Bay St. Louis, MS– Monday’s New Year’s Day games offered compelling matchups and exciting football for for all fans. Both playoff games came down to the final play of the game and we are a week away from Michael Penix and Washington playing Michigan for a Natty.
For MustangGrills the playoff crescendo landed him a perfect 5/5 on the day as he clinched his first CFGL Championship. At the start of the Sugar Bowl, only one scenario would result in a victory for Grills, it had to be Washington victory & over the total. Any other outcome would have landed Whitey Badger or Blue in the top spot. Congratulations to MustangGrills on a Bowl Season to remember. Grills not only won five NY Day games, but also by scoring a League high 189.5 points on our first day of games, 12/16. That single day total was fourth most of any single day this bowl season and fueled a win despite losing three Saturday (12/30) games and his 41 point game on his hometown SMU Stangs. In the end, Grills earned the championship and the $2K cash prize.
Iowa Ineptitude Costs Whitey Badger the CFGL Bowl Season Belt
Like Grills, Whitey Badger had a very hot start to the bowl season, scoring wins on 13 of his first 14 games. During this streak, he scored 98% of his points and held the top of the standings with an iron grip. On Monday, had Tennessee been able to punch in a cheap one, Whitey’s over would have hit and we would be hailing a different champ. Iowa could have also just kicked a field goal at some point to avoid the shut-out and make Whitey a winner. For now, Whitey will have to settle for second place and a $750 prize.
Blue Unexpectedly Charges to the Top of Standings, Wins 3rd Prize
In one of our most unlikely scenarios, but one I outlined in my post on 12/30, elder statesman of The League, Blue, came within a Texas cover from taking home the championship. What makes Blue’s run remarkable is that he lost ten straight games during the early stage of the contest. Blue then hit on 20 of his last 24 and nine straight wins until the Texas Sugar Bowl. A Texas cover would have resulted in the greatest finish and comeback from a single player in Bowl Season History. For his efforts, we will reward Blue with a $250 third place prize.
CFGL Champion Determined by Best Score, not Most Deserving
For the players beyond the top three, Monday was a day of ups and downs as championship hopes were doused, dashed, and doubled-down on throughout each game. Swamp Donkey (4th place) made an impressive push to the top by hitting 12/14 before the Sugar Bowl. While his chance to win had passed, a Texas cover would have landed him at #2 and a $750 prize. One can’t help but wonder if Swamp Donkey feels like an ass for picking the FSU $line for his 33 point game…which ends up the margin by which he falls short of the bowl season championship. T-Bizzle (5th place) started Monday as the league leader but did not have enough points risked to hold off the charge from behind him. Despite winning 3/5 games on Monday, he had less than 100 points possible for the day and so he fell short. Great season, Biz. Yearly Donation had a great Monday as well, winning 4/5 including his 40, 41, and 18 point games. His run over the last week of bowls kept him steadily climbing the leaderboard and he lands at #6 overall. Dat Win, CJGK5H, and Petrino’s Legend converted over 66% of their points this bowl season and a 7th-9th place finish overall. Petrino’s Legend had a real shot at placing in the money and his faith in the SEC did not pay off as his final two losses were LSU cover and Bama $line. League co-founder, Coach, won four big point games Monday and 7/8 down the stretch to finish in 10th place. In 11th place was RipperRipski, who struggled and last 5 of his last 7 AND watched their beloved Longhorns lose in the Superdome. This former champ will bounce back…will Sark?
Finally, The CFGL recognizes Marvelous Monkey Butt for his efforts this season. Not only did MMB finish 12th overall by winning his last eleven games, but he also wins the Top Amateur title with the highest finish by a minor. He lands 30+ points above Roosky (26th) and Irish Eyes (27th) (Johnson children) as the Banana (47th) and Clumsy Chickens (95th) (Ripski kids) finish well behind, despite good efforts.
Do You Believe?
Do you BELEIVE?!?!
Yes, the CFGL will be back for our 20th Season next August. Ahead of that landmark season, we want to send out heartfelt “thank yous” to those folks that keep this thing running. Travis Brown does all of our visual design, Max Bayram keeps the website accessible and updated throughout the season, Mike K. continues to dominate the spreadsheet game, and the one and only Lucy keeps our scoreboard and statistics dynamic each week.
Most of all, we thank the players who plan their week around getting their picks in, following the action on the weekend, and then coming back for more every year. The success of The CFGL can be traced directly to the amazing community of players. We appreciate the engagement, the feedback, and the love that you guys and gals show annually. Enjoy the off-season and see you in August 2024!