Chapter 119 The sudden change
“41:38”.
Beep! Beep!
At the end of the game, the away Kentucky Wildcats defeated the century-old rival Louisville Cardinals on a buzzer-beating free kick and took away a victory.
The game was definitely full of ups and downs, but in the end, the Louisville Cardinals lost the game with a buzzer-beater for the second consecutive week.
"Ah, ah ah!"
The Kentucky Wildcats players went crazy, completely crazy, cheering, jumping, roaring, and celebrating the victory unbridled.
Jackson's knees softened and he knelt down directly:
What's going on?
Why did they lose? Not only losing two weeks in a row, but losing to an underdog that currently has no NCAA rankings two weeks in a row?
However, my eyes were blank, but I couldn't find the answer. There was only a buzzing sound in my brain, which stretched and stretched again, and countless question marks were almost overflowing.
After the game, data comparison——
Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Stephen Johnson completed 16 of 27 passes for 338 yards, three touchdown passes and one interception.
Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson made 16 of 25 passes for 281 yards; he attempted to run the ball 25 times, ran for 171 yards, two passing touchdowns, two running touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The answer is clear at a glance.
Success is also Jackson, failure is also Jackson.
Throughout the game, Jackson tried to prove himself, firing on both ends of the ball and passing the ball. The 25 passing attempts and the 25 running ball attempts were completely equal, but the passing yards were far inferior to the little-known Johnson. , the fundamental reason is that the long pass is inaccurate.
Not only was he risky and reckless, but his passing skills were rough and he directly contributed three interceptions, resulting in three ball possession transitions and ruining all the team's efforts.
But no one can blame Jackson.
That's the way the Louisville Cardinals play, the pressure to win or lose is all on Jackson.
One of the most intuitive statistics is that Jackson leads the team in passing yards and running yards, while none of the Cardinals' internal and external receivers, tight ends and running backs can exceed 100 yards.
At the beginning of the season, this tactic was successful, so Jackson stood under the spotlight and enjoyed all the applause alone.
At the end of the season, this set of tactics hit a wall, and Jackson could only bear all the pressure and criticism alone.
So, it’s all Levi’s fault?
Jackson was puzzled. How could his brilliant season go awry because of a running back? Things shouldn't be like this.
After the Louisville Cardinals unexpectedly lost to the Kentucky Wildcats, the situation in the NCAA suddenly changed.
First, the Heisman Trophy odds list has changed for the second week in a row.
Levi rose to the top position, maintaining the upward momentum of the season. This is also the first time Levi has become the leader this season; Jackson slipped to second place, and Watson continued to rank third.
Although the Louisville Cardinals lost, Jackson's ability to run and pass with full firepower was still noticed by people. In the eyes of professional reporters, his performance was still better than Watson's, so this week Clay The Menson Tigers' win also failed to help Watson complete the lead.
However, the odds between the three players are almost the same, and the suspense of who will win the Heisman Award is still hidden in a lot of fog.
This year's Heisman Award is more interesting than any other year, because whoever among the current front-runners wins will make history.
If it were Jackson, he would be the Louisville Cardinals' first-ever Heisman Trophy winner.
If it were Watson, he would be the Clemson Tiger's first-ever Heisman Trophy winner.
If it is Levi, he will not only be the first running back to win the Heisman Award for two consecutive years since the millennium, but also the Ohio State running back Archie Griffin in 1974 and 1975. For the first time since winning the Heisman Award, the same school can win the Heisman Award for two consecutive years, and will be the first Asian Heisman Award winner in history. Any result will be a breakthrough and history will be written.
The next game may still change the situation at any time. The closer it gets to the end, the more intense it will be. There is a sense of excitement like the 100-meter flying contest in the Olympic Games.
Secondly, the regular season is coming to an end, and the final rankings of each division of the major leagues, conference championship games, bowl games, and national championship games are ready to go.
Shaban has said before that there are so many experts from different NCAA leagues that a win or loss may overturn the rankings and rewrite the waiting list for bowl games.
In the final sprint of the regular season, the Louisville Cardinals suffered consecutive losses. They lost two key games and lost the initiative in an instant. Two weeks ago, they were ranked third in the NCAA rankings. In the blink of an eye, they have fallen to the NCAA rankings. The fifteenth position is a cliff-like drop.
In other words, the Louisville Cardinals' hope of advancing to the National Championship Game is getting slimmer.
At least, the initiative is no longer in their hands now.
The situation changes suddenly!
Just two weeks ago, the Louisville Cardinals were still the favorites to win the championship, but now they have completely lost the initiative. Whether they can advance to the national championship game depends on others. The huge gap from heaven to hell cannot accurately describe Jackson's mood at this moment.
Of course, the season is not over yet. There are still two weeks of games. Every victory or loss may overturn the situation. At least the Louisville Cardinals cannot give up hope. They need to win these two games before they are qualified to discuss other possibilities. .
Thousands of eyes were focused on Jackson again.
However.
Jackson, who was kneeling on the grass, had no mind to pay attention to other people at this time. His mind was filled with Levi, Levi, Levi, so what would Levi say this time?
In the post-game interview, when Jackson learned that Levi was clenching his fists to cheer him on, he almost spit out a mouthful of blood, gritted his teeth and his eyes were red.
shame.
A real shame!
At this time, Jackson has been completely surrounded by the media, and his thoughts are all about Levi.
On that side, thanks to Shaban's decisive killing, media harassment and attention were completely blocked from the Crimson Tide storm, allowing the players to calm down.
Obviously, Levi did not leave any place for Jackson in his mind. He did not care or care about the situation of Jackson and the Louisville Cardinals. He took it one step at a time, one game at a time. The only thing that needed to be paid attention to was the next one. opponent, and give it your all.
Jackson, Watson, and Heisman Award selections all stood aside.
Everyone in the Red Tide Storm is united and marching forward bravely.
In the eleventh week, against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, ranked 13th in the NCAA, the Crimson Tide Storm continued their good form and easily defeated their opponent "31:3".
Week 12, the final game of the season, is also the most worthy of attention and discussion in the NCAA. Not only is it related to the Crimson Tide's ability to continue their undefeated streak and complete the winning season, but also because of the attention of this opponent, it is easy to Pushing the value of the game to a new peak.
This game is the oldest and most entangled rivalry in the Southeastern Conference. The Alabama Crimson Tide Storm face the Auburn Tigers at home——
Another tiger.
This matchup is the NCAA's famous "Iron-Bowl".
Today’s third update.
(End of this chapter)