Helmet Sticker: The media
Good job guys, you woke up the Tide.