Connor O’Toole and More

 Yes, folks, that was former La Cueva star Connor O’Toole who was ejected for targeting while playing on the Utah kickoff coverage team in the Rose Bowl. 

It, also was O’Toole, however, who threw a key block — it looked to me like THE key block — the play before. The Albuquerque freshman’s block sprung returner extraordinaire Britain Covey for a 100-yard touchdown return against Ohio State. The Buckeyes won a highly entertaining game, 48-45. 

On the targeting call, O’Toole indeed led with the crown of his helmet in assisting on the tackle of the Ohio State kick returner. The referee actually didn’t say O’Toole was disqualified, and I thought, not totally sure of the rule, that he might be allowed to stay in the game because the contact was not helmet-to-helmet. But, no, he did not return.

After the targeting call, the broadcasters noted that O’Toole, a wide receiver, had caught just one pass for 5 yards during the season. They did not note that, as a contributor on special teams, he’d been in on 10 tackles (five unassisted, five assisted). 

One hopes, as his career progresses, he’ll get more opportunities in the passing game.

PLAYOFFS? ARE YOU KIDDIN’ ME? After Alabama’s emphatic victory over Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl, which served as a College Football Playoffs semifinal, Tide coach Nick Saban questioned the need for an expanded playoff (while saying it’s not his call to make). 

One byproduct of an expanded playoff structure, Saban said, would be to further reduce the importance of college bowl games — which he said already was happening, simply because a playoff structure exists.

Well, OK. Why don’t we just go back to the old days, when the national champion(s) was/were determined by the coaches’ and media polls after the New Year’s Day bowls? 

No? Yeah, I didn’t think so. I’m in favor of at least an eight-team playoff structure, even after last week’s semifinal games turned out to be less than barn-burners. Why? Because it’s more inclusive and only fair. 

Football isn’t basketball, and upsets by the lowest seed against the highest seed in an expanded playoff system are far less likely in football. But could it happen?

Let’s find out.

OPTING OUT: ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit has taken mega shots for criticizing NFL prospects who opted out of their college teams’ bowl games to protect themselves from injuries that might impact their draft prospects. 

Those who opted out, Herbstreit opined, must not love football. 

I’m not crazy about the opt-out craze either. But having watched Micah Parsons — who opted out of Penn State’s entire season in 2020 — play for the Cowboys this fall, I’m pretty sure he loves football. (COVID-19, of course, played a major role in his decision to opt out in 2020).

A more on-point criticism for Herbstreit (or for anyone) might have been this: letting one’s teammates down. 

For all the quotes I hear and read about college players calling their teammates “brothers” and “family,” it seems a little more brotherly love and less family dysfunction might be in order when it comes to bowl games.