ZWF: Dawgs and Frawgs
Zander's Weekend Facts #48: Sunday, January 8, 2022
A champion will be crowned in College Football, with the National Championship set for this Monday. So, will it be #1 Georgia or #3 TCU?
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, a preview of Monday’s clash between Georgia and TCU, and a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Plus, a compilation of the top headlines from the last seven days.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 88 features a deep dive into the Electoral College. Zander has a big question, why does the United States use the Electoral College to elect a President? Zander also has the answer, and takes a look at how the American institution could change in the future. Go download and listen to the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, January 8, 2023:
Who’s your National Champion?
A championship clash where both teams’ mascot names rhyme with each other is just so satisfying.
On Monday night, the college football season will come to an end, with the College Football Playoff National Championship set to kick off at 7:30 pm et on ESPN.
In the game, a matchup that no one could have predicted to begin the season, or maybe even just a month or two ago.
The #1 ranked team, Georgia, was an easy pick to get here. The Bulldogs beat Alabama in last year’s National Championship to get their first National Championship in football since 1980, and first for head coach Kirby Smart. Georgia have not lost this season, and while they seemingly looked past a few conference opponents this year, they’ve also looked as dominant as ever at times.
Down by 14 points in the fourth quarter of the CFP Semifinal against #4 Ohio State, Georgia’s offense got 10 points in 17 seconds, and ended up outscoring the Buckeyes 18-3 in the quarter. As the clock struck midnight on New Year’s on the east coast, an Ohio State missed field goal gave Georgia the 42-41 victory, sealing their spot in their second straight National Championship game.
Now the other team in this year’s game, #3 TCU, was predicted by a grand total of ZERO people to be here. The Horned Frogs, led by first-year head coach Sonny Dykes, were predicted to finish seventh in the Big 12 back in July. The man at quarterback, Max Duggan was not a sure thing coming in to this season. It’s one of the most remarkable stories we’ve seen in this sport. TCU ended up losing only one game, the Big 12 championship to Kansas State, while they beat five ranked opponents in the regular season.
In the CFP Semifinal against #2 Michigan, there was never a point at which TCU trailed. A 41-yard interception returned for a touchdown at the 9:22 mark in the first quarter pulled the Horned Frogs ahead, and they didn’t look back. The Wolverines kept themselves in it up until the end, but it was TCU who were able to outscore Michigan for a 51-45 win, the second-highest scoring game in the history of the College Football Playoff.
TCU have played the underdog role all season, and it will be no different against Georgia, who come into the game as 12.5 point favorites. It will be the Horned Frogs’ toughest test yet, but they’ve risen up in all other cases this year.
There’s no doubt that there will be lots of scoring. Just look at the two semifinal games, a combined 179 points!
Will TCU be able to hang with an offense led once again by quarterback Stetson Bennett, with weapons everywhere you look? I would love for TCU to win. I love their story, coming from nothing to the top of the sport in just one season. It gives all of us fans of lowly teams hope, and that’s all we need.
But you pick facts with your head, not your heart, and my head is telling me Georgia will win the fight between dogs and frogs. Georgia wins their second straight National Championship, their fourth overall, and becomes the first team since Alabama in 2010 and 2011 to repeat as champs.
Zander’s pick: Georgia 49 - TCU 38
(If you’d like to read a preview from someone who actually knows what they’re talking about, check out the following article ;)
What Zander’s been reading this week
It was an extremely scary sight when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin had to be resusciated on the field during Monday’s Bills-Bengals game. Hamlin is making great progress and the worst was avoided, but it still reminds us all of just how dangerous the sport of football is. Even with the game being far and away America’s most popular sport, is it time for something to change?
Check out this week’s featured article on Time - Where Football Goes From Here (Link for article on Apple News)
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top headlines from the sports world in the ZF Sporting Club:
Damar Hamlin: Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin had to be taken off the field in an ambulance after a collision during Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin initially got up from the collision, but fell backwards seconds later. CPR had to be performed after Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest, and he has been University of Cincinnati Medical Center ever since. The game was eventually canceled, and the football community has shown massive support towards Hamlin in the last few days. Miraculously, Hamlin continues to make progress, including having his breathing tube removed and communicating with his teammates, but remains in critical condition.
