A New Role

R.C. Slocum will help decide our National Championship

John Granato
Jan 17, 2019, 10:49 am
R.C. Slocum. Wikipedia

Yesterday it was announced that former Texas A&M Head Football Coach R.C. Slocum will be on the College Football Playoff committee for the next three years. He hasn't coached since 2002 but he hasn't been away from the game. He's been voting in the NFF college football poll and just last year resigned as chair of the American Football Coaches Foundation. He'd been the only president they had ever had. But he decided he needed a new challenge and a few months ago Bill Hancock, the executive director of the CFP committee called. It didn't take long for R.C. to agree to be on board.

"It's a great honor in terms of the committee affecting college football. It's one of the most prestigious committees out there. It's a way to give back. I've spent my whole life in college football. I was wondering which way it would take me. To be at the forefront is exciting."

It'll cut into his golf game but it won't cut into watching his Aggies. The committee meets during the week in Dallas which is a short drive for him from College Station. It's made up of a very impressive group of Athletic Directors, former coaches, a professor and now a four star general.

He's going to watch as many games as possible and do his best to put the best teams in the playoff.

"There's no right or wrong. I want to be able to be able to defend why I voted that way. I expect in those meetings I'll be able to say why I think this team is better than that team. I've always said, 'Look at it like it's a horse race. Which one would you put your money on?' I'll just try to be fair."

As far as changing the system, maybe an eight team playoff? The old ball coach didn't want anything to do with that.

"It wouldn't be very corporate of me to speculate on that. I'm just waiting to see what we do and how we do it. Every argument sounds pretty good while they're making them. This is what we have. We'll just go with that for now."

"I see a game that's as popular as ever. There are more and more games on TV but there's still 100,000 people in the stands and you can't get a ticket. Back when I coached there was a lot more defense. People were running the wishbone. Last week we had two Texas quarterbacks in an NFL playoff game. We didn't have any quarterbacks in the NFL back in the day. 7 on 7 has changed everything. And everyone talks about the quarterbacks but do you see the catches that these guys are making? It's an exciting time."

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Houston is moving on

Astros advance to ALDS with ALWC Game 2 win over Twins

Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

After rallying in the ninth inning in Game 1 to take the pivotal opener of this best-of-three ALWC series, the Astros were in the driver's seat to try and end the series on Wednesday with another win at Target Field. Here is a quick rundown of Game 2:

Final Score: Astros 3, Twins 1.

Series: HOU Wins 2-0.

Winning Pitcher: Cristian Javier.

Losing Pitcher: Cody Stashak.

Houston gets the first hit and first run in the fourth

Through the first three innings, neither team could get a hit off of Jose Berrios or Jose Urquidy, though the Twins did load the bases in the bottom of the first on two walks and an error, but Urquidy would strand the runners before getting 1-2-3 innings in the second and third.

Meanwhile, the Astros lineup was retired in order in three perfect innings by Berrios. That changed in the top of the fourth when Houston would get back-to-back two-out walks to set up the first hit of the game, an RBI-single by Kyle Tucker to give the Astros a 1-0 lead.

Dusty Baker makes another early call to the bullpen before Twins tie it up

Urquidy was able to keep the 1-0 lead by working around a two-out single in the bottom of the fourth, the first hit for the Twins. He returned in the fifth, allowing a leadoff single before a strikeout for the first out. Dusty Baker would pull another early hook, like Greinke the day prior, dipping into his bullpen early to end Urquidy's day at just 76 pitches in the fifth. His final line: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 76 P.

Brooks Raley was who Baker called on to face the top of the Twins' lineup. He would walk his first batter, putting runners on first and second, get a strikeout for the second out, then allow an RBI-double to Nelson Cruz that almost scored a second, go-ahead run. Instead, the runner was out at home thanks to a terrific defensive play by Carlos Correa, bulleting the ball to Maldonado at home, who made a great tag to save the run and keep it tied 1-1.

Correa homers, Astros advance to ALDS

After Raley completed the fifth inning for Urquidy, Cristian Javier was the next reliever out to begin the bottom of the sixth. He would toss a 1-2-3 frame, sending the tie game to the seventh. In the top of the seventh, Carlos Correa broke the tie with a long, loud two-out solo home run to center-field, putting the Astros back in front 2-1.

Javier held on to the one-run lead in the bottom of the seventh by working around a leadoff walk, then returned for the eighth. He would get through it scoreless, despite allowing a one-out walk to Nelson Cruz, who would be pinch-ran for by the speedy Byron Buxton. After a strikeout for out number two, Javier would catch Buxton between first and second base in a rundown, getting the big final out of the inning.

Houston added insurance in the top of the ninth, getting two on base before an RBI-single by Kyle Tucker, his second of the day to make it 3-1. That left things up to closer Ryan Pressly, making his first appearance of the postseason. He would notch the save, advancing the Astros to the ALDS for their fourth-straight year.

Up Next: The Astros will now have a few days off to travel to the west coast before starting their ALDS with the winner of the A's / White Sox ALWC series. Game 1 of their ALDS will be on Monday, October 5th, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, with start time TBD.

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