Why a national title isn’t the only thing each team is playing for in the College Football Playoff
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There are, of course, the storylines for the College Football Playoff games themselves on Monday: Michigan’s effort to prove itself worthy against the country’s elite programs in their Rose Bowl date with Alabama, who has Nick Saban chasing an eighth national championship; Washington’s quest to show they belong among the national title contenders after their undefeated season saw them listed as the underdog to Texas.
However, beyond the scores of semifinals and the championship that lies ahead, there are strings attached that will cause ripples at the college and possibly pro levels.
Will both Michigan and Alabama wrap up their seasons needing new coaches? Will Arch Manning make the move that he likely should? Are the Giants witnessing their new quarterback hopeful? We break these down below.
Is Jim Harbaugh coaching his last college game?
It’s looking highly probable.
Michigan wants to lock its coach down after he has led the school to its third consecutive College Football Playoff, and currently has the Wolverines at 13-0. Harbaugh has expressed a desire to stay with his alma mater. But he hasn’t been so quick to cash in with the potential enticement of an NFL return awaiting.
While Harbaugh is still working on a current contract that runs through the 2026 season, the university has offered a 10-year, $125 million contract extension. More importantly, the deal contains a clause that prohibits Harbaugh from entertaining or seeking out professional coaching offers for the entire 2024 season.
AP
It’s a pretty big caveat and likely the reason he has yet to sign an offer that would make him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football history and the highest in the Big Ten.
Harbaugh is annually connected to coaching jobs in the NFL, and most recently interviewed with the Vikings in 2022 and the Broncos earlier this year.
Now, he appears to be leaning toward rejoining the NFL after a stint with the 49ers (2011-2014), leading them to three conference title games and one Super Bowl appearance.
On Sunday it was revealed that Harbaugh hired football agent Don Yee, who represents seven-time Super Bowl champion and former Michigan quarterback Tom Brady, and others in the league.
There is rumored interest with the Chargers, who held Harbaugh as their franchise quarterback in 1999 and 2000, and others who are looking to fill coaching vacancies before the start of next season. However, he has kept passing on any questions that do not concern the upcoming Rose Bowl on Monday.
“Such a one-track mind, that’s the way we’ve gone about things,” Harbaugh responded when asked about a return to the NFL. “It’s literally whatever day we’re in, looking to get the most out of it. Dominate the day then we’re gonna go to sleep tonight and wake tomorrow, and see if we can’t dominate that day. It’s a single-minded group and just very focused on taking care of business today and see if we can’t do the same tomorrow.”
Harbaugh’s non-answers provide more clarity than likely intended.
Can Nick Saban secure his status as perhaps the greatest college coach ever?
Yet another mystery behind the Michigan-Alabama game is whether Nick Saban, the man behind Alabama football for over 17 years, will retire at the season’s end.
It seems those closest to Saban, 72, are unsure of his competitive career plans. In a recent interview, Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said “Nobody knows that answer except him,” per 247Sports. Steele and Saban’s relationship goes back to 1985 and Steele is in his third season under Saban.
But what is less of a mystery than his retirement plans is the legacy he will either leave behind or continue to build next year. Saban has built and nurtured a foundation at Alabama, proven in his 206-28 record (including 117-18 in SEC games) at the university and further in his 297-70-1 overall career.
If Saban is to win the national championship this year, it will be his eighth total and seventh with Alabama, the remaining with LSU. He already holds the record for most national titles among college coaches after surpassing fellow Alabama coaching legend Paul Bryant at six wins.
Saban has proven he can win while navigating the college transfer portal and scholarship complications. He has proven he can win while enduring a revolving door of offensive and defensive coordinators throughout the years. He has the SEC under his spell, winning national titles at two different SEC locales.
Would a seventh title at Alabama put an end to any debate for Saban against Bryant or other national title-winning coaches like John McKay (USC), Knute Rockne (Notre Dame), and Woody Hayes (Ohio State)? It just might, or perhaps, there is no need to.
How will Texas’ result affect Arch Manning’s future at the school?
The former five-star recruit is in a tough spot it seems no matter the outcome of the Sugar Bowl. There is an obvious solution, either win or lose, only it doesn’t appear Manning will take it.
Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli, came to Texas as the third-string quarterback behind starter Quinn Ewers and now former backup Maalik Murphy, who recently transferred to Duke.
With Murphy heading out, a door opens for Manning to be the backup to Ewers on Monday against Washington, and if given the chance to go on the field, he could turn the odds of the starting job in his favor.
But with the talent of Ewers, who has 3,161 yards passing this season, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions, Manning’s hill to climb is still steep.
The easier route would be to transfer to another program where Manning could be the leading man. However, Manning admitted on Saturday that he hasn’t thought about making a move at all despite swirling rumors and being a backup two years in a row behind a fellow sophomore.
“Obviously, there’s always rumors, especially nowadays,” Manning said on Saturday to the media, according to Inside Texas. “I haven’t looked into transferring at all. I’m just focused on developing and helping this team any way I can and hopefully one day playing for the University of Texas like I’ve always wanted to.”
If he opted to enter the portal, he would likely draw interest from several big schools, including Ohio State and Oklahoma, who have openings at QB.
Could the Giants be looking at their future quarterback in J.J. McCarthy or Michael Penix Jr.?
It’s no secret that the Giants (5-11) could use some help, and adding a quarterback may not be on the back burner.