NFL Week 18: It’s the final week of the NFL’s regular season, and playoff seeding and berths are on the line. First off, there were two games on Saturday, with the Chiefs clinching the AFC’s #1 seed with a 31-13 win over the Raiders, and the Jaguars clinching a playoff berth and the AFC South crown with a 20-16 win over the Titans. Now to later today, with the notable 1:00 pm et games including the Patriots at the Bills, the Jets facing the Dolphins, and the Browns taking on the Steelers. At 4:25 pm et, the Rams take on the Seahawks, while the Lions take on the Packers at 8:20 pm et. If the Seahawks lose to the Rams, the winner of the Sunday night game is in the playoffs.
NFL Playoff Picture: With today being the final day of the regular season in the NFL, its the final chance for teams to clinch spots in the postseason. In the AFC, only one spot is open, with the Dolphins, Patriots, and Steelers in contention. The Patriots are in with a win, while the Dolphins need a win and Patriots loss, and the Steelers need a win and Dolphins + Patriots loss. If all three lose, the Patriots clinch the spot. In the NFC, there is also just one spot available, with the Packers, Seahawks, and Lions in the race. If the Packers defeat the Lions tonight, they are in. The Seahawks are in if they win and the Packers lose, while the Lions are in if they win and the Seahawks lose.
U.S. Soccer Drama: Controversy embroiled U.S. Soccer this week, as it was revealed that Claudio and Danielle Reyna, the parents of USMNT’s Gio Reyna, voiced their frustrations with U.S. Soccer management over Gio’s lack of playing time during the World Cup. According to reports, the Reyna parents made U.S. Soccer aware of a domestic violence incident involving then-USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter when he was 18 years old. For many years, the Berhalters and Reynas have been seen as great friends, including Claudio and Gregg being teammates on the USMNT. Berhalter’s contract expired at the end of 2022, but according to U.S. Soccer, is still in consideration for the job pending an investigation.
Chris Beard Fired: Texas men’s basketball coach Chris Beard was fired on Thursday. Beard had been arrested on December 12 after an altercation with his wife led to a third-degree felony domestic violence charge. Beard was freed on bail the next day, but was suspended indefinitely from the Texas program. Associate head coach Rodney Terry will continue to act as interim coach, presumably for the remainder of the season. Texas is currently 13-2 and #6 in the AP poll.
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Rapid-fire Facts
These are top news headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
House Speaker: After 15 ballots and over three days of voting, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was finally elected as the next Speaker of the House. McCarthy was handed the gavel after a night full of drama in the wee hours of Saturday morning, finally gaining enough Republican votes to become third-in-line to the presidency. The 15 votes it took to elect a Speaker was the longest Speaker election in the House since 1859. McCarthy becomes just the second Speaker from California, joining the previous House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Ukraine Ceasefire: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a ceasefire in the war against Ukraine this week. Putin declared the 36-hour ceasefire on Thursday to observe Orthodox Christmas, but Ukraine immediately rejected the proposal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Russia is using the ceasefire to resupply and halt Ukrainian advances in the eastern part of the country.
Abortion Pill: The FDA announced new regulations that will allow abortion pills to be sold at retail pharmacies. Previously, the only way to obtain the first pill in the two-drug medication abortion regimen, mifepristone, was by mail order or from a specially certified doctor or clinic. Patients will still need to obtain a prescription in order to be given the abortion pills, which now make up over half of abortions in the U.S. Later this this week, major pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens announced they would offer the pills in states where abortion is legal.
Amazon Layoffs: Amazon is planning to lay off over 18,000 workers, according to its CEO Andy Jassy. The news comes after reports in November stated that the company, the fifth largest in the world by market cap, would cut up to 10,000 jobs in the coming months. Amazon previously cut positions in its books and devices departments, leading many to believe the company was lessening its focus on its popular voice assistant, Alexa.
Ban on Noncompetes: The FTC has proposed a new rule that would ban employers from imposing noncompete clauses for their workers. A noncompete clause prevents a worker from joining a competing company for a certain amount of time after they leave a company. President Biden praised the proposal, which comes after he signed an executive order in 2021 to look into banning or limiting noncompetes. The FTC estimates that eliminating noncompetes could boost wages by almost $300 billion per year.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to the latest episode of the podcast, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts.
Check out Zander’s Facts’ Linktree page for more on everything Zander’s Facts related, including the all-new Zander’s Facts website. At ZandersFacts.com, get the latest on all the facts that Zander is putting out, and check out the freshest styles at the Zander’s Facts shop!
You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.substack.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment. That includes the next episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast, which comes out this Wednesday! Zander will dish out all the facts regarding the House Speaker vote, as well as the chaos in U.S. Soccer.
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The Facts in print return next Sunday, January 15, 2023.
