Chapter 130: 129 Formidable
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Generally, these young NCAA players don't have much cunning, and even when they trash talk, it's straightforward without much guile.
But the young sophomore quarterback from the University of Washington was quite clever.
The focus wasn't on Li Wei, but rather a cunning praise of the Crimson Tide Storm defensive group, even though the University of Alabama relied on their defense to win games. But why was everyone talking about Li Wei?
A seed of doubt was planted, then all one had to do was wait for it to take root and sprout.
If it had been another team, this move might really have caused some ripples; unfortunately, they were up against the united Crimson Tide Storm.
Allen and Foster couldn't be bothered to respond, but Humphrey couldn't help himself and shot back a comment to the reporters.
"Who is he, again?"
The reporter from Seattle was taken aback—
The University of Washington is not located in Washington, D.C., but in Seattle, Washington State, on the West Coast, so they are a Pacific-12 Conference team.
Humphrey, seeing the reporter's astonished face, couldn't contain his glee, "Haha, Li Wei's move is indeed powerful, I should start using it."
Jake Browning, the quarterback of the University of Washington, heard the response and scowled, nearly grinding his teeth to bits.
Yet, as Humphrey said—
Who is Browning?
This year, as a sophomore, Browning served as the quarterback for the University of Washington. He had a remarkable season, was selected as the first-team quarterback of the Pacific-12 Conference, and led the University of Washington to an 11-1 record, culminating in a victory over the University of Colorado to claim the conference championship.
Ultimately, under underrated circumstances, the University of Washington ranked 4th in the NCAA, gaining a spot in the nationwide championship and is about to compete with the University of Alabama for a seat in the finals.
It's hard to imagine that this season, the University of Washington only lost to the University of Southern California in one game, quietly yet steadily overtaking others in the rankings, while the flamboyant University of Louisville crashed out of the competition in a spectacular tumble.
The ambitious young Browning was clearly not satisfied with the NCAA's disregard for him. Why were quarterbacks like Jackson, Watson, and Mayfield let off the hook, while even running backs like Li Wei and Fournette received more recognition and praise?
In the Heisman Trophy selection, Browning's name wasn't even mentioned.
For most people, Browning and the University of Washington were indeed not on their radar. Humphrey's claim of not recognizing Browning wasn't far-fetched.
As harsh as it is, that's the reality.
Moreover, more importantly, in the future, Browning remained virtually unknown—
As a sophomore, that was the only highlight of Browning's quarterback career. He gradually faded into mediocrity and didn't enter the draft until after his senior year, only to be overlooked, with no NFL team picking him.
Browning didn't give up and eventually made it into the league, sticking with the practice squads for the Minnesota Vikings and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Of course, during his college days, in his sophomore year, Browning still held hope for his future, with the Pacific-12 Conference widely believing he could become the next NFL superstar quarterback.
Like Baker, Browning was eagerly sharpening his knives, ready to astonish everyone in the Peach Bowl by defeating the Crimson Tide Storm and prove how foolish it was for those people to ignore them.
However…
Bran didn't think so.
This scout from the Baltimore Ravens didn't have the ability to predict the future and naturally couldn't know how Browning's career would unfold. His analysis was purely objective.
The University of Washington's 12-1 record this season—including that championship game victory in the Pacific-12 Conference—did indeed surprise many, but their victories were directly related to their style of play.
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The Pacific-12 Conference is the birthplace of the NCAA's most representative West Coast offense system, which is the current passing offense-oriented tactical system, including all offensive tactics such as the Shotgun Formation, which all originated here.
Now in the NFL, the West Coast offense is also very popular, occupying an absolute mainstream position.
Naturally, the opponents of the University of Washington usually have excellent passing offenses.
The offensive group of the University of Washington is mediocre, not terrible but not outstanding either, lacking star players and relying more on team cooperation; the real strength of the team lies in defense, especially passing defense, with cornerbacks and safeties that are truly first-class in the NCAA.
Among the top eight ranked teams in the NCAA, the University of Washington is one of the rare teams that rely on teamwork as a whole, which is also the source of their confidence.
However.
The University of Washington has no advantage when facing the University of Alabama, as the strengths and weaknesses of the two teams are completely mismatched and can't be pitted against each other.
The University of Washington excels in passing defense, but the University of Alabama doesn't need a passing offense to make a breakthrough; Washington is good at passing offense, while Alabama's passing defense is ranked number one in the NCAA.
It's a perfect mismatch.
The University of Alabama can be said to be the nemesis of the University of Washington, and this game is going to be very difficult for the latter, with a bleak outlook.
The key to this game is whether the University of Washington can contain Alabama's ground attack; falling behind from the start can lead to a very passive situation and may even decide the winner in the first quarter.
Not just Brand, but a series of professionals have also expressed similar views—
The defending champions are favored, garnering countless supports, and speculation about Alabama and Clemson meeting in the finals for the second consecutive year is already surging.
However, the "underdog" University of Washington is coming on strong, and they are also well-prepared.
At the start, the University of Washington confidently chose to attack first and showed their patience and belief in their very first offensive drive.
Quarterback Browning was calm and resolute, sticking solely to ground running to distract, decisive in passing against opponents, successively using tactical movements to create openings, connecting successfully, with very accurate throws.
In an offense that lasted four minutes and thirty-seven seconds, Browning achieved six first downs, and it ended with a thirteen-yard mid-pass connected to the team's number one wide receiver, John Ross III, who advanced to the end zone for a touchdown. Continue reading at empire
The University of Washington took the lead at the start of the game.
Firm, bold, and meticulous, Browning indeed exhibited an impressive state, delivering a blow to the University of Alabama and displaying a belief in victory.
"Ah!"
After confirming Ross's touchdown, Browning let out a lion's roar at Humphrey, who failed to secure his position and continued without respite, turning to charge towards Alabama's sideline seeking Li Wei in the crowd, who was eating a banana, and continued his roar.
"Aaaah!"
Li Wei was full of question marks, as it wasn't he who had provoked Browning before the match; what was this guy jumping about for.
But Li Wei didn't react and continued eating his banana, watching Browning, who was beating his chest like a great ape, handing over the banana with a questioning look:
Want some?
As if watching an ape in a zoo.
Browning exploded, "Ah! Aaaah!"
The Peach Bowl had only just begun, and the atmosphere was already pushed to the boiling point, exploding.