After Daniel Jones’ ups and downs and eventual season-ending ACL injury, heads and hearts turned to Tommy DeVito for a short-lived three-game revival before being benched for Tyrod Taylor, who couldn’t make up for DeVito’s mess against the Saints in a 24-6 loss nor close a win against the long-heated rival Eagles, 33-25. (Sunday saw him throw for 319 yards and a score but not register a win against the Rams.)
General manager Joe Shoen has said it’s the “expectation” that Jones will be the starting quarterback when he is “healthy.” However, a third quarterback will have to be added with Taylor unsigned and DeVito an undrafted rookie who still has some developing to do.
With three straight losses, the Giants now hold the No. 5 draft pick, according to Tankathon, and if they favor going for a quarterback early in the draft rather than taking on a veteran in free agency as insurance for Jones, their pick may be performing on Monday.
In November, The Post’s Ryan Dunleavy reported that two high-ranking scouts for the Giants believe that Michigan’s McCarthy could be the answer.
McCarthy has led Michigan to an undefeated season, completing 213 passes for 2,630 yards, 19 touchdowns, and four interceptions. At 6-foot-3, 197 pounds, he also isn’t afraid to run, tallying 181 yards for three rushing touchdowns this season.
The Giants could take him under their wing, train him, and have him ready to take over for Jones and his $47.1 million salary if necessary. Or they could go after a young quarterback that would likely have an immediate impact on the field, such as Caleb Williams of USC or Jayden Daniels out of LSU. But they may need some luck/willing trade partners to make that happen.
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The finger of blame
The ending to Saturday night’s Lions-Cowboys matchup was certainly puzzling, and one that left many pointing fingers.
But most should be pointing at Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
After offensive lineman Taylor Decker caught the pass on a 2-point conversion play that would have given Detroit a one-point lead with 23 seconds remaining in the game, officials ruled he wasn’t an eligible receiver as he did not report to the officials.
On the second attempt, Campbell pressed again, and Jared Goff threw an interception but Micah Parsons was offsides.
A third attempt didn’t deter Campbell’s aggressive nature, but it didn’t work in his favor with Goff throwing an incomplete pass short of the goal line.
Despite the he said vs. he said situation, and what appeared to be a possible official’s error after an overhead video captured Decker going over to talk to an official before the play, a big responsibility for the loss falls on Campbell.
He is known for being aggressive on fourth down; the Lions are second in fourth-down attempts in the league with 38 on a 50 percent conversion rate behind the Panthers (46).
Still, Campbell had three opportunities to play it safe. Three opportunities to kick the extra point to tie the game and head into overtime with added time to pull out a victory.
However, his emotions got the best of him after the lineman reporting saga unfolded. He was determined to get the two extra points in an effort to make up for the lost conversion or to somehow prove himself in the right.
Bench deficit
Though the blockbuster trade for OG Anunoby on Saturday allowed the Knicks to restructure their rotation, some glaring issues remain, most notably after losing Immanuel Quickley.
Among the fans, he was a showman, and one that was well received in The Garden, especially as an effective player off the bench.
Quickley, 24, was coming into his own in the middle of his fourth season with the Knicks, creating an instant offensive spark. He was averaging a career-best 15 points per game before the deal, which the Knicks will need to make up for.
Maybe even more importantly, he was the backup to Jalen Brunson, who has proved durable in his time in New York, but no human body is infallible.
The Knicks options now appear to be Miles McBride, Donte DiVincenzo and Ryan Arcidiacono to fill in if an injury occurs, all of which are not entirely promising.
DiVincenzo has played the most this season out of the three, averaging 21.2 minutes per game with 10.5 points on 47 percent shooting. On the other hand, McBride and Arcidiacono have seen an average of 5.3 minutes and 2 minutes, respectively.
To put the change in another context, Quickley (24) was a plus-4 for the Knicks when active while DiVincenzo holds a minus-1.6.
Soon enough, the Knicks may feel the ache of Quickley’ absence in the short-term; however, to prevent any long-term pains without him, they will need to work on DiVincenzo or find another move to make before the trade deadline in February.
What we’re reading 📰
🏈 It was going to take a mistake-free effort for the Giants to topple a red-hot Rams team on Sunday. Instead, writes Mark Cannizzaro, Big Blue stubbed their collective toe in all the ways we’ve gotten used to seeing them do this season.
🏈 Tyrod Taylor had the Giants on the move with less than a minute left Sunday afternoon with a chance to author a signature win. Then Brian Daboll took the ball out of his QB’s hands. Steve Serby tries to make sense of it all.
🏀 Getting OG Anunoby may pay off for the Knicks in the long run, but in the immediate term, it’s clear the team is still processing losing two well-liked teammates. ‘[N]obody wants to see their family leave, they’re my bros, you know?,” said Mitchell Robinson in a social media post.
⚾ “He hit, he pitched, he earned.” Those are just a few of the reasons the year that was belonged to Shohei Ohtani, writes Joel Sherman, who delves into all the figures and teams that told baseball’s story in 2023.
🏒 The Rangers skate into 2024 at 25-9-1. So what do the Blueshirts need in the New Year? How about a scoring, top-six right winger? That’s what Mollie Walker suggests, as well as a few other items.
🏒 The Penguins ended the Islanders’ 2023 on a sour note.
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