Normally, Sundays in the fall are devoted to professional football, and while the NFL featured its usual fare of match-ups, football fans in the Golden Triangle were likely to have focused their attention elsewhere.
At 1:45 p.m. Sunday, the College Football Playoff committee named it’s “New Year’s Six” bowl match-ups, revealing not only the games for the first-ever four-team playoff but four other major bowls, as well.
Both Mississippi State and Ole Miss were rewarded for their outstanding seasons. Mississippi State, ranked seventh in the committee’s final poll, will play ACC runner-up Georgia Tech (No. 12) in the Orange Bowl while No. 9 Ole Miss will take on No. 6 TCU in the Peach Bowl. Both games will be played on New Year’s Eve.
Alabama, meanwhile, takes its top-seeding to the Sugar Bowl against No. 4 Ohio State in one semifinal while No. 2 Oregon will play No. 3 Florida State in the Rose Bowl.
The winners will meet in Dallas on Jan. 12 to decide the national championship.
Another national championship has already been decided, one of particular interest in the Golden Triangle.
Minutes after the CFP made its bowl announcements, East Mississippi Community College took the field in Biloxi against Iowa Western to determine the community college version of the national championship.
Lions fans were not disappointed. Quarterback Chad Kelly threw for 434 yards and five touchdowns as EMCC emerged with a 34-17 victory and its second straight national championship, its third in four years.
Repeat champions in major college football or the NFL may be rare events, but they have become almost routine at EMCC.
We congratulate the Lions on its second consecutive perfect season. While State and Ole Miss cannot achieve that goal, the Bulldogs and Rebels still have much to play for.
Wins in the bowls should cement both teams near the top of the college football standings.
That, too, is an accomplishment worth celebrating.
Lions and Bulldogs and Rebels, oh my!
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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