By Cole Mantell (@LightningDragon)
We are on to the Semifinals! Four teams remain, each with some great stories and players to discuss. Will it be a Cinderella or a powerhouse achieving long-awaited glory? Will it be a powerhouse offense that wins the day? Or suffocating defense? Let’s look at who is left and the two games left to decide who contends for the Season 22 National Championship.
Rose Bowl – #11 North Carolina vs #10 Miami
The two lower seeds competing for the championship have two very different paths. Let’s start with UNC, who will be the “road” team here. After their upset win over Michigan State in Round 1, UNC got to host a playoff game despite their #11 seed. They beat fellow underdog Texas 42-41 in one of the best games of this season, full stop. UNC has, as discussed, never won a playoff game before this season, despite five previous postseason appearances. This season is different for the Tar Heels. UNC has now won twice and is two games away from history.
Then there is Miami. Miami has a much longer playoff history, including recently under AD George Yost. Miami had a similar path to UNC this postseason, upsetting their first-round opponent Florida. Then they also got to host a playoff game, against fellow underdog Ohio State, in which they won in another thriller, 48-43. But Miami is much more familiar with these types of games in their school history. The Hurricanes won the National Championship in Season 9. All time, their playoff record now stands at 16-9, including this season. That’s one of the best playoff records of any team in the CFSL, and that includes more than a few wins from George Yost’s squads.
Both teams know that the keys to this game may come from the earlier meeting this season, where Miami beat UNC 42-25. Miami QB Leisa Pink had maybe her best game of this season so far, passing for 372 yards and 2 touchdowns. HB Bo Yost, maybe the biggest key player in Miami period, rushed for 110 yards and 2 more touchdowns. If Pink and Yost continue their hot streaks, it will be nearly impossible for UNC (or anyone) to stop. The key to Miami’s win in the Rose Bowl will again run through those two, as it has all season.
For UNC, we can look at their defense. In that loss to Miami earlier this season, MLB Stan Free had 11 tackles. In games this season where Free, a key part of the UNC defense, had more than 10 tackles, UNC had a record of 1-3. In games where he had less than 10 tackles, UNC went 5-1. My point? When teams get past the defensive line and gain a lot of yards on this defense, UNC is in trouble. UNC has to make adjustments to contain both Miami’s star QB and HB. If the front seven can get behind the line of scrimmage and wreak havoc, as they did especially well against Michigan State, they’ll win this game.
Gator Bowl – #4 Texas A&M vs #1 Alabama
Since Season 20, when Texas A&M returned a second time to the CFSL, these two teams have combined for plenty of drama. First, in a Season 20 regular season game, the two teams tangled in a close game, finishing in a 37-30 win for Alabama. Texas A&M hugely got revenge in Season 21. In maybe the biggest win of their Cinderella run last season, Texas A&M crushed Alabama 62-33. Now Alabama wants revenge, and Texas A&M is the last obstacle in the way of Alabama reaching the National Championship.
The Crimson Tide have gone 10-0 this season. I don’t need to explain how rare of an achievement that is, especially in today’s CFSL. But let’s list the last few teams that have won a National Championship undefeated, which Alabama is now aiming to do.
| Team | Undefeated National Championship Season |
| Oregon | Season 11 |
| Notre Dame | Season 12 |
| Kentucky | Season 16 |
That’s the entire list. Oregon did it in a shortened Season 11. Notre Dame did it under the first great CFSL dynasty. And Kentucky did it while trading a dynasty run with rival Oklahoma State. That’s the history Alabama is trying to join. It’s an incredibly tough achievement that only three teams have done in 22 seasons of CFSL play. Now the question is if Alabama can join this club.
For Alabama, while their offense has been great, their defense has stepped up this offseason. First, they held off Clemson in a 41-31 win. Then, against one of the best-rushing teams in the CFSL in Colorado, they shut down almost everything in a 24-14 win. While Alabama’s offense has been great during this undefeated run, they say defense wins championships. If Alabama continues to allow 20 points or fewer per game, I think they win the whole thing.
For Kade Padgett and his Texas A&M Aggies, they now have to prove they can win a championship doing the exact opposite idea. This postseason, Texas A&M beat Michigan 65-59 in Round 1. Then they took down Florida State 45-22. While the defensive effort was better in Round 2, it has been Texas A&M’s offense, led by freshman QB Malcom Streets, that has been the difference. If Texas A&M again can power past a tough defense in Alabama, they can make their 2nd National Championship in a row. It’s history on the line for both teams, with a lot of recent history indicating this will be a must-watch affair.
