Scratching the five-year itch

The results are finally in for the 2021 edition of the "shoulda-coulda-woulda" NCAA Division 1-A football playoffs...and for the first time since 2016, the champion came from a league other than the Southeatern Conference. Well...without further ado, here goes:

FIRST ROUND (seeding in parentheses): San Diego State (9) 45, Northern Illinois (24) 38/BYU (16) 50, Oklahoma (17) 47 (3 OT)/Iowa (20) 28, Ohio State (13) 27/Appalachian State (21) 19, Houston (12) 10/Utah (19) 52, Mississippi (14) 31/Pittsburgh (11) 20, Oregon (22) 16/Michigan State (15) 31, Coastal Carolina (18) 30/Baylor (10) 24, Utah State (23) 17

SECOND ROUND: Cincinnati (1) 28, San Diego State 7/Oklahoma State (8) 35, BYU 14/Louisiana-Lafayette (5) 31, Iowa 17/Georgia (4) 45, Appalachian State 9/Utah 24, UTSA (6) 22/Alabama (3) 38, Pittsburgh 26/Michigan State 34, Notre Dame (7) 31/Michigan (2) 14, Baylor 7

QUARTERFINAL ROUND: Cincinnati 24, Oklahoma State 0/Georgia 24, Louisiana-Lafayette 3/Alabama 35, Utah 3/Michigan 52, Michigan State 14

SEMIFINAL ROUND: Georgia 24, Cincinnati 7/Michigan 17, Alabama 10

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Michigan 27, Georgia 17

MVP: Michigan RB Blake Corum

The last time a team other than one from the SEC went all the way in these playoffs, Penn State took down Washington, 29-13...the second straight year a Big Ten team ruled the roost. What's more, the Wolverines picked up their second D-1-A playoff title. The first one came in 1983 (just the second year of these "shoulda-coulda-woulda" playoffs), when Michigan stopped Texas, 30-17.

Now to figure out which teams would've made the 2022 edition...

After a year's absence, it's back!

The coronavirus pandemic scuttled the 2020 edition...and so, with college football playing a more-unified schedule for 2021, here's what our "shoulda-woulda-coulda" Division 1-A football playoff field would've looked like (won-lost records don't include bowl games):

1. Cincinnati (13-0; AAC champ)/2. Michigan (12-1; Big Ten champ)/3. Alabama (12-1; SEC champ)/4. Georgia (12-1; SEC at-large)/5. Louisiana-Lafayette (12-1; Sun Belt champ)/6. UTSA (12-1; Conference USA champ)/7. Notre Dame (11-1; independent at-large)/8. Oklahoma State (11-2; Big 12 at-large)

9. San Diego State (11-2; Mountain West at-large)/10. Baylor (11-2; Big 12 champ)/11. Pittsburgh (11-2; ACC champ)/12. Houston (11-2; AAC at-large)/13. Ohio State (10-2; Big Ten at-large)/14. Mississippi (10-2; SEC at-large)/15. Michigan State (10-2; Big Ten at-large)/16. BYU (10-2; independent at-large)

17. Oklahoma (10-2; Big 12 at-large)/18. Coastal Carolina (10-2; Sun Belt at-large)/19. Utah (10-3; Pac-12 champ)/20. Iowa (10-3; Big Ten at-large)/21. Appalachian State (10-3; Sun Belt at-large)/22. Oregon (10-3; Pac-12 at-large)/23. Utah State (10-3; Mountain West champ)/24. Northern Illinois (9-4; MAC champ)

Two first-time playoff entries: Coastal Carolina and UTSA (the latter's the third different C-USA champ in as many seasons, not counting 2020). And Iowa's back in these playoffs for the first time since winning it all in 2015.

Only two ties needed breaking as far as seeding went: San Diego State and Baylor totaled 405 quality points each...but the Aztecs got the nod over the Bears because SDSU's Division 1-A opponents won 72 games in 2021, while Baylor's D-1-A foes got 63 victories. And Michigan State nosed out BYU after the Spartans' 1-A opponents earned 71 wins...two more W's than all the 1-A teams that faced the Cougars. (BYU and Michigan State amassed 360 quality points apiece.)

Well, I'm off to play these games, using Dave Koch Sports' Action! PC Football...and I'll post the results as soon as possible. (Can't wait!)

The countdown is over

I needed to let you know that, due to a bunch of personal issues (most of them job-related, some related to finances, some even church-related), I've decided to stop holding the Ragtime to Riches Festival. The continuing pandemic sure hasn't helped, as it wiped out what would've been the 2020 and 2021 R to R events. Still...I'm thankful for everyone who attended the festival since its 2005 inception, and I'm thankful for every performer who did the festival. Haven't dropped music for good, because I'm still going to the Pink Poodle Steakhouse in Crescent, IA to perform on the last Sunday of the month. (Hope to see you there!)