An early present
MISSOULA - The Montana Grizzlies will win their third national championship Friday in Chattanooga, Tenn.
That's all this column has to say. Read on if you like. Or start making plans to join the fun there or organize a viewing party here.
Because it is a lead pipe cinch the Griz are going to win. I don't know everything about football, but I do know that when an offense can play as poorly as Montana's did in the first half Saturday and still lead 14-6, then this is a team of destiny.
Fate. Karma. Divine intervention. Pick your poison. Whatever it is, it has turned a good Griz team into a great one, knocked off higher seeded teams at the right time to allow a three-game home playoff run and sent Montana to the title game, something that has become a sort of December ritual for the Grizzlies.
Sure there is a lot of talent on the field. Craig Ochs may be the best college quarterback I've seen in person, some have said Lex Hilliard is the best pro prospect the school has ever had and the defense, true to coach Bobby Hauck's word, has improved throughout the year from weak link to stronghold.
But three highly-touted opponents have come to Missoula in the playoffs and have left looking like they never belonged there in the first place. A 56-7 laugher over Northwestern State and its top-ranked defense. A 47-17 cakewalk over New Hampshire and its then-perfect road record. And Saturday's 34-13 stomping of Sam Houston State and its second-ranked passing offense.
(And having been to all three of those games, I challenge anyone who contends the BCS is the best system I-A can come up with to stand on the field during a game, experience all that a college football playoff has to offer and then produce a coherent argument against a I-A postseason. It simply can't be done, and anybody who does is either a liar, corrupt or psychotic. Or maybe a corrupt psychotic liar.)
Perhaps it's the intimidating mystique of Washington Grizzly Stadium, one of the largest venues in Division I-AA and definitely one of the noisiest. Maybe it's the weather. Whatever the reason, Montana's opponents this postseason have looked like little kids trying to walk around in dad's shoes.
The Griz, on the other hand, have shown the ability to adapt within the game to whatever the situation requires. Stopping the run? No problem. We'll throw quick hitches, screens and shovel passes to the running backs.
Blanketing the wide receivers so there's no one to throw to? We got it covered. We'll let the quarterback loose to run for 30 yards a pop.
Got a quick-strike passing attack? We'll see how fast you can find a target against eight defenders in pass coverage. You can't and you'll taste the turf six times.
Bobby Hauck has said all year that his team would improve each week and the goal was to be playing their best football in December. Rather than blathering mindless coachspeak, Hauck turned out a prophet and his Griz are primed for a championship.
An early Christmas (or late Hanukkah) present for the Grizzly faithful.
Andrew Hinkelman is a sports writer for The Daily Inter Lake. He can be reached at hink@dailyinterlake.com