Carla and Crappy Show: The 2021 Final Four Edition

We’re getting down to the end of the 2021 college football season, and Carla and Crappy are ready to discuss the New Year’s Six bowl games – including the two semifinal games featuring Cincy vs. Bama and Georgia vs. the, uh, Big Ten representative – but first, we’ve gotta throw it back.

 

How far back? All the way back to last season, when COVID decimated college football schedules from coast to coast. The 2021 season was largely free of similar COVID hassles, until omicron showed up and started ripping through teams, college campuses and, inevitably, the bowl schedule. As of Thursday, Dec. 30 – the day the NY6 games are scheduled to begin – none of the big boy bowls have been overtaken by omicron. But we wouldn’t be surprised if it happens.

 

1. Actual football. Let’s go. The undercard:

7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 30, ESPN

Peach Bowl, Atlanta

No. 12 Pitt vs. No. 10 Michigan State

Two Kens are sitting this one out, but one Ken – a Kenny, specifically, is harder to replace than the other. And that’s not good news for Pitt.

 

1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 1, ESPN

Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Arizona

No. 9 Oklahoma State vs. No. 5 Notre Dame

It could be that the biggest variable in this game isn’t a player – it’s a coach. ND’s players were clearly stoked about the selection of Marcus Freeman as the replacement for that dude who moved to Baton Rouge. And we suspect they’re going to play their butts off for him.

 

5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 1, ESPN

Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California

No. 11 Utah vs. No. 6 Ohio State

Utah is playing in its first Rose Bowl, and it brings in a blueprint very similar to the one the Team Up North used to beat the Buckeyes. And that’s got Crappy feeling really uncomfortable.

 

8:45 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 1, ESPN

Sugar Bowl, New Orleans

No. 7 Baylor vs. No. 8 Ole Miss

Defense wins championships. Baylor is hoping that it also wins Sugar Bowls.

 

And the Final Four:

 

3:30 p.m. Friday, Dec, 31, ESPN

Cotton Bowl, Jerryworld

No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Cincinnati

This is the time of year when Nick Saban almost never loses. And that doesn’t bode well for the Bearcats.

 

7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 31, ESPN

Orange Bowl, Miami

No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 football team

Carla thinks the Bulldogs can win if they force the other team to rely on its passing “attack.” Crappy just seems to be really bitter about something … we’re not sure what.

 

With a brief nod – it was more of a cringe, actually – to the Browns and Stillers on MNF, C and C wrap things up with just one show – the natty edition – still to come. Do your best of overdose on college football while you can, boys and girls, because it’s almost done until next fall. Enjoy the games, yinz.